L'Italo-Americano

L'Italo-Americano THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2020 www.italoamericano.org 6 NEWS & FEATURES TOP STORIES PEOPLE EVENTS r e c i p e s . I n t h e U S A , Southern cuisine is much m o r e w i d e s p r e a d a n d known. W h a t ' s s o m e t h i n g you would like to con- v e y t o p e o p l e a b o u t cooking? That also the simplest of recipes can be good and that ingredients are key. I n y o u r o p i n i o n , w h a t i s t h e s e c r e t o f our food tradition? T o m e , i t ' s t h e Mediterranean diet, which is the best diet out there, it i s v e r y w e l l b a l a n c e d . Italian cuisine is naturally an example of it, with all its outstanding products. Many have been awarded by the EU and this means that the quality has been checked under very severe controls. These products are healthy, natural and cannot be made anywhere else. Can you give me an example? Parmigiano Reggiano, for example, the king of cheeses! One of my favori- t e , a n d i t ' s m a d e w i t h ingredients that are only sourced in a specific part of I t a l y , E m i l i a R o m a g n a , versus and industrial par- mesan made somewhere else, with ingredients that are not allowed in the ori- ginal one. We have almost 300 products labeled with DOP and PGI trademarks, so Italian food is all about high quality ingredients. In this regard, I would call m y s e l f m o r e a n I t a l i a n food ambassador than a chef or a culinary teacher, because this is my main goal. It is not always easy t o f i n d a l l t h e i n g r e - dients tough. If one of my recipes sug- g e s t s t o u s e s p e c k f r o m Trentino alto Adige, you should use that, but I know it is not so easy to find it everywhere. Maybe better not to use a substitute at all and just try to follow the recipe as much as pos- sible. What's your favorite recipe in the book? Tenerina cake, which is a t r a d i t i o n a l c a k e f r o m Ferrara, a beautiful city. In order to prepare it you just need to have dark chocola- t e , s a l t e d b u t t e r , e g g s , s u g a r , f l o u r , m i l k a n d sprinkles. You can make a delicious cake in no time and it melts in your mouth. Sounds very simple. Another simple thing we can all do? H a n d m a d e p a s t a . T o make it you only need two ingredients: type 00 flour and eggs, 1 egg every 100 gr of flour. Any tip for those who are lactose intolerant? P a r m i g i a n o R e g g i a n o a n d G r a n a P a d a n o a r e naturally lactose free so having a piece of this chee- se with Aceto Balsamico di Modena is a nice treat. W h a t d o y o u t h i n k about restaurants that h a v e n o t a u t h e n t i c Italian dishes in their menu? Some Italian restaurants have to please the costu- mers, so they have to add dishes that are not actually I t a l i a n b e c a u s e p e o p l e want to order that, as well. So they have to. Alfredo s a u c e i s s u p p o s e d t o b e Italian but I have never heard about it in Italy! A r e s t e r e o t y p e s a b o u t I t a l i a n f o o d changing? I think there is a long way ahead of us. I think in cities like L.A. the answer is yes, but probably it is not the same in smaller vil- lages. What advice can you give to our readers? When you are cooking, follow the little tips I give you in the book and it'll all feel and taste like when y o u t r a v e l e d t o I t a l y . S o m e t i m e s r e c i p e s m a y vary, also in Italy. Some people are very strict but there are many differences, even among families, or b e t w e e n t w o d i f f e r e n t regions. What really mat- ters is the quality of each ingredient. Continued from page 4 Chef Gambini at work during a cooking class (Photo: Otto De Togni) Mail form and check to L'Italo-Americano P.O.BOX 6528, ALTADENA, CA 91003 Tiramisù, prepared by Ale Gambini (Photo: Ale Gambini)

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