Qualitaly_118

AUG. SEP. 2020 XV customers and keep the business going”. ______________________________ BOX SOME SAY NO Not everyone is convinced, however, that the buffet is such an indispensable part of the offer, indeed there are those who hope that the regulation will help to replace this mode of service. This was stated by Massimiliano Tonelli, editorial director of Gambero Rosso during Smart Restart 2 - the recipe for a successful restart, an online event organized by Fiera Bolzano as part of Hotel Connects. “In my experience,” he said, “I find it hard to find examples of high quality and accurate proposals served at the buffet. Perhaps it is time to rethink this type of offer, which is hardly compatible with a high-quality product. My first thought is for the buffet aperitif, which in my opinion trivializes a typically Italian ritual”. ______________________________ AT PAGE 52 FEELING GOOD AT THE TABLE Sweets, such passion Alternative ingredients and a pinch of creativity to make light desserts for those who want to pay attention to their line, for intolerants, vegans or simply to try something new. by Dr. Barbara Panterna OFor most Italians, desserts are something not to be turned away, perhaps because in our culinary tradition there are many amazing recipes one can hardly resist. And one of the main reasons why the Italian population is overweight is precisely related to the excessive intake of sweets, this is especially true for women who find in cakes and chocolate a real consolation during the difficult moments of life. Moreover, due to cultural habits, for most Italians at the restaurant, a dinner is not finished unless it ends with a nice dessert. For this reason, for people who decide to embark on a diet, going to the restaurant is filled with fear and, in order not to give in to temptations, during that period tend to drastically limit eating out. In this regard, in order to ensure that this type of clientele does not lose socialising opportunities, already drastically changed following the recent lockdown, or to ensure that those who come back from vacation with a few extra kilos to find allies in the restaurants, sweets made in “light” version can be proposed, even if, in my opinion, when you go to a restaurant it is precisely because you want to experience new flavours, to surrender to the culinary delights of the place and then I am of the idea that if you decide to indulge in a whim and step out of line then you might as well do it completely! So, the desserts, in a light version, might seem a contradiction in this respect. In reality, if well executed, they can still satisfy the palate and be “useful” in preventing or limiting the course of some diseases related to bad eating habits (in this regard it should be remembered that now many Italians suffer from overweight, type 2 diabetes, hypercholesterolemia etc.). Therefore, making light sweets is feasible but obviously more difficult because if the ingredients are not chosen carefully, the taste and texture will be affected. For example, making a tart with traditional flour, with a lot of sugar and a lot of butter will give me a 98% chance of success, making it with rice oil, alternative flours (which have a lower glycaemic index and maybe gluten-free to be better tolerated) is a much more difficult task. But, to please your customers, I am sure that your skills and imagination will help you to find the right balance between quality and healthier ingredients and an excellent yield in taste and appearance. POST-HOLIDAY TIPS Since the weather is still hot in September, I would propose fresh and colourful spoon desserts, maybe some blueberry mousse made with fresh ricotta cheese, yoghurt and fruit (mix the low-fat Greek yoghurt with fresh organic ricotta cheese and a little brown sugar to obtain a homogeneous cream, serve it cold in cups with fresh blueberry coulis, water, agave syrup and sauternes or muscatel drops of your choice), or chocolate puddings in vegan version with raspberry coulis (for the preparation use rice or almond or coconut milk, corn-starch, dark vegan chocolate without sugar; these puddings will also be ideal for coeliacs and intolerants in general), spoon desserts made with Greek yoghurt, bourbon vanilla and apricots in syrup, water-based fruit sorbets with agave syrup, or fruit cakes and tarts made with wholemeal flour, or by mixing rice flour, millet and quinoa (suitable for coeliacs and in any case better tolerated by those suffering from gastroenteric disorders in general), using whipped egg whites with a little brown cane sugar, eliminating butter and introducing rice or sesame oil to reduce fat and, instead of cow’s milk, I would use organic coconut or almond milk with no added sugar. Or prepare oat and dried fruit biscuits with a lower glycaemic index and a higher content of fibre and protein, or millet pies with a heart of organic jam or wholegrain biscuits with dehydrated blueberries to be served with a light sorbet, or lemon or coconut meringues (using the juice and rind of organic lemons and coconut flakes, egg whites and whole white cane sugar), or avocado and pistachio mousse cups (always using basic low-fat Greek yoghurt or vegan yoghurt, vegetarians and for those allergic to caseins or lactose intolerant). ALTERNATIVE INGREDIENTS To grab another slice of customers with gastroenteric disorders, which are more and more on the increase, as I have mentioned in recent articles, it would be better to use lactose-free / lactase-free products, enzyme of the hydrolase class able to break down lactose - disaccharide sugar present in dairy products - into galactose and glucose to make it more digestible. Lactase is naturally produced by mammals especially in the first phase of extrauterine life, therefore more and more adults have difficulty digesting dairy products developing annoying gastroenteric symptoms and not only. So