TEXT BY PHILIP SINSHEIMER
PHOTOS BY CESARE ZUCCA 
Have you already been to Abruzzo? No? Well time is due to discover this Italian region, due East from Rome, encompassing part of the Apennine mountains down to the Adriatic Sea where sits its capital: Pescara. But that, you may know already if you’ve had the chance to visit this region that locals like to nickname “Tuscany without the marketing”!
Personally, my first Abruzzian experience dates no further than last July, in spite of many trips to Italy, both for pleasure and for research on my book on the history of Italian pasta (Les Pâtes du Terroir Italien. I knew that one of the most typical shapes of pasta in the region was the long threads resembling square spaghetti obtained by pressing down with a rolling pin a sheet of pasta dough against the strings of an instruments called a Chitarra (as it resembles in some way a guitar)
One would want to also associate the region with the famous penne pasta (meaning pens or feathers) since there is a town by that name sitting less than 20 miles from Pescara. This brings me directly to the occasion of my four-day trip invited, by one of the most respected pasta manufacturers of not only Abruzzo, but the whole of Italy: Rustichella, a family owned mid-size company which origins go back to the 19th century in the town of Penne.
The occasion was the annual celebration nicknamed Primograno (literally “first grain”) by the company in honor of the beginning of the wheat harvest in the area. It is the occasion for the family to host a selected number of importers, chefs and some happy few journalists, and here I am! The generosity displayed was beyond this world… yet, absolutely rooted in Abruzzo! arrived the evening of the big celebration where all guests were united under a tent set in the middle of a field name ? to experience a culinary experience not to be forgotten in the breeze of a warm summer night. 
Despite the number of tables and the absence of a professional kitchen, dishes arrived one after the other perfectly plated and magically hot. Chefs not only showcased the quality of the company’s Rustichella d’Abruzzo pasta, but had at heart to offer some other delicacies, such as this incredibly moist and tasty roasted guinea hen (called faraona in Italian). 
The magic continued after the dinner with a live band under the stars to shake off on the dancefloor those few extra calories of gastronomic indulgence, but also a firework display like no other. A man in costume at a rather close distance started to dance on a traditional music that was going to stick with our group for the rest of the stay covered with a hat shooting thousands of fiery spurs. Besides the food and the fun, I began to wonder how connected to reality was the celebration.
Was Primograno a mere nostalgic reference to a past when Italy was actually producing most of the hard durum wheat necessary to the making of dried pasta. Is this a question?My research had led me to discover that nowadays the great majority of durum wheat is imported from the US and Canada, fulfilling both quantity and quality necessary to fulfill the avid and well-advised Italian market for pasta, first consumer per capita in the world and by far.
I was soon to discover that for Rustichella this celebration was “for real”, honoring the actual beginning of local wheat harvest that was going to end-up in form of semolina in their factory. With the development of local sourcing of ingredients and the “farm to table” craze, Rustichella, very smartly, developed indeed a line of pasta made only of local wheat. It is not only a marketing move, it’s an ecologically and socially responsible investment.A specific green packaging has been created for this 100% local pasta. Like a “cru” of wine, you could almost know which parcel of wheat was at the source of the handful of spaghetti you are holding in your hand. An approach very far from the industrial standardization at stake with the giant pasta manufacturers, for which uniqueness boils down to their single named brand not the actual pasta you’re about to drop in your pot!
Among the various shapes offered in this locally made and sourced line of pasta, I discovered two that I had never heard about. The first one, called “virtu” , is not a single shape, but a collection of little broken bits and pieces of seven shapes of pasta. It is to be used for a very special occasion, once a year, in celebration of spring. A hearty dish combining 7 shapes of pasta, 7 grains and legumes, 7 vegetables and 7 herbs. Now that is purely Abruzzian.The other discovery was the “traghetto” shape. This is a pure creation of the Rustichella R&D department, showing that innovation can work hand in hand with local and tradition. From a distance traghetti look like spaghetti, but they actually have a triangular section (thus the “tra” in their name), as if three capellini had been glued together on all their length. They are in fact extruded from a special bronze drawn that leads to this unique shape of long pasta, not to be seen anywhere else. The result? A different sensation in the mouth and a shape that will capture more sauce than a simple round or flat shaped pasta.
The Rustichella team took Primograno as an occasion to have our happy group experience various highlights of Abruzzi from the inland the beauty of rolling hills where wild horses graze the grass to the coastline where one can breathe the salty breeze of the Adriatic while strolling on the beach or eating a fabulously fresh and piping hot fritto misto. Among Abruzzi’s specialties, I really loved those little grilled meat skewers, traditionally made with lamb.
