Press Releases
RITROVO® Wins sofi™ Gold for Mt. Townsend Truffle & Salt Seastack Cheese
June 28, 2010, Seattle, WA– RITROVO® Italian Regional Foods was awarded sofi™ Gold for its RITROVO® SELECTIONS™ Mt. Townsend Limited Edition Truffle & Salt Seastack Cheese at the 2010 Fancy Food Show ceremony in New York City. RITROVO® received three Outstanding Product Nominations in three different food categories this year and is ecstatic to be taking home another sofi™ Gold. This is RITROVO®’s first award and nomination for a joint venture with a U.S. artisan producer.
RITROVO® co-founders Ron Post and Ilyse Rathet are no strangers to this award stage. In their ten-year relationship with NASFT, RITROVO® has now garnered a total of sixteen NASFT Awards and Outstanding Product Nominations for its multi-regional selections, including four sofi™ Gold Awards and twelve Silver Finalist Nominations. These awards comprise creations from seven different regions of Italy and Washington State in eleven different food categories, marking a remarkable feat in the food industry. 2010 Awards and Nominations include:
RITROVO® SELECTIONS™ Mt. Townsend Limited Edition Truffle & Salt Seastack Cheese
2010 Winner/ sofi™ Award in the Cheese and Dairy Product Category
Mt. Townsend Creamery’s Limited Edition Seastack Cheese is infused with RITROVO® SELECTIONS™ renowned Truffle & Salt product. The rich flavor, Brie-like texture and fresh truffle bouquet make this cheese a one-of-a-kind sensation.
RITROVO® SELECTIONS™ Pasta Sauce with Alba White Truffle
2010 Silver Finalist / Nominee in the Pasta Sauce Category
Nominated in the Pasta Sauce Category – RITROVO® has chosen this sauce for its rich combination of aromatic white truffle from Alba and full-flavored, meat-free red sauce. This RITROVO® SELECTIONS™ red pasta sauce is ideal for turning a simple plate of pasta into a decadent meal.
(Catalog #6100CAJ)
Primo Pan Gluten-Free Cookie
2010 Silver Finalist / Nominee in the Cookie Category
Nominated in the Cookie Category – These delicious cookies are made with Piedmont hazelnuts, egg whites, sugar, cocoa and vanilla. Like a crispy, flourless brownie with a delicate crunch, Primo Pan Gluten-Free Cookies are enjoyed best with a glass of cold or steamed milk or with a caffe latte.
(Catalog #16009PRI)
For more than a decade Seattle-based RITROVO® Italian Regional Foods has championed award-winning products from Italian small-scale organic farmers and artisan producers. In doing so, RITROVO® has elevated the visibility of these farmers, producers, and their products to the broader international marketplace. RITROVO® imports and develops these products directly — from farm to market — to talented American chefs and savvy specialty food buyers.
RITROVO® Releases Fourteen New Products
at 2010 Summer Fancy Food Show in New York City
June 25, 2010, Seattle, WA — Seattle based importer and champion of artisanal Italian products, RITROVO® Italian Regional Foods, is excited to release 14 new products at the 2010 Fancy Food Show in New York City, June 27-29th, 2010. These new products will complement RITROVO®'s three sofi™ Outstanding Product Nominations this year.
To date, RITROVO® has garnered 15 sofi™ nominations, including three Gold sofi™ Outstanding Product Awards for products representing 11 different categories.
RITROVO® has ushered approximately 300 products to the U.S. market from regions throughout Italy. A number of these products have received critical acclaim from the New York Times, O magazine, La Cucina Italiana, Food & Wine, Bon Appétit, Fortune, and other national and regional publications.
Products to be released at the 2010 Fancy Food Show in New York City include:
RITROVO® SELECTIONS™ Miller Farms Toasted Almonds with Truffle Salt
RITROVO®’s sofi™ award-winning Truffle & Salt pairs with Miller Farms roasted snacking almonds to create a new taste sensation. Miller Farms, a fourthgeneration, sustainable farm in Modesto, California selected our Truffle & Salt for its quality, aroma, and flavor. Perfect with your favorite glass of wine.
(Catalog #80011MILL)
RITROVO® SELECTIONS™ Xocolatl de David
Chocolate Covered Wild Tuscan Pinenuts
Portland Oregon chocolatier David Briggs has created an exotic new taste experience with his Xocolatl de David Chocolate Covered Wild Tuscan Pinenuts. Delicately coated in rich, 70%+ dark chocolate, these pinenuts are the perfect accent for desserts or alone for a decadent snack.
