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My Delicious Desserts for 2016

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I had the chance to try some delicious desserts  over the past 12 months.  Here's a look at some of my favorites. Pasticcere Antonino Maresca Insieme/ Together  Strawberry sorbet (made without adding water),  a silk screened strawberry,  almond cream,  and a  white chocolate cylinder filled with buffalo milk cream mousse. Napule' - A mixture of dolci featuring some of Naples' images and icons.   Pasticcere Carmine Di Donna Mela - the big apple! An exciting  mix of fruit and chocolate.  Inside? Green apple, lemon juice and candied lemons, almond mousse! Then dipped in a white chocolate then green mirror glaze.  The leaves are made of white chocolate. 😉 Tiramisu - Di Donna's take on a classic dessert.   Di Donna carefully placed a spoonful of velvety mascarpone cream on the dish.  He then set down his prized mini tower that he carefully constructed earlier on top.   A tower that included two

My Fantastic Firsts for 2016

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Looking back at 2016, I had the chance to try some fantastic first courses by some of the top chefs in Campania and beyond. I wrote about many but I'd like to highlight some of my favs.   February 2016  Chef Massimo Bottura , Osteria Francescana - There I tried two fantastic firsts - his pasta e fagioli ....and his  classic crunchy part of the lasagna. April 2016  Chef Cristian Torsiello, Osteria Arbustico 's  spaghetti with roasted artichokes and tuna bottarga. May 2016 Lunch on the beach, Osteria 1860 and Chef Antonio Tarfuro 's   vermiciello  cacio-cavallo and pepper and b uffalo tartare on the side. June 2016  In June, I  wrote about Chef Ernesto Iaccarino, Don Alfonso 1890 and his r ice with scampi and caviar.  I still remember the fresh macedonia salad underneath. I also had the chance to try an exciting risotto by Chef Salvatore La Ragione, Ristorante Mamma.  During Festa a Vico, he presented his  risotto with mussel

Together.... for Santobono Children's Hospital in Naples

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Yesterday I went out for a fried pizza. Nothing new about that except that the men who made that pizza for me happened to be 9 of Campania's top pizza makers; Antonio Starita, Enzo Coccia, Guglielmo Vuolo, Franco Pepe, Attilio Bachetti, Gino Sorbillo, Francesco, Ciro and Salvatore Salvo.   Yesterday afternoon, these pizza makers decided to get together to spread a little Christmas cheer by preparing fried pizzas for a hungry crowd at Nalbero di Napoli !  To make fried pizzas and to collect donations for  ONE PIZZA . ONE PIZZA is a calendar designed to raise money for the "Re-Life" project designed to renovate the intensive care ward at Santobono Children's Hospital in Naples.   Take a look at what went down! The calendar,  w as officially presented on the 15th of December and since that day, copies are available at the 8 pizzerias involved  in the project  to those  w ho give a small donation of 10 Euro.  Or those  w ho

My Amazing Appetizers for 2016

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As 2016 ends, it's sort of fun to look back to   w here I've been,  w hat I tasted, tried, and  w rote about.  2016 witnessed a blog break of about four months; however, I think I managed to put together a list of some amazing appetizers that left me feeling, well...amazing! Here they are in chronological order. February 2016. Osteria Francescana.  I never blogged about this trip, but I sure took some pics.  Take a look at some of Chef Massimo Bottura's appetizers that I tried.  I even got my book signed!  Grazie, chef!! March 2016 Chef Domenico Stile - before he earned his Michelin star last month.  2 appetizers grabbed my attention-    Scallops , Calabrian broccoli, sea urchins and peanuts... Buffalo, hazelnut mayonnaise, shallots and tarragon.. May 2016 -  One of many visits to Don Alfonso 1890 , which is probably one of my favorite places on earth.  Last May, I had the chance to try a re