Costa Dei Rosmarini
Many years ago,Luisa and Gian Marco Petrelli, discovered a charming but abandoned house made of stone surrounded by olive trees in the Tigullio Gulf area, right in front of the famous Portofino village. They started renovating the house with love, preserving the ancient taste of Liguria. Luisa, a gourmand and senior member of the Italian Academy of Cuisine, started a limited production of high quality extra virgin olive oil for top cuisine and gourmets in 1995 . The first customer was the famed Hotel Cipriani in Venice. Since then, other prestigious hotels and famous chefs decided to buy her oil, attesting to its fine flavor and high quality. Costa dei Rosmarini olive oil is bottled in Imperia in small quantities and its superior quality is constantly controlled by professional olive oil tasters.
Liguria
Liguria is a narrow arch over the northern part of the Mediterranean with 220 miles of coastline. The Alps and the Apennine Mountains that are the backdrop form a barrier against the cold northern winds, keeping the weather mild even in midwinter. Ligurians live in the tiny strip of land between the sea and the mountains that rise steeply a few miles inland. Liguria's temperate environment produces luscious vegetables and a wealth of wild salad greens and aromatic herbs, including basil, rosemary, thyme, and marjoram. Olives--local, delicate golden olives called la taggiasca--are abundant. They are used to produce a light, sweet oil that is only fat used in local cooking. The beauty of Ligurian cuisine lies in its simplicity and balance. Pesto is the quintessential example of the delicate Ligurian touch. It was this crushed basil sauce that put this region's name on the culinary map, and Ligurian pesto is the best in the world. Another shining example of Liguria's classic simplicity is its focaccia, the oil-drizzled, rosemary-flecked flatbread that's taken American bakeries by storm. Surprisingly, fish doesn't figure prominently in this coastal region's cuisine; that's because the Ligurian Sea doesn't harvest much. Because the region is also pastureless, Ligurians depend on chicken and rabbit for meat.
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