The one-hundred Pasqualinas

The one-hundred Pasqualinas (a journey through taste since 1912)

Text by SEVERINO COLOMBO Photography by ANTONIO CASTELLANI - WALTER MEREGALLI

Traduzioni a cura di

For my entire family and my sons Gabriele and Tommaso. With the wish that whatever they decide to do when they grow up, that they may always do with it with great passion and earnestness.

Riccardo Schiavi

The one-hundred Pasqualinas (A journey through taste since 1912)

INSPIRED BY AN IDEA OF RICCARDO AND ELENA SCHIAVI Graphic Layout and Art Direction Walter Meregalli Cover AA.VV. Texts Severino Colombo Editor Elena Schiavi Photographies Antonio Castellani - Walter Meregalli Web References lapasqualina.it castellani.name waltermeregalli.it - waltermeregallifoto.com studiotm.org

I- PROLOGUE

116 - THE BROTHER OF LEMONS (Luigi Aceto)

1 - PIERO AND PASQUALINA

(where we discover that everything begins with a dream)

22 - MILK

(if the truth be known, it is a galactic food)

(Andrea Paternoster)

32 - IL MIELE

ALL RIGTHS RESERVED - total or partial reproduction is prohibited without the authorizations of the copyright holders

36 - EGGS, BUTTER AND FLOUR

© - July 2012

protagonists

pg. 8 - pgg. 12/13 - pg. 14 - pgg. 22/23 - pgg. 24/25 - pgg. 32/33 - pgg. 34/35 - pgg. 36/37 - pgg. 38/39 - pg. 47 - pgg. 48/49 - pgg. 50/51 - pg. 52 - pgg. 60/61 pgg. 62/63 - pgg. 70/71 - pgg. 72/73 - pgg. 86/87 - pg.88 - pg. 96 - pg. 99 - pgg. 100/101 - pgg. 102/103 - pgg. 104/105 - pgg. 106/107 - pg. 141 - pgg. 146/147 pgg. 148/149 - pg. 168 - pg. 171 - pgg. 172/173 - pg. 174 - pgg. 176/177 - pgg.184/185 - pgg. 186/187 - pgg. 188/189 - pgg. 196/197 - pgg. 198/199 - pg. 209 pgg. 212/213 - pgg. 216/217 Photography by Walter Meregalli pg. III - pgg. 10/11 - pg. 27 - pgg. 28/29 - pg. 30 - pg. 42 - pg.55 - pg. 59 - pg. 75 - pg. 76 - pgg. 78/79 - pg. 81 - pgg. 82/83 - pg. 113 - pg. 115 - pg. 117 - pgg. 118/119 pg. 120 - pgg. 122/123 - pg. 125 - pgg. 126/127 - pg. 137 - pg. 151 - pgg. 152/153 - pg. 155 - pg. 157 - pgg. 158/159 - pg. 160 - pg. 164 - pg. 179 - pg. 191 pgg. 192/193 - pg. 195 - pg. 202 - pg. 205 - pg. 207 - pg. 210 - pg. 219 - pg. 221 - pg. 223 Famiglia Schiavi and Famiglia Preda Personal Archive pg. 2 - pg. 5 - pg. 7 - pg. 16 - pg. 21 - pg. 56 - pg. 67 - pg. 68 - pg. 92 - pg. 130 - pg. 133 - pg. 142

of

70 - CHERRIES

(as they say, you can’t eat just one)

74 - THE CHESTNUT GNOME (Raffaele Corrado)

80 - THE MULTIPLIER OF FRUITS (Romano Micheletti)

86 - ALMONDS AND HAZELNUTS

(witches, fairies and a lot of good health)

91 - GRANDFATHER LUIGI IS NOT ONE TO BE TRIFLED WITH

146 - THE PISTACHIO NUT

156 - THE PERSONAL TRAINER FOR COWS

(where habits may change but tastes don’t)

Photography by Antonio Castellani

(where we meet up with a volcano)

(Emanuele Canaparo)

41 - TELEVISION AND ICE-CREAM

Photography Credits:

129 - ROSA

150 - THE HAZELNUT SOMMELIER

(food of the gods)

(the undisputed every recipe)

(Pasquale Campobasso)

(green gold)

26 - THE BEE SHEPHERD

Printed in Italy by Arti Grafiche Turati - Desio (MI)

124 - THE ALMOND ACADEMY

(whose gruff character hides a true heart)

(Ivan Avogadro)

163 - THIS IS MY HOME

(where we discover the true ingredients)

186 - LIQUORICE

(the sweet root abounding mysteries and properties)

190 -THE LIQUORICE CUSTODIAN (Fortunato Amarelli)

196 - LEMONS

(golden horns of sunlight)

201 - PERPETUAL MOTION

(where one never stops learning)

with

Some of the key moments The Ristoro Cacciatori becomes the Preda Tennis Club Bar

PIERO DAINA and PASQUALINA LOCATELLI marry and open the Ristoro Cacciatori Pasqualina (Pasqualina’s Trattoria for Hunters)

LUIGI PREDA and LINA LOCATELLI marry

LUIGI and LINA move to Almenno where they live with their children EDDA, ABELE, PIERO, ROSA, TINA, FRANCO and MARINELLA over AUNT PASQUALINA’S trattoria

RICCARDO takes over management of his uncle and aunt’s bar

ROSA marries ALBERTO. They will have two children: RICCARDO and ELENA

FRANCO, with his wife LISETTA, refurbishes the bar which returns to its original name: La Pasqualina

LUIGI builds the tennis courts

LA PASQUALINA celebrates its 100th anniversary and opens in Porto Cervo

LA PASQUALINA opens in Bergamo

LINA and LUIGI take over management of their aunt’s trattoria

1926 1912

1967

1952

2007

1985 1969

1963

1968

1995

2012

A journey through taste since 1912

PROLOGUE Once upon a time‌ The story of a place such as the Pasqualina can only begin as a fairy tale would, a story where the destinies of many generations, of many people and of one family are interwoven.

The fairy tale begins exactly a century ago, in 1912, when Pasqualina was the name of a person, even before it became a place. And it continues to this day with Pasqualina being the name of a place with many people behind it.

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The one-hundred Pasqualinas

A journey through taste since 1912

First of all, there is Riccardo, the great-grandson of the founder who by the mid 1990s had taken over the business—then a trattoria, today a confectioner’s shop— and who made it grow.

Much has changed in a century: the place, the landscape surrounding it, the people, the goals and expectations.

What has not changed are the values passed down from generation to generation that have kept the family together for one-hundred years. They have almost entered into the dna of anyone—and there are many—who has strived to nourish a dream and keep it alive. It is the same story repeating itself even after a century: one of people who, with determination and hard work, enthusiasm and fatigue, toil to make a piece of land fertile so that genuine fruits can be cultivated there and that these fruits—as it is in the nature of those who are restaurateurs—may be enjoyed, tasted and appreciated by all.

Riccardo has sown something every day in these last seventeen years, and those before him did the very same. Now that the fruits are growing, he wants to understand the roots, take possession of a past which is already his and which, almost without knowing it, he already had inside of himself.

He is the driving force behind this story but not the protagonist. The thing around which everything revolves is indeed a place.

Riccardo Schiavi, in the Pasqualina in Bergamo.

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The one-hundred Pasqualinas

A journey through taste since 1912

PIERO AND PASQUALINA (where we discover that everything begins with a dream)

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The one-hundred Pasqualinas

A journey through taste since 1912

PIERO E PASQUALINA

1912.. Pasqualina - no, Aunt Pasqualina as her nieces and nephews and greatnephews and great-nieces remember her - back then was a pretty young blonde woman with green eyes. A wholesome beauty that turned the heads of the men in the small town in the Bergamo region known as Almenno San Bartolomeo, where this story begins.

This is exactly what happened to Piero. The young man, with a diploma from a business middle school to his credit, had sought and won his fortune abroad, in Argentina. It is unclear whether he departed, already cherishing the dream of starting up a family or whether it had been a stroke of lightning upon his return home.

Piero and Pasqualina on their wedding day.

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The one-hundred Pasqualinas

A journey through taste since 1912

«Piero was deeply in love. He is the mastermind behind it all. He built a dream and dedicated it to the girl he was in love with».

But all things considered, it doesn’t really matter. What does is that the Pasqualina adventure from Piero to Riccardo, seen from the exterior, is a story composed of a thousand departures and a thousand returns. And what also matters is that Piero, using the money earned far away from home, buys some land on the outskirts of town, which should be imagined as a place in wide open country. Almost an unspoiled paradise. More than just love on shoestring, or as the Italian expression goes: two hearts and a shack.

Something more solid and long-lasting: a building that is both home and workplace, surrounded by the fields whose fruits are the basis for the domestic economy.

The first Pasqualina was an act of love. «Piero was deeply in love. He is the mastermind behind it all. He built a dream and dedicated it to the girl he was in love with», explains niece Marinella. She is the guide—the first in this long voyage back into the family’s past.

Born in a family of nine brothers and sisters, Marinella’s mother entrusted her with caring for the “grandparents”. Piero and Pasqualina were Marinella’s great uncle and aunt who, not having children of their own, had already raised Carolina.

An act of love can also be discovered in a notarial document.

On the page opposite, the deed of purchase for the property in Almenno San Bartolomeo, dated 3 June 1912 and registered by notary Camillo Dolci.

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The one-hundred Pasqualinas

A journey through taste since 1912

«They raised my mother Carolina, Lina. Then, my mother, in order not to leave them alone, entrusted me with their care». The mother Lina had settled in with the family in Brembate, not very far from there. («It was a dirt road and I remember my father carried me from one house to another on a scooter, a Galletto».) Born in 1944, Marinella spends her childhood and youth with her aunt and uncle: «a happy, carefree time until the age of 18 - she emphasises - full of wonderful moments».

Marinella has a recollection of her uncle Piero which she cherishes. She remembers him as a special and loving person, a simple man with a good heart: «someone with whom it was impossible not to get along». A slight stutter made her even fonder of him. He always stood up for her, if for any reason her aunt scolded her. He was always willing to cover up her pranks. Being an avid hunter, sometimes he would take little Murielle with him in the woods, despite knowing how things would end up. «I didn’t want him to catch the little birds and he wouldn’t, to please me, but then, in order not to go back with empty hands, before returning, he would buy a couple of bags of them from a hunter friend».

Almenno San Bartolomeo in three postcards at the beginning of the 1900s.

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A journey through taste since 1912

2012. «Do you make your own sweet rolls? » These kinds of questions, up until a couple of years ago, even if asked without malice, were a way of unsettling Riccardo. The reason was that being an open person used to telling people the truth, he was forced to admit that no, the rolls were not homemade, or as the Italians say, it’s flour from another mill. «Having to answer like this really made me suffer», Riccardo says. And it is for this reason that he decided to buy a pastry sheeter, no, he bought the Ferrari of pastry sheeters. «It’s the best in the world». So when he’s asked «Do you make your own sweet rolls?» the answer is different: yes, they are “made in Pasqualina”. «The machine can put out five thousand sweet rolls daily», he explains proudly, then adds, «But we produce three-thousand a week. Just for us». It was a decision made to defend and safeguard the uniqueness of the product. «Our sweet rolls can only be found here».

The philosophy behind this episode is the same Riccardo has already adopted for other premium confectionery products such as ice-cream and chocolate.

«The objective», he explains, «is to make everything here on premises». And this is something new, but due to a strange twist of fate in the past, this is exactly what had always happened at the original Pasqualina…

«Our sweet rolls can only be found here».

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The one-hundred Pasqualinas

A journey through taste since 1912

The workshop: the motor, the heart of today’s Pasqualina.

A moment during the preparation of Pasqualini, biscuits made only with natural ingredients.

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The one-hundred Pasqualinas

A journey through taste since 1912

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The one-hundred Pasqualinas

A journey through taste since 1912

1912.

Love is a wonderful thing, but how were Piero and Pasqualina paying the

bills? The building’s intended use was varied during the first years of business: dining, wine decanting and food production. That led to an almost obligatory and “customised” name, the “Ristoro Cacciatori Pasqualina” (Pasqualina’s Trattoria for Hunters), which remained intact through two wars. Expanded and renovated, today it is still “home” of the confectioner’s shop with that dedication in its name.

We can imagine how the trattoria appeared vivid and poetic to the eyes of its patrons: «it was a magical and enchanted place». An expanse of vineyards served to frame the building—in the space that today is occupied by the family warehouses and where three tennis courts will be located for several decades. It was a green paradise that made the Lombardy region of that day look like today’s Tuscany. This “garden of delights” was completed by an orchard and a poultry pen, located on the back side in the trattoria’s open barnyard and a field of sunflowers.

Inside, the main room was very simple and plain: a counter, much smaller than the current one, welcomed customers at the entrance. A number of dining tables were placed before it where regular customers entertained themselves playing cards.

«It was a magical and enchanted place. It was here during the evenings that Piero told me his wild tales».

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The one-hundred Pasqualinas

A journey through taste since 1912

An enormous fireplace stood out where guests could sit to warm themselves during the winter. «It was here during the evenings that Piero told me his wild tales».

To her beauty, the proprietress united other virtues: she was, above all, an excellent cook.

The menu’s strength lay in its traditional dishes, a poor yet substantial cuisine, which is once more in vogue today.

Tripe («served in bowls»), guinea-fowl and game never were lacking on the menu, inevitably accompanied by polenta. Aunt Pasqualina was loyal to the duty of welcoming people: «A six in the morning, when the first customers arrived, she was already on her feet». Decades later, habits have not changed much: now it is Alberto, Riccardo’s father, who opens the confectioner’s shop at dawn, spoiling the first customers with sweet rolls hot out of the oven.

Large barrels found in the cellar in the 1960s were a testimony of wine decanting activities.

But the most interesting aspect, with an eye on the future, is found in the preparation of homemade food products which, starting from the very first years, continued until at least the mid-1950s.

«Every day a local farmer brought fresh milk that Aunt Pasqualina used to make butter and taleggio cheese which she sold». The space used for butter and cheese-making was next to the trattoria, and which has since become a room in the new Pasqualina. Back then, it was off-limits to “unauthorised personnel” and perhaps for this reason, it was a

In a photograph dated 1898, Pasqualina, standing on the left, is portrayed with her mother Maria, seated in the middle, the four sisters, Caterina, Maria, Carolina, Anna and Pasquale, the brother.

