“The French, not the Italians, are the world’s best pizza makers.” Bruno Soleri, the executive chef at Florentia Ristorante in Toronto, Canada, couldn’t believe what he was hearing. That was last April 2 and it was accompanied by a video titled “France declared best pizza maker.”

It had just been put on line by Reuters, the prestigious English news agency. He sent the link to www.itchefs-gvci.com with this comment: “I am no kind of ultranationalist who is convinced that whatever we Italians do is the best in the world, but this piece of news really annoyed me”.  Bruno has worked in acclaimed restaurants such as Gualtiero Marchesi and Claudio Sadler in Italy, Chez Panisse in California and Canoe in Toronto. According the Reuters video, the organizers of Paris Pizza and Pasta Expo, celebrated last March 30 and 31, had crowned a French pizzaiolo, as the best in the world, after a competition among 200 pizza makers coming from all over the world. “Sometimes our French cousins, who certainly have some of the greatest culinary traditions in the world, go a bit over the top with their pride”, adds Soleri, who makes pizza as well (“it’s a joy”), having learnt the art from a Neapolitan pizzaiolo, and still believes that the Italians have some kind of world leadership in authentic pizza making.

Bruno Soleri

“In pizza competitions, juries cannot always be trusted”, says Pasqualino Barbasso, Sicilian chef and GVCI associate, known around the world as the “acrobatic” pizzaiolo. So, what really happened in Paris? Was the competition fixed? No, nothing like that. The news that the French make the best pizza in the world is simply not true. Reuters invented it. The competition at Paris Pizza and Pasta Expo was just among French pizza makers, called France Pizza Tour. Perhaps it looked too boring to Jon Dereck, the Reuters journalists who covered the event and manipulated reality. Furthermore: there was no competition between French and Italians whatsoever, the Expo is marketed as the Salon de la Restauration Italienne (Italian Restaurants Fair), it’s a celebration of Italian Cuisine in France. So the French are not the best pizza makers in the world but they are generally very serious and competent about their pizza: they consume huge quantities of it (only in the U.S. is its consumption higher), they call the pizza maker a ‘pizzaiolo’, exactly as in Italy, and favour pizza made with Italian techniques and ingredients.

The Italian Cuisine World Summit organized by itchefs-gvci.com will be held in Hong Kong from November 2nd thru 7th. It has been announced by Rosario Scarpato, Summit Director, and chef Paolo Monti, Culinary Supervisor of the Summit, after a meeting held in Hong Kong with the chefs of the 15 Italian Restaurants involved in the event. Mario Caramella, President of GVCI (Virtual Group of Italian Chefs), has announced that, in the occasion of the World Summit a General Meeting of all GVCI members, will be held on November 3rd, to celebrate the 10 years of the foundation of GVCI Forum, that today has almost 1200 participants, working in 70 countries.

The sixth edition of Vitigno Italia, a fair dedicated to wines made with autochthonous grape varieties, will be held in Naples from 16 to 18 May.  As wine writer Tom Hyland pointed out: “while you won’t find any examples of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot or Chardonnay here, you will be able to taste some glorious wines made from Greco, Fiano, Aglianico, Nero d’Avola and hundreds of other local varieties”. Starting last year, Vitigno Italia is held in the historic Castel dell’Ovo, on the shores of the Gulf of Napoli, to stress the historic importance of indigenous grape varieties. Though the fair is mainly dedicated to wineries of Campania Region and other Southern areas, there are many exhibitors from other important oenological regions of Italy, including Tuscany, Piemonte and Veneto. Within Vitigno Italia, Luigi Cremona, a renowned Italian food and wine writer will host, one more time, the successful culinary festival Cooking X wine. To read more about 2009 edition of Vitigno Italia got to Tom Hyland blog.

Gattopardo, the last joint venture of the Garibaldi Group of Restaurants, and the Sicilian Chef Lino Sauro, has opened in Singapore. It´s an Italian pizza bar that features food from southern Italy and has a range of style and taste from zesty to delicate.
The new eatery, that belongs to the Group founded by the Chef Roberto Galetti, serves elegant dishes such as roasted fish with a sprinkle of wild mint and grilled fresh prawns in lemon leaves presented in a charming terracotta pot – reflective of how Italians from the South appreciate the purity and texture of their food.
Nestled within the lush foliage of the Fort Canning Park, Gattopardo is a must-dine for all lovers of fine Italian cuisine. Gattopardo, tiger-cat in English, is the title of one of the most important Italian novels of the 20th century, authored by the Sicilian writer Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa and published in 1958.

