Beyond Pasta

Big boys don8217;t cry, but at the tender age of 27 they are at times moved to tears by a steaming bowl of polpa della frutta minestre a fruity dessert soup, like I was at the Italian food festival at the ITC Sonar.

A unique Italian food culture comes to the city

Big boys don8217;t cry, but at the tender age of 27 they are at times moved to tears by a steaming bowl of polpa della frutta minestre a fruity dessert soup, like I was at the Italian food festival at the ITC Sonar. The heady flavour of olive oil and pesto combine in this piquant dessert, which is quite unlike anything I have tasted before. And for those who don8217;t exactly have a sweet tooth, other Calitri delights like beckti al cartoccio baked beckti with olive oil and sale or risotto alla calitri risotto cooked with pesto may do the trick.

For Calitri, a quaint village in Italy has a gastronomic tradition quite different to the mainstream Italian one. It8217;s located in the region of Campania, about an hours drive away from Naples and has witnessed many wars and invasions in centuries, which makes it a melting pot of cultures. Lentil stews, cereals, seafood and minimalist preparations of meat make for the staples, and the ingredients are almost always indigenously produced.

The Calitri menu at ITC, attempts to remain true to the simplicity of this indigenous food culture. Chef Sunayan Pramanik consciously tries to never overdo the dishes, like most overconfident chefs do. So the rock lettuce, which is used as a garnishing, retains its overwhelmingly herby taste a thing most high-on-overcooked-palak-paneer Kolkatans will find to be offensive, and the humble lentil stew is not sexed up with a dash of oregano. Nor is the carciofi ripieni stuffed artichoke hearts with walnut tapenade and anchovy made crispier to play to the galleries.

The Calitri experience at the ITC Sonar will prove to be a bit heavy on your pocket a meal for two will cost you about Rs 4000 but then it comes with the 8220;authentic8221; tag.

Yet, one may argue that there is little sense in trying and replicating flavours deeply rooted in the specific ingredients of a small area of a different country. True, but then how else would big boys be moved to tears?

The Calitri menu is available at the West View Bar 038; Grill at ITC Ssonar, till November 9