What happens when an important chef puts himself at the service of a charitable initiative? It can only result in a dinner of excellent quality served and enjoyed in a spirit of celebration and sharing.
This happened last July 25 in the small town of Roveleto di Cadeo, in the province of Piacenza, just a stone's throw from our RG. Thanks to Don Umberto's friendship with Davide Maria Oldani, it was possible to organize in the local parish center, a charity dinner to support the volunteers of World Week.
The menu included four courses typical of Piacenza tradition, revisited with a personal touch by the chef: Ricotta cheese by the spoonful, Culaccia powder, melon in sauce and cubes scented with oregano; 'Pisarei', creamy white wine sauce, pesto, tomatoes and dehydrated figs; 'Cappello del prete' of beef, centrifuged vegetables, spicy apricots and green beans; 'Sbrisolona', rosemary-scented ice cream and plum compote; all accompanied by dry Malvasia, sparkling Gutturnio and sweet Malvasia. Finally, it should be added that the raw materials used in the recipes were offered by local companies that vigorously supported the initiative, providing cheese, meat, wine, water and more.
Now let's review the courses one at a time: the hot ricotta was really good, and although the Culaccia was not powdered, the sense of calling it such was the fragrance it caused in tasting it. The accompanying 'perfume' was not oregano but mint, but it mattered little, and the melon was in spheres, made directly from the fruit, according to a method Oldani explained in depth in an article in 'La cucina italiana' on how to make them and why he favored such an ingredient this summer.
The 'Pisarei,' a typical first course from the Piacenza area, are small pasta gems served with tomato and bean sauce, but the chef preferred to reintroduce them with an exquisite white wine sauce, a pesto puree (which even yours truly although she disliked it appreciated), toasted pine nuts, tomatoes and figs, although, contrary to what was written on the menu, the former and not the latter were dehydrated.
The much-talked-about 'Priest's Hat' was actually partridge accompanied by the famous vegetable sauce, zucchini and spicy apricots, unfortunately without green beans.
To finish, the most typical 'Sbrisolona' cake (baked since the afternoon by the ladies at my table) with an incredible top of fiordilatte ice cream, plums, and this time a real effluvia of rosemary.
What really made the evening important was not only the presence of the chef, but also and especially that of the World Week volunteers who, invited by Don Umberto, spoke about their experiences in foreign lands to help children and peoples all affected daily by the misfortunes and wars in their Third World countries, and with whom we never have contact except through impersonal means such as the mass media.
Shaking consciences through unconventional methods thus seems possible, especially if it was food that united 165 people for an evening.
