Emilia Delizia supper club in London.

Emilia Delizia supper club in London – Secret dining experience only for discerning connoisseurs of Emilia Romagna’s food.

A supper club is more than just eating out. It is a possibility to try new foods that you would not normally find in restaurant as they have to cater for main stream customers. Emilia Delizia wanted to re-propose its culinary experience in London. Those who have came all the way to Parma and Bologna know what the food there is like, and Emilia Delizia wants also to introduce these delicacies to those who cannot came to Italy to sample our special foods.

: Emilia Delizia guerilla dining

The secret dinner Party.

At a secret location Emilia Delizia propose a menu composed by the main dishes that make Emilia famous. In our list you will find fresh egg pasta like tagliatelle al ragu’, tortelli, tortellini, and of course a second course composed of our fragrant bread like tigelle and gnocco fritto. There will be an ample selection of our cured meats from Parma such as Parma ham, culatello, salame di Felino, mortadella from Bologna and so on.

Emilia Delizia experience – whole Parma ham and whole wheel of Parmesan for your party.

Who wants to impress their guest with this sumptuous dining experience can hire us, we can provide a whole Parma ham freshly sent from Italy from one of our carefully selected prosciutto makers in Italy. And if this was not enough we can supply with a whole parmesan cheese wheel. The experience is accompanied with our famous breads and focaccia. As for the wine we only serve the finest organic lambrusco carefully chosen from our best producers in Modena.

fire stamp on cheese — Whole Parmesan wheel for your Party

Whole or half wheel of Parmesan cheese for your party.

If you are planning something special Emilia Delizia can supply your party with a whole or half parmesan cheese wheel that will be opened in front of your guests. We will provide our best selection of organic artisan Parmigiano Reggiano ages a minimum of 28 months.

Whole Parma ham, machine or hand sliced.

One of our highlights is to have a whole Parma ham opened and sliced for your guests. There is nothing like freshly cut prosciutto di Parma served directly to your party. The hams are best machine sliced to obtain wafer thin slices which will melt in your mouth. The hams can be also cut by hand, for this purpose we will select a vintage of over 24 months from our carefully selected producer for a better performance.

Gnocco Fritto and Tigelle

At the Emilia Delizia experience party we serve gnocco fritto which is a fried dough that it is especially good when eaten together with salumi.

Gourmet food tour from Florence

Emilia Delizia famous food tour can be taken from Florence, below you will find a guide about departing from Florence and participate at the 3 gourmet food tour.

While Tuscany produces wonderful wines, cheese and hams, a lot of people are attracted by Bologna, Modena and Parma because of the Parmesan cheese, balsamic vinegar, Parma ham and Lambrusco wines. In this brief guide we explain how to tour the 3 foods with us while your made your base in Florence.

Timing of production of the Parmesan cheese.

Because of its nature the cheese is only made once a day in the morning, therefore participants need to get to the dairy early enough. Roughly we will depart from Bologna at 7.15/7.30 and from Modena at 8.20 am. Of course we can organise a tour for a later time however you might need to book a private tour and the cost might considerably higher for small parties.

How to get to Bologna or Modena by car.

If you are coming to Bologna or Modena by car, you can easily take the autostrada that connects Firenze to Bologna. Since you are driving your won vehicle, our guide will meet you directly at the cheese dair. Please plan ahead and keep in mind that to reach Modena it will take you 2 hours. Plan for traffic and toilet breaks. A GPS is a fundamental tool for self drive tours as our locations are mostly in the country side. Emilia Delizia does not take responsibility for not being able to locate the meeting point on time.

How to get to Bologna or Modena by train.

From Florence Bologna is served by frequent high speed trains at any time of the day till late at night. For more information about the train time table you can consult this page.
However in the morning the only option would be the Freccia Rossa 9500 that arrives in Bologna at 7.37. Rather than attempting this mad dash on the same morning, we always suggest to take a late train the evening before (even after a nice dinner in Florence) and stay at one of the the high quality hotels right in front of Bologna station. Namely the La UNA HOTEL, STAR EXCELSIOR, and MERCURE HOTEL. The following morning you will be ready to go to the Parmesan tour FRESH AND RELAXED.

