When was jazz born? Textbooks will answer, in 1895. Where? New Orleans, you will find in them. Correct. However, we know that that year and that city were just a place and a time in which some music trends from other places and times merged at a single point. What has this to do with Arezzo Medoliva 2008, where a “band” of itchefs-gvci went last May “to play” their olive oil based Italian cuisine?
Let's put it in this way: Medoliva 2008 may well be remembered as a time and a place in which Italian Cuisine arrived at one of its turning points. After Medoliva we can talk of the Third Way to Italian Cuisine, the way represented by Italian chefs working outside Italy. Arezzo was an ideal historical merging point.

There were not only our 8 chefs coming from 5 continents, including, for the first time, a non-Italian born one (Mark Ladner); with them arrived the history of the last ten or more years of Italian Cuisine abroad. It was as if an entire new generation of Italian chefs, now truly working on a worldwide scale, were materialised in the faces present and the experiences offered at the fair.
A Third Way? And what then are the other two? Well, up to now, true, living Italian cuisine, its evolution and its representation, have been exclusively represented by chefs, cooks and restaurants based in Italy. And broadly speaking, in Italy, Italian cuisine can be split in two main categories: the traditional and the creative. On one hand you have the kind of cuisine performed by Anna Dente (Osteria di San Cesario), Lucio Sforza (L'Asino D'Oro, Orvieto), Giuliana Saragoni (Locanda al Gambero Rosso, San Pietro in Bagno) and the many cooks, mothers and chefs, who cook in the traditional way. On the other, you have Heinz Back, Paolo Lo Priore, Ciccio Sultano, Massimiliano Alajmo and those chefs (think also of the chefs who participate in the annual Identità Golose Congress) who make creative Alta Cucina Italiana d'Autore, though without loosing sight of tradition. We are generalizing of course, proposing a simplified way of describing a complex situation because, as close or as far as it way be from these two poles, there is, in the middle, a vast array of positions. Obviously excluded from this are the tourist restaurants of Florence, Venice, Rome and the other tourist cities as well as the infamously bad pizzerias and the Autogrill restaurants, where the food may even be good but it's just “something to eat”.

The style of the Third way

With the arising of the new generation of Italian Chefs abroad, something unprecedented has happened. We are talking about chefs trained and with solid experience gained in Italy before going abroad, chefs who left Italy not as emigrants. We are talking about exactly the kind of people who belong to the GVCI. For years now, since the GVCI was born, we have been saying that thanks to these chefs, the world is now more than ever the virtual 21st Italian Culinary Region, to be added to the 20 geographic regions of Italy. This has been the first important and long overdue step towards the full recognition of the fundamental role played by Italian chefs abroad and their “friends”, i.e. those culinary professionals, everywhere in the world, committed to the promotion of quality Italian cuisine.

At Medoliva 2008 a further relevant step forward in that direction was made; thanks to the chefs belonging to itchefs-gvci, in a public international event, it was demonstrated that the style of cuisine of the Italian chef abroad has a common, finally visible, thread. Briefly stated, such a style has these broad characteristics:
-it is firmly based on tradition, (as in Cesare Casella's Chicken alla Cacciatore),
-it includes high quality Italian ingredients,
-it is carried out with exceptional skills (as in Francesco Carli's olive oil millefoglie and olive oil gelato),
-it has a light, refreshing approach (as in Mario Caramella's Raw tuna, couscous salad, extra virgin olive oil, orange, capers, marjoram)
-it is simply yet elegantly and colourfully presented (as in Francesco Greco Marinated yellowtail in fruity extra virgin olive oil, green apple mousse and Sante De Santis Swordfish carpaccio with red turnips and thyme)
- it is carried in a context of meticulous, professional and efficient organization (thanks also to the brilliant coordination of Elena Ruocco).