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The one-hundred Pasqualinas

A journey through taste since 1912

favourite destination for little Marinella’s hidden forays. «There was always a very strong

aspects, folkloristic and commercial, found expression in the Pasqualina of those days:

smell, but going inside was always worth it. I used to sneak in to eat the cream that had

«tables were set up outdoors, there was music, dancing and singing». There were also

risen to the top of the milk».

competitions of bird call imitations, done with the mouth alone or with zufolo whistles, an instrument for which artisans from Valle Imagna were renowned.

Already back then, one of the most eagerly awaited moments of the year was mid-August,

The event back then had the feel of a people’s festival: Aunt Pasqualina, who had an acute

for the Bird Fair in the nearby town of Almenno San Salvatore.

business sense, would ask her young niece to stand on the threshold of the trattoria: «in

The still-existing tradition was established in 1934 to create the opportunity for and

the beginning, I didn’t understand why. Then I realised it was to “attract” customers».

promote an activity that was practiced in all the local farmhouses: raising decoy birds used

Aware of her beauty and with a dash of purely feminine coquettish vanity, Pasqualina

in the huts and bird snares in Lombardy and Veneto regions. This meant that in addition

enjoyed being at the centre of attention and receiving looks from admirers, yet all the

to the folkloristic aspect of fowling, there was also the economic one. This tradition grew

while knowing how to keep them away with firmness. An anecdote told by the niece

over the years and came to fruition in a festival of wide appeal, an event which became so

illustrates her character to perfection: “«I was sixteen and a customer entering when

popular in the area that there are still people who collect the antique postcards with the

he saw me, remarked what a pretty girl I was to my aunt». That should have been the

words in dialect “Polenta noa, ùsei de passada, ì de butiglia; l’è ona paciada!” (or in other

end of it but instead, Pasqualina, unable to allow her niece the satisfaction of receiving a

words, “just-made polenta, migratory birds, bottled wine; good eats!”)

compliment, replied to the patron: «if you think Marinella is pretty, wait till you see her

Today the festival would also be referred to as a trade show which brought together

sisters!». The low blow was returned at the first opportunity. When she learned of an old

“experts in the field” from nearby provinces and regions. In a smaller version, both

admirer of her aunt’s, Marinella played a nasty trick on her. «There was a gentleman in

«There was always a very strong smell, but going inside was always worth it. I used to sneak in to eat the cream that had risen to the top of the milk».

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The one-hundred Pasqualinas

town who had always been infatuated with my aunt, to the point of having a portrait of her in his house. Thinking exactly of him, I said I had met him by chance and that he paid me some very nice compliments…that I reminded him of someone, he said. Then I said to my aunt that, when he found out I was Pasqualina’s niece, he said I was even prettier than she was when she was young!» Once more, her aunt rose to the occasion and unleashed a comment with a cutting tone: «He must not remember what I looked like back then».

In any event, Marinella never revealed her aunt’s little secret.

In 1952, the death of Uncle Piero marks the end of an era. Carolina, Marinella’s mother and her husband Luigi help Aunt Pasqualina with running the business. Shortly after, they will move to the rooms over the trattoria with their large family. Things at the Pasqualina were about to change…

Some sketches of the Ristoro Cacciatori Pasqualina, which would become the Pasqualina.

In a photograph from the 1950s, Pasqualina Locatelli looking out a window over her eatery.

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The one-hundred Pasqualinas

Ingredients and raw materials.

In the midst of history and wonders.

milk 22

A journey through taste since 1912

MILK

(if the truth be known, it is a galactic food)

Milk has always been a symbol of vitality.

In folk wisdom, properties bordering on universal of restoring vital force and youth are attributed to it: A remedy for colds, poison antidote, a beauty treatment. It is a primordial food, the first one mammals feed on and it is responsible for growth.

Greek mythology associates milk with the mysteries of the universe. Zeus wanted that his own illegitimate son Heracles, born out of his affair with a mortal woman and therefore also mortal himself, suckle from his wife. The purpose was for him to acquire eternal life. At night the father of the gods crept in and placed the babe at the breast of Hera as she slept, but the goddess awoke and drove him away. Doing this, milk splashed onto the dark sky, which since then has always been streaked with white. This is how the Milky Way came into being, our galaxy: the clusters of stars are referred to with a term derived directly from the Greek word “gala” meaning “milk”.

The ancient Greeks weren’t the only ones to have formulated sidereal fantasies on the origin of this fundamental food. Italo Calvino in Cosmicomics (1965) imagined that in antiquity, human beings went to the moon to collect milk from its craters. Calvino’s moon-milk was a food that was «very thick, like a type of cream cheese. It formed in the crevices between one scale and the next, through the fermentation of various bodies and substances of terrestrial origin». Even if the “substances” appearing on the writer’s long list are improbable, it remains a delicate science fiction tribute to the true goodness of milk, which contains practically all the necessary nutritional elements necessary for human nourishment: proteins, fats, sugars, vitamins (A, B2, B12) and mineral salts (calcium, phosphorus, zinc, potassium and sodium).

In short, a galactic food.

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Big little stories, dreams, passions and still more

THE BEE SHEPHERD

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Andrea Paternoster

46 years of age

“Every year at spring I grow wings and antennas, every year I become a bee”, Andrea Paternoster reveals with a serious and convincing tone. «This is the only way I can see the world from their point of view, from above». Behind this metamorphosis, you will find the story of a family which has had honey in its veins for more than ninety years: «When your grandfather has given you your name and surname and introduced you to the world of bees, your fate is sealed. Thus it was for my father as it is for me today and perhaps it will be for my daughters”.

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I SEE MEADOWS THE WAY MY BEES DO

Andrea, 46, the mind behind the premium brand Mieli Thun (Thun Honey) – has added something of his own: the pride with which he carries out his profession «doing something wonderful to tell your children about» - and his profound and total harmony with nature.

«Being a beekeeper means having direct contact with the plant world: knowing blooming times, meteorology, and the orography of the region». It is a nomadic and poetic job: like a shepherd taking his “flocks” of bees out for a stroll. «They are the only animals that do not destroy when they feed but actually give life because they pollinate flowers. The word “bee” to my mind rhymes with life». Andrea will not settle for producing honey in the Trentino region, in Val di Non, but travels from the Alps to southern Italy in pursuit of the finest “pastures”. «When I find the right place, I leave the “empty” bees there at the beginning of the blooming and after ten days, before the next one begins, I gather them back up again».

This way, the honey they produce is not only monofloral, that is, from a single species of flower or tree, but from a “single blooming” in a specific place. «The idea came from wine, he explains. There is a different and suitable wine for every dish and why shouldn’t it be like this with honey?» Andrea has taken it even a step further with maniacal care: «a quintessential honey», a type of “cru”, one would say in oenological terms, «produced only with nectar gathered at the peak of blooming; the possibility of “contamination” with other nectars is minimised».

He has called the dream he is fulfilling ‘the Honey Renaissance’, meaning «to restore it to its original role as a noble food product».

There are two paths: maximising the value of biodiversity – «of the approximately 18,000 plant species in Europe, almost half, 8000, can be found in Italy» and the diffusion of the culture of honey – «it is much more than a medication during the rainy months or a remedy for a sore throat or other ailments». He is not alone in this endeavour: he collaborates not only with bees but with shops, restaurateurs, chefs and pastry chefs who demonstrate its versatility in cooking and daily nutrition.

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The one-hundred Pasqualinas

A journey through taste since 1912

Ingredients and raw materials.

In the midst of history and wonders.

HONEY 32

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A journey through taste since 1912

HONEY

(food of the gods)

It was called the Food of the Gods and never was there a more deserved name. The history of honey is interwoven with legends, myths and stories that have been lost in the past millennium.

It was used in the ancient worship of Mitra, extolled by philosophers and mentioned in the Bible: John the Baptist’s “menu” in the desert consisted of wild honey and locusts. The Egyptians placed several jars of it in the tombs near the deceased, as it made their final voyage sweeter, after having sweetened life.

Until the discovery of America which marked the mass diffusion of cane sugar, for centuries it had exclusive rights on being the only way to “sweeten” life. But its uses range from that of from foodstuff to ritual; the Greeks and Romans discovered its curative and aesthetic value.

It was used in Sparta to embalm the sovereigns. It seems that even the mathematician Pythagoras who lived in the 6th century BC, nourished himself only with honey. Not bad as a diet considering the ingenious results he obtained: his theorem is still studied in classrooms.

Speaking of calculations: how much should a single bee fly and how many flowers should it land on to produce one kilogramme of honey? The figures are mind-boggling: the insect would have to make 60,000 return trips from the hive for a total of 150,000 kilometres, or rather, four times the earth’s circumference; and pass 82,000,000 times from flower to flower to gather nectar. All this in 50 days, which is the duration of the life cycle of worker bees (the queen can live up to 5 years). Fortunately for them, bees do not “work” alone but in teams.

A hive of 30,000 bees will visit an average of 225,000 flowers and plants each day: this means that to produce one kilogramme of honey, 2,700,000 trips will “suffice”.

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The one-hundred Pasqualinas

A journey through taste since 1912

Ingredients and raw materials.

In the midst of history and wonders.

EGGS, BUTTER AND FLOUR 36

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The one-hundred Pasqualinas

A journey through taste since 1912

EGGS, BUTTER AND FLOUR (the undisputed protagonists of every recipe)

The three ingredients combined are the ABCs of confectionery, the equivalent in poetry of a rhyming couplet (love-dove) or to use a pop refrain from a few years back from an Italian song, they are like “Sun Heart Love”. Basically, eggs, butter and flour are something without which sentiments will not rise nor will a cake.

It is impossible to know who first decided to put them together.

Eggs are a symbol of life but also a food that is found on tables throughout the world. In antiquity, the Egyptians and Greeks raised hens, whereas the Carthaginians preferred ostrich eggs on their tables. Which came first? The chicken or the egg? The riddle is destined to remain unsolved. Better to change

It seems that its history dates back at least 2000 years before Christ and that

the question: which came first, the egg or flour? In an evolutionary diagram,

originally, it was not used as a food but in cosmetics, for body care and in medicine

the egg is for man-the-hunter what flour is for man- the-farmer. In the history

as an ointment. Asia, Europe or the Mediterranean, wherever the “homeland”

of food, the egg wins but in the kitchen, it is a different story: you cannot make

of butter might be, it was surely a northern region: the process through which

dough without a little “mound” of flour where eggs can rest. Flour is made by

butter is formed (known as churning) requires a temperature no higher than

grinding grain – wheat mainly, but also corn, rye, rice or millet – and other

15 degrees. In Italy, when speaking of butter, we are referring to a cow’s milk

products such as legumes (chickpeas, peas, beans, soybeans), starches (potatoes,

product, but goat butter also exists, as does yak butter abroad. 25 kg of milk are

chestnuts, tapioca).

necessary for a kilogramme of butter.

Each type of flour has different characteristics but they all satisfy the palate.

What these three “friends” can do together in the kitchen is told by manuals and

However, it is best to stay away from fossil flour, made of algae shells: it was used

encyclopaedias alike and confirmed by the bellies of the gluttonous.

by Alfred Nobel as an “ingredient” for dynamite.

Moreover, every single recipe that features them comes out delicious, perhaps

Finally, to complete the triad, butter, a food rich in vitamins obtained from

because their individual goodness is multiplied not threefold by their number

processing milk cream.

but umpteen times, like the saying: there’s strength in numbers

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TELEVISION AND ICE-CREAM (where habits may change but tastes don’t)

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A journey through taste since 1912

TELEVISION AND ICE-CREAM «With heavy hearts we must make the following announcement: the Supreme Pontiff John XXIII has passed away». The news of the death of the pope from the Bergamo region – born in 1881 in a village not far from there in Sotto il Monte – reached Almenno San Bartolomeo by television on 3 June 1963. The images of his election to the papal throne had arrived via the very same means of communication four years earlier in 1958 which, according to television critic Aldo Grasso, was the first Italian media-event ever. Rai had begun its first television transmissions in 1954.

At that time, very few people owned a television; there were approximately 88,000

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More or less the entire town followed the news of the death of the Good Pope on the small screen.

A journey through taste since 1912

2012. In 1995, the revolution started with ice-cream. Riccardo explains: “The truth is, that people look first at the colour: green is for pistachio, even if the flavour in most cases has nothing to do with the real taste of the nut. That was why

licence holders in Italy and the average cost of a television was around 250,000 lira.

he immediately established a rule: “if it’s pistachio, it’s got to taste like pistachio”.

Watching television was a public, collective and social activity took place more than

Easier said than done because it meant wagering everything on the quality of the

likely in meeting places or businesses: bars, dairy shops, trattorias. At that time, the

product. To remain faithful to his objective, he made his ice-cream with Bronte

Ristoro Cacciatori Pasqualina was certainly not the only trattoria in town, but it was

pistachios even before the European Union awarded the product the DOP label

the only one with a television set. More or less the entire town followed the news of

(Protected Designation of Origin) in 2010, putting it under the spotlight and making

the death of Pope John XXIII there in the trattoria on the small screen. And it will

it almost fashionable. «At the beginning – he says – many were suspicious because

be “standing room only” again just months later in November of the same year, for

the ice-cream wasn’t the green that they were used to but after tasting it, many were

images of the Kennedy assassination.

astonished that it really tasted like pistachio».

Rather than discussing the novelty factor and potential of the medium, it is worth

Pistachio is the crowning glory of the Pasqualina, or better, one of the many crowning

dwelling on the decision of the Pasqualina, on the outskirts of a small town, to own

glories, as over the years mint has been added («ours is white because it contains no

a television in the 1950s. Looking back, it demonstrates the farsightedness of the

colourants, only mint leaves»), as well as zabaione and chestnut. Have you ever heard

person at the helm of the business. Investing in what was then the latest technological

of Calizzano? The raw material used in the chestnut ice-cream from the Pasqualina

development is simply the ability to have one’s finger on the pulse of society and to

comes from that community in Val Bormida. «Not many have this flavour: we do

intuit, ahead of others, the customs and trends that will be successful. The person

and some ice-cream parlours around Calizzano also have it», Riccardo proudly

leading the Pasqualina fifty years later must also be given credit for these same

says. For the time being! – one wants to add – considering how things went with the

virtues.

