left to right: Spumador, Dolcemente Pisa, Vegetable couscous with chocolate nibs
Gelateria I Coltelli (Pisa); Tartufo di Pizzo (Calabria-Pisa), Gluten- free pastry shop ( Lucca)
Mauro Iannantuoni (Milano), Torrone from Sardegna, Donna Elvira ( Modica, Sicily)
The show has food stands mostly from Tuscany but also from other regions of Italy and a couple from other countries. Not only chocolate.
There was also a restaurant, run by my friends Paul and Cecilia DeBondt, who are always creative and fun.
Paul was cranking out lovely delicate pancakes, with butter and a lovely syrup while Cecilia was overseeing the Sunday brunch table. I took multiple trips back to enjoy the various dishes they made, incorporating chocolate in many of them, but not over doing it to be wacko.
Everything was lovely but I especially enjoyed the cous cous with vegetables and cocoa nibs a lot, there was a pork in chocolate sauce ( not mole) and my favorite was a olive tapenade with capers and chocolate. The depth of flavor was incredible.
I then took a cooking class offered by La Scuola della Cucina Italiana, taught by Chocolatier, Mauro Iannantuoni. We watched as he made a multi-faceted dessert which we then assembled. As it was a class for professionals, no need for hands-on for all of us, but we did get to assemble it and eat it!
Multiple flavors and techniques--- almond sponge cake, ricotta cream, toasted candied pinenuts, Almond sable' and a carmel mousse with pear puree.
I hope you can come to Dolcemente Pisa next year- Pisa is so much more than just the tower!
Just returned from Italy -= and Pisa. Sigh - did just see the Tower... does it count that we also spent most of that day in Lucca? I'd love to learn to make good torrone.
ReplyDeleteI buy torrone!!! it is a long process and very sensitive to moisture! it takes a long long time to whip up the egg whites-- We tasted a fabulous chestnut honey torrone with incredible toasted almonds from Sardegna and another great one from Sicily-
ReplyDeleteit is already dangerous enough to buy pieces-- immagine the temptation of having huge amounts at home?
I don't have much of a sweet tooth but I get the sense that a trip to Dolcemente Pisa would have converted me! Looks like a lovely time and Pisa is a lovely city.
ReplyDeletenice !!! bonjour de paris :)
ReplyDeleteI have heard a lot of good things of Dolcemente Pisa and I think that all that is so true after reading your post and looking at your pictures, amazing!
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