Grana Padano & Slow Food UK

Last Saturday my children & I attended an event organised by Grana Padano & Slow Food UK.

Not only did we learn about Slow Food UK & what its aims are as an organisation but we - or should I say my children - got to make our lunch led & inspired by Italian chef Francesco Mazzei, founder of London's L'Anima restaurant.

Grana Padano is a hard, grainy & sweet cheese which has been produced in northern Italy for over 1000 years - the cheese is a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) product which means that it has to come from a strictly defined geographical area & must be produced using the same processing technique which has been used for generations - the emphasis being on quality, authenticity & traceability

Slow Food is a grassroots, global movement with members around the world which links the pleasure of food with a commitment to community and the environment.

The organisation seeks to spread the message of "good, clean and fair food" for all.

Chef Francesco Mazzei is an ambassador for Slow Food UK & realises the importance of his own young children developing the same passion for food that he experienced while growing up in Italy - this means getting them involved in the preparation process from the very beginning.

     

The partnership between Grana Padano & Slow Food UK would seem to be an obvious one - Italian culture is famous for its long lingering meals and equally long preparation in the kitchen.

My Italian mother-in-law only ever used fresh ingredients & would always cook three meals a day without fail....my husband is exactly the same, even if it's late & he's preparing something just for himself, he wouldn't dream of opening a tin of anything, he will always cook something, however simple it may be.

When we visit family in Italy, our meals literally last for hours....

nothing is rushed, every mouthful is savoured & enjoyed, as it should be.

Saturday's event gave me plenty of think about....

           

My children made pumpkin gnocchi....following Francesco's example but working by themselves around the kitchen island, they made their own gnocchi, step by step.

We all ate it for lunch & it was delicious.

My children have always been good eaters, they're not fussy in the slightest....

they've always eaten what we eat....they love Thai, Indian & Chinese food....

they've eaten wild boar and rabbit in Italy & snails and oysters in France.

They are inquisitive about food & adventurous in what they eat, I hope they always remain so....

I plan to continue to consciously nurture that feeling.

I also want to work harder to eat together as a family....

these days we are all so busy, children do more after school activities than ever & we are all working longer hours.

On holiday we linger over our meals & their preparation....

in London, it's rush, rush, rush....I want to try to redress the balance.    

My husband, ironically, works in the food industry, he's often not home for dinner....

the discussion that we had with Slow Food UK about the importance of eating together as a family made me determined to make the most of those times that we do sit at the table together.

Thank you to Grana Padano, Slow Food UK, nutritionist Sian Porter and to Francesco Mazzei for a really fun, worthwhile & inspiring event.