Bronte pistachios.

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1963. Pasqualina dies the same year as Pope John XXIII, after having been the heart and soul of the business for over half a century. The niece Lina, who with her husband Luigi, had been working alongside Pasqualina in its daily management in recent years, takes over the tavern. There was a TV in the trattoria, as mentioned before, and many came to watch episodes of the popular quiz “Lascia o raddoppia?”

(Leave it or double it). “Women brought their own chairs from home – Donatella adds – and the men would take turns bringing firewood to heat the room”. Donatella, known as Tella to everyone, is the daughter of the nanny who will raise Riccardo and is like a sister to him; she lives just steps away from the trattoria. She was always like one of the family, and her life rotated (and continues to do so) around the Pasqualina.

«It cost five lira to watch the shows», adds Manuela, eldest daughter of Edda, who is one of Marinella’s three sisters, and Lina and Luigi’s firstborn. Their lives are also profoundly linked to this place. In those years, Edda opens up a beauty salon in some rooms near the trattoria – where today a small room has been created. There is not much information on the matter, but of one thing Manuela is sure: «it was the first shop of its kind in town».

The revolution started in 1995… if it’s pistachio, it’s got to taste like pistachio.

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2012.

«A good restaurateur must always be ahead of the others; one step in

front of the competition, half a step in front of his customers, in order to anticipate the changes in tastes», Riccardo declares. At 27, when he takes over the Pasqualina, he has very clear ideas: «I started to invest in product quality from day one». But the first task at hand was to balance the accounts: «when I closed in the evening, I would sit down and try to understand where I wanted to go and what it would take to get there».

To begin with, it meant finding the money to invest in production.

«I would fall asleep late at night when it was already dawn». It was a time in which Riccardo increased his customer base, using small ideas that seized on the latest demands of the moment. «Business was good at weekends but I wanted there to be people during the week so I contacted a company that makes board games and I had some delivered».

In the 1990s, the Pasqualina “masquerading” as a recreation centre operates at full capacity seven days a week. In an effort to keep up with the newest trends (and nocturnal appetites) of a young clientele, Riccardo launches the idea of a midnight snack: fresh sweet rolls and just-baked bread. It works in large cities but in a small town it was a new item.

After overcoming the difficulties of the initial period successfully (“The first six months were the toughest”) Riccardo can finally begin investing in his product: icecream, which had until now been outsourced by an external artisan workshop. «It wasn’t enough; I wanted our ice-cream to be unique and only ours».

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There was only one way to ensure high quality: overseeing production through all its phases. «From now on, we’re making our own ice-cream». To make room for the batch freezers and pasteurizers, he asked for and received from his uncle Abele a part of the nearby warehouse which became a workshop.

Since then, Riccardo’s collaborators have heard the “from now on, we do things our way” formula again and again: for chocolate as well as for sweet rolls. And once more, yet another “first” for the business: the preparation of herb teas and loose leaf teas. A special parlour has been set up for enjoying teas; the same that had housed Aunt Edda’s beauty salon half a century earlier.

1960s.

Starting at the end of the 1950s and then in the next decade,

the Pasqualina – meaning the trattoria on the ground floor but also referring to the world of sentiments and family relations, the upstairs floor – rotates around Lina and Luigi. Marinella speaks of a happy blending of the two “floors”, private and public, which will remain constant through the subsequent decades. About how «at the end of the winter, the mattresses upstairs were brought down to the dining room on the ground floor so the mattresses could be opened and the wool carded», or when the business was closed «we, the younger generations, would play records and the trattoria would become a dance hall».

The children would also help out behind the counter or in the kitchen, before getting married and embarking on, workwise, other roads.

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Amongst these was Rosa, Riccardo’s mother, who was already moving around with an air of authority. She is the one who renovates the look of the old Ristoro Cacciatori without betraying its spirit: the trattoria maintains its character as a simple and easygoing gathering place, but with the addition of a more modern and up to date feel, exemplified by the introduction of a cocktail such as the Skiwasser (lemon juice, raspberry syrup and soda). Once more, a simple yet effective idea. This new addition was immediately successful, also because it made Pasqualina customers feel on par with those of the more “in-vogue” mountain hangouts.

As per Rosa’s air of authority, Tella recalls: «I was the youngest, did a bit of everything.

Rosa was very demanding. I spent mornings polishing apples that were to go on the table. I felt like Cinderella. And I’d be in hot water if they didn’t gleam like they were supposed to».

Lina and Rosa, mother and daughter, were different in terms of personality, and very close though they often disagreed. In one thing they were very similar: the attention and professionalism with which they worked. «Nothing ever got past them» grandson Luigi, son of Abele, summarised efficiently Depicted by her grandson who also grew up at the Pasqualina (the father had a business on the lands close to the trattoria), Grandmother Lina appears as follows: «She was an excellent cook, had good business sense and was a very generous person; she always split the leftover food after closing in the evening with whomever stayed

The Pasqualina – meaning the trattoria on the ground floor but also referring to the world of sentiments and family relations, the upstairs floor – rotates around Lina and Luigi.

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in the kitchen». She was a simple and good person: «after so many years, I never once saw her angry or raise her voice with us kids».

As proof of the sunny and extroverted disposition of Grandmother Lina, the daughter Marinella re-enacts a funny episode that took place around the middle of the 1960s: a stranger enters the trattoria one day, a distinguished gentleman from Milan who was going to Valle Imagna to meet a woman, a widow, perhaps to settle down with.

A glass of wine, followed by another and yet another and the customer changes his mind and says to Lina: «Instead of going up in the valley, I’ve got half a mind to wait for you. What do you have to say about that?»

With an ironic and amused air she replied: «But of course! Why not? But drop back by after seven-thirty». When the outlander asked why he would have to wait until that hour, her prompt reply was: «I’d like to ask my husband and seven children how they feel about it». Upon which the suitor disappeared instantly.

Since then, Riccardo’s collaborators have heard the “from now on, we do things our way” formula again and again.

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In those years – during the mid 1960s – changes involve not only the inside and the

Traditionally speaking, people from high society played tennis; the same ones who

residential floor, which was expanded to meet the new needs of the people living

frequented the exclusive “Golf Club Bergamo l’Albenza” founded in 1961, also at

there but moreover and more visibly, the exterior. Work is done to create a patio and

Almenno San Bartolomeo.

a bocce court in the area in front of the trattoria. Behind it, where today there is a car

Grandfather Luigi had the Pasqualina courts built, first and foremost, as a gesture of

park, there was a vegetable garden and an orchard, where a greenhouse will be built

affection: so that his sons Abele and Franco in particular, could cultivate enthusiasm

to ensure a constant supply of fruit and vegetables, genuine and seasonal products.

for this sport.

Talk about zero kilometres so in style these days! Back then, the distance from the

Perhaps it is for this reason that, while attracting a chic clientele, the Pasqualina

field to the plate was just a matter of metres.

never became an exclusive establishment, maintaining the profile of a family-run and working class place.

Accompanying these changes which aim to improve dining services, another new

It is also likely that Luigi and Lina had intuited the economic potential of this

development came along which seemed to have little to do with the past of the

new sports activity. Fuelled by an economic boom, Italy’s habits and customs were

Pasqualina. The landing of three “spaceships” in the surrounding lands belonging

changing; consequently, a sport once considered elite such as tennis was gaining in

to the family. Surely that was how the three tennis courts in red clay must have

popularity.

appeared then, so distant – at least on the map – from the history and mood of the

At the Pasqualina, the tennis racquet won over many a convert amongst young

Bergamo province, more renowned for the industriousness of its inhabitants than

people in particular from the city, who found tennis to be a fashionable and trendy

opportunities for amusement.

pastime. This is exactly what happened to Alberto, a young man from Bergamo, who

Even more so if it regarded citified upper crust diversions that were a little snobbish,

began to frequent the courts in Almenno with a group of friends in those years.

as surely tennis appeared to those living in a small town back then.

Talk about zero kilometres so in style these days! Back then, the distance from the field to the plate was just a matter of metres.

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That tennis belongs in the list of Pasqualina “firsts”, there can be no doubt, and could possibly be its most bizarre.

«Tennis was a go-between», Alberto, Riccardo’s father says now, who between matches meets Rosa who would become his wife in a matter of a few years.

That tennis belongs in the list of Pasqualina “firsts”, there can be no doubt, and could possibly be its most bizarre: in addition to the two outdoor courts, the Bergamo province’s first indoor court is built there.

What appeared to be an affectation destined to last only a few seasons, turns out to be a decision that will mark the future of the Pasqualina in the next decades.

But for the time being, the trattoria is still the centre of the Pasqualina world, in terms of turnover as well as family relations.

Parents and children are all there in 1968 when dramatic news reaches them during lunch.

«My mother Lina felt that something was wrong. She was all agitated and restless», explains Marinella, her voice still emotional with the memory, though more than forty years have passed. She is the one who takes the call from the hospital and refers the news to the family members: While Edda was in hospital for the delivery, she died bringing a third child into the world. She was forty.

On the next page some shots of family life: Italian big screen star Ugo Tognazzi attends the prize giving ceremony of the tennis tournament titled after him “Pignatta d’Oro” – a smiling Lisetta portrtaited among the Preda brothers – Rosa and Alberto on the church steps on their wedding day

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The seeds sown on the tennis courts, which had been simple fields in the past, were finally bearing their first fruits: Riccardo, Rosa and Alberto’s eldest, was born in 1968.

«That loss changed everything for us. It cancelled all the wonderful things that we had constructed over the years in an instant».

The words of the daughter Manuela are even more touching: «When I heard the tolling of the bells, I knew immediately that they were for my mother even though I had only been told she wasn’t feeling well».

It is an exceptionally hard blow for this family which had always been so closeknit. It is difficult to run a business in this mood; impossible to look forward and be energetic and enthusiastic about work. The atmosphere in the restaurant changed, the desire to get things done had disappeared.

It is the Pasqualina’s darkest hour, but also a moment offering glimpses of renewal.

The seeds sown on the tennis courts, which had once been simple fields, are finally bearing their first fruits: Riccardo, Rosa and Alberto’s eldest, was born in 1968; a year later, Lisetta and Franco, who also met on the red clay, will marry.

Rosa and Riccardo in one of the many moments spent on the red clay.

It was the “second home” of the entire family in those years.

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Ingredients and raw materials.

In the midst of history and wonders.

CHERRIES 70

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As the biblical symbology of an earthly paradise illustrates perfectly, fruit should be a food for superior beings. For Renaissance medicine, the proximity of fruits growing on limbs to heaven was an indicator that they were products suitable for the delicate stomachs of the nobles, whereas the “fruits” of the earth, such as tubers and roots were more appropriate for the strong stomachs of the poor who, instead of cherries, peaches and apricots, were to feed on turnips,

CHERRIES

potatoes and onions.

Sullying oneself with the sin of aspiring to a forbidden fruit costs dearly as we well

(as they say, you can’t eat just one)

know, because fruit can bring undesired slithering guests along with it. Returning to earth, folklore has devised a series of proverbs to warn us of certain perils. At the

“Democratic” access to fruit is more recent than one might think. At the beginning

beginning of summer, it is best not to eat cherries because “at Saint Vitus, a cherry

of the 20th century, consumption of fresh fruit per capita was 33 kg in Italy. Until

already has a husband”, a Veneto proverb warns. Saint Vitus’ Day is celebrated on

World War I, there were very few recipes in popular cooking made with fresh fruit.

15 June. The husband “marìo”, referred to confidentially in Tuscany as Gigi and in

However, consumption quadrupled in the 1990s.

Piedmont as Giuanìn, certainly is less menacing than the serpent of Adam and Eve,

As compared to other products of nature that are just as simple, fruit has always

but no one enjoys sharing their cherry with a lowly worm. Even if the fact that he

been reserved for the upper classes.

appreciates it is proof of its divine goodness.

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Big little stories, dreams, passions and still more.

THE CHESTNUT GNOME

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RAFFAELE Corrado

200 years of age

«Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Raffaele from the Giaire Company in Calizzano and I am two hundred years old. I’m a gnome». What does a forest creature do these days to make ends meet? «He smokes chestnuts».

Raffaele jokes about it but contains himself. His chestnuts are truly the stuff of fairy tales. In the woods around Calizzano and Murialdo in the Savona hinterland, in autumn, small plumes of smoke can be seen rising in the air. The unmistakable presence of local “gnomes”, or rather members of the local association of chestnut producers who have revived age-old practices, becoming a Slow Food presidium.

Around here, chestnuts are used for everything. Nothing is thrown away, explains Raffaele: «when the husks fall in autumn, we gather them the old way, by hand, using chestnut wood tongs called

What does a forest creature do these days to make ends meet? He smokes chestnuts. “drizzere”. They look like flattened horseshoes. We prepare them in the summer: we cut off small chestnut branches, soak then bend them slowly and continuously so they become supple».

Having gathered the chestnuts without losing fingers, they are taken to a “teccio”, a small house made of chestnut wood from its foundations to the chimney. «The roof is made of shingles, rectangles of chestnut wood sized 40 by 20 cm. It is very resistant, because the shingles contain tannin making them immune to

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rotting. Overlapping by 40%, a part remains dry, so the roof can be renovated by turning them over and using again. At the end of the cycle, it is transformed into firewood». The “teccio” is a drying hut. There is a gallery inside that is two metres from the ceiling, the “graia”. The chestnuts are strictly of the local variety, known as Gabbina or Gabbiana and are spread up there, while a fire is started below which passes through the plank floor, drying them.

The graia, needless to say, is made of chestnut.

The real gnomish work begins now, calling for magical arts: «the flame mustn’t be too high, only smoke and heat must rise. The temperature inside mustn’t be higher than 30-35°. This procedure lasts 60 days and one of us must always be there to feed the fire, or to lessen it. We try to keep the embers going. Chestnut hulls from the year before called “pula”, like chaff separated from wheat, are used to suffocate the fire when it gets too high. The fragrance rises and gives a smoky flavour to our chestnuts».

After two months of treatment, they are ready to be processed: they are ground at the mill to make flour or become an ingredient in an exquisite and very rare ice-cream of dried chestnuts. «They used to give them to children like a sweet, because they melt in your mouth», Raffaele recalls. «That was a long, long time ago».

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Big little stories, dreams, passions and still more.

