Be enchanted by the wonderful landscape of Umbria, in my opinion one of the most beautiful regions of the Peninsula. Perugia is awakening from the forced torpor of the lockdown: many accommodation facilities of all kinds, many museums, restaurants and trattorias, have reopened and tourists, especially Italians and Europeans, have returned to enjoy the beauty of this city. Among the hotels, the 4-star Sangallo Palace stands out for its quality-price ratio, service and location, being strategically located right next to the escalator that will first take you to the magical Rocca Paolina, the imposing fortress built by Pope Paul III.
Continuing on the escalators, you will arrive in the wonderful center where the Fontana Maggiore triumphs in the sumptuous Piazza IV Novembre, the setting for summer concerts during the Umbria Jazz festival.
Let’s go back to where we started from, and that is the Sangallo Palace.
A venue that we recommend for its exquisite hospitality and professionalism, welcoming comfort rooms, design details in the furnishings and lighting, which quote the floor graphics of the Annunciation by Perugino with futuristic neon accents. colored in the showers
Despite being in the center, the rooms are very quiet, thanks to a first-rate anti-noise system. For workouts, relaxation and a nice swim, you will find a rich spa with swimming pool and gym
Finally, his excellent (indeed I would say very good) Sangallo Restaurant, where we meet Chef Kamrul Islam, born in Bangladesh and living in Italy for more than 30 years.
His renowned cuisine is now decidedly Italian, indeed Umbrian with a French accent.
There is a lot of traditional Umbrian cuisine in the pasta dishes, strictly homemade, like strangozzi, served with salmon and zucchini and umbricelli alla norcina, with cream and sausages.
Good morning Kamrul, your first memory in the kitchen?
When I was looking around mother Nasmakan intent on preparing our typical dishes. Unlike Indian cuisine, ours is much simpler and certainly less spicy. Sitting at the table is a ritual, just like in Italy, and no expense is spared for food.
Your cooking is …
Based on local products, meats, vegetables, cured meats, cheeses, I would define it as an Umbrian cuisine, often with traditional dishes, such as polenta and sausage and grapes, a classic of the winter months.
Do you cook at home?
(laughs) Never! My wife forbids me, only her is at the stove, also because our women think that we husbands are not so good at cooking. that we mess and leave everything in a mess, so at home they don’t let me touch a pot.
What does Mrs. Ismal cook?
In my house, the pasta is a winner, also because I have a son who literally lives only on pasta … sometimes rice, as a second course maybe a hamburger or a chicken breast, or … again pasta!
Always and never in your refrigerator…
Well, easy to guess: many types of pasta in the pantry and some homemade sauces in the fridge. Never: eggplant. And yes I like them a lot … but for my wife they are out of discussion … Luckily I cook them here in the restaurant … i
Where do you like to spend a weekend?
If we stay in the area, at Lake Trasimeno, if we have a few more days, we like to visit a European city like London or Paris, but above all to discover our wonderful cities in Italy, also because the hospitality of Italians is incomparable.
Do you do gastronomic research on your travels?
No, when I go on vacation I take off my chef uniform and completely forget that I am a cook. I am a pure tourist interested in other things.
Any new dish on your menu?
Brand new, perhaps you are the first to taste it. A very summery dish and easy to make: lemon and mint tagliatelle. Here the recipe
LEMON AND MINT TAGLIATELLE.
Ingredients for 4 people)
1 lemon peel
Egg Tagliatelle (300 grams)
Fresh mint (1 bunch of 50 grams)
Garlic (2 cloves)
Olive oil
Parmesan cheese (30 grams)
Parsley (10 grams).
Preparation : Boil the lemon peel to chop later Prepare the mint pesto with garlic, olive oil, parmesan and parsley. Mix everything well and pour over the pasta cooked al dente
A wine to pair?
A wine that interprets history, elegance and modernity. Think it was the first Chardonnay to be grown in Umbria, in the early 1970s and its label recalls, with stylized graphics, the four-lobed tiles of the fourteenth century. that adorn the facade of the Cathedral of Perugia, I am talking about Umbria Chardonnay of Cantine Lungarotti, with a full and well balanced character. It has a color: intense straw yellow with greenish reflections and a perfume that expresses notes of banana, peach and pean
The Lungarotti company maintains a strong family imprint based on respect for the values that unite tradition, history and territory and is today directed by the sisters Chiara Lungarotti and Teresa Severini, while Maria Grazia Lungarotti successfully directs the work of the Foundation. At the forefront of environmental protection, the company operates a sustainable viticulture, with choices that aim at obtaining the best quality of the grapes without stressing the plant or the soil, together with the defense of the environment, not using either herbicides or chemical fertilizers. i.
nontouristytourist.com 