05-03-2018
Massimo Bottura, taking a much appreciated speech at Identità Milano (photo Brambilla/Serrani, translated into English by Slawka G. Scarso)
Massimo Bottura’s 2018 lesson begins unexpectedly with a 20-second video: Milen has a good appearance on the screen: «Ladies and gentlemen», he says, «let me explain what you need in a restaurant: passion, love, talent, silence, absolute harmony, collaboration, a team. There is strength in numbers. Full stop». Among the cheers, his boss gets on stage, followed by almost all of the team, who take place behind the stoves. «Milen is from Tortellante, a charity dedicated to families of people with autism. We hired him at Francescana. He makes excellent bread. Every day, he reminds us of the value of important things». The lesson focuses on an important concept: «The value of saying good morning, something Pope Francis reminds us of every day. As well as Dalai Taka», he jokes while on the screen his Japanese sous chef Takahiko Kondo appears, in this case retouched on Photoshop so that he looks like the Dalai Lama. «Good morning means paying attention to everyday things without losing your way. Osteria Francescana is the sum of different cultures. Taka comes from a country where respect is the most important thing. Sharing this respect allows us to understand others. A greeting is the key that opens all doors. Wishing good morning is the real human factor».
Crowds in and outside the Auditorium
Allen and Jessica, Autumn in New York 2018
Third dish, a dessert. «Last year, in January, we all went to Mexico to celebrate Taka’s and Karime Lopez’s wedding. My son Charlie came too. He was thrilled: ‘at last I can go with all the team’. A short while later he turned 17. We prepared a chocolate fountain. He went crazy: he kept dipping marshmallows in it. Karime saw this and started thinking of a dish. When Taka and I went to Florence, [to Gucci Osteria, Bottura’s restaurant opened a few weeks ago], we found Charlie Marlie, a dessert made with a cream of hazelnuts, which recalls Nutella, and dark chocolate, which is part of her experience, given she’s Mexican and has worked in Lima for a long time. A tribute to Osteria’s blended family».
Bottura and Dalai Taka
Tutto sull’edizione 2018 di Identità Golose, a Milano da sabato 3 a lunedì 5 marzo. Il tema della quattordicesima edizione sarà “Il fattore umano”
by
born in Milan, 1973, freelance journalist, coordinator of Identità Golose World restaurant guidebook since 2007, he is a contributor for several magazines and teaches History of gastronomy and Culinary global trends into universities and institutes. twitter @gabrielezanatt instagram @gabrielezanatt