"You shouldn’t have closed today, Dario; by making a long weekend, you’ve made three families unhappy. Next time, treat us to ice cream." A note signed and hung on the shutter of this tiny ice cream shop in Rome's Monteverde Vecchio area, bearing witness to the disappointment of those who wanted to enjoy Dario Benelli's ice cream but couldn't. Understandable despair from anyone who has had the chance to taste his creations made with carefully balanced pairings: "art of taste," as stated on the sign. Truly unusual flavors, born not from the gastronomic trends of the moment but from a learned search back in time that reinterprets ancient recipes, even before the court of the Sun King.
"Opera by Bartolomeo Scappi, master of the art of cooking"
The inspiration comes from the famous Bartolomeo Scappi (1500 – 1577), the personal chef of six popes, up to the pontificate of Pius V, his last important service. He is the author of one of the most complete treatises on gastronomy of the 16th century, "Opera di Bartolomeo Scappi, master of the art of cooking, divided into six books," which illustrates innovative methods of catering, food preservation, and countless recipes, more than a thousand. In his work, he lists the tools that one must have in the kitchen, explains the details for setting up banquets, and provides an extensive list of typical products from the regions that we would today call "D.O.P." For Scappi, food can and should also be a tool for physical well-being; for this reason, he dedicates an entire volume to the nutrition of sick or infirm people, focusing on healthy diets and laying the foundations for safety and hygiene in food preparation. He was a chef of intense capability, a far-sighted pioneer of modern culinary techniques, and an innovator of Italian Renaissance cuisine; many claim that even the foundations of French cuisine derive from his work. He was also one of the first chefs to use products from the Americas and to suggest the use of farm-raised meats instead of game dishes that were favored in the medieval era.
Dario Benelli draws from this rich past of inspirations, modernizing its contents. Among the flavors offered, we find cream with thyme and lemon, saffron with crunchy nuts, rice with citrus and green pepper, licorice with pink salt, and then a recipe based on mastic resin.
"Thyme and lemon cream, saffron with crunchy walnuts, citrus rice and green pepper, licorice with pink salt, and a recipe based on mastic resin"
Another fundamental ingredient in these ice creams is the maltese goat's milk produced by the "Tinte Rosse" farm in Montelibretti. A zero-kilometer company, founded in 2010, that embraces the principles of the five freedoms underlying animal welfare, as outlined in the "Brambell Report" of 1965. An important detail. Just as important is the choice of feed, which favors the hay from the surrounding area and grain-based feed primarily consisting of cereals and vegetable proteins, excluding soy. The maltese goat produces less milk but with higher fat and protein content compared to alpine breeds, a milk characterized by greater digestibility for those who are lactose intolerant; an ingredient that Maestro Scappi would have certainly appreciated and been able to enhance in his culinary preparations. Everything is made in the small workshop on Via Cavallotti, strictly excluding any type of semi-finished product or industrial goods from the preparations.
"Like a Renaissance alchemist in search of the philosopher's stone"
The constant and methodical search for quality products from the territory makes a small establishment like "La Gourmandise" rare and particularly appreciated, as it is part of a virtuous circle where the choice of quality ingredients is rewarded by both the aware consumer and the less informed one. Dario, originally from Pesaro but a Roman by adoption, has a background as a pastry chef and a passion that leads him to personally manage this small business from eight in the morning until ten at night. This allows him time to experiment and create, like a Renaissance alchemist in search of the philosopher's stone. One can only follow him with enthusiasm, letting oneself be carried away in this surprising riddle of taste.