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Raw: Artisan Wine Fair in London

Posted by: linguina in 2012

Tagged in: Wine , UK , news , London , food lovers , Festival  , Cheese

For a delicious weekend!

 

If you are passionate about good wine and some organic and healty food, you can’t miss this fair that will take place in London this weekend, 20th and 21st of May.

While Pastificio dei Campi will be in Italy at “Taste of Milan”  and in France, at the Cannes Festival , thanks to the La Palm D’Or menu’, in London you won’t be disappointed by this new event, ROW, held at The Old Truman Brewery on Brick Lane.

Ok, it won’t probably be glamorous like Cannes festival or famous like taste, but I’m sure that with the years it will register more and more visitors and people passionate about food.

 

 

 

The festival in fact has been created by  Isabelle Legeron MW also called “the crazy French girl” to promote small, artisan wine producers who make fine wine using natural farming techniques (including organic and biodynamic practices) and low-intervention vinification processes. 

But it’s not all: on top of featuring over 200 growers from all around the globe and being one of the most exciting collections of fine, natural wine artisans ever to come together in the capital, ROW will also have some other interesting names as guest and food supplier: between this Signe Johansen who is teaming up with Ole Hansen, the Norwegian salmon man from Stoke Newington, to offer a Scandivanian platter of deliciousness; the famous Neal’s Yard Dairy, the Elliot's Cafe that is hosting a wild, English oyster shucking stall at RAW, Violet the cupcake store and many more.

So are you a food lover? Do you like Italian wine too or just organic food?

 See you there then. All the information about prizes and hours are on the website.


It's Vinitaly time!

Posted by: linguina in 2012

Tagged in: Wine , UK , news , italian products , food lovers , Dolce vita

New dates for the festival but always with great products

 

I was taken by surprise this year by 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.

 

 

 

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 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 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.

 


A delicious Bookshop

Posted by: linguina in 2011

A new kind of Deli  in Rome

 

For Christmas I came back to Italy as usual and I went to discover the latest places opened in the city. One of this is the “Libreria Settembrini”, a tiny special place in Rome, born to answer to different needs.

Settembrini is already a famous café and restaurant in Rome and this year they opened this new space, absolutely innovative in its genre, but cosy and really beautiful. A place to put together the love for books and good food.

At first look is a simple bookshop, little but really nice and with a peculiar selection of book. In the middle it hosts a big wooden table and on a side a mini kitchen that creates simple salads and dishes, ready to hot up and serve in the room. All the ingredients are top quality, like in the same restaurant on the other side of the street, but the meals are quicker and perfect for a brunch or a glass of wine with friends.

 

We loved the place, the menu, the books and the hampers they were preparing for Christmas…and with my big surprises I even discovered they were selling Pastificio dei Campi pasta, with the tiny duetto box, 250gr of pasta, created for the couples. In the hamper with the pasta there is wine, biscuits, other gourmet ingredients and a nice Christmas book for children.

 

If you pass by Rome, have a stop in this nice place. I’m sure you will like it!


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 3rd and Sunday the 4th  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 :)

 


MasterChef Live 2011

Posted by: linguina in 2011

An occasion to meet Pastificio dei Campi too.

 

 

We are happy to announce that we are part of this big event starting today at London Olympia: MasterChef Live 2011.

You probably know very well the Tv programme MasterChef, great occasion for lots of people passionate about cooking and food to try the street of the success, challenging them self with recipes and complicate dishes until the selection of the best one. Based on that show, this event will let you take part to the live challenge, at least as the audience if not as a contestant. (Thanks for the picture at the blog Morethancupcakes.com)

 

 

From today until Sunday (11-13 November)  in fact in Olympia  there will be plenty of good food, chefs, restaurant experiences, tasting sessions, wine and food shows, challenges between contestants and real chefs and lot more.

 

 

Come and see John Torode and Gregg Wallace, get a master class from Michel Roux Jr. Also, watch MasterChef Professionals Champion of 2010, Claire Lara or cook-off against this year’s MasterChef Champion, Tim Anderson. Come to see the Producers' Village, a space just dedicated to local producers who specialise in seasonal and home-grown produce. But especially…come to meet us at the stand F24.

And if you really can’t be there with us, follow me on Twitter (@linguinadc) and check my Facebook page, to have all the latest news and pictures directly from the event.

See you there?


And what about Italy then?


Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England, that being honest I never heard before, and probably I wouldn’t if I didn’t discover has been nominated recently the Uk’s foodies capital.

Especially famous for its sausages and pork dishes, it has also an old icecream production business, someone who smoke fish since 1930 and in general is the proud producer of lots of fresh ingredients that are getting better and better every year.

