Here my article in Zester Daily
http://zesterdaily.com/world/in-venice-chef-unites-yesterday-and-tomorrow/
Going to Venice? Chef Luca unites yesterday and tomorrow
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Category Archives: Food
BOLOGNA: STREET FOOD BONANZA… WITH A TOUCH OF USA
Vidiciatico Street Food will bring some the most delicious traditional Italian specialties
in the streets of Bologna.
Il Borgo antico
stuffed olives from Ascoli Piceno
The ancient town will be filled with the aromas and flavors of authentic street food including lamprey sandwich, tripe salad, stuffed olives from Ascoli Piceno, borlenghi pesto, Modena fried dumplings, kebabs Bolognese style and the succulent “porchetta” from Ariccia.
Don’t forget to try the fish skewers from Rimini with american barbecue sauce, which will add an international touch to the event.
“porchetta” from Ariccia
In August:
Saturday 29
Sunday 30
“Happy Hour” on the grass with…Leonardo
Milan i is famous for its “aperitivo-happy hour” 
a feast of drinks, cocktails and wines, usually escorted by a generous buffet , tapas and pass trough finger food.
One of the best aperitivo is promoted by the flamboyant socialite Maurice Dotta, who has the ability to discover hidden places and amazing locations and transform them into a fashionable happy hour venue. Here people can meet, dance, drink and of course taste delicious food and hoers d’oeuvres from the local Chef. Maurice latest creature is called Apero and it’s located in a green oasis in the heart of Milan: the Orti di Leonardo Da Vinci, the beautiful garden of the 15th century Palazzo delle Stelline.
The party starts at 7.00 pm and goes till late. Guests are invited to relax on the grass, decorated with colorful blankets, comfy pillows and beach umbrellas. The Dj is spinning an interesting mixture of classics, retro and contemporary music, from the disco era to the newest avant-garde.
The rich buffet is vegan friendly. I tried a vegetable couscous, spiced with yellow curry and an excellent farro salad with beans, carrots and red peppers.
Prices: Drinks are 7 Euros, the buffet 5 Euros. If you prefer a seated dinner, the Orti di Leonardo Restaurant has outdoor and offers a small menu with appetizers, entrees, fish and meat.
There II tried the tentacoli polpo, 
a tender grilled octopus served with pachino tomatoes and a mozzarella called burrata di Andria with arugula and San Marzano tomatoes over a bruschetta bread.
I also suggest the classic risotto Milanese with saffron pistils or the vegan friendly pasta paccheri di Gragnano with vegetables sauce. 
If you are into fish, try the tasty grilled branzino and vegetables. Not to mention the cotoletta alla milanese, a must for a venue that even Leonardo would have loved during his staying in Milan!
Photos by Margarita Zurcova
Want to meet 5 amazing Chefs and their amazing creations? Here my article in Zester Daily
THE MOST EXPENSIVE BURGERS IN THE WORLD
BURGERMANIA!!!!
Chef Joe Calderone for Serendipity 3 in New York created its Burger Extravagant, featured in the Guinness Book of Records as the most ‘expensive in the world’. It ‘a mix of Japanese Waygu meat, butter with 10 herbs, truffles, golden leaves, quail egg, a touch of caviar and Paramount cheddar cheese. The whole thing comes equipped with a toothpick in gold and diamonds. The price? $ 295 and must be ordered 48 hours in advance.www.serendipity3.com
Troppo caro? Al DB Bistro Moderne del celebre chef Daniel Boulud, viene servito in versione royal con una composta di pomodori che sostituisce il banale ketchup, mentre dal piatto strizza l’occhio una peccaminosa farcitura di foie gras impreziosita da tartufo nero. “solo” ….140 dollari. www.dbbistro.com/nyc
Looking for something cheper?
Celebrity chef Daniel Boulud’s DB Bistro Moderne created the “royal version” of a burger., where a compote of tomato ketchup replaces the trivial, while the flat winks a sinful topping of foie gras embellished with black truffle. “only” $ 140.
September vacation? Cous Cous Lovers? Your destination is San Vito Lo Capo, Sicily
In the enchanted land of Sicily, there is a beautiful village by the blue sea :
San Vito Lo Capo.
Every year San Vito hosts a huge culinary competition featuring great cous cous dishes from all over the world. 
This year France, Israel, Italy, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, Senegal, Tunisia, USA were dueling for the Cous Cous Awards.
Italy’s Chefs Andrea Provenzani e Giuseppe Salmeri won big time, and their recipe “my Sicily” got awarded twice by the popular and the technical jury.
