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says Viviani. "I was witnessing her making a meal out of nothing." Viviani's family didn't have the luxury of stringent prepa- ration rules or of waste. This has informed the way Viviani's recipes are crafted and ex- ecuted. Viviani seems excited to encourage consumers to simplify cooking with fresh ingredients. The only time I heard him tak- ing a serious tone was when we starting broaching the subject of home cooking. Vi- viani said he was expecting home cooking to continue to rise in prominence, and then things began to take a turn. "Eventu- ally people will have to get back in the kitchen or else they'll go to the cemetery," said Viviani. "[If] people are lazy, then they get fat, and then they get sick and die." Vi- viani has the same passionate outlook on food waste, recalling the times that his family could not even afford to throw away potato peelings. He says he often deals with people who think he can only advo- cate these changes because he has the ex- pertise to cook in a healthy way. "People say, 'For you, it's easy,'" he said. But Viviani grew up watching someone with no formal training feeding a family in this way. "My grandmother was cooking for six people every day, and we didn't even have food." I mention home entertaining, and just like that, Viviani's usual cheer is back. "I think the best concept for home entertain- ing is tapas," says Viviani. "As long as it's not complicated and it's easy to consume, everything is good." Tapas are a good standby, because the format can be as for- mal as you like, and guests can easily get involved in the kitchen with simple room- temperature snacks. "Food is meant to bring people together. When you have a lot of people and everyone does their share, it's fun." Viviani recommends serving for parties on small wooden plates, because the style can be adopted for both formal and casual scenarios. The chef has lent his name to the Fabio Viviani Heritage Collec- tion, a set of acacia wood tableware that fits the bill nicely. When discussing wine pairings, Viviani said the words that every novice oenophile was hoping to hear. "Everything about wine is an opinion, and I don't follow opin- ion much," said Viviani. "When you think about food and wine, you can think too much." For Viviani, a few general guide- lines can point a consumer in the right di- rection more than worrying about tannin levels or jammy undertones. "You don't want to drink a dry white wine with some- thing spicy, or your face will be on fire," says Viviani. "You want to drink a pinot noir with a lighter meat, while you can save a bolder wine for something heavier." Viviani's line of wines, first released last year, promotes this attitude. "The most im- portant rule for us is to keep the wine easy for people to understand," he says. If Viviani's continuously rising star is any indication, consumers are starting to heed the no-nonsense advice. Meanwhile, I'm headed back to the kitchen to sharpen my $30 knives. GN GOURMET NEWS FEBRUARY 2016 www.gourmetnews.com NEWS & NOTES 8 Fabio Viviani Continued from PAGE 1 hear that three of his home kitchen essen- tials are appliances: a food processor, im- mersion blender and high speed blender, in addition to wooden spoons and a few good knives. And how good should those knives be? "A $30 knife is as good as a $300 one, as long as it's kept sharp. A $1,000 dollar dull knife is not gonna work," says Viviani. The chef 's standard fresh pasta recipe, a mainstay of his kitchen demonstrations and TV appear- ances, avoids the classic volcano of eggs in flour in favor of a minute or two in a food processor. When tradition comes up against practicality, practicality wins every time. Viviani was raised with a bent toward this efficiency. "I grew up on food stamps. My grandmother was paralyzed from the waist down, and she was always cooking," Original Beet Salsa from Natalie's Gourmet Foods BY RICHARD THOMPSON "Right now, there is no other beet salsa out there...and no other beet [salsa] competi- tor on the market," says Natalie Kuzyk, Owner, Founder and CEO of Natalie's Gourmet Foods, LLC. Original Beet Salsa is the first offering from her company, Na- talie's Gourmet Foods, LLC, bringing a unique flavor to an established condiment segment. Natalie's Gourmet Foods was formed in 2014 with the intention of bringing new products to market that are healthier and different than what is currently available. "This is the next big thing...there is so much information on the health benefits of beets....they even make salsa healthier because of the beets I include," she says. The Original Beet Salsa is chock full of vegetables, naturally gluten-free, contains no artificial flavors, colors or sugars. Fla- vored with cilantro, garlic and lime, Orig- inal Beet Salsa is made from fresh tomatoes, onions, garlic and jalapeno while the beets that are included provide a sweeter, more hearty distinction to the salsa. Coming in Mild, Medium and Hot, it's a nice condiment that goes great with everything, says Kuzyk. Original Beet Salsa comes in 11-ounce jars and has a suggested retail price of $5.99 - $6.99. GN

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