Page 12 - Italian American Herald - April 2020

12 ITALIANAMERICANHERALD.COM | APRIL2020 ITALIAN-AMERICANHERALD
THE CHEF’S PERSPECTIVE
Memories of Amalfi: The food, the lemons, the ceramics
By Murray Schulman
Lately, I have been experiencing a stronger connection to Italy – specifically, the Amalfi Coast region. There
are several reasons for this resurgence of
my thinking about this area, not the least of which is the onset of warmer weather. At this time of year, the Amalfi Coast comes alive. The hotels are back in full swing, tourists are again flocking to this beautiful region and the Limon Costa d Amalfi known as the Sfusato is in full bloom. My memories about
my time in this area are fueled by my
taste buds as you would expect. I can remember that clean refreshing blast of
flavor from the treats that I experienced while there.
Liz and I were sitting on our
veranda at our hotel that first day after
our flight into Naples and that drive
to Positano. A small pitcher of fresh
limonata was delivered to our room. I remember thinking that this had to
be the most delicious lemonade that
I had ever tasted. On another day, I remember that it was unusually warm
out as Liz and I walked down that hill
in the center of Positano. We stopped
and browsed through a variety of the
stores along the street on our way
toward the shoreline. As we walked,
we came upon a gentleman with a
small cart bearing a hand-written sign advertising Ghiaccio al Limone. We
stopped and I started a conversation
in my very damaged Italian and he
in broken English. We got along
famously. He explained that he had a
Sfusato orchard at his home. He picked
these lemons every day and prepared his lemon water ice. I purchased a cup for Liz and one for me. We sat on the stone wall under a tree beside the cart. The flavor was so unique, refreshing and delicious that it became an emotional experience for us. One other evening, we dined at a restaurant at
our Positano hotel. Our waiter suggested
that we sample their signature Crostata al Limone. We initially decided to order one to share. After one bite, Liz’s eyes rolled back in her head. She grabbed the plate and pulled
it close. Her Campana family personality straight from Aquapendente in Lazio came
to the surface as she directed me to order
my own as I wasn’t getting any more of hers. Without risking any sudden motions in the direction of Liz’s tart, I signaled the waiter and obediently complied with her suggestion.
The dining experience in Positano and
all along the Amalfi Coast is unlike anyplace else in the world. We ate only at restaurants owned and operated by local families. We avoided all the mainstream tourist restaurants. This decision proved to be a highlight of our time in Italy. We were never disappointed in the food, service or presentation.
Another highlight of that trip was a visit to Ceramiche Piccadilly. That visit was the beginning of a friendship that has grown through the years into what it is today. At that time, keeping with the theme of the Sfusato Limon and with an eye for the beauty of the region,wewereinsearchofdisplaypieces
store, Giuseppe Criscuolo was our guide
to the magic of their unique ceramic wares. He and his brother Luigi took over the ownership of the factory store from their father Mario Criscuolo. They are in charge today. Enter the third generation of the Criscuolo family. Mario, whom I have come to befriend, is the founder’s namesake, Luigi’s son and Giuseppe’s nephew. Mario is now the customer service manager and marketing manager of the company. He graciously provided the subject matter for this column.
Founded in 1981, Ceramiche Piccadilly reflects the founder’s “passion for passion andloveofhisland.” Thecompanyisas
lemon design dinnerware, for example, each piece in the set is almost identical. However, because every single piece is completely hand-made and hand-painted, there are slight variations within the artwork that makes each piece in the set completely unique. For me, this is an ideal situation. You, my readers, know how passionate
and excited I get when describing the get togethers at my home over a great meal. Imagine how it feels when I can serve what
I prepare with all the joy and passion of my food preparations on unique, hand-painted platters and dinnerware. Picture serving your limoncello that came from Positano in a set of
hand-made cups that were individually painted in a lemon theme depicting that same region. The conversations
at the table becomes limitless when you add the unique element of artistic craftsmanship to the delicious food that you prepare. This is when the magic happens as reflected in the eyes and smiles of family and friends.
In the past, the only way that we could have access to these ceramic
and volcanic stone items was when traveling to the Amalfi Coast of
Italy. Mario has explained that as of this month we can view these items through online media and photos
sent directly to you from Ceramiche Piccadilly. Mario tells me that he has
a profound interest in attracting the Italian-American Herald readers as well as the Italian- American community at large. To do this, they have made their website user friendly, set the pricing without any surprises and can deliver faster with no additional import fees.
One other thing that I want to mention that will get my readers
excited is that these pieces of table art are dishwasher safe, durable and intended
for long-term use. Everything is made
and shipped in the most eco-friendly way possible. In fact, the artists working for Ceramiche Piccadilly have perfected the art of making hand-painted tabletops from volcanic stone sourced from the Vesuvius volcano.
I have written several pieces talking about my travels and experiences in Italy including the Amalfi Coast on my blog in my website at www.freelancewritersolutions.com. You can also visit the Ceramiche Piccadilly factory without leaving your home by visiting www. mcpiccadilly.com. I have said it many times as all of you know. Great food presented in an artistic way with flair and imagination make for an exceptional dining and entertaining experience. IAH
for our table and kitchen. I knew that I was going to be working with a Michelin chef in the Chianti region of Tuscany during that trip. I also knew that I would be bringing back recipes and techniques that would become
a key element of my culinary skills at home. It just made sense that I wanted artistic serving platters and tableware that would be complementary to the extraordinary foods that would be served on them. I found exactly what I was looking for at this amazing ceramics factory and store. Since that time, I have remained in touch with this amazing family of artistic craftspeople. I was fortunate to have been able to interview a member of the family for this column.
Ceramiche Piccadilly has been a family business on the Amalfi Coast for three generations. When I first visited the
unique as each piece that it produces. The reason that this resonates with me as it will resonate with all of you is the artistry that goes into the workmanship. Ceramiche Piccadilly employs 20 artists. According to Mario, these artists are given the freedom
to create original paintings on ceramics as they view the beauty of the region. I own several of their pieces that feature the Sfusato lemons that had such a profound impact on Liz and me. We also own pieces that feature landscape paintings depicting the Cyprus trees that symbolize the region. I look at my platters and wall hangings from this company and the joy and flavors from my time in
Italy are reawakened. I asked how they can possibly make sets of dinnerware and their various items in this way. Mario explained that their artists are so good that in a set of