Ep. 415 Valeria and Benedetta Bianchini

Italian wine podcast. Chinchin with Italian wine people. Hello. This is the Italian wine podcast. My name is Monty. All in my guests today, Benadetta, and Valeria Byan guinea. Otherwise known as the foodie sisters, and you're that's right. Yeah? Yes. It's true. It is. We are the foodie sisters. And you're based in Rome. Yes. And, okay, so why are you called the foodie sisters? Tell us a little bit about that. And your family and how you, came to work together in Italian food and wine? Well, my sister and I have been working in in, tourism and hospitality for many, many years. And as, you know, as we worked, we decided that we wanted to it just came natural to to specialize in our, like, foods, food passions. And so I became a trained pastry chef. Benelita became a wine sommelier olive oil, semiliana professional cheese taster. And from there, the next natural step was to open our own company just focused on a food food and wine experiences in Italy. And it was supported by our family, by our mom, which she she's probably the one who put all the little seeds, you know, in our, you know, hearts because she is such a foodie. She is like the typical mom. She's a typical mom that during breakfast, She asks you. Okay. So what do you want for dinner? Yeah. Exactly. And and so that's that's how our company local enrollment started. And and from there, you know, we started doing in person food and wine experiences. How And the next natural step was like, okay. But, you know, it's wonderful to have all these one to one experiences with people, but how would it be amazing to continue this conversation with all the people that are not physically in Italy and in Rome with us? And so that is when we started our YouTube channel about a year and a half ago. And that is how the foodie sisters in Italy, Dan. So how does that I mean, how does that work? How did you capture your audience? Well, well, our audience, we've had a lot of people come here during our cooking classes. And and this interaction between my sister and I at the beginning, it was just very much her and me together, you know, during cooking classes or taking people to tour because we just wanted to it would we, you know, it was our company at the beginning. So it was very a lot about us. And, one of the main philosophies when we created our company was that this was a it's a family. People that take one of our tours, any of our tours or cookie cuts, they become part of our of our family. And we really love to pamper and wow them, And so you create this bond that however goes beyond, I mean, once a cooking class and then, you know, emails and we have, Facebook page. And so people were communicating, like, friendships were created. So then when we launch our YouTube channel, they sort of started you know, spreading and and then following and then sharing with friends and then sharing with other friends. And and so it just got, it it got big. And we now have more than than two thousand subscribers, and, and we're very proud. So you cover, I mean, your approach to food and wine. Recognizes that, you know, each Italian region area has its own flavors and stars and traditions and so on. Can you give us a thirty second history lesson on, Italian history and how that relates to food and diversity? Easy question. Right? Easy easy question. No. So something that that we I I always try to to underline. There is this misconception that, you know, people come to Rome and they ask you, you know, where can I eat the best pesto? And, and they're not aware that in in a city like Rome, you you do not have pesto. You would go to, to Geneva to have it. But here, you have the, you know, a Matrisha and a carbonara, Grisha, and and like this, every single region has its own unique, unique ingredients even. We had to design a food tour in Florence, and and our guide asked us if we wanted to serve Lampridotto. I had no idea what Lampridotto was. I had never even seen Lampridotto. And so, and and that's the beauty of it. So to to teach people that, you know, yes, Italy has been around for many, many centuries. We became a country not that long ago. Considering our history. And so the magic of traveling through Italy in its food is that you're gonna find dishes that are so completely different, even if you're just a couple of of of of of kilometers away, Yeah. This diversity comes through also in, in a region. And, obviously, Italy's, regions are very, as you said, particularly about their own individual way of cooking, in terms of wine. Is that the same, that you see? Diversity, did you get involved in wine when you're talking about food as well? Well, yes. Yes. I do talk about wine when when when, you know, food at food and wine go hand in hand. They're like, you know, they there are so important. Yes. Because then you understand why some wines Like, I I lived in in umbria for for many years, and one of my favorite