The blog of San Lorenzo

Sunday I had the pleasure and the honour to be part of a wonderful event, as I was announcing you few days ago!
Nom Nom Nom was a cooking get together of foodies, bloggers, photographers, with a basic common point: we are all geeks! And the prove of that is the many friend request I received (and sent) from FaceBook and Flickr in a matter of few hours after the event!!!

I was teamed with Julia, a leading English Food Blogger and a wonderful companion for an adventure like the one we were going to embark!
We all started in the morning, going to shop for our menus at the Marylebone Farmer Market and nearby supermarket.
The Marylebone Farmer Market was gorgeous, tiny, but with outstanding organic products: fresh, wild salad, red and yellow cherry tomatoes, wild asparagus, free range eggs…
And in the supermarket we found enormous and very tasty raspberries (that were just perfect for our cake), and organic salmon (delicious!).
After the shopping, the fun began! Cooking!!!
We were divided in the two Cookery School floors (outstanding cookery school: so organized, so well equipped!!!): we were upstairs with other 4 teams, dividing space, pans, ovens, hobs!!!
And as we were among English gentlemen and ladies, none of the nasty stuff that normally goes on in professional kitchens were witnessed! Everybody were super nice and helpful, and genuinely curious about everybody else’s food! We functioned like an enormous team of people cooking, at the same time, 12 different dish, form salted to sweet
I witnessed the making of nettles soup, granola, tabouleh, a traditional English dish I can’t remember the name, but was basically a bowl of minced pork with inside an egg then fried: delicious!!!

We started very relaxed: 2 hours and 30 minutes to cook a 3 courses meal for 4 are a lot of time!
Me and Julia, as we had stuff to be made at the beginning and stuff to be cooked at the last minute, had a lot of gaps to chat, take pictures of people cooking and to make biscuit form some left over pastry we made.
But then, in the last 20 minutes we all looked like mad people running around and trying to make everything ready on time!!! Really “Ready Steady Cook!” style!!!
The olive oil we all used was San Lorenzo 100% Italian Extra-virgin Olive oil and as soon as I witnessed sad little pieces of very young parmesan on somebody’s table, I promptly offered San Lorenzo 36 months old Parmigiano Reggiano. Which, honestly, made all the difference!!!

At the end, while the judges where tasting our food, we all got together on the basement of the school and we had the pleasure to taste all the food we cooked! I hadn’t had the possibility to taste everyone food, but the few I tasted were amazing!!!

I especially liked Nicole&Maz’s Haddock casserole and their rose and raspberry foul was amazing!!!

We had then a raffle, raising money for Action Against Hunger.
Among the prices, San Lorenzo Parmigiano Reggiano, San Lorenzo traditional organic pesto and San Lorenzo Organic Spaghetti!
I hope the people who won those prizes are going to enjoying them!!!

And, dulcis in fundo, our menu:

England meets Italy: a blend of italian and English ingredients.

Fresh English greens with English cherry tomatoes, balsamic dressing and Parmigiano Reggiano and Buffalo’s Mozzarella

Organic English salmon with English wild asparagus on a bed of Sicilian Caponata

Crostata with fresh English raspberries, blackberries and strawberries

In the upcoming days, all the recipes and more insight on the day on Julia’s Blog, A Slice of Cherry Pie, and my personal one, The Kitchen Pantry! And on the Nom Nom Nom blog, of course!

And remember, from the 28th may you can vote the best blogging experience of all this! But you already know for who you are going to vote, right?

P.S. Our team, England meets Italy, won the tasting competition!!! My deepest congratulation to my team mate Julia and kudos to everybody!!!!

The Taggiasca olive is grown in some limestone areas of the Ligurian Riviera. Small and sweet-tasting, it is the best olive to make one of Italy’s most famous olive oils (the PDO Extra Virgin Oil from the Ligurian Riviera). It is also perfect for conserving in brine or oil.
Even today, it is harvested the natural way. Finely-woven nets are spread under the trees to collect the fruit which falls naturally. The branches are shaken with long sticks to make the olives drop off.
In the area around Imperia, the olives are picked by hand, one by one, so their quality can be checked right from the start.

The territory: the Ligurian Riviera
With an economy based on tourism and the production of olives and olive oil, the Ligurian Riviera is formed of tiny villages hidden between the sea and the mountains.
One of the most interesting places is certainly Villa Faraldi, an ancient medieval village perched on the slopes of the Cervo Valley. It owes its fortunes to olive oil production and tourism. Spread along the line of the mountain, it is still a compact little village, with single stone houses which can only be reached by climbing a series of winding little streets, underpasses and steps.
The festival of the same name is held each year in July.

Have you tried San Lorenzo Taggiasca Olives? Tell us what you think in the comments section.

