Text and Photos by Cesare Zucca
I had a blast in Argenta, Italy ! This is a friendly little town that hosts its historic Fair at the 60th edition. The Italian word argento means silver as the legend says that the river around the town sometime gets that shining silverish reflex from the sky. Here I had the honor to be one of the judges of ORO D’ARGENTA, 
a tough competition between young cooking promises coming from the Culinary Schools of Sardinia, Sicily, Lazio, Lombardy and Emilia Romagna.
The show featured the School Pellegrino Artusi of Riolo Terme, Ravenna with a rabbit surprisingly paired to a pear mousse that got some ‘more traditional’ judges quite annoyed, but that I personally didn’t hate…
Talking about tradition & innovation, the Remo Brindisi Institute in Comacchio, Ferrara, was inspired by their own a national treasure: the eel served with which orange flavoured vegetable couscous and crisp bacon, getting my enthusiastic votes…and the prizes for best presentation and popular jury favorite. 
Thanks to its marinated mackerel, Pietro Piazza in Palermo, won the Golden Wine Award for the best wine and dish combination, sponsored by Tenute Garusol. 
The Malatesta School of Rimini served a successful stuffed chicken with blueberry sauce that went straight to the final. 
The Amerigo Vespucci team in Rome, launched a creation named 444 Kilometers, which is the distance between Rome and Argenta, Cool name for a not so convincing ‘gnocchetti alla romana’ with hare topping.
Ipsia Ferraris of Carbonia-Iglesias, surprised with fresh kamut pasta, pumpkin flower mousse, parmesan, caramelized onions and orange bottarga, 
while Ipssar of San Pellegrino Terme Bergamo opted for local rabbit and couscous.
And the winner was…
The Institute Tonino Guerra di Cervia, Ravenna who prepared a juicy and tender duck with almonds, dried tomatoes, parmesan, mashed potatoes, blueberry foam and crunchy waffles. This quite traditional tasting dish will take Aurora Llavanji, Fabio Faggi, Riccardo Giovannini and Domenico Magnifico to the spectacular Cous Cous Fest in San Vito Lo. Capo, Sicily during the International Cultural Integration Festival whose 20th edition begins on Friday, September 15, where they will have the opportunity to meet the most important international chefs.
The show, brilliantly hosted by funny Actor-Chef Andy Luotto and charming Eliana Chiavetta, was an opportunity to discover the flavors and the atmosphere of the Delta del Po Park, UNESCO heritage and its valuable wildlife, fish and herbs, among some excellences in the wine &food industry: such as the wide range of Giulio Bellini’s Bia CousCous, Tenuta Garusola wines from the Consorzio Bosco Eliceo. 
Grand finale with a local idol: the native starred Chef Igles Corelli. His dish was a colorful bonanza of couscous, all cooked with different vegetables such as carrots, aloe vera, cabbage, etc. A carnivalesque dish that reminded me of the Missoni fabrics, the Gustav Klimt palette and those Pollock brush strokes. The taste? a Carnival joke!
Not to mention a ‘suspense’ moment due to the upcoming rain.‘Show must go on’ dictated the organizers and the unsinkable people of FeedBack PR …In less than an hour they were able to move the outdoor stage, lights and cameras from Piazza Garibaldi into a big tent wisely called…Rolling , Action, Eat !
See you next year in the Silver City ! Yummy…..
La creatività di Fabrizia rivela intuizione e immaginazione, come nel Tagliolino di Riso Nero Venere, piatto senza precedenti, dove il riso ridotto in polvere, si trasforma in una pasta, servita con cavolo, prosciutto affumicato, kummel e felicemente abbinato a un ottimo Pecorino Rève Velenosi.
Fabrizia ama armonizzare la tradizione con la creatività come nel Tortello all’Uovo, una revisione del tradizionale tortello, qui diventato di patate, riempito di un rosso d’uovo à la coque e sormontato da anice e porcini, irrorati di burro fuso.