Organising a private food tour from Florence.

A private tour is the perfect solution if you want a customised tour four family, friends or company activity. You can decide the timing, and other details of the day that suit the most. We can organise a car or minibus that comes to your hotel directly in Florence. The departure time in this case it is around 6.30 and the return time is around 5 pm. The tour from Florence can be substantially more expensive than starting from Bologna, however it would be recommended for larger groups as the cost of the transport can be shared between the participants.

Alternative tours from Florence.

If you have other interest you can also plan to organise a fashion outlet tour from Florence, you can drive a Ferrari or you can to to the sea in Cinque Terre.

Pasta Making classes in London – EmiliaDelizia.com

Emilia Delizia comes to London to offer pasta making classes for for the discerning culinary amateur and professional who want to learn the art of pasta making.

Starting from just flour and eggs you will be learning how to make one of the most iconic Italian food ever invented. Fresh egg pasta is only the tip of the iceberg of a large variety of dishes that will never stop to surprise you and tickle your fantasy. Pasta can be turned in tagliatelle, tortelli, tortellini, tortelloni, tagliolini, ravioli, aniolotti and the list goes on.

Emilia Delizia culinary experience in London.

The class will begin with the most simple ingredients: flour and eggs. From here the participants will learn about the quality of the ingredients, how to recognise and buy them. The gourmet food instructor will teach about amalgamating the ingredients in order to obtain a perfectly springy dough that it is elastic and not sticky.

Hands-on gourmet classes at our culinary school.

Pasta making is an art and you will learn how to transform raw material into dishes that will amaze your guests. Emilia Delizia culinary experiences in London are full hands-on, that means that each gourmet food student will participate actively to the pasta making. Each one will make his or her own pasta dough and learn how to get it to the right consistency. So be ready to put your hands into the flour and do not forget to bring your own apron.

Make pasta by rolling pin or by hand cranked machine.

The grandma’ style dictates that the sheet of pasta is only made by using a wooden rolling pin. Emilia Delizia offers both options to the culinary apprentice in fact you can choose to follow the tradition (recommended for more expert students) or we can be more modern and learn how to use the Imperia style hand cranked machine. Pasta made by machine is more convenient as insure more consistency.

Tagliatelle is just the beginning.

Emilia Delizia pasta making classes in London are one-off culinary experiences that will also include a light lunch. The students will first learn how to make tagliatelle, tortelli and tortellini then the group will sit around the table and enjoy the what they produced along with other traditional dishes from Emilia Romagna such as Parmesan cheese, Parma ham, Balsamic vinegar.

How to book the pasta making classes.

The session must be booked and agreed in advance.

What to bring at the session.

Just your favorite apron.

Where the lessons are held.

Lessons can be held at your kitchen, at one of our locations in central London.

Balsamic vinegar tour in Modena – EmiliaDelizia.com

Modena and the traditional balsamic vinegar produced here are truly Italian gems of uniqueness.

The Duomo di Modena is part of the Unesco world’s heritage and it is something really markable that you should not miss. It is almost 1000 years old and build only from scrap marbled derived from ancient Roman villas. The Duomo has been built according the Romanesque style by the masters of Campione D’Italia. The structure celebrates Modena’s patron and protector San Geminiano.

Hidden in the family’s home attics there is another treasure: Traditional Balsamic vinegar of Modena. Only made by the Modenese families in small batches and aged up to 25 years, it is a remarkable pearl in the Italian gastronomic tradition. It requires a set of barrels made of noble woods, Lambrusco grape juice and a lot of patience. Every year the producers have to painstakingly refill the barrels since some of the liquid is lost due to natural evaporation during the hot summers. However this allows to blend the flavours of the woods into the final product.