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A famous and unique product, speck is one of those meats that we just can’t do without.
Produced in Trentino Alto Adige, it has been produced in the same way for centuries. Until the 18th century it was known by the German word “Bachen”, and only in modern times has it come to be known as “speck”.
San Lorenzo’s Trentino speck is produced, as tradition demands, only from legs of pork, in a four-stage process:
- the selection of the meat, essential in order to prepare a quality speck, with particular attention paid to the cut.
- Marinading of the meat in a dry marinade of salt, pepper, spices and flavourings. It is turned each day for 15 days. Each farmer has his own recipe which varies slightly from household to household, in the best Italian tradition.
- Curing on carefully selected sweet woods.
- Seasoning which can last from 3 to 6 months, in special curing rooms.

The speck will only be ready for consumption after all of these 4 stages are complete.

The territory: Trento and the surrounding area

A land of apples, charcuterie and fine wines, Trentino also offers spectacular natural landscapes. The most famous of these include the Dolomites, the Stelvio National Park, glaciers, the Adige and the historical dramas which accompany it.
It’s not just about Nature, though. There is also art: the fine buildings in Trento, Merano and Brunico, the little churches found in every village, the sanctuaries…
Trentino is a region to discover and explore, both in summer and in winter.

At the end of May 2008, Bolzano will be hosting the 10th edition of the SpeckFest, an event that combines local culture and folk music, accompanied by millions of slices of speck!

Have you tried San Lorenzo’s Trentino Speck ? What did you think? Tell us in the comments section!

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You favourite food blogger, aka me ;), will be part of an amazing experience this Sunday in London!

Teamed with gorgeous Julia of A slice of Cherry Pie, we’ll cook together a 3 course meal for 4 for The food 2.0 Project: Nom, Nom, Nom, with a menu that we simply called “Where England meets Italy”, based on fresh, seasonal English ingredients pared with Italian food or preparations!

Altogether with 24 other participants, all excited about it, and determined to have load of fun cooking all together!

You will here more and more about it in the upcoming days!

In Piedmont dialect, “tùma” (toma) is a generic word for cheese, as it represents one of the most common varieties in the mountains and valleys of the region.
San Lorenzo’s tuma is made from sheep’s milk, goat’s milk, cream, salt and rennet. It is made at very low temperatures, by adding liquid rennet to the milk straight from the animal. After the curd sets, it is placed in the moulds and left to age at room temperature, during the summer, in the paja (the local word for “paglia” - straw).
This special aging process gives the toma a hint of straw and hazelnut, and a wrinkled white rind which conceals a soft, creamy and fragrant cheese.
Even today, San Lorenzo’s tuma dla paja is produced according to traditional methods, and has unearthed a rare cheese that is all too often neglected.

The Territory: the Langhe, Piedmont
Famous for its fine wines, Barolo and Barbaresco to name two of the most famous, and its cheeses, the Langhe is a hilly region divided into three main areas:
- Upper Langa, including all the land above 600 m, used for grazing sheep and cultivating chestnut trees;
- Middle Langa, at an altitude of between 500-600 m, famous for its fruit production but especially the PGI Piedmont Hazelnut;
- the Lower Langa, which includes the valleys and lands stretching towards the Tanaro, known for its intensive cultivation of “DOC” wines (appelation controlée) including Barolo, Barbaresco, Barbera, and Dolcetto…
Dating back as far as the Romans, who built the first roads along the high mountain peaks, even today “andar per Langa” (walking through the Langa) is synonymous with the special feature of this region, whose roads run the length of the hills rather than crossing them.
Isolated for centuries and left unspoilt by tourism, the local food and wine has led to a rediscovery of this region, as well as its protection and development.
As you explore its twisting mountain roads, you will discover a huge number of castles, ranging from modest buildings to palatial noblemen’s residences, converted into council offices or still inhabited by the descendents of noble families.
Each year, many of them are open to the public during the spring: for more information.

[This product is not available for the English market as it needs to be delivered in 24 hours and that’s not sure outside the Italian borders]

A fresh, rare product, not so much because of the special ingredients, but because of how it is made. You rarely find marinated anchovies formed of two fillets joined together, but San Lorenzo anchovies are still perfectly intact: all that’s been removed is the central bone and the head.
The fresh anchovies are decapitated, split open and de-scaled. They are then arranged in layers, drizzled with vinegar and olive oil (which we recommend draining before eating) and left to marinate for at least six hours before being placed in their packaging and vacuum-sealed. This helps the anchovies keep their fleshiness and they preserve a slight hint of vinegar which gives just the right note of acidity.
Liguria: the region A region sheltered by mountains yet facing the Mediterranean, its identity is split between the rugged mountain area with its tiny villages, still unchanged after centuries, and the urban, touristy, jet-setting strip of coastline.
This dichotomy can also be seen in traditional Ligurian cuisine, characterised by fresh produce but also preserves. The hills planted with olive trees, basil, and flowers, are a feature of the descent towards the rocky coastline. Basil and olives are the principal products of a land which is forgiving of having been exploited down to the last vertical centimetre. Basil for the famous pesto and olives for the equally famous extra-virgin olive oil (PDO) from the Ligurian Riviera.

