Massimo’s is one year old: come to enjoy a special dinner

On the 27^th of April a new pasta tasting event will be held at Massimo’s Restaurant and Oyster bar in the Corinthia Hotel.

Have you ever been here before? Are you also a big pasta lover?Then you don’t have excuses: Pastificio dei Campi pasta will be served all the night with lots of recipes to taste from the classic Italian traditions. Massimo’s won’t be there but all his amazing chefs, ingredients and truly Italian recipes will be waiting for you with a glass of prosecco too, all for 25£.

You can read here and here about the previous successful pasta events, but if you have never eaten at this restaurant before, have a look at the amazing dishes you can find on their menu’.

Here is my little way to celebrate the first anniversary of Massimo's...

To start: Crab and ricotta ravioli with arancini or  Seafood salad

Pan fried Prawns with asparagus and bergamot sauce 

For Main: Linguine Pastificio dei Campi with squid and truffle or Amatriciana

To finish: Chocolate pudding with vanilla icecream or Pannacotta with poached rhubarb

Mouthwatering? I’ll see you next Friday at this event. Please leave a comment if you want to participate and i will add you in the list.

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Pasta Tasting Dinner at Massimo's Restaurant 

Just few days after the last Pastificio dei Campi event at "Taste" in Florence, next week we will have a new pasta event, but here in London.

On the 20th of March a new Pasta Tasting Night as been organized in Massimo's Restaurant and Oyster bar in the beautiful Corinthia Hotel. Here you will have the chance to eat 6 signature dishes created in front of your eyes by Massimo Riccioli in person with our pasta Pastificio dei Campi.

Are you interested in knowing which shape of pasta to combine with certain ingredients or sauces? Are you curious to discover all the secrets about pasta directly from an italian chef and while is cooking it? Intrigued by the chef's passion for fish, seafood and high quality ingredients? Please come and have a seat with us in the private room of the restaurant.

The dinner will cost 35£ (wine and service not included) and please write me on twitter if you are interested in taking part. We will be delighted to have you there.

Waiting for the 20th in the meantime have fun with these pictures from the Taste event in Florence. You will find all the others here.

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Food tastings, storytelling and fun with your children

Chef Massimo Riccioli and Slow Food UK’s CEO Catherine Gazzoli are happy to invite you this saturday to a really innovative event: Massimo's Restaurant and Oyster bar will be open to let you play with food, to get to know better some ingredients and to show you how to prepare one of the chef's favourite dishes.

While you will be able  to interact with food and to watch demos carried out by the chef and his team,  Slow Food’s Taste Adventure will take children on an exciting journey through the five senses and the role that they play in our enjoyment of food. The focus will be on key ingredients such as freshly baked bread, extra virgin olive oil,vegetables and pasta of course! Pastificio dei Campi will be there to give an hand and speaking about good and healthy food.

Drawing and story telling activities will also run throughout the event and food and drink will be served.

Massimo has always worked with Slow Food even in the past , in Rome. Now he is really happy to be able to collaborate again, especially for an event like this one, that will raise money for Slow Food UK to educate and raise awareness about sustainability and social justice issues surrounding the food we eat.

I really hope to see you there, to enjoy some good food, have fun and even to donate something to a good cause.

The family fundraiser will take place at Massimo Restaurant & Oyster Bar from midday until 3pm on Saturday 25^th February 2012; tickets will cost £20 for adults and £10 for children, with the under-5s going free.

For more information and to buy the ticket, please see the event webpage here: http://sfmassimofamilyfundraiser.eventbrite.com/

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Giorgio, his great menu and ... our pasta!

Last Tuesday was one of these day when nothing goes according to plan… but sometimes this also means that an unexpected phone call can change your night… and just in a better way.

This call in fact brought me to Locanda Locatelli, for me THE Italian restaurant in London and the one that I have never been to yet. The day was finally saved thank to Giorgio and my brilliant host!

The place is simple but elegant, the light is soft and relaxing and I felt really spoiled by the service and of course by the nice meal.

