Advertising?

I think it might be interesting, for you all (for you 5 all!), to write some tips to other website based in Le Marche. I want to point that I don't get money for that, it's just my pleasure.

Well, let's start:

- if you need to go on vacation in the area of Sibillini, I suggest Villa Sibillini, and Contrada Durano, the first in San Ginesio, the latter in Smerillo.

- if you need to go on Ancona's area, among the others, I strongly recommend Hotel Duchi della Rovere, in Senigallia (new website coming soon!). The plus is that you can really ask for everything, and they will fulfil you.

- to buy a house, just ask Marche Shire: 17 years of experience (in a business where the parvenus are a lot), might be considered a good starting point.

Bella notizia???

Leggo su Repubblica di oggi che la Società Sportiva Lazio "ha finalmente risolto i suoi problemi col Fisco". Come? Semplice: pagherà il debito di 140 milioni di Euro (140 MILIONI = 280 MILIARDI DI LIRE) in 23 anni. Uuuuhhhh!! Che bello! Saranno "comodamente" pagate rate da 8 milioni di Euro ogni anno...

Constatazione: questo non significa "risolvere", significa "aggirare".

Domanda: quale azienda viene appoggiata così spudoratamente dalle banche?

Risposta: tutte quelle che possono avere connivenze politiche e degli organi di stampa. Una notizia come questa NON è una bella notizia: significa che si possono avere debiti enormi, essere una ZAVORRA per il Paese (leggi Fiat, leggi Telecom, leggi Mediaset, leggi Alitalia e mi fermo qui), ma godere tranquillamente dell'impunità. Niente fallimento, ci mancherebbe, anzi, dalli ai cattivi che lo auspicavano (la Virtus Bologna è fallita per molto meno, e dava molto più lustro allo sport italiano), come ha sostenuto Walter Veltroni, nello stile garantista tipico della classe politica verso le aziende con tanti debiti.

Funzione sociale del calcio? Ma per favore. Chissà le banche creditrici a chi spilleranno soldi, nell'attesa (vana, ci scommettiamo?) del rientro del debito? Tra gli altri, agli stessi tifosi che "inneggiavano al presidente Lotito".

Complimenti, popolo bue.

And now... on Italy Magazine!!!

I'm still excited to see myself and my parents on Italy Magazine April issue... where I talk about my food and wine tours, my family and the places I like most. Article written by Marc Millon, one of the best professional food writers I've ever met. Who has open, btw, Vino.co.uk, a community for wine lovers, in Topsham, Devon.

In UK, from 8th to 15th April

Hi there! I've just booked the flight for Uk, from 8th to 15th April. I'll go to London, Liverpool, and Devon. Most of you have never met me but via email, so it might be a good chance to know each other (if you like, of course!), maybe before coming to Le Marche... :-)

Anyway, if you would like to meet me for working proposal, for booking a tour, for an autograph (!), for a glass of wine/beer/cider, for a dinner, for a lunch, or simply for a chat, send me an email, and we'll arrange it!

Montegranaro: le foto della prima escursione

Sono online (clicca qui per vederle) le foto della prima escursione con i bambini della scuola elementare di Montegranaro, al Frantoio Oleario Ciucani di Fermo.
Per chi volesse saperne di più sul progetto, questo è il sunto: qui l'antefatto, qui il programma.

Gustiamo.com: the programme

Great! I was too busy, too lazy and too tired (I'll tell you why) to write a proper post on wednesday, so here we are.
It should have been one day, in fact it's been 3 days, intense but very funny.

First day, after meeting at lunchtime, we just stroll around Ancona's city centre, for a walk in the Mercato delle Erbe (one of the least known places of this beautiful city), then to the fishing port. A piatto di pasta at the Ristorante Passetto (the best of the city, but... have you ever heard about it in the restaurant guides? It's a real mistery!), and then straight to Loretello, to have a taste of oil with Giuditta Politi (they don't have only wine!). Of course, no highways, all through the hills and valleys of the Monte San Vito and Morro d'Alba area. At 6 pm we were watching the terrecotte of Fratte Rosa, and buying a couple of pots and the typical "testo" to cook the piadina. For dinner, we stayed with Antonio Tombolini, in Loreto.