reds is at Segrantino, De Montifalco. And so when I when I, you know, speak about Segrantino, then you speak about why or why like Segrantino is paired with the typical food of that region because you know, it's one of the most tannic grapes, and you have to eat it with however dishes that pair well with it. And so then this does, in a way, this goes throughout the entire, you know, various dishes throughout throughout all of Italy. Yes. Okay. So obviously in wine, we do a lot of wine tastings. Do you do, olive oil tastings? Yes. We we we do olive oil tastings too, and it's something that gradually was was actually being picked up because people but e even a talents too, me too, when I first approached the world of of olive oil, I did it thanks to a chocolate cake, which you would, you know? Yes. That's true. Oh, my story on that. Come on. I hear some giggles. No. Like, you know, can you know wine? And then you, you know, you always think of olive oil. That's just, you know, something that you toss on on on on your salad or on your plate, but not seeing that there it's so much more complex. And so we went to, I have these friends. He's a master wine. She's a professor of olive oil, so when you go over to their house, everything is paired to perfection. And so for dessert, she brings out this very plain chocolate cake. Which was surprising considering how much she cooks. And then she says, wait, don't eat it. And she sprinkled over this sis this olive oil from Sicily. And it was just like like if suddenly, like, this symphony just start started. And you're like, what just happened, and the chocolate with this with this olive oil, it was just mind blowing. And so that's when I decided that I had to look into the olive oil world, which I fell in love with. Yeah. And it also, you know, when we do our olive oil tastings, because tasting olive oil, has this you have to make the, like, these noises, which is very funny. It's even fun to do because people are sort of embarrassed by, like, all these loud, like, vacuum noises that you have to make with your mouth because you have to spray it sort of inside. You can you give us can you just give us an impersonation there, please? Valeria, please. I'm not a sommelier. I don't want to. I'm sorry. So this is the sound that you have to make when you take a sip of olive oil. You go like this. And so you It sounds like you're popping up a bicycle tire. Exactly. But inside inside and it's so much But that's how you that's and that's and that's how you taste the olive oil, and it's just so much fun. And so you have these when I do these olive oil tastings, and I tell people, you know, you're gonna laugh, but this is how you taste it. And then I I have them try it without doing it, and they're like, Oh, my gosh. Yeah. It's, yeah, it's it's fun. Okay. Got a question, Belaria on your trained pastry chef. Is that correct? Yes. Yes. I'm the nerdy one. I'm the nerdy one who who who has fun weighing three grams of baking powder. Yeah. Never ask her for a recipe. Because my sister makes fun of me because because I love the reason why I've always loved Paige is because it's an exact science, you know, I'm I'm not one of those people who cook by just like by emotions, like a pinch of this and a dash of that. I'm just like, okay. But how many grants exactly do I need? And so that's why I went to pastry school because and I just have so much fun giving my sister my recipes because, you know, it's fourteen grams of of this and twelve grams of eggs. What do you mean twelve grams of eggs? I'm like, can't walk the recipe. I'm way twelve foot. It's so it's fun. It's this thing between the two because she's all about passion. You know, she just throws the ingredients and and, so it definitely very different. You can use slightly obsessive compulsive then with the, oh, I am the what? Yes. I'm that by the person. Yes. You do all the cleaning of it after the kitchen? Is it after No. No. She does not. She does not do that. Organization in her head, but in terms of, physical reality, no. She just out of the door and leaving you clean up. Right? No. But she I mean, she I'm just gonna tell you that she weighs the meatballs. It's a family show, let's And with this, I have said it all. What I make for, you know? Yes. But that's that's not pastry, Ben. Let's not get out of topic. Okay. Okay. