Two Fantastic Firsts, Chef Angelo D'Amico, Locanda Radici (Bn)

Il Sannio!  That area of Benevento that showers us with incredible undiscovered wines, panoramas, and, of course - food.  Not my first visit to the area, and definitely not my first visit to check out Chef Angelo D' Amico's homeland. This recent visit included a lunch at the chef's new restaurant - Locanda Radici - where he served up some first course dishes that were, well, fantastic!

Chef Angelo D'Amico

Let's take a look...

Pacchero pasta with a salt cod genovese sauce,

and roasted artichoke...

Then...

Vermicelli with turnip broccoli greens, 

anchovies  from Cetara 

and fennel 'friselle'...

Fantastic!

Andiamotrips Auld Lang Syne - My Top Eno-gastronomic Adventures in 2013 -Part 1

I've spent the past week looking at  photos, tasting notes, and videos that I made over the past year for the blog.  I must admit quite a few of my adventures brought back special memories of good times in the vineyards and restaurants of Campania. Here's part one of  a look back at 2013  After all...should auld aquaintices be forgot?

Let's begin in the vineyards. Let's begin in Irpinia.

Back in April I shared my visit to Villa Diamante in Montefredane.  A winery known for the Fiano di Avellino and we tasted several exciting examples of their going far back as 1998.

When Ida Budetta invited me to visit her winery, Az. Agricola San Giovanni in Punta Tresino last summer I was more than thrilled.  Until I got lost.  I remember, though, finally arriving and getting the opportunity and privilege to spend a few hours in her piece of paradise overlooking the sea.

Then there was a visit t Vico Equense.  An area where until a few months ago was familiar to me for their restaurants and beach.  I never imagined a winery tucked up in the hills.  Azienda Abbazia di Crapolla.  Winemaker Arturo Erbaggio showed me around the property which included Campania's only pinot nero vineyard.

I spent quite a large part of 2013 exploring some of the top restaurants and kitchens in the region. But there were a couple of days when several dozen chic chefs all got together in one place. Chef junkie overload during the two events scheduled by CHIC Charming Italian Chefs during the presentation of their 2013 guide

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One  trip in particular took me to  the Iaccarino  family farm located in Punta Campnella. The view was spectacular as well as the artichokes that were picked and served later that afternoon at lunch at their restaurant.

Chef Ernesto Iaccarino

It was a cold rainy February afternoon when I drove to Telese (Bn) to visit chef Giuseppe Iannotti and his restaurant/bistrot and vineyard known as Kresios.

Chef Giuseppe Iannotti

The weather wasn't so hot when I went to visit chef Mirko Balzano who had some fantastic dishes for me to try.  

Chef Mirko Balzano

Summer took me by surprise when I ventured into the Sorrentine Peninsula for a couple of cool lunches.  The first stop was to visit Chef Alfonso Caputo at Taverna del Capitano in Nerano.  A kitchen  that welcomed me be back on several occasions.

Chef Alfonso Caputo

Then, it was off to Massa Lubrense to Relais Blu.  I enjoyed a fantastic lunch prepared by Chef Roberto Allocca.  A breathtaking panorama paired perfectly with my meal that day.

Chef Roberto Allocca

A trip to Benevento to visit Chef Angelo D'Amico at Le Macine during truffle season will be hard to forget. Not to mention the freshly baked dinner rolls paired with cold pressed olive oil that was produced the evening before.

Chef Angelo D'Amico

 Of course I had to squeeze in a few pizzerias this year.  Besides my usuals (Pepe, Ciro Salvo, Fratelli Salvo and Enzo Coccia) I found one not far from home.  Pizza maker Salvatore Santucci who runs a real family business, where even his young sons,

Salvatore Santucci

And speaking of pizza, a mega pizza marathon rounds out part 1 of my trip down memory lane.  Pepe in Grani and Franco Pepe hosted Gabriele Bonci for a 12 hour pizza making/eating extravaganza.  Of course I was there!

Franco Pepe, Gabriele Bonci, and Stefano Pepe

Auguri e Buon Anno!

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Saturday in Frantoio -Extra Virgin Olive Oil in Campania

I had several options of how to pass my time between lunch and dinner at Taverna del Capitano that Saturday afternoon.

