Chance chef encounter led to great war stories from locals
EACH fortnight in Times Out, we catch up with Lee Conetta as she shares her recipes, alongside some moving, funny anecdotes about life as part of the city’s “food royalty”. This week, Mrs Conetta reveals an incredible tale from Italy in the Second World War and tells us how to make delicious stuffed vegetables.
LAST time I told you about our chance meeting with Giuseppe Veglio, right-hand man at Ferrero Rocher, and I said there was much more to the story.
As we left our new friends, Giuseppe gave me a copy of a book, called Rina and Demetrio’s Century – it was all about his parents, who ran the Albergo restaurant and Hotel Bellavista in Bossolasco.
Demetrio had trained under his uncle, the famous Giacomo Morra, owner of the Hotel Savona in Alba, and the man who made the region famous for its truffles.
In Rina’s kitchen, she prepared food alongside Mariuccia (the lady who brought us the Nutella ice cream in my last story).
Wander downstairs for breakfast, and you would find them dicing celery, peppers and tomatoes, preparing dishes for the day.
In the autumn of 1943, the German Army occupied northern Italy. They started rounding up Jewish people and sending them to death camps in Eastern Europe. They offered lots of money to any Italians who turned over Jewish families to the authorities and promised execution by firing squad for any Italian found to be harbouring Jewish fugitives.
However, the people of Bossolasco were determined and compassionate.
Demetrio, like most Italians, loathed what was happening.
One day, a well-dressed, distinguished man appeared at the hotel. His name was Montel, and he was an industrialist who lived in Turin. He wanted a place where he could live in peace for a while, he said, and Demetrio obliged. A few days later, he returned with five more – weeks went past, and even more arrived from Ferrara.
Demetrio realised the people coming to his hotel were Jewish. He came up with the idea of pretending they were hotel guests. He spoke to the local mayor, a good and decent man, who helped him alter the identity cards, and amazingly, the plan worked.
For more than a year, the people of Bossolasco hid and protected many Jewish people. All of the fugitives survived. And the gratitude towards Demetrio and Rina never faded.
At the end of the day life is just a passage. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Italian people are endless eaters, irrepressible drinkers, inexhaustible storytellers and tireless workers.
My kind of people. Giuseppe also gave me his mother’s recipe for stuffed vegetables, which I am sharing with you today. You can use any vegetables you like, but I enjoy courgettes, peppers and onions. You can also add a little napoli (tomato) sauce on top of bechamel if you like. Enjoy!