Italian Chef in China ..........The Real flavor

Italian cuisine has a great variety of different ingredients which are commonly used, ranging from fruits, vegetables, sauces, meats etc. In the North of Italy, fish (such as cod, or baccala), potatoes, rice, maize, corn, sausages, pork and different types of cheeses are the most common ingredients (tomato is virtually absent in most Northern Italian cuisines). Ligurian ingredients are quite different, and include several types of fish and seafood dishes, basil (found in pesto sauce), nuts and olive oil are very common. In Emilia-Romagna, common ingredients include ham (Parma ham), sausage (Zampone), different sorts of salami, truffles, grana, parmigiano reggiano, and tomatoes (Bolognese sauce or ragu). Traditional central Italy cuisine uses ingredients such as tomatoes, all kinds of meat (except for horse meat), fish, and pecorino cheese. Finally, in Southern Italy, tomatoes, fresh or cooked into tomato sauce, peppers, olives and olive oil, garlic, artichokes, oranges, ricotta cheese, aubergines, courgettes, certain types of fish (anchovies, sardines and tuna), and capers are important components to the local cuisine. Italian cuisine is also well known (and well regarded) for its use of a diverse variety of pasta. Pasta include noodles in various lengths, widths and shapes, and varieties that are filled with other ingredients like ravioli and tortellini. The word pasta is also used to refer to dishes in which pasta products are a primary ingredient. It is usually served with sauce. There are hundreds of different shapes of pasta with at least locally recognized names.Examples include spaghetti (thin rods), macaroni (tubes or cylinders), fusilli (swirls), and lasagne (sheets). Two other noodles, gnocchi and spätzle, are sometimes considered pasta. They are both traditional in parts of Italy. Pasta is categorized in two basic styles: dried and fresh. Dried pasta made without eggs can be stored for up to two years under ideal conditions, while fresh pasta will keep for a couple of days in the refrigerator. Pasta is generally cooked by boiling. Under Italian law, dry pasta (pasta secca) can only be made from durum wheat flour or durum wheat semolina, and is more commonly used in Southern Italy compared to their Northern counterparts, who traditionally prefer the fresh egg variety. Durum flour and durum semolina have a yellow tinge in color. Italian pasta is traditionally cooked al dente (Italian: "firm to the bite", meaning not too soft). Outside Italy, dry pasta is frequently made from other types of flour (such as wheat flour), but this yields a softer product that cannot be cooked al dente. There are many types of wheat flour with varying gluten and protein depending on variety of grain used. Particular varieties of pasta may also use other grains and milling methods to make the flour, as specified by law. Some pasta varieties, such as pizzoccheri, are made from buckwheat flour. Fresh pasta may include eggs (pasta all'uovo 'egg pasta'). Whole wheat pasta has become increasingly popular because of its health benefits over pasta made from bleached flour.

                                                      therealflavor@groups.facebook.com

International Day Of Italian Cuisines ITCHEFS GVCI Assotiation

         GIUSEPPE DE STEFANO
          LA PIZZA GROUP
SOLANA RESTAURANT)   BEJIING SANLITUN                      
            XIAMEN  & WHENZHOU
                    
WHAT IDIC STANDS     

FOR

The International Day of Italian Cuisines IDIC  was born as a reaction against the systematic forgery of Italian cuisine

and products.  It aims at protecting  the right of worldwide consumers  to get authentic  and quality Italian cuisine when they go

to eateries labelled as Italian. Thousands of chefs, restaurateurs and lovers of Italian Food all over the world  join the annual IDIC

appeal, a tradition  by now, launched  by itchefs-GVCI (Virtual Group  of Italian Chefs), a network of over 1200culinary professionals  working in 70 countries.

True Italian cuisine is part of the world's cultural heritage; its celebration is not against creativity in the kitchen or innovation.

It's only about establishing some basic principles: for instance, when the name of a traditional Italian dish is used, that dish should beprepared in the traditional manner.

Such is the case of Pesto alla Genovese,  the 2011 IDIC  celebrative dish featured in this establishment and in hundreds  of other restaurants  around  the world, prepared  according to the genuine recipe below.

AN AGELESS SYMBOL OF  ITALIAN COOKING

Pesto Genovese, an ageless symbol of Italian cooking, is the most loved raw sauce in the world. For dressing pasta it's only beaten by tomato sauce.

It originated in the city of Genoa and the surrounding region of Liguria. It's one of the dishes that have truly united Italy, at least at the table.

INGREDIENTS

• 100 gm of fresh Genovese basil. If you have difficulties to import the fresh p.d.o. (Protected Designation of Origin) Genoese basil which guaran­

tees high-quality taste and ftavor, use your local basil but make sure it's neither too strong nor one of those variety that taste almost like mint

• 30 gm pine nuts (Sicilian are the best but also in California there is a great quality of this product)

• 60 g aged Grana Padano or Parmigiano Reggiano  freshly grated cheese, do not compromise on this ingredient and make sure it's good quality

• 2 garlic  cloves from Vassalico (Imperia) if you can! Otherwise, your local garlic will do. Just make sure it's not pre-peeled.• 10 g Maldon flaky salt

• 80 cc Extra Virgin Olive Oil from "Ligurian Riviera" p.d.o. renowned for its sweet and fruity taste which adds flavor to the basil and dressing.

