I attended the Dolcemente Pisa chocolate show on Sunday. I am constantly amazed at the quality and quantity of artisan food producers and their passion.
left to right: Spumador, Dolcemente Pisa, Vegetable couscous with chocolate nibsGelateria I Coltelli (Pisa); Tartufo di Pizzo (Calabria-Pisa), Gluten- free pastry shop ( Lucca)Mauro Iannantuoni (Milano), Torrone from Sardegna, Donna Elvira ( Modica, Sicily)
The show has food stands mostly from Tuscany but also from other regions of Italy and a couple from other countries. Not only chocolate.
There was also a restaurant, run by my friends Paul and Cecilia DeBondt, who are always creative and fun.
Paul was cranking out lovely delicate pancakes, with butter and a lovely syrup while Cecilia was overseeing the Sunday brunch table. I took multiple trips back to enjoy the various dishes they made, incorporating chocolate in many of them, but not over doing it to be wacko.
Everything was lovely but I especially enjoyed the cous cous with vegetables and cocoa nibs a lot, there was a pork in chocolate sauce ( not mole) and my favorite was a olive tapenade with capers and chocolate. The depth of flavor was incredible.
I then took a cooking class offered by La Scuola della Cucina Italiana, taught by Chocolatier, Mauro Iannantuoni. We watched as he made a multi-faceted dessert which we then assembled. As it was a class for professionals, no need for hands-on for all of us, but we did get to assemble it and eat it!
Multiple flavors and techniques— almond sponge cake, ricotta cream, toasted candied pinenuts, Almond sable’ and a carmel mousse with pear puree.
I hope you can come to Dolcemente Pisa next year- Pisa is so much more than just the tower!
Just returned from Italy -= and Pisa. Sigh – did just see the Tower… does it count that we also spent most of that day in Lucca? I’d love to learn to make good torrone.
I buy torrone!!! it is a long process and very sensitive to moisture! it takes a long long time to whip up the egg whites– We tasted a fabulous chestnut honey torrone with incredible toasted almonds from Sardegna and another great one from Sicily-
it is already dangerous enough to buy pieces– immagine the temptation of having huge amounts at home?
I don’t have much of a sweet tooth but I get the sense that a trip to Dolcemente Pisa would have converted me! Looks like a lovely time and Pisa is a lovely city.
nice !!! bonjour de paris 🙂
I have heard a lot of good things of Dolcemente Pisa and I think that all that is so true after reading your post and looking at your pictures, amazing!