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products are well distributed. But
the real strength of C.I.C. brand
products. is the service, without a
doubt. And then again they are all
Italian products and this is a good
guarantee”. La Porta adds: “We use
several of the cooperative’s products,
as well as the chef’s jackets under
the Qualitaly brand with pride. A
good range and a medium-high
quality are the cornerstones of
the brands. I add a provocation:
would it be useful to have a line of
containers, various accessories with
the Qualitaly brand!
Fiorenzo Perrenuto, chef at Al
Faro di Pergine Valsugana, in the
province of Trento, explains: “I use
all Qualitaly branded products and
other C.I.C. lines. I also suggest them
during my external consultations. I
collaborate with Morelli catering,
C.I.C. partner. Top marks to the
excellent flour - the Quattro Stagioni
- which I use for all the leavening.
I also find the peeled tomatoes
excellent. The range is very varied
and the Gold sector is very broad. I
offer haute cuisine and prefer fresh
ingredients, but I can still say that
some frozen C.I.C. products are of
high quality.
Elia Bellingeri, from Torre Aurora in
Monterosso al Mare, uses all C.I.C.
products, which she purchases from
the local distributor GF1 in Levanto.
“the Qualitaly brand is the one I
prefer the most because it is in fact a
100% Italian product. Our customers
are 90% foreign and offering them
certified items is a guarantee for
us. C.I.C. quality is imperative and
having a very high-end product
line one day, ordered from a single
local retailer, would make our job
a lot easier. in addition to another
Prestige line, with refined and
exclusive products, we would like
that C.I.C. also offered real advice,
perhaps with dedicated courses,
with star chefs, and at professional
facilities, where you can meet
colleagues from all over Italy. We
would also like to find equipment
such as professional household
appliances, which we purchase today
from specialised suppliers. concludes
Alessandro Masala of Milano Centro
restaurant, who does not give up the
“tomato sauce and puree as well as
sauces such as mayonnaise, ketchup
and mustard”, at the same time
acknowledging the high quality of
Gold line.
______________________________
AT PAGE 28
COVER STORY
Cuisine should be
loved completely
It is one of the most wonderful
activities in the world if done with
passion and commitment. But we
must keep in mind the other side of
the coin. Chef Marcello Zaccariadi
explains
By Maria Elena Dipace
He graduated from the Hotel School
of Massa Carrara. Since 2001 he
has been part of the Barilla group
as chef in the prestigious Academia
Barilla, for which he organises and
collaborates in various gastronomic
activities. Passionate about cooking
and confectionary, Marcello
Zaccaria has worked in several
Italian and foreign restaurants,
from Tuscany to Switzerland, and
has had collaborations with leading
Italian chefs, as well as significant
experience in Japan at a well-known
chain of restaurants.
A member of the Federazione
Italiana Cuochi, he has participated
- especially abroad - in various
television programmes as a judge
and expert on Italian cuisine.
Let’s start by telling your story
about your journey in the
restaurant sector. What was your
training and how did you ‘start’ in
this area?
I started out in the restaurant
industry during my school years.
Completing studies at the Istituto
Alberghiero G. Minuto at Marina di
Massa, I entered fully into what has
always been my passion: cooking.
The work has taken me around
the world: after Italy, also Asia and
Europe. Surely the “old” school
foundations and the first experiences
in the kitchen were indispensable for
my training.
What drove you to choose this job?
Passion. This work can only be done
if there is love and desire to learn
and those who do not feel these
feelings, sooner or later get tired and
want to change.
Where did you learn the ropest
and in which restaurants did you
work?
I have worked in hotels and
restaurants in Versilia and in the
Apuana area. In addition, I had work
experience both in other areas of
Italy such as Ferrara, Imola, Florence
and Reggio Emilia, and abroad:
Switzerland, France, Japan. I had
the good fortune to work with very
capable chefs, some well known.
What is your style in the kitchen?
I love a simple cuisine but at the
same time refined, able to enhance
every single ingredient used,
respecting seasons and cooking
techniques. I do not forget about
tradition and respect, but I try to
make it relevant without distorting it.
To the question what I like to cook
the most, I answer: everything, the
kitchen must be loved completely.