Qualitaly_114

DEC. JAN. 2020 VIII Why is it difficult to find a female chef? Working in the kitchen is not easy. It is all-encompassing, and to be able to reconcile it with the family, you need to have a lot of determination, passion and be well organized. As a woman, knowing the difficulties that can be encountered in this environment, I wanted to be supported by an all- female team (there are 7) of us). My husband is the only man. What is your role and how important is family management for the success of an establishment? My husband’s role has been crucial. It’s thanks to him that I got closer to this fantastic world; we grew up together both as a family and as an osteria, so for me you can’t separate the success of a place with family management. What I call the human factor. It’s what makes the difference, what personalizes a restaurant, besides the choice of the menu, is what it transmits. You’re helped by the fact of being placed in a food region par excellence. How much does this affect the quality of your range? Being located in the so-called ‘food valley’, with Parma as the capital of food, is very advantageous in terms of advertising. But it is also an enormous responsibility to be called upon to represent our region, to make its cuisine known and made with unique ingredients: Parmigiano Reggiano, Prosciutto Culatello... In addition, it is a continuous stimulus to improve as in our area there are many colleagues to deal with who work really well. You also produce cured meats... Our restaurant is a historical tavern from around 1928. During the renovation we have kept intact the old rooms used for the preservation of meats and wines. The cured meats are made by selected local producers and finish seasoning in our cellar. How do you choose your suppliers? The choice of suppliers is a careful one; about 80% are local companies with which we establish a relationship of mutual trust that allows us to work better and without worry. For example, we work with the Salsocarni company from which we buy meat for our signature dish. Which is? Baked pork cheeks with caramelized Parma red onions. Pork cheeks, or “Ganassi”, are a typical regional dish. The choice of the ingredient, and skilful cooking, allows a very soft rendering of the meat. What kind of customers do you have? We are a modern osteria and we have a very diverse clientele, the pleasant thing is that we also have many young people who come to enjoy once-forgotten dishes. What do you think of robotics in the kitchen? Robotics could be a valuable aid in the processing of some ingredients that often take a lot of time. However, I think that the skilful hand and the attentive eye of an expert cook can never be replaced by sophisticated machinery because there are details and aromas throughout the process of preparing a dish that can only be seen and perceived by a human being. In addition, robotics would inevitably standardise the preparation and outcome of the product. This is an aspect from which I strongly distance myself precisely because of my philosophy of cuisine linked to tradition and the rediscovery of those tastes that were savoured only at my grandmother’s house. I believe that in order to be able to innovate and produce new things, it is absolutely essential to know the past. ______________________________ BOX RECIPE Caramelized cheeks with red onions from Parma Ingredients for 4 people - 4 pork cheeks or ganassins - 200 g of red Parma onions - Rosemary - Garlic - White wine - Extra virgin olive oil - Balsamic vinegar - Cane sugar PREPARATION Clean the cheeks and season them, at least for an hour, with oil, rosemary, garlic, salt and white wine, then drain and roast them in the oven for 2 hours. In the meantime, slice the onions, salt them and cook them with a very little oil. Halfway through cooking, caramelize the cane sugar and add it to the onions. Sprinkle finally with balsamic vinegar. ______________________________ AT PAGE 20 IN DEPTH Everything immediately! The enemies of good food Goodbye half seasons, goodbye early starts. Another story, another taste (flavour) By Alessandro Vergallo At one time we waited anxiously for the first strawberries, cherries or peaches, and we were willing to pay handsomely for the first harvests of artichokes, broad beans and other vegetables in order to return to taste immediately, after a whole year of waiting, their flavour. Almost everyone, even the youngest, knew the period in which they could eat this or that fruit. A knowledge that today is a legacy of a few because, usually, what we see on the market we do not know if it is a seasonal product, or if it is MAGAZINE