Paolo Cacciani Cuisine in Turin
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The Salone del Gusto di Torino (Turin Taste Salon) trade show took place from October 23 to October 27, 2008. At the booth Enoteca Palatium of the exhibition entitled Sapori e Suggestioni della Provincia di Roma (Flavors and Suggestions from the Province of Rome), organized in collaboration with the Agricultural Council of Rome, there was an interesting food presentation by Paolo Cacciani, which featured recipes used by grandfather Leopoldo since 1922 at the famous trattoria in Frascati, which in time evolved into an important restaurant and hotel.
The Caccianis are traditional restauranteurs and small producers of wine and olive oil, who have always paid homage to the local cuisine, rendering it more up to date by draining it of the traditional greasiness and heaviness which was commonplace in the past, but is currently out of tune with the modern lifestyle. Thus, the guanciola, which is the greasiest and most flavorful part of the pork, becomes a seasoning agent which enhances the tortino di zucchine romanesche (Roman-style courgette pie). The tasty Pecorino cheese is reduced to a cream to season broccoli, another main ingredient of the Roman cuisine, served in small puffs paired with Piedmont chestnuts from the Langhe zone, to honor the host region. The folksy tradition of the so called fifth quarter, that is all the leftover meat from the butcher's main cuts, is interpreted by the use of the traditional coda alla vaccinara (cow tail) as stuffing for delightful ravioli pasta.
A surprise dish not included in the menu but certainly appreciated by the participants, was sedanini cacio e pepe (small celery with cheese and pepper), with softly creamed Pecorino Romano cheese, a simple, traditional dish which is rarely found as balanced and enriched by the addition or ground black pepper. The next entree is a super tender abbacchio (baby lamb), a classic recipe of Roman cuisine, which Cacciani dusted lightly with scented liquorice, which gives the dish a delicate, interesting contrast with the lamb.
The last entree, a dessert, is a homage to the founder of this restauranteur family who have served many among the important Italian and foreign actors who passed through Rome since the Dolce Vita era, or the period recounted by the great Italian director Federico Fellini. The zuppa inglese del "Nonno Leopoldo" (Grandpa Leopoldo's trifle), made with a recipe unchanged since 1922, alternates layers of soft sponge-cake soaked in alkermes and maraschino liqueurs, and confectioner's custard. A true delight from a long gone era.
The great cuisine of Paolo Cacciani was paired with important and classic wines from Rome and surrounding areas, which completed the perfect marriage of food and wine sought after by every culinary artist for its creations. The only regret was the lack of wine pairing the dessert. A delicate Moscato Rosa Romano (Pink Muscat from Rome) would have made the memory of the evening even sweeter.
A great chef who brought the perfume and flavor of the Roman cuisine to Turin to voice the message promoted by the Agricultural Council of Rome: intrigue and invite gourmands from other regions to re-discover a cuisine dedicated to the culture of the past, but enriched and modernized to meet the taste of today's demanding wine and food lover.
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