Aroma Caffe’s Chef Alberto Hones his Skills in Italy’s Food Valley

NOW that we’ve all removed our masks and are returning fearlessly to our favourite restaurants, is it once again safe to greet friends with body hugs and kisses on both cheeks, or will a limp handshake or  fist bump suffice? Given the unpredictability of Covid-19, constantly lurking in the shadows, a friendly smile and a cheerful greeting might be the safest options.

Also unpredictable is the weather right now, and just when it seemed safe to book a table in the garden at Aroma Caffe, a torrential downpour occurred between the aperitivo and antipasti courses at lunch time last week. Luckily I had reserved a table on the verandah, and looked on smugly when alfresco diners clutching wine glasses and hand bags, scampered inside looking like drowned rats.

Macchiato at Aroma Caffe.

Italian cuisine is popular all over the world, and its history goes back

to the Roman Empire. Traditionally, a celebratory or festive  Italian meal is structured to include numerous courses. Starting with an aperitivo such as olives or nuts, one would move on to the antipasti or starter, a small platter of salami, cheese and bread. Italians maintain that ‘the appetite comes while you are eating’, so no problem continuing with a primi hot dish of risotto, gnocchi or soup. Roast or grilled meat or perhaps lobster might be served in the secondi or main course, to be followed by a leafy green salad. No meal would be complete without an entire course offering cheese and fruit, concluding with dolce, a dessert of cake, panna cotta or gelato (ice cream).

Delectable chocolate cake with berries.

Whether you were eating mindfully, savouring the taste of each mouthful, or simply guzzling your guanciale (cured pork cheeks), consuming such a meal could take several hours. With limited time available for a mid-week lunch at Aroma Caffe, my companion Alice and I limited ourselves to one dish each.

A complimentary aperitivo of guacamole and thinly sliced crusty bread was soon followed by Alice’s choice of Palermo salad, made with fresh, juicy prawns layered with rocket leaves and micro greens and lavishly garnished with shavings of Parmesan cheese. Ravioli stuffed with ricotta cheese and spinach, served with a butter and sage sauce (burro e salvia), was delicious. Service is friendly and efficient, and a request for extra butter and sage sauce was attended to immediately.

Time was short, so we shared a delectable slice of chocolate cake, garnished with strawberries, a blackberry and a blueberry. Beautifully presented on a bright yellow plate, with a sprinkling of icing sugar and a tiny blue flower, the dolce was a work of art. A final macchiato made from Illy coffee was flavourful, but only half sized, and served lukewarm.

Palermo salad at Aroma Caffe

Desserts at Aroma Caffe took on a new look during the pandemic, when travel restrictions grounded Alberto Picci, the young chef-in-waiting and son of hands-on owners Marina and Walter Picci. Having recently completed a course in haute cuisine at Accademia Casa Puddu in Sardinia, he focused on a range of trendy desserts, such as popcorn gelato and pecorino gelato. He also established a cheese-making factory at Caffe Aroma.

Alberto is now in the Italian Food Valley, studying at ALMA, a prestigious school of Italian culinary arts a few kilometres outside the city of Parma. Sometimes referred to as the capital of gourmets, Parma is famous for its Parmigiana cheese and sweet Parma ham, made from Parma-raised pigs and cured with sea salt.

Taking time off from his studies, Alberto e-mailed me to say that he’s enrolled in an advanced course of Italian cuisine at ALMA, covering meat, fish and pasta dishes. ‘We do lots of practical training in the different restaurants of the school’, said Alberto, and ‘learn about different subjects such as sensory analysis, nutrition, winemaking and gastronomic culture’.

Alberto continues to make gelato, and will eventually increase the range of cheeses being made at Caffe Aroma. An important part of the course at ALMA will be a five month internship in a leading Italian restaurant, when Alberto will demonstrate his culinary skills.

Before leaving Caffe Aroma, I bought a large caciotta cheese with pepper corns, made in the cheese factory. Either thinly sliced, drizzled with olive oil and served with bread, or grated over a tomato salad, it is delicious.

Being skilled in the art and science of prediction would be a fine thing, but it’s safe to say that as the cases of Covid-19 continue to fall, our confidence in socialising will grow, and the hospitality industry will continue to thrive. And I’m looking forward to Alberto Picci’s eventual return to Caffe Aroma and an exciting new range of gelato and cheeses.  A Matter of Taste with  Charlotte Malakoff

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