arturoskitchen: March 2015

Thursday, 19 March 2015

Amatriciana row - garlic or not garlic?

City of Amatrice versus Masterchef Gracco
What is the matter? The ingredients of Pasta Amatriciana.
With or without garlic? I can't live......actually, I can.

Amatriciana - photo PR

The name Amatriciana finds its origin in the village of Amatrice in Italy.

One of the most famous dishes of the Italian tradition with Carbonara, Puttanesca and so on.
Official ingredients are pork jowl, San Marzano tomatoes, Pecorino cheese, chilli, black pepper and white wine. What the heck? my daughter would say!
With or without garlic? It does not matter! as long as you...

Mr Gracco, got famous after his restaurant got 2 stars Michelin, which apparently it's enough to give you fame, but it does not necessarily mean that you can turn upside down everything you want in the kitchen.

Also, talking about the Amatriciana in that Food TV Programme he introduces the garlic as a secret ingredient of the recipe. Well, let me tell you something. It is no longer a secret if you tell everybody.

He should have presented it as his personal touch. I would agree with that. The personal touch is what makes recipes and restaurants different and attractive.
The point is: should the Amatriciana Association make all the fuzz about this?
They have spent a lot of time through the years to treasure and defend this tradition and the dish should be handled with care.

In the end, In one of Giorgio Panariello's movies, a popular comedian, he asks a lovely girl whether one of the ingredients of Spaghetti Amatriciana is garlic or not. Guess what he says in the end?