Will the cravings fall this autumn?!

Born in Modica, Sicily, Carmelo Chiaramonte likes to call himself the Wandering Cook. Passionate about every way of thinking, serving and telling food, he trained in various gastronomic workshops and fell in love with the flavours of eastern Sicily, where in 2020 he returned to open his ritual osteria Caro Melo, on the sea at Donnalucata. A scholar of botany and food culture and author of many successful books — including A tutto Tonno, L'estetica del Fungo and Arancia, which earned him international recognition — he has taught Mediterranean gastronomy in Japan, the USA, France, Spain, Portugal, Turkey, Egypt, Morocco and Luxembourg. In Italy he works with the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Pollenzo and other schools, and made 80 episodes for Gambero Rosso on Rai Sat. A polymath, he has created theatre formats such as Il timballo del Gattopardo and La cucina dell'Amore, and 16 educational gastronomy pieces for the Auditorium Parco della Musica in Rome. In 2022 he was a guest of the Italian Cultural Institute in Melbourne with musician Alfio Antico for the gastronomic concert Aju Fami.

Andrea Sorgini is an artisan gelato maker from Rome who in 2022 opened Il Fenicottero in Anguillara Sabazia, on Lake Bracciano. His production philosophy is clear-cut: to use only real ingredients and transparent techniques, without resorting to semi-finished products, colourings or artificial flavourings. In the workshop he carefully studies the structure of gelato, balancing solids and liquids to achieve a clean, stable creaminess able to carry flavour at its best. The range alternates gelati dedicated to the local area, sorbets and gastronomic flavours designed to enhance the raw ingredient without overpowering it, churned daily in small batches to guarantee freshness. Il Fenicottero is an open workshop where dialogue with customers is central: Andrea believes it is important to explain what lies behind every recipe and to let those who taste truly know what they are eating, an approach that has earned him recognition from industry guides and attention for the artisan consistency of his work.

Dario Bragaglia, from Turin, is a journalist who has written about food and tourism for over thirty years. His long-standing collaborations include Gambero Rosso. He has been a member and contributor of Slow Food since the days when the association was taking its first steps under the name Arcigola; he wrote reports for the magazine Slow and now contributes to the Osterie d'Italia guide. For the daily La Stampa he has written in the travel and food supplements, from Tuttodove to Il Gusto.