Travel and Dessert to Nourish the Soul by Giovanna Eusebi of Eusebi Deli in Glasgow

Food has taken me on countless journeys. Many of my memories have been shaped in markets and around tables on all four corners of the globe. Each experience feeds and nourishes my soul and continues my discovery of food from around the world. From drinking jasmine tea in Islamabad, eating impala in Lilongwe, picking on sheep’s skulls at street markets in Mexico City and quaffing on the delicacy of ‘chunga’ in the rainforest – only later to discover I had been eating monkey!

A recent, (less extreme) journey took me to Turin and the surrounding Piedmontese countryside. I was humbled to be asked to attend Terra Madre, as part of a Scottish delegation of Slow Food. Carlo Petrini and a group of activists first started Slow Food in the 1980s. They demonstrated on the intended site of a McDonald’s at the Spanish Steps in Rome. Carlo had the vision to see how fast life, mass-produced food would impact the climate, eradicate our regional traditions and give rise to dwindling interest in the food we eat.

Fast forward two decades and today, Slow Food represents a global movement involving thousands of projects and millions of people in over 160 countries. Its values of good, clean, fair food for all are as pertinent now as they were then. I am so very proud to stand alongside these individuals and call them my friends and colleagues. We are all fighting for the same cause and to make the world better, one day at a time.

We work hard to promote the same ethos from our corner of the world in Glasgow at Euesbi. From bringing in experts from Italy to expand and broaden our own knowledge to using the best, freshest ingredients; everything we do at Eusebi is to promote real, authentic food. We change our menu to focus on seasonal food and we make everything from scratch, just as it should be.

Later this month, on the 21st Of November we will also celebrate the ‘World Week of Italian Cuisine’. This is a global initiative that aims to promote real Italian food and wine all over the world. We will welcome Michelin star chef Felice Sgarra from Umani Restaurant in Puglia to cook a real, no-frills Apulian meal. Our cooking styles may be at opposite ends of the spectrum but we are connected, by a passion to slow things down, cook from scratch using locally, ethically grown food from our lands. We are also committed to preventing the disappearance of local food cultures and traditions of our Italian heritage.

Good food is central to mankind’s existence. We all need to come to the table now and play our part, however small to build a better future to conserve our food. What will your children’s and grandchildren’s plate of the future look like? You are also part of the millions.

To find out more about Eusebi Deli, visit http://eusebideli.com.

Bonet Recipe

The north of Italy is always my go-to place for comforting desserts. Bonet is a great boozy, classic dessert from the Piedmont area. I enjoyed it recently in a restaurant with a group of the kindest people that I met on this journey. The restaurant was run by a mother and son duo on an Piedmontese hilltop was simple, honest and beautiful. The dessert is served in slices and is particularly nice alongside a liqueur such as Marsala or vin santo!

Makes one loaf tin

Ingredients:

For the caramel:

125g caster sugar

Water

For the Bonet:

100g amaretto biscuits, blitzed

50g cacao

200g egg yolks

100g caster sugar

40ml dark rum

500ml full-fat milk

For the Chantilly cream:

100ml double cream

15g icing sugar

Pinch of ground cinnamon

For the red wine syrup:

200ml red wine

50g caster sugar

To serve:

Fresh berries

Chocolate flakes

Method:

1. Begin by preheating the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4.

2. First, make the caramel. Slowly melt the caster sugar and a dash of water in a pan until a medium brown colour has been achieved, then pour directly into the loaf tin.

3. Make the bonet by whisking the yolks and 100g of caster sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the rum, then the milk and finally the amaretto biscuits and cacao. Pour the mixture into the tin and gently tap on the work surface to remove any air bubbles.

4. Place the tin into a roasting tray and pour in hot water until it reaches halfway up the loaf tin to create a bain-marie. Bake in the middle of the oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

5. While this is cooking, make the cinnamon Chantilly cream by whisking the double cream, icing sugar and cinnamon together until you get soft peaks.

6. Next, make the red wine syrup by mixing the red wine and the caster sugar in a pan. Bring the mixture to the boil and then reduce until the liquid to a syrup consistency is achieved.

7. Remove the bonet from the bain-marie and allow to cool for at least four hours in the fridge before slicing.

8. To serve, place a slice of the bonet on a plate with a blob of cinnamon cream, berries, chocolate flakes and a drizzle of the red wine syrup. Serve and enjoy!