Romar Trading invited hoteliers and restaurateurs for a casual pasta dinner just recently at the Buccaneer restaurant where Chef James Rogan orchestrated a four-course dinner, and wine artist Clive Faustin matched the wines.
I did the social rounds, kiss, kiss, over a flute of Torresella Prosecco. The restaurant’s aquarium room was filled with familiar faces, also some new ones.
Nice meeting the crew from Mundo Nobo Supermarket in Santa Cruz, a group of gorgeous chicas; Chef Sandro Herold, Manchebo, Anne Morisset, Casa Tua, Shirley Barrow, Aqua Grill, Valerie Pietersz Camacho, Paseo Herencia, and Hiram Zievinger, Hilton Aruba Caribbean Resort & Casino and more, all wined and dined by party host Milton Harms and his crew at Romar Trading.
The evening progressed nicely with Torresella Sauvignon Blanc paired with large shrimp, roasted garlic, grilled asparagus, lemon and lime zest on a bed of Fettuccini; Torresella Chardonnay chasing Linguini Vongole, with Manilla clams, baby clams, and scallops; Bolla Pinot Noir perfectly matched with gnocchi, and seared, balsamic glazed and grilled lamb chops drizzled with basil pesto; and Torresella Merlot, enhancing penne in sundried tomato pesto, topped with a homemade meat ball and toasted pines.
The pasta, by De Cecco, is imported to Aruba by Romar Trading. The brand was created over a hundred years ago, in Abruzzo, Italy. Both the Molino and the Pastificio, still belong to the De Cecco family members to this day.
Their product says Chef Rogan, represents superior quality and Italian authentic taste. The flour from that specific area, and the stone mill, and the cold spring water, all contribute to the taste, he adds, and cannot be duplicated elsewhere.
The pasta factory in Fara San Martino, was created by Don Nicola De Cecco, and Don Filippo Giovanni De Cecco, perfected the drying process. And that’s their secret, Chef James confirms, the best durum wheat, and the extra slow drying process.
Chef James has been at the Buccaneer Restaurant for about two years and at the Marriot Aruba Resort & Casino before that. His wife Vicky works for Romar Trading, and while he cooked, she poured the wine, in collaboration with the lovely Juliette Kerstens.
At the end of the evening chef invited me to feed the fish, at the back of the restaurant from an elevated platform adjacent to the giant open air aquariums. The fish all came rushing to accept the treats.