Four Seasons Hotel Doha is celebrating its fifth anniversary by introducing "Food & Art Week at Il Teatro", an exhibition that displays the art collection of famous Italian Artist Fabrizio Trabucco who interpreted in the culinary creations of two Italian Star Chefs: Michelin Star Chef Matteo Vigotti and Il Teatro Italian Chef Mauro Bellodi, a GVCI associate.

Doha is Capital of Arab Culture 2010 and Four Seasons Hotel Doha makes its contribution to this event hosting
Fabrizio Trabucco's exhibition that displays the cultural exchange between Italy and Qatar, between modern, contemporary art and haute cuisine.

Cesare Casella, renowned Italian chef in New York City (Salumeria Rosi) and itchefs-GVCI leader in the US, tasted the newly launched second “Collezione” of dishes by Mark Ladner. Executive chef at Del Posto Restaurant in New York City, one of the establishments belonging to Mario Batali and the Bastianich family (Lidia and Joseph), Mark is among those non-Italian-born chefs who are amazing interpreters of theItalian Cuisine at a worldwide level. “The difference between Mark and most chefs cooking Italian, is that Mark investigates and is more knowledgeable than most the other chefs – whether Italian or not. Italian cooking is his passion and I think that because he is not Italian, he researches and learns about everything Italian to make sure his food is more authentic”.

Mark Ladner & Cesare Casella

Read what Cesare Casella writes here: "Last week I went to taste the second Collezione of Mark Ladner at Del Posto.

Mark has created something fantastic! Like in every respectable collection, each season brings something new and exciting. With Mark’s Collezione, it is not only the combination of food and wine that makes it fantastic – it is the food, wine and china – I love that!

Mark Ladner is a "biblioteca". The knowledge that Mark has about Italy, its food, history and culture is visible throughout the entire Collezione, down to the head of the tuna, Ginori plates and vintage implements of service. The difference between Mark and most chefs cooking Italian, is that Mark investigates and is more knowledgeable than most other chefs – whether Italian or not. Italian cooking is his passion and I think that because he is not Italian, he researches and learns about everything Italian to make sure his food is more authentic. And it is! Mark’s passion, combined with the infrastructure, brain trust and resources at Del Posto makes his new Collezione... True Italian cooking!

Ladner at work

The Collezione started with Pane Filone hot pot with Vittorio Cassini 2010 (the extra virgin olive oil). I recognized the pot that Mark brought to the table from afar as a vintage Alessi pot, designed by Marchesi. The bread (baked in the pot) came out of the oven just 2 minutes before. In front of the table he took the bread out of the pot, ripped it with his hands and put in on my plate. Then Mark came with a small bowl with dusty stuff, that he told me was frozen extra virgin olive oil. This was the first time in my life that I saw dry, extra virgin olive oil from Liguria, that was frozen! I think that he chose the olive oil from Liguria because they produce delicate oils. So on top of the hot bread he put the frozen oil. As I waited for the oil to turn BACK INTO LIQUID, I smelled all the aroma from the oil on the bread, and I ate it with my hands. There were no utensils on the table. I ate it all.

Anellini (rings)


Cesare picking up the anellini (rings)


100 layers lasagna


100 layers lasagna


Polenta Friuli style


Ossobuco sauce


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Tree di Cacao


Tangerines on ice

I started to understand the beginning of the Collezione. The plate for the bread was from Richard Ginori, plates that all the Kings in Italy have. So at this point I begun to see what the menu was about – it is not only the food, but the vintage pots, the 1880 Richard Ginori plates, Masa Italian linens, and the glasses designed especially for Del Posto.

The next course was Pinzimonio in Bagna Caoda. Bagna caoda is a traditional dish from Piemonte. But here Mark served a non-traditional type of bagna caoda with ingredients they don’t have in Piemonte like beefy jerky, pretzels, cheddar cheese and black truffles – it was very good and very interesting because still there were no utensils.

The Soft Scrambled Eggs were served on more very rare china from Richard Ginori, this time the Museo collection. The eggs had the garlic anchioves sauce from the bagna caoda, caviar and were so soft... the combination put together was fantastic. Mark spoke a lot about this dish, but I was more interested in drinking the wine to care about the perfect combination that he put on the plate. The wine was Alteni di Brassica, 2007, from one of the most prestigious Italian wine producers (Gaja).