Text and Photos by Cesare Zucca
made from the deconstruction of black rice, surprisingly reivented as pasta and served with cabbage, smoked ham and kummel, wisely paired with Rève Velenosi Pecorino white wine.
with amber reflections and intriguing aromas of apricot jam, orange blossom honey, orange peel and dried figs. My story feels the athmosphere of a cozy place with friendly friendly service and an amazing top chef. Not cheap but worth every euro. And very good wines..plus Fabrizia’s version of sopa coada, a classic regional pizza dish from Treviso.
the emotion of the boat bridges, the wide horizons, the activity in the fishing lagoons and in the vegetable gardens.
From equipped beaches of Rosolina mare, Boccasette and Porto Barricata to some isolated sandbars strips of land that are formed at low tide and where there are numerous colonies of wading birds: gulls, terns etc..making the area a wonderful bird-watching attraction.
I discovered Scano Boa island, where the fishermen used to live in straw houses and recently retrieved to allow visitors to experience the life of these lands. You must get a boat to get there , ask locally and yes I have their ‘secret’ mobile number) 
The Forum is conceived as an event that will provide young people with a unique opportunity to meet, debate and share their vision and commitment to sustainable development. It aims to become a place where strategies and action proposals can be discussed and implemented in order to achieve,
where that rice that will be the main ingredient of tipical dishes from different countries.
Not the widest variety ever, but no one should be frustrated and everything was top notch. Who needs 90 items if half of them are disappointing.
The à la carte menu of the restaurant with ocean view had me have the best Thaï food so far: true flavors with excellent ingredient sourcing. Loved the local Pranburi squid, partially sun dried for a great flavor and texture.
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THE TIGER’S EYE
Unsinkable promoter Roy Berardi and Fausto Faggioli, organized 
a luxury hotel with an equipped spa that blends wellness, beauty and health. 
Gran finale 
Pellegrino was born in 1820 in Forlimpopoli. He was a succesful businessman, became a wealthy man and, at age 45, was able to concentrate full time on his passion: the home cuisine. He loved to search, ponder recipes and have someone else cook his experiments. After long research, he narrowed his findings to 790 favorite recipes that he collected in a manual called “La Scienza in Cucina e l’Arte di Mangiar Bene” (“The Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well”).
The city celebrates Pellegrino hosting the 
To welcome Philip, Laila Tentoni, Casa Artusi Director set up a fresh pasta making class , coached by Carla Brigliadori head teacher of the Artusi cooking school…not only … but
Actually the celebrations started the night before, indulging in a luscious dinner in the terrace of the five-star, overlooking the beautiful bay, unexpectedly lighten up by fireworks.
a sophisticated fruity white that brings hints of pineapple, banana, yellow peach to rose and sage a great glass to star you meal , served with appetizer , light dishes, fish and white meat.
Fabio Gennarelli (Wine Making Director) opened one of the “Phitos” the traditional clay Amphora used exclusively by Villa Matilde, followed by an a unique sensing experience: the Vertical tasting of Falerno del Massico Vigna Camarato spanning from 1995 to 2010. A parade of eight glasses where every “millesime” was telling his own story. 
pairing their dishes with the new Villa Matilde baby born:
A dinner that brought 
Thomas had him create on the spot a cocktail combining ingredients I loved: bourbon, fresh lime and ginger juice, simple sugar and mint leaves. Shaken with egg white and served on the rocks with a splash of angustura bitters. What a treat! Thomas coined the name Tsin-Tsin for the cocktail in a heartbeat, combining the first letter of his first first name and the first 3 letters of my last name for an inviting chin-chin ring to it. It is now on the menu of the Elephant Bar, sealing in history the final touch of a night made of whimsy, fun and good taste.
‘mi fà gola’, an italian slang that may translate in english as watering mouth or hungry hungry or, even better, greedy greedy …But I ll go for YUMMY YUMMY. 
