Maremma’s Farewell Feast

A few blocks away from Florent Italian chefs said their own good-byes.

Posted 06/30/08 in Grub Street : NewsFeed

Tags: anne burrell, cesare casella, cesca, del posto, fabio trabocchi, fiamma, kevin garcia, maremma, mark ladner, newsfeed

Italian Chefs Just Can't Agree on How to Make Carbonara

So you think you know spaghetti carbonara? You don’t know spaghetti carbonara. That is the theme of the Italian chef coalition ITChefs – GVCI’s current campaign to educate New Yorkers about the classic dish. TChefs – GVCI’, which stands for Virtual Group of Italian Chefs, is charging four of the city’s top Italian chefs to make it exactly according to the “authentic” recipe for one night. On Thursday, Cesare Casella of Maremma, Mark Ladner of Del Posto, Kevin Garcia of Accademia de Vino, and Ivan Beacco of Borgo Antico, will make the dish according to the master recipe approved by ITChefs – GVCI. Or will they? Like every traditional recipe in every cuisine, "authentic" carbonara changes with every chef that makes it.

Posted 01/16/08 in Grub Street : NewsFeed

Tags: accademia di vino, borgo antico, cesare casella, del posto, italian, ivan beacco, kevin garcia, maremma, mark ladner, newsfeed, pasta

NYC Chefs: Setaro Pasta Rules!

Today marks the tenth anniversary of Chelsea Market, a place we would avoid if there were anyplace else to get Setaro pasta. The supremacy of the Campagnan product, sold only in Buonitalia at the market, is something we never stop hearing about: last night, Kevin Garcia of Accademia del Vino told us, “All the top chefs I know use it — it’s the pasta of choice, the best I’ve ever been able to find.” Mark Ladner of Del Posto, Jonathan Benno at Per Se, and any number of other food luminaries swear by the stuff. But why? Buonitalia co-owner Antonio Magliulo says, “This company, Setaro, is very small. They don’t produce a lot of pasta. And when they dry it, it’s at low temperatures, so it keeps the flavor and texture. The way it cooks, the bite that it keeps — it’s something special.”

Posted 10/18/07 in Grub Street : NewsFeed

Tags: accademia di vino, alto, buon italia, chelsea market, del posto, jonathan benno, kevin garcia, l'impero, mark ladner, michael white, newsfeed, pasta, per se

‘Top Chef’ Talbot Out at Spitzer’s Corner; FDA Too Weak Even for Industry

Top Chef runner-up Sam Talbot is out at what was to be his debut restaurant, Spitzer’s Corner. [Eater] The FDA is facing increasing ire about its having largely abdicated its regulatory role. Even the produce industry wants the agency to do its job; suppliers are “virtually begging for stronger intervention.” [NYT] Salsa mogul gives the Culinary Institute of America $35 million to advance the careers of Latin cooks and kitchen workers and to “deepen the United States’ relationship with food from Latin America.” [NYT]

Posted 05/16/07 in Grub Street : Mediavore

Tags: cesca, cocktails, culinary institute of america, dean & deluca, fda, kevin garcia, mediavore, sam talbot, spitzer's corner, top chef, truffles

Cesare Casella Invents a New Pig!

A lot of chefs — particularly of the Haute Barnyard breed — advertise their love of farms. But how many actually mastermind a breeding program, and then invite other chefs to the country to see the results? Cesare Casella, the Tuscan cook behind Maremma, has been breeding two types of pigs (and snow-white Chianina cattle) at Stonewall Preserve upstate. On Monday, he invited Mark Ladner of Del Posto, April Bloomfield of the Spotted Pig, Zak Pelaccio of Fatty Crab, Kevin Garcia of 'Cesca, and Mary Ellen Heavner of 5 Ninth to come up and sample the Stonewall pig.

Posted 11/08/06 in Grub Street : NewsFeed

Tags: 230 fifth, 5 ninth, april bloomfield, british large black, cesare casella, cesca, fatty crab, kevin garcia, maremma, mary ellen heavner, newsfeed, stonewell perserve, the spotted pig, zak pelaccio