Cooking at Kresios & The Amazing Dinner

So..... after that lovely afternoon with wine and tastings by the lake, we gathered ourselves up, and headed for the small town of Telese. It is just 10 minutes from La Pampa. A cute town; boasting a 1-Star Michelin restaurant. We are scheduled for a cooking lesson with "Simone" ... or "Jerry" as he is sometimes called. (we are still not sure!)''

We arrived at 5 p.m., were treated to some background on the property and a tour of the wine cellar by Alfredo. They stock 5000 bottles, and have 1000 different labels! (the oldest being 1966). The downstairs kitchen is technology personified ... it is the only one with so many specialized cooking "machines" ; and the only one like it in Italy.

The restaurant has a set menu each night ... either "Mr. Pink" or "Mr. White" .. depending on the courses and the different meats that might be served. Least expensive is 90e (without wine pairing!) We worked on 3 different items in the kitchen and then discovered we could stay for a full-on 19-course (that is NOT a typo) dinner for a slightly reduced rate. An opportunity like this is once-in-a-lifetime, and we did not pass it up! So: we cooked; left to go to a bar for a drink; and returned at 8:30 p.m. for our dinner.



I am not posting all 19 courses. But: you do want to know... each course is truly 1 bite. A small little tidbit on the end of a skewer; or served in an unusual holder. Fascinating to say the least. We loved every minute of it. We were rolled out at the end!

little note: the restaurant has an "emblem" with a black ant. Not sure how it started, but people bring them from all over. Hence: the big one on the wall outside, and the little wire ones on the tables inside.

In the kitchen: we tried to slice zucchini thin enough to make this roll...then it was topped with home-mde mayo (that was sensational) , caviar, and then "frozen" with liquid nitrogen. Yum!

Next: marinating egg yolks in a combo of salt and sugar. Later, they come out and get served in a little dish. WE also made an egg pasta (different from the pasta we have made before). Then it was rolled out, and was stuffed with little dabs of finely chopped roasted guinea fowl. Shaping the pasta and cutting it propery is really an art!

Sitting down to eat the amazing menu was beyond-beyond! below: a couple of the courses... one bite each! on the left: a scallop sandwich with bitter almond and parsley served on a tiny acrylic square. On the right: the spaghetti with a sauce that is special to Campagnia. It is made with 50 kinds of fish!
On the next page, the paper roll, and inside the little tiny pizza with tomato and anchovy. SO good! below those: a special cheese with a little square of lemon jam, and sweetbread popcorn (delish!)

So: I am leaving out a lot of courses... but here is the dessert: little pastries and "doughnuts" with chocolate sauce. And then: "The Kiss of the Frog" .. a wonderful lemon marshmallow!

The next page is a photo of us with the chefs in the kitchen ... and then the aftermath!!