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Okay. Go. Okay. So if I am if I if I am invited to dinner in Rome and, I need to bring a pastry Oh, a dessert wine. Is there, any particular combinations that you would you recommend? Benny, Benny has a theory as a sommelier, and, she has a theory, Benny. No. My my theory is that if you when people invite you for dinner. Usually, they have everything everything set. So the wine is paired with, you know, especially the people that that I hang out with, everything is paired together. So if you bring a bottle, you can you can bring a bottle, but it will be you know, saved for some other time. They will not open it at the at the dinner table. So, you know, bring bring something else or or bring a bottle of grappa. Grapper. Yeah. That that will knock people out though, I guess. That will knock people out. Yes. So, you know, in terms of activities, obviously, you know, you got a a a business which is really about educating people. What other activities do you offer, to those that, people that come to visit you in Rome? Well, before, before, before, obviously, all this pandemic, everything that we focused on were in person experiences. So, you know, starting from our cooking classes, and our food tours, wine tastings, or very private events, like a very special picnics or everything related to food and wine is is we can do and we've done everything. And then with no. Not with the pandemic, but a project that we've had for for several years, But, you know, it's just mainly the two of us who run this company. So there is so much that we can do in in twenty four hours. We've always had this this side project during a cooking class, sixty percent, seventy percent of the experience is the cooking class itself. So, you know, you can't get too much into detail, talk talking about ingredients and techniques and this and the other. So something that we've always wanted to do was to have an online cooking school And so we had everything set out. We had everything organized in our heads. And it, you know, the positive side of being stuck in your home for two, three months is that we were able to put up this online cooking school that we've put so much thought and time in it because that's all we had. And so it turned out probably to be a lot better than it would have ever been. Had we, you know, designed it in the middle of our food tours and and other organizations. So, I mean, for these online, the online cooking school, it's not just audio. We're getting would would be be getting video as well as audio, seeing exactly what you're doing in the kitchen. Well, yeah. I mean, how we designed it. It it sort of like Netflix. So you you you go on demand and you and you choose what you want to make. So for example, our our our pasta, our complete guide on pasta, you have, the written instructions, and then you have a set of very simple with no sound videos that actually show you exactly what you have to do. So you're making there you actually get to see, like, really how to make or like it's just videos, a set of instructions, video set of instructions videos with with note talking because, you know, sometimes people just don't like to listen to people talk. And so it's all without sound so you can loop it until you practice and practice until you get it right. Yeah. So it's just like step by step. And again, in in in our online cooking school called Italian Home cooking made simple because it's it's not a professional school. We what we try to to teach and share is traditional Italian home cooking. And, so what we do is there is a lot of storytelling also just like we do with our in person experiences. We tell you why, you know, why certain types of gnocchi, like bread gnocchi are made in certain parts of Italy, or why do they use these ingredients? Why do you have hard wheat flour? Why is hard wheat flour past a tradition to the southern part of Italy? What are they? How do you know, just a little bit of storytelling so that it adds value to to the recipes and the dishes that people are preparing. So, I mean, just, we talking about, explain that. Let me just give us a couple of lines, you know, how how you would start off. You know, today, we're gonna I'm gonna show you how to make or describe how to make already. Now do you start off the ingredients and then the the way it's done and the cooking time and Yeah. That there's a beautiful picture of all the ingredients set set out on the table, and then, you know, there is the link that takes you to how you prepare the basic dough. So you have, you know, same olinaca, and then how you need it and how much you have to leave it to rest. And then my the hands, my hands show you how to roll how to roll it and then how to cut it. Like, you get to see it. They're all, like, fifteen seconds videos. And then I show you. You take the knife, you place it here, you roll it, and you pull it. It's just a very short video that shows you exactly the movement that you have to make with the knife, like the angle that you have to put the knife so that the other kid turns out well. It's so simple, but it's so intimidating. I mean, people are intimidated about making pasta because it seems so complex, but actually it's, you know, once you get a hand of it, it's so much fun. I mean, do you get good? I mean, to peep can people give you feedback and do they give you feedback? And do they give give you good feedback? I mean, what what is this sort of typical? Thank, you know, they contact you, say, oh, thank