Extra Virgin Olive Oil of Superior Quality and Specialty Food from Liguria

Home , Mediterranean cuisine, Olive, Pasta, Pesto

extra virgin olive oil of superior quality

and specialty food from liguria

Commercial office: Via de Togni 20, 20123 Milan – Italy Tel. +39-02-8645 3377 Fax +39-02-865 875

The story behind “Costa dei Rosmarini” and the person making the product.

Luisa Petrelli worked for Italian wine and food magazines and is a member of the Academy of Italian Cuisine. She likes cooking and is considered particularly good in the Mediterranean cuisine.

In 1991 she bought in Liguria an old farm located in front of Portofino with an extraordinary view at the Tigullio Gulf. This small property is called “Rosmarino Farm” because is surrounded by secular plants of rosemary. It has an ancient stone-house and some 1,000 olive trees growing in stripes of land sustained by dry-stone walls built in centuries. The farm can only be reached by foots through a medieval road paved in stones. The farm house is a few hundred year old and has been restored maintaining the old characteristics (fire heating, fire cooking, stone walls, wood floors, old instruments, etc.). This country-house has been published as an example of the old life-style and decoration.

Since the Luisa cuisine has been always based on extra virgin olive oil, in 1995 she decided to start a limited production of high quality extra virgin olive oil for top cuisine and gourmets. The first customer was Hotel Cipriani in Venice. Since then other prestigious names and famous cooks decided to buy her oil.

Today, taking advantage of the local oil masters, “Costa dei Rosmarini” is produced in Imperia in small quantities at a time and its superior quality is constantly controlled by official tasters of ONAOO (the Italian Association of Olive Oil Tasters).

In 2000 Luisa added five Ligurian specialties (pitted black olives, sun dried tomatoes, black olive paste, black olives in brine, Ligurian pesto) for which she was satisfied about the quality standard and consistency over time. Following the same philosophy in 2003 she also added five artisan Pasta typical of the ancient traditions of Liguria. As a demanding gourmet Luisa keeps the policy of only selling the food which she personally likes and actually uses in her kitchen.

2 The extra virgin olive oil

Costa dei Rosmarini produces three qualities of extra vergin olive oil, all of them 100% Italian. Santa Chiara, the succesful product we've been making for many years, made with the Ligurian Taggiasca olives and with a delicate taste. Santa Sofia, a new oil made with a blend of some of the best olives from Tuscany and Umbria. Riviera dei Fiori, very similar to the Santa Chiara but with the warranty of the Protected Denomination of Origin.

Santa Chiara Made with 80% of Taggiasca olive, typical from region Liguria, and the skills of the best professional tasters, "Santa Chiara" aims to be the best among sweet and light extra virgin oils. I's an extra virgin of the highest quality, delicately perfumed, clear yellow, veiled, with a light taste and no bitterness. The olives, coming from particular groves, are collected by hand when they are partially ripe. After the cold pressing the resulting must passes through simple process of settling and avery light filetring. In this way the aromatic particles do not come destroyed and remain in suspension. The result is an oil with incomparable fragrances and a scent able to enrich foods without overhanging their taste. "Santa Chiara" is excellent for cooking but its delicate fruit fragrances and aroma can be better appreciated when it is consumed raw on salads, fish, grilled meat, pasta sauces and mayonnaise. "Santa Chiara" is choosen from famous chefs and authoritative specialists in specialty food like: Hotel Cipriani (Venezia), Orient Express (Venezia), Hotel Splendido (Portofino), Sadler Rest. (Milano), Grande Epicerie (Paris), Lafayette Gourmet (Paris), Maison du Caviar (Paris), Dean & DeLuca (New York), Caviar House (Geneve), Rungis Express (Germany), Culinary Institute of America, Hotel Four Seasons, Esperya, etc. "Santa Chiara" was awarded in 2002 at two international competitions: the Press Award at "Salon de Saveurs" in Paris and the Gold Medal Award at th "L.A.County Fair Olive Oil Competition" in Los Angeles.

Santa Sofia Thanks to the experince reached in the years, Costa dei Rosmarini is now offering a new extra virgin with a more intense taste than the "Santa Chiara". This new oil, named "Santa Sofia", is prepared with a blend of some of the best olives from Tuscany and Umbria. "Santa Sofia" is suggested as finishing and cooking oil for roasts, red meats, game, and vegetable soups.