THE MULTIPLIER OF FRUITS

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ROmano Micheletti

52 years of age

Romano Micheletti from Bolgare, near Bergamo, is a gardening enthusiast. One day in 1982, he decides to grow some apples himself. He dreams of red, juicy fruits like those in Snow White.

He goes to a nursery and asks for a tree that produces Stark apples, his favourite.

He plants it in his garden. After two years of loving care, the apple tree produces its first fruits, which turn out to be a completely different variety.

«Holy cow!» exclaims Romano, «why is it you ask for one thing and they give you another?»

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This is how the idea came into being where everyone gets to

varieties: «Rosa del West (Western Rose) peaches, Glo Haven

personally choose the variety of fruits they prefer. Because apples

peaches, Maria Bianca peaches; apricots include the Tonda di

are not all the same nor are palates. In the three decades that

Costigliole, Valleggia from Liguria, Valeria from Val Venosa,

followed, Romano dedicated himself to developing a model of

Reale d’Imola, Boccuccia Spinosa, Pellecchiella and Portici del

innovative fruit farming.

Vesuvio…» and so on.

«The idea was to create an orchard to get people to go inside. This

Third. Romano has been able to transform his hobby into a

meant thinking outside the box in choosing the variety but also the

lucrative business, in a sector that was in a full-fledged crisis: he

form of the trees, which must be accessible from the ground, as low

ignored all the trade practices which imposed low prices for fruit

as possible». He starts in 1996 with a cherry orchard, which is so

that was continuously more standardised; bypassing wholesalers

successful that it leads to others, because the first is unable to satisfy

and addressing consumers’ taste buds directly; adding, included in

all the demands.

the price, the unrepeatable experience of picking your own fruit

At 52 years of age, Romano’s idea has produced a number of

from a branch.

noteworthy results.

In the end, Romano has “contaminated” a number of his colleagues with his example, who have begun investing in the sector and

It is like being in paradise, the only difference being that if you pick an apple, nobody banishes you.

cultivating cherries, peaches, apricots and kiwis. Thus, a network of ten farmers has sprung up that follow his model, guaranteeing the same quality in their orchards.

To his customers, it is like being in paradise, the only difference being that if you pick an apple, not only does no one banish you, you can even come back. For the cherries, maybe.

First of all, his fruits are tasty. They are good. It might seem commonplace, but when you can taste forty different varieties of cherries in just a few rows, the supermarket fruit section seems a sad and monotonous place.

A second result is his remarkable contribution to conserving biodiversity. Romano can run off long persuasive lists of his fruit

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Ingredients and raw materials.

In the midst of history and wonders.

ALMONDS AND HAZELNUTS 86

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Nanni Moretti, renowned devotee of the art of confectionery, recalls one of Don Giulio’s inspired sermons, protagonist of “The Mass Is Ended”: «Do you remember when we bought those little nougat sweets? Half chocolate and half caramel». Actually, the caramel is a brittle made of sugar and hazelnuts. It belongs to the wide range of Piedmont sweets where hazelnuts play leading roles: gianduiotto chocolates, creminoes chocolates, brutti-ma-buoni (ugly but good) biscuits. Bizarre characters, grotesque masks and automobile brands triumph on the wrappers. And don’t say that ugly-but-good is a serious name. Perfect for stuffing children with all kinds of sweets. Perhaps credit should go to the suspended atmosphere of the hilly landscape of the Langhe area, but the autumnal hazelnut seems made to order to ward off the tricks of our own “Witch Hazels”.

ALMONDS AND HAZELNUTS (witches, fairies and a lot of good health)

It is a totally different story with almonds. It roots dig deep into Greek mythology. We need only think that Sir Edward Burne-Jones got into big trouble over some almonds. It was the year 1879 and for the prudish English, the image of a lass fused into the tree trunk from which emerged a completely nude youth was simply too much. To this, add the fact that the miss had the features of the lord’s lover, and we can imagine the scope of the “scandal”. The incriminated

In the 1950s, an unusual character emerged from the pencils of illustrator Carl Barks, the

water-colour was removed from the Royal Water-Colour Society exhibit and Sir Edward was

“father” of Donald Duck. “Witch Hazel” was created for the short film entitled “Trick or Treat”,

forced to withdraw from the Society. Despite being one of the greatest exponents of the Pre-

but it was not successful in the United States.

Raphaelite painting trend, he committed the sin of giving a face to Phyllis, the mythological

Once exported to Italy, however, the “Strega Nocciola” (an almost literal translation of her

queen of Thrace who fell in love with Demophoön, son of Theseus. As Ovid also narrates in the

name), became one of the darlings of the pages of the weekly Topolino comic book, where it

“Heroides”, the boy one day leaves, promising to return after six months. But we all know what

debuted in 1956 in a story set at Carnival time.

men are like: Phyllis waits and there is no sign of him. The poor forsaken takes her life out of

Little was known back then of Halloween, but perhaps the European success of the bungling

despair. But fortunately this is ancient Greece where a god is always ready to intervene in these

witch can be explained in another way, resorting to echoes of legends which from antiquity

cases and Phyllis is transformed into an almond tree. Finally, Demophoön passes through

linked hazelnut trees to magical female presences. The legend goes that in the country around

again and consumed with remorse, embraces the tree trunk which – miraculously – instead

Otranto, witches used hazelnut branches to find hidden treasures. In “Cinderella” by the

of leaves, suddenly covers itself with beautiful white flowers, despite being in the middle of

Brothers Grimm, it was not a fairy but a hazelnut tree which gave the young girl her dress for

winter. This is why almond trees blossom early.

the ball. The queen of the Mab fairies travels in a hazelnut shell in Shakespeare’s “Romeo and

In its long voyage between the Orient, where they originated, and the west, where they are

Juliet”. The divining rod of diviners is made of hazelnut wood. So the legend goes. History

consumed in abundance for their countless virtues acknowledged since antiquity (versatile,

instead tells us that hazelnuts were the magic ingredient which allowed Piedmont chocolatiers

nourishing, a cure for drunkenness and natural anti-depressant), almonds have never been

to survive during the Napoleonic period: cocoa was expensive but gianduia could be obtained

able to cast off the association with love and sensuality. Surely it is also due to the fragrance

by “cutting” it with humble hazelnut paste.

which is as enveloping as the arms of lovely Phyllis, whose portrait today may be admired at the

If this is not a miracle…Regardless, a happy mystique survives in the round fruits. Director

Birmingham Art Gallery, where Sir Burne-Jones was generously pardoned.

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GRANDFATHER LUIGI IS NOT ONE TO BE TRIFLED WITH (whose gruff character hides a true heart)

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GRANDFATHER LUIGI IS NOT ONE TO BE TRIFLED WITH There are many in the chorus of voices telling the Pasqualina story with something to say about Grandfather Luigi. The recollections of Riccardo and his cousin, who is also named Luigi, converge on one point.

«Grandfather? He was the kind who made you work hard even if you were little».

As kids, this meant one thing in particular: when Grandfather was in the vicinities, it was best not to be within earshot, otherwise… «You had to stop playing and run to him – Luigi explains. There was always something more important, from his point of view, to do. And you were in for it if you didn’t obey. He made us toe the line».

Riccardo adds: «Grandfather Luigi was a grump but he had a big heart.

Grandfather Luigi Preda at the controls of his biplane at the Brembate Sopra aviation field in 1924.

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«Grandfather? He was the kind who made you work hard even if you were little».

A journey through taste since 1912

like the expression “the sooner, the better”, with the advantage of being immediately free but with the risk of being assigned yet another task; or the job could be divided into multiple trips. Regardless, the “loads” were a daily nuisance that could rarely be

I was ten when he died. He had already suffered so much in life and the death of

avoided as children.

his daughter was huge blow. He was very fond of me and he made me work hard.»

Perhaps that was only his way of showing it.

The job of “removing small stones” had to do with the tennis courts and pitches: it

A brief clarification is necessary on the subject: we are speaking of the Bergamo

was less tiring but not for this more agreeable.

region, a land, more than any other where industriousness was – and continues to

The tennises – referred to in the Italian as plural – indicated not only the sport but

be – a value. Something to hand down from generation to generation. To have an idea

also where it was played, had to be prepared before the players arrived. The work

what is in play, we need only consider that the word “thing” in Bergamo dialect does

consisted of sweeping away the red clay that had accumulated on the lines or bending

not exist: “laurà” is how it is expressed, the word for “work, labour”. And things to

over and picking up any gravel, leaves or other small objects from the court.

do – to work on (laurà) abounded for all ages, no one was exempt.

The job required only a few minutes but had to be repeated several times during the

For Riccardo – who lived with his grandparents, after the very first years with the

day: between sets and when new players arrived, so the court would always be in

nanny – the same as it was with the other grandchildren whose adolescence revolved

perfect condition.

around the Pasqualina, work corresponded to helping out in the trattoria or on the

Another kid-sized job was sweeping the courtyard.

tennis courts.

Looking back, Riccardo can see the meaning of all those little tasks: «I am grateful «Bringing up loads» or «removing small stones» Riccardo summarises.

to my grandfather for having conveyed the values of work, of toiling, of the honour

«For the former – he explains – the job consisted of going down in the cellar and

that comes before money». There was an important lesson behind all those chores:

bringing up loads of bottles». These were the beverages that went in the refrigerator

«the fairness and decency in dealing with people. The fact that keeping your word is

for the trattoria customers. They had the option of bringing up everything together,

what allows you to hold your head high and look people straight in the eye». These

«Bringing up load» or «removing small stones Riccardo summarises.

Two kid-sized jobs.

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experiences have also taught Riccardo the importance of taking care of a place, respecting other people’s work, the attention with which a quality service is offered.

These are elements that function as a link between what the Pasqualina has always been – and continues to be – and the new Pasqualina which would soon come into existence, taking to heart those daily “lessons of life”.

That wasn’t the way Riccardo saw it as a child, when one day Grandfather Luigi asked him to sweep the gravel on the pathway beside the patio. «I thought it was a useless job and didn’t understand what purpose it served. What’s more, he was standing over me, making sure I did it the way he had told me. I got fed up and started sweeping the gravel like a madman, using all my strength and energy. Then I turned around and asked him angrily if that was how the job was supposed to be done. Grandfather smiled, nodded and said nothing». Words were unnecessary. Yes, that was how the job was supposed to be done. Riccardo understands it now.

Words were also unnecessary in another situation. It was an episode in which Riccardo knew that he had done something wrong. «We had the habit before going to bed of giving a good-night kiss to Grandfather who was always sitting in the armchair in the main room of the bar», he describes still today with a twinge of embarrassment. «Who knows why that evening I got the bright idea to swipe a chocolate bar from the shelf». So he slips it into his pyjamas so he can eat it upstairs in his room. «When I stood before my grandfather, I bent over to say good-night

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and that’s when it happened: the bar slipped down through my pyjama bottoms and fell at my feet. Right before his eyes. He said nothing, but his look was more than enough».

2012.

Could it be that Riccardo wanted chocolate to become the basic

ingredient of the Pasqualina’s recipes to make up for that little sin of gluttony?

The true culture of chocolate comes from Belgium and that is exactly where he goes to procure the raw materials for ice-cream, cakes, pralines, hot chocolate and confectionery sweets. Cacao from Ecuador, Costa Rica and New Guinea, is expressed in a wide variety of products including some luscious and bold pairings with loose leaf teas (another of his obsessions).

He finds space in the small workshop for a chocolate tempering machine which melts and tempers chocolate keeping it liquid, ready for use.

Select ingredients and machinery are the starting point, but they aren’t enough for the deluxe hot chocolate that Riccardo wants his customers to enjoy. What is called for is the (secret) art of the confectioner and for this reason, he has international experts rubbing elbows with his staff. To find the perfect consistency, the right balance between too liquid and too dense. It’s trial and error, it takes patience but in the end the solution is found. And it is one that makes a hot chocolate that is truly the “drink of the gods”, as the ancient Mayans called it.

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The 1970s. In the Seventies, after the grievous family loss, the

married life in Brembate, the two come to live at the Pasqualina where Franco gives

trattoria functions mainly as a bar for those playing tennis.

his tennis lessons and runs the facilities. It is almost natural that the father Luigi,

The change with regard to the past is also emphasized by the business’s new name: no

who will die at the end of the 1970s, will think namely of him for continuing the

longer the poetic and evocative “Ristoro Cacciatori Pasqualina”, as it had been until

activity. And so it was: Franco and Lisetta run the tennis and the bar.

then, but the more practical “ Bar dei tennis Preda” (Preda Tennis Club Bar).

In this difficult moment, what holds the family together is tennis, for both the

Lisetta still remembers her initial doubts regarding this change of life: «In the first

children’s fondness for the sport as well as the community service it provides,

place, I wasn’t one of the family; I liked the Pasqualina but I didn’t have a special and

promoting new relations.

deep relationship with the place, as someone who had grown up there might». Then there was the fact that she had always been in another line of work, namely clerical;

Franco dedicates himself with the greatest determination to the sport, to the point of

for a while, she had been a secretary at Saveral, the company nearby that belonged

earning a diploma as tennis teacher in Rome and making a profession of it.

to her brother-in-law Abele, which did galvanizing and galvanic treatments (today it

The same as had happened to Rosa – Riccardo’s mother –with Alberto, Uncle Franco

deals in painting).

also met his future wife Lisetta on the Pasqualina’s red clay.

«At the beginning – she says – I didn’t like him, he wasn’t my type. We were very

Lisetta continues: «I had never had much to do with bars and restaurants, only as a

different. He gave me tennis lessons; on the court, he was perfect, impeccable ». The

customer. I didn’t feel comfortable behind the counter».

distance from lessons to the altar was only a split-step away. After the first years of

Lisetta will have all the time in the world to change her mind: if the Pasqualina made it to a hundred years of age, part of the credit goes to her, as she faced the challenge and passed the baton to the last (for now) relay runner, Riccardo.

The change with regard to the past is also emphasised by the business’s new name: “Preda Tennis Club Bar”.

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1980s. In the meantime, once more towards the end of the 1970s,

It is the summer of 1984 when Aunt Lisetta decides that the time has come to try to revive the Pasqualina.

construction work begins and continues until the beginning of the 1980s and gives the Pasqualina the appearance which, for the most part, it still maintains today.