you so much. I've been trying to, you know, make extra dish for fifteen years. And now finally, I've cracked it, which of which of the dishes that people find really difficult that you unlock the the the door for. Well, it's strangely enough. People are fascinated by and and it's simple as it may seem like a ravioli, you know, ravioli, which seems as, you know, something so complicated or even Fettuccine, you know, Fettuccine, which is is is relatively simple. But if we have, friends from the US or even from Australia that are like, you know, I've been trying to get the dough right. I did not know that you had to put the dough to rest for at least an hour before you used it, and then we explain why you have to leave it. So that too, like, oh, finally I got the dough right. So my pasta is turning out well. You know, you were saying about ravioli ravioli, you could have just, like, problems, like, the sheet of pasta dries out immediately. And so the two piece the the dish two sheets won't stick together when you and so, you know, we we we also let them know and we we also explain, you know, what are the little tips that you could do in case that happens? You just like you to put a little bit of water around or you have to cover, you have to do it quickly, do one sheet at the time. So we give all that information. And in each lesson, because about each of our, each of our courses, which are actually called complete guides, they are have approximately fifty to sixty different lessons. And on each page there at the bottom, there is a comments section so that you, you know, they have questions or they ask each other things, like, what kind of past? I live in the US. What kind of pasta or what kind of flower? Because, you know, in Italy, we don't have all purpose flower. In other countries, they have different names, different blends. And so it's a place where people can ask can ask questions. And also one of the things of about, you know, one of the values of of of our cooking school other than, than being completely done by, one hundred percent, you know, Italians like we are is that all the textbooks and all the recipe books that we have used for the pasta, for the Joaquin. Now we're gonna be adding other ones are, have never been translated to any other language other than Italian. So it's a huge part of our local knowledge that we took the time to explain because we didn't only translate some things. We actually had to explain some things from scratch because we know, you know, after many years having like cooking classes with with non Italians, we know what they don't know. And and so we try to fill in the gaps so that people have a full understanding just like cooking pasta. Know how many times we've been asked, do you boil the water? Do you rinse the pasta before, or do you rinse the pasta after it's cooked? They don't know because, obviously, because it's not part of their culture. Well, so you really go. You really, you know, you treat everybody as not saying knowing nothing, but giving everybody all the details. Everything. Yes. But nobody feels stupid. Right? Yeah, Benny. You're yes. Yeah. We're both thinking the same thing. We are I'll say it. Okay. You say it. So you have to know that as as our mom is an amazing cook. Our dad, he has problem. Like, he calls my mom's like, okay. How do you boil an egg? He's wonderful. He he eats, and he's, you know, but he doesn't. So we every time we finish a lesson, we're like, okay. Would dad understand how to make this? He's like the lowest common denominator. He's like, okay. Yes. Okay. Fine. So it's been it's been approved. He obviously doesn't know. He doesn't he doesn't know that. He's got to see. But, yeah, and so it's very basic and done easily for for anybody to understand. Yeah. We need more of that in wine because still wine is such a bamboozling topic for many, many people. And So, yes. Some wine speak is just undecipherable. Even by wine experts. So, we seem not to over, over speak people. But you need then you need more people like me, you know, why? Because I'm not my sister hates me for this. But at any time that, you know, are why some ideas get together, and they have all this conversation. And and and so I tell them, you know, you guys should speak it with, like, normal people language because I don't understand what why it's edgy. You're like, what what does age mean? Or it's tart. It's just like, I don't understand. I mean, so practically, I try to do with wine, the same thing that we try to do with cooking, you know. Everybody has to understand it. You can't use those so many words because they are not giving me any valuable information. You know, if you tell me that a wine, it's tart. I don't even know what the meaning is. I mean, I can't even or it's a it has a round taste. You just like I don't I don't get it. And so I put my sister and are familiar, Eric, into so much trouble because I said I have to understand