Grilled Peaches with Arugula, Prosciutto and Parmigiano Reggiano

Okay, so I'm not cut out to be an Iron Chef but I thought you would like this cooking video-the recipe is simple and perfect for summer. If you can get white peaches they are sweeter than the yellow and a bit larger. You can do this outdoors or on a stove top grill. Just section the peach, sear it and the put it on a plate with Prosciutto di Parma, shaved Parmigiano Reggiano cheese topped with baby arugula or roll up the arugula in the prosciutto, top with the cheese surrounded by peaches. Make a quick dressing with some quality extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper.

My public relations lady was playing with her little Kodak digital and was able to do this video, she needs practice. The photograph is her version of the salad.

One Good Thing Leads to Another

One Good Thing Leads To Another

I've talked of my three-week honeymoon in Italy and all of the exciting places where Monika and I dined. Osteria del Coro in Siena, Italy was the stand-out meal. The food was so good, you could taste the chef’s passion for his local cuisine. I swore then that I would bring the executive chef, Stefano Azzi, to the U.S. to cook a special dinner at Sotto Sopra. This dream was realized this spring when Chef Azzi prepared two sold-out Sienese dinners for our Sotto Sopra clientele as well as the Italian Consul from Maryland and the Mid-Atlantic States.

True Italian cuisine is wonderful. At its core, it embraces fresh, quality and local ingredients – a philosophy I share. Before Chef Azzi returned to Italy, I wanted to help him spread the good word on Tuscan products. We had two impressive meetings in New York City. Our first was with the CEO of StarChefs.com, Antoinette Bruno (a former Baltimore native). The second was with Iron Chef, Mario Batali at Otto, one of his many restaurants. I was surprised to learn that Chef Batali has 1,400 employees. 1,400 – that’s huge! Mario said he is looking forward to going to Chef Azzi’s restaurant in Siena this summer and will keep Sotto Sopra on his radar should he be in the Baltimore area. It was a great meeting.

Stay Informed

Subscribers to Sotto Sopra’s e-mail news received the special invitation to Chef Azzi’s dinner. It was not advertised. You too can receive all the up-to-the-moment, exclusive, customer appreciation special events notices as well as bonus birthday and anniversary rewards. Subscribing is easy and free, just fill in your e-mail in the box here on the blog. We don’t want you to miss out.

It Is All About Passion

When you dine at Sotto Sopra I want you to taste my passion for Italian cuisine in every bite, just as I did with Chef Azzi’s meal in Italy.

Buon Appetito!

Riccardo