Ci Vediamo a Melizzano...Where the Livin' is Easy...

Maurizio....Maurizio Cortese.  Husband, father, friend, and lover of all things easy and excellent.  I've known him for about a year, and I must say that he has been a key player in my crescità, my growth in the good life in Campania.  Besides working full time, Maurizio is a a writer for Gazzetta Gastronomica and an organizer of the not to miss events in Campania.   I've been to a couple...A' Pizza...Don Alfonso...so I didn't hesitate to accept his latest invitation...Ci Vediamo a Melizzano... a get together in Melizzano, a small paese, town,  in Benevento.  An idea that began, I believe, on Facebook one Saturday.  Cortese mentioned that he had a HUGE jar of wild oregano from his friend  butcher Luciano De Meo.  Wouldn't it be cool to try some of this aromatic oregano on a couple of pizzas?

And so the idea took off...Ci Vediamo a Melizzano held last Saturday ...we first met in Telese.  
At Kresios, Chef Giuseppe Iannotti's new restaurant/hotel/enogastronomic wonder.  A caffè, fruit juice, cornetto, macaroon.  We hungout, spoke with the chef in this bene vento...nice wind,  that the day had provided.  A beautiful location surrounded by mountains in the distance, Barbera and Falanghina vineyards nearby. A few friends... a Saturday morning....

chef giuseppe iannotti

 Then we hopped in our cars,, and headed off to nearby Mellizzano... A quiet, undisturbed centro storico....well, quiet until we invaded.  Head straight to La Pampa Natural Food Selection.  A little shop that sold just about every type of pasta, marinated vegetable, and fresh products you could imagine.  It was hot that day...very hot, so why not head down 11 meters for a little degustazione?  Wine, cheeses, guanciale, and salami as our little group evolved....

conciato romano aged 10 months

Third and final stop...Maurizio felt we should take it easy. So we folowed him to a little piece of paradise which belonged to La Pampa...a pool, a garden, chef Iannotti, pizzamaker Ciro Salvo, and more friends...
Iannotti?  Iannotti prepared a few specialties for us to enjoy by the garden, the pool or wherever we wanted...

arancini, tartare of marchigiana , bignè with tomato sauce, potato crocchè , baccalà tiramisu

pasta with squid ink sauce, lemon and mussels

Ciro, instead, kept it easy.   A top pizza maker, he proved his weight in gold by preparing two pizzas...a marinara, using De Meo's oregano, garlic, and San Marzano tomatoes, ..

ciro salvo

 A margherita with fresh mozzarella was also on the menu...soft airy crust included...

In this piece of paradise, the livin' was easy...a drink or two, including Enzo D'Alessandro's summer hit made with his nucillo and chinotto...another not to miss...

maurizio cortese and enzo d'alessandro

Eventually, I needed to head back to reality.  Time to leave the easy life.  I found Maurizio and thanked him for another amazing day.  Allora, ci vediamo sabato prossimo?  See you next Saturday?  We'll talk about pasta...


Sure! I smiled...I'd reserved for a' pasta a couple of weeks ago...

Ci vediamo a Gragnano...