Edinburgh restaurateurs Victor and Carina Contini are host a series of events at their venues to dispel the notion that fat is bad for you.
They will join the Slow Food Edinburgh group in hosting the fat-themed suppers, starting at Contini George Street on 18 February.
The Big Table Slow Food suppers will explore the history of cooking fats such as how th Romans brought olive oil to Britain and how it gave way to butter under the Normans in the 11th century. They will also show how lard is not just a cheap substitute for butter but a staple of Italian cooking, and demonstrate the health benefits of valuable Omega 3 fish oil.
Sofia Di Ciacca, a Scots-Italian olive oil producer from I Ciacca in Picinisco, Lazio, will be a guest speaker at the first supper.
Nick Sinclair from The Edinburgh Butter Co. will be the guest speaker at the Cannonball Restaurant & Bar on Castlehill on 24 March from 6.30pm.
On 21 April from 6.30pm, Sorina Savascu from East Coast Cured will discuss lard and bake Aberdeen butteries at the Scottish Cafe & Restaurant at the Scottish National Gallery.
Carina Contini, owner of all three Contini restaurants in Edinburgh, said: “Now that Veganuary is over, we’re really excited to be ditching the fad diets and putting ‘good fat’ back on the menu with this new series of fat-themed suppers at each of our city centre venues.
“Fat is anything but a greasy topic. We want to encourage people to celebrate ‘good fat’ and make sure that it’s showcased on our menus, including the best Scottish butter, cream and lard, as well as extra virgin olive oil from Italy.
Slow Food Edinburgh campaigns for quality and healthy food, produced in ways that do not harm the environment with fair prices for consumers and producers.
Eleonora Vanello, co-chair of Slow Food Edinburgh, said: “Learning about the history and use of ‘fat’ in Scottish gastronomy is going to be a fascinating topic for our first residency of Slow Food Edinburgh Big Tables at Contini venues in Edinburgh. We can’t wait to taste Carina Contini’s good, clean, fair creations.”
Tickets for the Big Table Slow Food suppers are cost from £20, including two courses and a small glass of wine.