I was also really impressed with different local wines that I had never heard about before. For the whites, I loved the “passarina” that we got to try, made from the grape of the same name yielding an incredible fresh acidity smoothed by a round fruitiness. In several occasions, we got to have fantastic rosés, notably. No doubt about it, Rustichella had it at heart to have us experience the best of their products, but also their region in general. And you should too. You will only regret to have to go back home…
But I have good news for you. First, if you fly back using the airport of Pescara, you will be able to purchase various gastronomic treats at the airport shop and stock up on Rustichella’s 100% Abruzzian green line of pasta. Unlike liquor, no limit there except the size of your luggage! Bring along a pack of traghetti, you will make your landing easier with a little piece of Abruzzi with you. 
Actually, chances are your trip may be prolonged in your home country, as Rustichella has decided to dedicate most of its production to export. In the following piece I’ll show why and how famous chefs around the world decide to use Rustichella as their primary source of pasta. In the meantime, look around because if you can’t make it to Abruzzi, Rustichella has perhaps already come to you!
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Rustichella D’Abruzzo
Dove Dormire
Il palazzo offre sei suites, dotate di ogni moderno comfort e arricchite da stucchi, stemmi, pavimenti antichi e tutti i beni artistici rinnovati da un accurato restauro per preservare la loro resistenza e la capacità di trasmettere energia. Scoprirete inaspettati elementi artistici, come pavimenti originali, stemmi ottocenteschi, affreschi che ornano i soffitti, oltre a suggestivi saggi di restauro che trapelano dalle pareti.
Le suites propongono allo stesso tempo una esperienza confortevole, frutto di una ristrutturazione e di un design che mescola elementi artistici a un’ assoluta cura dei dettagli tecnologici di ultima generazione. Ho scelto la Suite Exagon, chiamata così per il soffitto dal disegno esagonale, un ambiente antico e nello stesso tempo contemporaneo. Ho apprezzato i tessuti speciali e biancheria rigorosamente di artigianato italiano.
Qui l’eleganza contemporanea si manifesta attraverso materiali nobili come il legno, i marmi e i metalli satinati si alternano in uno stile che accoglie e custodisce. Il servizio, discreto e attento, è sempre disponibile ad ascoltare le esigenze degli ospiti, nel completo rispetto della loro privacy.
Nel cuore della città ho incontrato la deliziosa Maria Ketty, splendida signora di origini venete e ex fotomodella, che da 14 anni gestisce con passione il suo B&B 
Un meraviglioso soggiorno con quadri d’epoca nel quale Mary serve un’ accurata prima colazione personalizzata a secondo delle esigenze del Cliente (ho gustato una dei miei dolci preferiti, la torta di riso, rigorosamente fatta in casa, una bontà…)
Quindi se cercate disponibilità, calore familiare ed un’attenta cura, nel massimo rispetto della privacy, altrechè preziosi spunti per avventurarsi alla scoperta di 
RAFFAELLO 2020 is not just simple exhibition, but a real multimedia story conceived to offer visitors the possibility of a participatory fruition, that is the experience of being part of a digital work of art, inside a container of intuitive dissemination, accessible to all, 
enjoyable by a transversal audience both for age and for cultural education. The event proposes an innovative format that guides the audience in an emotional and immersive itinerary through the works, projects and personal story of Raphael, creating a path that 
follows the life of the master, starting from the birth in Urbino in 1483 then Città of Castello, Perugia, Florence and Rome until the early death at the Papal Court in Rome in 1520.
A true story that unfolds through a wise mix of images, sounds, music and suggestions at 360 °, aimed at reconstructing and celebrating the universe and celebrating the pictorial and historical of this Renaissance artist whose official celebrations for the 500th anniversary of the death.
“I was stimulated by the idea of being able to contribute to this multimedia story so that the wonder of multimedia could be transformed into knowledge. Whoever visits the exhibition will not only be dazzled by the immersive path but I hope that it will come out 
having also acquired some notions basic on the history, life and work of Raphael to approach the history of art in a simple way. I am convinced that this type of exhibit will have a great future as long as they can make this qualitative leap: being both exciting and instructive ” .