The traditional balsamic vinegar of Modena has basically nothing to do with lower quality vinegar even when marketed as MODENA’S. During the tasting we will discover how to distinguish the black nectar from its numerous imitations. The tasting is aimed to develop an appreciation for the producer and learn how to match it with foods. Even though it is seen by many as an expensive and eccentric product it can be used on everyday’s foods. If used correctly a bottle will last for long time.

During Emilia Delizia’s Traditional Balsamic Vinegar tour we will learn how the fractional ageing works and each detail of the production will be explained to our guests. For those wishing to take home some of the product is now possible to purchase the 100 ml bottles directly from the producer at discounted prices. Some producers are also happy to send their products directly to your home and almost all accept all major credit cards.

Even though Modena is small, it is a true concentration of history, architecture and food delicacies. If you want to truly sample the city we recommend to spend at least one night and a full day. Modena is also famous for Parmesan cheese, pasta like tortellini, Zampone and cotechino and there is an endless array of good restaurants in the city centre. Ranging from cheap eat to Bottura’s Osteria Francescana, Modena is set to please everyone in terms of food.

Modena is also the capital of motor sport, and super cars. The newly open Enzo Ferrari museums is an interesting hot spot for those fanatic about the Ferrari cars. The modern building offers themed and rotating car collections that express the soul Modena. It is also possible to catch a shuttle bus and visit the Maranello Ferrari museum without the need of hiring a car.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2knZXPzfHdU

Parmigiano Reggiano Factory Tour

Parmigiano Reggiano (Parmesan) guided visit to a cheese day.

Emilia Delizia offers detailed Parmigiano Reggiano cheese tours in Modena, Parma and Reggio Emilia. Our tour will begin early in the morning in order to catch as much as possible. Below we tried to reproduce our tour in pictures to give a better idea to people about what they will see when at the Parmesan dairy.

At the arrival at the dairy we we will see the raw milk sitting in the vats. These large containers “cauldrons” contains 1000 kg of full fat and half milk mixed together. The compound is then acidified and the rennet is added. At this point the milk will turn into a yoghurt like substance.

These are the 2 twins, one is a boy and the other is a girl. Basically these are the curds of the cheese that have been cut and left to rest. From 1000 kilos of milk we obtain 2 45 kilos wheels. Some of the weight is lost during the ageing, and therefore the final product weights approximately 37 kg.

The unformed cheese goes into the Teflon mould for one day and one night. The cheese master carefully add a weight on top of the cheese. In order to squeeze our all the liquid the moulds are then turned every couple of hours. In the evening the cheese cloth is removed and the matrix carrying the naming Parmigiano Reggiano is inserted in the mould. Telon is a new material that has replaced the hand made wooden moulds that were originally crafted by hand. httpv://youtu.be/z6M7-THZOeM In the video you can clearly see how the cheese is moved from the vat to the moulds. Our guests will be able to see the full production just meters away form the cheese being made.

The cheese goes into the metal mould for another day. These moulds have the shape of the wheel which will not required further manipulation such as the trimming of the edges. The cheese always rest on wooden shelves which allow breathing and the correct ageing.

The wheels then go to a brine bath and stay here for 3 weeks. This is an important step to make hard cheese in fact the high salinity of the water will allow residual moisture to exit thanks to natural osmosis. It is important to keep in mind that Parmesan cheese does not contain any preservative or anti fermentative, therefore it is essential to have the right amount of moisture in the wheels.

The last part of the visit will be spend in the ageing cellars. Here is the Parmigiano Reggiano is stocked on the traditional shelves for a minima of 12 months. During the visit we will learn how to recognise the real Parmesan cheese from imitation and we will discover the nutritional values of the product.

infographic culinary travel – Bologna the best food destination in Italy.

Emilia Delizia infographic about the best food tour in Italy.

Departing from Bologna, Modena, Reggio Emilia and Parma, in just one day you can see the best food in Italy: Parmesan cheese (Parmigiano Reggiano), Parma ham (Prosciutto di Parma) and Traditional balsamic vinegar of Modena or Reggio Emilia.

