GUSTI Blog

Free Advertising from Google

   Now, this is incredible! Free advertising from Google! Wonderful. More things like this should happen to us.

Nicolette Abbatangelo is a friend of our friend, Simone Tarantino, and she is a student at Montclair State University, NJ. Google is sponsoring a project with that University and wants young students to learn the art of advertising with Adwords. The objective of the project is to increase the visibility of the subject company (Gustiamo!) and raise its ranking with search engines. So Nicolette, together with Candice, Nicole and Scott are working on our behalf. The report and results of the project will be submitted to the University and Google.

One of the keywords they chose is "Italian Olive Oil". I didn't think it was a good choice. I thought that since we are so famous for our exceptional Italian Olive Oils, we should already be high up in the search engine. Nothing could be more wrong! I just did my research of "Italian Olive Oil" on Google. Result: we stand nowhere! Gustiamo never appears when you enter those words on Google. I went through 63 pages of Google (623 entries) and Gustiamo was never mentioned. Nothing, like we do not exist. I was so appalled that I would have gone on in my search but Google tells me that after the 63rd page, all the entries are similar to the previous ones and stops there. This is it. We do not exist.

We clearly need all the help we can get! Nicole, Candice, Nicole and Scott, thank you very much! Get to work on this project soon!!!

Colatura di Alici - Anchovy Sauce

It takes five months to macerate the anchovies in a chestnut wooden barrel, then a hole is made in the botton of the barrel and, drop by drop, the Colatura is born. It's an amber color liquid (only anchovies and sea salt) and enhances any dish! Click the video below and learn from the Association Amici delle Alici, a group of young men whose objective is to promote and monitor the centuries old process, which makes the Colatura di Alici . BTW, this Association's president name is Mr. Pesce. How appropriate is that!?! The video is in Italian and I took it at the Salone del Gusto in Torino, last year. Giulio is the star in the video; Giulio, his brother Enzo and Enzo's wife Raffaella make our wonderful Colatura di Alici.

Consider Bardwell Farm

  I fell in love with Chris of Consider Bardwell Farm. Not with him exactly but with his cheese. I buy it every Friday at my local farmers' market on 97th near Columbus Ave, in New York. I am addicted to the Manchester, an aged goat milk little tome and the Dorset, a raw Jersey cow’s milk cheese. Just great cheeses!

Yesterday, I finally expressed my "love" to the young man (left) and asked him his name and where the cheese comes from. Chris tells me that the farm was founded in 1864 by a man called Consider Bardwell and it is located in the South West corner of Vermont. Chris also tells me that he only sells at MY farmers market. Everything else is taken by Provisions International.

But of course, what else! I started jumping up and down! The best goes only with the best. Provisions International? I know them very well. "Do you know Chris", I asked? Yes, of course this Chris knows Chris and Wendy, of course, and Craig and Dondi and all the beautiful people who work for this great company. A year ago, I went to see their offices and operations in White River Junction. I spent two exceptional days with them! I cooked in their kitchen! They came to my home in NY. We went on and on... Chris and I, at that point, were almost family, the conversation was great, but business was suffering. In fact, a small crowd had gathered and they wanted to do their cheese shopping. So, I left. 'Til next Friday.

Beauty Food

I have been reading about food companies trying to market the food they sell as "Beauty Food" ie, foods that improve your looks, sold at Sepfora instead of Costco. Food sold by Gustiamo in America, is the quintessential Beauty Food: it certainly is good for you and, most importantly, it makes you very very happy when you eat it.

John Fusco, our landlord, came to the office, couldn't believe his eyes and gasped "Where Do You Find These Beautiful Girls???" He often comments on our ability to attract not only smart but also beautiful women (and men). This is Kristy, a friend of Anne's since they were children. She lives in Berlin, works in a PR firm, doesn't cook but loves to eat. She has been visiting Anne for a week. See what a week long cure of Gustiamo good food can do to people?

Will You Work for Food? Italy's Best Foods?

Gustiamo is hiring!!!

For the second year, we went to the French Culinary Institute's annual job fair. We were among other great employers such as Del Posto, Jean Georges, Boulud, Fresh Direct... And met many exceptional candidates, all alumni of the French Culinary Institute. Actually, since the "French" is not fashionable any longer, the venerable school is slowing dropping the French to become the International Culinary Center or the Italian Cooking Academy. It's all a little confusing, but it's all the same thing.

 At left is how the room looked, with the employers behind the tables. You can feel the vibe. Anne, at the end of the room by the corner, is holding for the photographer the big Gustiamo sign. Anne is a graduate from this school, so here she is, again, only at the other side of the table!

We are looking for passionate, honest, hard working people who love real Italian foods. Candidates for internships and part/full time jobs, pls email Anne. We need sales people, internet, admin, marketing. In exchange, we offer: lots of fun, small salaries and great Italian foods.

