FLAVORS OF THE SEA
A SARDINIAN INNOVATION
ITALIAN PASTAS ARE DRESSED FOR SPRING
GIFT IDEAS FOR MOTHER'S DAY
WELCOME
Steve Kaufman, Executive Vice President, [email protected]
We want to get more input from you on what you would like to see. Don't hesitate to get in touch with [email protected]
IS IT CANNED OR TINNED FISH?
Is it canned fish or canned seafood or canned shellfish or tinned shellfish or tins of seafood or fish?
I have considered all of these questions and, quite frankly, don't have a good answer to cover all types of fish or seafood or shellfish preserved in tins or cans. I do know that from the time we began importing canned fish from Ortiz then added our Portomar canned seafood, this category seems to have no ceiling for growth.
In 2008, we started our search for a canned fish line for the USA market. We knew how strong the Ortiz brand was, and I was in search of another brand to start our growth in this category. While at Spanish tradeshow, I snuck into the Ortiz booth to see what their brand was all about and get some base of knowledge of what we would need for De Medici.
I really was a novice, but I knew I could get up to speed quickly. I got caught, however, lurking in the booth and was asked to sit with the Ortiz people.
It turned out to be a very fortunate visit because Ortiz was making some changes in the USA as a key importer had fallen on bad times. Although we would share the market with a couple of others, we saw the upside of the brand. We have become one of the largest Ortiz importers and distributors in the USA today. As we grew in knowledge and success with canned fish, we searched for other items might be available from Spain. We knew of the beautiful anchovies and tuna from Ortiz from the Basque coast of Northern Spain, but was there more?
This was quickly answered on a government- sponsored trip a couple of years in Vigo, Spain, in the Galicia region on the Northwest coast of Spain. I spent a few days with some friendly competitors from the US meeting, greeting and sampling the most exquisite canned seafood from the region. Cockles, razor clams, mussels, octopus, squid, and baby sardines are specialties in this region. Galicia is a privileged place for seafood and the local culture embraces this culture, unlike anything I had seen. As different as the coastlines of the Basque region is as diverse in the selection of seafood here. Those were three days I will never forget.
There is much to tell about Galicia and the local people’s dedication to their traditional food
ways and fishing methods. Almost every producer has a different spin on their items. This is where I found the best producer for us to partner with
-Conservas Portomar. This small division of a larger company is to their parent as we are to the Gellert Group of companies. They are dedicated to the best product, and are in full compliance with all quality programs and certifications. They are the only step from our warehouses to the sandy beaches and waters. Ortiz and Portomar complete our entire circle of Spanish canned seafood, from anchovies to tuna to sardines to mackerel to mussels to cockles to razor clams to octopus to stuffed squid, with more to come in the future.
WE HOPE YOU ENJOY THIS ISSUE OF OUR NEWSLETTER.
APRIL / MAY
MENU INSPIRATIONS
What we are cooking
We will share some ideas on how to use tinned seafood and highlight some products from Liguria. We’ll offer some traditional seasonal dishes and timely desserts.
TRADITIONAL LIGURIAN RECIPES
Mixed Salad Liguria Style
Minestrone with Pesto
Pesto all Genovese
Salsa di Noci with Pasta
A SPRING MENU
Deviled Eggs with Basque Pepper Vinegar
Torta Pasqualina
Pan Roasted Asparagus with Lemon Infused Vinaigrette
Chocolate Hazelnut Mini Tarts
A SPRING MENU
Tapas for Two
A Conservas Spread
Grilled toast with Sardines and Lavendar Oil
Bucatini with Anchovies
MEET THE MAKER
Stories from artisans
LIGURIA, ITALY
Galateo & Friends
Founded in 1979, De Medici imported Badia a Coltibuono, the first Tuscan Extra Virgin Olive Oil marketed nationally in the U.S.A.
Liguria. The land that is always green.
