The Inspiration
Chef Gabriele
The OG hospitality guru of Amatrice. In the mid 20th century, he opened the town’s FIRST hotel and restaurant. It was often frequented by actors like Adriano Celentano. He has been featured in various books as the oldest chef still working in Italy at 85 years old! Visit him and taste his Amatriciana (and Gricia!) at Ristorante La Conca, Amatrice.
In 2020, I visited Amatrice to explore the origins of its famous pasta dish, Amatriciana. Not only did I find it in all its delicious glory, but I also discovered the town's wonderful locals and their passion for authentic and traditional ingredients. After I convinced Chef Gabriele of Ristorante la Conca to give me his Amatriciana recipe, I asked where to buy the best products to recreate it at home. With no hesitation, his daughter told me to visit Francesco's shop, Prodotti Tipici Gorzano which is where I immediately went to discover the best local products available. Experiencing the passion they have for their traditions, no matter how much they've been through, inspired me to share their story and ingredients with you.
So I curated these holiday boxes for my fellow Italy lovers to indulge in the classics like Guanciale and Pecorino but to also discover something new like Chestnut honey and truffle Pecorino.
The Boxes
Straight from the Source
Hook’d founder Lindsey Hook and Prodotti Tipici Gorzano founder Francesco
Prodotti Tipici Gorzano has been a source for high quality local products for years in Amatrice, and like everyone else, was hit hard by the earthquake in 2016. Sourcing everything from local cheese and salami makers with their animals just down the road to pasta producers using water from the Amatrice mountain springs, Gorzano is truly the definition of zero kilometers for most of their products! We love them because they’re knowledgeable, passionate and full of ideas on how to serve the delicious ingredients in these packs.
The Art
Italy inspires us not only through food, but also through art - whether it be music, film or painting. Legendary Italian actor and singer Adriano Celentano filmed a few movies in Amatrice and left lasting memories with the locals. They still say he was always friendly and never said no to an autograph. Obviously, he ate at Chef Gabriele’s restaurant and they spent evenings eating, socializing and singing together. Inspired by his music, specifically the song ‘La Storia di Serafino’ which was written about Amatrice, we chose to give this project a musical theme. So, fellow Italy lover and talented artist, Rodrigo Mota created an illustration just for us, combining music and Amatriciana - what’s better than that? You'll also find a playlist with Adriano’s songs created to be perfectly timed to cook the Strampelli spaghetti in the Amatriciana Kit to al dente perfection. Contact Lindsey to bid on Rodrigo’s original painting.
Notes
Hook’d collects no commission from this project and is purely done to benefit a town with small businesses in need. We encourage you to share this project with others to drive as many sales as possible.
Shipping available only in Italy and EU. Sorry American friends and family! We’re working on it :).