RITROVO® SELECTIONS™ Monnezza (“Odds & Ends”) Pasta
This kaleidoscopic mix of different pasta corta (short pasta) from longtime RITROVO® producer Casina Rossa is both versatile and visually appealing. Toss simply with red sauces or use to make a superb macaroni and cheese.
(Catalog #15100CAS)
RITROVO® SELECTIONS™ Private Label Abruzzo Red Pasta Sauce
This voluptuous, traditional-style red sauce from RITROVO® producer Casina Rossa transforms the home kitchen into a five-star Italian restaurant. Serve over pasta, polenta, beef, or chicken.
(Catalog #1500CAS)
RITROVO® SELECTIONS™ Alternative Grain Flours:
Casina Rossa Chickpea Flour, Casina Rossa Farro Flour, Ciacco Hazelnut Flour
Produced by long-time RITROVO® collaborators Casina Rossa and Ciacco, these premium-quality, artisan flours for are ideal for gluten-free and low-gluten baking.
(Catalog #6022CAJ)
RITROVO® SELECTIONS™ Vannini Farro-based Products:
100% Farro Crackers (pictured), 100% Farro Croccantini
At Panificio Vannini, just outside Florence, artisan bakers Barbara and Irene Vannini use local extra virgin olive oil and 100% stoneground Tuscan farro to create these delicious hand-baked farro flour crackers and croccantini.
Antica Dolceria Bonajuto Aranciata
Also known in Sicily as Torrone d'origine Araba (Arabian Torrone). Strips of Sicilian orange peel are dipped in honey to create an exotic aroma of candied citrus. These delicious treats transform baked goods, cheeses, and cocktails into magical creations.
(Catalog #1010BONA)
RITROVO® SELECTIONS™ Marino Family Monte Iblei Organic Products:
Wild Sicilian Rosemary, Wild Sicilian Fennel Seed, Citrus Honey, and Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Produced in the Iblei mountains of southern Sicily, this new regional product line from the Marino family is bursting with flavor.
RITROVO® and the Italian Trade Commission
Present "Authentic Italian Food" Promotional Campaign
June 7, 2010, Seattle, WA – Seattle-based importer and champion of artisanal Italian products, RITROVO® ITALIAN REGIONAL FOODS, is pleased to announce a special dinner series in support of the "Authentic Italian Food" initiative sponsored by the Italian Trade Commission.
"RITROVO® was selected by the Italian Trade Commission for its "Authentic Italian Food" promotion in recognition of the company's passionate efforts to promote authentic Italian foods, its constant research and development of new products, and years of successful promotion of authentic Italian products," says Letizia Miccoli, Executive Director of Italy-America Chamber of Commerce West.
"Authentic Italian Food" aims to showcase Italian cuisine at its most authentic. RITROVO® owners Ron Post and Ilyse Rathet selected Seattle-based and nationally acclaimed Chefs Holly Smith (Cafe Juanita) and Ethan Stowell (Tavolata) as partners for this promotion based on their passion for authentic Italian cooking and their history of creating inspired menus showcasing an array of RITROVO®'s one-of-a-kind products.
Now through June 20, Café Juanita and Tavolata will feature special "Authentically Italian" menus incorporating a wide variety of RITROVO®'s authentic Italian products, including: DOP Riviera Extra Virgin Olive Oil by La Bella Angiolina, Organic Wild Pinenuts by Radici of Tuscany, 25-year Due Vittorie Maletti Balsamic Vinegar, Cardoon Flower Honey from Dr. Pescia, DOP Extra Virgin Olive Oil by Tenuta Cocevola, Salinas Salted Capers by IL Mongetto, Organic Dry Chianti Chickpeas by Radici, Organic Stone Ground Chesnut Flour by Radici, Corbezzolo Honey by Dr. Pescia, Wild Campania Chicory by Maida, and Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Grape Conserve with Walnuts by Feudo Delle Ginestre.
In its eleven year history, RITROVO® has received critical acclaim for its regional products in the New York Times, O magazine, La Cucina Italiana, Food & Wine, Bon Appétit, and other national and regional publications. The National Association for the Specialty Food Trade has recognized fifteen different RITROVO® multiregional selections from seven different geographic regions of Italy as outstanding.
