cibochat

Sarah Mirisola and Adanna Padda

This week’s theme at Ganzo’s Wednesday aperitivo was traditional Tuscan pasta bake dishes. There were three different kinds of pasta dishes being served to Table 21 and each one represented a different element of Tuscan cuisine: such as seafood, meat, cheese, and vegetables. There were many familiar faces at Table 21 this week. It was full of FUA-AUF staff. The professors were very welcoming and talkative, with many of the students spending their evening out at Ganzo. The first Tuscan pasta bake dish we were presented with was meatball and bolognaise sauce served with ginger, garlic, and herbs. The pasta was layered: the first layer was feta cheese with broccoli sauce and below that layer were the meatballs with herbs. The pasta was made the day before and it took hours to make, according to the chef. The pasta was then baked and presented to Table 21. The next dish that we tasted was the mushroom-flavored pasta. It had a creamy sauce and two layers of mushrooms and cheese. The chef told us they had to prepare the pasta for this dish in a very interesting way: they rolled out the pasta dough with mushroom powder, which gave the pasta more of a flavor. This dough also was made the day before and also took hours to make. The final dish was the seafood-based pasta bake. This pasta was rolled out with cabbage powder which gave it its green color. The three seafood items within this dish were shrimps, calamari, and mussels. The pasta was served with a red sauce and it had a potato, red pepper, and herb filling. This particular aperitivo was very crowded. Many of the students seemed very relaxed and took their time enjoying the aperitivo, hanging out with all the friends they made since arriving in Florence. Ganzo’s aperitivo is a great place to go for a friendly and relaxing atmosphere, along with wonderful food!

By Liz Katsoulis

This week at Ganzo the theme in the kitchen was the color green! Chef Filippo told me the reason behind the theme. Chef Filippo is very passionate about being a chef. He is 30 years old and he is in his last year in the Master’s program at FUA-AUF. Additionally, he is from Pisa. He explained the theme sustainability in the kitchen in order to preserve culture and ingredients. He also explained that this theme goes hand and hand with the Mediterranean diet and represents the idea that you can use vegetables in things other than salad. He also stated that all different vegetables can be used all year round. The first thing I ate was a small sandwich – toast bread base with milk and honey stuffed with pea purée flavored with meat – and pecorino chips seasoned with herbs (including sage, thyme, and rosemary). The next thing I tasted was a summer cabbage and creamy cod roll blended together with water, milk, gelatin and olive oil. It was served atop a crispy jowl-fat sauce, made of concentrated tomato sauce flavored with ginger. Last but not least, I tried the chicken liver mousse with onion, capers and anchovy butter blended with gelatin, whipped cream and set in a mold to create the circular shape. The mousse was served with very lightly candied black-cabbage and celery. My favorite dish was definitely the first one I discussed; it was very refreshing but also buttery and savory. Overall, I thought the green theme was very interesting and very well executed by the Ganzo chefs. 

By Sarah Mirisola and Adanna Padda

The theme at “AperiGanzo” this week was “raw food”. The aperitif was also the occasion for another special event: the “AperiArt”. This art exhibition held once a month, where an emerging artist can display their work, distinguishes Ganzo from any other restaurant.
Before the aperitivo started, the artist who was displaying his work explained the concepts behind his paintings. While we were listening to his explanation, I noticed that there was a unique and eclectic vibe at this aperitivo. The music was very up-beat and the guests were all talking animatedly, having a good time. Everyone also seemed to be happy with the food that was being served. Looking at Table 21 specifically there was a different atmosphere from the other tables, more serious and professional. The artist was sitting at Table 21 with his colleges and friends. The food that they were being served was gourmet raw food: a beef tartar on a bun, ceviche, raw veal with a fig marsala and a salad. Each of these meals being served at Table 21 was very different and they each had their own special flavor. The students working in the kitchen told us that the dishes were inspired by different regions in Italy. There were also some dishes that were not classics of Italian cuisine, but they were prepared in an Italian style. The beef tartar was very interesting to taste because it was extremely different from a cooked piece of beef on a bun and the taste of an American hamburger, which we are used to. The beef tartar was served with a sauce which had a sweet flavor. The next dish was the raw veal with a fig marsala sauce. There were radishes and garnishes on top. The taste of the raw meat had a nice contrast with the sweet fig marsala. The meal was cold and altogether flavorful. The salad was full of fruit and vegetables such as pears, carrots, and radishes. The salad was very light compared to the other raw meals being served at Table 21. The chef told us that his favorite meal of the evening was the beef tartar served on a bun. We agreed with him, that was also our favorite meal. Altogether, the meal and the vibe at this “AperiArt” were unique and engaging.

By Taryn Vasquez and Liana Zamora
Tonight, on October 16th, the theme at Ganzo’s aperitivo is: Italy loves…Cheese! but used in an unorthodox way. We were presented with three dishes. The first on the left was a one-bite dish that included a potato chip, white fish, goat cheese and a green puree on the bottom. This was personally my favorite dish because it has all of the elements and flavors a dish could have. It was crunchy, creamy, salty, sweet and savory. We also thought that this dish was also unique in that it combined cheese and fish, which is rarely ever seen together if at all. However, this particular combination happened to work very well and it is not something we would think of. The second dish was a twist on cheesecake, it was an upside down savory cheesecake. The bottom was a fruit compote, the middle was a ricotta cheese and herbs and the top was a cracker crumble. We really liked this savory take on cheesecake the flavors combined very nicely. It was not something that we had ever really thought to do before and would definitely try again. Finally, the last dish was also savory, a creme brûlée. This had more of a toasted flavor and was topped with a piece of fruit. Although this still had good flavor, it was not my favorite of all of the dishes, it did not have too much of a savory flavor as we think that the chef was trying to achieve. Overall, we really liked Ganzo and the experience it provided. There were many different drink options which all looked well put together. The other dishes that were not at Table 21 were varied: two types of pasta, different finger sandwiches, sautéed vegetables, chicken wings and a salad with octopus. We think that Ganzo is a great success and we know it will continue to be so.