di Enzo Coccia
We are under high pressure from the beginning of this month and very pleasant temperatures are pulsing these unusually sunny days. Gloves, scarves and hats are still kept in our drawers, winter does not want to come.
With such a beautiful weather, while some people do not know to renounce some dives not even in December, the pizza in honor of the Coast Guard was invented.
This is the latest new entry on La Notizia menu. It is only a few days that my staff and I have presented this pizza to our guests as a tribute to the “angels of the sea” that has already been able to make itself heard, even in newspapers.
It all started from Genoa and the precious meeting, last September, with the General Commander of the Corps of the Harbour – Coast Guard, the admiral Vincenzo Melone, and the Coast Guard world, special guest, in its 150th anniversary, of the Genoa Shipping Week second edition.
Several events arranged during those seven days that turned the Ligurian city into the capital of the international shipping, as the dinner, organized at Eataly and reserved to the participants of the two GSW main conferences, in which I took part and during which I had the pleasure of meeting the admiral Melone.
Astonished by GE.NA., the pizza, with smoked mozzarella, little cherry Piennolo tomatoes and the genovese pesto sauce made by Roberto Panizza using mortar and pestle, which I created to celebrate the link with Naples, Genoa’s sister city, the admiral asked me to invent a pizza that would pay homage to the body that for a century and a half has been working at the service of the sea and its users. And it was in conjunction with the launch of another Shipping Week second edition, the one that, from June 27th to July 2nd 2016, will see Naples and its port as key players.
A pizza that represents all the people, men and women, which, more than 10,000, are working not only at the sea but also on the land, risking their lives on several occasions, having values as solidarity, love for the others and dedication to the Country.
This was the request of the admiral Felicio Angrisano successor, which reminded me that one of the Coast Guard main activities is precisely the rescue at sea, this year even more central than ever, given that almost 144,000 refugees arrived on the Italian shores.
So I started to think about it, I went near the sea and walked barefoot on the beach, looking at the breakers and waiting for inspiration.
Apotheosis of Mediterranean flavors and clear reminder of the blue water, the pizza Guardia Costiera is enriched with smoked tuna finely sliced and marinated in extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice paired with the buffalo mozzarella, a handful of chives, oregano and basil, and it is completed by the magic touch of the lemon flavored oil.
This pizza is a symbol to thank the big team of professionals in uniform that day by day struggle for us. The new year has new challenges in store and perhaps also a new pizza for them.
Merry Christmas!
