Sardinian cuisine: A celebration of traditional tastes and music of Italy

Tuesday, 14 August 2012 00:53 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Sardinian cuisine has a rightful place in the typically Mediterranean gastronomic tradition. Extra virgin olive oil, white meats and fish that is rich in the good, polyunsaturated variety: lamb, kid, mutton, lean pork, oily fish, molluscs and shellfish, are predominantly tasted in a Sardinian food fare.

The flavours, which have little to do with nutrients and calories, but make everything pleasing to the palate are entirely natural: wild oregano and fennel, garlic, bay leaves and indeed Sardinian dishes are exquisite to eat and healthful to the whole body.

Flavoursome, fragrant and gastronomic explosion – these are the first words that come to mind when thinking of Sardinia’s foods presented by Chef Riccardo from Italy. And the dishes laid out along with Sardinian music at MLH will exalt an explosion of flavours going from its fertile plains to the blue seas, the rugged mountain pastures and the fragrant marquis, and mostly a sensory explosion.

Sardinian recipes speak of old style, familiar, humble yet rich fare that in some cases has not changed over centuries. At MLH the Sardinian food fare will surface ancient cuisine which is extraordinarily modern with its hearty soups that make one-dish meals, the lamb and pork stews with vegetables that combine the main and side dishes, and the seafoods like Cassola – soup and main course all in one.

GM of MLH stated: “Sardinian recipes on 24 August at the Governor’s Restaurant, Mount Lavinia Hotel will not only give elegance of simplicity, but all the refinement of wholesomeness. And that is not all, the music of Sardinia is probably the most culturally distinct of all the regions in Italy, yes we have that too on 24 August.”

Musically Sardinia, is best known for the tenore polyphonic chant, sacred songs called gosos, and the launeddas, an ancient instrument that consists of a set of three single-reed pipes, all three mouth-blown simultaneously using circular breathing, with two chanters and one drone.

The best of Sardinian recipes are rustic, hearty, and straightforward and some of the dishes that will be made by Chef Riccardo along with Sardinia music on 24 August for dinner would be: Panadas filled with pecorino cheese; dumplings with tuna and bottarga – this is a small dumpling typical of Sardinia; Sardinian summer nuraghe – this quick and refreshing dish, perfect for the summer, is made with pane carasau, an ancient bread from Sardinia that lasts an extremely long time; seadas (traditional sardinian fritter) – this Sardinian sweet, famous throughout the world, pairs divinely the sweetness of the honey with the saltiness of the pecorino cheese, making for an intriguing and intense flavour; zucchini with peppermint (curcurica kin menta); agnello della barbaggia – braised leg of lamb, cannonau wine, wild mushrooms with fregola sarda.