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Pancetta is a pork-based salami common throughout Italy. Although its flavour (and the part of the pig used) varies widely from town to town, there are basically two production techniques.
There is pancetta tesa (“bacon”) made by overlapping the fatty and lean parts of the pig and pressing them, and rolled pancetta, in which after all the various parts have been put together, they are rolled up, stuffed in gut and left to season.
The San Lorenzo filleted pancetta* is a prime product, as it is very lean, formed of skinless pancetta rolled around a core of lean meat and cured for at least 90 days. It is lightly salted and seasoned, giving this product a unique flavour which will enhance all your dishes.

The territory: the Parma Apennines
Inhabited since Roman times, the area which extends towards the south and the Apennines has always been a busy thoroughfair for passengers and merchandise, as it has always been one of the main routes through the Padana plains.
An area famed for its outstanding produce, notably Parmigiano Reggiano, it is also famous for its creamy butter and pig farms, which leads to a plentiful supply of typical charcuterie such as salame felino, culatello, and prosciutto.
Also famous are anolini, small ravioli filled with breadcrumbs, Parmesan, eggs and reduced meat sauce.

[* Not available in UK due to Customs restrictions]

Red Pesto is a speciality from Liguria, although there are many versions in traditional Italian cuisine that also go by the name of red pesto - from the spicier varieties from Southern Italy, to more aromatic ones like the Ligurian pesto. San Lorenzo has chosen a Ligurian red pesto, typical of a region divided between coastline and mountains. Basil from the Riviera blends with the sun-baked flavour of dried tomatoes, a handful of aromatic herbs lashings of delicious extra-virgin olive oil and just a tiny hint of chilli pepper.

Liguria: the region A region sheltered by mountains yet facing the Mediterranean, its identity is split between the rugged mountain area with its tiny villages, still unchanged after centuries, and the urban, touristy, jet-setting strip of coastline.
This dichotomy can also be seen in traditional Ligurian cuisine, characterised by fresh produce but also preserves. The hills planted with olive trees, basil, and flowers, are a feature of the descent towards the rocky coastline. Basil and olives are the principal products of a land which is forgiving of having been exploited down to the last vertical centimetre. Basil for the famous pesto and olives for the equally famous extra-virgin olive oil (PDO) from the Ligurian Riviera.

Each year, Genoa, in Italy, hosts the World Championship of Pesto Making! In 2008, the event will be held on 19 April at the Palazzo Ducale!

I like it because…

Have you tried Pesto Rosso San Lorenzo? What do you think? Write to us and let us know!

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Lesson 3: know and love pizza (and alike), an introduction for beginners

Simple, you say! Not so simple!!!

History
Pizza was an ITALIAN invention. And that’s a proven fact, dating back to Etruscan times (without tomatoes of course!), but it became what we know now after we began to import tomatoes from the New World. The most ordered pizza all over Italy is Pizza Margherita: pizza dough with tomato sauce, buffalo mozzarella, basil and few drops of olive oil. It was invented in Naples, in the first years of the nineteenth century, but it was named Margherita only towards the end of the nineteenth century, in honour of Margherita di Savoia, Queen of Italy.

The ingredients and how to
- Base: a good pizza dough, best home made, it’s best with 500 g flour, 12 g fresh yeast, enough water to make the dough (300 ml aprox), salt. If you want a fluffier version, add a mashed boiled potato to the dough mix. Let it raise for at least 1 hour, better 2.

- Toppings: basically anything, there are (almost) no rules, but if you are going to cook pizza for an Italian mind that mozzarella is the only cheese accepted (except if you cook a 4 cheeses pizza, in which mozzarella has to be one of the 4 cheeses) and that pineapple, eggs, sauerkrauts, hemmental, any kind of fruits, meat (that has not been previously cured in some way) are not an option! Remember always to leave a 1 centimetre border free of anything. As it is an Italian dish remember the basic philosophy: less is more, so do not overload your pizza with too many toppings.

- Cooking: best way to cook it in your home oven is to use a spotted rounded non-stick baking pan, so the heat is uniformly distributed. Oven temperature must be maximum.

Different types of pizza

Pizza can be declentioned in many many ways, practicly at least one for each Italian region and many for each southern Italy region. But the basic types of pizza are:

Pizza bianca: pizza without tomatoes of any sort, with basically white topping, as mozzarella, cream and other white cheeses.

Focaccia: double the amount of pizza dough than normal pizza, olive oil and only one other ingredient, as olives, lard or fresh herbs (like rosemary, thyme) and flaked salt.

Calzone: a closed pizza, with no topic on the outside, but only in the inside. It can be declined in many many ways, and it can avoid to follow the basic pizza rules, as, sometimes, mozzarella is substituted by ricotta.

Panzerotto: basically a deep-fried calzone, typical from Puglia.

It may look out of season, as we ate mainly during Christmas time, but is there a season for something good?

Among the wonderful array of Italian torroni, this nougat from Alba is remarkable for its special softness, delicate crumbliness and full flavour. This is thanks to the ingredients which have been used for generations: Piedmont hazelnuts, clear comb honey, white cane sugar and a dash of vanilla. Slow, extended cooking gives this product a remarkable flavour and a special kind of crumbliness.