Throwback Week @ Ganzo
By Carson Light
The theme of this weeks ‘AperiGanzo’ at the Ganzo restaurant was Counterculture, with 60s and 70s influences. A main part of this time period was that post-war, more foods were available in surplus, i.e. store bought mayonnaise, milk, and pre-made sauces.
Foods that were primarily Italian began to infiltrate other countries and cultures. The US took the concept of pasta and turned it into mass produced ‘Spaghetti and Meatballs’, more specifically, bowtie pasta. Bowtie pasta was originally Italian, but mostly for children, as the shape made it easy to eat but the sauce did not hold well to it.
Another dish, Beef Tenderloin, was also over-produced in the US. As the head chef of Ganzo states, “Too many cows were killed during these years, just for this dish”. The dish was taken by Ganzo and turned into two delicious tender filets, served with a citrusy sauce and pepper.
The final dish was Chicken Ballotine, originally served with store-bought mayonnaise. The process includes a whole chicken, with the skin cut off. The chicken is seasoned with various herbs included fennel, garlic, carrots, etc. The liver is removed and frozen in a rolled shape. The entire chicken is poached and rolled all together to create a layered dish (below). Served with (of course) mayonnaise.