#BestGreen at Identità Milano / 2

(see part one)

Pioneers of a new vegetal, health and sustainable cuisine
Pietro Leemann (Joia - Milan) and his 100% green philosophy are one thing altogether, so emblematic is his coherence and commitment on these themes and on the fact that “what we eat says a lot about us, and the same applies to what we cook, and especially to how we cook it”. Daniela Cicioni (vegan and raw diet consultant) confirms she’s a tireless experimenter, a true pioneer in vegetal fermentation – it was truly enlightening listening to her and her Chickpea tempeh wrapped in black cabbage (instead of the usual plastic) was truly a dish of the future.

Even the research of Femke Van Den Heuvel (Vlam In De Pan, The Netherlands) follows the same track as Cicioni, she also brings on the stage lots of fermented products such as cheese prepared with oily seeds. Legumes are the protagonists with Simone Salvini (Organic Academy and Ops!, Rome) who creates a delicious, totally vegetal salami of which I would have eaten a kilo.

The champions of little known, very local products
Enrico Crippa (Piazza Duomo - Alba) was almost an enchanter on the stage and charmed us all with his dish made with vegetables form his kitchen garden. Poul Andiras Ziska (Koks – Isole Faroe) also followed the love for his territory and what it offers, and his speech and dishes I particularly appreciated. He opened a window for us overlooking the beauty of the Faroe Islands and its intense and fermented flavours, under the icy wind that blows over there. A wind capable of drying, fermenting and preserving meat, fish and vegetables for a long time.

Manuele Senis (Fradis Minoris – Pula) does the same in Pula, Sardinia, where he welcomes what the sea and the earth can offer, making do with the season as well as the weather. Virgilio Martinez told us about his lands, in Peru, the mixing of the most varied habitats condensed in one country alone: high mountain, sea, forest. These habitats offer unique products, especially vegetal ones, of which Martinez knows how to make excellent use.

The cuisine of Sergio Bastard (Casona del Judio, Santander, Spain) also tastes of earth and sea. He brought vegetables, seaweeds and other inspirations from the Basque Country. Spain and its products were also the protagonists with Eneko Atxa (Azurmendi - Spain) and his cuisine, the result of a synergy between his vegetable garden and local excellences.

A special mention also goes to three dishes that are undoubtedly part of one or more of these philosophies:
Pasquale Torrente’s “Scammaro”, recycled spaghetti au gratin served with anchovies and anchovy colatura.
Roberta Pezzella’s “Colazione vegetale”, a triumph of Croissant, Brioche and biscuits - delicious, healthy and totally vegetal.
Fabio Abbatista’s “Potato spaghetti with garlic and oil” and his potato gnocchi – he’s capable of making vegetal dishes that can conquer even the biggest meat fanatic.

Next year, also thanks to the experience and the amplification generated by the World Fair, I hope Identità Golose will have an even bigger number of chefs and inspirations dedicated to sustainable and natural fine dining. I would like to be ubiquitous, but I couldn’t manage to see some of the speeches, so I thank Francesca Stignani for her support. However, it is possible that I have missed some totally green dish, so please let me know and I’ll be very happy to include it in my next article. Please write on Twitter at @liscalisca