The ABC's of Campania Food & Wine: D
The ABC's of Campania Food & Wine: D
D is for ditaloni and De Conciliis (Bruno)
D is for ditaloni:
In Italy, pasta is sold in innumerable forms, shapes and sizes and eaten with specific sauces or other toppings. Over 350 different shapes of pasta can be found in Italy, and each of these shapes can differ slightly from region to region. Ridges or smooth-edged, thin or thick walls, spiral, curling, circular or bent, diagonal or straight-cut, long or short, these are only a few variations of the
myriad forms that pasta can take. Ditaloni have a thick, tubular pasta shape. The name is derived from ditale, or thimble. This particular shape, along with its cousins ditalini, rigatoni and paccheri, which are similar in shape to ditaloni, have origins in Campania. Ditaloni, specifically, is Neapolitan. The different shapes and sizes of pastas often suggest with what kind of dish or sauce they would best be paired. A smooth, delicate sauce is complimented by smaller pasta pieces, like the tiny ditalini. Large, tubular pastas like ditaloni or rigatoni can catch the flavorful chunks of thicker sauces, though would otherwise be a mouthful of pasta if eaten with a thin sauce. Ditaloni are, indeed, eaten with thick sauces, and are most often added to soups.    Even though ditaloni have Neapolitan origins, the shape is not confined to Naples or to the Campania region. Wider distribution has ensured that many shapes are available in any Italian region, just as the supermarkets of the U.S. are no longer confined to variations of spaghetti, penne or elbow pasta.
TOURING INFORMATION:
Giuseppe Di Martino of Pastificio dei Campi will be participating in Food Camp Cilento. Pastificio dei Campi Via dei Campi, nr.50 80054 Gragnano (NA) +39 081-8018430 info@pastificiodeicampi.it http://www.pastificiodeicampi.it/ TWITTER: @giudeicampi A panificio is a bakery, many of which also make various pastas. A panificio can be found in every town and every other street in Italy. Below, the Pastifico Vicidomini proudly makes ditaloni. Premiato Pastificio Vicidomini Via Luigi Guerrasio 63 84083 Castel San Giorgio (SA) +39 081-951156 info@pastificiovicidomini.com http://pastificiovicidomini.com/
D is for De Conciliis (Bruno):
The De Conciliis winery of Cilento, Campania is an outstanding example of a family run business whose success is closely tied to not only their commitment to high-quality and natural methods of wine-making, but also to an eye for innovation and creativity.
Their approach to wine-making is flexible and adapts to seasonal variations while remaining loyal to natural methods year-in and year-out. Bruno De Conciliis, the founder's son and current owner, gradually lowered the level of sulphites in his wines until he earned the organic wine-making certification in 2007. From reading various accounts, interviews and blogs of those who were honored to dine with Bruno De Conciliis and his family, or those who visited the De Conciliis winery, it is clear that Bruno and his team are talented and experienced. The vineyards surrounding the De Conciliis estate and castle are facing the Mediterranean Sea and interspersed with olive trees. The hot climate, high altitude and ancient southern soils of Cilento encourage healthy vines of falanghina, fiano and aglianico grapes to flourish. De Conciliis specializes in white wines from fiano and fruity, full-bodied wines from aglianico. The first sparkling Campania wine produced is of the De Conciliis winery, and is an IGT blend of 70% fiano and 30% aglianico, called Selim. The signature wine is a DOC 100% aglianico called Naima, with dry, spicy and fruity flavors. Other wines include the DOCG Greco di Tufo called Oro; IGT Antece made of fiano; IGT Donnaluna, which is a blend of fiano and aglianico; and Ba!, a blend of aglianico and barbera. The colorful names sometimes play on Bruno's love of jazz: Selim is Miles spelled backward, and is a small tribute to jazz artist Miles Davis; and Naima is named after the same-titled song by John Coltrane.
These wines will be featured during an evening dinner at Food Camp Cilento
Sources: A Lovely Dinner with Bruno De Conciliis. Vite Vinifera De VinoÃs Blog. Colao, Alex. Vicidomini, the Legend of Pasta. Campania Pasta. 28 Oct 2010. Demetri, Justin. History of Pasta: Italian Pasta Through the Ages. Life in Italy. Dinner with Bruno De Conciliis. Oliveto Community Journal. 27 Jan 2010. Ditaloni. About.com Italian Food. 2011. Gavillet, Sebastien. A Visit to Viticoltori De Conciliis in Campania, Italy. Wine Vibe. 28 July 2010. Viticoltori De Conciliis Which of the Italian Pasta Shapes? Italian-Tradition.com.