“We are very happy to present, just on the day when the celebrations for the five hundredth anniversary of the death of the great painter of Urbino are opened, in a world preview in Milan, said Federico Dalgas Pandolfini, CEO of Crossmedia , 
It would be like an amazing narration that will bring Raphael’s art and work closer to those
TEXT AND PHOTOS BY CESARE ZUCCA
Organic and bio farming is the basis of its production philosophy and it has confirmed it in the fifth edition of the Night Harvest, the first completely organic, the only initiative of its kind in the lands of the Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore appellation. On Friday 13 September the Col di Luna vineyards were crowded with “professional” and amateur harvesters, who harvested ripe grapes (healthy grapes at first glance) under the light of the full moon, the last of the summer, and at light of the great white globes and of the powerful lighthouses that lit up the night of Cozzuolo. 
Another highlight of the party was the presentation of the third prize “La Vigna di Sarah BIO for heroic agriculture”, awarded to the Antiche Cantine Migliaccio of Ponza Island managed by Luciana Sabino, who along with her husband Emanuele Vittorio handed down a viticulture whose origin dates back to 1700
And surprise… In addition to the cosy rooms, you can find some unique accommodations: three huge wooden 
On the stage and among the vineyards also the youtuber Canal has arrived, presenting its new video “On the stage and among the vineyards also the A grape harvest begins you”. To crown the party, the “country” dinner on the lawn of the “La Vigna di Sarah” farmhouse, framed by the Prealps. Almost a rural “snack”, as tradition dictates in order to repay the fatigues of the grape harvesters: Ulysses’ salmon trouts, raised in Follina, in the version by chef Elia of the Mainor of Fregona; the rich table of Friulian cheeses from the Latteria di Aviano (PN), presented by Linda Del Ben, including ‘Modesto’ that literally has been sleeping wrapped in straw…
Excellent 5 hours grilled meat by the Alpini group of Soligo; dishes and vegetables from the organic vineyard of Sarah’s Vineyard, cooked by the trattoria Larin da Bepo, the yummy Treviso soppressa with Mauro Pinel’s bread and pumpered by the extra virgin Istrian olive oil Mate produced by Aleksandra Vekic
And in the glasses the two wines of the Antiche Cantine Migliaccio, the Fieno and the Biancolella of Ponza IGP, and the Prosecco Superiore DOCG “La Vigna di Sarah”, for a sparkling goodbye to the Night Harvest 2020.
Sarah Dei Tos, after this commitment, is now projected to the next event that will see it, together with other companies, protagonist of the event “The corporate culture of the lands of the Alpe Adria meets the Milan Wine Week“, the 7-8 -9 October at the Itlas Flagship Store in Milan.
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The 8th edition of the tastiest event created by Luca Gardini and Andrea Grignaffini,
Lou Andreas-Salomé is such a relevant figure in the world of philosophy and feminism. Finally her life life is brought to the screen in this German film directed by Cordula Kablitz-Post. 
A boldly unconventional woman gets a crushingly conventional biopic with “Lou Andreas-Salomé, The Audacity to Be Free.” Such a heavy-handed title fits the film perfectly, far more than the original English-language handle, “In Love With Lou,” which confusingly made the movie sound like a sitcom. In her feature debut, director and co-writer 
The movie will be released in Italy on Sept 26th , 2019
After CAROSELLO…kids go to bed ! 
Lights costumes and sets were carefully curated by the best In the showbiz. The exhibition is really a hoot both for those who remember the show and for the younger ones who have never seen it, and who can thus enjoy the taste and the trends of the 60s and 70s and maybe compare those spots with the more frenetic today tv rythm euroticly assemblyied, super fastly edited. 
In addition to the videos, there is a rich collection of memorabia as objects, dolls, inflatables, plastic objects, postcards of the protagonists of the carousels including Carmencita, Susanna tutta Panna, Mucca Carolina and Calimero.and then again posters are original brackets, even the iconic drink Rabarbaro Zucca that, believe it or not, my great great father invented! 
Head towards
There aren’t many places I’d recommend more highly than 
A welcoming bar to the front and an open kitchen restaurant in the back. It looked loke a nice mixing of Japanese design with Italian flair and some traditional British pub features 
black and white photo portraits give an art gallery feeling, while Japanese artwork and foliage painting decorate walls and ceilings the rooms adorns the walls; furnished with causal wooden tables and filtered by an amber lighting that warms up the rooms.
Then I beg Alessandro to surprise me. And he did. Between his choices, my favorite were the kampachi salad, with thin slivers of tender cobia white fish, drizzled with yuzu truffle and rocket,
a dish that Alessandro likes to pair with galapeno and the prawn tempura maki. From the menu, I would like to mention also some signatures dishes 
as the truffle white tuna tataki, the lobster tail tempura and his ceviche, where Japanese flavours meet South American tradition. 
In addition to a generous choice of sushi, sashimi and nagiri and of course the beef robata dishes that Alessandro loves to cook in person, lighted by the fire grill fireworks .
