It was quite an honor having a seat at the table down in the cellar of @la_brinca The restaurant’s owner, Sergio Circella, gave us a masterclass discussion of Ligurian cuisine. It was here that we first learned about my current obsession, @premiate_trattorie_italiane which is an association of great Italian trattorias who bypasses the judgment of journalist and conglomerate backed food guides, to select and honor each other through association. It’s basically a fraternity of great restaurants. Spanning across Italy, they started with 12 restaurants and are now 17. They do events together and have a collaboration cookbook. I have been to 7 of them and can attest that the ones I have been to are amazing. I eagerly anticipate checking off visiting all of these restaurants!! The days notes from a gentleman and a scholar @chesterhastings In the labyrinth of a cellar with Sergio drinking CASA DEL DIAVOLO Golfo Del Tigullo PORTOFINO CIANA 2020. He gives a passionate history of Ligurian food and admits that this food shares an affinity to Perigord and Basque foods. While there are few if any cows in the area, Parmigiano comes from the top of the hill where Parma starts. He only uses this Parmigiano and smoked Pecorino Sardo in pesto. Corbezzola used to smoke the cheese. La Brinca Pesto: Basilico Genovese 4 p parmigiano 1 p pecorino sardo Marjoram instead of pepper. Marjoram is king. “We use aromatic herbs, not spices where we can. Ligurian cuisine is based on fillings.” Trito (mix of garlic and parsley used a lot in this kitchen) “Cucina Povera is a relative term. Buy a steak, it’s pricey but no labor to cook, little to no time. A dish like Cima is cheap cuts. The labor that used to be the work of family, nonnas, mammas, throughout the day to prepare food now cost more than the ingredients. So when we cook these old world dishes we cannot charge prices based on the ingredients, but on the labor.”