On Saturday, starred Chefs from all over the word meet here, changeling tradition with innovation and cooking for the Unesco Dinner,
right in front of the Teatro Regio, considered one of the most prestigious venues for opera in Italy .The succulent menu was created by Chefs coming from Bélem (Brasil), Bergen (Norway), Chengdu (China), Dénia (Spain), Gaziantep (Turky), Östersund (Sweden), Tucson (Arizona) and, of course, Parma (Italy) serving the traditional anolini in brodo , exquisite starter of pasta stuffed with meat and parmesan cheese, floating in a rich steaming broth. 
a cheese contest based on taste, presentation
made with fresh greens.,
active producer of Palaghiaccio historic farm dated back more than one thousand years ago on the most rich soils of the Mugello valley,
regarded as an authentic art in Tuscany, It is aged in the “Ubaldini Grottos” located beneath the medieval Palagiaccio dating back around the 1200’s.
It is produced by baking white pieces of beef in white wine, extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper and flavors. 
Are you a wine lover? Do you like to discover new tastes while sipping a nice glass of white or red? Do you enjoy to end up a dinner with a sweet touch of dessert wine? Or …do you indulge meditation?
the Armory, a precious room with frescos walls and the Carrara motif of red and white checkerboard which contains one of the most important collections of arms and armours in Italy.
Photo Enrico Paggiaro
Visit the village where the iconic poet Francesco Petrarca 
hat portray sentences from different authors who immortalized the landscape and its heritage.
a former Convent founded in12th century, on the top of the hill, we tried the Quota 101 wines, I loved the Malterreno an authentic expression of the Euganei territory. Authentic and true. The grapes are hand-picked in September, when the sun has made them nice and ripe. Warm yellow color, scent of Summer, in the mouth it is velvety and well-structured.
where Elisa decided to “work towards the production of a wine that is rich in emotion whilst at the same time a worthy ambassador for this prestigious territory”.
The wine is bottled on its own yeasts with in-the-bottle secondary fermentation using the original must following the time-honoured method.
Moët Ice Impérial 
located in the heart of the shopping area of this other city that never sleeps!
We didn’t taste much, but what we did was bordering perfection: a double espresso for me served piping hot revealing perfectly roasted beans, intense flavor, regrettably often confused with burnt flavor… Not here! But as an Italian, Cesare has probably more expertise than the French when it comes to coffee tasting. Well, let’s just say that his macchiato brought a big smile to his face. Both our beverages were the perfect companions
A+ here: top and bottom both crumbly and soft; hazelnut buttercream in between intense in flavor, not too sweet, cold but not chilled. As you arrive into the air conditioned hotel after facing the heat and commotion of town, relax there for a moment of poised, simple luxury. On your way out, arm yourself with a double shot espresso to hit the road full of fresh energy.
You have your classic western treats from eggs cooked to your liking with all the usual accoutrements to an array of breads straight up from Zing, moist muffins, jams, yogurts, cereals and various freshly squeezed juices. But you are in Bangkok and the more local and Asian at large treats are there to surprise the visitors from abroad and content the locals who should want to feel at home. 
Cesare and I were immediately tempted to enjoy a bowl of clear soup with your choice of noodle (thin or flat, rice or wheat) and various topping such as fresh baby bok choy, mini meat or fish balls, green onion, fried garlic and fresh chili for those who need a kick start besides the excellent coffee served to order. What a healthy way to start the day! A clean broth to hydrate your body in a savory way. There is also the ubiquitous congee, the boiled rice porridge typical of Southern China, but that you will find throughout Asia. Throughout our trip in Thailand and Cambodia, Cesare indulged in this soothing white breakfast staple we found each time at different levels of thickness. If the clear noodle soup is an adult get up and go type of thing, congee is as soft as a childhood memory allowing you to transition from the night to the day in a gentle way. To my opinion the one served here at the World was the best with a perfect flavor and texture and the selection of toppings were great. 
I loved to add a little kick to it with shreds of fresh ginger and a little dried shrimp or fish, as to prove that I’m no longer a baby! But wait, the soups are only the beginning for your Asian delights: over there are the dim sum (essentially the traditional pork siu mai and shrimp) hakkao and then various
Wait! Is this breakfast or lunch?
Let me be frank, I was skeptical: throughout my travel, I’ve experienced numerous tapas bars which seemed to embody more of a marketing ploy than a true culinary experience: small plates of faint resemblance to their Spanish model that you pile up desperately trying to find one better than the one before for a rather hefty bill at the end of a mediocre meal made of mitch match oily preparations. 