it. And so We don't like her. No. They hate me, but still. I got a spoof book with, wine terms and then give her the silly answers. Yeah. She does make a point, though. You know, we take we take things for granted. You guys take things for granted. Like she does, you know, when she gave me a vanilla pot and told me to to soften it up. I had no idea I started banging it on the table. You know, I'd never seen a vanilla pod. I only caught the last bit of that. I may have to do some clever editing. So, when people come to, to Rome. Obviously, Rome is in the region. Are you able assuming that COVID wasn't here? Do do you do you like guided tours and things? Take people out of the out of the cooking school, or is it all indoors? No. I mean, when we do when we do, no, cooking school, well, we actually have two different we had two different types of of cooking schools. And and one in the morning, we would take them to the to the largest covered local market of the neighborhood. And, and so they would actually because, you know, we would get some ingredients. So we'd buy the ingredients that are in season. And so that then that they would, you know, we had our organic egg lady so we'd get the eggs from her to make tiramisu. And, yeah, and then out all our food tours that are not, you know, nothing that did not involve cooking classes, we're all out and about in beautiful neighborhoods are from the center, and all these. Yeah. So you did, like, sightseeing as well because we would go to, like, all these places. So as you're walking, and we would take people into, like, minor streets, probably places that they would have never, you know, gone through just because just to show them the beauty of the side streets in the neighborhood as we were moving from, you know, from one vendor to another throughout the food or the wine too. The the tastings. Yes. I mean, what is the typical demographic, of of these classes? I mean, do you do, for example, like, classes for older people and then a separate classes for younger people or complete novices or people that, really good cooks and wanna go to into the next level. How does it work in terms of how they structured? No. Our our cooking classes are are what we want to what we want people to learn when they come here is it's like stuff that they could easily replicate when they are home. So our morning cooking class our morning cooking classes, they can they can pick. Like, we have an all pizza class, So they learn to make pizza, but like the pizza, you can actually not think about, you know, three days in advance that you wanna prepare the dough, and then you you you use your your oven. And so just very simple simple recipes. Pasta or gnocchi are even in class, was, they would make ravioli, so we teach them how to make pasta, potato gnocchi, tea, and and tiramisu. And then the sauces. So, Matrisciana, carbonara, or Grisha, I mean, whatever they they they wanted. And that was the basics. Higher cooking classes, mostly were on requests, but usually, no. This was the the standard. And also as as you know, as for the people, we had a lot of families or we had just couples, So we've we've we've done it for for children only. You know, it was just an only children up up to there is no and as in demographics, there is no specific age. Mainly families, a lot of people young people, but then, you know, we've had elderly people who were, you know, in their, retired age. And so they would enjoy. They would even be off season. So we pretty much have had just a wide variety of of ages. Obviously, in terms of your business at the moment with the restrictions, caused by, COVID, and how are you coping with that? And, obviously, you've done, you've done, you know, you do a lot of stuff online with the videos, etcetera. How do how are you surviving? Well, our cooking our online cooking school is something that we are really promoting because that is something that really helps. You know, it's it's also giving giving and servicing people who cannot come here. So definitely everything our experiences now has moved to, online. You know, we we also keep on sharing and we are preparing other videos for YouTube. We we have not been doing live online. That's one of what one of our decisions was we haven't done online cooking lessons because it is live. Live ones. Yes. Right. Because it's very difficult to organize with jet lags and things like that. But what we have been doing, and we've done it every single Saturday since since lockdown in March. Yeah. We have a, we have a closed Facebook group called local aromas family. And we've invited all the people that, you know, have had some kind of experience with us, but anybody who just really enjoys our style and our family, and every single Saturday evening at seven PM, Italian time. We we go live. So it's my it's the two of us. It's the foodie sisters in Italy and one of our chefs, and who cooks a family recipe, their family