When the Wild Black Bass in Moorish Spices arrived, it was presented on the table in another beautiful vintage oval shapped copper pot from Alessi. On top of the pot was the fried bass skin. When Mark presented this, I first thought the fried skin was the dish itself because it was so good. But instead Mark opened the pot and there was a whole bass, the length of the pot. The pot was built specifically to cook fish (it was a Pesciera). Then he took the pot back to the kitchen, and returned with the fish flaked in small pieces and served in a vintage stainless steel round bowl (by Alessi), that was shallow, light and beautiful. Inside was the bass with sweet clams and a spiced flavor. The fish was paired with a Rose from Moltepulciano d’Abruzzo.

With the Insalata Caprese with Testina di Tonno, I tasted the head of the tuna fish in an incredible way. When I closed my eyes and ate the tuna, in my mouth I felt and tasted the head of the fish, and the cheek of the fish, because the head had so much flavor and is the best part of the animal. Mark prepared and canned the tuna fish himself. The burrata tasted like it had arrived from Italy that very morning. And the tomatoes were so sweet, like candy, I ate the vine too.

This combination and the colors was amazing. Mark’s interpretation with Italian food – it is a classic example of True Italian cooking because the burrata is a product imported from Italy, and served with a local product.

It was almost spiritual - the incredible combination of these dishes – the fact that the tuna tasted like I was eating the head of the fish and the burrata and tomato, and the choice of the sparkling Rose.

The Fonduta e Robiola Anellini with Black Truffles and Vacca Rossa (the cheese) was fun. The intention of this dish was to pick the anellini ring up with your finer and run in through the cheese and black truffles. The anellini was shaped like an engagement ring.

The 100 Layer Lasagna is 50 layers of ragù that is cooked for 6 hours and 50 layers of pasta. Again, the dish came on plates from Richard Ginori.

Before Mark served the next course of Bigoli con Anatra and Goose Liver, he brought out friulian style polenta and poured it on top of a marble table and let it sit while I ate the bigoli.

This traditional pasta (by Tony) was made with duck. It was a whole-wheat pasta made with the torchio, a typical instrument for making pasta in Veneto. Tony grated the frozen liver over the pasta. I loved the liver, it was fantastic! And the pasta was so "scrunchy" – like when it has a bite but it’s not crunchy – it’s perfect!

The dish, Veal in Ash with Grass and Corn, was served in 2 stages. The veal itself was dusted in powdered hardwood charcoal then grilled to 100 degrees. The kidney is cooked in its own fat. Alongside the veal at the table, Mark had a sauce made from ossobucco in a copper pot. He plated the set polenta, sliced the veal and finished with the vinogrette of ossobuco made with the same Barolo we were drinking! Bergadano Barolo “Sarmassa” 2001

Then he served the polenta crusty from the inside of the cast iron vessel, made only with water and extra virgin olive oil. It made a crunchy chip, and he served it on top of tall grass, with the kidney condiment. The picture is beautiful.

I was introduced to the beginning of the desserts by Brooks, and Mark joined me at the table. The Salt Baked Pineapple was the first of five desserts and began with the international symbol of hospitality, salt roasted with spices and frozen yogurt. The peel was soaked in spices and dipped in Greek yogurt and frozen. A perfect segway to the dessert courses.

The Eggplant Costata with Sheep's Milk Ricotta Straciatella and Chocolate Olive Oil was a trip into Naples. It was nice because it was equally savory and sweet. And the ricotta ice cream was the best I’ve ever had – even in Italy. It was fantastic.

The Tree di Cacao was so sexy and the Tangerines on ice were very good, along with Lidia’s Fregolotta. The way they finished the Collezione with dry cookies, and the juice of the fruit all over the table, it was so Italian – this is what it is like in Italy.

The sequence of the dishes was great too. I ate the chocolate and was so full. And then the tangerines, it made my mouth ready to eat more chocolate – because the tangerines were soft with acidity and the chocolate was crispy. The dried cookies were the perfect way to finish.

The Service of café alla Napoletana was being prepared from the start of the desserts. I know, because I smelt it! They whipped a splash of the coffee with sugar in front of me and it was delicious.

This Collezione by Mark Ladner is what I mean when I talk about True Italian cooking."

Read the article also in True Italian Cooking the new blogspot by Cesare Casella http://truitalianusa.blogspot.com/