Se prima della partenza mi avessero detto che a Londra sarei riuscito a trovare la pasta di Valentino Felicetti, non ci avrei creduto. Si tratta infatti di pasta di qualità straordinaria, con ogni formato disponibile in cereali diversi (selezioni monograno) da agricoltura biologica e prodotto con lavorazioni tradizionali. Considerata la qualità dei prodotti che si trovano in grosse catene di supermercati such as Tesco and Marks and Spencer, found the selection of Monograno Felicetti in London seemed an unlikely event at least.
But today, as I walked up to Piccadilly direct Lock historic hat on St. James Street, I came across the impressive Fortnum and Mason, huge "food" that is planted there since 1707. The quotes are a must, because you can not define any food operation that sells food. Call this "food" would be risky, almost an understatement. Fortnum and Mason is a jewelry store, both for the quality and rarity of the products it sells and, of course, the price at which it sells them. It is therefore an English cousin Fouchon of French cuisine or the beautiful Milan Peck (from which I pass every time I'm in Milan), but these often than whimsy, audacity, and why not? in most of kitsch. As Fouchon, you can find all the possible mustards conceivable by the human mind, and not just the abused mustard mustard which is also available in dozens of different versions, such as by Peck, are available to very special variety of coffee and vegetables (nice I must say) at prices unaffordable, otherwise both Peck Fouchon that, if one wants can take home the giant ants covered in chocolate (!) or the Scorpion Vodka (imagine what comes from the name!), the gin inglesi introvabili ed i tè più disparati, per non parlare delle esoticissime preparazioni dei cacao. Io mi sono umilmente contenuto limitandomi alla pasta di Valentino Felicetti: troppo grande era lo stupore, il compiacimento ed il senso di domestica familiarità che queste scatole, allegoricamente, avevano generato. Non potevo non comprarle. Sebbene costino esattamente il doppio che in Italia.
Al di là dell'esagerato valore affettivo e simbolico che io concedo alla pasta, da questi incontri gastronomici sto traendo una visione inaspettata di Londra. Quando ero in partenza, la partenopea proprietaria della torrefazione del comune in cui vivevo, saputo che ero diretto a Londra, aveva esclamato «Sì fœrnut and Magna bbuon! ',' you're done eating well '. I must say that based on the horror stories you hear from those who have returned from these places, the shot of the lady seemed reasonable and convincing. And disheartening. In fact London is a place where junk is all too easy to raise, if one wants to eat them, but the immense variety of human beings that this city is inevitably someone who has a little 'attention to the food of the guarantor. Resulting in islands of refined quality (such as La Fromagerie ), although selling its products at prices certainly higher than average, offer meals and higher quality ingredients, often rare, definitely a sprawling concession that at least - and that's for sure - a London show even bigger than it looks.