Eat and Drink

Four top Italian products brought by Italian representatives; four of Delhi’s top chefs,a selection of gourmands at high tables,a book of recipes signed by known Italian chef Ritu Dalmia — is all you need to whip up the good times. Sounds cheesy? Not entirely off the mark though,as Italy’s Provolone Valpadana cheese is one of the products brought by European Art of Taste (EAT). Pasta,olive oil and fine wines being the other three.

EAT is a campaign financed by the European Union and the Italian State. These four product categories,with the prestigious PDO,DOC or DOCG labels,have been brought here for the third consecutive year to bring home authenticity of flavours that only products with the right provenance can infuse into a recipe. The labels are like product regulation certificates that establish raw material selection,manufacturing process and territory of origin. So the pasta is made of 100 per cent durum wheat,the olive oil is of certified origin,as are the wines from different Italian regions,while the cheese carries a PDO label.

The EAT programme aims to educate chefs,restaurants owners and food retailers and reach consumers directly through demos and tasting sessions at food stores. It kicked off at Delhi’s Diva restaurant last week,followed by live demos for consumers at Nature’s Basket outlets,where chef Angelo Franchini,who had flown in from Italy,demonstrated Italian recipes with EAT products. The weekend was wrapped with a congregation of Delhi’s established chefs at Olive restaurant,with Chef Saby doing a demo and finally a master class for a target group at the India Habitat Centre. Till the forthcoming EAT calendar,with gala events,dinners and workshops,reaches your neighbourhood,here is some stoking of curiosity. We love Frittata — an Italian style omellette with a handful of rocket leaves and grated cheese — from Chef Ritu Dalmia’s recipes. Cheesy,right?