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5 easy BBQ recipes
Winter is here: Time to dust your barbeques and try these five easy and delicious Italian recipes. Bel Paese has a long tradition of grilled food and here are some smart tips to easily get the most authentic flavours. With authentic Italian products and Casinetto’s quality ingredients, success is guaranteed.
1: Polpo Arrostito (Roasted Octopus)
Frozen octopus is better for a barbecue because it is tender and easier to cook, giving it a superior texture. Once thawed, dip it into a marinade made of extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper and lemon juice, and let it rest a couple of hours. Grill the octopus for a few minutes (depending on the size) on each side until charred and crisp on the edges.
You can also use a sliced octopus which is evenly cooked and is perfect with a ”panini” or some crunchy “lingue di suocera”. Complete your traditional Apulian menu with a fresh burrata.
2: Mazara alla Griglia (Grilled Mazara Shrimps)
Simple grilled shrimps are everything but simple when it comes to Gambero Rosso Mazara, the best seafood on earth. Once thawed, carefully dry the shrimps with a cloth and quickly grill them on both sides (avoid overcooking to keep them supple). The dressing is key here. Brush the shrimps with Casinetto’s extra virgin olive oil and season it with finely chopped garlic, salt and a pinch of parsley.
3: Pollo Arrosto (Roasted Chicken)
Can lean meat and barbecue be friends? Sure, if you properly manage the temperature and cooking time. To grill a delicious baby chicken you have to first grill the whole chicken for about two minutes on each side at 150-160 degrees. Complete the cooking at about 100 degrees (set embers aside and take advantage of reflected heat), turn the chicken every five minutes or so. This way, even the healthy lean meat of the chicken will remain tender.
Enjoy a true Italian taste by rubbing the chicken with salt and rosemary before grilling it, and serve with sliced roasted potatoes (almost no extra work with Casinetto’s frozen grilled potato wedges)
4: Salsiccia (Fresh Sausage)
Camping food par excellence and probably the most traditional ingredient for a rich “grigliata mista” (mixed grilled meat), fresh sausages are born for BBQ! As with other meats to grill, fresh sausage requires a little caution. Make sure you don’t pierce them, otherwise they’ll become too dry, don’t place them too close to the embers and turn them too often. Enjoy them with a few drops of balsamic vinegar of Modena.
5: Braciole di Agnello (Lamb Chop)
Marinate the lamb chops with a mix of extra virgin olive oil, minced rosemary, oregano, chopped garlic and lemon zest, and let them rest aside for a couple of hours. As usual with lean bbq meat, briefly grill it close to the embers to seal in the juices, then complete the cooking more gently. Two-centimetres thick lamb chops should take 8-10 minutes overall to cook.
Serve them with soft oven baked artichoke hearts, another traditional food of Sardinia. You don’t have to get your fingers dirty with our artichoke hearts seasoned with a mixture of garlic, minced parsley, salt and breadcrumbs. Artichokes are also delicious at room temperature, so you can bake them in advance. Enjoy the lamb chops the authentic Sardinian way with pane guttiau.
Buon Appetito!
Posted on February 4, 2022
Every Dessert Has a Season. Tiramisu Didn't Get the Memo
Every dessert has its season. This is not an opinion, it's just true, and somewhere inside you, you already know it. Chocolate lava cake is in December. The kind of thing you order when it's cold outside and you've stopped pretending to care about anything. Panna cotta is July, white, minimal, barely there, like it's also too hot to try. Crumble is October without question. Apple, pear, whatever's in the bowl, it belongs to grey skies and Sunday afternoons and the specific melancholy of a season ending. These desserts have their moment. They know it. They stay in their lane. Tiramisu does not stay in its lane Tiramisu shows up in January when you need something that feels like a decision. It shows up in April because the weather is nice and why not. It's on the menu in August at that outdoor restaurant and you order it even though it's 38 degrees because of course you do. It appears at Christmas, at birthdays, on a Wednesday with no occasion whatsoever. It does not check the calendar. It does not ask if this is a good time. And the thing is, it's never wrong. That's what separates it. Seasonal desserts are right once a year, maybe twice. Tiramisu is right in the way that a good espresso is right, in the way that sitting down after a long day is right. Not because of the weather. Because of what it does. It lifts. That's the whole job, and the job doesn't have an off-season. There's a reason Italian nonnas aren't making tiramisu only in autumn. There's a reason it's on every menu, in every month, in every city that has ever decided to take dessert seriously. It's not nostalgia. It's not a habit. The combination, espresso, mascarpone, cocoa, patience, works on a human being regardless of what the temperature is outside. Some things are just built differently The ones that prove it every time, in every season, start with the right ingredients. Mascarpone that tastes like it came from somewhere specific. Savoiardi that haven't forgotten what they're for. Cocoa that finishes clean. Not seasonal. Not occasional. Just right.