La “bella cucina” abroad

This style of Italian cuisine is heavily influenced by the fact that these chefs work abroad. The contemporary Chefs of quality Italian Cuisine outside Italy, particularly those working in medium to high level establishments (five-star hotel complexes or the like), deal with a cosmopolitan clientele, used to consuming the best of ethnic cuisines and/or quality productions of creative chefs. Think of chefs working in major European, Asian or North American cities, where the gastronomic offer is huge in terms of quality and quantity. The only way for them to face the increasingly tough competition is to produce well and creatively presented, refined dishes (as our globetrotter friend Roberto Bava calls “la bella cucina”). At the same time, they must not cut the tie with tradition. Paradoxically a creative Italian chef in Italy can put lemongrass in his dishes, an Italian chef abroad cannot, no matter if he works in Bangkok or Hong Kong, because it would confuse his clients who go to the Italian Restaurants to smell basil and rosemary. It's not by chance that in Arezzo, Mark Ladner, the non-Italian born chef of Italian cuisine of our delegation, presented, yes, a very unusual contemporary dish, Vegan Broth, but imbued it with all the flavours of our tradition: pasta cooking liquid, rosemary, honey and olive oil.

In this sense, Italian Chefs abroad cook traditionally but they can rarely present a risotto alla milanese or a coda alla vaccinara as roughly as they do in simple Italian trattorias. For these reasons the new generation of Italian chefs abroad, those of course committed to quality and authenticity, really represent a Third Way to Italian Cuisine, a way that enriches the Italian gastronomic heritage and becomes a kind of novelty to try (and to learn) even for Italians in Italy, as happened at Medoliva. That’s why itchefs-gvci participates in events such as Medoliva, the idea is to cross-pollinate with chefs and the public in Italy, to bring their experience from the huge market represented by the Italian Cuisine consumers abroad.

PROUD TO BE AT MEDOLIVA 2008

There is reason to be proud of the Third Way turning point that happened at Medoliva in Arezzo. Firstly, because it was in the context of a celebration of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, which is the irreplaceable distinguishing ingredient of every modern culinary professional working for the promotion of Italy’s oenogastronomy. Then, more than anything else, Medoliva proved to be a highly successful event, the well-oiled organization of which matched the highest of international standards.
During the fair, Mario Caramella and Rosario Scarpato, on behalf of itchefs-GVCI, praised the efforts and the efficiency of Medoliva organisers, thanking particularly, Zelinda Ceccarelli and Maria D'Errico, the fair managers.
Elena Ruocco, itchefs-gvci event manager, brilliantly coordinated our team of chefs. The talented Roberto Bendinelli (now a GVCI member) supervised the Medoliva kitchen activities. Last but not least, our chefs shared the stage of Medoliva – Cooking with Olive Oil with young chefs of Central Italy competing for the title of Best Emerging Chef, organised by Luigi Cremona, an old time friend of itchefs-gvci.
An authentic star of the event was Simone Fracassi, one of the most competent “butchers” in the Province of Arezzo. Simone makes some of the best Italian handcrafted prosciutto from the Casentino valley. He has a shop (Antica Macelleria Fracassi) in Castel Focognano (Arezzo) that well deserve a visit.

President of GVCI (Gruppo Virtuale Cuochi Italiani – Virtual Group of Italian Chefs), Mario is the Executive Chef of the Hotel Bali Hyatt, Bali, Indonesia. Mario has been one of the pioneers of genuine quality Italian cuisine in Asia since his years as chef of Mistral and of Grissini in Hong Kong, after which worked in Australia and Thailand.

• Raw tuna, couscous salad, extra virgin olive oil, orange, capers, marjoram
• Roast Mediterranean scallops (cappesante), emulsion of extra virgin olive oil and tomatoes
• Roast lamb loin with almond crust, risotto, goat cheese, extra virgin olive oil, lemon pesto, mint, ginger and dried tomatoes

RAW TUNA, COUSCOUS SALAD, EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL, ORANGE, CAPERS, MARJORAM
By Mario Caramella (serves 4)

INGREDIENTS
4 Tuna loin slices 3 mm thick
12 Orange wedges
40 g Fennel slices

For the salad
100 g Couscous
8 pc Capers
30 ml Extra virgin olive oil
10 ml Lime juice
30 g Peeled, diced tomatoes
30 g Green bell pepper cut brunoise
10 g Shallot chopped
Fresh oregano or marjoram

For the dressing (salmoriglio)
30 ml Extra virgin olive oil
Marjoram
10 ml Lime juice
12 pc Roasted pine nuts
Salt and cayenne pepper

PROCEDURE
Cook couscous in salted water and strain al dente, wash under running water and spin dry.
Mix all ingredient for salad in a bowl and chill.
Place the tuna slices on a cutting board and cover each one with couscous, spread and flatten latter.
Roll tuna up, trim the edges and keep covered in fridge.
Mix all ingredients for dressing with a whisk and add roasted pine nuts just before serving.

