Modena according to Bottura / 1

Modena is not my hometown, it’s not the town in which I was born and raised. It is the town in which I strongly wanted to live and in which I wanted to base my work. Modena is my fantasy, my past and my future, one of the most important sources of inspiration for my dishes, because it is also a sound supply for the raw materials I use. Indeed, I believe that never as in times of economic crisis as these it is essential, for a territory, to work as a network, supporting each other, trying to buy local products while exporting the love for your land. I don’t believe there’s another way to shorten the supply chain and meet local producers, breeders, dairy farmers and more. I believe that all businesses located in a territory should count on each other, for support and reciprocal inspiration. This, in Modena, happens almost all of the time.

I never miss the chance to remind that in my blood there’s balsamic vinegar running, that in my muscles there’s parmigiano reggiano. But who doesn’t do so, in Modena? We’re a proud and strong town, which was severely hit by an earthquake and a waterspout yet continues not to surrender, with persistence and dignity. I travel a lot but this doesn’t make me loose sight of my territory’s value, quite the contrary... Think of the project we launched a few months ago in the States, in three metropolises: “Vieni in Italia con noi”, come to Italy with us. A journey of rediscovery of our marvellous products, from the Alps to the Sicilian islands, a tribute to those who produce them. My cuisine is based in an essential way on the relationship with artisans from Modena, Emilia and in general from Italy. In any case, this is a delicate moment for Italy yet one that is full of opportunities: in my position, I find it right to be responsible for something I know.

I travel a lot, telling our story and that of Italian cuisine. It would be great if big institutions would help us... I continue to stress the necessity of dreaming with your heart and roots in your land. Today I’m following our gastronomic renaissance in order to help Italy start over. I find what John Kennedy once said extraordinary «Think about what you can do for your country, not about what your country can do for you». Now this is my dream. And if you stop dreaming, you’re done.

My food itinerary? Pasticceria Dondi (strada Vignolese 578, +39.059.362248), to begin with. Gnocco fritto, is a real must here, it is considered among the best in Modena: steaming hot, fragrant on the palate, it deserves travelling across town, and even on a Sunday, everyone’s in queue for breakfast! Then there’s bar Schiavoni, the place for panini with a capital P. Sara took over this small myth and has finely followed Gianfranco; her panini are really exceptional, this is my favourite place for a gastronomic pit stop. I also love Mon café: it’s a few steps from Francescana, the ideal place for an excellent breakfast, but most of all for an afternoon break with an aperitif.

1. to be continued