The mission of RITROVO® ITALIAN REGIONAL FOODS is to inspire great cooking and deepen the enjoyment of thoughtful, socially based dining. Each RITROVO® ITALIAN REGIONAL FOODS product is imbued with a sense of place in local traditions, of pride and dedication, and of idealistic determination on the part of its producers.
The Italian Trade Commission, the Italian Ministry of Economic Development, and Italy-America Chamber of Commerce West jointly sponsor the "Authentic Italian Food" project.
La Cucina Italiana Selects Five RITROVO® Products as
'Essential' to the Italian Pantry
June 1, 2010, Seattle, WA – RITROVO® Italian Regional Foods is excited to announce that the June 2010 issue of La Cucina Italiana has recognized five RITROVO® products as essentials for the Italian pantry. These products, found between pages 15-18 in "Top of the Stocks," are listed below:
Asparagus Pate by Radici of Tuscany Organics
This delicious spread is made of 90% fresh, organic Tuscan asparagus and is pureed with extra
virgin olive oil and herbs. It is superb on bruschette, in risottos, and in fish dishes.
(Catalog #3009RAD)
Organic Wild Pinenuts by Radici of Tuscany
Nicknamed 'tree bacon' for their intense and smoky flavors when toasted; these wild pinenuts are superlative with salads, roasts, or grilled vegetables. The pinenuts are gathered in the pristine forests of San Rossore National Park in coastal Tuscany.
(Catalog #3026RAD)
Limited Edition Riserva Camilone Sea Salt from Cervia by Casina Rossa
Long time partners Casina Rossa and RITROVO® have partnered once again to bring this precious raw material to the table from one of Italy's most renowned artisanal salt pans. Cervia Sea Salt is known for its absence of bitter minerals, making it perfect for finishing foods.
(Catalog #14601CAS)
Hand Ground Campania Hot Pepper by Michele Ferrante
This indigenous hot pepper varietal is gradually air-dried near a wood-burning heat source then hand-ground. This careful preparation provides a spectacular, richly flavored condiment that transforms any pasta plate into a zesty work of art.
(Catalog #10002FER)
Extra Baby Artichokes by Maida
These tender and lightly seasoned Campania artichokes are artfully arrayed in display jars. They are great served on veggie kabobs, in pasta dishes, or simply oven-roasted.
(Catalog #9303MAD)
In recent months, RITROVO® product selections have also been featured in the New York Times, Food & Wine, and The Today Show.
For more than a decade RITROVO® Italian Regional Foods has championed award-winning products from small-scale, organic farmers and artisan producers throughout Italy, ushering these products directly to talented American chefs and savvy specialty food buyers from farm to market.
Buon Appetito!
NASFT Awards RITROVO® Three Silver Finalist Nominations
Outstanding Products are Recognized in Three Food Categories for the 2010 sofi™ Awards
April 22, 2010, Seattle, WA – RITROVO® Italian Regional Foods, a Seattle-based champion and developer of artisanal Italian products, has just received three Silver Finalist Nominations for the 2010 NASFT sofi™ Awards. Outstanding products are nominated in three different food categories. From these nominations, Gold Winners will be announced at a red-carpet ceremony hosted by noted executive chef Dan Barber at the June 27-28 Fancy Food Show in New York City.
RITROVO® co-founders Ron Post and Ilyse Rathet are no strangers to this award stage. In their ten-year relationship with NASFT, RITROVO® has now garnered a total of fifteen NASFT Awards and Outstanding Product Nominations for its multi-regional selections. Prior nominations include three sofi™ Gold Awards and nine Silver Finalist Nominations. These awards comprise creations from seven different regions of Italy in eight different food categories, marking a remarkable feat in the food industry. 2010 Silver Finalist Nominations include:
RITROVO® SELECTIONS™ Mt. Townsend Limited Edition Truffle & Salt Seastack Cheese
Nominated in the Cheese and Dairy Product Category – Mt. Townsend Creamery's Limited Edition Seastack Cheese is infused with RITROVO® SELECTIONS™ renowned Truffle & Salt product. The rich flavor, Brie-like texture and fresh truffle bouquet make this cheese a one-of-a-kind sensation.
To order: www.mttownsendcreamery.com
RITROVO® SELECTIONS™ Pasta Sauce with Alba White Truffle
Nominated in the Pasta Sauce Category – RITROVO® has chosen this sauce for its rich combination of aromatic white truffle from Alba and full-flavored, meat-free red sauce. This RITROVO® SELECTIONS™ red pasta sauce is ideal for turning a simple plate of pasta into a decadent meal.
