A food festival at The Park inspired by a visit to South Italy. Buon appetito!
A food festival at The Park inspired by a visit to South Italy. Buon appetito!
POSTCARDS FROM CALABRIA...
TT Bureau
Published 05.12.17, 12:00 AM
What: Buon cibo da sud Italia (read: Good food from south Italy)
Where: The Bridge, The Park
When: Till December 23; 12.30pm to 3.30pm and 7.30pm to 11.30pm
Pocket pinch: Rs 1,500 for two, all-inclusive, without drinks
POSTCARDS FROM CALABRIA...
The food festival is inspired by a trip made by Ashutosh Awasthi, senior sous chef at The Bridge, The Park (in picture against the backdrop of the Colosseum in Rome), to the small town of Soverato in south Italy’s Calabria.
The south is the region of olives, olive oil, vineyards, tomato farms, citrus fruits, abundance of seafood and durum wheat, which is used to make pasta.
The Calabrians (people of Calabria) stress on preserved and conserved food, and the cuisine has a fine balance of meat and veggies.
Fresh herbs are used in abundance!
A view of Mediterranean Sea over a plate of gambero or shrimp.
A box of freshly plucked mushrooms.
Bright orange blossoms at this farmers’ market are from zucchini plants.
Home-made matured ricotta in a farmhouse in Calabria.
Did you know that saffron is a common ingredient in many Italian dishes? The deep-red spice filament is the hero in the flavourful Milanese-style Saffron Risotto that packs in veggies like broccoli, asparagus and (optional) chicken “to break the monotony of the rice”. A crisp slice of bread soaked in garlic and butter makes it complete. Rs 795
Brie al forno con miele de tartufo... never mind the Italian tongue-twister, this appetiser is simple Grilled Brie with Truffle Honey. “Fresh truffle is very delicate. In Italy, I found that one way to preserve it longer is to puree and mix it with honey,” said senior sous chef Ashutosh, who recently travelled to Italy to understand south Italian cuisine. A truffle-honey drizzle over this smokey chunk of Brie will transport you to the coastline of Soverato in Calabria! Rs 575
Papardelle con salsa di Lupara or pappardelle pasta (broad, flat pasta) with lupara sauce, bacon, sausage and mushroom, is made from the “trimmings of pasta”. “The Italians do not waste anything, be it root or stem. Even the sausages and bacon are breakfast leftovers,” said Ashutosh. The black-and-white pasta is an experiment with activated charcoal to make it “visually appealing”.
Rs 975
Lamb Shank with Buttered Rice and Asparagus is a bitter-sweet main course. It has tender lamb falling off the bone and is braised in a sauce that — close your eyes — tastes like French onion soup! “The sauce is made from celery leaves, garlic... and when you add onions, it caramelises into this stock,” said Sharad Dewan, regional director, food production, The Park. Rs 1,175
Tasting portions of Tiramisu and Chocolate Ganache Tart. #Divine
Text: Karo Christine Kumar
Pictures: Rashbehari Das
