Hotel with restaurant and traditional cuisine of San Benedetto del Tronto
The gastronomic tradition of the Marche comes directly from rural society, which has lived for centuries on the fruits of a territory characterized by great landscape diversity. The result is a recipe book that, alongside cereals, legumes, vegetables and truffles, puts meat and fish on the table in simple and genuine combinations. Furthermore, the variety of culinary art in this region is influenced by contamination with neighboring territories.
Indeed, the northern part follows a tradition closer to that of Romagna, while further south there are traits in common with Umbrian and Abruzzo cuisine. But despite everything, what Marche cuisine offers is a great variety of genuine and tasty flavours, then enhanced by the accompaniment of the local wine production.
ASCOLANA OLIVE
One of the most representative dishes of the Piceno area is the famous Ascoli olive. This delicacy consists of a green olive stuffed with meat and then fried, in a triumph of flavors that contains all the essence of the Piceno territory. The olives used belong to the "Ascolana tenera" variety, processed after harvesting and pickled to be preserved together with aromatic herbs, such as wild fennel.
Preparing olives is not very demanding and can also be done at home, given that the ingredients are easily available. In the Piceno area it represents one of the "Sunday" foods and preparation becomes a family ritual. Here is a recipe to try your hand at making delicious Ascoli olives: www.ricette.giallozafferano.it
THE WINES OF PICENO
The entire hilly area of the Piceno area is dotted with impressive vineyards from which DOC wines with an excellent flavor are produced. The wine production of the Marche region perfectly accompanies and enhances the flavors of the gastronomic tradition, both that of the more internal part, characterized by fine meats, cured meats and cheeses, and that of the coast, focused on fish products.
The white and red wines of Piceno, of the highest quality, have been institutionalized with the recognition of the Controlled Designation of Origin and grouped into three large families:
• Rosso Piceno DOC, made up of a limited production, is a fragrant wine with a multi-faceted taste, very suitable for the Marche culinary tradition and peasant culture, linked to the consumption of meat;
• Falerio DOC owes its name to the ancient Roman city Faleria, today known as Falerone. This wine is more linked to the consumption of fish on the coast and is, in fact, a white perfectly in tune with the flavor and lightness of Adriatic fish products;
• Finally, the Offida DOC takes its name from the town of Offida and was established a few years ago. It includes three main types of wine, namely Offida Rosso, Offida Passerina and Offida Pecorino. In particular, the latter is the flagship of this family, because only recently have the flavor and peculiar qualities of this wine been valorised. Pecorino is a white wine with character, with an unusual alcohol content for a white wine and a body that enhances the foods it accompanies.
SAN BENEDETTESE BRODETTO
The sea is one of the greatest resources of San Benedetto del Tronto and the typical products represent the ingredients of many tasty and typical recipes of the Marche coast. The main dish of the San Benedetto tradition is the famous fish broth, known in many different versions, but which has its roots in the maritime history of the town.
Brodetto was born from the habit of seafarers of cooking on board the part of the catch that could not be destined for the market. It was poor fish, the least valuable at the market, but certainly of great flavour, which was processed and cooked directly on the ship, together with vegetables of various types. There are many versions of brodetto today, differentiated according to the type of fish available, but the original version is characterized by the use of vinegar, peppers and green tomatoes. These vegetables were preserved well in the hold of the ships and were then cooked with the fish in large pots, cleaned briefly on purpose, so as to favor the formation of a sauce, which increased the flavor of the products being cooked.
LU FRICANDO'
Among the typical dishes of the San Benedetto tradition we must mention the "Fricandò", particular both in name and taste. The term "Lu Fricandò" means mixture, pastume and in fact identifies a mixed dish of vegetables, potatoes, aubergines, courgettes and peppers, a typical side dish of the culinary art of San Benedetto
The preparation is simple and consists of cleaning the vegetables, then slicing them or cutting them into chunks. Everything is browned with olive oil in a large saucepan and left to cook for about an hour, trying not to let it dry out too much. The final touch is the addition of a pinch of chilli. The simplicity of this dish is enriched by the authenticity of the ingredients and the delicious flavor resulting from long cooking.
COOKING FOR CELIAC PEOPLE
Celiac disease is a permanent intolerance to gluten which currently affects 1 in 100 people in Italy alone. It is therefore inevitable that the eating habits of many people will change, given that to treat celiac disease, you need to eliminate some of the most common foods from your diet, such as bread, pasta, biscuits, pizza, but also anything containing gluten. The high incidence of this type of food intolerance has stimulated great imagination in the kitchen, to ensure everyone has the opportunity to eat with gusto.
The spread of gluten-free foods has grown exponentially in recent years and chefs have worked to use them in the most delicious way possible. If made with the right ingredients, celiacs can now also consume those foods that are potentially harmful to their body: pizza and bread are back on the daily menu, but also delicacies such as pancakes, crepes, not to mention first courses and seconds.