Spaghetti Summer - Chef Alfonso Natale, Hotel Sporting, Vico Equense (Na)

It was a Sunday evening  - the perfect evening for a stroll, una passeggiata.  I headed out to Festa a Vico - a presummer food festival with hundreds of food stands to raise money for charity. That evening, however, around 8 pm it started to rain.  Actually it was pouring down rain.  I mean pouring!!  And there I was - without an umbrella - huddled under an archway with Chef Alfonso Natale and the staff from Hotel Sporting/Ristorante di Sole...di Luna.  (Take a look)

After the rain calmed down - and our laughter - I followed Chef  Natale over to their stand next to the hotel and watched while he plated up his Carbanara da Amare.

Chef Alfonso Natale

The dish is a designed to be served cold.  Spaghetti that has been tossed with egg yolk, lowfat yogurt and orange and lemon juice.

The chef then adds a green algae cream and places marinated bluefish on top.  He then sprinkles those same ingredients listed above ( the egg yolk/orange and lemon zest/algae) in their powdered form on top with a finishing touch of freshly ground pepper.

But that wasn't all!  Alongside the chef was the hotel's barman Biagio Castiello, who had prepared a cocktail to pair with the dish.  His Faccia N' gialluta - in honor of San Gennaro, the patron saint of Naples which included tomato water from yellow datterini tomatoes, 3 pepper gin, maldon salt and bitter lemon.

Afterwards, I thanked the guys - not just for the plate of pasta or the cocktail - but for the company and memories that still make me smile.
Fantasticaaa!