An Italian journalist Luciano Pignataro revealed that the secret behind the flavorsome Cilento cuisine is the absence of a clock. I investigate this secret and wonder why in Malta we still have not embarked on a slow food journey.

At the mention of the word Cilento or Trentinara I always get baffled looks. No one seems to have ever heard of it, not even the Italians themselves. Well, neither had I until sometime ago!

I started discovering Trentinara and the Cilento area when my parents, at the time on holiday in Southern Italy, met this Italian couple by chance – Alfonso and Cristina. The couple run this cosy and tiny tavern called Lo Vottaro situated in the historical centre of the quaint comune di Trentinara. My parents instantly fell in love with their restaurant and the town which hosts it. The food which Alfonso and Cristina so passionately prepare was excellent bait for my epicurean father. Therefore, it was not long before I was convinced to visit Trentinara.

The unspoilt ground of Cilento, in the province of Salerno, forms part of the Campania region in Southern Italy. The area is hushed and undiscovered, as if kept a secret from the rest of Italy and to tourists. Trentinara, a town situated close to Paestum in the Cilento area, is dominated by a placid and passive aura. There is tranquility around as if time stopped a couple of centuries ago. Yet, the feeling is positive especially as you realise that the locals cling bravely to their old traditions and customs and have high esteem of their products and territory, an attitude which we Maltese are still coming to terms with..

Walking through the tight alleys of Trentinara feels like being in the Middle Ages. The cobbled pavements were definitely not made for women wearing high heels, not that you see many of them around! Few inhabitants populate this hilltop town, many of them farmers and producers of local specialties like extra virgin olive oil, buffalo mozzarella, goats’ cheese, and cured meats. Alfonso explained that many locals still live a limited and traditional lifestyle; many women are housewives or work in fields together with their husbands. Men break their daily routine downing Vecchia Romagna (an Italian brandy) in the bars around the town. Alfonso, jokingly but truthfully describes the locals, especially the veterans, as penny-pinchers, who rarely travel away from Trentinara, and are oblivious to fashion, innovation and technology.

Yet, when modern Alfonso landed in Trentinara he wanted to preserve the past traditions. He acquired a couple of old residences in the core of Trentinara and restored them to their original medieval state creating a warm and rustic dining area and also spacious rooms which can be rented as holiday homes. As soon as you enter the tavern you are welcomed by an appetizing display of delicacies prepared as part of the menu of the day. At Lo Vottaro there is no fixed menu or wine list. Everything is put together freshly for the day and according to season. Ingredients used are procured from local farmers and suppliers. Herbs, mushrooms and wild edible kitchen essentials are hand-picked by Alfonso and Cristina during their regular walks in the woods.

The wooden tables, terracotta glasses and plates, and the decorative food items appended to the ceiling create a hospitable atmosphere.  The glowing fireplace is not only a source of heat but also a cooking hob for calamari, wild boar sausages, and fresh eggs cooked on the open fire and served with grated truffle. Cristina is in charge of the kitchen. You will find no weighing scales in her cooking area where she, with her swift and smooth moves, prepares everything from scratch. Her recipes and measurements are stored in her mind. She grows her own vegetables and herbs, rears her own chickens, and a pig. She preserves fruit, makes jams, cures meat and she even bottles her own olive oil!

The menu is usually presented in the form of a mixed antipasto, a soup, the first course, a main dish and then a selection of desserts. Many dishes served contain typical Cilento specialties which are part of the Mediterranean diet, found to be, by the American nutritionist Ancel Keys, a healthier option. .  During our stay we managed to taste a selection of cheeses including buffalo mozzarella  aged goat’s cheese, a variety of cured meats, an artichoke parmiggiana, ricotta soufflé and of course the home-baked bread. As first courses we enjoyed ravioli stuffed with ricotta, fusilli with broccoli and clams, cavatelli with fresh tomato sauce and porcini mushrooms. For main courses we were endowed with, wild boar cooked in tomato sauce, oven-baked rabbit and roasted kid.  To soothe our sweet tooth: rum savarin, pear and ricotta tart, wild berries jam tart, buffalo ricotta with acacia honey.