Casinetto Named Best Gourmet Food Supplier by CPI Media Group
We're proud to announce that Casinetto has been recognised as Best Gourmet Food Supplier by CPI Media Group, a distinction that reflects years of dedication to elevating the regional culinary landscape. What This Recognition Means This award acknowledges more than our product portfolio—it recognises our role as a trusted partner to the UAE and KSA's most discerning culinary professionals. From Michelin-starred kitchens to boutique delis, our clients rely on us to source ingredients that meet the exacting standards their reputations demand. The selection process evaluated suppliers across multiple criteria: product authenticity, supply chain reliability, portfolio diversity, and commitment to quality assurance. CPI Media Group's rigorous assessment underscores what sets Casinetto apart in an increasingly competitive market. The Casinetto Standard Excellence in gourmet food supply isn't just about logistics—it's about curation. Every product we represent, from French artisanal cheeses to Italian charcuterie, Spanish olive oils to premium pantry essentials, undergoes careful evaluation for provenance, quality, and market fit. Our team works directly with producers across Europe and beyond, ensuring traceability, authenticity, and consistent availability. This direct-source approach means our partners get more than products—they get the story, the expertise, and the assurance that comes with genuine partnerships. Looking Ahead As the regional F&B sector continues to evolve, so does our commitment to bringing the world's finest gourmet products to the Gulf. This recognition from CPI Media Group validates our approach and motivates us to raise the bar even higher. To our restaurant partners, retail clients, and culinary professionals who trust us with their most important ingredient decisions: thank you. Your standards drive our excellence. The best tables in the region deserve the best ingredients. That's the promise we renew with this recognition.
Italian Cuisine at the Heart of UNESCO’s Cultural Heritage
UNESCO has given special cultural heritage status to Italian cooking, viewing it as so much more than simply a set of recipes. This award honours Italian cuisine as a living tradition, as something to be practised, shared and handed down from one generation to the next. National favourites like pizza were already on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list, but this respect extends beyond that. It honors italian traditional cooking in its entirety, and the way it is taught, preserved and practised all over Italy, both at home, where the teachings have been passed down from generation to generation in families, and through other venues such as home kitchens, food schools for young children and adults as well. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who has championed the recognition of Italian cuisine since her election, captured its essence perfectly when she said that Italian cuisine is not just food or a set of recipes, but a culture, tradition, labour, and collective wealth. What Does This Mean? For millions of food lovers worldwide, this recognition is a reminder that the cuisine of Italy is worth slowing down to savour. It celebrates cooking that honours time, technique and ingredients selected with care. From crunchy Sicilian cannoli to Calabrian ’nduja, Italian food continues to excel by being characterful, deep and rooted in place. The announcement was made during a UNESCO assembly meeting in Delhi, where the cultural agency described Italian cuisine as a powerful way of connecting with family and community, whether at home, in schools, or through festivals, ceremonies, and social gatherings. Luigi Scordamaglia, CEO of Filiera Italia, has referred to the distinction as a joint success for the entire Made in Italy supply chain, underlining the team effort behind Italian food, from producers and handicrafts people to those who renew this tradition every day. He additionally stressed the Mediterranean diet, adding that when we refer to it, we are really talking about Italian cuisine itself, which is based on balance in unity, variety and respect for produce. At Casinetto, this recognition comes all too naturally. It embodies the same virtues we admire in any product we decide to carry: authenticity, tradition and food that tells a story worth preserving. We collaborate with producers who cherish tradition, value quality ingredients and believe in the integrity of their craft rather than cutting corners. The things we have on our shelves are not the result of trend-chasing, but rather an appreciation for the stories and know-how behind them, values that, by celebrating certain practices around the world, UNESCO has decided to endorse.