Homemade Parmesan breadstick and bread are brought to your table just to intrigue you.

I had Pan fried scallops, celeriac purée and saffron vinaigrette as a starter, a Locatelli special invention absolutely stunning for the combination of taste and texture.

The main needed to be Linguine with lobster, tomato, garlic and chilli. This Linguine ( like the Orecchiette) in fact are Pastificio dei Campi Linguine and they were just top in my opinion. I tried also the Cod parcels with chickpea purée and rosemary oil but there I understood I’m not a big fan of the fresh pasta filled with fish.

Then we ordered more fish and also if the Char grilled mackerel in herb crust it was good The Pan fried fillet of plaice in basil crust, potato, olives and tomato sauce was much more tasty and smooth and ... there was a perfect balance and combination of ingredients.

To close this amazing dinner we ordered some sorbets, and a Chocolate and pistachio fondant, with milk ice cream and toffee sauce, but they also gently brought a plate full of sweets from trulles to amaretti and mashmellow.

This was my PARADISE and in a day like hell, a dinner like this one can really save your soul. 

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More than 6 dishes made with Pastificio dei Campi pasta.

As you probably know if you read this blog, on the 24^th of January a special event took place in Massimo Restaurant and Oyster bar , in the stunning Corinthia Hotel: a pasta night to die for! 

Massimo Riccioli decided to hold a night just dedicated to this  versatile and simple ingredient and he used of course  our Pastificio dei Campi Pasta from Food in the city, to realize 6 great recipes.

It was a real tour from the easiest Italian pasta dishes to the most elaborated ones, until the last minute sweet creation: Trofie with Mascarpone , ricotta, lemon zest, some orange juice and  a sprinkle of chocolate in powder.

But do you want to know what was served before? Have a look at these pictures (you will find all of them on my Facebook profile):

Calle dei campi with Extra virgin Olive Oil and Parmesan : the simplicity made dream!

Spaghetti with two tomatoes sauce: reach and tasty as only the fresh tomato and a good quality of pasta can do.

Gnocchi sardi with spring onions, prawns, colatura di alici  (anchovy droplets) and bread crumbs…: stunning!

Kingdom of the two Sicilies: Linguine with fish ragu, aubergines and salted ricotta!

And from a roman chef I could not ask more than an original Amatriciana with Mezzi Paccheri (pecorino cheese, chilli, pork cheeks and tomatoes)

And the best element that bring life to all this dishes and to the night, what Massimo’s passion in cooking and make everyone part of his secrets and experience…

Are you sorry you couldn’t make it? Don’t worries there will be soon another event!

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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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Lunch at Fornata and a quick stop in Melograno Deli

 
What does it means when daddy is at home? That excitement and positive vibe is in the air and everyone starts to organize lunches, dinners and coffees trying to meet him, while he is rushing and jumping from a place to another. You need to be quick if you want to reach him.
 
So in all this messaging, texting, chatting, being careful about scheduling and flight-trains departures, I was lucky enough to meet him in Fornata where we enjoyed a quick but great lunch with Niccolo from Foodinthecity too!

A part from the classic and well known starters made of Arancini with meat ragu' and Mozzarella in carrozza (delicious), we had directly from the artistic inspiration of the chef Douglas Santi this great pasta mista dish with courgettes, endive, anchovies, a sprinkle of chili (soo tasty) all combined by just a bit of fresh ricotta! Gorgeous! Then we couldn't miss one of the signature dish of the place the FORNATA hamburger: a delicious hamburger in a focaccia. It has all the taste of my childhood bread, the rosetta, that my mum used to give me with the meat, when I wasn't happy about the meal.  

And finally, to complete the feast, we had a slice of tiramisu... And I repeat a slice! Go and try it... I won't tell you anything more but you then will understand what I'm speaking about.
 
I didn't even had the time to finish the dessert that he was already gone for a quick hello to Dino at Melograno! 

Anything else you want to do in the last five minutes before your flight?

Torna presto!

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