To serve
Make a bed with orange wedges.
Place tuna roll on top, spoon over the salmoriglio (please note that the original recipe includes a spoon of sea water) decorate with roasted pine nuts and marjoram leaves.

ROAST MEDITERRANEAN SCALLOPS (CAPPESANTE), EMULSION OF EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL AND TOMATOES
By Mario Caramella

INGREDIENTS
12 Capesante, medium-sized, shelled, washed and dried
12 Slices of Prosciutto Crudo di Parma, complete with its fine fat
24 Slices of Green Zucchini, 2 mm thick
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Parsley. chopped
Salt and White Pepper
Half Lemon

PROCEDURE
Season cappesante and roll up in slices of prosciutto crudo.
Form 8 Xes with slices of zucchini.
Place capesante rolls in centre of Xes and roll up completely in zucchini slices.
Place cappesante in baking pan and drizzle slightly with olive oil.
Bake at 180˚C for 6 minutes.
Place 3 cappesante per serving on hot plate.
Add just chopped parsley and a drop of extra virgin olive oil.

For the emulsion
Blend vine ripened tomatoes (Pachino if possible) while adding Extra Virgin Olive Oil as if making mayonnaise until a dense cream is formed.
Season with salt and white pepper.

ROAST LAMB LOIN WITH ALMOND CRUST, RISOTTO, GOAT CHEESE, EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL, LEMON PESTO, MINT, GINGER AND DRIED TOMATOES
by Mario Caramella

INGREDIENTS
2 Lamb Loins, trimmed, no fat, 1 portion 100 to 110 g
80 g Mustard
2 Eggs, beaten
100 g Flour
Salt and Pepper

For the crust
100 g Almonds, toasted, peeled, crushed
10 g Rosemary, chopped
4 g Mint, chopped
200 g Breadcrumbs, fresh

For the mint pesto (makes 500 g)
100 g Mint
100 g Mustard, grainy
100 g Ginger
200 ml Extra virgin olive oil
100 g Almonds, toasted
100 g Sun Dried Tomatoes

For the risotto
120 g Rice, Carnaroli
30 g Shallots, chopped
Saffron
2 l Chicken Stock
300 ml White Wine
100 gm Goat Cheese
50 ml Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and Pepper

For the garnish
Pachino Cherry Tomato on vine.

PROCEDURE
Season lamb then sear in non stick pan with olive oil and rosemary.
Allow to cool.
Cover with mustard completely, coat with flour and dip in beaten egg.
Roll in crust mix.
Place in a griddle tray and roast in oven at 90˚C for 35 minutes.
Turn oven off and leave to rest for 5 minutes.
Cut in half with well sharpened salmon knife, make sure crust is not broken.
Serve risotto on one side of plate, add lamb loin and serve mint pesto on other side.

Having been the chef at the mythic Coco Pazzo and then at Il Toscanaccio in New York City, Cesare has brought success to several of the Big Apple’s Italian restaurants, such as Beppe and the Maremma, where he presently works. The author of books, the host of TV programmes, an expert connoisseur of typical Italian products, he is also the Dean of Italian Studies at the International Culinary Institute in New York.

• Insalata di uova e carne secca del Pontorno
• Risotto all'olio d'oliva extra vergine e zafferano di arezzo
• Pollo del Valdarno alla cacciatora

INSALATA DI UOVA E CARNE SECCA DEL PONTORNO
Egg and Pontorno Dried Pancetta Salad
by Cesare Casella (servez 4)

INGREDIENTS
50 ml extra virgin olive oil
200 g dried Pontorno pancetta
8 g chopped basil
8 g chopped marjoram
4g chopped mint
8 eggs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
160g mesclun, or other soft lettuces, cut into strips 2 cm,
60 g Abbucciato cheese, grated

PROCEDURE
Place the oil, pancetta, and herbs in a small skillet and place on heat.
Cook to render some of the fat from the pancetta but do not brown.
Crack the eggs into a bowl but do not whisk.
Pour the eggs into the pan and cook, stirring over medium-low heat with a rubber spatula, until the eggs are lightly scrambled and still very soft.
Season with salt and pepper.
Remove pan from heat as soon as necessary to keep the eggs from overcooking.
In a bowl, toss the lettuce with the dressing (see recipe below) and add the grated cheese.
Add the eggs and toss into the lettuce.
Season to taste.

