An Italian chef who grew up in Sardinia, a "Blue Zone" known for its healthy older population, has shared three recipes from his new cookbook. The recipes emphasize fresh, seasonal ingredients typical of the Mediterranean Diet, including a minestrone soup, roast chicken with rosemary potatoes, and tuna steaks in tomato sauce.
Francesco Mattana, an Italian chef raised in Sardinia, has shared three recipes from his new cookbook, "Eat Like A Sardinian: Live to 100." Sardinia is known as a "Blue Zone," an area with a high concentration of healthy centenarians, and its diet is a variation of the Mediterranean Diet. Mattana's upbringing, influenced by his fisherman and farmer grandparents, provided him with access to fresh, local ingredients, which form the basis of his cooking philosophy.
The recipes shared are a "Live to 100" minestrone soup, roast chicken with rosemary potatoes, and tuna steaks in tomato sauce. The minestrone soup features dried borlotti beans, chickpeas, vegetables like onion, celery, carrot, potato, and cabbage, seasoned with garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, basil, parsley, and pecorino cheese. The roast chicken dish includes chicken drumsticks and thighs marinated with rosemary, bay leaves, onion, white wine, olive oil, salt, and pepper, served alongside potatoes roasted with garlic, rosemary, oregano, olive oil, salt, and pepper. The tuna steak recipe involves searing tuna steaks, then cooking them in a sauce made with anchovies, shallot, garlic, chili, baby plum tomatoes, white wine, parsley, and olives.
The article highlights the health benefits associated with the Mediterranean Diet and the lifestyle in Sardinian "Blue Zones," offering practical examples through recipes that emphasize fresh, whole ingredients.