Venice Waters

I am proud to announce that as of today my first ‪‎photobook‬ "Venice Waters" is up for grabs!
A thoughtful blend of original ‪‎photography‬, ‪haiku‬ and ‪calligraphy‬; a cathartic journey upon fluid images and simple words. Let melodies whisper of your deepest thoughts and desires. Gift yourself a quiet piece of life.
Preview‬ available Here

Castagnaccio - Tuscan chestnut "cake"

Chestnut flour is still an unusual ingredient in our kitchens, unfortunately.
To mill chestnut into flour, they are first dried over wood fire and this imparts the resulting product with a delicate and distinctive smoky aroma that make this flour pretty unique.
Being a nut´s flour, it doesn't contain gluten and so it is an useful ingredient for gluten-free pantries.
In Italy, chestnut flour is a traditional ingredient of the center-north portion of the peninsula. In Tuscany, notably, chestnut flour is used in a savory-sweet cake called Castagnaccio (castagna being the Italian for chestnut).
This cake is usually enriched with flavorful extra-virgin olive oil, pine nuts and rosemary but the main variation point in local recipes revolve around the use of cocoa powder in it.
Chestnut flour, with its deep rich sweet and smoky aromas, is just a perfect companion to chocolate and the use of a little cocoa powder in the Castagnaccio can only do it good, in my opinion.
I personally, simply adore rosemary in my Castagnaccio. When baked to crispy perfection, this herb lends its heady green-field aromas to this earthy densely satisfying cake; a perfect reminder of Tuscan sunbathed fields.
Try it once, and you will be hooked. You have been warned!

Going on with my day - Version 2

Going on with my day - Version 2 by Alessio Fangano on 500px

Up above Florence, the hill bearing the famous viewpoint Piazzale Michelangelo is also where the church of San Miniato is; just at the end of these stairs.

Symbol of power

Symbol of power by Alessio Fangano on 500px

The Lily is the famous symbol for Florence since ages, you can find it plastered allover the city. This stone bas-relief is in the cloister area of Santa Maria Novella.

Paccheri with Pomodorini and marinated Red Onion

Paccheri with Pomodorini and marinated Red Onion by Alessio Fangano on 500px

For my upcoming cooking class I wanted to create a recipe that would highlight the sweet richness of Paccheri pasta. As it is often the case, simple is best, when you have such great pasta to start with.

Penne with pumpkin-sage sauce crispy bacon and amarettini crumbs

Penne with pumpkin-sage sauce, crispy bacon and amarettini crumbs by Alessio Fangano on 500px

For one of my cooking class I wanted to develop a recipe inspired by the famous "tortelli di zucca" done in Emilia-Romagna in Italy. Pumpkin, sage, bacon, amaretti is what I came up with. Inviting enough? What do you think?

Going on with my day

Going on with my day by Alessio Fangano on 500px

Up above Florence, the hill bearing the famous viewpoint Piazzale Michelangelo is also where the church of San Miniato is; just at the end of these stairs.

Sunset in the Marche

Sunset in the Marche by Alessio Fangano on 500px

Look at this! The less-known Marche region, in the center of Italy, has definitely as a charming landscape as the better known Tuscany to me, don't you think?

Color contrasts in Florence

Is anybody missing something? by Alessio Fangano on 500px

Cellini's Perseus is one of the masterpieces that adorn Piazza della Signoria in Florence. Having been restored only in the recent past, we are now able to enjoy it in all its original magnificence.

St. Peter and the Xmas lights

St. Peter and the Xmas lights by Alessio Fangano on 500px

Outside Siracusa's cathedral photographing one of its guardians: St Peter. It was Christmas time and the town was all a twinkling of lights; the perfect compliment to a Baroque symphony.

Sharing my life call and an Italian tarte

Some time ago my dear friend Sumaya of Pukka Paki asked me to write an introductory piece for her other food-platform Food Niche Collective. What came out is quite an explanatory piece about my newly-found life call that I would like to share with you all.
Let's all jump to the Food Niche Collective blog then.

Comforting Italian Trifle

Comfort.

What is comfort to our eyes? The feeling of home? A completely relaxed body? Or conversely a hyperactive session of our favorite sport? A visit to a museum can be comforting to many, but just because we stand still for hours in front of a magnificent piece of art it doesn't mean that our mind isn't going 100 miles an hour.

Generally we tend to associate the word comfort with something soft, fluffy, enveloping and translating this abstract and deep feeling into food is quite an interesting endeavor.
Certain ingredients can, by themselves, elicit such an emotional response so much so that we may find ourselves savoring luscious sour cream by the spoonful directly from the tub in these deep moments of need. The texture of fatty rich food makes us melt into expressions of pure enjoyment, probably an instinctual response to the fact that we are well provided for the cold season.

It’s show time and this time it is BIG!

Almost 2 months ago, 800km/500miles from home, 30+ guests to satisfy, 10 courses to prepare, 30+ hours of cooking for a 6h dining experience; these are the ingredients to keep in mind reading what will follow.
Almost two months ago a very close friend of mine, Daniela, asked me to cater for her boyfriend’s, Giacomo, birthday dinner to be held near Bologna, in Italy. 

I was expressly requested to provide more of a feast (not that I ever put on the table mozzarella and ham with stale breads at my dinners) than a simple "spaghettata" Italian style. The challenge grew bigger when the number of guests started inflating like proper sourdough bread. Bubbly bubbly they raised to 30+ people. I had never cooked for more than 6 people so this was starting to take the shape of a very interesting adventure. To fix the menu proved to be quite challenging. Many cups of coffee, gazes in the air, and sketches of the possible platings brought to life a 10 courses menu divided in 4 appetizers and 6 courses from starch to meat to fish, passing by a fragrant broth and ending with a fresh panna cotta grazed by some local fresh white truffle. 

A rapid email chain with all my professional Chefs and foodies friends supported me on the choices I made.