FOR THE LOVE OF PIZZA

If Chef Riccardo Scaioli is in town, it must be for an Italian Food Week. Amidst crafting fingerlicking good pizzas and sharing culinary wisdom with budding chefs, his schedule is hotter than a wood-fired oven.TMS does a deep-dive.

- TRIYA GULATI

THE first encounter with T Italian chef Riccardo Scaioli, the pizza maestro heading La Dolce Vita Week at L'Osteria Bella, turned out to be an adventure with the dough for TMS. 'Shape a circle, press that centre using your fingertips,' he says, so hands shaking, I dive in. After crafting the base, I jazz it up with tomato sauce and mozzarella and slide it into the pizza oven. Fast forward two minutes and a margarita pizza is ready which we top with fresh basil leaves. "For a first-timer, you did well," says the chef.

Scaioli, 54, is from Padova, Italy. He has been a frequent visitor to India over the last decade, serving as a consultant to various chefs and restaurants and representing Le 5 Stagioni, an Italian flour brand. But it's his first time supervising an Italian Food Week here alongside L'Osteria Bella's Executive Chef Sumit Sabharwal. The event, a collaboration between the restaurant and Holiday Inn, Aerocity, promises a delightful dining experience featuring Italy's famous liqueur, Campari, paired with the chef's special menu.

 Following this, a two-day Pizza Palooza awaits diners, offering a chance to savour delicious pizzas alongside carefully selected wines. The week will culminate with a masterclass of pizza and bread tailored for professional chefs from Delhi's top restaurants.