The area is hemmed in by the Ligurian Sea, the Alps, and the Apennines. Most of the coast is steep. The cuisine has much in common with the Côte d'Azur of France. Condiglione, a Ligurian style mixed salad, is a not-so-distant cousin of Salade Niçoise. Soupe au Pistou and Minestrone with Pesto are nearly identical. The native olive is the Taggiasca which thrives on terraced slopes washed by the sea breeze. The oil is languid and sweet, with a round finish and almost no bitterness. Its aroma has traces of ripe fruit, flowers, almonds, and pine nuts.
GALATEO & FRIENDS was created in 2002, in Arma di Taggia,Liguria by Marco Bonaldo. His company is dedicated to the art of good living and the best of the Italian culinary experience.
Watch a short video on Galateo & Friends
ROSÉ WINE VINEGAR
Galateo & Friends “Flamingo” Rosé Wine Vinegar Rosé conjures up images of long summer days, dining al fresco, a general lightness of being. Marco Bonaldo has made an unconventional and alluring vinegar from rosé wine that has been aged in oak.
• Pair this with A L’ Olivier Herbes de Provençe EVOO to dress grilled summer vegetables.
• In tandem with Villa Manodori Lemon Essenziale to dress asparagus or artichokes.
• With Colonna “Grandverde” EVOO on grilled seafood.
• Sprinkle it over Ortiz sardines atop grilled bread.
• In a ceviche of scallops.
• Use it to make a raspberry shrub.
• With finely chopped shallots and a crack of black pepper in Sauce Mignonette for oysters.
Craft products prepared and packed by hand with remarkable texture and natural flavor.
Flavors of the Sea
Conservas Seafood
There is a growing appreciation for the high quality of preserved Iberian seafood and the role it plays in the cuisines of Spain and Portugal. Enjoy the flavors of the Galician seashore with the exceptional conservas from Portomar and Ortiz.
Rethink Your Grains & Rice
DE MEDICI IN THE KNOW
Awards, new products and our favorite recipes all for you...
TINNED FISH MORE THAN JUST A CAN
• Open the cupboard and use conservas for easy meal preparation
• With leafy greens or vegetables for a healthy luncheon dish. Such as NIÇOISE SALAD
Combine with pasta for a quick and flavorful dinner. Try BUCATINI with ANCHOVIES
Simple solution for impromptu entertaining
Serve with cocktails
As passed hors d’oeuvres or tapas
For January, we put together a few recipes featuring Riseria Campanini from the Lombardy region of Italy.
Each package contains rice/grains from one crop, one harvest's flavor, and from one specific place. All Kosher certified. RISERVIA CAMPANINI
ARBORIO
CARNAROLI
FARRO
VIALONE NANO (sofi Gold 2021)
VENERE NERO BLACK RICE
QUICK COOKING POLENTA
RISOTTO MIX with PORCINI & MUSHROOMS RISOTTO MIX MILANESE
ORGANIC BROWN RICE
MEET THE MAKER
Stories from artisans
The Bay of Biscay is among the richest and most productive bodies of water on the planet.
PORTOMAR CONSERVAS PREMIUM SEAFOOD
Portomar is committed to the quality, sustainability, and protection of the environment and regional culture.
PORTOMAR CONSERVAS PREMIUM SEAFOOD
Portomar is committed to the quality, sustainability, and protection of the environment and regional culture.
ALL ABOUT PORTOMAR
HIGHER QUALITY PRODUCT THAN WHAT IS COMMONLY AVAILABLE IN THE US MARKET.
• Authentic regional product from an artisan producer.
• All products are prepared with 100% natural ingredients, without additives, colorants, or preservatives.
• Use only Spanish Olive Oil in product preparation.
• Seafood fished by the Galician artisanal fleet and hand-harvested by local women.
