Reading here and there about you to better document myself so that I can ask you pertinent questions, I realized that many eyes are on you, you are a kind of special guard, especially after the Michelin star you just received. Does proving that you always live up to expectations stress you out or does it gratify you ?
It is gratifying.
Your story goes way back and even though you are only in your 40s, you have experience to spare and the results of your commitment and talent are not slow in coming. I know you had the opportunity to deepen your technique with internships at Dalsass, Lehman and Vissani. What have these masters passed on to you ? Is there anything in particular that you learned from each of them?
Definitely from Dalsass the projecting me into a foreign country because Switzerland has different methods and raw materials from Italy, from Lehman his philosophy of vegetarian and vegan thinking, in dishes only with vegetables there is particular attention to flavor, from Vissani, thanks to his great knowledge of the raw material that I find in him more accentuated than in any other I have ever met, the importance of knowing the product well.
You are part of the Association CHIC - Charming Italian Chef, I think it gathers about seventy chefs, how is the activity of the Association set up, do you organize events, courses ?
We organize events, dinners with 4-6-8 hands to exchange ideas, knowledge, products and also offer the customer different angles of cooking, not only Marche cuisine.
You don't like to talk about your cooking, you prefer to let your dishes talk, and I noticed that you pay special attention to the names of the recipes, as if they were titles of movies or songs, in short, your recipes tell a story, they already contain a plot in the name and this makes me think that behind each recipe there is a lot of thought, a careful analysis of the raw materials, the marrying of the ingredients and their respective cooking...? How does a recipe of yours come about? When do you consider it final, ready to be proposed?
First of all I think about the product and its combinations and the idea I want to give. e.g. chicken in a cup which is chicken in potacchio (old Marche recipe) with a potato mousse on top which is nothing but chicken and potatoes typical of our history. Honestly it takes a variety of time to perfect a dish so I always consider them a bit of a "work in progress."
Cooking is definitely like any other art and craft form a way to convey emotions, to give pleasure to others. And where do you derive the pleasure from most (professionally speaking, of course)?
From cooking a product
How is the business of your restaurant Andreina in Loreto set up? Your wife, who is an elegant and refined sommelier, from what I understand plays a key role in the business, beyond I imagine, the selection of the wine list, is that right?
Of course, she does a key job, my eyes in the room are hers and she helps me with everything.
Do you have a project, a dream in the drawer, any particular idea that you would like to bring to life sooner or later, or is the best for you to be able to continue to successfully carry on this wonderful family business?
The dreams in the drawer are many, as it must be, because you live on dreams, it is important to have a large cabinet with many drawers yet to be opened.
If frequenters of this blog would like to learn more about your business, how can they find you ?
Through the website, www.ristoranteandreina.it or the facebook page (facebook.com/RistoranteAndreina) constantly updated about our activities.
Interview by Monica Palla
