see and savor italy

 
"from the land to the artisan's hand, from generational producers, from us to you" 
 
A Taste and Travel Resource for Northern Italy, Tuscany and Umbria
Better Together
In this issue:
 
A Vintage Valentine from Italy and recipes that pair Italian favorites that although good alone are better together.

 
Prosecco and Antipasto

Prosecco is the famous dry vini spumante from the Veneto region of Northern Italy. The best prosecco comes from Conegliano and Valdobbiadene north of Treviso. Although good alone prosecco is fantastic with an antipasti of affettati misti (a platter of sliced cured meats), olive all' ascolana  (a stuffed olive recipe from the Marches) and bruschetta made with artichoke and garlic and black olive crema.
 
*Prosecco is best served well-chilled in a diamond shaped glass or flute at a temperature between 6°C and 8°C (43 to 46  46F)

 

Pane and Pesto 

Pesto from the sun-drenched Ligurian Riviera is simply the best. Made with Genovese basil, extra virgin olive oil, pinenuts and pecorino cheese , it is an Italian staple that is often paired with pasta but most elementally with bread. Here is a simple recipe for pesto pinwheels that the whole family will love.
  
1 pkg. refrigerated bread dough
 1 T olive oil
 
Heat oven to 375F. Unroll dough and separate into 12 strips. Spread each strip with pesto and roll into pinwheels. Lightly brush with olive oil and arrange on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake 12 min or until golden brown.
 Pasta, Pumpkin and Amaretti

 

In Emilia Romagna there are a variety of filled pasta paired with delicate sauces that are legendary. One is cappellacci con zucca from Ferrara, a favorite taste and travel town.  Cappellacci is a ring shaped pasta with a point - delicious but when served with a sauce of burro e salvia (butter and sage) filled with pumpkin or squash sweetened with crushed amaretti cookies delicious becomes heavenly.
 

 

 

Pecorino and Chestnut Honey
 
 
 
Darker and richer than most honey, chestnut honey is a product of the forest. Higher in anti-oxidants with greater
anti-inflammatory properties it is in and of itself one of nature's most perfect foods.
 
Pair it with Pecorino Toscano cheese for a classic end of meal dolce. Drizzle the bronze colored honey over a piece of pecorino sheep's milk cheese (preferably from Pienza in Tuscany's Val d'Orcia) and add a slice of ripe pear. The earthy taste of the honey and the rich, nutty butterscotch flavor of the cheese are a spot on match.  
 
* do not substitute a Pecorino Romano, which is sharper and salty, you can substitute a  Sardinian Pecorino which is also mild 
About Us
 

"We could not let all that experience slip through our hands and everyone we talked to wanted to learn more" 

 

The Cositutti Group(Gruppo Cositutti) is a travel and lifestyle resource for the Food, Wine, Art and Design of Northern Italy, Tuscany and Umbria. Group projects and offerings are based on our experiences eating, cooking, shopping and traveling with our Italian family and friends.  

 

Products available at CosituttiMarketPlace (our on-line shop) are sourced from small producers and generational families who are committed to preserving the culinary and cultural traditions of Italy. Each product has been carefully selected to represent an authentic experience and sourced over 10 years and 10,000 miles of traveling and taste testing regional Italian food.

 

The Cositutti Group
Relentlessly Authentic
420 East 86th Avenue
Merrillville, Indiana 46410
1-219-629-4496
 
Do you have a taste for Italy? Read our book Seeing and Savoring Italy - A Taste and Travel Journey through Northern Italy, Tuscany and Umbria available at Amazon.com 
In This Issue
Vintage Italian Valentine
Better Together Pairings
A Vintage Valentine  - {Typewriter}
 
 

The legendary Italian designer Ettore Sottsass first introduced the Olivetti Valentine typewriter in 1969. He wanted to make a portable typewriter for "people on the move". Fast forward 43 years and the design aesthetic of vintage Italian still survives the passing of time. Now featured in the Museum of Modern Art, the iconic design of this Valentine in form and function got people to think outside of the box.

 

And the color! Can I get my hands on one for Valentine's Day?

 

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See and Savor Italy  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  at Trattoria La Romantica in Ferrara

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