For the Dressing
40 ml red wine vinegar
30 ml wine
Pinch of salt
Pinch freshly ground black pepper

RISOTTO ALL’OLIO D'OLIVA EXTRA VERGINE E ZAFFERANO DI AREZZO
by Cesare Casella (serves 4)

INGREDIENTS
110 ml extra virgin olive oil
70 g chopped shallot
250 g Italian rice
130 ml white wine
1 ½ to 2 l simmering, seasoned, chicken, vegetable or veal stock
Pinch of zafferano (saffron) stems
Salt and black pepper
80 g grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

PROCEDURE
In a heavy-bottomed saucepan add 50 ml olive oil and the shallots.
Cook until softened but not colored, about 2 to 4 minutes.
Add the rice and toast, stirring, until the rice smells toasted and is hot to the touch.
Add the wine and simmer until evaporated.
Add simmering stock to cover the rice (about 300 ml) and simmer, stirring constantly, until the stock has evaporated to the point that the rice appears on the surface.
Add stock to cover the rice (about 300 ml) and continue cooking, stirring, until stock has evaporated to the same degree, 4 to 5 more minutes.
Now add the saffron and stir gently to mix it in.
Add stock to cover (about 300 ml) and continue cooking.
Add about 250 to 350 ml more stock and cook until rice is tender but still has bite in the center and the mixture has movement but is not soupy.
Add more liquid and cook slightly more if necessary; total cooking time is 14 to 17 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper.
Remove from heat and stir in the cheese and remaining oil to emulsify.
Serve immediately.

POLLO DEL VALDARNO ALLA CACCIATORA
Valdarno chicken alla Cacciatora
by Cesare Casella (serves 4)

INGREDIENTS
1 chicken, 1.8 kg, cut into12 pieces
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
125 ml olive oil, plus extra for finishing
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1 lemon, cut in half
3 sprigs rosemary
Pinch red pepper flakes
250 ml red wine
100 g carrots, ½ cent. diced
100 g celery, ½ cent. diced
100 g red onion, ½ cent. diced
40 g dried porcini (that have been reconstituted, roughly chopped; reserve the liquid)
700 ml canned, plum tomatoes with juice; hand-crushed
200 g pitted olives

PROCEDURE
Soak the dried porcini in 1l water for approximately 1 ½ hours until reconstituted. Remove from liquid and chop roughly. Reserve liquid.
Place the chicken in a bowl with salt, pepper, olive oil, and garlic.
Place 125 ml oil in a rondeau. Heat until hot enough that a piece of basil or sage sizzles when it hits the hot oil.
Add the chicken pieces to the pan with the garlic; add rosemary and brown all over, setting the garlic on top of the chicken if it starts to burn.
Squeeze the lemon juice over the chicken and add the lemon halves.
Add the red pepper, and then the wine, pouring the wine around but not over the chicken.
Cook until the wine reduces by about one-half and the fat separates.
Remove the lemon halves and the chicken. Set chicken aside.
Throw off the fat, leaving a thin film coating the bottom of the pan.
Add the carrots, celery and red onion and cook until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5-10 minutes.
Add the porcini and cook for 5-10 minutes.
Add the chicken and continue to cook for another 10minutes. If the chicken becomes too dry, add some of the reserved porcini liquid.
Add the tomato and 100 ml water. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for approximately 15 minutes and add the olives.
Continue cooking for another 10 minutes.
Taste for seasoning and serve the chicken with the sauce and drizzle with extra virgin olive.

Suggested Side Dish
Polenta

Executive Chef of Del Posto, an exclusive Italian restaurant of New York City, one of Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich’s establishments, Mark is a discerning connoisseur of Italian cuisine, who has also distinguished himself at the stoves of the Lupa, Otto e Babbo.

• Vegan Broth
• Elicoidali with lemon
• Chocolate with smoked olive oil

VEGAN BROTH
By Mark Ladner (serves 4)

INGREDIENTS
200 g whole wheat Tuscan spaghetti
4 l water
Rosemary honey
Extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons salt

PROCEDURE
Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
Season lightly with salt
Drop pasta
Cook for 30 minutes or 3 times longer than package instructions suggest
Drain and discard pasta, reserving the cooking liquid
Melt rosemary honey and then use to season
Add raw, light, extra virgin olive oil and emulsify
Serve warm

ELICOIDALI WITH LEMON
by Mark Ladner (Serves 4)

INGREDIENTS
400 grams pasta elicoidali
8 litres water
4 lemons (Meyer, Sorrento)
Salt
Extra virgin olive oil
Butter

PROCEDURE
Boil water. Add salt.
Cook pasta according to instructions on the side of the bag.
Drain the pasta.
Add to the pan with oil, lemon and fresh water.
Toss and cook.
Finish with very cold, small cube of butter.

