He is not Federico Fellini, and the mise-en-scène was not set in Rome or Milan.He is Paolo Marchi,the soul of Identità Golose, the most prestigious gastronomy event in Italy. Together with Lotus PR, he brought for the second time, a piece of Italy into the heart of London!
Paolo Marchi
Vinopolis – London
For two days, participants enjoyed the ‘dolce vita’, as fabulous producers presented their best products with great generosity. Chefs shared their ideas with professionals, foodies and journalists. Loud talking, singing, cooking, tasting, and many experiences were also shared at the congress. Good weather, good food and wine, and great company turned the Vinopolis and the Borough market area into a little Italy for two days!
To welcome the Chefs, the Corinthia Hotel and Chef Massimo Riccioli, from Restaurant La Rosetta in Rome, prepared a very relaxed dinner at the pop-up restaurant, which will be transformed into a real restaurant at the opening of the new luxurious hotel within a few months.
A memorable dinner at the pop-up restaurant of Chef Massimo Riccioli for the chefs and friends of Identità.
His perfect pasta will be remembered for a long time!
The theme this year was ‘The Luxury of Simplicity’, and explored what Italian cuisine is about. From the early times of Pellegrino Artusi, through the foundation of Italian contemporary cuisine by Gualtiero Marchesi, up to today, the principles of Italian cuisine have remained unchanged. The products are themselves the stars, and the chefs, whether influenced by traditional or avant-garde philosophy, are the ‘maestros’.
Italian chefs were not alone on the stage at Identità London 2010, but all the guest chefs had the same basic approach to cuisine as their Italians colleagues. The main focus was on top quality produce, and on the wish to transmit emotions and excellence through their dishes.
The British ‘team’ was represented by Jason Atherson, Ashley Palmer-Watts, and Sat Bains.
Atherson, ex-Maze /Gordon Ramsay, has just begun to ‘fly solo’; Last month he opened the restaurant ‘The Waterhouse’, at South Bund Hotel, in China. At Identità he announced that his new restaurant in London will be opened in Mayfair later in the year.
Jason Atherson
Ashley Palmer-Watts, the executive chef of ‘Dinner by Heston Blumenthal’, the new restaurant to be opened in December at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in London, presented some of the new dishes in a very well-structured presentation. The menu, based on historical dishes of Britain, will, according to the chef, have a ‘touch’ of The Fat Duck and Heston Feasts. However, the restaurant at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel will have its own character.
Ashley Palmer-Watts
Sat Bains, from Sat Bains Restaurant in Nottingham, regarded the theme of the congress as part of his philosophy: “A Chef must taste and understand the ingredients with their senses and not only intellectualise tastes and flavours.” His dishes were prepared with simple and inexpensive ingredients, such as mackerel and potatoes, but the final result elevated them to unique and elegant dishes.
Sat Bains
Asia was represented by the irreverent and creative Alvin Leung, from Bo Innovation in Hong Kong, who, with his sous-chef called Devil, gave an entertaining presentation of his signature dish – ‘Sex on the Beach’.
Alvin Leung and sous-chef Devil
The US ‘team’ included David Chang, from Momofuku Ssam Bar, NY, Wylie Dufresne and Alex Stupak from WD50, NY, and Daniel Patterson from Coi in San Francisco.
Wylie Dufresne from restaurant WD50 in NY
Alexandre Gauthier, from Grenouillere in France, came alone, but with a very powerful and confident presentation of his ‘cuisine de la douceur et brutalité’.
Alexandre Gauthier
Wylie Dufresne, Alvin Leung and David Chang
And the ‘Azurri’ were represented by Gennaro Esposito, from Torre del Saracino in Naples; Massimo Bottura, from Osteria Francescana, in Modena; Andrea Berton, from Trussardi alla Scala, in Milan; the brothers Enrico and Roberto Cerea, from Da Vittorio in Bergamo; Chef Massimo Riccioli, from Restaurant La Rosetta in Rome, the executive chef at the new Corinthia Hotel in London; and Davide Scabin, from Combal.zero in Turin. The most Italian German chef on the planet – Heinz Beck, from La Pergola in Rome, and Apsley in London were part of the Italian team, who proved with their very distinctive styles that there is not one Italian cuisine, but many!
Gennaro Esposito
There were many highlights at Identità London 2010. The selection of Italian products was small but excellent. Slow Food Italy and Buonaitalia’s stand presented their projects in a very relaxed but effective way. 12 Slow Food Presidia products, now at risk of extinction, from Piemonte, Veneto, Sardinia and Puglia were presented and served at their stand.