For more info
Stop by the 
Located in the trendy Seven Dials area, right in the heart of Covent Garden, the venue boasts two bar areas serving seasonally inspired cocktails, cementing Tredwells’ reputation as one of the best drinks venues in Seven Dials. the restaurant sets over three floors, while the mezzanine and lower ground floors are available for exclusive hire.
The menu changes frequently boasting imaginative dishes revealing a good deal of skill and creativity. Add an easy-going welcome from the stuff and the super cool owner–chef, who came at my table to say hello while sipping a delicious 2016 Albarino Igrexario de Salar and snacking some succulent Manzanilla olives.
I followed his suggestions and went for a very traditional tortilla made of eggs and potatoes. Perfectly browned on the outside, still tender within and served at room temperature. I asked if that is the way that tortilla should be served, medium warm not hot. They told me that is a Spanish tradition to cook tortillas in the morning and let them rest till the meal so, yes, the temperature should be room temperature, Good to know. 
Then I tasted a more winterish dish of judion, a butter beans & piparras, followed by a
perfectly roasted octopus with saffron potatoes and wilde samphire. 
If you’re looking for a ‘not so commun’ tapas restaurants in North London, or Spanish food in Stoke Newington then you must try this cool venue.
London. I happily experimented the 
Notably the langoustines were nicely straight, not curvy at all, My very nice Italian born waiter, told me that the secret is simply to put them in the freezer for about 40 minutes.When you take them out, the shell will be solidified, you would easily break it and extract the langoustine in all its fullness and horizontality. As a main dish, I followed Guido’s suggestion and opted for a John Dory fish, served with lobster, celery puré, oil and herb sauce with little white beans.
As a side dish, a kale salad, sprinkled with a powder of beets and pumpkin seeds and seasoned with a Caesar dressing.
Delicious finale: English strawberry and basil mousse.
Finally ….. here the best list of the two M I am crazy about …
Situato proprio di fronte all’antica torre dell’orologio del Municipio, da cui deriva il suo nome e che l’hotel 
Spaccanapoli, arteria pulsante di vita mondana è la pittoresca strada che ‘spacca’ Napoli in due. Animata da bancarelle, negozi souvenir, ristoranti, taverne. Qui 
I
Il Santa Chiara Boutique Hotel è permeato da un’atmosfera di pace e relax, che sa coinvolgere l’ospite e chiunque voglia costruire la propria esperienza esclusiva che, grazie alla disponibilità e ai suggeriementi del gentilissimo staff, lo porterà alla scoperta delle magnificenze, dei luoghi magici e dei segreti di Napoli.
Il breakfast è, per dirlo alla napoletana, “nu babà”! Ho trovato tutte le prelibatezze della pasticceria napoletana, accompagnate da altre squisitezze dolci e salate, 
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Un indirizzo nascosto dietro a un bellissimo giardino arricchito da sculture contemporanee create da Oste, che qui ha il suo magico laboratorio artigianale, dove tutto è rigorosamente fatto a mano, schizzi dei disegni appesi alle pareti, opera incompiute, pennelli , scalpelli. Un luogo poetico come poetiche e visionarie sono le opera che lo decorano.
Oasi elegante ed eclettica nel quartiere Sanità, questo B&B è un omaggio all’arte e alla sua bellezza.
Tutto, dalle lampade ai portasciugamani a spirale, alle testate scultoree uniche nel loro genere, , integrati da materassi paradisiaci, una scelta di cuscini e bagni in ceramica Vietri.
. Situato nel quartiere del centro storico di Napoli, a 600 metri dall’Osservatorio astronomico di Capodimonte, l’Atelier Inès offre camere climatizzate con WiFi gratuit, mentre alcune unità dispongono di un’area salotto dove è possibile rilassarsi La colazione offre marmellate fatte in casa, yogurt e torte (meravigliose) nonché uova strapazzate fresche di fattoria e frutta biologica. 
On 28 August, 5 and 11 September 2019 at the MIC – Interactive Cinema Museum of Milan, Fondazione Cineteca Italiana presents LET’S DANCE, three special appointments with CineBalli on the MIC terrace to dance non-stop with live entertainment!
