Kitchen Conversation

This is their first trip to India – a week-long fest in Mumbai preceded their Pune visit. “We are curious about Indian people,Indian food. We’re looking forward to interacting with people here. On Monday morning,I requested the chef here to introduce me to Indian dishes. The tastes were so strange for my palate and yet very good,” Natascia says. She’s a chef as well as sommelier. At their family restaurant – la Tenda Rossa – in Italy,she also looks into the management and sourcing of ingredients. She creates a puzzle for you to piece together as she tries to explain the various family members who are part of the restaurant. “We are very close-knit. Family is very important in Italy quite like in India,” she points out. “Though each one has a particular section to look into,we all can do everything. That’s the secret of our success I think,” she adds with a smile.

With this same collaborative spirit,Natascia and Cristian work in the kitchen at Alto Vino. they start early. There’s a lot of trial and error. “Only because the ingredients here are so different and we want the meal to be perfect. From the mozarella cheese to the milk and cream,it all tastes different. It’s like a battle with the ingredients for us,” Natascia says. They’ve put together a menu with a total of 11 non-vegetarian and vegetarian choices in antipasti,pasta,main course and dessert for this festival. A selection of Banfi wines are recommended with the dishes.

“Wine and food are like a couple wandering through different streets. What and how much wine you drink depends on several factors,the main one being how you feel inside,” she explains. “After my first Indian dish,I had a couple of beers – and I never drink beer in Italy! Now,I’m on a mission to try different Indian dishes so that I can find that perfect wine to go with them,” she says.

Some of the dishes on the menu are Ginger flavoured pumpkin crème brule,smoked ricotta praline,truffle; Chicken sorprassata,red,yellow bell pepper mousse,garlic zucchini,truffle; Pinzimonio of prawns,rosemary flavoured olive oil,fleur de sel,moringa salad; Homemade fusilli,white duck ragout,brunello reduction drops; Colonnata lard wrapped grilled red snapper,creamy uccelletto beans,fried sage; and Chocolate cube,strawberry jelly chocolate glaze and Crème caramel,homemade peanut ice cream. It’s all authentically Italian,the chefs assure. “When we come down to the kitchen in the morning to begin work,we see the smiling faces of the people here and go ‘wow’,” they say.