Azienda Agricola COS, founded in 1980, is one of Sicily's most well known wineries. Few, however are aware that their wines are natural wines which are extremely low in sulphites and are mainly aged in amphoras (see above photo) like in the old days. I met one of the winemakers of COS, Giusto Occhipinti, at the Vini Birre Ribelli fair organised in Brussels for the … [Read more...]
A review of Massimo Bottura’s great book Never Trust a Skinny Italian Chef
It is no secret that I have been waiting for the publication of Massimo Bottura: Never Trust A Skinny Italian Chef for the past months. Published on 6 October by Phaidon, I have to say that this book went way beyond my expectations, despite the fact that the anticipation was high. For those who are not familiar with Massimo Bottura, this Italian chef is considered to be the … [Read more...]
Saveurs Toscanes: A feast for fans of Tuscany
Saveurs Toscanes which took place last weekend at the Arsenal in Brussels was a feast for lovers of Tuscan food and wine. It was great to visit the many stands with producers that made the trip from Tuscany and meet some cheese, wine and meat producers who we had been meeting over the years since the event started taking place. Tuscany, for lovers of food and wine, is one of … [Read more...]
Fulvio Pierangelini – an Italian chef in exile
Few restaurant experiences have left a profound influence on my way of thinking about gastronomy as Fulvio Pierangelini's Gambero Rosso. This Italian chef who was riding the crest of the wave in terms of fame and success decided to close his restaurant in 2008 and since then has never returned back. Pierangelini, who had never taken a plane in the previous 30 years, as he … [Read more...]
Massimo Bottura: a humble genius, philosopher, artist and chef
Massimo Bottura, chef patron of Osteria Francescana can be described in many ways. Firstly a chef and owner of the most talked about restaurant in Italy, Bottura is more a philosopher, creative artist and genius than a cook. But. when he gets down to cooking, his creative genius takes over and that is why he is so talked about. Like many geniuses, he can often be … [Read more...]
