The first time I came across pinzimonio I thought it was a mistake. A friend of a friend placed a platter of vegetables on the table with a bowl of olive oil, pale golden-green, in its center. I thought she d perhaps forgotten the roasted garlic or anchovies? Or did she mean to add vinegar and grated cheese? No, I learned, she d served us a plate of pinzimonio.
The first time I came across pinzimonio I thought it was a mistake. A friend of a friend placed a platter of vegetables on the table with a bowl of olive oil, pale golden-green, in its center.
Beatrice Ughi founded Gustiamo more than 20 years ago in The Bronx with the goal of introducing New Yorkers to “real” Italian food. Her importing business disrupted existing models by serving consumers directly (in addition to retailers and restaurants). She talks with Dylan Heuer about why it took until later in life to appreciate her native country’s foodways, how sharing the stories of Italian makers helps differentiate authentic products from misleading labels, and what her four year quest to find the perfect pasta entailed.