At Lo Vottaro food is a serious matter. This tavern is the refuge of people in search of traditional recipes, natural food and genuine delicacies.  Alfonso and Cristina work hard to guarantee the use of fresh local products, carefully grown or chosen personally by them to ensure their taste is not marred by added chemicals or preservatives. Eating at Lo Vottaro is like eating at your grandmother’s house when everything was simpler yet with particular characteristics, distinct taste and healthy nutritional values. Once you experience Lo Vottaro few other restaurants will provide you with the same palatable satisfaction.

In Malta, the time has arrived to pause our clock and embark on a journey to discover the edible treasures of the Maltese territory. Local produce needs to be safeguarded and promoted to rekindle the traditions of local cuisine and ensure a slow and healthy food style for the new generations. Maltese citizens should be inspired by the work of Alfonso and Cristina and insist on eating local dishes and products. Would love to see a “Lo Vottaro” on our islands!

Share

We will be providing you with a series of recipes which can be prepared with the selection of products we have available. These can be easily purchased by contacting us on email@myeatmania.com or visiting our online shop.

Here’s the first recipe you can to try out in just a couple of minutes:

Penne con crema di carciofi e ricotta

Crema di carciofi

You can use any type of pasta to create this recipe with Maida’s cream of artichokes.

• 400g penne
• 1 jar of Maida’s cream of artichokes
• 200g ricotta
• 100g pancetta
• fresh parsley

Put some extra virgin olive oil in a large saucepan and fry the pancetta cubes until golden. In a bowl mix the ricotta with the artichoke cream and pour in the saucepan. Mix well with the pancetta. In the meantime, boil the pasta and when it’s ready drain and add to the sauce. You can add some olive oil according to your liking and scatter with some freshly chopped parsley.

For a vegetarian option you can easily eliminate the pancetta.

Share

Fresh Anchovies

Here’s a recipe for you to try out!

Anchovy parmigiana

Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 1 kg fresh anchovies, cleaned, filleted and opened
• 800g tomato sauce
• 2 eggs
• 100g grated parmesan cheese
• 200g mozzarella di bufala
• 100ml milk
• flour
• parsley, chopped
• frying oil
• salt & pepper

Prepare the batter by beating the eggs with the milk, salt and pepper. Lightly flour the fish and coat them with the egg mixture. Fry them in hot oil and put them to dry on absorbent paper. Then, take an ovenproof dish and cover with some of the tomato sauce and on top place a layer of the fried anchovies. Scatter some parmesan, chopped parsley and the mozzarella cubes. Dress with some tomato sauce and repeat the layers until you use up all the ingredients. Cook in a pre-heated oven of 200 degrees celsius for about 20 minutes. You can prepare a day in advance and its taste will be even better!

Parmigiana with fresh anchovies

Share

Il Vottaro, Trentinara, Cilento - Campania, Italy

Waiting eagerly for December… not only for Christmastime but even more for our trip to Trentinara in Cilento (Campania, Italy). My parents just returned from an overland tour of Southern Italy wherein they had a fruitful encounter with a sweet Italian couple… I say fruitful or rather foodfull because these blessed human beings come from Trentinara, a small village in the Salerno province where they run a small Osteria. Their story is a voyage amidst the fresh produce and ingredients of the Cilento area. Their Osteria provides a fixed menu of the day which securely guarantees use of fresh and seasonal ingredients which make up their creative dishes. Everything is prepared by this couple, Alfonso & Cristina, who pour their fervent passion for food into the dishes they create. Click here for more information.

Rest assured that on my return I will update you with our experience of a 5 day culinary adventure… I am sure I will be delirious in this gastronomic heaven!

Share