Food Infographic – Parma ham Vs Serrano Ham

Emilia Delizia infographic about the differences between Parma ham (prosciutto di Parma) and Jamon Serrano.

Three charming stays in Bologna that travellers are missing.

Bologna is a town that needs time to be discovered, maybe at the beginning it might seem unappealing to the untrained eye but if you let the Old Lady to open up you are heading for surprises. In this article we put together 3 romantic and charming stays in Bologna as we think these places will make a difference in your travel to Italy.

Antica Residenza D’Azeglio.

This romantic b&b is situated on the corner of Via D’Azeglio and Via Solferino in the southern part of the town. The lodging is just stone throw from Piazza Maggiore, the 2 towers of Bologna and the archiginnasio which part of the oldest university in western Europe . The b&b is situated on the second floor of a truly historical palace with Rococo furniture to come with. Of course it does not lack of any modern comforts and the prices always include a fantastic breakfast. One of our favourite features are the balconies facing the internal garden The owners are also famous for their hospitality, welcoming guests as they were part of the family.

Il convento dei fiori di seta.

The name of this charming and lovely b&b in English translates as the Silk flowers nunnery. The place is pretty amazing combining the old with the modern as it is a restoration of a church originally build in 1400 and brought back to its beauty by the current owners who transformed the place into one of the most beautiful places where to stay in Italy. The nunnery has in total 10 rooms which are all different and furnished in a modern and minimal style. They are situated in the area of Santo Stefano towards the end of Via Castiglione. As an added bonus it is very close to the Giardini Margherita, the Bologna public botanical garden.

Il Castello di Galeazza.

It is situated in the town of Galeazza about 40 minutes from central Bologna, it can easily reached by car and public transport, for info about getting there please check this page.

Castello di Galezza is a reading retreat so it is a bit different from your usual stay. Tucked away in the country-side offers travellers a unique stay in a original Italian castle. The library is stocked with over 4000 titles for those willing to spend time reading and relaxing. Of course you can just come here to enjoy the castle and the atmosphere without necessary being a fond reader, the place is for everyone. At the castle events are organised throughout the year including Italian culture classes and cookery lessons for those wanting to know more about Bologna style cuisine

The culinary traditions of Reggio Emilia

Reggio Emilia is often overlooked by the tourists coming to Emilia Romagna. Reggio Emilia is a medium size town on the Via Emiia situated between Modena and Parma, and it makes the perfect base for the culinary traveller as there are many gourmet foods to be discovered.

Reggio Emilia and Parmesan cheese.

Reggio Emilia is in the cradle of Parmigiano Reggiano. The history of this amazing cheese starts here. Bibbiano has been named the town where the first production started around 900 years ago due to the discovery of the first written accounts of the cheese production. Therefore visiting Reggio Emilia makes perfect sense for those interested in seeing the production of Parmesan cheese.

Traditional balsamic vinegar of Reggio Emilia.

Modena made balsamic vinegar known worldwide but the production of aceto balsamic tradizionale is not restricted to the Modenese province. In the tradition balsamic vinegar was the dowry of young women who would marry and bring the vinegar barrels with them. Due to the close proximity of the two provinces the tradition was also brought in Reggio Emilia. Here it is possible to find more old fashioned producers who make only high quality traditional balsamic vinegar rather than concentrating on industrial vinegar as many do in Modena.

Fresh Egg Pasta: tortelli di zucca.

Of course Reggio Emilia, as all towns in the Emilia Region, produces its own version of fresh egg pasta. One of the most peculiar ones are the Tortelli di Zucca. Sometimes hat or ravioli shaped these parcels are filled with ricotta cheese, parmesan and pumpkin. Some recipes require a hint of crumbled amaretti biscuits in the filling, it is indeed an acquired taste but they can be delicious when topped with melted butter parmesan cheese and a few drops of balsamic vinegar.

A Medieval Pie: Erbazzone.