The nearby medieval town of Figline Valdarno was known as the “barn of Florence” for its abundant corn supplies. Grains, wine, oil, sugar beets, peaches, apricots and cherries have long been grown here. Not only…Palagio has been the summer retreat for
Named after Sting’s song “Sister Moon”
It was 1979 when the single Message in a Bottle came out and today, with hindsight, one could say after 30 years that the title was in reality a prevision. The modern fairy tale of a rich and famous singer who retires to private life in a country villa “under a Tuscan sun” can be almost perfectly applied to the Tuscan experience of Sting and his wife Trudie Styler. It came true at the Il Palagio estate in Figline Valdarno, Florence’s historic breadbasket with its rich earth and slew of producers.
Rose, Beppe Rosato is a blend of Sangiovese and other red grapes of the Tuscany tradition. It is a pink peony colour, fresh perfume with notes of pineapple and peach. Fresh smell at palate, sapid with good persistence.
Il Palagio also collects a wide variety of flavoured honeys, each with their own distinct taste and floral notes. Chestnut is dark and robust. Acacia is mild and delicate. Thousand Flowers has a rich caramel and buttery taste. Erica is runny and intense, perfect for spooning. Forest is complex and aromatic. All of our honeys are bursting with the health-giving properties for which honey has historically been renowned, notably vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
The olive trees which grace Il Palagio’s landscape date back for many hundreds of years and have been sensitively restored to full productivity. This is largely thanks to the care and dedication of Estate Manager Paolo Rossi, who insists that the orchards are not irrigated, a system which is labour-intensive but which greatly improves quality. 
Italy, the National Association Donne del Vino, established in 1988, aims to promote the knowledge and culture of wine, through the contribution of experiences and knowledge of women engaged in different but complementary sectors.
Welcome to Turin, Capital of taste!
Shall we lunch ?
‘We are a vegetale–integrale restaurant’, told me Antonio Chiodi Latini, the quite bizarre owner and creator of this minuscule venue in the center of Turin. ‘No meat, no fish, no derivates, not at all those sad unflavored vegan dishes. We don’t want to be a trendy place, We like to research , experiment and have the right knowledge of raw materials, their benefit, their taste. We propose a new approach to healthy food, whole foods, paying attention to plant-based ingredients, placing them at the center of our dishes in all their simplicity’.
and ending with the ‘chilly’ sorbet Freddoloso (90% fennel, cardamom, cream of parsley.) As drinks a healthy kombucha (fermented tea , pine needles and cones) and a delicate smoothy with fennel extract, celery. green apple, lemon, ginger and zucchini squash.
Languorini 
C
Do not miss 
Check out 
The menu is a fanny mix between Italian and Piedmontese dialect, b
Then a Turin must: Fritto Misto Piemontese. A fried mix of salty to sweet. Enjoy 9 different ingredients: sweetbreads, anchovies with green sauce, tomino cheese with green sauce (parsley, garlic, olive oil)) Vegetable flan with Parmesan creamy sauce, amaretto, fruits and more. Perfectly fried, crunchy, not greasy and super tasty
Then I had the opportunity to taste the Finanziera, a real Piedmont treat. Apparently it was born in the eighteenth century and offered by the peasants to the revenue officers, whose jacket inspired the name. y. It’s an old poor recipe that used the less noble parts of slaughtered animals and the entrails, such as brain, 
Where to stay?
Throwing a dinner party? Having guests and want to surprise them?
made of a mix of fruit puree and semolina 
Here come the juicy Pineapple. I made a semi-cold dish with hot sausages, saffron and greens, quite an exciting combo of sweet and spicy.
With Kiwi I went a little exotic. I made a cold pasta salad with lemon, pomegranate, black radish to which I add Greek yogurt previously warmed up. 
The hit of the night? the Berries pasta. I simply followed Rustichella’s suggestions written on the box and made a very successful veggie carbonara, with a zucchini julienne, eggs, pecorino cheese.
Let’ s start with the history. Many venues to visit, so I choose two of them and I adventured myself in a fascinating journey through the Royal Palace and the Savoy dynasty. The breathtaking apartments, the Royal Library, the Royal Armoury, the Savoy Gallery, the Archaeological Museum and the close Guarini’s Chapel of the Holy Shroud recently reopened to public.
The venue hosts several great exhibits, including Easy Rider, a glamorous exhibit that celebrate the magical world of motorbikes, evergreen symbol of “leaving the world behind”, “freedom”, and “speeding into the unknown”. and a great photo gallery showcasing the amazing work of Elliott Erwitt. 
Soundframes that investigates the complex relationship between music and moving images. 
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HAPPY 10th ANNIVERSARY!
That’s the secret recipe of the annual CHEF SOTTO IL PORTICO event on Saturday July 13, 2019 with a yummy encore today, Sunday 14, starting at 12 pm.
The event is big time celebrating its 10 anniversary, see you next year !
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