The winner: amberjack, onions, Marsala, fennel pesto, pistachio and lemon, almond milk and coffee powder.
The Award for the most original dish went to French Chef Marion Roger with Chiara Cilio who created an amazing verbena ice cream topped with a bittersweet cous cous.
A french “delicatesse”: verbena ice cream with bittersweet couscous topping. Awarded as most original
The best presentation award went to Ivory Coast native Abibata Konate, known as Mama Africa. who runs a small inn in Palermo. Her plate was throwing a message of peace and integration, and showing a black hand and a red heart.
Mama Africa with best presentation winner dish
The feast continues all around the town.
From morning till late night, You can find everywhere traditional dishes, Sicilian pottery, local products, original handcrafts, great fish specialties and of course delicious cous cous. a lot of it, cooked by dozen of street vendors. 
The Rite of Tea in Venice
A tea from Nepal? or from Africa? A tea flavored with jasmine? or mixed with toasted rice and corn blown down to the rare white tea: the Nepal Himalaya Shangri-La ?
From October to March, from 15.30 to 17.30, the Oriental Bar at Metropole Hotel opens its doors to the city proposing the celebration of tea with established
collaboration of Dammann Frères French Tea House since 1825.
An indispensable opportunity to meet in a place where you can savor the atmosphere enveloping a tea mixture can become a valuable emotion
THE GREATEST ITALIAN CHEF… NEVER COOKED! read my story in Zesterdaily
http://zesterdaily.com/cooking/man-known-as-italys-greatest-chef-did-not-cook
“CAPPELLETTI ALL’USO DI ROMAGNA” served in a traditional ceramic pot from Faenza. The most celebrated recipe created by Pellegrino Artusi, the greatest Italian Chef …who didn’t cook! Credit @ Cesare Zucca
Cous Cous Fest in S.Vito Lo Capo. Bravi ragazzi!
Every year the beautiful Sicilian town of S.Vito Lo Capo hosts a huge Cous Cous Fest featuring a contest to award the best, the most original and the better looking
cous cous of the year.
Experts and Chefs superstar from all over the world meet here to create and cook dozen of yummy dishes.
The kitchen is a real battlefield, the temperature is heating up, the stress is on! Everybody is working hard. although I think that the “i veri eroi”
( the real heroes) should be considered the great guys from the Palermo.’s Institute Pietro Piazza coordinated by Professors Rosario Picone and Vincenzo Prinzivalli.
Imagine a squad of young tireless, professional waiters and chef-assistants
able to prepare and serve more than 900 dishes during a grueling, nerve-wracking three-day competition..
Always with a big smile on their faces. Bravi ragazzi!
1 hour : learn, experiment, cook… enjoy your dish!
Wednesday July 25th at 11.00 am Pacific time/2.00 pm Eastern time.
I will be hosting a 1 hour cooking online show SOCIALKITCHEN live from Milan, Italy!
You will learn how to make a tempting aperitivo drink made with Rabarbaro Zucca, a rhubarb-based digestive bitter liqueur created, believe it or not, by my great great grand father and still one of the most traditional and popular drinks of Italy.
Then guided by super Chef Antonio, you will learn how to make an amazing hamburger, inspired to the legendary Serendipity’s Burger Extravagant, listed in the Guinness Records as the most expensive burger in the world.
295 US Dollars, no kidding!
Don’t worry, our version
will be way cheaper but
equally…
sensational and gourmet!
Not only…few days before the show, SocialKitchen will email you the list of the right ingredients so you would be actually able to cook and interact live with Chef Antonio himself.
1 hour : learn, experiment, cook… enjoy your dish!
Go to www.socialkitchen.it
Register (it’s free)
Enjoy the show!
THE “DOLCE VITA” …. AT YOUR TABLE
A very special dinner for a very special book
“AT THE TABLE WITH FELLINI” by Maddalena Fellini
Met Restaurant at magnificent Hotel Metropole in Venice www.hotelmetropole.com will held a tribute to the legendary Italian filmmaker Federico Fellini in occasion of the presentation of “At the Table with Fellini, Oscar recipes by his sister Maddalena” 
a book-collection of the most delicious dishes usually at the table of the great director, enriched by pictures from the Family Fellini’s album. A voyage through memories, habits, little rituals and simple gestures in the kitchen little rituals, from Mom dumplings to the classic home-made pasta ragout 
.
Fellini was a man who liked simple yet generous dishes, exactly like his bosomy actresses. So get ready to taste one of the hits of the night: a succulent capon stuffed with stuffed zucchini!