Erbazzone belongs to the simple farmer’s style cuisine. The women in the kitchen had to come up with something filling and tasty so erbazzone is a pastry made with lard and flour with a filling of chard, spinach, or whatever was in the allotment at the time of preparation. The filling requires to be laced with parmesan cheese, and you could put as much as you could afford. The pastry is pierced with a fork to let vegetable inside to steam when baking in the oven.

Culaccia ham.

Culaccia is a culatello, (the best prosciutto cut) but it is cured with the rind on. This technique allows the meat to stay soft and tender. Culaccia can be found on the Reggio Emilia hills where the climate is drier and away from the foggy plains. In some cases Culaccia beats Parma ham and culatello in tasting competitions. So it is well worth to look for some slices of culaccia in the next trip to Italy.

How to be a vegetarian in Bologna and in Italy.

The BBC recently published an article on vegetarian eating in Bologna. The article is entitled “Where vegetarianism is an exotic illness” written by Dany Mitzman who lives in Bologna and is a a long term vegetarian. After reading her article, here at Emilia Delizia, we felt that we should write back an open letter to this author on our website for everyone to read.

First of all the article gives a stereotyped images of Italians as short-sighted and meat hungry people with no respect for vegetarians and animals. Is it so difficult to find vegetarian restaurants in Bologna the capital of the Mortadella pork sausage?

The short answer is do not expect to find vegetarian options on the menu of a TRADITIONAL TRATTORIA, as the words imply the cooking is based on the tradition. Back in the days people had to get by with what they had and pork fat was often the only option to get the calories that they need to sustain themselves. So these menus are not designed to be vegetarian friendly, and non-meat eater should not expect to find meatless dishes at a place proudly serving the traditional fare.

This does not exclude that in the tradition there are no vegetarian dishes, just to name a few you can have Tigelle (bread) with some local cheese or pinzimonio which is a selection of raw vegetables (crudity). Also you can have maltagliati e fagioli, they are the trimmings of tagliatelle making served with beans, just ask the waiter if they used pancetta to flavour the sauce.

Most restaurants in Italy will be more than happy to customise their dishes for you. Even if it is not on the menu you can ask to have pasta and tomato sauce. These days they are quite accustomed to being asked for variation due to diet restrictions of their clients. Such as gluten intolerances, food allergies vegan or vegetarian options are welcome as they want you as a customer. In fact Italian are fussy eaters and it is quite common to hear in restaurant a customer to ask for a customised pasta dish or pizza.

Did you know that Italy and the Mediterranean diet is vegan friendly?

If you are in Bologna and you are vegetarian or vegan, remember that you are in Italy home of the Mediterranean diet. You can easily find a pizzeria and order Pizza Marinara. This pizza is just the base, olive oil, and garlic. It is tasty, cheap, healthy, and filling and of course it is vegan friendly. Now many pizzeria also cater for gluten intolerant people and it is common to find Kamut pizza, or even totally gluten free varieties which are normally prepared in a separate kitchen.

Continuing we can also mention other dishes such as spaghetti aglio, olio and peperoncino. A simple spaghetti dish made by stir frying garlic, and chilli pepper in extra virgin olive oil. Especially dishes from the south tend to be made with wheat, vegetables, olive oil and not much more, above you just have some ideas, I am sure you can figure out more combination of vegetarian and vegan dishes in Italy.

Italy as the home of modern vegetarians.

With so many sausages, cured meats, salami and prosciutto is hard to believe that Italy is now home of 7 millions vegetarians. In fact according to a research by Eurispes now more and more Italian are giving up meat for vegetables making it the most vegetarian country in western Europe. If this trend continues there will be 30 millions vegetarians in 2050 in Italy.

It is also worth to mention an organisation called “UN PUNTO MACROBIOTICO” which has restaurants in many major cities including Bologna. The not-for-profit charity promotes healthy eating via veganism. I believe Dany Mitzman has been a little short-sighted to write an article where the Bolognese are picutured as hungry meat eaters. In our opinion she should do more research about the place where she is living her life at moment.