At first, the substantial and costly renovation work is done on the residential areas.

This proves that – even if first the grandparents, then aunts and uncles are left managing the bar and tennis courts - the Pasqualina continues to be the focal point for family life: the centre to which sentiments are directed, a place to return to, the

family members, with the exception of a few inevitable keepsake photographs (now

core around which a dense network of relations grows and develops which includes

hanging on the walls of the bar).

- in addition to children – daughters-in-law, sons-in-law and increasing numbers of

«When Ornella Muti arrived – Luigi says – everybody in town knew it and I lay in

nieces, nephews and grandchildren.

wait with my friends near the tennis courts to see her up-close».

Occasionally the sphere is widened to include celebrities, film stars and TV

Despite these famous personages, the economic situation was anything but

personalities, brought by Rosa who worked in the entertainment industry and had

prosperous: the turnover from the tennis courts was limited and the bar business

returned to live with her family at the Pasqualina. The names are top-echelon ones

was minimal, but also because the restyling regarding the upstairs floors now had

for the era, including Ugo Tognazzai, Paolo Villaggio, Ubaldo Lay (widely known for

reached the rooms on the ground floor.

his television character Lieutenant Sheridan), Ornella Muti and others.

It is the summer of 1984 when Aunt Lisetta decides that the time has come to try

Far away from the spotlights, they pass tranquil days playing tennis, enjoying

to revive the Pasqualina. The spark was a holiday in Alassio. «I was strolling with

lunches and dinners with the family members. Certainly not a VIP treatment but an

Franco and Marinella and we saw bars, large and small, all full of people. The idea

informal one or, as they say, easygoing.

arose spontaneously: we also have a bar and it is quite spacious, why not try to make

Moreover, the Tennis Bar in its brief story was never an exclusive club nor did it

it work?» No sooner said than done.

aspire to be, despite having the opportunity.

Welcomed with genuine and sincere cordiality, the renowned actors were treated like

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«Ice-cream is first made with a pen and paper, then with a machine» The mission was already on its way even before she returned home.

«I went from business to business to see how things worked. I entered bars and asked for flyers and menus. I would have a quick look around in others: I’ve always paid great attention to details. Back then, fancy dishes of ice-cream and gaudy cocktails were all the rage, while they were unknown in our part of the world».

Within six months, the Pasqualina reopens to the public as an ice-cream parlour bar.

«The inauguration - she remembers proudly – took place at the beginning of 1985 and was attended by the town mayor and a lot of people».

Lisetta and Franco’s new management immediately reveals the many features it will have in common with the approach Riccardo adopts ten years later. «I didn’t feel ready to run a bar – Lisetta explains – so I sought out the consultation of someone who knew more about it, the professor of a vocational school for tourism and hotel management. I wanted to understand the basics of the trade better». The nephew did the same thing a few years later.

Work notes…small daily communications where pen and paper are still the secret of quality production.

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When he decided in 1995 that the Pasqualina would have homemade

ice-cream, Riccardo really had no idea what this entailed. «To understand it – he admits – I went to learn from an historic ice-cream maker in Bergamo, Mr. Miglietto, who has generously conveyed to me and many others his know-how free of cost. He taught me that first, ice-cream is made with a pen and paper, then with a machine».

It is a matter of measurements, quantities and proportions between the ingredients.

Once he understood the secrets of ice-cream, Riccardo started travelling all over Italy in pursuit of the finest raw materials with which to make it. Now that the “made in Pasqualina” philosophy encompasses other products, the modus operandi has remained the same. Riccardo calls onto his premises foodservice specialists and confectionery experts who hold courses and workshops for his staff. These are invaluable opportunities for training the team and keeping abreast of the trends and developments in the industry.

There is something else which marks the natural continuity between Pasqualina of yesterday and today. The main furnishing element in the confectioner’s shop – the counter – is the original one. Even more significant is a fact which regards the employees: some of the people hired twenty years ago by Lisetta as young waiters, still work there and have roles of responsibility on Riccardo’s team.

Some of the people hired twenty years ago by Lisetta still work on Riccardo’s team.

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Big little stories, dreams, passions and still more.

THE BROTHER OF LEMONS

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Luigi ACETO

77 years of age 118

«Lemons are in my heart, no, they’re in my blood». Luigi Aceto was born in Ravello on 12 June 1935, son of Salvatore, born in Minori, grandson of Pantaleone, born in Ravello, great-grandson of Antonio, also born in Ravello in 1825. He cultivates lemons on the Amalfi Coast like his ancestors.

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«I am the eighth of thirteen children. We all lived in one room and my parents would go make love under the lemon trees. That’s how I was conceived. As a boy of six, I would go to work in lemons on the plots of land and wasn’t even thinking of school».

For being a person who says he «got in a quarrel with culture» and who «knows only about hoes, pruning hooks and shears», Luigi knows a lot of things.

He narrates in detail that in antiquity when Amalfi was Europe’s first maritime republic, the inhabitants of the coast knew that loading lemons on the ships served to save sailors

I was born amongst lemons and cannot live without them from diseases such as the dreaded scurvy.

He explains that lemons are special because they are a beneficial food that is also medicinal and a beauty treatment combined.

«It cicatrizes and disinfects wounds; we make our renowned liqueur, limoncello (the real one!) with the peel. Even the seeds are used by the French for cosmetics».

He proudly affirms: «In my own way, I was decisive in raising the awareness level of the authorities. We are in a region that is recognised as a Unesco heritage site. Nonetheless, these areas have always been disadvantaged, a place where life is hard. Local lemon growers must be given a special acknowledgment. They are heroes: in times like these – globalisation, the price crisis – they continue to grow lemons here. They are the true custodians of this land».

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Only when I am with my lemons do I feel like I m someone

«When we consider that it is not only an economic matter but that we are making a product that is good for humanity, we understand that making sacrifices serves all of society, not just ourselves».

Despite his seventy-seven years of age, Luigi never slows down.

He gets up at five in the morning and returns in the evening. «He spends all his time with the lemons», his wife says, partly amused and partly desperate, who met him when she was only thirteen.

Signora Aceto adds: «Even if we have been together all our lives and I’ve known him even longer than his mother who brought him into the world, I never ever see him. People used to call me Widow Aceto!»

Luigi smiles and shrugs. «Only when I am with my lemons do I feel like I’m someone, because I see myself reflected in them. When I’m in the middle of a crowd, I feel less important.»

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Big little stories, dreams, passions and still more.

THE ALMOND ACADEMY

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«As a little boy, I always ate bread and almonds, my family never talked about anything else». Pasquale Campobasso remembers when he would leave his playmates and their games to watch with enormous curiosity the pruning of the branches or the nut harvesting in his farming business founded in 1898 by his grandfather.

«I was born in 1962, the third generation of a family that produces almonds. I was still at university in Bari, studying “Economics and Business”, when my father asked me give him a hand».

It could be taken for the classic story of the young man who puts aside his books to help his parents. But make no mistake: there are those who learn in the field, or rather, in the fields, and gain from it. Even if he received his baccalaureate degree at 30, Pasquale today can say he is the proud holder of the title of “Accademico dei Georgofili” (Academician of Lovers of Farming).

Since 1753, the historic Florentine institution has been bringing together those who «who have continuous and well-regulated experiences and observations aimed at conducting that so very beneficial Art of [...] cultivation to perfection» and can count dozens of scholars and professors of agricultural sciences amongst its members. In recent years, a number of entrepreneurs who have distinguished themselves for the results of their farming businesses have joined its ranks. And to think that in the 1970s, Apulian almonds, once the pillar of the local economy, appeared to not have a chance against the invasion of their Californian sisters, which have a «good machinability: they are more suited to industrial processing, such as for panettones and Italian Easter cakes. Californian almonds are all the same, nice to look at but they have no flavour». He almost sounds like he is speaking of the Barbie of nuts.

Huge consumers of marzipan, the Germans turn to overseas producers and the Apulian market is starting to perceive it. His father Francesco refuses to give in and decides to invest on semifinished products. Almonds will remain the family business. Time will prove him right.

When it comes to making a torrone nougat “by the book”, exoticism simply does not measure up. Confectioners know it and continue to seek out our “imperfect” Italian almonds, which receive special attention here. «The 103 hectares of our farm look like a golf course. Instead of ploughing, the land is prepared by shredding. Stones are then ground up. We use an excavator with a jack hammer to prepare the place where the almond tree is to be planted, breaking up the rock in the subsoil and creating its perfect habitat, cool but drainable to prevent root asphyxia».

Obviously these things cost. «Quality often restrains earnings. The entrepreneur’s function is to create profit and work». But for a “friend of the earth”, as the root word of the abovementioned academic title indicates, it is somewhat

Pasquale Campobasso

50 years of age

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different: «There can be no doubt that profit is not enough. It is the love for things done well, the fulfilment of dreams, for the family name that pushes us to improve ourselves constantly ».

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ROSA

4

(where we meet up with a volcano)

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ROSA ÂŤShe was a volcano, larger than lifeÂť.

This is how Alberto remembers his wife Rosa. Many, if not all of those who knew her, share this opinion of her. Rosa was one of those people who leaves a mark, and in telling this story, she cannot be overlooked, whether for the important role she played in the Pasqualina history, or even more so, for what she was able to convey to her children with her approach to life. First to Riccardo, then Elena.

Rosa was a person determined to excel and aware of having the necessary qualities. She used all of her personality, her charisma and earnestness in everything that she did.

Rosa Preda Schiavi contending with the shot put in the early 1960s, an athletic discipline in which she excelled.

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As a girl, she takes part in track and field, in particular in the shot put; with the Sport Club Bergamo team she wins the Italian title. At twenty years of age she is very modern: she skis, plays tennis and later, earns her pilot licence. At thirty, she advances: she oversees fashion events and shows. The first was in 1969 for Yves Saint Laurent.

When she decides to open an agency, she does it her way, that is, demanding a standard of professionalism from the models that was unheard of back then in Italy.

Alberto explains: «She could never stand the frivolity of the fashion world; the girls that worked for us wore uniforms. Something unheard of».

The Fashion by Air project was also unheard of, a fashion tour created by Rosa and developed in Italy and abroad, collaborating with Itavia airlines and the Jolly Hotel chain. We need only think of her to understand where a fundamental aspect of Riccardo’s work comes from today: the drive to be innovative.

Whether inside or outside of the Pasqualina, Rosa infects her life and the lives of those around her with exceptionally modern ideas and decisions. Just as modern, for example, as the idea of becoming a sales representative for Vestro, the brand which was the forerunner of e-commerce in Italy via post, when Internet did not yet exist;

On the page opposite, several photographs of Rosa.

Lower, with Ornella Muti and Franco Preda at the “tennises”.

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a formula for entering people’s homes and opening “windows” on fashion and trends in the world.

A journey through taste since 1912

What a customer finds here at the Pasqualina, he mustn’t find anywhere else.

An enterprising, curious and open-minded woman. A trip of hers to London remains an unforgettable recollection of those years: «she came back loaded with objects and

to do what I feel like?» she replied sharply. And the discussion ended there.

clothes – her sister Marinella recalls. Jumpers, watches, necklaces and beat-style

«In terms of personality, they were like cat and dog, but they loved each other

dresses so in style back then. She knew how to anticipate trends. With all that clutter

to death. And speaking of which, Rosa was at her bedside when the time came».

and chaos of materials, she set up a little market in the trattoria dining room». Young

Marinella adds.

people stood in line for the latest “made in London” fashions.

In 1968, after a bizarre marriage ceremony in a ski suit, Rosa and Alberto move to

Equally memorable, at least in the family, were the squabbles between Lina and Rosa,

Bergamo.

mother and daughter.

«I grew up in the city, in a working class neighbourhood, - Alberto recalls. I spent hours playing in the court yard; we had just enough to get by». After military service

Sunday morning it required no effort to hear distinctly – even while sipping a coffee

in the Alpini corps, he begins working in dairy product sales, then collecting

at the bar on the lower level – the spats between the combative Rosa, who adored

and stocking leather; finally he works as a sales representative for large American

moving the furniture and calm, sweet Grandmother Lina. «Please Rosa, stop it».

companies. It is in this period that he meets Rosa. «I liked the work but it was tiring,

«Come on, Mama, let me do it!» Then Grandmother would sit in her chair with a

I was gone for long periods of time, usually I left on Monday and came back on

fan, shaking her head. The same happened for a thousand other daily matters. The

Friday ». Years later, their son will be doing the same thing at his company job.

arguments, however, were as quick as thunderstorms.

Once married and after Riccardo’s birth in 1968, Alberto jumps at the opportunity to

«Look at her, Miss High-Society». Lina taunted her daughter seeing her drink straight

change. When Rosa opens a fashion agency in Bergamo in 1971, he begins working

from the bottle. «Mama, don’t you think while I’m in my own home I should be able

with her. The Tiss-Moda Agency – now managed by the daughter Elena – was then one of the few in Italy, and the first in the city, for models. Thus Rosa continued the

An enterprising, curious and open-minded woman.

family tradition, adding yet another achievement.

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2012. Like mother like … uniqueness is one of the basic rules of how Riccardo manages his business. «What a customer finds here at the Pasqualina, he mustn’t find anywhere else» he explains. For this reason, the ice-cream as well as the sweet rolls and other products that are prepared in their workshop are not sold to third parties.

Their confectionery has made a name for itself over the years and many shops and businesses have come forward with requests.

But on this point, Riccardo will not back down:«making something exclusive is an added value. I believe and defend this point».

This philosophy is not valid only for the products.

The Pasqualina “girls” have always worn a uniform. With Aunt Lisetta, it was a blouse and a waistcoat with big green and red squares. Riccardo had them wear bright red long-sleeved polos, then sober Oxford blouses with blue V-neck jumpers.

Today the Pasqualina dress code calls for an «apron that wraps around the body, bringing to mind an ice-cream cone» Gio Pozzi explains, the designer who created it and who has been designing the Pasqualina retail outlets, attending to furnishings and details.

It consists of a rectangle with a shoulder strap worn over a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt. «Some customers like it, others don’t – Riccardo explains – it’s a matter of taste». Anyway you look at it, it makes an impact. It’s original. Unique.

On the page opposite, a few “unique” details created by Gio Pozzi, the designer who has always accompanied Riccardo Schiavi in the Pasqualina adventure.

