"Taste of Sardinia" at the Italian Embassy

It is not every day you get an invitation to dine at an Ambassador's table. Certainly not as simple food bloggers. Thus, when we were invited to "Taste of Sardinia", a dinner at the Italian Embassy in Oslo, we were humbled, excited and accepted gladly.

The dinner took place in the Ambassador's Residence which is the neighboring building to the Embassy. As we arrived we were greeted by the Ambassador, Giorgio Novello, and his beautiful wife. The Ambassador gave a short introduction speech about the evening that lay ahead of us. They wanted to showcase Sardinia in particular, because it is a beautiful region with amazing and distinctive food.

Ambassador Giorgio Novello welcoming us.

The first dish we were served as a welcome in the entrance was a soft, airy and delicious Amaretti biscuit and a glass of sweet wine. This is a typical start of a festive family meal in Sardinia, like weddings and baptisms. Aperitifs are usually savory in other areas of Italy , but Sardinia stands out in many ways due to their unique products. All of the ingredients served this evening were organic.

Heavenly Amaretti biscuits. They consist mainly of almonds and honey. They are very typical Sardinian as almonds grow naturally there.

Some of the other bloggers we met at the event was Ina-Janine from Mat på Bordet, Trine from Oliven & Sjokolade, Lisa from I Cook Middag, Mia from Mias Mat, Annica from Annica om Mat, and Maj-Britt from Spiselandslaget. Maj-Britt just won the latest round of Masterchef on TV. Congrats!

The dinner took place in the Ambassador's dining room.

Panne carasau. A typical Sardinian flat bread made with yeast. It blows up like a bubble in the oven, and then you slice it in two. It was originally used by the shepherds, as it can stay fresh for months.

Carciofi e bottarga. Local artichokes which are eaten raw (not cooked) with dried and salted fish roe, also know as "the gold of Cabras".

Wild growing salad, fried in olive oil and served with a piece of bacon since it was a festive meal (the chef insisted). The Sardinian kitchen is a poor man's kitchen, and they do not use a lot of meat at all. As such, Sardinia has a lot in common with the traditional Norwegian cuisine. The food is also very healthy, and Sardinian women has the longest life expectancy in the world.

Sweetbreads of lamb. Served with the "Panne carasau" dipped in broth, and some wild rosemary.

Cheese platter. The orange jam is made from the prickly pear. The dark jam is called "mirto", which is made from the myrtle plant seen in the middle. This is one of the few herbs that grows in Sardinia, in addition to rosemary, fennel and flat-leaf parsley. We didn't catch the name of all the cheeses, but Pecorino was represented. Sardinia is the leading exporter of this cheese.

Another type of traditional Sardinian bread.

Panne carasau dipped in boiling broth, with a tomato sauce over, pecorino and a poached egg which you spread out. This dish is Sardinia in a nutshell - the most typical dish. It has bread, tomato, Pecorino and egg. Everything the body needs!

Fregola with tomat sauce, salsicia and ricotta. Fregola is a type of pasta from Sardinia, similar to couscous. It is made from semolina dough that has been rolled into small balls and toasted in the oven to make them last longer.

Lamb is typical of Sardinia. Here served with potatoes, olives, wild growing fennel and topped with a myrtle branch. A very salty dish for most people, but Norwegians will find it similar to their own food.

A pancake made of cheese. Served with ricotta and Sardinian bitter honey. Ricotta means recooked and is a whey cheese made with leftovers from the cheese production. Thus it is low in fat. The bitter honey is very exclusive and is made by attracting bees to the Corbezzolo plant, which gives it the characteristic taste.

Cookies! The Sardinian style petit fours. In the front left side; caramelized orange peel with honey and almonds. Going counter clockwise is the Sardinian nougat called "torrone". It is made of egg whites, almonds and honey. No sugar in the Sardinian ones. The next cake is similar to the Norwegian "jødekake" and is made of water, flour and cinnamon. Finally a cake with fruit filling, in this case fig jam, made in a baking iron with a pattern.

Salute!

Chef Battistino in the kitchen. He has a restaurant in Sardinia - Ristorante Monti Blu (http://www.montiblunuoro.com/). He was flown in from Sardinia for this event along with the ingredients.

Bloggers and photo bomber.

Pretty casseroles!

Pretty spoons!

The Italian Embassy by night.