AMEDEI TOSCANA EXPANDS IN EATALY
Eataly’s Flatiron store in NYC launched Amedei’s Bean-to-Bar Holiday Gift Box that is made of recycled cocoa bean shells. Now you can find nine bars and Crema Toscana Gianduja Chocolate Spread at these additional locations; Downtown NYC, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles and online at Eataly.com.
DE MEDICI IN THE KNOW
Awards, new products and our favorite recipes all for you...
Our Authentic Italian Pastas are dressed for Spring
In Italy, there are two types of Pasta, those made with water and those made with eggs. A broad generalization would be that those made with water are dried (pasta secca). Those made with eggs (pasta fresca) are rolled, cut, and cooked fresh. They are more familiar to Northern Italy. We offer you ex- cellent examples of each, with handsome, rough surfaces to absorb all the goodness of the sauce, great “chew,” and authentic flavor.
SAPORI DI CASA
Premium ingredients and hand production create an artisan pasta that perfectly absorbs sauces and whose taste and texture rival homemade. Special production methods yield a pasta that cooks to perfection in 1-2 minutes. Excellent for catering and food service
LAMACHE PASTA
This is a small shaped pasta cut. Try it in dishes that call for seafood or vegetables.
FIVE GENERATIONS OF DEDICATION:
BENEDETTO CAVALIERI
The Cavalieri family began farming wheat in select fields in Apulia and Basilicata early in the 1800’s. They were milling the grain by the 1870’s. Benedetto founded the factory dedicated to the production of first choice, artisan pasta using the best grain, innovative processes and up to date machinery in 1918. He introduced the “Delicate Method” for drying using hot wa- ter heaters and fans rather than drying on racks in the street, which was common practice. His dedication to quality has been handed down through five generations.
Try This
SERVE PANE CARASATU AS AN ACCOMPANIMENT TO CHEESE AND CHAR- CUTERIE OR ALONGSIDE TINNED SEAFOOD AS ANTIPASTI OR SMALL PLATES WITH DRINKS.
Moistened, it can be rolled around a filling like manicotti or layered as a baked lasagna. Pane frattau, is a traditional dish where the bread is moistened with broth, drizzled with tomato sauce and topped with a poached egg. Great for brunch or a late dinner.
A SARDINIAN INNOVATION
PANE CARASATU
Pane Carasatu is a crispbread known as carta da musica, meaning sheet music, since they are so large and delicate. Rolled, crumbled moistened or crisp out-of-the box, Bulloni Crispbreads bring uniqueness to the kitchen.
DE MEDICI IN THE KNOW
Awards, new products and our favorite recipes all for you...
Raspberry Jam Bars
Here is a slightly unconventional take on a raspberry bar cookie topped with a buttery, old fashioned streusel topping made with oats. Instead of raspberry jam, the filling is made with fresh or frozen raspberries cooked down with A L’ Olivier’s Raspberry Vinegar (made with raspberry puree). This is a nice recipe to make for mom on Mother's Day. Good for gifting.
VISIT US @ THE SUMMER FANCY FOOD SHOW
AMEDEI WINS AWARD
Amedei Toscana is proud to announce that on March 27th our Toscano Latte won the Tavoletta D’Oro Award the best milk chocolate category at the 20th edition of “La Tavoletta d’Oro” Awards. Gold Tablets Awards are very prestigious awards, assigned by the Official Chocolate Tasters of La Compagnia del Cioccolato to the best Italian Chocolates.
LAZZARONI IMPROVES RECIPE
AMARETTI di SARONNO CROCCANTI
• Best selling Lazzaroni Amaretti di Saronno cookies
• Improved recipe
• Use for baking
• Available now
Riviera Reverie
Gift Ideas for Mother's Day
Here is a collection of products that transcends national borders and explores the shared culinary traditions of the Côte d’Azur and the Italian Riviera. It includes a Taggiasca EVOO from Liguria by Galateo & Friends, an EVOO infused with lemons from the coast around Nice by A L’ Olivier and “Flamingo” Vinegar, acetified from Rosé wine.