PROCEDURE

1. The marble mortar and wooden pestle are the tools traditionally used to make pesto.

2. Wash the basil leaves in cold water and dry them over a paper towel but don't rub them.

3. In a mortar, finely crush the basil leaves, the garlic clove and the pine nuts.Add the salt and the cheese to he mixture and keep pounding using a light circular movement of the pestle. Add some of the Extra Virgin Olive Oil from time to time and keep pounding and mixing until you obtain a very fine, smooth, creamy sauce. Pesto should not be greasy and the amount of oil used must be well absorbed and not floating on top

4. The preparation must be done as quickly as possible to avoid oxidation

5. You have now obtained 300 gm of pesto (aprox) which should be more than enough to dress 6 to 8 portions of Trenette

NOTE: Do not use a blender because the metal blades chop the leaves rather than crush them and this action will compromise the flavor. The recipe of the Consorzio del pesto Genovese calls for 2 Tbsp (20 grams) of Pecorino cheese (Romano, Toscano, Sardo or Siciliano) as well. This recipe goes well with both the traditional pastas used for the Pesto: trenette or trofie (in the picture).

The best Pesto Genovese is made with PDO ingredients from Regione Liguria as Basilico  Genovese  (Genoa's Basil) and Extra Virgin Olive Olive Oil Riviera Ligure, when available.

Pigato DOC Riviera di Ponente is the perfect white wine to go with the dish as well as Vermentino Doc Riviera Ligure di Ponente, Cinque Terre DOC and Cinque Terre DOC Costa da Posa.

 

Authentic Naples Pizza & Italian Cuisine Founds Home in China

Miele Gennaro

Authentic Naples Pizza & Italian Cuisine Founds Home in China                                                     Beijing –Wenzhou-Xiamen

La Pizza 1 - La Pizza 2 in Beijing -  Amico Pizza in Wenzhou –Napoli Pizza in xiamen

under controll of Naples PizzaChef in China are only a handful of pizzerias in the country,  offering true authentic Naples-born pizza

(Naples Pizza Chef Assotiation 10/01/2009  )Starting last  winter, pizza lovers seeking authentic Neapolitan pizza won’t have to fly to Italy to taste some of the world’s greatest pizza. La Pizza Neapolitan Pizza – an authentic Italian pizzeria that features fire-kissed pizzas with ingredients straight from Italy – has opened its doors to the public. La pizza Pizza Italian Restaurant  is located in Beijing  at Solana Shopping Mall in Chaoyang Park  and at 3.3 Shopping Mall   in Sanlitun Bar Street Chaoyang District  And Amico Pizza in Wenzhou at European City Shopping Mall –Napoli Pizza restaurant in Xiamen  

What will make La Pizza Restaurant 3 branch in Beijing &AmicoPizza Restaurant  & Napoli Pizza Restaurant , Neapolitan Pizza unique is its status of being certified by the Naples Pizza chef Assotiation (APN), an Italian organization that protects the authenticity of the restaurant’s pizzas (this status of authenticity is comparable to the guidelines and regulations wine makers need to follow in order to be considered authentic). According the (APN) charter, the certification requires the restaurant to use tomatoes harvested from Italy’s renown Mt. Vesuvius region, fresh mozzarella, a process of hand pressing the dough without any mechanical means and cooking the pies in a volcanic rock, wood-fired oven. Even the flour used at la pizza Restaurant  Neapolitan Pizza will come direct from Naples, Italy.

What visitors will notice and taste is this process creates a pizza that ranks among the best in the world. Since every order is hand-prepared with fresh ingredients, each  pizza contains a fragrant aroma, tender texture and a fire-kissed crust that is unique to the world’s first pizza makers.

The art of making hand-crafted, truly authentic Neapolitan pizzas is a technique that and  Neapolitan Pizza owners.

                                                           

Neapolitan Pizza &Italian Restaurant

Every pizza at La pizza Italian  Restaurant in Beijing & Amico Pizza Italian Restaurant  in Wenzhou & Napoli Pizza restaurant in Xiamen   are  Neapolitan Pizza is hand-crafted according to the APN guidelines and is fired in the volcanic rock oven for 90 seconds. This process also requires that each pizza is adorned with only the finest ingredients, including  San Marzano tomatoes of Italy’s Mt. Vesuvius, Italian extra virgin olive oil, Mediterranean Sea Salt and Fior di Latte mozzarella only Italian Flour. Naples Pizza chef  in  China   will offer its guests a casual, fine dining experience. With lunch and dinner menu offerings, guests will be able to choose from a variety of pizzas as well as fresh salads, Pasta, Main Course , desserts

 NAPLES PIZZA CONNECTIONS (BEIJING) RESTAURANT MANAGEMENT CO.,LTD.

CEO MR:Gennaro Miele