Twitter and Facebook really keep us updated on events

 
Yesterday it was the Identita' London day, with some great italian chefs, coming to Shoreditch and showing off their magical knowledge, experience and art.
 
I couldn't attend the event, but I had the chance to follow everything online in real time thanks to lots of foodlovers and journalists reporting from the venue.
 
Here a little recap of the event who has actually leaved every guest surprised and satisfied while we were literally mouthwatering in front of the video.
 
These are the nice pictures:

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6 of Italy’s greatest chefs all together in just one day!

Tomorrow, Tuesday 18 th of October returns Identita’ London, this time in Shoreditch,
at the Town Hall Hotel & Apartments, to show again the extreme gastronomic variety of our country through famous chefs and artisanal traditional products.

Chosen by Identità London specifically for its unique design features, the large room and several other luxury suites will be allocated to the main sponsors and partners of Identita' who will each offer unique events tastes and flavours of Italy.

Paolo Marchi, founder of the event and Italian food editor says, “I do not know of another cuisine style that has been so misrepresented and I feel that the true energy of what is Italian gastronomy today is missing.”- “Identita London therefore, shall endeavor to explain the fundamental principles of today’s Italian cuisine. Using the extraordinary and almost inexhaustible resources of regional cuisines, interpreted in a contemporary way, chefs will demonstrate their craft, their thoughts and experiences to showcase their personal evolution of Italian gastronomy side by side with like-minded producers”.

And these will be:
MASSIMO BOTTURA - Modena
ANTONINO CANNAVACCIUOLO - Orta San Giulio (Novara)
PAOLO LOPRIORE - Siena
DAVIDE OLDANI - Cornaredo (Milan)
DAVIDE SCABIN - Rivoli (Turin)
CICCIO SULTANO - Ragusa

Identità Golose is also a restaurants guide and some week ago have just come out the 5th edition that incorporates some of the best restaurants  in Italy, some in Europe and some selected ones in New York, Sao Paolo and even Sidney. Last year wrote about some new English places Jasper Gerard, from the Daily Telegraph. in the 2012 edition you will find instead Sudi Pigott from The Times, Saturday Express, Time Magazine.

Are you dreaming about another day of high quality italian food in London? Have fun at Identita' London then!

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The people and places to keep an eye on

Today have finally been announced the winners of the Observer Food Monthly Awards. Some of these were chosen by readers and some by an expert panel that saw between the others Nigel Slater, Angela Hartnett (Murano),  Jason Atherton (Pollen Street Social) and Thomasina Miers (Masterchef 2005 & Wahaca).

This award as the same magazine says, "celebrates the best in British food and produce, from independent producers to the UK’s most revered chefs."

And the winner, awarded yesterday in a great ceremony in London are…

Readers’ awards

Best restaurant: Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, London. 

The opening of this restaurant it was the news of the year…and in fact there are months of waiting list to enjoy a meal there.

Best cookbook: Plenty by Ottolenghi

Ottolenghi always seems to conquer all harts from the chef to the people who never entered in a kitchen before and it’s true than is more about the ingredients and their union than cooking process.

Best place to drink Mark’s Bar, Hix, London

Best independent retailer The Cheese Shed, Devon

Best Sunday lunch Bull & Last, London

Best food personality Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall especially busy this year with his fish fight campaign particularly famous.

Best food blog  Eat Like a Girl. 

I don’t spend too many words here. If you read my blog you could have seen different references to her , who on top to be a Pastificio dei Campi fan, is a great foodlover and blogger of course.

Best cheap eat : Koya, London

Best ethical restaurant: The Ethicurean, Somerset

Judges’ awards

Best newcomer Maltby Street, London.

The first time I listen this name was last winter by Katie Parla. She was absolutely amazed by the magic of this street, by the vibe that place has and she told me lots of time to go there. I’m really happy they won this price because this is some innovative idea to push forward in future.

Best producer Johnny Pustzai at JT Beedham & Sons, Nottingham

Reader’s Cocktail Recipe Simon Amster

Reader’s Recipe Maria Kuehn

Outstanding Contribution Tristram Stuart

Lifetime Achievement Michel Roux Senior

Young Chef of the Year Paul Foster, head chef
Tuddenham Mill

CONGRATULATIONS to everyone! And keeping an eye especially on this young chef, as also Eatlikeagirl suggested, I think I will start to plan my next "Dinner "and a Saturday at Maltby Street.

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The recipe chosen after the british cheese week

 
It's definitely autumn and almost Halloween and so have to be the season also for... pumpkins! I love them but I admit I cook them really rarely. Pumpkins are so sweet and tasty and they go so well with certain herbs that every recipe is a new discovery.
This time I decided to use the butternut squash and a special cheese I bought from the british cheese week!

I went in fact to Neal's Yard Dairy last week, the amazing cheese shop that you can see in these pictures. I was looking for the Kilree Goat's Cheese that won lots of prices this year, but I couldn’t find it so they gave me a  very interesting cheese to cook with: Berkeswell an unpasteurized sheep's milk cheese , creamy, with nutty flavor and a bit different from the average english cheeses as also Chrispople says on his blog.

  I then thought about pumpkins and  I found an interesting recipe with cream of pumpkins and salted pumpkins, rosemary, pumpkins seeds and pancetta... but then I also saw some streaky bacon and it was a deal.
 
