Lunch on the beach on Tuscan seaside

FLORENCE, ITALY – It’s time to cook, in Tuscan seaside: on Thursday, August 23th, there will be the 20th edition of the cooking-show “A tavola sulla spiaggia” (“Lunch on the beach”) in Forte dei Marmi. Promoted by Gianni Mercatali, the event will feature twelve contestants whose dishes will create the menu of summer 2012.

The event, for the first time by night, will be held at Bagno Roma di Levante and the award ceremony will take place on Friday evening in the historic “Capannina”.

Over the years there were many showbiz personalities, nobles and common people, all united by the passion for cooking. On this edition, the keyword is simplicity in the kitchen and promotion of local products, with a re-discovery of the kitchen of “leftovers”.

There’s space for Panettone, the typical Christmas cake, reloaded in summertime: Davide Paolini, judge in the competition, will lead this provocation involving artisan bakers.

The aim of the competition is to promote the best “gastronomical” areas of Italy and its wines. The jury, chaired this year by the rigorous Beppe Bigazzi, starred restaurant, for a total of nine Michelin stars, winemakers with the world champion sommelier Luca Gardini.

This year, “A tavola sulla spiaggia” will be followed and communicated also live on the web by foodbloggers, cook-passionated men and women who write and share their recipes, photographing them, on their online journals. (ma.ge.)