14-02-2018
In the photo by Tanio Liotta, the brigade at Gucci Osteria in Florence. In foreground, chef Karime Lopez; behind her, left to right Tamara Rigo, Vanessa Chiu, Lorenzo Vendali, Hellen Wagner, Marko Sterlicchi and Nicola Montalti. Sous Mattia Agazzi is the only one missing
There’s one basic idea behind the choice of Massimo Bottura of signing the new Gucci Osteria in Florence. And it goes beyond the purely culinary. The chef from Modena is in fact the heir of an effort that Gualtiero Marchesi first launched: elevating our cuisine, making it noble, transforming it into a cultural expression tout court. Italy is the best suited place for this task: because it has an endless and unique artistic heritage, as well as a culinary tradition that is also huge, even though it was neglected for a long time, and considered humble, pop, in fact, as one would say these days.
Italian trattorias as opposed to French haute cuisine, in other words; grandeur versus chequered tablecloths and wicker wine bottles: a prejudice that is still popular, especially abroad (how many hotels, under international brands, offer a format that includes restaurants with strictly French fine dining, and then simpler “Italian style” restaurants?), even though we’ve made huge progress in the past few years.
Bottura at Gucci Osteria
Taka bun: steamed bun, pork belly, miso sauce, marinated coriander, yuzu and raspberry vinegar, hot sauce and green apple. A tribute to Takahiko Kondo, Bottura’s sous chef at Francescana, and husband of the chef at Gucci Osteria, Karime Lopez (photo by Bianca Tecchiati)
Appetizer: Tomato, bread and cream of Parmigiano. Tanio Liotta is the author of the photos of the dishes
Tostada di palamita: palamita marinated with oil, lime and shallot, corn tostada, chipotle mayonnaise, radish, hibiscus and guacamole
Caesar Salad in Emilia: lettuce, Parmigiano chips, garlic bread, sauce of balsamic vinegar and mayonnaise, anchovies and capers, Caesar dressing
Tortellini in a cream of Parmigiano Reggiano 36 months
Tongue with salsa verde and grilled lettuce. They cook the tongue for 36 hours, then there’s Jerusalem artichokes, a reduction of egg yolk, salsa verde and cabbage, «prepared the way Bottura’s mother used to make it»
Black cherry cheesecake, a de-structured cheesecake: black cherry semifreddo, cream cheese, buckwheat crumble
Charlie Marley, a cake prepared for Bottura’s second-born: chocolate, hazelnuts, mascarpone
Translated into English by Slawka G. Scarso
An outdoor trip or a journey to the other side of the planet? One thing is for sure: the destination is delicious, by Carlo Passera
by
journalist born in 1974, for many years he has covered politics, mostly, and food in his free time. Today he does exactly the opposite and this makes him very happy. As soon as he can, he dives into travels and good food. Identità Golose's editor in chief