Pizza Lovers (S01E01)

(see below for the italian version)

Hey, pizza lovers! London calling ;)

We all deserve a treat from time to time. In my opinion a pizza is a good idea!

People have their own preferences: thin crust, thick crust, deep pan, hand tossed, with tomato sauce, without tomato sauce, fully loaded or... with hot dog stuffed crust (I'm not joking, ask for it at Domino's)

As far as I'm concerned, when I feel the need to eat something tasty and not too far from home, I naturally choose Franco Manca!

Valentine's Day Pizza

I live in the neighbourhood so it's pretty obvious to choose Franco Manca in Chiswick. The pizzeria is located on the High Road, just a few minutes from the Turnham Green tube station (District line, zone 2).

The venue is a proper italian pizzeria, extremely lively and cozy. You'll be warmly greeted both by the charming italian staff and by the crackling wood fired oven. Moreover, London weather permitting, you can eat your pizza al fresco!

The pizza is crispy, tender and fragant, an authentic Neapolitan one!, and it's made from slow-rising sourdough baked in the brick oven and topped with high quality, selected ingredients.Due to the fact that is quality, non quantity that matters, you'll find less than a dozen of pizzas (including the specials) and they are all delicious!

Ricotta cheese, mushrooms and ham pizza

At Franco Manca's you won't find Coca-Cola, but you can quench your thirst with a glass of delicious cloudy lemonade or opt for interesting beers and stunning wines. (Otherwise, you can cherry pick a bottle of S. Pellegrino water ;P)

Among the starters the merit badge goes to the Burrata, delicacy from my native region.

Burrata pugliese, wild rocket and Parma ham.

The price is quite cheap (20£ for two pizzas and two beers!) and everyone in the pizzeria is really kind and charming.
Especially when, last Christmas, they gave us an artisan made Panettone!

...Have you booked your table yet? ;)

Franco Manca

144 Chiswick High Rd, London W4 1PU

020 8747 4822

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Today's Specials

Sometimes wandering around is the best way to discover hidden treasures. 

A few days ago I went to Bermondsey after reading an article about the Spa Terminus shopping mall. Worst idea ever: apparently every single shop of the compound is closed on Sundays.

However, it wasn't time for losing heart! The sun shined across London so I decided to set out for Borough. 

On and on and on she walked... until she arrived at the corner between Wild's Rents and Long Lane. Then an Italian Deli appeared out of the blue.

Fine Foods

I was astonished (well, I was hungry, too) and the shop looked so inviting that I decided to enter.

The store is tiny and filled with italian speciality of any sort: pasta, sauces, olive oil, wine... However, in my humble opinion, the best part is the deli and cheese counter.

Deli and cheese counter

I'm not a big fan of Mortadella (I'd rather eat tons of Parma Ham), but... 

The guy behind the counter offered me a slice of the cold cut (it has pistachios inside!) and it was really delicious. I bought approx 80g for less then 2£. I ate with gusto all the slices once I left the delicatessen store. 

It's something that everyone should do at least once in a lifetime. 

Italian specialities

Fine Foods
218 Long Lane
SE1 4QB London
T: 020 7403 7513
www.finefoodse1.co.uk

The Italian Kitchen

We all know that Italy is extremely famous for its cuisine. We also know that -and it happens regularly, all over the world- it is an endless battle filled to overflowing with war cries like "My ingredients are better than yours!" or "I'm the best chef of the entire universe!" 

We also know that moving from your motherland implies a change of habits, like getting used to eating different stuff than before. You will slowly forget things like flavors and scents and, for this reason, you will try to reproduce (in this case) Italian classics with foreign ingredients in a vain attempt to create a surrogate or, at least, something that can make you feel at home or keep in touch with your roots, although in a bizarre way. 

Moreover, living on an island becomes immensely complex for those who wants to fill their luggages with food unless you are a ship owner (or a pirate). 

So, for all the above reasons, The Italian Kitchen, or Cucinare a Londra comes into the (web) world. It'd be a memorandum for those who live in the UK like me, a resource for those who want to discover awesome Italian dishes and a guide to the best markets and ingredients all around London. A compendium of recipes, addresses and tips to keep in touch with your roots or, even better, to discover something new and improve your days.

Focaccia with tuna and mozzarella cheese.

Tutti sappiamo che l'Italia è uno tra i paesi più rinomati per la sua cucina. Sappiamo anche che, un po' come in ogni dove, i campanilismi sono forti ed è una guerra senza fine al "i miei ingredienti sono i migliori" o "cucino meglio io".

Sappiamo anche che quando si va via dall'Italia non potendo più cibarsi di quello che abbiamo mangiato fino ad allora, si tende a: 1) dimenticare i veri sapori 2) riprodurre classici italiani con ingredienti esteri nel vano tentativo di produrre un surrogato o, comunque sia, un qualcosa che possa farci "sentire a casa" o "mantenere il contatto con le nostre radici" anche se in un maniera un po' bizzarra.

Se a tutto questo aggiungiamo che vivendo in un'isola diventa immensamente più complicato avere l'entusiasmo da studente fuori sede che riempie i propri bagagli di olio e sughi pronti (questo non vuol dire che non si cerchi di farlo a priori) abbiamo fatto tombola.

Nasce così The Italian Kitchen o, nello specifico, Cucinare a Londra. Un promemoria per me che vivo all'estero e che a volte ho voglia di cucinare italiano e vado alla ricerca dell'ingrediente migliore. Un compendio di ricette, indirizzi e suggerimenti per "mantenere il contatto con le vostre radici" o, ancora meglio, scoprire qualcosa di nuovo e migliorare le vostre giornate. :)