The special dinner on the opening day was held at Ristorante Dolada, and prepared by Chef Riccardo De Prà, using products from Slow Food Presidia.
Chef Riccardo De Prà – Restaurant Dolada, London
Restaurant Dolada and The Slow Food Dinner
The Passatina di “Mandorle di Toritto e fresche di Notto” by Chef Riccardo De Prà.
At the Identità venue, Prosciutto San Danielle, Lardo del Po, salami, prosciutti, panini and finger sandwiches prepared by Grana Padano, an exquisite tasting of olive oil from Fratelli Aprile, coffee from Lavazza, birra Moretti, and full time hydration from San Pellegrino and Acqua Panna were available for guests during the day! Beyond the chef demos and ‘food piazza’, tastings of Grana Padano and wine, and other food and wine matching tastings were held in the press lounge.
Olive oil from Fratelli Aprile
Prosciutto San Danielle
Grana Padano and Wine Tasting
Lardo del Po
One very exciting stand of micro vegetables and herbs from Koppert Cress B.V. – with a mini exotic edible garden, containing oyster leaves, salicornia cress, karma orchids, sea fennel, peppery shiso leaves, fizzy Sechuan cress, and many other striking flavours was well visited by curious chefs and foodies.
The presenter, Tom Parker-Bowles, blended perfectly into the spirit of Italy, clearly enjoying every moment, and bonded with chefs and audience like none other. He shared his views and perspectives about the dishes with Paolo Marchi, engaged the audience throughout the presentations, and even shared their ‘difficult job’ of tasting all the dishes with the lucky people in the first rows.
Massimo Bottura – what can we say about Massimo? He needs no introduction; he fills the stage with his presence, and his profound thoughts about food and art are one of a kind! Massimo represents the contemporary Italian cuisine as no-one else, with a deep love for his roots, and courage to try the unknown. There are no boundaries to Massimo’s creativity, and his presentations transport the public into a universe of flavours, textures and freedom of artistic expression.
Massimo Bottura at the special tasting of food and Birra Moretti
Heinz Beck’s reflections about health and food were very well received by the visitors, making a valid point about the importance of awareness about how and what we eat. His dishes conveyed his love of and ideas about Mediterranean food and life style in a unique approach.
Chef Heinz Beck
Andrea Berton combined elegance and perfection with his dishes. Complexity with simplicity is not a contradiction for Berton, who managed to impress deeply not only foodies, but also the professionals at his presentation.
Andrea Berton
According to many of those present, the pasta margherita from David Scabin was the dish of the event. A moment of true genius, which expressed ‘The Luxury of Simplicity’ very well. Scabin has a powerful voice, an unforgettable presence on stage, and his cuisine is incomparable!
Davide Scabin – Chef-patron of Restaurant Combal.zero
Pasta Margheritta, by Chef Davide Scabin
The brothers Enrico and Roberto Cerea closed the congress, creating the atmosphere of their restaurant in front of the stage. At the end of their presentation, a giant bowl of Grana Padano cheese came from the Vinopolis kitchen, filled with risotto prepared by the Cerea brothers and was served to the visitors. So closed Identità London 2010 with a moment which highlighted the real Italian happiness of sharing good food!
Here is a short video with the opening dinner and Massimo Bottura’s presentation: www.youtube.com/user/italiasquisita#p/u/0/YGH07PYJthE
Photos: Alessandro Castiglioni and Luciana Bianchi – Photos Paolo Marchi, Alexandre Gauthier and Gennaro Esposito : Brambilla/ Serrani
Luciana Bianchi is chef de cuisine and food writer, works as European correspondent for the Brazilian gourmet magazine, Prazeres da Mesa, and contributes to several publications in Brazil and Europe.
on Twitter http://twitter.com/LucianaBianchi
Tags: Alex Stupak, Alexandre Gauthier, Alvin Leung, Andrea Berton, Ashley Palmer-Watts, Chef Luciana Bianchi, Combal Zero, Daniel Patterson, David Chang, davide scabin, Dolada, Enrico and Roberto Cerea, Grana Padano, Grana Padano and Wine Tasting, Heinz Beck, Heston Blumenthal, identita, Identita London, Jason Atherson, Koppert Cress B.V., London, Luciana Bianchi, Massimo Bottura, Massimo Riccioli, osteria francescana, paolo marchi, Riccardo del Pra, Sat Bains, Slow Food, Tom Parker-Bowles, Wylie Dufresne, ‘Dinner by Heston Blumenthal’
GRAZIE GRAZIEEEEE
paolo
Parabens Luciana!
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