Garlic, Onions and Shallots from Emilia Romagna is the title of the new publication by CheftoChef emiliaromagnacuochi, edited by gastronome Franco Chiarini and published by Maggioli Editore on the occasion of the establishment of the Santarcangelo di Romagna water onion SlowFood Presidium. It is the third issue of the series “The food cards of virtuous producers”.
It is a box set containing 60 information sheets that combine the aesthetic part with the scientific-tasteful-gastronomic part of the liliaceae of Emilia-Romagna, to understand and increasingly appreciate this important niche of agricultural products, aided by the author’s images of the dean of photography from Ravenna Enzo Pezzi. In addition to Chiarini, Giorgio Melandri, the associations Menù Associati and Il Lavoro dei Contadini contributed to the drafting of the texts, while Marisa Fontana took care of the botanical part.
The CheftoChef emiliaromagnacuochi staff has long coordinated these seven jewels with the aim of accentuating the transition from complements to protagonists on the plate: Onion from Santarcangelo water, Shallot from Romagna, Onion from Medicina, Garlic from Voghiera, Onion from Borettana, Garlic Piacentino and NeroFermento. In the boxed set, in fact, there are also the “author’s recipes” of nine chefs who are members of CheftoChef, with dishes that enhance the sweetness and intensity of the flavors of the Lilieaceae with new combinations. The chefs are: Massimiliano Mussoni of La Sangiovesa in Santarcangelo di Romagna (RN), also coordinator of the chefs on the liliaceae valorization project, Davide Grumbianin, of Benso in Forlì (FC), Adalberto – Athos Migliari of La Chiocciola in Portomaggiore, Massimiliano Poggi of the restaurant of the same name in Trebbo di Reno (BO), Dario Picchiotti of the Antica Trattoria di Sacerno in Calderara di Reno (BO), Andrea Medici of the Osteria di Scandiano (RE), Isa Mazzocchi of La Palta in Borgonovo Val Tidone ( PC), Omar Casali del Marè in Cesenatico (FC).
The publication is completed by the texts of Doctor Marco Brancaleoni on the modern health dimension of these products and those of Professor Davide Cassi with important scientific orientations to better understand gastronomically innovative paths.
Giuseppe Pasquali, President of the Medicinan Onion Consortium and coordinator of liliaceae producers, for this project shared by the Emilia-Romagna Region claims: «this permanent group action promotes the valorisation of products that are often not sufficiently considered for their quality. The relationship with great chefs is an obligatory path, taking into account the tradition of the famous French restaurant industry and, here, thanks also to the consolidated use of our liliaceae by Massimo Bottura of the Osteria Francescana in Modena”.
Massimiliano Poggi, President of CheftoChef: «The promotion and use of the great, albeit humble, products of Emilia-Romagna is the right way to reaffirm a regional gastronomic identity and, why not, also fully compatible with the different sustainability required by modernity”.
