26-04-2019
Francesca Barberini, who hosted the lessons on the stage of Identità di Pizza, with Franco Pepe (all the photos are from Brambilla / Serrani)
Some stories have unexpected developments, though they are the result of intense and constant work. It’s the case of Franco Pepe, from the slight bewilderment of the first edition of Identità di Pizza, in 2011, to the – always sincere, but more aware – emotions of this year, with all that happened in between.
At the time, he arrived on stage with his wood kitchen chest. Franco had been working for years as pizzaiolo in the family restaurant in Caiazzo and Pepe in Grani was still in an embryo stage. Today, he’s acknowledged as one of the best pizzaioli in the world and has built a project that goes beyond pizza, or rather he investigates every aspect of pizza – from nutrients to every feature of the hospitality offered in the pizzeria – in a constantly evolving research.
With nutritionist Michelina Petrazzuoli
Marinara ritrovata
The complete dish
With fibres still missing, here comes the extra-dish based on wild herbs – in this case raw chicory – seasoned with Pepe Dressing. Inspired by the classic French Dressing, it’s made with extra virgin olive oil and chopped pumpkin seeds, no extra salt, and it has another function too: served in a special plate next to the pizza and the salad, it can be used as a dip for the cornicione, the edge of the pizza – which for some is the best part of the pizza, while many others leave it on the plate – and therefore it also helps to avoid waste.
Translated into English by Slawka G. Scarso
by
a journalist born in Naples now living in Rome, she tries to make her three passions meet: eating, travelling and writing