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improvise in food business. This
phenomenon is bad for those who
open and close and for the whole
food sector. To try and avoid closing
down, the bad restaurateur lowers
prices, doesn’t pay suppliers... thus
impoverishing the whole system”.
A better handling of waste could
maybe make the situation better.
“But there is very little attention to
this aspect, maybe because the chef
is not often an entrapreneur and his
laziness or carelessness make him
throw away things that could be
reused. A greater attention would
make things a lot better”.
Marco Soldati, chef ALMA, the
International School of Italian
Cuisine, also thinks of a more
sustainable cuisine. “I am a teacher,
so I don’t like talking about passing
trends. I focus on more consolidated
phenomena that my students will
face when they enter the work
market in a couple of years’ time. I
believe there are two main trends
in Italy, the big chefs who make a
disjoined type of cuisine, where
dishes are assembled rather than
joined together. Salads, fish and raw
meat are examples. On the other
hand, there are good cooks and good
professionals wo advocate the return
to tradition, of baccalà in umido,
fish soup, meat stew, bean stew... in
their tasty simplicity. These dishes
are sustainable because they use
all animal parts, not only the best
cuts. They also use poor fish. But
if you want to use poor ingredients
you have to know your cooking
techniques very well. Anybody can
fool people with grilled meat, but
only the best professionals can make
a poor cut a tasty success”.
A return to tradition, but not a
mere repetition of tradition. “The
traditional recipe, grandma’s recipe,
is not viable today. Cooking must
be lighter with less fat. Modern
techniques must be at the products’
service, so that we can save time
and energy and at the same time
obtain better products, also from
a nutritional point of view. For our
customers’ good”.
The same trend is visible in the
sweet pastry sector. “Years ago -
says Salvatore De Riso, member
of Accademia Italiana dei Maestri
Pasticceri - we saw the tendency
to turn creams into light mousses,
light creams, essences. I think we
will go back and return to more
genuine products, keeping an eye
on lightness, quality of ingredients
and taste. Each dessert must have
its personality, without exceeding
in calories. Presentation will also
become very important: a small touch
is enough to give customers the idea
of greater attention to detail”.
AT PAGE 24
IN THE KITCHEN
An Italian Tale
A one-way ticket to the Big Apple for
chef Denis Franceschini. “Coming
back to Italy? I like dreaming...”
By Maria Elena Dipace
Photography Corrado Modugno
A successful story for Denis, 42
years old, from Borgo Valsugana, or
‘borghesan’, as he like to say. His is a
real Christmas story.
In a recent interview, you
admitted that you started off
working in the kitchen because
you didn’t like studying very
much. A real stroke of luck, your
customers would say today...
Yes, it’s true. I went to a Hotel &
Catering School because I didn’t like
studying. I did first and second year
in Levico Terme and third year in
Varone (Riva del Garda). Let’s say
that I’ve always liked doing things
since I was a child...
Was it love at first sight or a slow
growing passion?
It’s surely been a slow growing
passion and it’s still growing today,
day after day, even if many people
underrate this profession and think
it’s easy to go up the ladder. Ours is a
very tiring job and you can stand the
challenges only if you really love it.
When did you understand you had
the right spark?
I think I still have to understand if I
have the right spark or not. I think
I am a very humble person and I try
to do my job with the utmost effort,
passion, love and respect. I always
put myself to the test and I like
discussing things with other people,
so I can learn from those who are
more experienced than me.
Is your success linked to a careful
traditional cuisine or rather to
extravagant dishes? Tell us about
your cuisine.
I like serving very traditional dishes,
I let others be extravagant. But I
sometimes like to experiment, well
within certain limits though. It
might sound patronizing, but it is
wonderful to cook the food you like
eating and not just what the market
demands.
What were your experiences in Italy?
What have you kept of the things
you lived and experienced there?
Unfortunately, I did very little
MAGAZINE