D.O.P. Riviera dei Fiori The Protected Denomination of Origin (DOP) law divided Liguria in three sub-regions. The DOP Riviera Ligure- Riviera dei Fiori (Flowers) is prepared with 100% Taggiasca olives picked from certified trees from the west part of Liguria only. The taste is very similar to the "Santa Chiara" and, likewise, it is better appreciated when used as a finishing oil.

The products in oil

On top of extra virgin olive oil, Italian families keep in their kitchen other specialties which are used throughout the year as ingredients of traditional dishes: sun dried

3 aromatic herbs, sun dried tomatoes, pitted black olives, olives in brine, olive paste, anchovies, garlic, onions, salted capers and spices. There is no doubt that the incomparable taste of the Mediterranean cuisine is also due to the expertise in combining the above flavours.

Pitted black Taggiasca olives

The small and sweet Taggiasca olives (typical of Liguria) have a delicate fruit fragrance. The harvest season goes from November to February and the pitted black olives start to become available in the month of April of each year. The preparation of this Ligurian specialty takes a long time because olives are subject to a traditional brine process (water and salt for 5 months), then the stone is eliminated and the olives are put in extra virgin olive oil together with aromatic Ligurian herbs. No chemical treatments, no preservatives.

The pitted black olives add a delicious extra flavour to dishes. They are used as appetizer and as final ingredient of fresh salads and many other dishes including pasta sauces, boiled fish and meat. The olives should not be cooked; add them to dishes just before serving together with a drop of extra virgin olive oil.

For a quick pasta sauce (4 persons) without any cooking: grossly chop 5 fresh tomatoes, 10 pitted black olives, fresh parsley, fresh garlic; add salt, black pepper and 6 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil.

Black Taggiasca olives in brine

After the brine process the Taggiasca olives are enriched with the tasty flavour of Ligurian aromatic herbs. No chemical treatments, no preservatives. The black Taggiasca olives in brine flavoured with the Ligurian aromatic herbs are used both as appetizer with drinks and as final ingredient of several Italian dishes. They add a delicious extra taste to fresh salads, pasta sauces, boiled fish and meat. The olives should not be cooked; add them to dishes just before serving together with a drop of extra virgin olive oil.

For a quick pasta sauce (4 persons) without any cooking: grossly chop 5 fresh tomatoes, 10 black olives in brine, fresh parsley, fresh garlic; add salt, black pepper and 6 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil.

Black Taggiasca olives paste

After the brine process the stone of the Taggiasca olives is eliminated and the olives are finely chopped with extra virgin olive oil and aromatic Ligurian herbs. No chemical treatments, no preservatives.

4 The olive paste is mostly used as appetizer with toasts and canapés. It can be added as final ingredient to fresh salads and many other dishes including pasta sauces, boiled fish and meat. The black olive paste should not be cooked; add it to dishes just before serving together with a drop of extra virgin olive oil.

For a quick pasta sauce (4 persons) without any cooking: grossly chop 5 fresh tomatoes, 6 tbsp of black olive paste, fresh parsley, fresh garlic; add salt, black pepper and 6 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil.

Sun dried tomatoes

The harvest season of tomatoes goes from August to September. Tomatoes are naturally dried at the sun and then put in extra virgin olive oil together with aromatic Ligurian herbs. The preparation of this Ligurian specialty is 100% traditional, tomatoes are first quality, no chemical or artificial processes, no preservatives. The high quality of this product can be easily identified by its delicious taste and by the fact that tomatoes look red and preserve their consistency (they are not almost black, yielding and bitter like the products being usually sold).

The sun dried tomatoes add a delicious extra flavour to dishes. They are used as final ingredient of fresh salads and many other dishes including pasta sauces, boiled fish and meat. They don't need to be cooked; add them to dishes before serving together with a drop of extra virgin olive oil.

For a quick pasta sauce (4 persons) without any cooking: grossly chop 5 sun dried tomatoes, 3 anchovies, 4 capers, 1 red pepper, fresh parsley, fresh garlic; add salt, black pepper and 6 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil.

