3/21/12

I can 6 thousand visits

Dear all,
another mile stone reached in a wonderful 2012.
Thank you for the more than 6 thousand visits, a dedicated Gourmet Blog with a truly international appeal and reach. I have received visits from the four corners of the world, it is my privilege to share my stories and recipes with you all.
Muito obrigado.
Chef Gourmet Du Art

3/19/12

Voted the best wine in the world - Port Quinta do Noval - Vintage 2003

It was the choice between more than eight thousand wines from the four corners of the world. Luca Gardini, best world sommelier in 2010, chose the Portuguese wine for "its extreme elegance and personality yet respecting tradition”.

Gardini, a renowned wine expert, considers the Port Quinta do Noval Vintage Nacional harvest 2003 a unique wine in the world, such honour goes to the producer Quinta do Noval, that retains it has one of the jewels of the Douro region.

This Port Vintage has resisted filoxera, a bug that by the end of the 17th century killed the vineyards in the
Douro banks, never ever being exerted this wine has preserved the identity of a nation.

There will be only produced a mere three thousand bottles of this wines, making it a “venblen goods”. The demand is much higher that the offer so the prices go sky high for each bottle. Each bottle can vary from €500 up to €1000 and it is a good investment because this Vintage can easily last more than 50 years in the bottles, passing from a young exuberant with Douro region wild aromas to a more mature Port wine.
Enjoy it.
Chef Du Art

3/14/12

I can "Natural Cuisine" act 2.

Dear Readers,
One of the most successful Posts of my Blog is the one done a year a go dedicated to “Cuisine Naturelle”. It was my first ever interview.
Thus, I have decided once again to kindly ask Natural Cuisine Chef Ramona Saviola to give to the I Can Gourmet Blog a second interview. I am sure that she has many novelties and exciting things to tell us.
Let me remind you that Chef Ramona obtained her Diploma at “La Sana Gola” of Milano (School and Restaurant), completing her course, not only, as a Chef of “Cuisine Naturelle” but also as a Food Therapist. Since a couple of years, she organizes both collective and invidual courses of “Cuisine Naturelle”, events and Brunch of Vegan, Vegetarian, Macrobiotic and Ethnic Cuisine. She has a very success Natural Cuisine Blog called “Sogni Golosi”.
Her motto is “Dimmi come e cosa mangi e ti dirò chi sei” that is: “Tell me how and what you eat and I will tell you who you are”.
Here’s her contact: hindin@fastwebnet.it


1.        Well, Ramona, first of all, Happy New Year 2012. Do you have any New Year's resolution?

Thank you for the best wishes Chef Du Art, same to you. Considering your question… well I do have some objectives, but I prefer the term “good will”, but as we say in Italy “di buoni propositi è lastricato l'Inferno”, hell is full of “good will”. It will be for sure a very intense 2012, especially a year that I need to harvest the fruits of my work during 2011.


2.        It has been a very exciting 2011 for you, after your interview here in the Blog you have built your own. How is it going?

Concerning the professional aspect 2011 was a very important year. I had decided that it would have been a sabbatical year, in order to have more time to further invest in my work. One of my many projects was that of increasing the number of school where to teach. Another project of mine that was materialized was my Blog. First it started as a sort of game but with time it became more serious, it is an important mean to publicize to many this way of life. I am of course very pleased with the incredible results ad reach of this Blog (www.sognigolosi.blogspot.com).

3.        A special Blog dedicated to "Cuisine Naturelle" in Italian and still so successful, How come?

I believe that it all depends of the fact that our basic need to eat is changing towards our search for overall search of our well being and our equilibrium (being physical or inner). Starting from new moms, that become aware of this important mater because they always search for what is better for their babies. Amongst the biggest sponsors of this “way of life”we can find Medical Doctors such as Doctor Berrino and Professor Doctor Veronesi that have clearly declared the importance of the 360° approach for our well being and how crucial a healthy diet is and especially a vegetarian one.
The present escalation of all sorts of allergies and intolerance are enough reasons for all of us question the reason why it is so. Thus, it is all natural for each and every one of us to search for alternative way’s of life in order to escape from the effects of all the chemicals present in modern days ingredients and foods.

4.        Did the Blog change in someway your life? If so, in what?

As previously said, the creation o the Blog gave me further capability to promote Natural Cuisine, especially out of the boundaries, that is away from the normal Natural Cuisine environments, where whoever you might encounter in this places have already consciously done a choice. The readers o my Blog constantly ask me for clarification concerning some ingredients somehow a bit strange, some are exhilarated when discovering a tasty alternative to Tomatoes because for years and years this was forbidden in the family diet as a result of a family member being allergic to, now finally the all family can taste a wonderful spaghetti with a red sauce with no tomatoes. These examples leaves of course extremely happy.
To create and follow a Blog enables you to travel at the speed of light and transmit all your cuisine experiences, I wonder what might a visitor for example from Saudi Arabia think about my Middle East sweets.

5.        Your interview in my Blog is still today one of the most visited Posts, do you think that people are now-a-days more conscience about a healthy life style?

Absolutely, not only because it is trendy but also because we are finally observing a nutritional awakening. After so many years people are finally getting conscience that ingredients and food do not have the same taste, perfume, colours. This is even ore disturbing when you eat groceries and greens from your neighbour’s garden. Greens are simply more perfumed and tastier. You suddenly realise that by eating in a certain way your common head hakes simply disappear. You all get conscience that without nature Mankind is not much, especially at your dinner table.
I invite you all to close your eyes and think about the wonderful sensation that is returning home and smelling the intense aroma of fresh baked bread, or a fresh baked Apple-pie. It is for sure very different to enter home and hear a “ding” from the Microwave that have just warmed plastic food conveniently purchased in a nearby Supermarket.

6.        Any surprises, that you can share with us, for 2012? Courses that you will organize or special nights in some Restaurants?

The biggest surprise for 2012, if I can do it, will be to launch a book with all my recipes. It one of my many professional objectives for this year.
The courses are many and will touch different arguments. I am no longer confined to the Milano Area thus I will also organise courses in Mantova,
Lodi, Turin and still a project Naples and Pescara.
At the end of this month I will leave to Tenerife Island (Spain) where a student of mine and his companion will open a new Natural Cuisine Restaurant. I will be there to teach them and also to help with the overall organisation of the “gran opening” of that beautiful project.

7.        Would you like to leave any message to the "I can Gourmet" friends and followers?

I will like to destroy the myth that in order to eat healthy you need to suffer. If that is your case, let me tell you that you are either eating from the wrong people or someone just did not tell you right.
Natural Cuisine is based on natural vegetable ingredients thus is rich, tasty, has variety, colourful, joyful and balanced. Nothing is done without a motivation and a reason. It is a conscientious cuisine that will reward you not only well being but also intense sensations and emotions. Just ask someone that have tasted my Tofu Mousse done with cinnamon and orange dark chocolate or who has tasted my Pasta with small broccoli and roasted almonds. You need to taste it to believe it.

Bon Apetit,
Chef Gourmet Du Art