QUALITALY

APR. MAY 2018

Let’s talk about experiences

abroad...

Unique experiences, that every

cook should do. I worked in Italian

restaurants, where I was also able to

learn a lot about local cultures. Even

today, my work takes me around the

world and this enriches me a lot,

especially with regard to technique.

What is the substantial difference

between an Italian restaurant and

a foreign one?

Every foreign restaurant tries to

bring its culinary culture to its

host country. However, it is often

necessary to adapt to local tastes in

order to meet customer needs. The

same applies to Italian restaurants

abroad. Fortunately, I have always

worked in restaurants where true

Italian cuisine was required without

compromise.

You then left the classic activity

of in-store chef to ‘move’ into

training. Let’s talk about this

choice...

I haven’t left my old job completely:

Academia Barilla is a container

full of interesting activities and

projects. In addition to our role

as Ambassadors of Italian cuisine

abroad, we organise cooking events

all over the world and, like any other

restaurant, we allow our guests to

live gastronomic experiences.

And about your work at Academia

Barilla...

My work at Academia Barilla is very

fascinating and dynamic. Every

day I meet chefs from all over the

world, the activities are structured

according to requirements. We

are talking about pasta of course,

but also about respect for the

environment and its resources. Our

philosophy is to try to transmit

the messages that distinguish us:

PASSION, HISTORY, RESPECT.

Do you miss the daily routine of

the restaurant?

Many people ask me and my answer

is no, because I continue to do

what I have always done, only in

a different way. Today I think that

if I had stayed in a restaurant I

wouldn’t have been able to grow

professionally, as has happened to

me over the last 14 years. Working

for Academia Barilla has given me

the unique opportunity to work

with prestigious chefs from all over

the world We have organised many

Barilla events, but what I will never

forget was what took place at Central

Park in NY, on the occasion of

Andrea Bocelli’s concert: a week full

of gastronomic events with Italian

cooking schools, a gala evening for

some guests of the concert, pasta

party. Ultimately, I think I did the

right thing at the right time.

When you train, what are the

guidelines you suggest to your

‘colleagues’?

The training is based on teaching/

transferring our gastronomic

culture, taking into account its

evolution over time. The cuisine

never stops, it transforms and we

must never consider ourselves as

having “arrived”. When I find myself

training Italian chefs who have been

working abroad for many years, I

notice this much more clearly; time

passes and the cuisine changes.

Tradition, even if fundamentally

doesn’t change, can be reworked and

adapted to the moment.

Ingredients. How should they be

chosen especially today considering

the ‘new’ consumer is more attentive

to the ingredients...

The watchword is “be prepared”. You

need to know the ingredients to be

used and that they have to be of the

highest quality.

It is important to respect the seasons

and obtain daily supplies. A fresh

and seasonal product is equivalent

to 50% of the work. If we start with

an ingredient of dubious quality, the

result is not guaranteed.

When we talk about ingredients

with experts, everyone talks about

quality, freshness and excellence.

But excellence costs money and a

restaurateur cannot always afford

this luxury. Are there products

on the market that can guarantee

good performance in terms of

quality?

Excellence has its price. For example,

a tasteless tomato requires more

attention from the chef than a

beautiful and tasty tomato, and this

applies to meat, fish and vegetables

of various kinds.... But quality

products are not always the most

expensive. For this reason, we must

rely on our suppliers, with whom

we can establish a relationship of

mutual respect. Serious companies

try to find valid solutions for their

customers who often have to deal

with problems arising from the

crisis, without neglecting quality.

How are suppliers selected?

The products we choose must be

tasty, good and fragrant. They also

have to transmit ideas and feelings to

us. Often we buy on impulse which

then turns into the dish that we go on

to present. How many times do we

approach the fish, meat or vegetable

counter, attracted by it? It may happen

that our initial idea is changed

according to our perceptions.

What should modern-day cuisine

be like?

Simple but cured, everyday but

refined, traditional but with that

innovative touch.

What are the most common

mistakes that a restaurateur

should avoid?

To know how to manage purchases,

the stock and not filling the

refrigerators with unnecessary

products, creating infinite menus

often not adapted to the type of

restaurant. Every type of restaurant

must maintain its origins, without

alteration and focusing on

territoriality. Celiacs, vegans, the

health-conscious. Today, we need

to be able to accommodate these

profiles as well. Do you think that

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