GUSTI Blog

Gift Baskets of Taste and Love

The NPD Group's just released Christmas Holiday Profile Report says 52% of people give food as a holiday gift. Isn't that more than you would think?

On the left, is a picture of one of our gift baskets. Of course, you may make your own selection from Gustiamo.com. If you are in  any doubt, give us a call at 718 860 2949. Never purchased from us and not sure about the quality of our customer service? Read our customers' reviews on Amazon.com. All 5 out of 5.

Panettone by Angelo Marchesi

We know immediately when Panettone Classico by Marchesi has arrived in our warehouse. Its unmistakable "pasticceria" aroma is everywhere. Just baked and flown from Milano, it carries the delicious whiff of the good things it is made with: natural mother yeast, plumpy raisins, untreated citron peel, mountain butter, fresh eggs, flour and sugar. Nothing else. A classic masterpiece of moist, spongy, golden dough, raised to perfection. 
 
Mario Batali says that IT WILL BECOME YOUR ONLY PANETTONE, ONCE YOU TASTE IT.

 

Tratturello EV Olive Oil - part 2

The bottle NUMERO 1 of Il Tratturello's, Francesco Travaglini's EV extraordinary Olive Oil, is a very important one: it's destined to Barack Obama and we are watching its journey from Molise to the South Bronx very closely. It was Francesco's idea (see how it started), although it's a big deal for him:  he always keeps the NUMERO 1 of each harvest on his farm.

I just called IS, our shipping company. Tratturello NUMERO 1 could not be in better hands because they are efficient, professional and caring. Luca Fabbro tells me that the bottle crossed the ocean on Vessel Sealand Eagle, in Container GATU 880188/0 and arrived, as scheduled, in NY, last Thursday. Now, it is in the hands of US customs and FDA. Luca says that everything looks fine and he will call us with news, soon. To be continued....

Novello Olive Oil - What Does It Mean? Licia Granello Says: Nothing!

The first olive oil from the new (still in progress) harvest is about to arrive to our warehouse. We can't wait to taste it. We hear that in this country they call it NOVELLO. Novello of what? Wine can be NOVELLO because it is regulated by strict laws and it only lasts a short time. Past that, it spoils.

NOVELLO is an American invention. They even put "NOVELLO" stickers on the bottles to make sure you really get it. The quality olive oil producers are the first who disagree with this fad. NOVELLO olive oil does not exist. It's all the same olive oil in the same bottle.

If you don't believe me, this is what Licia Granello says about NOVELLO olive oil. The video is sideways, but what she thinks is very clear.

The more I think about it, I have a question:what happens to the bottles with the sticker NOVELLO that are not sold in the next couple of months? Is it not Novello any longer when the sticker is removed from each bottle?

Licia Granello at Gustiamo

GRAZIE to Licia Granello and Paolo, who came to visit us in the Bronx this week, for having endured the cold day and the subway journey! For the few who do not know her, she is the passionate, energetic and knowledgable food editor of La Repubblica, who also wrote a book last year, mai fragole a dicembre, ie you should only eat what is in season. We had lunch together in the warehouse (it was so cold, Licia had to eat with her gloves on. Sorry!). The menu was farro, risotto with mushrooms, farfalle with tomatoes and green salad. We appreciated Licia's integrity and straight talk. She knew and loved all our products and the producers. It was simpatica at first sight. Licia and Paolo, come back soon. Spring, perhaps?

Tratturello EV Olive Oil - numero 1

Francesco Travaglini, the producer of our Tratturello olive oil in his farm, Parco dei Buoi in Molise, has a  small production but high ambitions. He was bottling the new olive oil when Barack Obama was elected and he thought the oil was sooo good, Barack Obama should have one bottle. Not any bottle, but  NUMERO 1. So, he included the NUMERO 1 in the shipment being prepared for us, in America and recorded the event on his blog. OK, this was early November. Where is the shipment with Bottle NUMBER 1? To be continued...

Michael White's Convivio in New York City

In the old L'Impero space, Michael White has created a lighter looking Convivio, where 4 of us had a great dinner the other night.

A lovely menu with lots of a la carte choices from small plate sfizi, appetizers, primi, secondi and dolce but also a $55 four course dinner consisting of any 4 of these. While the pasta course was a half portion, the dinner is a bargain and too much for a hungry person. All 4  people loved every beautifully cooked and presented dish. We had a lovely sicilian nero d'avola from the long and impressive wine list,  although i would have liked to see more choices in the under $50 range. Overall, a great night out.

Holiday Working Hours

Online Gustiamo.com: 24/7

Office-Warehouse 10/7  (we are open from 8am until 6pm every day, including Saturdays and Sundays throughout the month of December)

Call us at "718-860-2949" and/or come visit us at 1715 West Farms Road, in the South Bronx.

Spaghetti alla Chitarra Senatore Cappelli

Spaghetti Chitarra Senatore Cappelli might break when cooked. Some boxes had this problem, other boxes didn't. We couldn't understand why.  What was the problem? It is complicated. Carlo Latini, the agronomist and the pasta maker, can talk for hours about it. It has to do with temperature swings during the drying process of the pasta. When you cook the pasta and it breaks (in pieces sometimes only as long as a toothpick), the pasta is still great; but it doesn't look like you think it should. If your spaghetti broke, call us (718 860 2949) or email us and we'll either refund your order or send you Spaghetti Chitarra from the new production which is problem free.

Black Monday

Monday was the first really busy day of 2008. Lots of orders to fulfill. It started with terrible news: Gerard's wife called and said he was taken to the hospital because he fainted in the subway. We also had no internet connection and spent hours on the phone with Verizon. When the connection returned, the server was down. In short, we didn't/couldn't do anything until lunch time, when our fortune started to turn: we heard that Gerard was fine and would come to work the following day; Alan fixed the server, the Gustiamo holiday logo is up on our website and Antonio brought frittata for lunch. We started to pick, pack and ship after lunch. At the end of the day, we were exhausted, but still smiling.