Daniel and the others

After presenting the Italian chefs, let’s introduce the 6 “foreign” chefs (5 from the United States and a French one, in alphabetical order) who will give their lecture at Eataly, the setting for the forth edition of Identità New York. Here’s the programme with all the lectures and dinners scheduled from Friday 4th to Sunday 6th October.

Mario Batali, Babbo
Just like last year, the Italian-American most famous chef overseas will open Identità New York. And just like in the 2012 edition, his theme will be pasta. What changes is his luxury right-arm: not Davide Scabin, who was stopped by an injury to his leg, but Milanese Cesare Battisti). Batali, according to the chef from Piedmont, «is the man who has done more for Italian cuisine than all the Ministers of Agriculture put together». Born in 1960, in Seattle, the son of an Italian-American engineer and a French-Canadian mother, he has opened countless restaurants over the years, from the Big Apple to Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Singapore (here is the complete list). (He will give a lesson with Cesare Battisti. Theme: pasta)

Jeremy Bearman, Rouge Tomato
Executive chef of a popular restaurant on the edge of Central Park (East side), at Rouge Tomato (1 Michelin star) Jeremy Bearman is the author of a menu created together with a nutritionist. The objective is that of creating a balanced cuisine, focusing on (ethical and environmental) wellbeing, with dishes that are not only vegetarian. Bearman has adopted this approach after learning the ropes in important kitchens such as those of L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon in Las Vegas and Daniel Boulud’s Bistro Moderne in Manhattan. (Lesson with Viviana Varese. Theme: cheese)

Daniel Boulud, Daniel
A Frenchman from Saint Pierre de Chandieu, near Lion, usually known simply as “Daniel”, he is one of the most famous French chefs in the world and can boast an empire that includes restaurants in New York (the most famous is Daniel, 3 Michelin stars), Palm Beach, Montreal, Toronto, London, Beijing and Singapore. All this starting from what he learnt from the greatest masters of Nouvelle Cuisine -Roger Vergé, Georges Blanc and Michel Guérard – and an experience at Le Cirque from 1986 to 1992. Over the years he has received countless awards, thanks to his rigorous and orthodox French cuisine, which with time he has made lighter to match the needs of the contemporary guest. (Lesson with Massimo Bottura. Theme: egg)

Sara Jenkins, Porsena
Porsena, in Noho, is a trattoria – in the most traditional sense given to this term – that tries to blend the Italian convivial tradition with the urban spirit of the Big Apple. This happens thanks to the skill of this chef who has spent a great part of her training between Rome and Tuscany. After Il Buco, Il Patil, 50 Carmine and Porchetta, Batali himself acknowledged her talent: «Sara is one of the few chefs in America who understands the meaning of Italian cuisine and of what Italians eat». (Lesson with Mauro Uliassi. Theme: tomato)

Matthew Lightner, Atera
Born in Portland, Oregon, in 1980, today he’s the executive chef of a restaurant with 2 brand new Michelin stars on the edge of Tribeca. This happened after he mastered his training in other temples of great cuisine such as Noma in Copenhagen, Mugaritz in the Basque Country or L’Auberge in California, next to Paul McCabe. Best emerging chef in 2010 according to Food & Wine magazine, his cuisine is based on two concepts above all: seasonal ingredients and local products. But he does so in an original and creative way, worthy of the masters who have trained him. (Lesson with Carlo Cracco. Theme: rice)

Dave Pasternack, Esca
Esca, a stone’s throw from Time Square, is one of the many chapters written by the golden couple formed by Batali/Bastianich. Here there’s all that this famously named chef can contribute. According to the New Yorker, his strength is based on “always knowing when something is missing in a dish”. For Frank Bruni of the NY Times, instead, the chef is one of those capable of “whispering to fish”. Already awarded as best chef in the Big Apple by the James Beard Foundation, the sea of Pasternack ranges from halibut caught in the Pacific ocean and snapper which he catches himself in Long Island. (Lesson with Moreno Cedroni on Salted Codfish)