The “Festival Della Cucina Italiana” (Festival of Italian Cuisine) at Il Nuovo Mercato is an initiative designed and created for lovers of the Italian kitchen. During the month of May, each week will represent the different regions of Italy with the different bodegas offering dishes inspired by that region.
The regions that will be cel;ebrated during the festival are: Campania, Le Marche, Tuscany and Lazio. The dishes that will be offered will be typical of each region.
The tour will start with one of the regions that most represents Italian cuisine in the world: Campania. Nestled between the Tyrrhenian Sea to the west and the south of the Apennines to the east, Campania is the region where Napoli, Capri, the coast of Amalfi (cradle of Limoncello), the royal palace of Caserta and the volcano Vesuvio reside.
The dishes chosen to explore this region are:
- Carne alla Pizzaiola (Meat in red sauce) in the meat bodega
- Zucchine alla Scapece (Zucchini in pickle) in the vegetable bodega
- Lasagna Napoletana (Lasagna Neapolitan style) in the pasta bodega
- Zuppa di cozze napoletana (Neapolitan style mussels soup) in the fish bodega.
- Baba (baba is a fluffy sweet made in the oven, very traditional from the Italian city of Naples) in our dessert bodega Starbene Caffe.
Marche
The second stage of our journey is in a region of central Italy that, despite of lack of fame in the media, offers natural wonders (the Frasassi caves in the first place), gastronomic and many beautiful villages of Incalculable historical value: Le Marche. The food in this region is divided
equitably between the generosity of the sea and that of the countryside, that’s why it has an
amazing variety of dishes, all based on tradition and local produce.
To represent this region Il Mercado chefs chose the following dishes:
- Salsicce e costarelle in umido (Chorizo and burnt ribs) in the meat bodega
- Melanzane in potacchio (Aubergines sautéed with garlic and rosemary) in the vegetable bodega
- Passatelli with funghi e tartufo (Artisan pasta with mushrooms and truffle cream) in the pasta bodega
- Gamberi co’ la mollica (Shrimp “breaded”) in the fish bodega
- Diplomatico (sponge cake with puff pastry filled with pastry cream and chantilly) in the Starbene Caffe.
Tuscany
In the third week the chosen region is Tuscany. This area is not only appreciated for its landscapes, r its historic cities such as Siena, San Gimignano, Florence, Lucca or Pisa but also its gastronomy and typical dishes based on a simple kitchen and historical tradition.
This week the dishes are:
- Stracotto alla fiorentina (Asado Toscano en olla) in the meat bodega
- Panzanella (Bread-based dish marinated in a vinegar, onion and tomato) in the vegetable bodega
- Pasta e fagioli (Pasta with beans in vegetable broth) in the pasta bodega
- Baccalá alla livornese (Cod in sauce and black olives) in the fish bodega
- Salame de Chocolate (melted chocolate with biscuit and nuts) at Starbene Caffe.
Lazio
To complete this journey we move to the Lazio area. In the central zone of Italy is located in this region, one of the most popular destinations for visitors you want to get into Italian culture. The city of Rome is undoubtedly the star of the place, and in its streets we can taste some of the typical dishes that characterize the cuisine of Lazio.
The dishes offered this week are:
- Chicken coi peperoni (Baked chicken with peppers) in the meat bodegar
- Verdure in pastella (Vegetables in tempura) in the vegetable bodega
- Gnocchi alla romana (Gnocchi semolina baked in white sauce) in the pasta bodega
- Seppiette with piselli (squid with peas in tomato sauce) in the fish bodega
- Profiterol de Chocolat (profiterol stuffed with vanilla cream with sauce chocolate) at Starbene Caffe.
“The main objective of the festival is to celebrate even more the Italian culture, to honor its
gastronomy and share that experience with all the clients”; said Roberto Betturi, operations manager of Il Nuovo Mercato.
In addition Il Nuovo Mercado will also be hosting a Night of Wines and Gastronomy on the 16th and 30th of May with special guests in an atmosphere of wine and food.
Music and cocktails are the stars on Thursday nights on the terrace of the Prosecco Bar.
Il Nuovo Mercato is located on the third floor of The Mall of San Juan.