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From fashion to cinema to TV. Regarding work, Rosa and Alberto are clear on their roles: «She was the commanding

solution of leaving him with his grandparents during the week. «We were not the

officer, I was the soldier» her husband jokes. «We worked a lot; the leading companies

typical family, and we had a rather irregular routine – Riccardo admits. It wasn’t a

in Italian fashion were amongst our regular clients». We managed the agency

tragedy if we got back from a trip and the home fridge was empty. Having relatives

professionally yet at the same time in a family-like manner: it was normal for

nearby you could always solve problems». While growing up, his grandmother and

grandchildren and children to be “recruited” as models for the photo shoots of baby

aunt and uncle were always a safe base for Riccardo: «when I got back late at night

collections. That is why you will find unusual group photographs at home and in the

as a young man, it was more often Grandmother Lina waiting up for me all worried

files with cousins and brothers posing for fashion advertising campaigns.

and ready with a lecture than my mother Rosa.»

Her strong yet sunny disposition continued to be her distinguishing trait: «Rosa

Towards the end of the 1970s, Rosa becomes involved in a number of Italian cinema

could go on a tirade in the backstage if something went wrong and a second later

productions. Several scenes from the film Velvet Hands (1979) are filmed in Bergamo

appear on the catwalk with a smile on her face to present the collection» Alberto

with Adriano Celentano and Eleonora Giorgi; the production commissions Rosa’s

adds. The same thing would happen when she helped out at the Pasqualina bar: it

agency to find extras and locations. Other experiences follow, including “Nessuno

didn’t take much to make her “explode”. Riccardo also favours his mother in this

è perfetto” (Nobody’s Perfect 1981) with Renato Pozzetto and Ornella Muti, where

respect. Those working beside him have learned to deal with his withering looks and

Rosa plays the part of a nun.

lightning-quick flare-ups.

Sincere and deep relationships develop with some of these celebrities, who are often guests at the Pasqualina where they are welcomed like members of the family

The fashion agency begins to make a name for itself, organising fashion events in

without much fuss. The Pasqualina was for Rosa her most intimate world, the place

many cities, in Italy and abroad. It would often happen that Rosa and Alberto would

to which she was most attached. Federico Fazzuoli, host of the popular Rai Uno

be away from home, returning only for the weekend at the Pasqualina, where the

television show “Linea Verde”, is one of the many frequent visitors of the Pasqualina

family, after an initial period in Bergamo, had returned to live. It was inconceivable

and an unusual collaboration comes into being with him. Rosa is given a “window”,

that they could take care of Riccardo who was still little. This brought about the

a regular time slot where she speaks of the fashion world with an innovative twist;

Regarding work, Rosa and Alberto are clear on their roles: «She was the commanding officer, I was the soldier»

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she shows the people working behind the creation of a fabric, from a Laura Biogiotti cashmere to a Missoni cotton. With an awareness which today would be defined as “eco”, she creates the brand “Modagricoltura”. The project has an ethical purpose: showing the processing phases from fibre to the completed work; presenting agriculture and the work of silkworm growers, the artisans who give body and shape to a product. Though in a different manner, the same approach of maximising the value of workmanship and know-how from the past can be found in Riccardo’s work.

2012.

«When you want to focus on top quality materials – he explains –

even the smallest details are important. Neglecting to pay attention to how ice-cream or tea is served is disrespectful towards the work I do and that of others, as well as customers». Riccardo never tires of repeating this to the young people on his staff.

He is both meticulous and perfectionist as well as curious about knowing the person and the work behind the quality of a raw material.

«In the end – he concludes – obtaining a good ice-cream with quality pistachios or hazelnuts shows a sense of responsibility toward the person who produced them with passion».

For Rosa, “the ethics of daily life”, or rather, the attention to good manners and respect for others is strictly connected to the idea of conveying the philosophy of doing (and know-how). It is a combination of virtuous practices inherited from the family, that she conveys first of all to her children and which will push her to hold conduct

The same approach of maximising the value of workmanship and knowhow from the past can be found in Riccardo’s work.

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courses in schools. Aimed at youth – and adults, too – in 2004 she writes the book “I nuovi barbari” (The New Barbarians) (AssModAgriCultura publishing), an ironic manual as well an examination of the shortcomings of our times, and which is still quite up-to-date.

Following an illness, Rosa passes away on 20 October 2008. «Two days later, she would have been 73 – her niece Manuela recalls – up until ten days before, she was looking after the Pasqualina, something she loved doing. I saw her cleaning the chairs and tidying up the garden». Besides, up until a few weeks earlier, anyone entering the confectioner’s shop would have found her behind the cash register, as always. And smiling, as always. Because Rosa, mind you, was not someone who sat around twiddling her thumbs. She was never one to shrink away from work, whether it meant totalling up a bill, working behind the counter serving coffee or helping out in the kitchen.

Her death – the same destiny awaited her brothers Franco and Abele within a year and a half – was covered by the local newspapers; an article back then stated: “She loved to define herself simply as a «woman of country culture». In reality, she was a strong woman with thousands of ideas and thousands of professions, always smiling and willing to help others. For many years, she worked backstage in the

Rosa with Renato Rascel and with Vanda Osiris.

Some of her models posing with the uniform Rosa had wanted them to wear.

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fascinating world of fashion. She organized fashion shows, public relations; she was a

after his usual warm welcome, Napoleone mysteriously disappeared. The mystery

model, sportswoman, mother and grandmother”. All true, very true. It was no trivial

was cleared up only the day after: the dog, curious as he was, had jumped in the

matter that she died in her home in Almenno San Bartolomeo. Over the Pasqualina.

luggage compartment of the bus that brought his owners home and had been locked inside.

«Together we had been around the world, shared many experiences, met lots of people

Though the mystery was cleared up, the case is still open because the bus had returned

– Alberto recalls – but happiness for her was being able to return to the Pasqualina

to the depot which was several kilometres from Almenno but Napoleone, once he

after every trip. Here she returned with her feet on the ground, proudly attached to

had regained his freedom, had not waited to be taken to his destination, he escaped

her roots».

to the fields. It is already evening when the dog reaches the Pasqualina, exhausted

It was the only place where Rosa, always impeccable at work, indulged herself in a

and starving: all by himself and thanks to his nose, he had found his way home.

less professional and more relaxed demeanour, “earning her” good-hearted scolding

If he only could have spoken, he too might have said: «This is my home».

from Riccardo when she would exit her home and go downstairs to the bar in “domestic” attire, sometimes in bedroom slippers. And she would respond to his scolding with: «This is my home».

After her last trip, the one from the hospital, she finds strength for a few hours: just enough time to say good-bye to her family members. And her home.

It is amusing that the special relationship with the Pasqualina, the pleasure of returning there after a trip, regards not only the men and women of the family, but the animals and pets as well. Napoleone was the house dog, a half-breed dating back to when Rosa and Alberto still worked in the fashion world (today, the house dog is Labrador name Paco). One evening, they had returned from a trip to Brussels, but

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Ingredients and raw materials.

In the midst of history and wonders.

THE PISTACHIO NUT 146

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flavour – are specifically due to the volcanic ashes. In short, the work of the Cyclopes in the forge had laid the groundwork so that the knotty pistachio tree could grow there. This tree is called scornabeccu in that part of the world, as the leaves resemble goat horns, or spaccassassi (stone splitter) for the stubbornness with which it clings to the rocks. And adding insult to injury, the Cyclopes didn’t even have a chance to taste the renowned pistachios. At that time, the tree had not yet arrived in Sicily and was brought in around 30 AD by Lucius Vitellius, the governor of Syria, under the empire of Tiberius, and since then, has put down roots on the island, in particular during the presence of the Arabs who promoted its cultivation. Writing several centuries later in the 1800s, the Sicilian Jesuit Alessio Narbone declares that the pistachio «now grows there and is marketed at a great profit», meaning that it was commercially successful.

The land of origin for the pistachio (or pistacia vera) is the Middle East area, in particular

THE PISTACHIO NUT (green gold)

Persia, as the Persian term pesteh testifies, transformed into fustuaq in Arabic and festuca in Sicilian. It was amongst the treasures, the Bible tells us, that Jacob wanted sent to the Pharaoh, whereas the Queen of Sheba considered the nut so precious as to hoard the entire production in her kingdom for herself and family; it was synonymous for wealth in Syria and eaten only by members of the uppermost classes. The Assyrians believe it possessed curative powers and

The secret of the goodness of Bronte pistachios? The Cyclopes. Steropes, Pyraemon and

it was a physical (and sexual) stimulant for the Greeks. Modern science confirms its energising

Brontes were the three Cyclopes at the service of Vulcan the god, shut up all day inside Mount

properties due to the vitamins and minerals it contains.

Etna forging thunderbolts (the ones Jupiter hurled at poor mortals) without a moment to go

In 2010, the European Community awarded the Bronte pistachio the status of DOP (Protected

outside and take a break from all the hard work. The town of Bronte on the slopes of Etna in

Designation of Origin) product; yearly in September, the Sicilian town celebrates its “green

the Catania province, world-famous for its pistachios, more than likely takes its name from

gold” (and the labours of the Cyclopes) with a community festival of great tourist appeal.

the mythological legend. But the link with the nut doesn’t end here; it seems that the special characteristics of pistachios from this area – intense green colour and a pronounced aromatic

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THE HAZELNUT SOMMELIER

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Emanuele Canaparo

33 years of age

Emanuele Canaparo believes that his job is to «help people in the world taste a food that they will never find in a supermarket».

More than a job, it seems like a mission, but it compensates with remarkable satisfaction: «it’s wonderful when a customer buys your product in a little shop then calls you to pay a compliment. And comes to visit you, too ».

“Nocciole d’élite”, in Cravenzana (CN), sells directly to private individuals, to confectioner’s shops and ice-cream parlours. They produce approximately 400 quintals yearly. When Emanuele says, «in the world», he isn’t exaggerating. In addition to be sold in all of Italy, his hazelnuts are appreciated by fine palates the world over, from America to Japan.

How do you create the perfect nut?

«The quality of a hazelnut is determined by the climate, the terrain, the water and the ability of the farmer to maximise their properties».

The hazel grove belonging to the Canaparo family is found in an area behind the sea, where the weather is never too cold or too hot, where the land is generous but drought is always lurking nearby.

We are in the Langhe area, the place of origin par excellence of the “tonda gentile trilobata” variety of hazelnuts, better known as Langhe hazelnut IGP (protected geographical indication), which has «an aroma, a fragrance all its own».

Emanuele knows something about quality brands. Up until only a few years ago, he was a wine technician and dealt in wines.

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In 2008, the family company was getting a foothold and he dropped everything to be a farmer.

A good hazelnut starts with the care one gives to the trees: «if you don’t fertilise adequately, the plants become weak. There are two insect pests, shield bugs and weevils: if the tree is weak, it is easier for them to infest it. We use only pyrethrum to fight it, which is a very light active ingredient of natural origin».

Then we have the harvest. In autumn, hazelnuts fall from the trees and are sucked up by special machines. If they are not to be preserved (they keep for a year in the shell), they are passed through a crusher which removes the shell without damaging them, then graded for size and stored in cold rooms. The largest are toasted, taking care that they do not lose their fragrance and vacuumpacked immediately to be eaten whole.

The greatest reward are our customers who continue to return The others are used for making nut brittle, flour and, above all, a paste, an ingredient for making the most exquisite ice-cream.

Emanuele’s company has received the “Premio Novi Qualità” award several times, but for him «the greatest reward are customers who continue to return and pass the word. This is what makes us happy». The last secret is the decisive one. «Being a family-run business allows us to have a cost-effective product, but above all, one of the finest quality, because we create it with our hearts».

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THE PERSONAL TRAINER FOR COWS

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Ivan avogadrO

29 years of age

For the uninitiated of us, if someone were to ask what the colour of milk is, we might give them a sidelong glance, so obvious the answer would seem. That outlook changes abruptly when you milk 600 litres every day, Christmas, Easter and Sundays included. Then you discover that milk has many different shades, like snow for the Eskimos.

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«In the winter it is lighter; in the summer a little more yellow» Ivan says. He continues with a wealth of details: «The cows eat grass from the pasture instead of hay in their cowsheds.

For this reason, the nutritional principles vary. There is less fat in milk in the summer.

45 ladies who must be loved and attended to every single morning

Grazing, there is more variety in their feeding and the tastes change. You can even taste the various types of grass in cheese. The fat level can range from around 3.9% in the summer and 4.10% in winter ». Ivan is 29 and lives the same life his father did, and his grandfather before him.

He wakes up in the morning at 4:45, milks about fifty cows, cleans out the cowshed, takes the milk and delivers it. The cows must be milked twice daily, 365 days a year. The rest must be done because «you have to guarantee freshness». The work belongs to the olden days, but fortunately not too olden. There are modern devices such as milking machines, belts that carry out manure and steel tubes that take the milk directly to the refrigerators where it is mixed with a blender. It stays there cooling for at least an hour (it must reach 3 degrees Celsius) before being delivered to the distributors.

It is hard work but in addition to bread, there are also roses. Such as the bovine “beauty contests”. «We often participate in competitions – Ivan says – there are approximately thirteen categories for cows; udders are evaluated, milk quality, the coat. It is a passion which requires time because the cow must be prepared, the coat sheared…but when you win and everyone says your cow is the most beautiful, it is enormously satisfying».

Ivan was born into the job. The Castelli farming business has been operating for over forty years and he began working there when he came of age. His daughter of only two years seems very interested in her father’s work. «We’ll have to see when she’s older – he comments. It isn’t that it’s a boy’s job. There are lots of dairy farms where girls work. But you have to be passionate about it. If you aren’t, this is no job for you».

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THIS IS MY HOME (where we discover the true ingredients)

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THIS IS MY HOME A thousand, ten-thousand, maybe a hundred-thousand. Who has ever counted all the times they’ve entered their own home. No one. Not even Riccardo, as much as he loves precision, has ever done it. Until now, he has entered and exited the Pasqualina an infinite number of times.

The Pasqualina was his home: upstairs over the flat of his grandparents who had raised him; still one more flight upstairs in the flat belonging to the family where he lived with his mother, father and sister; downstairs, uninterruptedly, the public premises run by Aunt Lisetta and Uncle Franco.