Where there is good food, it encourages more good food and it encourages retailers like us to stock it." As Rachel Green, a chef and farmer originally from there, said to the Guardian recently: "We do food production quietly and in a very measured way. The people who produce don't take shortcuts."

 

 

At this point I have to go there soon to try it all, but in the same time I was thinking: “ what could be the Italian correspondent city?”

Maybe some little village in Tuscany with amazing beef, wine and lots of traditional dishes? Maybe Parma with its fresh great pasta,  sauces and its great amount of famous dishes? Neapols and Campania with is reach Buffalo Mozzarella, great tomatoes, fishes and pasta of course? Some country from the real north of Italy with the speck, the fantastic cheeses and the grappa? Or finally the islands like Sicily with is amazing fruits and vegetables, the " cannoli" and "pasta di mandorle" and olives and perfumes and flavours.

I can’t really say and I think anyone and never tried to vote for one or another. In Italy every region and sometimes even city has its own typical dishes, ingredients traditions and they are just great an unique for their differences. Form the north to south it’s a continuously explosion of flavors .

Try to visit as many regions as you can and you will agree with me.


Pastificio dei Campi and the best food and wine from Italy


After lots of buzz online, at the beginning of July  Melograno has finally opened in London. My excitement at the news that  a new Italian deli or better "Alimetari" (as we used to call them in Italy) was opening, was unbeliveble.

And a voice also told me that the PGI pasta from Gragnano, Pastificio dei Campi, was going to be there too, so some weeks ago I went to discover this little gem in Holland Park.
Here some pictures for my first visit and a great interview to the co-owner and co-founder of the place also known as the famous ... @Gastro1
When did you had the idea to open an "alimentari" (i love this old and so significant word in italian...it's really full of memories for me)? And why? 
have thought for many years that there wasn't really a top class Italian Deli in London focused on the best Italian products in every category . My mother is from Bologna and I have travelled all over Italy for more than 40 years so it was obvious to me and my business partner that there was not really a place focused on selling the best Italian food and wine.
Why a shop for mainly italian products?
There are many Delis and Food Halls that sell food and wine from many European countries and beyond . The few top class products tended to be fragmented around London/UK or sometimes find their way to some Italian or Modern European restaurants where sourcing is treated seriously.
Why the name Melograno?
My business partner is married to a girl from Naples and her mother came up with the name and we all liked it. Melograno is great for branding and is also considered to be "lucky".
How did you selected your products for your shop?
I sourced the products based on 30+ years of domain expertise and travel around Italy but this is an ongoing process - we also have people on the ground in Italy who are looking out for new things all the time. Also I have many friends who are top Chef's , Food Writers , Food Anthropologists , Journalists and Gastronomes and we discuss products and food on an ongoing basis.
 
Are you worried about more commercial competitors like Carluccio?
No we don't think we compete with Carluccio our proposition is totally different. Antonio has been a great ambassador for Italian cuisine and I used to love going to his original Neal Street Restaurant especially when it was Porcini season.
Do you really think english people can appreciate a place like this? what would you like them to understand?
Firstly London is a very cosmopolitan city and Italian food is adored by all nationalities . We have been open for only a couple of weeks and it's clear our local customers and those from across London cover just about every nationality. British people have been travelling to Italy for years and the combination of cheaper air travel and information available via the web means that those interested in top quality ingredients have access in every respect.

How do you see melograno in 3 years?
We would like to open a few more Alimentari in London and other  other locations in the UK. We have also discussed other European cities like Paris and might do something in the US too.

You are also famous for your blog. When did you started it and why?
I started my food blog The Epicurean in 2005 just to explore how to set up a blog  and understand blogging. I used to spend time on the Gastronomic message boards like Chowhound and egullet but I think it was Twitter and social media generally, that really expanded and linked the community of people who are passionate about good food and wine. As @Gastro1 I have had many interesting debates and got to meet some great people like @KatieParla and @youngandfoodish just to name a few. With @youngandfoodish we produced an event and 8 educational videos on Linguini alle Vongole with Chef Patron of L'Anima Francesco Mazzei. It was actually at this time that I met Giuseppe di Martino and discovered the amazing Pastificio dei Campi.
When did you discovered your passion for food ?
My father is a bona forchetta and he worked as a journalist and then senior manager for Reuters . I was very lucky to grow up living all over the world eating amazing food. I started cooking when I was nine years old.

What is your favourite recipe?
There are so many I like but I love cooking something like Linguini alle Vongole and I follow the Francesco Mazzei method as shown in the above videos.
Do you want to know a secret recipe from @Gastro1's great culinary knowledge? or just one of his favourite pasta dishes??? Stay tuned! i will post it here just in few days!

 


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