andiamotrips - campania, italy with karen phillips

  What makes a dish memorable?  Well, one that you remember a long time after you have tasted it.  One that, just by looking at a photograph, brings back the aromas, the textures, and the flavors of a dish fantasticaaa.   That is the case for this particular appetizer that I had nearly 1 month ago at Josè Restaurant in Torre del Greco.  It was not my first time at this Michelin starred restaurant, but it was the first time for my son, David.  In fact, I often watched his reaction too the whole ' Iavarone experience'.   Like when  Chef Domenico Iavarone' s codfish appetizer arrived.   David and I paused a bit before digging in. One...two...three bites of baccalà .  Three bites of  cod, charred spring onion, candied lemon and olives . Three bites of goodness...that maybe ended too soon.  But then, what is an appetizer?   A n  appetizer   is a small serving of food — just a few bites — meant to be ea...

    I first met Chef Giuseppe Molaro back in March 2019.  The chef had recently returned from Tokyo where he was the executive chef at Sensi, by Heinz Beck in Japan, where he earned the restaurant a Michelin star in 2017 - two days after his 31st birthday.  I met Molaro at an event ( here )  where he prepared an amazing shitake mushroom risotto which I still remember.  What else do I still remember? The look in his eye, his determination, and his creativity .  All attributes that contributed to a dream to finally open up a restaurant of his own in late 2019.  Contaminazioni Restaurant .  A restaurant that is part of a ambitious project in his hometown of Somma Vesuviana in the Naples Province.  A restaurant where he could express his style of gourmet cooking backed up by years of international experience. Then Covid hit the world causing Italy to shut down totally in March causing the project to grind to a halt...or maybe a hiccup....

  Though many in Campania enjoy going out to a pizzeria in the evening, I have always preferred a pizza for pranzo .  A pizza for lunch. I mean, I need to go when and where the pizza is good, where I feel relaxed, where I feel at home.  And though there are numerous guide books, lists and classifications on where to find the best pizzeria, I tend to ignore those.  Pizza is personal. I refer to ask a friend or two their opinion, and then check it out for myself.  That is how I found Maestri Pizzaioli . Maestri Pizzaioli is a pizzeria nestled in a one way street  in Secondigliano (Na).  It has been serving pizzas to the neighborhood (and beyond) since 1955.  On my first visit - I've been several times in the last few months - I had a little difficulty parking.  Then I got up the nerve, and parked Neapolitan style.  Maybe you get the picture.   The moment I entered I felt a casa .  I quickly glanced around. checking out the d...

 Since the Palazzo Petrucci 's move from the heart of Naples's centro storico, to the picturesque seaside of Posillipo a few years back, diners can't resist a table by the window to enjoy the view of the beach, the water, and Mt Vesuvius in the far distance. Chef Lino Scarallo I, however, usually choose a seat in the main dining room where I sneak a peek at Chef Lino Scarallo and his brigade plating up dishes.  I especially enjoy his first course pasta dishes and a recent visit one windy fall afternoon did not disappoint.  On that particular day, the Lino fai tu menu included the following fantastic firsts. Candele pasta with veal, oyster mayonnaise, lime and pepper.   Homemade tagliolini pasta with sea bass all'acqua pazza.  Acqua pazza is literally translated as crazy water, though it is far from crazy.  It is basically a cooking technique for fish which is poached with garlic, a bit of white wine, parsley and a few cherry tomatoes. Fantastic!

 I remember when I first came to Italy back in 1993, I was amazed at how many varieties of pasta recipes existed.  I mean, I was used to spaghetti bolognese (what I soon learned was a Neapolitan no-no).  As time went on, I learned to love pasta - that fantastic first - that I write often about on my blog.   Today, October 25th, is World Pasta Day.  An initiative that dates back to 1995 (read more about it here )  I decided to celebrate this year with a nice plate of pasta at home, and this video which is a quick glance at some of the amazing pasta dishes that I have eaten over the past couple of years, prepared by  by Campania chefs, of course. Boun appetito and Happy World Pasta Day!

  Chef Francesco Sodano About   a year ago, I sat down with Chef Francesco Sodano .   As I enjoyed dessert, the chef shared with me his thoughts and reflections of his first season at the Michelin starred Il Faro di Capo D’Orso .   Sodano also shared with me his plans for his ‘time off’.   Sodano loves to travel, and one of the many trips he had scheduled was a trip to Madrid – for work and pleasure.   It was on that trip to Madrid where Sodano, a contemporary art lover, visited the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía .   There he saw, up close and personal, Pablo Picasso’s Trois têtes de mouton (Three Lamb's Heads) .   His inspiration for a dish that was a highlight for me last weekend during lunch.   3 pm, Saturday afternoon.   Chef Sodano was at my table when a mini version of Picasso’s masterpiece arrived.   He explained to me that this dish, his Three Lambs Heads, would be served in three parts.    Let’s take...

       Chef Giuseppe Iannotti A little less than a month ago, I was watching an IannottiLAB IG stories live and thought to myself  - when was the last time I saw the chef face to face ?  I was curious if he, Iannotti, had decided to change his style after the restaurant reopened post Covid 19 lock down.  His unique style, one that has earned Kresios a Michelin star. I typed in my question and hit send .  A few minutes later, Chef Giuseppe Iannotti answered my question.  No. was his response, and it really didn't surprise me.  Though many experts in the field had declared that Italy's fine dining restaurants would suffer because diners would want to return to more traditional menus, Iannotti has held his ground.  Why change?  If anything evolve .  Move forward - as Kresios has been doing year after year after year..  And with that, I went to the restaurant's website and reserved a table for lunch for 3 July - one mo...