• I could head to the beach since the weather was unusually hot for late October. 
• I could go up to my hotel room and sleep.  
• I could go shopping - olive oil shopping.

The last option sounded pretty good since the olive harvest was in full swing.  I was also in Massa Lubrense, part of the Sorrento Peninsula.  An area which is famous for their olive oil.  Famous is an understatement.  Olive oil trees hug the road on the way to Nerano, where I decided to spend an autumn weekend.  Chef Alfonso Caputo gave me directions to Antonio Gargiulio's olive oil mill, Le Colline  Lubrense about 15 minutes away.

When I arrived the frantoio was in full swing. Olives that had been picked that morning were waiting patiently to be pressed and made into that liquid gold we love so much.  On the Sorrento Peninsula, the olives of choice are Minucciolo, Cecinella, and Olivo a uoglio.  Gargiulo showed me around the place beginning first with where the olives are cleaned and the stems as well as any other foreign objects such as twigs are removed.

Next step, crushing.  Gargiulio does it mechanically with the latest equipment. The ground paste is then mixed at a low controlled temperature in a horizontal trough with spiral blades. Gargiulio raised the lid so not only I could see better, but I could smell the aromas of the extra virgin in progress.
Next water and other solids are  separated from the oil before it finally makes its way into the stainless steel container.  But the show wasn't over.  Gargiulo wanted to show me how he tests the acidity.  To be classified as extra virgin it can have no more than 8 % of oleic acid.

Bingo- passed the chemical test.  We just needed to taste.

And I can guarantee it was delicious on bread!  And those who like their extra virgin aromatizzato,  infused with rosemary, oregano, basil, chili peppers, or lemons to name a few, won't be disappointed.  I said goodbye to Gargiulo and made my way back to Taverna del Capitano...just in time for a quick nap before dinner :-).

Fast forward a week.  Lunch with Chef Angelo D'Amico at Le Macine in Benevento.  On the table not only amazing breads made by the chef himself, but even more amazing olive oil produced just the night before.  Stone ground/cold pressed olive oil from his Uncle's olive oil mill, Le Terre di Frasso.  Aromatic, amazing.  I wanted to know more.  Tomorrow morning, why don't we go pay him a visit?  How's 8 am?  D'Amico asked.  Frasso Telesino, about 40 minutes away.

8 am sharp...the chef is more punctual than I am...we pulled up in front of a frantoio already full of excitement.  I could smell the magnificent aromas of freshly pressed olives from across the street.  The small parking lot was full of activity, men unloading olives that had been picked just moments before from the nearby hillside...in the heart of the Sannio.  Here where the varieties that make their DOP extra virgin olive oil are Ortice,l' Ortolana,la Sprina, and la Racioppel.  So once again, on a Saturday, I found myself in the heat of the action...witnessing production of one of Italy's most prized, but at times, most under rated products.  

Chef D'Amico's uncle, Mario Carofano meet us with a smile and a handshake and led us into his mondo. 

Chef D'Amico and Mario Carofano

A world where his olives are stone ground after they are washed.  This is done slowly and carefully to ensure that the temperature caused by the friction does not get too high.  

Then what happens?, I wanted to know..My tour continued with D'Amico and Carofano, I watched as the olive paste was placed onto fiber disks and stacked one on top of another...like a huge club sandwhich.  The disks are then transferred to a hydraulic piston and pressed slowly slowly slowly extracting oil and water.  Afterwards the oil is separated from the water and ...we have extra virgin olive oil. A process, which Carofano told me takes exactly 4 hours.

Time to taste...not without first appreciating the hard work that went into it.  No bread this time.  Better. Noting to take away from the aromas and flavor that this extra virgin wanted to share with me that cool November morning.  

That cool November Saturday morning.

Two Saturdays,two different parts of Campania, two different processing methods.  One thing, however, remained the same.  Quality...

I learned quite a bit on those two Saturdays. After seeing what goes into producing a bottle of extra virgin olive oil, I can't imagine paying less than 8 Euro a bottle.  

• Quality takes time.
• Quality has a price.
• That price is worth every penny...er Euro.

My 13 year old son agrees....

