New dates for the festival but always with great products

I was taken by surprise this year by the Vinitaly that instead to be in April as usual, has been moved to the 25th of March and will last until today, the 28th. The purpose of this move is to offer even more space to business, giving chance to all the people working in the sector and not to have more days to enjoy the Festival.

In fact, while in these days has been published the news that global demand for traditional British food like tea, biscuits and sausages has seen exports rise last year to top £12bn for the first time, it's with no doubt that we can say that in Italy is the wine industry that continues to drive the country’s agricultural sector and that confirms its leading position in foreign markets.

While the five biggest emerging markets for the english food are  China, Poland, Hong Kong, Netherlands and Belgium, for the Italian wine they is still America at the first place followed by China and Russia.

But there is not just wine at the Vinitaly and it's news of this morning that "Il Gambero Rosso"( important Italian food and wine magazine and publishing group) has presented at the festival also its guide to the best Italian Oils, another great product for our country. You can find more information here directly from Mafaldina, in the italian blog.

Pastificio dei Campi is at the Vinitaly too, in the stand of the Consortium for the Pasta from Gragnano, so follow us on twitter for other news from the festival.

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La Dolce Vita in London and TASTE in Florence

I can't resist to food festivals and funny events so I can't wait for this weekend when in London there will be La Dolce Vita again.

I go to have a little picture of what Italy is trying to import in UK and it's like to comeback home for some hours. Of course is full of italian , but especially is full of noise, laugh and good food of course.

This year there will be even a stand dedicated to Rome and its surrounding and Gino D'Acampo doing some live cooking. It will be fine.

And while I will be there, all my "italian family" will be at Taste in Florence a food festival dedicated to good eating and good living attended by the top figures in the international gastronomic and catering trade as well as an increasingly growing public of passionate foodies.

But this year the party will be even bigger because it will take place also outside the actual Stazione Leopolda but it will invade all the city with  themed suppers and tastings, shows and creative performances, events and new ways of presenting quality food. The calendar featured over 100 events at the last edition.

Pastificio dei Campi will be at the festival at the stand A13-A15 but also outside, with 2 events that will take place on sunday at lunchtime in the Gallery Art Hotel Ristorante and for dinner at 4Nero Concept Store.

 So i'm ready for my tour and I wish you a good weekend wherever you will be!

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An exclusive event with the Chef & Pastificio dei Campi

I have a great news for all of you today: I’m proud to announce a very special evening taking place on the 23^rd of Januray at Massimo, the London’s new speciality fish restaurant and oyster bar.

Italian chef Massimo Riccioli, of the celebrated La Rosetta in Rome, will help you to forget the winter blue with a night dedicated to Pastificio dei Campi.

 "Join Massimo and Niccolo Bittante of Food in the City on Monday 24th January at 7.30pm (£25 pp) for an exclusive evening and see the chef create his famous signature dishes with pasta by Pastificio dei Campi (Gragnano, Naples). 

To book your place, call our reservations team on +44 (0) 207 998 0555 or email tables@massimo-restaurant.co.uk"

In love with this chef since I was in Rome, he recently opened his new restaurant in London between Trafalgar Square and Embankment, in the Corinthia Hotel and I can’t wait to comeback to say hello. The restaurant offers a great Mediterranean menu specializing in the highest quality seafood and he is the most adorable and nice person I ever met.

It will be a great night and I just tell you… don’t miss it.

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The best from 2011

I wanted to write today a little recap of what had occurred in this blog during 2011 and looking back to all the posts, I was surprised to discover how much has been happening this year:

In January we created Linguina Facebook profile and being winter I gave you lots of soups recipes. January is also the Michelin star guide of UK and Ireland and the women took definitely power this year.

In February Pastificio dei Campi took part at Identita’ Golose, the food festival in Milan. In March we received the certification for being 100% Italian pasta, but was also the month of the Dolce Vita event here in London and Taste In Florence.

In April we discovered together the 50 best European restaurants of the year and while in Italy everyone was enjoying Vinitaly and  Squisito, we had the Royal wedding to celebrate.

In may we supported the sustainable fishing campaign and "Two greedy Italians" went to visit us with the English TV in Gragnano.

In the summer I suggested some recipes for picnics and barbeques, but there was also the harvest in Italy, the opening of the Clifton Hill Food market and Melograno deli.