This is the recipe for 3 people:
 
- 300 gr Pennoni Pastificio dei Campi

- a little butternut squash,

- 150gr of Berkswell cheese,

- onion

- rosemary

- some pumpkins seeds,

- olive oil,

- butter salt

- and streaky bacon .

Let’s start by the cream: in a sauce pan put some finely chopped onions and olive oil. Let the onions get goldish and then add the pumpkin pealed and cut in little cubes. Add some white wine and when evaporated, some salt and just water. At this point I also added some rosemary.
When the pumpkin was almost melted I added the cheese in little cubes too (leaving some of it a part) and I stirred until all became a cream. You can use even the blender if you want.

While the water for the pasta was boiling, in another pan I put the rest (1/3) of the pumpkin cut in julienne (little sticks) with a bit of butter, rosemary and pumpkin seeds.
I added some salt to the pumpkin and the streaky bacon… just amazing colors all together and the smell was great.
When the pasta was al dente I added the pasta to the pan with the cream of pumpkin and the rest. I toss it all on a low fire and then I served it with some more grated cheese on top, fresh rosemary and pumpkin seeds.
A nice way to welcome the autumn! I hope you will enjoy like we did!

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A new place to try and buy Pastificio dei Campi

We are so excited about the opening of Fornata next week in Kingly Street, Soho. Created by the Chef Douglas Santi already proud owner of the plury-awarded Babbo on Mayfair, Fornata will be the new place open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, where to enjoy great Italian food and high quality products of our gastronomic tradition.

With an exposed kitchen where the oven, "forno" in Italian, will be the protagonist, the restaurant is divided in two floor: a ground floor where it will be recreated the atmosphere and the vibe of the classic Italian aperitif, while over ground it will be offered the most simple, honest and great Italian food.

It’s a long time since the last new opening of a restaurant, but this time it’s even more special because Pastificio dei Campi won’t be just used by the restaurant in their menu but it will be also sold there and in two new formats:  Egoista, the 125gr box and  Duetto, the 250gr.

Then freshly baked Italian breads and pastries served with authentic Italian coffee all the morning while the bar will be open until 1.00am for late night cocktails. I can’t wait to have my Negroni at the bar and try the chef Santi's cuisine, for a perfect Italian style night out.

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From the 3rd to the 17th in London

 
Have you already decided which event you are going to join in these days? There is such a big choice that is really hard to decide.

Between the best events of the London Restaurant Festival there is the stunning dinner on the London Eye, that of course is quite special and quite expensive too, but absolutely impressive from the picture that you can see here.

One of the chef invited to cook there will be even one of my favorite Italian, Massimo Riccioli, from Rome and absolutely great.

If you are more for the undergrounds than  for the high views, you can’t miss The Minotaur and PRET A DINE  in the amazing Old Vic Tunnels in king cross...really an unbelievable place to see! A dinner there have to be really an experience.

“Lazarides Gallery and Kofler & Kompanie will present The Minotaur. Transforming The Old Vic Tunnels into a subterranean cultural maze, the event features a unique contemporary art concept to stimulate your senses alongside the UK debut from Michelin star restaurant, bar and music experience PRET-A-DINER.”

But funny have to be also the Gourmet Odissey that will engage you in a marathon between the best restaurants in different areas to try a bit of all of their menu in just one night! Funny and clever idea I would say.
 
I will probably go to Canteen Covent Garden where Angela Hartnet will cook on the 14^th of October, but lots of other restaurants are organizing special event and menus to call new guests and food lovers.
 
This festival it's certainly a nice way to color a bit the autumn with some  very unique event.
 So, see you where?

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A 3 Michelin stars restaurant coming head to head with a supperclub

This week is definitely full of events: festivals, awards, restaurant guides coming out, foodie events, restaurant opening but the thing that I liked the most is certainly the idea of the  French Laundrette Supper Club happening only on the 2^nd of October.

Why all this interest in a one-night supper club? Not only because who organized and will cook that night is the fantastic, funny, and absolutely nice foodie SabrinaGhayour, but for the special idea behind this project.

In fact there have been a big Buzz in London about the opening of The French Laundry pop up restaurant in Harrods from the 1^st to the 15^th of October. The 3 Michelin stars restaurant will recreate his original Californian 9 course menu for his English guests who will be keen to pay 250£ each just for the dinner. What it all this craziness? Ok it’s Harrods. Ok it’s an only chance for who is in London to try this cuisine without moving from the city, but …come on, maybe is a bit too exaggerate.

So the great Sabrina thought to create a spuff of it, following the fantastic PR behind the story and launch her own supperclub night “The French Laundrette” for all the people who can nor afford that expensive dinner. The cost will be only 1% of the original "Harrod's " price, so 2.50£ per person … and all will be given in charity! Fantastic idea! Of course the event is totally fully booked.

What else? Yesterday Harrods pared with a charity cause and offered the possibility to reach a table for 2 in one of these nights to the ones offering the biggest amount. Today the same happened with Sabrina: some of her tickets went for auction at the best offerer. Well done girl, this is the way to beat the Michelin stars chef.

I really hope to have a fully review of the night with pictures and final amount of money reached for the good cause. Unfortunately I arrived too late for a ticket, but I’m sure lots of people will tweet about it!

I wish to the French Laundrette and to Sabrina the best of the luck and fun on Sunday. I will get ready for the next one that will be organized soon.

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