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OCT. NOV. 2016
VIII
vegan customer will not order egg
pasta, opting for normal wheat pasta”.
To fully respect the ethical motives
behind these customers’ choices, a
chef who serves food to vegetarians
or vegans must act as if he were
serving food to allergic, food
intolerant or caeliac customers. Pots,
tools and chopping boards must be
perfectly clean. “Nothing major”,
says Di Biase. “Common sense and a
bit of organization are enough. Sous-
vide (or vacuum cooking) is another
good idea, because it preserves
all the vegetables’ beneficial
nutrients intact without dispersing
them in water and it also better
isolates foods, with a lesser risk of
contamination with non-allowed
ingredients. I believe this is currently
the best cooking method available”.
AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL. If
there are still doubts, there are also
financial reasons to opt for veggie
dishes. “Nowadays, it is not wise to
cut off a part of the market which
is growing. Offering a vegetarian or
vegan menu means offering our food
to unexplored targets. It is also less
expensive to structure a vegetable-
based menu rather than a meat or fish-
based menu. If I offer a first course at
7 euros, the meat option can cost me
4, the vegetable option can cost me 1.
Why not think about this aspect, too?
A vegan menu has therefore many
potentialities. You need very little
at times: everyone loves mushroom
risotto, vegetarians and non-
vegetarians alike. It is enough if you
substitute butter with oil, avoid adding
cheese while cooking (you can serve it
on the table) and your vegetarian dish
is ready!”.
Still, would a vegan customer go
and order food in a restaurant with
a Fiorentina steak on the menu?
“Unfortunately, narrow mindedness is
common to all aspects of life, and it is
a shame”, replies Emanuele Di Biase. “I
have been vegan for about 10 years and
I eat in all restaurants alike. I am often
in the company of people or friends
and I cannot force them to eat like I do.
And I also want to spread a message
of open-mindedness. I can show non-
vegan people that eating good food is
possible even without animal-based
products. A true vegan, I believe, has
to fight to change what is wrong in
the breeding of animals and in the big
industries, without looking at what
other people have in their dishes”.
CAREFUL ABOUT A FEW
PRODUCTS. At a recent
meeting organized in Milan by
, the President of
Associazione Vegetariana Italiana
Carmen Nicchi Somaschi said that
a few food products apparently
suitable for vegetarians and vegans
could be misleading, especially at
the restaurant. For example, bread
and focaccia can contain animal fat;
cheese can contain animal rennet,
which comes from the stomachs of
animals and is therefore non-suitable
for vegetarians; wine is generally
filtered using animal gelatins
and made clear using albumin. A
conscious vegetarian or vegan could
therefore ask information about
these products before placing an
order. A chef who wants to serve
these types of customers should
gather information about the
products he buys and should inform
the waiters too, so they can provide
all the necessary information when
asked a specific question.
AT PAGE 22
IN THE KITCHEN
An Italian Chef
The adventure of Massimo Bebber: a
one-way ticket from Trentino to New
York
By Maria Elena Dipace
From kitchen hand to executive chef
for Mr Maccioni at the Taj Hotels 5
star superior in Manhattan. Such is
the story of a man on the go, who
left his dearest ones to find fortune
in America. And fortune he found.
His name is Massimo Bebber, he
is 43 (he was born on 5th October
1973) and he is from Roncegno, near
Trento.
He first went to New York in
1998 thanks to his friend Denis
Franceschini (now owner of Bar
Italia), who introduced him to the
Cipriani family. He stayed with them
for 10 years, reaching excellent
results. In 2009, Bebber accepted
to take on the opening of the
Caravaggio, which soon became a
highlight of the Upper East Side.
Today, Bebber has brought the
most authentic Italian tradition
to Ristorante Sirio, with a mix of
sophistication and genuineness for
its international clientele.
When did you realize this was the
right job for you?
I decided I wanted to be a chef
when I was about 14. I grew up
surrounded by pots and pans,
MAGAZINE
foto VEGANOK network