That time, though, - it was the first of January in 1995 and Riccardo was twenty-six – everything was different. Because from that day forward, the Pasqualina was his.

He would be the one to decide its future and build it day by day. Being able to hold a book narrating the bar’s centennial is surely a guarantee that the adventure will have a happy ending, but not enough to explain why.

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To know “the ingredients” which have, in the last eighteen years – those under the

These are exhausting years for the family and Riccardo shows his sense of responsibility.

Riccardo’s leadership – led the Pasqualina to success, we must step backwards and

After school, he works at the ice-cream parlour. Uncle Franco had health problems:

tell another piece of the story. This time, Riccardo’s.

«when he was hospitalised, one of us was always there to help him. Everyone in the

The boy who prepared the “loads” for the bar, removed the “small stones” from the

family tried to stand by Aunt Lisetta and when there wasn’t anyone who could do

tennis courts and swept the courtyard, had become a young man with his head on

it, I would take care of the bar. I would sit at a table with my school books and if a

straight: «it’s true; I quickly understood the satisfaction that things obtained by hard

customer came in, I would go behind the counter and serve them».

work and fatigue can offer».

His first motorcycle, a second hand Cagiva enduro bike, he bought (his parents paid

In the end, the diploma arrives. With a piece of paper in hand, Riccardo looks at

for half of it) with the money he had been saving from working at the bar. «I must

himself in the mirror and does some serious soul-searching: «I could have continued

have walked by the window at least twenty times before deciding to buy it. I wanted

studying and received my degree, maybe at thirty years of age, or started working

it to be the right one».

immediately».

He opts for the second choice. But first, he takes some time off to think things over:

In the meantime, he signs up for studies in accountancy where he understands

a holiday “on the road” in America.

something else important about himself: «I am a person who learns something more willingly and readily by experience: doing and talking with others rather than

«At eighteen, I went to New York for a month and a half to learn English, and came

listening to a lesson sitting in a classroom».

home not knowing any more than when I had left». Having decided to achieve his

But as an excuse, this was not enough for Grandmother Lina: «If I came home with bad

goal, the next year he leaves again, this time alone. «It was a great learning experience.

marks, she would not let me off easy, and the entire family knew about it in a minute».

I had to learn to adapt to situations and the idea of only being able to count on myself.

I slept in hostels, got around on buses, waited tables and painted fences to make a

«I quickly understood the satisfaction that things obtained by hard work and fatigue can offer».

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little money and continue my trip».

Back home, he works for a while beside his mother Rosa in the agency («I didn’t like

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«Deciding to drop everything and oversee the family business was not an easy decision». the milieu of the fashion world»), gets some other short-lived first-hand experiences («I worked with some engineer friends on a patent that we later sold »), and then goes to work in a company where he will pass several years of his professional life.

«At the interview, I hoped they would hire me but not as an accountant».

Despite himself, that is exactly what he found himself doing, at least at the beginning.

He doesn’t give up and as soon as conditions allow, he moves on to another position, and still another («each time I accumulated experience, I matured a lot in that period») until he gets, at only twenty-four years of age, where he wants to be: the sales department. Being responsible for the foreign sales of a company – Limar, a leading manufacturer of bicycle helmets – where the foreign market amounted to more than half of the turnover, meant being willing to travel all over the world and Riccardo did it with enthusiasm. «It was a position of responsibility that was demanding and meant being away from home for days; I had good prospects there for personal and professional growth».

This was Riccardo’s life and what he was aspiring to when the proposal from the family to run the Pasqualina comes at him almost like a bolt from the blue. «Deciding to

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drop everything and oversee the family business was not an easy decision». Riccardo weighs the pros and cons.

On the one hand, there was the fact that he did not feel “cut out” for the company. On the other, however, taking on the challenge of the Pasqualina brings with it a huge fear of his: «that of secluding myself here inside these four walls almost forgetting there’s a world out there».

The answer was right there in front of him, or actually, behind him in his past. It was a phrase his mother Rosa used to repeat: «Remember that the Brembo always runs downstream». One of those pearls of folk wisdom that contains an entire philosophy of life. She, in turn, had learned this philosophy from her mother and her mother from whomever came before her. Going backwards from generation to generation, one might reach Aunt Pasqualina or perhaps even before her, because the Brembo, the river not far from there, was already flowing then.

This phrase was an invitation to stop complaining, to disregard the secondary aspects of a problem (differences of opinion or everyday bad moods) and concentrate on the important and substantial issues at hand. In that case, what really matters is the future of the Pasqualina which, for economic questions and other, is uncertain.

It means soaring high and being farsighted. But Riccardo is prepared for this. The decision has been made: he will take the helm of the Pasqualina.

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The passage of the baton from the generation of parents and aunts and uncles to that of children and nieces and nephews formally took place then, but has an ideal prologue in an earlier episode, when the tennis courts were still beside the bar.

«I was playing against my father – Riccardo says – and I was winning. We reached match point, only one more point and I would have won the match. But my father couldn’t stand to lose, so, using a sudden backache as an excuse, we had to interrupt the match on match point! I was furious! I believe it was our last match ever». Then the courts were taken up; playtime was over: this was hardball and it was time for Riccardo to show he knew what he was doing.

The bar had reclaimed the “Pasqualina” name under the management of Aunt Lisetta and Uncle Franco; it was normal for daughter Silvia and the grandchildren to work beside the personnel on duty with work shifts especially during weekends and summertime.

The bar became a meeting place for groups of young people and often Uncle Franco joined them, having become a symbol and landmark of the place, just as Aunt Pasqualina had been in her day.

Upon his arrival, Riccardo wants to give a new image to the bar, but the name and presence of his uncle remain. It was an everyday occurrence to see Uncle Franco drinking his macchiato - «For him, there is no better coffee» - and his presence

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completed the passing of the baton, confirming how the Pasqualina was a legacy of all the family, old and new.

The greatest efforts were immediately concentrated on a production of quality.

An example? Ice-cream. Up until then, it was outsourced from another workshop and now the intention was to make it themselves. «With fresh milk delivered every morning by a local farmer».

From being a simple and convivial gathering place, the Pasqualina now aspires to become a refined venue (but not exclusive), a place that aims to offer its customers an exceptional experience, based on the uniqueness of its products and quality of its service.

The beginning is an uphill battle, but Riccardo is surrounded by people who not only believe in him, but on whom he can count. His girlfriend Elena, who will become his wife: «In the first year, I worked every evening and she was always there by my side».

Or more often, behind the scenes in the kitchen.

«It is in troubled times that you come to realize who will stand by you and who really cares about you. It’s easy to get along when business is booming and you’ve got time for an afternoon of shopping, a romantic dinner or a holiday».

Speaking of which: «helping Riccardo was almost natural. I’m not cut out for standing behind a counter, relating to people sometimes is embarrassing for me, but I believe it was exactly in that moment that we understood what we wanted to become

The house conveys the personality of its inhabitants, just as the details of the Pasqualina convey the personality of Riccardo and those working with him.

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«For Alberto, the mood of the day depends on how the sweet rolls come out of the oven. Who needs a horoscope?»

A journey through taste since 1912

one who comes up with the ideas on the fillings: in addition to classical ones with jam, custard and chocolate, you will also find them with honey, mixed berries and bitter oranges (the favourite). He gets to try things first. For months he has been

in the future», adds Elena, who looks back on those years as the cornerstone for

working towards the goal of finding a 100% wholemeal croissant, easier said than

building their family. Today, she divides her time between being a mother (Gabriele

done. «I have a sweet tooth – he admits candidly – if somebody puts a cake in front

and Tommaso) and being a working woman at the desk that had once belonged to

of me, I won’t get up until I’ve finished it».

Rosa. A passing of the baton that rarely happens, one between mother-in-law and

But he is the one who always gets up early to lift the rolling shutter at six («or even

daughter-in-law, but it was natural for Rosa, just as it was for Elena to be by her side

earlier») to serve warm rolls to the early bird customers. Alberto’s passion and

in the last days of her life.

loyalty to work emerge clearly in a recent episode. «One night – Riccardo begins – my father calls me because he isn’t feeling well. The ambulance that will take him to

Rosa and Alberto are now free of commitments and immediately begin working by

the hospital arrives. To leave the house, we must pass near the workshop: suddenly

their son running the bar: working together is also an opportunity to consolidate

Alberto orders the paramedics to stop. Beneath their incredulous gaze, he starts

their relationship and make up for some of the time lost in the past.

giving me instructions on the sweet rolls: what time to put them in the oven, in what

Much has been said of Rosa’s deep bond with the Pasqualina.

order, which ones need filling and which ones don’t …an unforgettable scene! ».

But for Alberto, things are different: that place was never his home, never his world, but slowly it would become just that.

Passion (Pasqualina and Piero’s), daily commitment (Grandfather Luigi’s), sensitivity

Today Alberto at the Pasqualina is “the sweet roll man”. He wakes up every night at

(Grandmother Lina’s), determination (his mother Rosa’s), steadfastness (his father

three and goes down to supervise preparation: he knows how they are baked and the

Alberto’s), grit (Aunt Lisetta’s).

time it takes.

Riccardo adds some values of his own to those “inherited” from the family: curiosity,

He is demanding and scrupulous: «The mood of the day depends on how they come

the desire to improve himself and intuition.

out of the oven. Who needs a horoscope?» the daughter Elena says, joking. He is the

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Let us begin with the last “ingredient” which Riccardo explains with a paradox: «ice-

Curiosity, as a second “ingredient”, on the other hand, is what has allowed him not

cream is like the Panda car». Meaning? «If Fiat manufactured the cars it did twenty

only to select quality raw materials, but to go exploring in the world of knowledge

years ago, no one would buy them. Ice-cream also continues to evolve: the quality

that has led to those fruits and directly meet those who keep this knowledge alive.

has improved and the customer is more demanding now. The taste has also changed:

Come to think of it, it is the continuation of the project that his mother Rosa carried

less sweet with less fat, more digestible».

forward in Modagricoltura. «Travelling is one of the aspects that I love most about

This is something Riccardo understood before others, so much so that ice-cream at

my job, and I could never do without it.

the Pasqualina has these virtues. The ice-cream tub is the embodiment of intuition

Before, it was something I did to sell a product – Riccardo says, referring to the years

turning into genius.

as a sales executive in the company – but now it’s for discovering places and meeting

It is a unique and patented model: a container which enhances its contents.

people». It is as if the lemons, pistachios, almonds, chestnuts or hazelnuts that end

«The idea came to me while I was motorcycling in the Dolomite mountains; I saw

up in the recipes of many Pasqualina products have, in addition to their flavours,

some hens on the side of the road and I got a short circuit inside my head: a box for

a voice, and with each taste, they tell the stories of those who grew, harvested and

ice-cream like an egg box! »

transformed them.

With the egg box, the product intactness is safeguarded, whereas with the ice-cream

The desire to improve, in the end, is the pinch of salt that - as every good confectioner

tub, the intactness of the flavour; having a space for each scoop prevents the flavours

knows - serves to enhance the flavour of sweets. And to life, as we can see, his and of

from overpowering each other and mixing.

those working with him.

«As soon as I got home, I tried to make one with hot iron wire and polystyrene».

After having perfected it around 2005, he tries to sell it at the main industry trade shows but without success. «It’s a good idea but the Italian market snubs it, so I decide to keep it for myself». Today we have many requests for it, even from abroad.

The “portioned tub” however is a Pasqualina exclusive product.

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The ice-cream tub is the embodiment of intuition turning into genius: a container which enhances its contents.

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Ingredients and raw materials.

In the midst of history and wonders.

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glukus, sweet and rhiza, root).

Glycyrrhizin is more than just sweet. It has many other qualities: it is anti-inflammatory, soothing for ulcers, sedative and slightly laxative. It is also very strong and must not be consumed in excess.

The old Indian and Chinese pharmacopoeias proposed a number of remedies based on liquorice. In China, they are so numerous that the word in the everyday language metaphorically indicates something that you find everywhere: similar to the way the Italians use the word “parsley”.

LIQUORICE

In the first century AD in countries facing the Mediterranean, it is known that cures employing

(the sweet root abounding with mysteries and properties)

either raw or decocted liquorice were prescribed for ailments of the respiratory system.

Nonetheless, the history of liquorice in the western world is also marked by its sweet and aromatic nature. There is evidence that as early as the 15th century, the extract, obtained as it

Sometimes our convictions like to play underhanded tricks on our senses. Despite the fact that

is today by boiling the roots then dessicating, was sold as lozenges in northern Europe. Thus

one of the most famous brands in the world does everything to convince us of the contrary,

the new market of liquorice juice is created which, for the next four centuries, in which it is

pure liquorice is not bitter at all. A strange twist of fate. The fact is, the main ingredient that is

added to sweets, drops and beverages, will affirm its “recreational” nature, on par with exotic

extracted from the root, glycyrrhizin, is much sweeter than saccharose. The name of the plant

products such as tea, coffee and tobacco.

in fact is derived from the Greek glukurrhiza which means nothing less that “sweet root” (from

Liquorice owes its good fortune in the newly founded United States to the latter, tobacco, where it is purchased in industrial quantities to flavour chewing tobacco.

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THE LIQUORICE CUSTODIAN

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FORTUNATO AMARELLI

35 years of age

«The Calabria region produces the world’s finest liquorice. Even Encyclopaedia Britannica says so», declares Fortunato Amarelli, 35 years of age.

His family has been in Rossano since the year 1000 and he represents the fourteenth generation of farmers and extractors.

We are in Contrada Amarelli. The first document to attest to the presence of a small community which earns its livelihood from harvesting and preparing liquorice root, headed by a person named Amarelli, dates back to 1731. Here there are fields and tools for extracting the juice from the root.

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Rather than being harvested, the liquorice plant must be “tamed”: a wild and invasive plant, to harvest it, one must dig a trench of a metre and a half and uproot it. What makes liquorice so special is that the plant grows without human intervention, but only at determined latitudes around the 40th parallel. It is almost impossible to grow it outside of this latitude which is found passing through the south of Spain and Italy, Greece, Turkey, India and China.

As with previous generations, Fortunato grew up playing in the factory, together with the workers’ children, they, too, born into the industry: «we ran and clambered up over the large deposits of roots, which were like mountains to be climbed». For the cousins of the family «the factory was a communal home».

