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Monday, November 11, 2013

"  POLENTATA  "

SATURDAY 23rd NOVEMBER
 @StairWay Kitchen 8pm

......TO BOOK YOUR SEAT CLICK HERE...... 



In this dinner we would like you to bring to the most famous  dish in Italy since the 16th century, "POLENTA"

It often happen that a nation will identify themselves  with their traditional food. For Italians "pasta and pizza" are the most famous dishes which make Italian food "Italian". However there is a dish, especially in Northern Italy that does not get the recognition but for sure it makes the third most important dish eaten since Roman times.Humble, versatile, satisfying and always good POLENTA.

The history of polenta is the history of old generations of people. A very ancient dish, in remote times it was made with poor cereals or beans, until maize came from America.
The highest point in the polenta tradition is to consume it on the wooden board, placed on the common table with all the family around, like it was at the time of the traditional patriarchal families. Polenta is eaten, if spread on a dish, in a circle starting from the outer part and proceeding all around until the final little piece in the center is reached
In the worls of cooking just a few dishes have the stigma attached to their preparation as POLENTA does. In our village old genaration of people still make POLENTA in the old fashioned way using a round bottom copper pot called Paiolo and a lond wooden spoon called Tarello.

The process to make POLENTA still does need attention and constant stirring for about 50 mins.Nowadays has been also  invented a "quick" Polenta which takes less than 10 mins to be ready but..the less said about it better it is.In our dinner we will use the old fashion POLENTA flour.

The key to the popolarity of POLENTA is its sheer versitile and it can be served with nearly everything and that is why it became soo popular all over Italy always valorizing what every regions produce.

POLENTA can be yellow or white, POLENTA can be eaten roasted or soft or  fried and...stop writing Leo it's now time to see how Italians eat this amazing, versitile, unique and famous dish POLENTA.

It often happens that a nation of people will identify themselves as a distinct culture by their traditional foods. For Italians, it always seems both pasta and pizza are the cornerstones of what makes Italian food "Italian". However, there is a staple food of Northern Italy that does not get the recognition, but certainly makes up the third aspect of the Italian food trinity: Humble, yet versatile and satisfying polenta - See more at: http://www.lifeinitaly.com/food/polenta.asp#sthash.Fxa86rwc.dpuf
It often happens that a nation of people will identify themselves as a distinct culture by their traditional foods. For Italians, it always seems both pasta and pizza are the cornerstones of what makes Italian food "Italian". However, there is a staple food of Northern Italy that does not get the recognition, but certainly makes up the third aspect of the Italian food trinity: Humble, yet versatile and satisfying polenta - See more at: http://www.lifeinitaly.com/food/polenta.asp#sthash.Fxa86rwc.dpuf
It often happens that a nation of people will identify themselves as a distinct culture by their traditional foods. For Italians, it always seems both pasta and pizza are the cornerstones of what makes Italian food "Italian". However, there is a staple food of Northern Italy that does not get the recognition, but certainly makes up the third aspect of the Italian food trinity: Humble, yet versatile and satisfying polenta - See more at: http://www.lifeinitaly.com/food/polenta.asp#sthash.Fxa86rwc.dpuf


MENU':

"Crostini di Polenta"
Baked Polenta crostini topped with:

Pate' di fave e Pecorino with Lardo di Colonnata : Baked Polenta crostini topped with Broadbean and Pecorino Romano cheese cream and thin slices of melt in the mouth Lardo from Colonnata (delicious cured and spiced pork fat from Tuscany)

Pate di radicchio e gorgonzola con noci: a classic yet to die for combination of Radicchio, Gorgonzola cheese and Walnut cream.

Baccala' mantecato: Venetian style salt cod cooked in milk and marinated with garlic and parsley.


Nests of Polenta whit Sausage from Mantua
Soft yellow Polenta in tomato sauce with our special sausages from Mantua


Polenta Taragna  (buckweat polenta) con funghi trifolati e Tartufo nero
Polenta Taragna, originally from the Valtellina region, up in the North of Italy, and from the valleys around the cities of Bergamo and Breascia comes in a characteristic dark colour due to the mixture of buckwheat and cornmeal flour. We serve it topped with Stef's signature Mushroom and Autumn black Truffle sautee ( tossed with garlic and herbs)



Polenta bianca con seppioline in umido
Polenta Bianca is typical of Veneto region  and the main characteristis is the colour white because made with white cornmeal. Squid stew with white Polenta.



Polenta morbida con brasato di manzo al barolo
Your tregular yellow Polenta is not necessarily boring as many of you think! Especially when served with a topping of tender beef slowly braised 8 hours in Barolo wine so to release all the flavours into the wine and absorb all the aromas from it.



