When at CIAK in the kitchen | Certa

When at @ciakinthekitchen, do as the Italian do. We start our feast with an aperitivo, one of the quintessential cultural expressions of Italy: a glass of wine with a small snack as a kind of warm up to dinner. ⁣
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🍇 We drizzle few drops of @borgodelbalsamico traditional balsamic vinegar - red label “affinato” - aged more than 12 years, on chunks of Parmigiano Reggiano. Each drop includes a whole array of wood notes of oak, juniper, chestnut and acacia, which add depth and complex flavours to the final product. ⁣
⁣Taditional balsamic from Reggio Emilia can only be bottled in a distinct small squat bottle with a bulbous base, holding just 100 ml of vinegar. One of these small treasure will easily last in a home kitchen for a year. You use it very little at a time: it isn’t a note that should disappear into a dish, but rather one that allows you to take a really simple ingredient and turn it into something delightful for a dinner party. ⁣
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🥖Before moving on to dinner, Chef @valentinougolini invites us to taste different varieties of crunchy-to-soft bread matched by @tenutaregaleali Extra Virgin Olive Oil. This fragrant and balanced oil comes from the pressing of ten varieties of olives, grown on the estate.⁣
⁣Like wine, the production of olive oil is an opportunity to illustrate the essence of Sicily and the uniqueness of each @tascadalmerita estate. Centennial trees carefully pruned and cared for over the years, grow low branches, allowing for a more precise hand harvesting. The olives are cold pressed with a continuous cycle.⁣
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🥂 We paired it with @tascadalmerita Almerita Contessa Franca 2010 @tenutaregaleali - 100% Chardonnay grapes. Daniel @night.cap.stories, our PR and media relations, describes it as “decidedly bold and elegant at the same time, thanks to an arduously long and slow maturation process. It’s also quite rare: reportedly with just 3000 bottles produced.”