Italian Food Market
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Chef’s Favourite Italian Ham and Cheese
When it comes to Italian ingredients, ham and cheese are musts. city’super is delighted to bring you over 20 styles of Italian cheese and deli meats so you can savour the best of Italy.
Italians take their hams and cheeses very seriously. Italian chef Paolo says that some cheesemakers raise their own cows because they want to produce high-quality Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, and pay extra attention to the pasture to ensure the cows are getting the best grass, so the milk will be extra rich and creamy for making cheese.
He recalls being in the hills as a child and seeing how goats were milked and how cheese was created on the spot using leaves as a strainer to hold the warm cheese. He also highly recommends guanciale, which is extra fatty pork cheek. Guanciale has a unique flavour that is good for many sauces. Chef Paolo once made his own when he could not buy guanciale, which shows the importance of guanciale in Italian cuisine.
Recommended Deli Meat and Cheese:
Al Dente Pasta Is The Best Pasta
For Italians, pasta should always be al dente. If you want to make al dente pasta at home, Chef Paolo recommends following the instructions on the pasta packet but cooking for one or two minutes less, and continuing cooking after adding it to the pasta sauce. The starch released by the pasta gives the sauce a thicker consistency, and the sauce will cling to the pasta better.
Regarding the difference between fresh and dried pasta, Paolo says that fresh pasta is usually mixed with eggs, whereas dried pasta is mixed with water only. Combining egg and flour will give the pasta a different consistency. You can choose fresh or dried pasta based on your personal preference. city’super’s Italian Food Market features over 50 different Italian pastas. Chef Paolo reminisces most about his grandmother Rosina’s handmade orecchiette and fusilli, which he still misses a lot.
Recommended Pasta and Sauce:
Strictly Selected Italian Premium Olive Oil
There are so many Italian olive oils on the market, how do you choose the right one for you? What should you pay attention to when using olive oil in your dishes? Gaia restaurant’s Executive Chef Paolo says:
“Olives from the same trees are processed into a single olive oil. This is monocultivar, not a blend of olives. This is purer. Different olives have different characteristics and each region has a specific native variety, so it is worth trying different ones to find the one you like most. I like to use good olive oil in my dishes as a final touch; raw, not cooked. Cooking it will change it. I recommend using a premium oil for finishing and an average extra virgin olive oil for cooking.”
Recommended Italian Olive Oil:
Savour Top-quality Italian Vinegar
Vinegar is an integral part of Italian cuisine and a true culinary art to be mastered. How do you choose and appreciate vinegar so you can enjoy it in the most authentic way? Gaia restaurant’s Executive Chef Paolo has some answers:
“Balsamic vinegar, saba and wine vinegar are all products made from grapes, but they are processed in different ways. Traditional balsamic is an art. It takes many years of ageing. Saba is actually cooked wine must, so it’s faster to produce, and a bit sweeter than balsamic vinegar. Wine vinegar has high acidity, and is made from wine thanks to the action of natural yeasts. It could be red or white wine. Vinegar can be used in a salad, on fish or nice grilled meat. This is especially the case for traditional balsamic vinegar, which is sweeter and less acidic.”
Recommended Italian Vinegar:
Chef’s Favourite Truffle
Do all Italians love truffles? How do you choose and pair truffles? Gaia restaurant’s Executive Chef Paolo shares a few fun facts about truffles with us:
“Although truffle is very famous in Italy, it is only used often by families who live in the truffle-producing regions. Truffles are best when shaved fresh, especially on eggs.”
At city’super’s Italian Food Market, you can find fresh black and white truffles from Italy. Buy them in store or visit city’super E-Shop to pre-order fresh truffles so you can appreciate the full aroma. What’s more, Italian Food Market features about 30 Italian truffles seasoning and gourmet products. Among them, Tartuflanghe is a truffle supplier with almost 40 years of experience. Their truffle hunters bring along truffle hunting dogs to sniff out these precious gems from under the ground. It’s no wonder truffles are such prized ingredients.
Recommended Italian Truffle Products:
Characteristic Panettone
Every Christmas, the panettone, which originated in Milan, takes centre stage on the dining table. Even though it’s a dessert, Italian chef Paolo loves having panettone in the morning, soaked in his hot caffè latte.
He says that the panettone is said to have been invented by chance by a kitchen apprentice called Toni, who had some old, well-rested bread dough. He added some dry raisins to it and made a bread. Bread is “pane” in Italian, so the “pane” of Toni became Panettoni. Not everyone likes panettone, and if that includes you, Chef Paolo suggests trying Pandoro, which is originally from Verona and also very tasty.
Fiasconaro Dolce & Gabbana Sicilian Citrus Fruits & Saffron PanettoneThis collaboration between Fiasconaro and renowned fashion brand Dolce ＆Gabbana is a new way of enjoying panettone and appreciating this Christmas tradition.
Probios Organic Vegan Spelt PanettoneMade with a sourdough base. Gluten-free, vegan and sugar-free (with sweeteners).
Borsari Traditional Star Shaped PandoroAwarded the best classic panettone in the world in 2020.
Michelin Chef Meal Kits: A Feast at Home
Ever wondered what it’s like to enjoy Michelin-level dishes at home? city’super is delighted to bring you three Michelin Chef Meal Kits developed by three Michelin-starred chefs. All the ingredients have been weighed and freshly cryo-dried so you can enjoy exquisite meals made with the freshest ingredients anytime, anywhere. Follow video recipes from Michelin-starred chefs and easily cook these star-quality dishes at home.
Fratelli Desideri The King's Pesto Gluten Free Pasta Michelin Chef Meal KitAn aristocratic reinterpretation of the traditional pasta with pesto. Embellished with a noble ingredient such as the black summer truffle, this dish gives the palate sparkling and fruity notes thanks to the use of currants and olive seeds.
Fratelli Desideri Bottarga and Golden Bubbles Michelin Chef Meal Kit
The precious bottarga goes perfectly with the notes of fennel, the accents of capers and the scent of Genoese pesto. The onion base harmoniously embraces every single ingredient, not to mention the upward thrust that is given by small golden caviar of lemon juice.
Fratelli Desideri Purple Sins Michelin Chef Meal Kit
Premium Acquerello risotto rice is the perfect ingredient, with a grain that lends texture to the dish and simultaneously absorbs the purple colour of the beetroot, the superlative accents of raspberry vinegar, the embrace of the creamy Parmesan and the sensory explosion given by wasabi caviar.
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