Guinea Pigs in Paradiso

First Published: 10 Oct 2007

It was an event out of the blue. The planets had aligned, the harvest moon was in the sky and we were given a glimpse of Italian culinary paradise along with the opportunity to sample it! For about five hours on a Sunday afternoon everything was perfect.It was an event out of the blue. The planets had aligned, the harvest moon was in the sky and we were given a glimpse of Italian culinary paradise along with the opportunity to sample it! For about five hours on a Sunday afternoon everything was perfect.

The occasion was a special dinner at Pasquale’s Ristorante located in the Birchwood Plaza in the small, New Hampshire town of Candia, just outside of Manchester. Besides being a special dinner, it was also a dress rehearsal for an upcoming soirée later that month at the Italian Culinary Institute (ICI) in New York City. A significant part of the institute is their Italian Culinary Center (ICC), where the dinner will be hosted. It is the mission of the ICC to promote Italian culture and tradition in the United States through Italian cuisine. The ICI and its culinary center are promoted by ‘La Cucina Italiana’ and ‘Italian Cooking & Living’ magazines(www.italiancookingandliving.com), which some of you may be familiar with.

Maria Elena and I, along with a few others, were the gastronomic jury assigned with the ‘weighty’ task of sampling the fare in order to offer suggestions and constructive comments to refine it to an epicurean crescendo. Since you only have few, if any, shots at a New York, 5th Ave venue, why not make it perfecto? Why not indeed!

How did we happen to qualify as food aficionados? Well, I could say it is related to my girth or maybe my food savvy, but not really. It was more of a friend-of-a-friend affiliation. Our amico is Rufus Boyett, a restaurant consultant on fine wines and dining, who we had the pleasure to meet on various occasions at another exceptional Italian institution, Abondante Ristorante, in Meredith, NH. It is Rufus’ friend, Pasquale Celone, who is the chef and owner of Pasquale’s Ristorante, and what a find and new friend he is!

Pasquale was born and raised in the small, Italian, coastal town of Torre Annunziata, which is not far from Pompeii. His passionate interest in cooking became apparent at an early age when he learned that preparing food was a labor of love. Following high school, Pasquale attended the prestigious Culinary Institute of Maria del Toro near Sorrento, where he mastered the basics of la cucina della regione. Being so close to the sea, this training centered on the preparation of the exquisite frutti di mare dishes for which the Bay of Naples is renowned. Afterwards, he was fortunate to secure an apprenticeship at the celebrated Torre Saraceni Ristorante on the Isle of Capri, where working under the direction of some of the greatest chefs in the region, he perfected his skills in la cucina napoletana - skills which he continues to demonstrate today to the delight of his many smiling patrons.

He came to the U.S. in 1989, and in 2000, with the opening of Pasquale’s Ristorante, he realized his lifelong ambition of owning his own restaurant. Since then, he has constantly impressed discriminating diners from New Hampshire and greater New England with his culinary skills.

A major milestone in his career, facilitated with the help of Rufus, occurred in 2005 when he presented a memorable ‘Bella Sera in Campania’ at the ICI, his first appearance there. On this occasion, his guests savored some cucina squisita di Campania accompanied by matching vini fini from the region the Romans understandably called Campania Felix. His performance that night impressed not only those present but also attracted the attention of the Italian Trade Commission, for shortly afterwards he was among those invited to visit Italy as a member of a small and elite group of professional chefs from around the world. While in Italy, this select assemblage participated in an intensive course in la cucina pugliese - all as guests of the Italian Government.

Known primarily for his prowess in le cucine di Campania e di Puglia, Pasquale was genuinely honored when he was invited to present at this year’s ‘Il Festivale Annuale di Tartufi Bianchi’ (Annual White Truffle Festival) featuring the foods and wines from Piemonte and hosted by the ICI.

This brings me full circle then on the whys and wherefores of our being fortunate ‘guinea pigs’, the victims of intense culinary experimentation at the hands of the likes of Chef Pasquale! Will we ever recover from this torturous experience? Hope not!

With this events’ emphasis on white truffles, indigenous to the Piedmont region, and far from his Campanian roots, Pasquale was challenged to pull out all the stops, and as we can testify, succeeded in infusing a little added flair from the sunny ‘Mezzogiorno” to further enhance the magnificent gastronomy of the Piedmont misty mountains. Here is what we sampled that afternoon:

Sunday Afternoon’s Fare w/ Matched Wines

ANTIPASTI Carpaccio piemontese Carpaccio with capers, shaved parmigiano and white truffle dressing.Fonduta Classic cheese fondue of Fontina Valle d’Aosta cheese and truffle oil.VINO - 2006 GAVI DI GAVI (Villa Rosa)

PRIMO PIATTO Tajarin ai tartufi bianchiTaglierini with a butter-sage sauce, parmigiano reggiano, and topped with shaved white truffles.VINO - 2005 DOLCETTO D’ALBA (Mauro Sebaste)

SECONDO PIATTO Stinco di vitello brasatoBraised veal shank, served with porcini mushrooms, polenta, and a white truffle sauce.VINO - 2001 BARBARESCO Riserva (Cantina Rizzi)

DOLCE Bunet della Nonna“Grandma’s pudding” - one of Piemonte’s favorites, made with eggs, fresh cream, chocolate, crushed almond paste amaretti cookies, and Amaretto de Sorano liquor.VINO - MOSCATO D’ASTI (Villa Rosa)

In way of substantive results and gastronomic findings, there was no long deliberation by this juror! You know the expression – ‘to die for’! For my part, I think I recall calling for a little more salt once or twice between refills of the Gavi Di Gavi and Barbaresso! My wife Maria Elena, however, was far more helpful and forthcoming with useful recommendations.

Pasquale and his team (Executive chef Steven Stinnett, Senior waiter Robert Desmond, and others) did a ‘straordinaria’ job in both the food’s preparation and in their explanation of the courses and associated Piedmontese wines (something I personally really enjoyed hearing) and who will, without doubt, eclipse this rehearsal session when the time comes in NYC. Special thanks is also due to my friend Rufus Boyett for his kind invitation, but moreover for bringing Chef Pasquale to the attention of the ICI and who can be credited for bringing fine Italian wines and ‘autentico italiano’ dining to New Hampshire.

If you are ever in the Candia NH area, give Pasquale a call at the Ristorante (603 483-5005), mention la storia d’il cuoco (history of the cook) you read here of his achievements thus far and be sure to ask how it turned out in New York City that evening in October. Then be sure to drop in for some of Pasquale’s Italian ambrosia – he may even have a white truffle or two around.

What a wonderful dining experience we had – masterfully prepared food, fine wines, engaging company and excellent conversation. It was a perfect preamble to our upcoming return to Italia in only a few more days! One interesting comment Pasquale shared with me and which I’d like to leave with you: Time isn’t money; Time is Life!

Divertiti! Paolo