The same happened for their employees: «in order to produce in an isolated place, the workers lived here. The economic situation in Calabria was difficult. The economy was based solely on the large estates.» Therefore, at the beginning of the 1900s, the companies served as social security cushions which were nonexistent: they gave them food and lodging.

Rather than being harvested, the liquorice plant must be tamed Today everything is different, but back then, those who were poor truly had nothing. The homes of the owners and employees sprang up around the factory: «the entire family worked here, the father on the machines or at the tubs, the wives on the product, rolling the “dough” into strings the way macaroni is made».

Everyone pitched in, children included. This is the way things were until the second postwar period but some workers still lived here until the year 2000.

Today the members of Amarelli family live and work all over Italy and Europe, in order to adapt to the needs of the international market. But the company is still a «communal home».

Fortunato feels he has been given a special role: «Every day we make decisions which are driven by our passion. Those of us who belong to the fourteenth generation no longer feel like the “owners” of the company. It is an important heritage which transcends any type of entrepreneurial logic; we are unable to make decisions that do not regard preservation. The community around the company is what counts most».

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Ingredients and raw materials.

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If anything, lemons are “fragrant” or “colourful”, like flowers: characteristics that have enchanted Nordic travellers in their pilgrimages to southern Italy. Goethe defines the South as “the land where lemon trees blossom”.

But the “golden horns of sunlight” are as beautiful on the outside as they are valuable inside: they

LEMONS

contain citric acid, ascorbic acid (vitamin C), flavonoids, terpenes and many other substances with reconstituent, preservative and digestive properties. The custom of serving water with

(golden horns of sunlight)

a slice of lemon, in addition to decorating and perfuming the most humble of beverages, is a successful folk intuition of the fruit’s antiseptic properties.

““Here we poor, too, receive our share of riches / which is the fragrance of the lemons” wrote

Without the pungent aroma of lemon, we would have no counterpoint to help us appreciate the

Eugenio Montale in 1925 in his lyric poem “The Lemons”. After a few verses, he added: “and

sweetness of many desserts, or the savoury taste of seafood. Which urges existential reflections:

deep in us / the golden horns of sunlight / pelt their songs”.

a Ukrainian proverb states that “sugar can only be appreciated after lemon”.

The poet prefers the gardens of prosaic lemons to those filled with laurel: plants which inspire

The sfusato lemons (elongated like spindles, “fusi”) from Amalfi have a semi-sweet taste that

his arid verses, dried by air and sunlight.

invites you to leave them as they are, so much so that they are eaten in salads. They are so

The firm and simple beauty of lemons makes them a fruit that is different from all others.

beloved on the Amalfi Coast that some local restaurateurs have even combined them with

Rarely when we speak of them do we use adjectives such as “flavourful” or “mature”.

another passion from the Campana region, serving customers a truly unique beverage: lemonflavoured coffee.

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PERPETUAL MOTION (where one never stops learning)

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PERPETUAL MOTION «I won’t work with him!»

Emy is sincere when she says that the first thing she thought of Riccardo back in 1995, was this, when she crossed his severe almost icy gaze. After sixteen years, she is still there at his side, passing from the bar counter to the confectionery workshop: in the meantime, her skills have increased, she is more qualified and motivated. In three words, she says: «I’ve grown here, even if Riccardo still makes me a little uneasy with that way he has of scolding you with his eyes ».

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Emy is one of the historic personages at the Pasqualina, like the “two Simones”, like Beppe and of course Marcella.

Each has his or her own story, and their experience has been no different.

Emy was here before Riccardo took over the bar, hired by Aunt Lisetta and Uncle Franco: «I used to work in a shirt factory and I only worked here on Saturdays and Sundays – she recalls . The first time I was called to substitute for Silvia, Lisetta and Franco’s daughter, who had an exam. I immediately understood that I liked the job».

And yet, when Riccardo arrived, Emy was one step away from quitting. «I wanted to stay home – she confesses - being around him made me nervous».

The new management’s change of pace caught her and the rest of the staff completely off guard: «everything had to be precise, orderly, with no imperfections. We weren’t used to working like that» explains Simona Pozzi.

«I started when I was a girl and now I’m a different person; professionally speaking, I feel more complete. But I’ve got much more to learn». She also began with his aunt and uncle («I showed up at the interview with Lisetta in a tracksuit; accompanied by my mother because I was still a minor»); the new course of things «was a radical change», «a revolution».

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The only thing that has never changed is the quality of the relationship: «here, I feel like one of the family. I used to call Riccardo’s relatives Mama, Dad, Aunt and Uncle, and I continued to do so afterwards».

Simona Bonfanti ended up working at the Pasqualina by chance: «I had come one afternoon for an ice-cream with a schoolmate and jokingly asked Lisetta if they were hiring».

Simona wanted a good excuse to go out on Saturday night and she found it. At the Pasqualina, she got on so well that, over the years, she would spend almost the entire evening there: «with co-workers and with Elena – Riccardo’s sister – with whom we are friends, after the bar closed, we would stay and chat and cram ourselves with junk until morning. When their father Alberto came downstairs to prepare the sweet rolls, we had to hide, especially Elena».

In these years, Simona has tried to “give up” this place: «not once but twice – she says, to try other work experiences».

However, in the end, she always came back: «because here I feel fulfilled and that my qualities are nurtured».

The Pasqualina-effect on Marcello was even more pronounced: «My previous work experience had been in a bar, but what I have learned here is how important it is to organise and plan work». And there’s more: «it is a learning experience that I have

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taken to heart in my personal life». She concludes: «If somebody were to ask what my line of work was, I would never think to say ‘I work in a bar’. The Pasqualina is not just a bar. It’s different. It’s much more».

The main difference is that here, you learn while you’re working and once you’ve learned it, you do a better job of things.

This is Riccardo’s method, the same he applies to himself. «If there’s something I don’t understand – he says – I make sure I learn about it; and this is what I want the people around me to do». He adds: «we have the same values: the passion for work and the desire to grow. And with values like these, the sky is the limit». He relies on those with expertise to train and help the team grow. Experts in gastronomy, chocolatier masters, world champion confectioners, talented ice-cream makers, great cooks and university professors have passed (and continue to pass) through the doors of the Pasqualina. And when they don’t come to the premises, Riccardo and his team go to in-depth courses and internships which become opportunities for a sort of team building, because relations consolidate within the group: «We went to Florence to visit an exquisite tea room – Simona Pozzi explains – and it was interesting to see our “boss” in the role of a tourist». The result: «Every two or three months, there are

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courses to attend: on tea, coffee, chocolate…» Beppe confirms.

There is one thing, or actually two, they all agree on.

The first is that here, as Beppe says, «we don’t have time to get bored» The Pasqualina 2.0 is a work in progress and it is progress that you don’t just see, but you eat.

The second is, he adds joking, «Riccardo is a big pain in the neck, a perfectionist, very demanding and fussy, bordering on maniacal. But in the end, we see the results in the quality of what we do».

If being able to balance dishes on a tray (including those enormous “Mangiabevi” sundaes so popular in the 90s) is part of the basic know-how of someone working in an ice-cream parlour («In sixteen years I’ve never dropped a single one» Emy says with a hint of pride), knowing the ritual the Pasqualina uses to serve a loose leaf tea is not something just anyone can do.

Marcella is the one who explains it:«water, which must have a low content of residue, is slowly poured from a samovar; the temperature is not always the same but varies according to the type of leaf or infusion; then the right amount of time must pass, which is neither too much or too little; we use an iron filter for tea because it is more hygienic; lemon is wrapped in gauze, and sugar, whether light or dark, is rigorously

«Riccardo is a big pain in the neck, a perfectionist, very demanding and fussy, bordering on maniacal. But in the end, we see the results in the quality of what we do»

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crystallised, as it sweetens less and won’t cover the flavour of the tea».

the Pasqualina sweet roll, if it wasn’t already perfectly clear, had to be different from

“Sculpting” fruit for the ice-cream dishes is also an art. «The effect is quite spectacular

all the others. One day Riccardo came in with a tape measure. «Of course, not to

– Beppe says – but what a lot of work it is! At the beginning, it seemed impossible. It

expand the kitchen. Do you know what he wanted to measure? The height of the

takes a steady hand and great precision. We practice on vegetables».

croissants!». And he did!«Here, I want them like this: higher in the middle» and

Beppe and Emy work in the workshop. Anything that comes from there passes

shows us the measurement on the tape measure. «After a year of trying and trying

through their hands: ice-cream, confectionery, chocolate Easter eggs, sweet rolls.

again, we did it. What a great feeling!».

Beppe has been in this line of work for thirty years and knows how to deal with

At the tables and at the bar, the rule for customer relations is «be friendly and

Riccardo: «we are similar, I reason the same way he does; I want to know and

qualified» Marcella says, «in that moment we represent the image of the Pasqualina».

understand all the processing phases, so that if something goes wrong, I know how

Adds Simona Pozzi, who has seen couples here get married and have children and

to intervene». Riccardo is demanding and Beppe aims to please him: «Prepare the

seen them grow up: «making your customers feel at ease is not easy because they’re

same flavour of ice-cream for me with different types of milk». «They’re ready!». «Did

all different. A word too many and kindness can turn into an excess of intimacy». The

you number them?». «Yes». He tries them without knowing which one is which and

right way to relate to the person in front of you is through a cocktail of virtues, the

then he makes his assessments.

fruit of a mixture of experience, professionalism and sensitivity. A delicate balance

Emy, on the other hand, has something else in common with Riccardo: stubbornness.

which does not come naturally but you can learn it.

«Emy, from now on, we’re making our own sweet rolls». «What?? Are you crazy? No way». «Yes, we’re making them». «We don’t even know where to start!»«We’ll learn!»

Riccardo’s talent was being able to convey to his loyal followers, and they in turn to

In the end, he was right: finding the right balance between softness and the fragrance

the others (today, employees number around thirty), the value of doing things well,

of the dough was a lot of work, but not as much as finding the ideal shape. Because

or rather, with commitment and passion, even the simplest things or those which

When Beppe speaks, one can’t help but remember the young boy thirty years ago having to sweep the gravel in the courtyard without knowing why.

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might seem secondary or even useless. When Beppe speaks of how important it is for Riccardo that «the chocolate squares all come out of the mould identical to each other», one can’t help but remember the young boy thirty years ago having to sweep

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«I want to create something I can be proud of».

the gravel in the courtyard without knowing why.

The message hit home loud and clear, so much so that those who work at the Pasqualina today are the first to share its philosophy and to sustain, in no uncertain terms, the choices made regarding the quality of the product and services.

For Emy, «one of the best days» of her life was when she saw the tempering machine arrive in the workshop, an instrument that allows chocolate to be processed professionally. «I had seen it in a trade show and had been dreaming of it ever since».

(And since she has learned Riccardo’s lesson so well, she now has another dream on the agenda, («new equipment for pralines»).

Simona Bonfanti has a passion for cooking that she often cultivates outside of work hours: «at home, sometimes I’ll make a note of dishes, recipes and food combinations that might help improve the bar’s food selection; I might do a trial run, photograph it and send it to Riccardo to get his input». Speaking of interaction, once a month, Riccardo and his most trusted collaborators hold their brainstorming meetings: «they always finish in the wee hours of the night – Marcella says – who is enthusiastic and gets caught up in swapping information and opinions on proposals and work models».

On the page opposite, top, the new venue in Porto Cervo, below, the fireplace room in the historic bar in Almenno.

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The new developments in these years at the Pasqualina travel on several levels.

In addition to those regarding the pursuit of quality products and attention to service, there are those generally linked to the company strategy. The idea of a line dictated “from above”, but shared, sustained and driven “from below”. Riccardo himself is the one to illustrate it. «With the Pasqualina, I want to create something I can be proud of. Creating a top product is a source of professional and personal satisfaction, as is facing the challenge of achieving goals which seem impossible». Great progress has been made in these years but there is still much to do, because Riccardo, when he achieves a goal, immediately sets another, even more ambitious. «If you think you’ve made it, then you’re washed up. Time to find another line of work». But economical success has never been the top priority: «after the Pasqualina made a name for itself, I could have opened businesses in stations and shopping centres in the area». But no.

It is the desire to challenge himself and the world that interests him: «I like to see how I measure up with objectives that are increasingly more difficult to reach».

And so it was. Five years ago, Riccardo opened up a second venue but in the most improbable place: «a narrow and dark tunnel in Bergamo» he says, where first La Tecnica, an historic printing office of the city, had been located. It was a small secondary street that could have revealed itself, metaphorically speaking, a dead end.

The bar in Bergamo or the “dolceria” (sweets factory) as a fond customer has renamed the Pasqualina.

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But not for Riccardo, who believed in it from the offset and made it an obligatory hub for those wanting a Pasqualinian slice of style (and flavour).

The features it has in common with its “elder sister” in Almenno are the colours and materials but for the rest, it is an entirely different world. With more modern furnishings and a more cosmopolitan and glam look. However, in both, lunchtime solutions have been experimented with successfully beneath the supervision of starred chef Vittorio Fusari: light and harmonious dishes, using innovative combinations.

«Only a madman would leap into this enterprise» says Simona Bonfanti who, with Marcella and Chiara, keeps the Pasqualina in Bergamo moving forward.

After Bergamo, it is soon time to look forward. And forward for Riccardo today means Sardinia. The latest and third Pasqualina sister, an ice-cream parlour opened in spring 2012 at Porto Cervo, the seaside capital of the jet set.

The starting motivation is the same. The standard of quality identical, which calls for selecting local materials. The news is, though, that this time, the challenge is far away from the home territory, with a different clientele and with new demands.

In a word: a new way to measure oneself, of learning and growing.

There are now many, those up in heaven – Aunt Pasqualina, Grandfather Piero, Grandmother Lina, Uncle Franco, his mother Rosa… - and those here on earth – family members, staff and customers – who wonder what the next journey for the Pasqualina and Riccardo will be.

Riccardo, his father Alberto and sons Tommaso and Gabriele. Three generations brought together in the Pasqualina in Bergamo.

The dream continues

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After having read the story Severino has written on my family and our bar, I realised that something was missing, something which would not fit between the pages of this book. It is something that comes first and continues afterward: my personal and heartfelt thanks to all the people who have stood by me in these years. My entire staff, my family (in the most extended sense of the word) and Donatella, who has been a second sister to me.

Riccardo Schiavi