(Catalog #6100CAJ)
Primo Pan Gluten-Free Cookie
Nominated in the Cookie Category – These delicious cookies are made with Piedmont hazelnuts, egg whites, sugar, cocoa and vanilla. Like a crispy, flourless brownie with a delicate crunch, Primo Pan Gluten-Free Cookies are enjoyed best with a glass of cold or steamed milk or with a caffe latte.
(Catalog #16009PRI)
For more than a decade RITROVO® ITALIAN REGIONAL FOODS has championed award-winning products from Italian small-scale organic farmers and artisan producers. In doing so, RITROVO® has elevated the visibility of these farmers, producers, and their products to the broader international marketplace. RITROVO® imports and develops these products directly — from farm to market — to talented American chefs and savvy specialty food buyers.
Two RITROVO® SELECTIONS™ Receive Critical Acclaim for Outstanding Products, including third NASFT sofi™ Award
(January 12, 2010) Seattle, WA –
For more than a decade RITROVO® ITALIAN REGIONAL FOODS has championed award-winning products from Italian small-scale organic farmers and artisan producers. In doing so, RITROVO® has elevated the visibility of these farmers, producers, and their products to the broader international marketplace. RITROVO® imports these products directly — from farm to market — to talented American chefs and savvy specialty food buyers.
RITROVO® is pleased to announce that two of these outstanding products received accolades at the 2009 Fancy Food Show in New York City.
NASFT Winner/sofi™ Award – Outstanding Vinegar
RITROVO® SELECTIONS™ Six-Year Balsamic Vinegar by Maletti
This vinegar from Modena is aged in an innovative manner, making it a delicious, cost-friendly accent available to chefs of any ability.
In the rich, alluvial soil of Lambrusco di Sorbara in Soliera Italy, just outside of Modena in the Emilia Romagna region, the Maletti family has been producing quality traditional balsamic vinegar (aceto balsamico tradizionale) for generations. The Maletti's produce their balsamic vinegar from the wine and grape must (unfermented, pressed grape juice and pulp before it's turned into wine) of selected Lambrusco (red) and Trebbiano (white) grape varietals. Their vinegar is aged in an accelerated yet regulated evaporation process in former wine barrels of French Allier oak.
The six-year vinegar has an extraordinary density, aroma and depth of flavor with a clean delicate finish. Maletti balsamic vinegar is superb on a wide range of dishes, from fresh strawberries to salad greens topped with Parmigiano Reggiano shavings to most any meat dish.
NASFT Finalist/Nominee – Outstanding Pasta, Rice or Grain
RITROVO® SELECTIONS™ Casina Rossa Pannocchie Pasta
These densely coiled pasta spirals carry a unique look and absorb remarkable amounts of sauce without compromising their structure. This Pannocchie pasta is an inspiring and incredibly versatile variety of the RITROVO® SELECTIONS™ family. It is adaptable by serving at its full length of 6 inches, or by breaking into smaller bits for an attractive addition to myriad dishes, ranging from elegant pasta plates to cold salads or in brodo.
Producers Nicola DeLaurentiis and his wife Paola no longer operate their modest artisan enterprise out of his three generations'-old country home near Roccascalegna. The DeLaurentiis' "little red house" (namesake for CASINA ROSSA©) has been replaced by an up-to-date facility located below their family home. Nicola DeLaurentiis continues to be truly driven to improve the quality of each product. He tirelessly invents and improves, innovates and refines, making each Casina Rossa product a "Delaurentiis original" unto itself.
RITROVO® Italian Regional Foods and RITROVO® SELECTIONS™ have been featured in the following media and publications:
- Bon Appetit
- El Paso Times
- Fancy Food Magazine
- Food & Wine Magazine
- Fortune Magazine
- Gourmet Magazine
- Martha Stewart's Blueprint Magazine
- Miami Herald
- Oprah Magazine
- Philadelphia Inquirer
- Portland Oregonian
- Rosengarten Report
- San Diego Tribune
- Sante Magazine
- Saveur Magazine
- Seattle Magazine
- Seattle Post Intelligencer
- Seattle Times
- The Kalamazoo
- The New York Times
- The Wine Spectator
- Viv Magazine
For wholesale pricing, please call us toll free at 1-866-748-7686 or email us at ritrovo@aol.com.
Purchase RITROVO products retail online through The Shop Agora. ChefTools, or Garagiste, D'Italia.