Ligurian Pesto

The Ligurian pesto sauce is delicious and worldwide famous. The original recipe can only be home-made because it commands first class fresh ingredients and only lasts a couple of days when refrigerated (it may last a month or two if frozen). The only admitted ingredients are fresh leaves of Ligurian basil, fresh leaves of parsley, fresh garlic, grated cheese, pine nuts, salt, spices, extra virgin olive oil. If you know how to combine these flavours, your ingredient are of the required quality, you use a mortar, you may be able to obtain a decent pesto in your kitchen. In the grocery shops you mostly find imitations being very far from the original sauce. This because the recipes being used tend to have different and cheaper ingredients; furthermore, the additional compromises being made for having a lasting product mostly mean too much salt.

“Costa dei Rosmarini” proposes the traditional Ligurian recipe with top quality ingredients and no preservative. The sauce is ready for immediate use. Dilute 30% with hot pasta water, add grated parmesan cheese and extra virgin olive oil.

The balsamic vinegar

The “Rosmarino Farm” balsamic vinegar comes from the hills where the Trebbiano and Lambrusco grapes grow in the Province of Modena. It is an artisan production done in small quantities and following ancient methods. The exclusive use of cooked must instead of the regular must is an important positive attribute distinguishing the “Rosmarino Farm” balsamicvinegar from similar products. Its secret blending of must with wine vinegar of typical grapes and its long aging in barrels of special woods are other positive factors giving “Rosmarino Farm” balsamic vinegara splendid taste and making it a product for connoisseurs. The “Rosmarino Farm” balsamic vinegar enjoys the top seal of the Consorzio Aceto Balsamico di Modena (CABM) as evidence of correct production and certification of at least 3 year aging in wooden barrels.

The artisan pasta from Liguria

The “Costa dei Rosmarini pasta is made only with first quality durum wheat semolina from southern Italy and water. No colouring or preservatives. The artisan manufacturing process makes our pasta to look like being home-made. The irregular cut and rough surface better adhere to sauces and enhance the tasting; the low temperature and the slow drying process preserve the flavour and scent of the genuine ingredients. The durum wheat artisan pasta resists overcooking better than any other pasta. Flour and water are properly mixed and the dough rests for the time needed to reach the correct elasticity. The various shapes are obtained through particular bronze dies at low temperature and appropriate pressure. The pasta dries up to 48 hours in wood trays. Each different shape of pasta requires its own individual process. The grain of flour, the elasticity of dough, the design of bronze dies, the pressure through dies, the timing of the various phases are a precious know-how built in generations.

Croxetti

Croxetti originated in Middle Age. The cooks of noble Ligurian families used to press a thin sheet of pasta between two wooden moulds engraved with the family arms on one side and other symbols on the other side. Frequently there was the image of the cross and the pasta started to be called croxetti. Still today, for weddings or other events, there is the habit of ordering a couple of wooden moulds made on purpose by artisan carpenters with the initials of the couple and other decorations. Housewives then prepare the croxetti one by one. The croxetti beautifully combine with the typical Ligurian sauces: pesto sauce, walnut sauce, pine-seed sauce, fish sauce. Costa dei Rosmarini offers the Croxetti in white and with marjoram. This adds a worderful perfume and enhance the taste.

Trenette

Is the long pasta better representing the typical Ligurian cuisine. By tradition it is served with pesto sauce, walnut sauce, pine-seed sauce, fish sauce. Simply delicious.

Trofie

Trofie dates back to the end of 1800. With a particular movement of their hands the housewives of the Recco region used to model small pieces of rolled pasta in a unique shape being universally recognised. Since then the trofie keeps being prepared in the entire Liguria. Trofie are traditionally served with the pesto sauce

Gigli

This beautiful shape of pasta has two main properties: optimally meld with sauce and cooks in a short time. Excellent both with pesto or tomato sauces.

Paccheri

The Paccheri were once called "the pasta of the poors" because, due to its size, very few of it could fill a dish. Their shape and rough surface are perfect for all the meat sauces (ragù).

8 Spumoni

The Spumoni, with their unique shape, excellently retain the sauce and keep a wonderful consistency when cooked. They are perfect even when served cold.

Taglierini

The Taglierini are typical from the Ligurian tradition. Costa dei Rosmarini prepares them with saffron, squid ink and nettle.