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June/July 2024 XVI MAGAZINE or ‘trabocchi’ are fishing constructions built on bold stilts jutting out into the sea. A slender bridge connects these ‘fishing machines’ with the mainland. A weave of poles supports a hut on the sea from where the fishing net is steered by means of a rudimentary but effective system of poles and rods. The trebuchet is positioned where the sea has a depth of at least 6 metres and is erected close to rocky points generally facing south-east or north-west, so as to be able to take advantage of the currents. The net is lowered into the water thanks to a complex system of winches and pulled up to retrieve the catch. Felice Marinucci was among the first people from Termoli to build one, in the mid-19th century. Today, only two remain on the Termoli coast to recall this ancient tradition: the trabucco Marinucci and the trabucco Celestino, true symbols of the town. __________________________________ AT PAGE 54 BOOKS #1 Affumicare Tecnica e ricette (SMOKING Technique and recipes) BY STEFANO MASANTI www.bibliothecaculinaria.it €34,00 At a time when the kitchen is getting closer and closer to science and the kitchen to the laboratory, smoking is one of the few techniques that retains mystery. Deeply evocative, the taste and aroma of smoke recall a more atavistic connection with food, even when used discretely. Stefano Masanti demonstrates that there is more than one way to smoke (cold, semi-hot, hot) and examines a range of means to do so. From basic methods using normal kitchen equipment to semi-professional methods using dedicated tools, the chef has found something for every level of expertise and budget. Through recipes ranging from starter to dessert, the chef demonstrates how the most ethereal and elusive ingredient can present the palate with layered and complex yet, somehow, deeply familiar organoleptic sensations. BOOKS #2 Vasocottura Tecniche, consigli e ricette (Pot roasting - Techniques, tips and recipes) BY STEFANO MASANTI AND STEFANO CIABARRI www.bibliothecaculinaria.it €26 ,00 Those who want to add pot roasting to their skill set will find theoretical and practical ideas in this book as well as a selection of recipes specially chosen to illustrate particular applications to be personalised as desired. There are also detailed notes on the use of individual preparations and their storage. Finally, tables on cooking times and temperatures complete the work. Pot roasting is a consistent choice to decrease the consumption of single use polluting materials in terms of sustainability. It also offers all the advantages of vacuum cooking: flavour enhancement, nutrient preservation, precise control of cooking temperature, production flexibility and cost reduction. Furthermore, it is adaptable to different types of catering: producing semi-finished or finished dishes. BOOKS #3 Piaceri e misteri dello Street Food palermitano (Pleasures and mysteries of Palermo Street Food) BY GAETANO BASILE www.darioflaccovio.it €15,00 Given its economic and cultural dimension, street food is the subject of much attention from food experts and cultural anthropologists, but Palermo’s street food in particular ranks first in Europe for quality and richness. Gaetano Basile’s book leads the reader through the streets of the working-class neighbourhoods of this magnificent city, where street food continues to be an undisputed and invincible bastion of our culinary identity, providing the reader with numerous typical recipes such as panelle, crocchè, guastedde ca meusa, frittole, rascature and biancomangiare, enriched with nutritional tables and suggestions for good drinking.