Can we also make a dessert with POLENTA flour??...
I think yes :-) so... let's see what Stefano is going to make to surprise all of us




SUGGESTED DONATION £30
- BRING YOUR OWN BOTTLE IS THE POLICY AT OUR SUPPER CLUB,
   IN OTHER WORDS:THE MORE YOU BRING AT OUR  EVENT,

THE MORE YOU’LL BE DRINKING.
DON'T FORGET TO TELL US IF YOU HAVE ANY ALLERGIES 
- DINNER START AT 8PM








THE BOYS ARE BACK.....WILD STAFF
Saturday 9th November 

COD AND COURGETTE INVOLTINI ON A BED OF SWEET PEPPER SAUCE
CHESTNUT SEMIFREDDO WITH CAKI SAUCE
GUINEA FOWL SERVED WITH PEARA'
CHESTNUT SEMIFREDDO WITH CAKI SAUCE
HOME MADE LAMBRUSCO PASTA DOUGH RAVIOLI STUFFED WITH DUCK AND MASCARPONE CHEESE

STEFANO AND 3 OF OUR FOODIE LOVERS
ROSTI' DI PATATE WITH ROASTED QUAIL IN A TRUFFLE SAUCE
HOME MADE RAVIOLI STUFFED WITH DUCK AND MASCARPONE CHEESE
ROSTI' DI PATATE WITH ROASTED QUAIL IN A TRUFFLE SAUCE
COD AND COURGETTE INVOLTINI

Leo and the guests
AMAZING COMPANY

Monday, November 4, 2013


THE BOYS ARE BACK with...

WILD STUFF


SATURDAY 09th NOVEMBER 8pm @ Stairway Kitchen

---------...CLICK HERE TO BOOK YOUR SEAT...--------


November in Italy is very famous for its specialties. It is time to eat Chestnut at Calliera (village where we come from) Nearly everybody  has a Chestnut tree  or a Caki fruit tree, one of the most famous fruit of the season in Italy. It is also time to collect grapes in order to make our delicious  “Lambrusco” sparkly red wine. These are just a few of the  specialties of this month.

So..The winter is coming very soon  and in this dinner Stefano and I would like to bring you into some of these flavours that are characteristic of our home town, like "Pearà". 
Leo's mum is a specialist in making this amazing dish. "Pearà" is oryginally  made in Veneto region where Leo's father come from. It is a special, delicious sauce made with bread crumb, Grana Padan cheese, broth and a generous amount of pepper.
In order to make Giuseppe (Leo's father) happy Leo's mum year after year has improved her receipe and in our dinner we are going to use Gabriella's (Leo's mum) receipe.

In this secret dinner you will find other food lovers around the table in our nice living room in the hearth of Soho. 
Come along to our extravaganza food dinner and you will be amazed by our menu lovingly prepared by the talented chef Stefano and the sidekick Leo which is me J

Remember our policy is BYO…in other words…the more wine you bring the more you will be drinking.



 Let’s now introduce you our menu:




ROSTI' DI PATATE WITH ROASTED QUAIL IN A TRUFFLE SAUCE
When Leo's mother used to  make Rostì di patate at home it was immediately party.They are potato cooked in such way that you can bite the crunchy outside and suddenly feel the soft inside melting in your mouth. This is the best company to our slowly roasted Quail topped with Stef's secret truffle sauce.


COD AND COURGETTE INVOLTINI ON A BED OF SWEET PEPPER SAUCE
Pan-fried cod wrapped in thin courgette slices served on a luscious bed of sweet pepper sauce.


HOME MADE RAVIOLI STUFFED WITH DUCK AND MASCARPONE CHEESE
Nonna  Teresa's old recipe never gets it wrong! Lambrusco based pasta dough is used to make some sinfully delicious homemade Ravioli stuffed with roasted Duck and Mascarpone cheese.


GUINEA FOWL SERVED WITH PEARA' 
 Roasted Guinea Fowl served with Peara', the most famous dish of the Veneto region.
Peara' is a delicious puree made from bread crumbs, beef bone marrow broth Parmsan Cheese and a generous pinch of black pepper to add to this classic a distinctive kick.


CHESTNUT SEMIFREDDO WITH CAKI SAUCE
Chestnut parfait served with a refreshing "CAKI" sauce. The Caki is a Chinese born fruit but European for adoption. Since 1800 Caki, with its sweet and slightly tangy flavour and its soft melting texture, delighted the tables of Northern Italian courts first and less noble, in titles but certainly not in taste for good food, palates afterwards.

 COFFEE



SUGGESTED DONATION £30
- BRING YOUR OWN BOTTLE IS THE POLICY AT OUR SUPPER CLUB,
   IN OTHER WORDS:THE MORE YOU BRING AT OUR  EVENT,

   THE MORE YOU’LL BE DRINKING.
DON'T FORGET TO TELL US IF YOU HAVE ANY ALLERGIES 
- DINNER START AT 8PM
 
 HALLOWEEN 2013






Sauteed Squid, Prawn and Lobster with spinach and roasted Pumpkin with Fennel seeds





Pumpkin Pannacotta with Concord grape, Physalis coverd with dark choc and caramlized Kaky
Pumpkin ravioli
Pumpkin ravioli

Pumpkin and smoked Scamorza cheese risotto



As always at Stairway Kitchn amazing company