Autumn on the Table - Le Macine Ristorante with Chef Angelo D'Amico, Benevento (Bn)

With the temperatures still in the mid 70s (24 degrees Celsius ish) here in Campania, we are still enjoying our short sleeve t-shirts, light jackets, and in some cases, still going to the beach!.  But I was reminded right away that autumn has arrived on my way to visit Chef Angelo D'Amico at Le Macine Ristorante.  Le Macine is located in the magnificently modern Una Hotel Il Molino- a 5 minute walk from Benevento's historical center.  As I drove down Via dei Mulini, all the signs of the changing seasons were there. Red, yellow and brown leaves on the trees and on the ground, a light breeze...yes, it was autumn.

Chef Angelo D'Amico

I was reminded again as I chatted with D'Amico while he showed me around the large kitchen...his kitchen which he helped design when the hotel/restaurant was being developed 3 short years ago. And though it was only 11 am, the kitchen was in a full comfortable swing preparing for the lunch service which would begin in a couple of hours.   A kitchen full of aromas including freshly baked bread, crackers and bread sticks.  D'Amico grabbed a bottle of olive oil from a nearby counter. Olive oil that had been pressed just the day before at his uncle's oil mill.  Oil that was fragrant, still in the process of 'settling'...perfect for a pre-lunch spuntino, snack, on a piece of pane cafone.  My eye caught another glance of autumn.  White truffles.

Truffles that I'd get a chance to try later, D'Amico smiled...at lunch.  But first, he suggested, why don't you take a late morning walk over to Benevento's centro storico?
An autumn passeggiata...great idea, I thought.  I could stretch my legs after the hour ish drive and burn some calories before an amazing lunch which I could tell that the chef and his staff had in store for me.
A lunch which began an hour or so later in a small intimate dining room (28 places max) with a glass of Folius Falanghina Blanc Extra Dry spumante from Cantine Del Taburno.  Followed by bread sticks, a plate of warm bread, and a small bowl of that fragrant olive oil that I had the pleasure to meet earlier in the kitchen.

bread with rosemary

squid ink panino

D'Amico joins me in the dining room, we look over the menutogether, discuss a few of the items. Then I placed myself in his hands remembering the aromas from our pre lunch briefing. 
Flora Falanghina 2012 from Ocone was my wine of choice... I took a tip or two as I waited.  I didn't need to wait long.
A series of appetizers soon arrived at my table, beginning with a slowly cooked egg , creamy potatoes, friarelli greens and white truffles from nearby Ceppaloni.  My first of a series of dishes with thin slices of  white gold sprinkled on top.

Polenta with bite sized cod, olives, capers, peppers, broccoli and white truffles...

A vegetable broth lightly flavored with licorice was poured over home made 'cockscomb' shaped pasta  filled with bollito misto, boiled beef.  Also a shower of white truffles, which I must say at this point were pleasantly addicting...not overpowering, but complementing each dish.  The truffles played a supporting role, so to speak...adding its slice of autumn to the table.

Slices that accompanied my next dish,  spaghetti with broccoli, pumpkin, clams, and squid.

Next up, a risotto, maybe one of the most flavorful I have tasted in recent memory.  D'Amico' risotto with saffron, potatoes, and mussels.  On top, he placed dehydrated lemons and eggplant.

It was time for the second course.  Yes, there was still a little room...
Rabbit was next.  Wasn't it just a couple of hours ago that I saw D'Amico boning one in the kitchen?  When it arrived on my table, it was served in three ways.  Slow cooked, low temperature, and fried.  A creamed carrot sauce (of course) and a piedirosso mosto cotto, grape must.

Next, Carne 'e puorc e papauli con mosto di Piedirosso e mela annurca.  Pork    surrounded by bite-sized chunks of autumn; caramelized onions, friarelli greens, peppers, and an applesauce prepared with Campania's famous annurca apples.

D'Amico joined me at the table alongside his dessert.  A small warm chestnut tart, chocolate ice cream, and chocolate ice cream.  Coffee followed by a tower of small pastries reminiscent of  his time spent as a young cook in Paris.

My autumn lunch was over...I said my  goodbyes to D'Amico and his staff...well, more like I'll see you later.
We had an appointment early the next morning to check out his uncle's olive mill.  Stay tuned!




Le Macine Ristorante
Una Hotel Il Molino
Via dei Mulini 48,
82100 Benevento (Bn)
39 0824 311213