recipe live. It's about a half an hour live, and and it's fun. We get a lot of engagement because, you know, people start it's since we've been doing this since March, you know, people have started even if they're some are in Chile, other are are is in Canada, and they have to know each other. So it's like, oh, hi. You're here, and they start asking all it's it's fun. You know? We've we've made it We've made a nice community. It's Yeah. A nice community and a very nice, appointment. So on Monday, our chef asks the group what recipe she wants. She wants, they want her to prepare. And so they choose if they vote, and then on Saturday, that's the recipe that she prepares. Perfect. Okay. So listen, if we can, If we can make it work later this year, could you, try to walk me through an online cooking lesson? That would be wonderful. Yeah. What would, you may not have to tell me now, but if you got anything in your head, what would you propose we could, we could cook? Well, Benny's favorite Roman pasta is pasta a la Gricha. Okay. What's that? Yeah. It's, it's probably one of the least famous Roman pastas, and it's it's probably the easiest one to make. Which basically is Guanchale, which is the pork jowl and and pecorino. And pepper. And that's it. So it's like a carbonara with no egg or a cashew paper with guanchale or with that tomato. Yeah. Well, my my little boy, he'd love that. He loves Caso Pepin, all that stuff. So, right. We could maybe get him, if this COVID thing goes away. And Yeah. That's acts absolutely. We could make we could make pasta from scratch. And then and then we we we dress it with a cash with cashier paper and and and and and you get the grisha, which is delicious. Delicious. Okay. Because his his mom, obviously, on twelfth, from the UK, his mom is born in Tuscany, but her parents, from Pulia. Ah. We've also got the color Tuscant cuisine as well to to wade through. So it'll be quite nice to get rid of, something from more more central Italy around where you guys Wonderful culinary world. Gosh. The oh, yeah. I keep my weight down. It was is is not easy. And Tell us about it. One final question. Yeah, how come you speak such good English? Well, because, so our our our dad, he used to be, he used to work for Alitalia. He was the manager of Alitalia. And so when we were just, I was just three years older. My sister was just a couple of months all because she's the youngest. Yes. Well, people noticed it. Yeah. He he was moved to Thailand. And so, so we live six years in in Bangkok. And so when my parents had to put us in kindergarten, they put us in in an English speaking kindergarten. And so because they knew that that was gonna be our life in till, you know, until high school. So we lived six years in Thailand, and then we moved to Brussels. We were two years in Brussels, and then six beautiful years in Caracas. I mean, beautiful years for us. My mom hated it. And Yeah. In Venezuela, and then we finished off in Santiago de Chile in Chile. And so we actually yeah. And so the so then, you know, we did an American school through for all the twelve years. And, actually, then when we moved back to Rome, to go to university, I personally had to take an Italian course for foreigners because we spoke Italian because our parents forced us to speak Italian at home, but we actually never actually studied Italian grammar. And as you know, Italian grammar could be quite tricky. And so the yeah. But and so that's that's that's why. But between my, you know, my sister, we speak English. We speak italian. And then, you know, we're also fluent in Spanish because we lived ten years in South America. Wanna say thanks to you both, Benadatta and Valeria, bianchini, foodie sisters in Italy. Thank you. Thank you. You seem like you wear a permanent smiles just to haven't seen you. That's great. No. Because not, you know, that don't run people around, but It's nice having sort of fun foodie people that know what they're talking about. Don't take it too seriously, but have a very, precise and concise way of describing, how to improve your culinary skills. So welcome well done. Sorry. To both of you, and I look forward to my little course, actually, with you guys. Absolutely. It's gonna be fun. We're gonna we're gonna we're gonna design it, and then obviously, obviously, then you're gonna have to pair the wine. Okay. I'll do my best. You'll do your best. I don't have to explain me your choice in a very simple language so that I understand why you chose that wine. Okay. I mean, I'm I'm anything but a wine snob. I mean, hopefully. Alright. You guys. Listen to the Italian wine podcast wherever you get your podcasts. We're on SoundCloud, Apple Podcasts, HimalIFM, and more. Don't forget to subscribe and rate the show. If you enjoy listening, please consider donating through Italian wine podcast dot com. Any amount helps cover equipment, production, and publication costs. Until next time, team.