The following day, we went to Fermo, at Frantoio Oleario Ciucani, and then directly to Osimo, at the Pastificio Latini, where I left Beatrice and Pietro for the rest of the day, after having a great Rigatoni con Piselli e Pomodori (Rigatoni pasta with peas and fresh tomatoes)- delizioso! - and a walk at the experimental wheat fields of the Latini's, where they grow different kind of wheats to have the best pasta of the world.

But it wasn't enough, so the next morning (at 2am!!!) I woke up with Pietro to show him the fish auction (if you go to Fishtel's website, you'll know what I'm talking about). He was extremely happy to see such a special ordinary-event, which I recommend to all those who are seriously interested in fish markets.

What else? The golf site in Sirolo, just below the Monte Conero, and a dinner at La Madonnina del Pescatore (but Beatrice and Pietro were with the Latinis), and the magical Marche at a glance are served!

Ha veramente un suo perché

Questo articolo è dedicato al mitico James Henderson Finlayson. Uno dei personaggi comprimari semisconosciuti di nome. Ma poi, a vedere il viso, si capisce subito chi sia. Icona della comicità in bianco e nero, tanto quanto la (magistrale) controparte.

Last Saturday on Tv, tomorrow with Gustiamo.com

I'm not yet calmed down from the excitement to watch me myself on Tv, last Saturday (I'll put the reportage on the website as soon as possible). Moreover, tomorrow I'll be with Beatrice and Pietro from Gustiamo.com, an excellent website which sells Italian food in the Usa (one of the only places to find it). What are we going to do? They would like to have a one-day Japanese-like tour of Le Marche... I'll do my best, and I'll let you know next Wednesday!!! What I am sure of, is that we will have a lot of fun, I bet!

The act # 40/2004, aka "act against the assisted procreation"

I think it might be interesting to put on my blog one of the thousands "campaing" powerpoints to go and vote against the act. It's very important, because one cannot impose over the others his principles and his religiouse beliefs.

Here is the file (in Italian, but I think is highly comprehensible).

What about bullshits?

Few days ago, wandering through the web, thanks to Marc-at-Wisbey, I found the great blog by Briankane. On 3rd March, the great post about bullshit, and a book written by a Princeton professor. I want the book!

Traditional vs Experimental Cuisine: what about Le Marche?

Here is a link with the Italy Magazine Forum, where a thread about Italian vs Spanish chef has been issued as an excuse to talk about traditional vs experimental cuisine (whose main exponent is Ferran Adrià, the Master of our Moreno Cedroni).

What's my (simple) point of view referring to Le Marche? Here it is.

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I'd say that the point is slightly different. In Italy there are an impressive amount of trash restaurants, which pretend to be traditional. I can take Le Marche as an example, (although I'd say that in other places - Toscana, above all - the situation is much worse). Here in the area of Ancona, there are 3-4 great places, where you spend around 30 Euros but you get a REAL traditional food. However, there are about 30 places where you have "penne alla vodka", "penne speck and rucola", which is nothing traditional and nothing "experimental". It's just to save time and (but not always) money by the "chef".

There are also some other places (I'd say, 2-3, no more than 4), where they try to experimentate, and really they deserve a dinner. Which costs no more than 100 Euros per person, and sometimes is slightly hazardous.

So, I'd complain that in Italy the debate on issue is between traditional and experimental cuisine, however, the *real* point is the high number of unworthwhile restaurants, very often defined as "traditional".

You can also have a proof of what I say: simply go to Bologna, try to go for dinner at an old lady's place, and eat her "tortellini". Then, look for a restaurant which does the same at a fair price.

Or come here, and try to find a dish of real Tagliatelle. As far as I know, there is only one (maybe two) place which really do so. The same thing with Stoccafisso all'Anconetana.

In some areas of Tuscany (for instance, between Pisa, Florence and Siena), you can't find a good average restaurants for miles. Simply try to go to the Grosseto area, or to Livorno, and you will find some very good places (at a fair price) again.

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