VEGAN BRUNCH ON SUNDAY OCT 20TH
Where? Interno 23 a private, luxury lounge club in Milan at Viale Piceno 23.Starts at 12.00pm Make a reservation ph. 02-87158467
What? A great buffet with farro and pumpkin, zucchini focaccia, herbs muffins, red lentils soup, scrambled tofu,vegetables. chocolate biscuits, apple tart,banana bread, fruit skewers, and more… only 20 euros . I tried once , I loved it, I ‘ll go back on Sunday
“Pasta Emperor” Giovanni Rana …does New York
Pasta lovers…write down this address!
75 9th Avenue New York, NY 10011 Phone (212) 370-0975
Mr. Giovanni Rana, the Italian most celebrated fresh pasta producer, just opened his first restaurant in New York. The spacious venue, located in the Chelsea Market, offers an inviting menu with traditional and innovative pasta dishes.
Try the calamarata, a calamari look alike pasta served with seafood and marinara sauce, the tonnarelli al ragu, ( square spaghetti with meat sauce) the famous tortellini al prosciutto, served with prosciutto crostino on the side and, of course, a huge choice of ravioli that allowed Giovanni to claim the title of “Pasta Emperor”.
The stuffings abound: pumpkin, lobster, spinach and ricotta, gorgonzola and radicchio. Don’t miss one of my favorites with fried artichokes. You can also enjoy a great variety of appetizers, (I loved the three spreads platter with kale, eggplants and sun dried tomatoes ingeniously mixed to different cheeses) as well as side orders (the polenta taragna seeks to be dipped in the mascarpone cream…sinful! . 
Sweet tooth anyone? Check out the tantalizing taste of the panna cotta with passion fruit, indulge in a decadent chocolate ravioli with raspberries puree or have a nibble of my favorite torta di mele, an apple cake, made just like my Italian grandma used to prepare.
Eat, love and ..take it home: next to the restaurant a real pasta fresca store is selling all the differerent fresh pasta products featured on the menu and giving away complimentary recipe cards…
Here is me with the Emperor Himself!
.
Welcome to New York, Giovanni!
CHEESELOVER? Every two years Bra, Italy is hosting a spectacular cheese festival. September 20-23. Check my 2011 edition review from GourmeT USA
EVERY 2 YEARS WORLD GOES…………. “CHEESE!” Where: Little town of Bra, Piedmont, Italy
September 20-23, 2013 Try some amazing cheeses. wines and traditional dishes. http://cheese.slowfood.it Cheese is a FREE event held in the streets and squares of Bra’s historic center, where you will find the Market, thematic spaces (Slow Food stand, the Literary Café and the Biodiversity House) and other entertainment and education activities. There is a cost for the following: tastings in the Great Hall of Cheese and Enoteca, Taste Workshops, Dinner Dates and Master of Food courses. Limited places are available for the Dinner Dates, Taste Workshops and Master of Food courses at Cheese, so it is essential to book in advance, here or by writing to prenotazioni@slowfood.it.
Poland: discovering the “bar mleczny” (if any left…)
For a snack or just a quick meal venture yourself into one of the bars mleczny (also called milk bar). Here, in addition to excellent homemade food, you can enjoy the atmosphere of the past comunist era. Upon entering you will find yourself queuing between students, older guys and tourists.The menu is written on the board and it ‘s all in polish, so when is your turn to order, you may need a little of imagination. Food is good and prices are unbelievably cheap. I found this non-touristy Południowy (11 Rynek Podgórski Street) where the locals go. I had the classic zurek soup (rye, potatoes, sausage, egg and laurel and a great bigos (meat and cabbage) All for 12 zlotzy ( less than 4 dollars). This place closes at 5pm. Get there early because best dishes are quickly sold out.
Milan, the brunch gets “royal”
Talking of an hidden gem…
Milano. Every Sunday Giacomo Caffè hosts an exclusive brunch called Colazione Mediterranea, boasting two rich buffets of appetizers and desserts and a menu inspired to the traditional Italian cuisine. The seated meal offers three choices of entrees, salads and a variety of egg dishes.I tried the uova affogate in cocotte con caprino e salsa tartufata (eggs with truffle sauce and caprino cheese), it was delicious! The price is from 25 to 35 Euro including coffe and a glass of prosecco wine. This prestigious venue is located in the heart of the center of Milan, at the magnificent Palazzo Reale (Royal Palace) Museum, whose great exhibits are worth a visit. At the first floor You will find a library room with a great selection of art books. You can say that gastronomy meets art at Giacomo Caffè piazza Duomo 12, (Ph) 02 89096698. giacomocaffe.com
nontouristytourist.com 