In September Gragnano hosted the amazing Pasta festival called "La festa della pasta", while in October we had Identita’ London and the opening of a new Italian interesting place Fornata.

Last months we had the change to meet lots of food lovers at MasterChief Live in Olympia, while in December I gave you some ideas to make some foodie really really happy with hampers and maxi cube of pasta .

Are you now ready for a 2012 even better?

Happy new year to all of you!

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Other Christmas ideas for your presents

Still looking for the latest presents? Are you already planning the shops you will visit this weekend to look for some great Christmas idea? Here i am to help you out.

If last week i told you about the great Maxi Cubes of Pastificio dei Campi, available directly on our website, this time i will give you another idea for your presents.

What about a Christmas hamper filled with the best italian product available on the market? We are sure this will be a present that will make everyone happy and, especially in these times, spend on food is always a good idea. 

And if you are looking for great italian products, i will suggest you to go to Food in the City or to Melograno Deli.

Food in the city is a warehouse based in St. John's wood (London) but it's also a great website where you can order directly online. The hampers you can see here is just and example and you can ask for a bespoke one. Over £40 the delivery is free. 

Have a look and you will remain amazed by the quality of their products. 

Melograno Deli instead is in Holland Park (London) and they are also specialized on italian brands but they also have cheeses, cold cuts and lots of other typical products.

"Our hampers are made with acacia wood accessories (cheeseboards or salad servers) and they can be made up either by us, or with products of the customers choosing."

At this point, I can just suggest you to have a look at the London map and enjoy your weekend of italian delicatessen... and don't forget to add our pasta to your shopping.

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This time in company of some great wines

While in Italy and in London everyone is thinking about the Christmas, the magic menu we will prepare, the presents still missing to buy and some great time with family and friends, in France the atmosphere is much more relaxed: they have still plenty of time to dedicate to the good food and wine.

This weekend in fact Pastificio dei Campi had the honor to be part of the Salon des Vignerons for the event Le Vin en Tête, the show dedicated to natural wine. On Saturday the 3^rd and Sunday the 4^th  Pastificio dei Campi offered to all the French visitors a classic familiar Neapolitan Sunday dish, Ziti alla Genovese, inviting all to party in the italian way.

Two cooking workshops had taken place to explain the history and original recipe for this delicious and unique dish made ​​of onions, meat and pasta from Gragnano.

Are you curious to know what really happened? Just look at these nice instagram pictures taken during the event by the same... Mr Pacchero :)

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 Elegance, traditions and great italian food

I know italians who come here every single sunday to enjoy their italian sunday lunch! I loved their traditional menu and I'm happy to say that between all the good products they use, they have also our trofie and orecchiette.

Do you want to know a bit more about its history and why Cecconi is a name in London?

“Enzo Cecconi – the youngest ever general manager of the famous Cipriani restaurant in Venice – came to London in 1978 and opened Cecconi’s. It became an overnight success and in the 80s it was a Mecca for the rich and the royal (one lunchtime, during Ascot week, one waiter remembers serving members of four different royal families on four different tables). Enzo Cecconi believed in spectacular food and spectacular service. He brought theatre in to the restaurant, finishing guests’ dishes in front of their eyes and showing them the magic of the food, which until that point had been kept behind the closed doors of the kitchen.”

At the moment Simone Serafini is head chef and Giacomo Maccioni, who has been at Cecconi’s since 1990, continues to look after the restaurant as manager.

I went there for the first time some weeks ago and I was impressed by its beautiful  salon, the massive bar and the refined atmosphere and service. Here are my personal choices that I suggest to you all, in case you are planning to go there soon:

 I would start with one of our pasta dishes: Trofie, tomato sauce & smoked ricotta or Orecchiette, cime di rapa & walnuts. In this case I asked for a mixed recipe: Orecchiette with tomato sauce and smoked ricotta. Delicious!

As a main there is no doubt you need to try the veal milanese asking for a side order of zucchini fritti, but I can tell you that even the beef tagliata is fabulous.

And for dessert there is really a difficult choice to make:

Vanilla cheesecake & Italian strawberries that is great, or Chocolate fondant, pistachio ice cream that required 12 minutes but it’s absolutely worth the waiting time or even the Pear tart with vanilla anglaise, a fantastic cream that gives the final touch to the reach pear cake.

Any other question about traditional Italian places in London? One more on your list especially for a traditional Sunday lunch.

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