CHOCOLATE WITH SMOKED OLIVE OIL
By Mark Ladner (serves 4)

INGREDIENTS
100 grams chocolate (66% - Amedei)
66 grams cream
33 grams smoked medium bodies olive oil
Salt
Warm water
Blossom garnishes

PROCEDURE
Melt chocolate with cream and smoked oil over a double boiler.
Blend fully and emulsify with splashes of warm water.
Cool.
Season with salt.

Musoni (Ristorante Ca’ Vegia, Salice Terme, Pavia, Lombardy). The delegation will be accompanied by Rosario Scarpato, co-founder and Honorary President of the GVCI and director of itchefs-gvci.com.

Director of the kitchens of the Cipriani Restaurant of the Hotel Copacabana Palace in Rio de Janeiro, Francesco is the author of books and is one of the most respected Italian chefs in Brazil; his quality cuisine has been given considerable recognition, for example the Gula Best Restaurant of the Year Prize.

• Green asparagus salad with marinated scampi and small black bread bruschetta
• Fillet of ombrina fish (croaker) in a basil crust and extra virgin olive oil ice cream
• Extra virgin olive oil filo dough with foamed ricotta, candied tomatoe cubes and vanilla oil

GREEN ASPARAGUS SALAD WITH MARINATED SCAMPI AND SMALL BLACK BREAD BRUSCHETTA
by Francesco Carli

INGREDIENTS
16 scampi
1 sweet peperoncino
5 g basil
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Fleure de sel
1 lemon
10 g Extra Virgin Olive Oil
200 g green asparagus
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
80 g Extra Virgin Olive Oil
35 g Coco butter
250 g Flour
120 g Water
8 g Beer yeast
5 g Salt
20 g Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Bladder (4 g) of squid ink
300 g tomatoes
1 clove of garlic
10 g salt
Freshly ground pepper
30 g Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4 chive stems

PROCEDURE
Wash the lemon in cold water, rub it with oil and bake it in the oven for 45 minutes at 120° C in a covered pan.
Once done, extract the pulp by simply squeezing it.
Remove seeds and put aside.
Peel the asparagus and boil in salted water but leave crunchy.
Strain and quickly cool in water and ice.
Cut in slices and season with salt pepper and oil.
Melt the coco butter and once cooled mix it with the oil.
Place the mixture in the freezer until it becomes solid.
Shell and carefully gut the scampi.
Cut into thin slices and place in the lemon pulp, oil and fleur de sel to marinate .
Finely cut the peperoncino brunoise and put aside.

Dissolve the yeast in the water, add 1/3 of the flour, knead thoroughly and let rest one hour.
Then add the rest of the flour, salt and knead it until all is absorbed.
Finally add the oil and the squid ink then continue to knead until obtaining a smooth, elastic dough of even colour.
Let it rest covered for 20 minutes, put it in the shape of a loaf and place it in/on a bread pan and let it rise for one hour.
Bake in the oven at 190° C for 20 minutes.
Let cool and cut into slices.
Peel the tomatoes and discard seeds, cut into cubes and season salt, pepper and Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
Rub the slices of bread with garlic and then place on it the cubed seasoned tomatoes.

FILLET OF OMBRINA FISH (CROAKER) IN A BASIL CRUST AND EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL ICE CREAM
by Francesco Carli

INGREDIENTS
600 g fillet of Ombrina
120 g pane a cassetta (white sliced square bread, pain de mie in French)
20 g basil
60 ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil
10g Parmigiano Reggiano
salt
pepper
200 g zucchini
40 g onions
1 clove of garlic
5 g parsley
30 ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Ice cream
350 ml milk
100 ml fresh cream
100 ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil
100 g sugar
50 g glucose
6 capsules cardamom

Sauce
150 ml fish fumet
50 ml dry white wine
50 ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil
5 g lemon verbena
salt
pepper
4 chive stems

