QUALITALY_133

March/April 2023 VIII MAGAZINE Again, Giuseppe Stasi who talks about the costs, primarily of the packaging, adding the question of bargaining on raw material prices. “An 800-gram tin cannot cost less than 70-80 cents, about 10 cents per 100 grams of product. These are prices that vary, these quoted are the costs of 2022, a year in which there was a fairly normal field yield. Then we have to consider unforeseen factors and the negotiation of the tomato price, which is a complex subject to deal with because the figures also change depending on the quantities grown. There are times when the yield per hectare is high and the grower ‘almost gives’ the tomatoes away, on the other hand, when the yield per hectare is low, the price rises significantly’. Again for the bargaining scenario, varieties must also be kept in mind. To give some examples, last year the north-central basin closed the sale of the fresh round tomato at 10.7 cents per kilo. The plum tomato, on the other hand, was paid 15 to 17 cents per kilo. ‘We specify that with the plum tomato we make peeled tomatoes, with the round we make puree and fine pulp... they are therefore two different products that have different yields and uses,’ adds Stasi. How do we compare with foreign countries and other countries that grow tomatoes? “Meanwhile, in Italy, precisely here in the area of Foggia and its province, 61% of the world total of plum tomatoes is produced. We are a short supply chain company and we monitor all stages, from sowing to marketing. We are a guarantee for the Horeca and for that kind of clientele that buys the tin of peeled tomatoes’. What would help to address this crisis? “The problem in agriculture has always been price negotiation, not to mention the fact that the industry is, in turn, conditioned and crushed by the large-scale distribution giants: in short, the industry tries to outbid the farmer because it cannot cope with the large-scale distribution. Fortunately, things are slowly changing and the farmers themselves, always dealing with plum tomatoes, are no longer willing to accept a price that for too long has penalised the entire production’. AT PAGE 24 CHEF’S FACES Heart, head, stomach by Gianluca Donadini Vitantonio Lombardo, 43, from Savoia della Lucania runs the restaurant of the same name in Matera. In the city of the Sassi, a Michelin star embellishes a local but creative cuisine. We are in a cave in the Civita left to its natural charm by the educated hand of Alessandro Tortorelli. The exposed stone, the transparency of the glass, the lightness of the Sampei lamps are the essential furnishings that give centrality to the table, set with white tablecloths, in the “grotta” room overlooking the open kitchen and in the “cava” room, more intimate, and close to the wine cellar visible through an enormous glass window. A thread of red marble in the floor accompanies the tables. The attentive service is led by the ‘friendly’ maître sommelier Donato Addesso, a light, almost impalpable step, a ready smile and the right amount of irony in telling about wine, food and Mater(i)a. Decisiveness. You can see it on Vitantonio’s face from the very first glance. You can read his eyes, which are the gateway to the soul. Every posture is a feeling: the frankness of his voice; the smile that welcomes you when he shares the meaning of an argument; his large hands, that convey firmness and responsibility. Haute cuisine is not for the faint-hearted. One must have imagination, be reckless, even attempt the impossible because, in fact, the impossible does not exist: if we have only dreamt something, we can achieve it. This is the courageous line tattooed on Vitantonio’s arm. I meet him one evening in January. Matera has the beauty of light and shadow. Night falls vast and quiet in the Sassi. The ravine is a sea of silence broken by the wind in the gorges. The restaurant is in a cave in the Civita and the cave is more than a stylistic choice because it testifies to the refinement that the Matera native owes to this city of stones, a few herbs and sparse trees. We are in the cave room. “At your disposal,” smiles the chef, who shows right from the start how disciplined the cook is. IN YOUR CAREER YOU HAVE MET SOME BIG NAMES. I had great masters, in other cases great people who were less known. I am very close to my mother and grandmother, exemplary cooks. WHAT DO YOU ADMIRE ABOUT THEM? Scabin’s genius, Vissani’s knowledge of ingredients, Teverini’s elegance, Succi’s passion, Barbaglini’s technique. THE EXPERIENCE OF THE LOCANDA SEVERINO? Locanda Severino was born in 2010 in Caggiano, on the border between Campania and Basilicata. It is my return home to get back into the game with my cooking after training in hotels in Cesenatico and Milano Marittima and internships in starred restaurants. In 2011 we got our first Michelin inspection. The first star arrives in 2012. Too bad Caggiano was not in Basilicata by a few kilometres. IN 2017 YOU CLOSED LOCANDA SEVERINO AND RETURN TO MATERA Locanda Severino allowed me to take back the products of my territory, to get back in touch with the Lucanians. I used to cook with zero-kilometre ingredients, which at a certain point started to limit my freedom of expression by reducing my customers’ experience. AN EXPRESSIVE LIMIT NOT A QUALITATIVE ONE. Yes, expressive. I prefer to play with the idea of good ingredients, which gives me a lot of freedom, striking a perfect balance between creativity, tradition, seasonality and cost. I start with dishes that come from the land without the fear of including ingredients that are not Lucanian: a French oyster, caviar, a Sicilian red prawn. NOT ONLY CONTINUITY WITH THE TERRITORY. Matera 2019 European Capital of Culture has taught the Lucanians to welcome. I liked to apply the same openness in the kitchen thanks to dishes capable of demonstrating how Lucania’s products can meet the world’s products while remaining protagonists.