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FEB. MAR. 2020 VIII and collective catering, which can guarantee process safety, product quality and economic management. It is an easy technology to manage, because it is repeatable and reproducible and requires simple training for employees, advanced and programmable equipment, selected products and materials, monitoring procedures. Vacuum packaging allows a shelf life of 60-70 days, validated from the microbiological, chemical-physical and sensorial point of view. If vacuum cooking is carried out in single portions, special meals can also be made for allergic and intolerant people (protected conditioned food), guaranteeing the planning of the supply system, stock rotation and work.” Then there is pressure cooking and jar cooking (practically a glass vacuum). “With these methods,” continued Giubilesi, “temperatures are raised and cooking times are reduced, increasing storage times. The absence of oxygen, obtained with the vacuum but also due to the escape of air derived from the internal pressure that develops heat, blocks enzymes and inhibits the development of aerobic bacteria, keeping intact the nutritional and sensory profile of the product. Temperatures vary between 90 and 120°C at the core of the product, with internal pressure of 1.2 bar. After cooking, a rapid temperature reduction (cold water and then cold air) must follow to extend the shelf life of the product at room temperature up to 12 months.” During cooking, substances may be added to improve the effects. For example, fine iodized sea salt balanced with sugar (granulated and cane sugar) and combined with aromatic herbs and spices. “It helps to control osmotic pressure,” explained Giubilesi, “to reduce the free water available to microorganisms, increase succulence and softness to make the sensory profile more rounded and personalized and to keep the colours brighter over time.” For the preservation of the ingredients, on the other hand, the so-called bio-protection can be used, i.e. the addition of natural vegetable preservatives and antioxidants (spices, aromatic herbs, medicinal plants, citrus fruits, tea, turmeric) that combine the positive action on the shelf life of the product with a compatible or even improved organoleptic profile of the product itself. “Depending on the technologies applied,” concluded Giubilesi, “even in the kitchen of a restaurant the shelf life of a food can increase a lot. It is obvious, however, that the process must be validated to verify the actual shelf life of a food treated in a certain way. Prepared and preserved products must be clearly identified and traced, with an indication of the day or batch of production, the limit of the date of use (expiry date) and instructions for storage.” AT PAGE 22 COVER STORY The (my) version of ‘cultured cooking’ Gabriele Torretto launched it, Daniele Santovito picked it up and made it his own. This is what is hidden behind the concept of ‘cultured cuisine’ of the restaurant La Valle di Trofarello (To) By Maria Elena Dipace and Corrado Dal Corno La Valle Restaurant was founded eighteen years ago on the remains of a classic village bar that served quick meals to workers during lunch breaks. Acquired by Gabriele Torretto (creator, soul and owner of the restaurant La Valle), with care and attention he transformed it into a real restaurant, adapting it to his personality and his philosophy of ‘cultured cuisine’ but leaving intact the intimacy, warmth and desire to create conviviality between diners and his staff. Here, his creative flair finds full freedom to move, communicate, express itself through the recipes that he reinterprets to create moments of exquisite taste without taking anything away from the festive atmosphere that distinguishes him. The ingredients are of the highest quality and are skilfully processed with that touch of class and, at the same time, with an aesthetic simplicity that relaxes body and mind. A philosophy that was immediately grasped by Daniele Santovito, chef of great skill, chosen by Gabriele Torretto, initially working alongside him in the kitchen, and then leaving him in charge of the kitchen and staff. We recently met him to understand what lies behind this success, popular also outside the Piedmont borders. Daniele, let’s start by talking about you. Cooking has always been a passion of yours. Can you tell us how it started? I started my cooking career at the Istituto Alberghiero Giuseppina Colombatto in Turin, graduating in 1996. During my studies I had already the opportunity to gain important experience during the summer seasons, for example at a 4-star hotel on the Ligurian Riviera, where I began to try my hand at the rhythms of real cooking. My first job after school was at Neuv Caval’d Brôns in Piazza San Carlo in Turin, right in the centre of the city. Another significant experience was in London, where I worked in an important restaurant whose kitchens were then run by an Italian chef. Not knowing English at the time was a great challenge: I started my “apprenticeship” starting from MAGAZINE