Well, I was in for a big surprise. Uno Mas once again confirmed that the hotel was serious about the food and beverage offerings. For one thing, the chef is from Catalonia so authenticity is taken seriously. A cava sangria was served perfectly chilled and well-flavored with citrus and fruit. It was well balanced, but as I tend to like all mixed drinks on the dryer side, I asked if a little extra cava could be added to alleviate de sweetness. No problem at all, the demand was met with a smile. Service is top notch.
Wow, this bitesize treat will stay in my mind for quite some time.
very well done, perhaps a bit out of context in the tropics, but, as established for breakfast at The World, we are soup aficionados, anytime, anywhere! Here, we were transported to our native France and Italy by the magic of the chef.
But, fun we had, the quality of the ingredients was definitely there and matched the mood of the place. Those who want the party to go on can take the elegant staircase 
one floor higher to the Red Sky Bar which remains open until 1 am offering a 360-degree view of the cityscape. Imperial mojito anyone as a nightcap? Or would you prefer to go yet above and discover, at the very top of the building, the newly opened Cru Champagne Bar for exclusive French bubbles to wrap the night on a high-end note? You could also start your night there since this unique venue opens at 5pm offering delicacies to go with your selection of vintage champagne, from freshly shucked oysters, to Caspian Sea caviar and French foie gras. We didn’t have a chance to go, but we definitely will upon our next visit…
There are good things about staying at a hotel that is NOT particularly meant for tourists and that ISN’T in the touristic hub of town.
That is a change right there that you will not get from checking in the most popular touristic TripAdvisor foreign based venues. 
Grandiose lobby, courteous check-in, impeccable service and comfortable room with all amenities. Not to mention, a 24 hours business center a well equipped Spa, and a surprising swimming pool with ‘elephant fountains’ 
Outstanding by the luxury of the ingredients used or the diversity of the offerings? 
That’s not the point. The striking element was actually constraint. Less can be more. It is an asset to know just how many things one can get right and serve at its best of freshness.
I will bring that to your table in a couple of minutes”.
The ingredients are few and simple, but the balance of the manufacturing processes is complex and delicate. The typical bitter taste, is rendered less intense from seeds candied process that transforms this “winter flower” to a perfect cake to be combined with the soft dough. The careful selection of raw materials and of the Veneto region, the creation of flavors and forms, 
A healthy lifestyle starts with a wholesome diet. Fraccaro created a completely organic patisserie line: Pasticceria Fraccaro BIO,
The blue IGP or PGI seal (Indicazione Geografica Protetta, or Protected Geographical Indication) is also a nice designation, but only guarantees that the extra-virgin oil is at least partially prepared, processed or produced within a specific region.Focus on taste.
I was enchanted of my researches so I joined
ONAOO,has gained the reputation to be the world’s first and leading school of the art of olive oil tasting, providing training, carrying out scientific researches, acting as an engine for a continuous process of education, and improving and the cultural integration of olive oil worldwide. At ONAOO tasters are continuously trained to experience, to make comparisons, and to give scores to mark it as an authentic virgin olive oil.
THE TASTING
Then the testers will fill up a profile sheet, noting the intensity of perception of defects that spans from muddy sediment, to vinegar acidity, to rancid flavor, to a taste of frostbitten olives.
Following the experts will indulge in the consideration of the intensity of perception of positive attributes. A ‘real ‘olive oil should score the right notes of fruity, bitter, and pungent levels. Oils are anonymous, no body knows the factory or the farm or the producer’s name. During my time at Onaoo, they have been served oils from Australia, New Zealand, Chile, South Africa and many Mediterranean countries. 
The experts of ONAOO staff, together with the community of ONAOO tasters and former students located throughout the world, help to foster social, cultural and economic growth in the olive oil market, as well as improvements in processing technologies. In this way the objective classification of oil as a product will improve, increasing and enhancing its commercial uses.
Every year Imperia host 
This year this oli kermesse is happening on
nontouristytourist.com 