Calabria Revisited: Savoring the Food & Culture of the Region

Calabrian cuisine is a typical southern Italian Mediterranean cuisine with a balance between meat-based dishes (pork, lamb, goat), vegetables (especially eggplant is served in a variety of ways ), fish, which is favored on the coastal towns and pasta.

 Chef Salvatore Corea and his wife Gina Rotundo at Alloro

“Calabrians have traditionally placed an emphasis on the preservation of their food, in part because of the climate and potential crop failures, as a result, there is a tradition of packing vegetables and meats in olive oil, making sausages and cold cuts (sopressata and the spicy spreadable sausage called 'nduja), and, along the coast, curing fish, especially swordfish, sardines and cod. Local desserts are typically fried, honey-sweetened pastries or baked biscotti-type treats. 

Inspired from his childhood in Albi, in the province of Catanzaro in the east southeastern portion of the region, and his own unique interpretation of Calabrian cuisine, chef Salvatore Corea of Alloro (307 East 77th Street) has crafted a four course feast dedicated to the rich bounty of his native region for a special dinner, to be held at the restaurant on February 23 at 7.30 PM, created in collaboration with The American Institute of Wine and Food (non-profit educational organization with an emphasis on fostering the understanding, appreciation and accessibility of food and drink to all Americans conceived by Robert Mondavi, Julia Child and Richard Graff) to raise funds for Days of Taste® 

Developed by the American Institute of Wine and Food in 1995, the national food education program is catered to 4th & 5th grade schoolchildren and serves to increase nutrition and food knowledge . “It inspires children to learn about the food we eat, discover how ingredients taste, and how they weave their way into our daily lives, from farm to table,” www.daysoftaste.org explains.  

The evening's program was made possible with support from D. Coluccio & Sons, Inc., Wine Emporium, SausageDebauchery.com, Robinson's Prime Reserve, Caffo Beverages and Jan D'amore Wines. Six-time James Beard Award nominee for Outstanding Wine Service Charles Scicolone will guide guests through the flight of specially selected wines of Calabria that have been paired with each course. The evening will also include a silent auction featuring a Mosefund Farm Tour, a collection of autographed cookbooks by Michele Scicolone, wines donated by Wine Emporium, as well as a “foods of Calabria” gift basket by Louis Coluccio of D. Coluccio and Sons. 

Louis Coluccio is the event chair and a board member of The American Institute of Wine and Food. “Late last year we had envisioned the creation of regional dinners highlighting traditional cuisine. We decided to start with Calabria because its food is unbelievably good, and, on a personal note,  my family is from Calabria,” Louis Coluccio stated.
 

The name of the evening is “Calabria revisited,” and Salvatore explains why. “I call my cuisine revisited because I like to give it a special touch, my so-called signature. I believe that if someone decides to go out for dinner he/she should go somewhere where they serve something that cannot be made at home. Take spaghetti alle vongole, for example, not only it is easy to make at home but there are hundreds of restaurants that make it too. Yes, one can use better ingredients, another can be a bit cheaper but there is nothing that unique about it. I want to be unique. I want people to come here because they can have something special, something that cannot be replicated at home.”

A clear example of Salvatore's twist in his cuisine can be found in the evening's menu, “ pasta with n'juduia ragù is part of Calabria's traditional cuisine, but I have added citrus to give it a hint of freshness. Peperoncino is a typical product/ingredient and here I present it as a gelatin, which is a totally different way to serve it. Licorice is the Calabrian product that I cherish the most. Every time I go back home I bring one or two kilos of pulverized licorice that I like to use in risottos, in sauces and desserts. In this special occasion I used it to make a delicious ice cream paired with fennel salad and fresh sheep ricotta, the perfect light dessert to end a rich and flavorful dinner.”

Louis Coluccio had to add, “I am a big fan of Salvatore's cuisine because it is so unique. He gives a modern spin to the classics of regional cuisine.” Cuisine is continually evolving and Salvatore's interpretations succeed because they are respectful of tradition and always feature the freshest seasonal ingredients. He captures the spirit of The American Institute of Wine and Food.

Have a look at the evening's menu:

Hors d'oeuvres
 
Enjoy Salvatore's selection of Calabrian cured meats and cheeses
SCAVIGNA BIANCO ~ ODOARDI ~ CALABRIA ~ 2010
 
Antipasto - Appetizer
 
Burratina, tartare di pomodori e gelatina di peperoncino
Creamy cow's milk cheese, tomato tartar, spicy red pepper gelatin
SCAVIGNA BIANCO ~ ODOARDI ~ CALABRIA ~ 2010
 
Primo - Pasta
 
Candele di gragnano con ragù di n'juduia, pecorino crotonese, scorzette d'agrumi candite
Candele di gragnano pasta, n'juduia ragù, pecorino crotonese, citrus zest
CIRÒ IPPOLITO 1845 ROSSO CLASSICO SUPERIORE~ RIBER PATER ~ CALABRIA ~ 2009
 
Secondo - Entrée
 
Filetto di maiale con salsa di miele e peperoncino, verze stufate, crema fritta, pancetta crocante
Roasted pork loin, honey & spicy red pepper sauce, braised cabbage, fried cream, crispy pancetta
SAVUTO COLACINO ~ VIGNA COLLE BARABBA ~ CALABRIA ~ 2008
 
Dolce - Dessert
 
Gelato di liquirizia con ricotta di pecora fresca, insalatina di finocchi
Licorice ice cream, fresh sheep ricotta, fennel salad
N'TICE LIQUOR ~ CALABRIA

Tickets are available on Brown Paper Tickets.