PROCEDURE
In a mixer, blend the bread, basil, Parmigiano, salt, pepper and oil until a green flour is formed.
Season the fillets with pepper and salt and with a few drops of oil fry quickly in an anti-stick pan, leave them a bit raw.
Lay them out on a bread pan, rub a little oil on them and sprinkle their upper side with the blended basil bread. Bake in the oven at 200° C for 4 minutes.
Finely cut the zucchini brunoise.
Fry the minced onion and garlic with oil in a frying pan, add the zucchini, salt and pepper, stir-fry quickly, add the minced parsley last.
Bring the milk to 90° C together with the glucose and the vanilla cut lengthwise. Remove from heat and add the cream, then the sugar.
Let cool, remove the stick of vanilla and mix in the oil.
Pour into the ice cream maker and process it.
Bring the wine to a boil and ignite the alcohol, add the fumet and the lemon verbena cut into small pieces.
Reduce it half the original, add the pepper and salt and make into an emulsion with the oil.

 

EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL FILO DOUGH WITH FOAMED RICOTTA, CANDIED TOMATOE CUBES AND VANILLA OIL
by Francesco Carli

INGREDIENTS
1st dough
200 g white flour
130 ml water
10 ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil
5 g salt

2nd dough
120 ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil
40 g coco butter
20 g white flour

Mousse
120 g sheep ricotta
40 g icing sugar
40 g fresh cream
30 g toasted pine nuts
30 g egg whites
30 g icing sugar

Candied tomatoes
200 g sliced tomatoes, peeled and deseeded
200 g sugar

Vanilla oil
40 ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil
½ stick vanilla
6 strawberries

PROCEDURE
1st dough
Knead the flour, salt and water, then add the oil and continue kneading until the dough is elastic.
Let rest in a cool place wrapped in a plastic bag for ½ hour.

2nd dough
Meanwhile, melt the coco butter in a bowl a bain-marie.
Stir it into the oil and finally add the flour.
Put the dough into a beater and beat until it is as firm as it will become.

Cooking and baking
Roll out the first dough with a rolling pin into a square.
Place in the middle the oil that in the meantime will have congealed.
Fold the corners towards the middle of the square.
Roll out the dough with the pin again, then fold it in half, as if closing a book.
Place the folded dough wrapped in the plastic bag in the refrigerator to repose at least ½ hour.
Repeat the above procedure 3 more times.
After this, let the dough rest until the following day.
Stretch out the dough until it is approximately 2 ml thick, then lay it out on a baking sheet and let repose ½ hour. Bake the dough in the oven at 190° C for about 15 minutes.

Candied tomatoes
Place the tomatoes in a bowl and cover them with the sugar then place in the refrigerator over night.
The following day remove the tomatoes from the liquid.
Pour the liquid into a saucepan and at low heat bring to boil until it becomes a rather thick syrup, then remove from heat and submerge the tomatoes in it.
Let cool completely.
Drain the tomatoes and place them on a breadpan with silpat and dry them in the oven at 70° C, occasionally turning them.

Vanilla Oil
Slice open the stick of vanilla lengthwise and place it together with the oil in a saucepan.
Heat it to 60 ° C.
Take it off the heat and let repose over night.

Foam
Whip up the cheese and sugar and when well softened, delicately add the cream, then the tomato cubes and the pine nuts.
Meanwhile, beat the egg white with the sugar till nice and firm and stir delicately into the cheese mix.

At Medoliva, “Cooking with Olive Oil,” also itchefs-GVCI members residing in Italy will be on display; Paolo Teverini (Ristorante Paolo Teverini, Bagno di Romagna, Emilia Romagna) and Ivan Musoni (Ristorante Ca’ Vegia, Salice Terme, Pavia, Lombardy). The delegation will be accompanied by Rosario Scarpato, co-founder and Honorary President of the GVCI and director of itchefs-gvci.com.

A chef, originally from Rome, a resident of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Elena is the Team Coordinator of the itchefs-GVCI delegation and will supervise the culinary operations. In Italy, she has worked with Igles Corelli and has collaborated with Donato De Santis, an Italian chef in Buenos Aires, Argentina, as food stylist.

Roman by birth, for years Sante has been one of the best-known faces of Italian cuisine in Germany. The owner of Er Cuppolone as well as of the attached School of Cuisine in Stuttgart he is a regular on programmes such as Kochduell – Cooking Duel, on Vox and on other stations, RTL, Pro 7, TV Gusto, SWR 3 and Sat 1.