A Star Is Born - Co. Company Pizzeria

  I know a thing or two about good pizza. First, I was born in Napoli, then my home base in Roma is literally almost next door to the most incredible pizzeria outside Campania. The Romans call it  "l'Obitorio"  (the morgue, because of its white marble tables), but its official name on the sign outside and in the telephone book, is Panattoni.

Last night, with my usual skepticism and of course, knowing it all, Gustiamo and friends went to Co. Pizzeria in Chelsea, where the master pizzaiolo is Jim Lahey, of Sullivan Street Bakery and of global fame for having taught Americans (and me) to make bread at home. Let me tell you, the pizza is fantastic, and I am not saying this because I want to be an ass kisser (read below). The crust is thin and perfectly charred, the dough fragrant. Just delicious, you must go.  

Before we left, we asked to see Jim. Here, with his friend Kate Krader of Food & Wine Magazine and me. We told Jim how impressed we were by the quality and the excecution of the pizza. We gave him a tin of tomatoes Terra Amore e Fantasia, which we just happened to have in our bag. Now, wasn't THAT an amazing coincidence? Who knows, will we have soon the Pizza Fantasia on the Co. menu? 

Lunch With The Devil

  Annie Myers, a very pretty, energetic, passionate, young woman, created a project, Radishes and Rubbish, last fall. She organizes field trips for NYU students to visit food companies/venues in and around New York City. Check out their calendar! Next trip is April 9 to the Fulton Fish Market in the Bronx with David Pasternack. Unfortunately, I will be in Italy; otherwise, I would certainly go and would not mind at all that the appointment is for 3 AM.  

The group was small (in the middle of spring break, many could not attend - one reason to do it again. OK, Annie?) but Annie, Tracy and Stephanie were very well spoken and opinionated. And combative! You know, they are not just NYU students, they are students at the venerable NYU Food Studies Dept. They are all into sustainable, artisanal, treat well the land, treat well the people... and LOCAL. Therefore, the DEVIL of the title here refers to Gustiamo, whose carbon footprint is not a size 6. They came, they learned about our food artisans, they ate their products. And they shopped! Where we able to convince them that there are times when you must compromise and share globally beautiful food? I hope so. Care Annie, Stephanie and Tracy, good luck with your studies and Grazie for coming to Gustiamo!

The NYTimes and Savoiardi by Di Ciaccio

  Evviva!!! Florence Fabricant wrote about the Savoiardi cookies in The New York Times. Bad scanning of the article on the left. Link to the article, here.

We just started importing the Savoiardi and other cookies (lingue di gatto, brutti ma buoni, fiori di mandorla, corrali kamut) made  by master baker Antonio Di Ciaccio in his little shop in Gaeta. They are really delicious, fragrant and light.

The article in The New York Times was on prime location - page 3 of the Dining section but everybody missed it. Problem? Its title was "To Omit Gluten but Keep Tiramisù". Although there are approximately 3 million people in the United States who suffer from celiac desease, very few of them make Tiramisu' at home. (Not a problem! We are always happy to get Florence's attention.) Nevertheless, the cookies are now sold out. As soon as they come back, we'll share the real Tiramisu' recipe from our friends at Sant'Eustachio. Stay tuned!

Risotto Is Not Rice, In Italian

I can't believe how many times friends, customers but also big chefs ask me: do you carry risotto? I am appalled at the ignorance. Here is the reality: Risotto is the cooked dish; rice is the grain that makes the risotto.

I wanted to kiss David Pogue, the technology guru of the New York Times, when I read he knows exactly what we are talking about. He starts his article of March 5th, with the following words: I’ll never forget the time I visited a Riverwalk restaurant in San Antonio and ordered risotto: rice that’s been stirred in broth until it’s rich, creamy and perfect. But what the waiter brought to the table wasn’t risotto. It was just rice. A bowl of yellow rice. “Oh, I’m sorry,” I said to the waiter. “I actually ordered the risotto?” The guy looked at me like I was the village idiot. “What do you think risotto means? It means ‘rice’ in Italian. That’s what you got.” To be clear, he was reviewing the new Samsung Memoir by T-Mobile. I guess he didn't like it! 

So, rice is NOT risotto. Rice is the ingredient with which you make risotto. But you can use rice to make steamed or boiled rice, which is OK, too, but it is NOT risotto. This the "rice appreciation post". Buy one (or more) bags of our Gazzani rice and you'll receive a discount of 20%. This offer is valid until April 10 and the magic word is "Rice, not Risotto"

Sant'Eustachio Coffee and Phish

  It was a long journey, 600 miles. But Sant'Eustachio safely made it to the Phish concert. The tour crossed many states, they drove day and night. They ate at strange places and met all kind of people. Read Nicole's funniest and well documented chronicle in her swizzlesticks.

Nicole, good you are back!

PS The girl in the photo in swizzlesticks was sitting next to Nicole. She has been ordering caffe' Sant'Eustachio from Gustiamo for years. Out of 13,000 people! HOW COOL IS THAT?!?