accolades
Creative Loafing Atlanta
Gluttons Unite
Fresh is the key to summertime fare
By BILL ADDISON
Did you know there's a group in France currently lobbying the Vatican to have gluttony banned from the list of Seven Deadly Sins? I kid you not. The group -- they gave themselves the stylish moniker De La Question Gourmande -- argues that the pleasures of the table, even when taken in excess now and then, should not be categorized with the distasteful likes of avarice and envy. And though the coalition faces beaucoup de red tape, the Pope, who himself has a penchant for cream puffs and a good bottle of Chateauneuf du Pape, has apparently turned a sympathetic ear to their cause .
Good for John Paul. Gluttony is such an ugly, hateful word. OK, maybe I can see it applied to holidays when we stuff ourselves fatuously at family dinners or office parties. In summer, though, the seasonal indulgences seem so much more benign and somehow deserved after enduring a dreary winter and a damp spring. I've recently found one deeply satisfying answer to the classic summertime dilemma of what to make for dinner when you don't feel like lifting a single finger to cook. Via Elisa (1750-C Howell Mill Road, 404-605-0668) is a recently opened pasta shop on the West Side where its owner, Elisa Gambino, crafts the only exquisitely authentic pasta in Atlanta (if you're curious about her pasta's pedigree, stop by the store and Gambino will happily enlighten you). Since the shop does limited retail, you typically need to order your pasta a day ahead. Her tortelloni filled with ricotta and lemon zest could be the most ethereal pasta I've ever put in my mouth, and apparently I'm not alone in my elevated opinion: Restaurants like Floataway and Aria also serve her creations. At home, all you do is boil the pasta for 14 minutes, then drizzle it with butter and dust it with Parmesan (Gambino will give you explicit cooking directions). You'll be amazed how light and summery it is.
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