#chasingghostsandancestors

When is it ok to complicate a #classic dish like Cacio e Pepe? What is a “#tweak”and what is #sacrilege? Tough question. It’s really hard for me to answer it Changing pastas is a tweak, changing ingredients is a problem I guess it also comes down to what you want to call it If its not a #CacioPepe don’t call it one, or call it one and be sure to serve any extra items on the side, so there is separation Like we see here But for sure it has to be ONLY #pecorinoRomano and pasta water coating the pasta itself In the center is a classic #cacioEpepe, which is then surrounded by a “Bloody Mary” sauce and garnished with smoked fish, and Pecorino is the only cheese that goes with fish so it all works, and the smoky goes easily with the sheepiness of the cheese, its not a stretch #ImConstantlyThinkingAboutThis #SoManyFineLines #WithTheseHistoricDishes #PeasantCuisine #Restraint #DontPissUsItaliansOff #ThisCuisineIsSacred #ChasingGhostsAndAncestors (at Il San Pietro di Positano)

#ReflectionsOnItaly Creating a need for what you love to do is always the goal with everything Piecing together a network skeleton for that need to grow, flourish and reach new people is the fine tuning of the message The #Italianlifestyle is evolved and we should all take notice This boot peninsula has been beyond blessed with natural resources and a populace so intent on nurturing and protecting them, that it is the envy of the world I think I come here to plug into that directly, to try and enhance the quality of the life around me back home I think I’m addicted to that rush of happiness I get here when I see the passion and the dedication coexisting so well, and I really don’t think it’s because I’m Italian and I’m biased #ButIAmItalian #SoIAmBiased #ChasingGhostsAndAncestors #FinalThoughts #LeavingTomorrow (at Piedmont) https://www.instagram.com/p/BqOn3yPllKz/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1nmwg94xd2mur

A quick #Puglia #Italy #IGTV segment is up Puglia is a very remote area of Italy but totally worth the excursion Follow along the next three days on #IGStories for all my Puglia thoughts and recommendations I will post each days #IGStories to highlights as they happen as well so you can’t miss anything and you can go back and check #ChasingGhostsAndAncestors #PugliaLeg #StayTuned #WhiteTruffleTrip2018 Picture is #Sunrise in #Vieste from 5 years ago (at Vieste Gargano) https://www.instagram.com/p/BpztiE3lAJM/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=61ht2if7w5az

#ChasingGhostsAndAncestors is my #ItalianReinfection When I am too long away from #Italy, I start to lose the feeling You see what makes my restaurants Italian isn’t just the food, it’s the warmth and the welcoming spirit of #inclusion, without pretension It’s the #familyatmosphere It’s that southern Italian “don’t worry about anything” “just shut up and eat” vibe that I grew up with. We expect the best, and give out #trust to everyone from the moment we meet them, and we just assume that you will give us the same in return It’s a great way to start what we always hope will be a long, fun, #passionate, and mutually #respectful relationship based on the love of food, wine, and great #conversation You see in the south of Italy especially, it’s common to meet #Italians on the street and end up dining with them the same night in their home, all you have to do is talk with plenty of #passion about #Italianfood wherever you go, and watch what happens That’s my juice, it’s how I get behind the scenes to see the real Italy and the real methods behind all the most famous dishes #ImTotallyRecharged #NowItsTimeToReinfectMyPeeps #WineTastingsComing #StaffMeetings #NewSpecials #StayTunedForAll #RightHere #RealFrankTV Perhaps no dish is more inclusive than the #EggplantParmigiana, it welcomes everyone to the table with a broad smile (at Italy) https://www.instagram.com/p/BnG3MwAAxtw/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=y730hhzs7wvn

#GratefulAF For this life so beautiful For family For my woman, my kids Grateful grateful grateful For real friend collisions All employees working my vision Grateful oh my brothers my sisters For your eyeballs and attention For trusting my direction Grateful on my knees For my palates progression For my skills and my legend Grateful never for granted For the ghosts that protect me For the devils that chase me Bloody Grateful ole chap For the good times so fun For the hard times to come Grateful Goddamn you For all the food and the wine For the eternity of time #ChasingGhostsAndAncestors #PaccheriDiGragnano (at Nerano, Campania, Italy) https://www.instagram.com/p/BnFBMjYgW3n/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=159andt3lvi4t

#GratefulAF For this life so beautiful For family For my woman, my kids Grateful grateful grateful For real friend collisions All employees working my vision Grateful oh my brothers my sisters For your eyeballs and attention For trusting my direction Grateful on my knees For my palates progression For my skills and my legend Grateful never for granted For the ghosts that protect me For the devils that chase me Bloody Grateful ole chap For the good times so fun For the hard times to come Grateful Goddamn you For all the food and the wine For the eternity of time #ChasingGhostsAndAncestors #PaccheriDiGragnano (at Nerano, Campania, Italy) https://www.instagram.com/p/BnFBUG3AOUf/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=9hflw9fu8woe

Expand your #palate here in #Italy Such micro regional diversity, and on such a historic cuisine to boot, with the same dishes from town to town having so many versions. It begs the palate to see the nuance, and not need to pick a favorite, but instead understand the stories behind the variety of each dish, its flavors, and the agriculture behind it Then, if you dare, try to wrap your head around the thousands of indigenous varietals of wine, historic also, with more stories on top of stories to back up and pair with the regional food It’s just beyond astounding, no other cuisine or country can compare to this pure simple organic complexity, that in most cases is based on the poor and their 100% utilization It creates a better palate and richer life automatically, and with more visits that just multiplies exponentially But you have to let go and give in to the micro regions, you can’t come here looking for Pesto in Sicily, Or Bolognese in Puglia, Or Pizza in Venice Forget what you think you know about Italian food, because the reality is you don’t know shit, and neither do I. I’m just scratching the surface on what is an almost infinite pool of food poems and food operas The Arias that we have yet to hear are waiting for us to simply open our ears in the thousands of small towns across Italy I will never stop coming here and reporting back, and I know you will never stop listening, because it’s so vibrant and alive, and saturated with the human condition #PerfectItaly #ThankGodItsStillHere #ChasingGhostsAndAncestors #ImSoInspired #ThisIsMyJob #DontHateMeForIt Pictured is the #SpaghettiNerano, for which there are multiple Micro Regional versions (at Italy)