• Swordfish carpaccio with pomegranate and thyme
• Sautéed octopus rings with black fig ragù and olive oil and traditional vinegar emulsion
• Ricotta and strawberry soufflé wit cacao and olive oil sauce

SWORDFISH CARPACCIO WITH POMEGRANATE AND THYME
by Sante de Santis (serves 4)

INGREDIENTS
320 g swordfish steak, fresh
1 pomegranate
Olive Oil
Salt and black pepper grains
1 bunch of thyme, fresh
3 lemons, ripe
2 green onions
2 cloves of garlic
1 carrots
50 g sugar
100 g Rucola, fresh
1 red lollo (loose-leaf Italian lettuce with frilly crimson leaves similar to oakleaf, prizehead, red sails) )
1 white lollo
10 Pachino cherry tomatoes
White wine vinegar

PROCEDURE
Skin and wash the swordfish, cut into 4 equal slices.
Place slices between two sheets of transparent paper and tenderise it carefully and completely.
Place the plates on a table, spread a brush-full of oil on each, salt and pepper lightly. Add a little lemon juice and spread a slice of swordfish on each plate.
Salt, pepper and spread a brush-full of lemon juice and olive oil and then sprinkle a small pinch of sugar over each.
Let marinate a few minutes.
Meanwhile, peel the garlic, clean the green onion and cut very finely brunoise.
Rinse the salad, peel the carrot and slice into very thin disks.
Dress these in a bowl with olive oil, vinegar salt and pepper.
Display the salad in the centre of the plates as a bouquet.

Plate presentation
Rinse and clean the tomatoes, cut in half. Peel the pomegranate, garnish with the tomatoes, thyme and the pomegranate grains and serve.

SAUTÉED OCTOPUS RINGS WITH BLACK FIG RAGÙ AND OLIVE OIL AND TRADITIONAL VINEGAR EMULSION
by Sante de Santis

INGREDIENTS
1 octopus of 1 Kg
8 black figs
Olive oil
Traditional Balsamic vinegar
3 lemons
8 corks (as those used for wine)
Salt, coarse and fine, pepper grinder with black pepper corns
500 g mirepois
2 cloves of garlic
bay leaves
4 slices of bread
1 bunch of parsley, fresh
2 oranges

PROCEDURE
Wash the octopus and place in a saucepan.
Add the mirepois, cleaned, rinsed and coarsely cut.
Add a few bay leaves, peppercorns, and the corks.
Peel the oranges and cut into fine slices.
Cover with cold water, bring to a boil and simmer covered for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, peel the garlic and cut finely.
Rinse the black figs and cut them into eighths with the skin. Put aside.
When the octopus is cooked, cut it into thin rings and disks, stir-fry in a frying pan with olive oil and the garlic.
Put it in a large stainless steel bowl.
Add the figs, the traditional balsamic vinegar and dress with olive oil and if necessary, a little more salt and pepper.

Plate presentation
Fry the parsley in a little olive oil and leave on paper towels.
On 4 plates place the orange slices and octopus salad in the centre.
Garnish with the fried parsley and serve.

RICOTTA AND STRAWBERRY SOUFFLÉ WIT CACAO AND OLIVE OIL SAUCE

INGREDIENTS
750 g Ricotta, fresh
80 g butter, soft + 250 g butter, normal
90 g Flour 00
100 g sugar
1 stick vanilla
3 eggs
300 g strawberries, ripe
1 lemon
Icing sugar
Acacia honey
Mint, fresh
Olive oil
200 g cacao, pure
Rum o cognac

PROCEDURE
Divide 3 eggs in 2 bowls.
Place the following ingredients into a large bowl: the yokes, sugar, flour, the ricotta, sieved, the butter in flakes and vanilla seeds.
Mix well, butter the soufflé forms.
Beat the egg whites electrically and fill the forms ¼ of their capacity, place in the oven at 180° C for 12 minutes.
Meanwhile, wash the strawberries and cut into quarters. Dress with lemon juice, the icing sugar and the honey.
Scald the cacao with the olive oil and the rum, add 2 spoons of oil.
Mix the sauce.
Bake the soufflés and serve them with the strawberries and chocolate sauce.

Plate Presentation
Garnish with fresh mint and dicing sugar

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