It all began three years ago, on the occasion of Expo 2015 with Refettorio Ambrosiano in Greco and the birth of Food for Soul, the foundation that Massimo and Lara Bottura created to fight food waste. Rio de Janeiro, during the 2016 Olympic Games, London last year and Paris one month ago followed. In between, two jewels in Emilia: Modena, with Social Tables at Ghirlandina, and Bologna with tavole solidali at Ambrosiano.
Matias Perdomo’s fabulous Bolognese donut
And in the middle of the Settimana del Mobile, which drew 400,000 guests to Milan –it’s as if Bologna moved entirely between Navigli and Centrale - on Wednesday
Bottura livened up one of the courtyards inside the Sforza Castle, with an event titled «Respect Food, one night to support Food for Soul».
Cod according to Andrea Berton
Eight chefs, each with one station. Long tables in coarse woods for the guests, each giving a minimum offer of 200 euros. Everyone had of course to help themselves, walking to each station, including the wine one. There was an efficient service clearing tables, glasses and cutlery at the end. And everyone received a
schiscetta, a lunchbox, as a reminder of the founding mission of Refettorio.
Massimo Bottura’s Passatello Pizza
As the patron of
Osteria Francescana reminded from the stage, speaking in English, now his other mother tongue, «Our goal is to fight the waste». They do so, as volunteers, by collecting left over food from shops, canteens, and food markets and restaurants and «by making healthy and delicious dishes». Even the ingredients that were not used on Wednesday night, the following day helped to satisfy other people in Greco.
Viviana Varese’s Fregola mediterranea
The food served at Sforza Castle was particularly good:
Bottura made Passatelli Pizza;
Andrea Berton, Cod, red onions and guacamole wafer;
Enrico Cerea, a contemporary Pavlova with fresh strawberries and strawberry gelato;
Carlo Cracco, Smoked egg; Antonio Guida, Risotto with maccagno and powdered strawberries; Giancarlo Morelli, a kebab-style sandwich; Matias Perdomo, Bolognese donut. Then there was Viviana Varese and her Brezza del porto, Sardinian fregola with Mediterranean aromas.
Strawberry pavlova as interpreted by Enrico Cerea
They also announced that the chef from Modena will be an ambassador for
Grundig, which these days is much different from what we middle-aged people remember, what with televisions and radios especially. Today it is one of the brands of Turkish giant Arçelik.Their range has over 500 different products, including electric appliances.
They’re studying washing machines and dish washers that will use as little water as possible, as well as a fridge that can preserve food as fresh and unspoilt as possible, with the lowest energy consumption.
Translated into English by Slawka G. Scarso
