101 snap-shots of Identità N. 10/1

We have asked those who attended the tenth edition of Identità Milano to recall their most memorable moment of the three-day-event in a sentence. It could be anything: a lecture, a meeting, a quote, a dish. The result was a mosaic of more than 100 snap-shots that we will publish in 4 episodes, starting today. Moments worth remembering.

I was touched by Cracco’s lesson. He was the first to get on stage when everything began, in 2005, and seeing him so mature, now, made me think of how much his cuisine has grown, and how much we have grown ourselves, at Identità
(Luisa Acciarri Marchi, Identità Golose)

The hug with Faith Willinger, Corrado Assenza and Fulvio Pierangelini
(Max and Raf Alajmo, Le Calandre in Rubano, Padua)

The emotion and the enthusiasm of the Costardi brothers; the kindness and elegance of Nadia Santini and a sentence pronounced by Alessandro Pipero: «I get bored when I’m on holiday, I get bored on my day off». The power of a passion, the meaning of a life
(Maria Andreucci, Italian Cooking Adventures)

The many hugs shared with young chefs. Pure, fresh energy
(Corrado Assenza, Caffè Sicilia in Noto, Ragusa)

The pleasure given by the sound of the chestnuts on which Piège was cooking game, the presentation of avantgarde chef Dacosta, the shyness of Klugmann and Mauro Uliassi’s cocotier crab. My entrance in Le Soste and Paolo Marchi’s Mickey Mouse pin
(Enrico Bartolini, Devero in Cavenago Brianza)

Besides the award I received from Paolo, the most beautiful memory I have of this edition is the round table organised by Tinto and Fede around which we met: chefs and friends were discussing the re-evaluation of Made in Italy and the future of Italian cuisine
(Heinz Beck, La Pergola in Rome)

The moment when we were all on stage, celebrating Identità’s tenth anniversary
(Andrea Besuschio, Pasticceria Besuschio in Abbiategrasso, Milan)

Gastón Acurio’s lesson: it has shown that a great chef can use his image to improve society. Without rhetoric or sales objectives
(Luciana Bianchi, World's 50 best blog)

The marvellous sensitivity towards food on behalf of all the staff of the congress, from the entrance to the stage
(Beniamino Bilali, pizza chef)

Every time I meet, greet and exchange a couple of words with Corrado Assenza at Identità Golose I understand why this job has a meaning
(Gianluca Biscalchin, journalist/Illustrator)

Jean-François Piège. It’s like a Porsche: perfection in simplicity. Tradition and future
(Christoph Bob, Monastero di Santa Rosa in Conca dei Marini, Salerno)

Celebrations for the tenth anniversary. I went inside and saw that everyone was excited. Paolo tried to minimize, Zanatta and De Cesare kept aside, a little shier (the former was stuffing himself with cake), Giulia halfway between laughter and tears. I recalled the beautiful finals on the stage, many years ago, for the Tre Forchette. I thought that Identità is a heritage for everyone and I left a happy person
(Marco Bolasco, Giunti)

The positive contamination in the preparation kitchens, the sharing among people of different origin and culture, with different roles and responsibilities. Everyone was ready to make sure that each one of us would work well
(Renato Bosco, Saporè in San Martino Buonalbergo, Verona)

The smile and the kindness of the boys and the girls of MagentaBureau: it makes a difference. The infinite number of young people attending: crazy
(Massimo Bottura, Osteria Francescana in Modena)

Meeting Enrico Bartolini. I wasn’t expecting such a sensitive, educated, sweet person. I was truly intrigued: I must go sit at his table!
(Cristina Bowerman, Glass Hostaria in Rome)

Seeing how all the culinary world, including chefs and the like, felt as if they were in a large sitting room, discussing of food culture. Just like great writers and painters
(Francesca Brambilla and Serena Serrani, photographers)

Rush hours, not just happy hours
(Stefano Callegari, 00100 a Roma)

Roberto Petza’s humbleness: during the lunch with the other Sardinian chefs, he would serve at the table and worry that every guest had their cutlery
(Giorgia Cannarella, Dissapore)

Davide Scabin’s touching lesson. If cooking is an act of love, #foodforfighting is its most authentic expression
(Valeria Carbone, Identità Golose)

Niko Romito and his sublime art of transforming even the humblest ingredient – a scampi head – into a super dish
(Lisa Casali, Ecocucina)

Simone Salvini: he’s conducting avantgarde research on raw materials, preparations and processing for the cuisine of the future. High cuisine
(Alberto Cauzzi, Passione Gourmet)

A 34-year-old girl bringing the water to the boil, putting the pasta inside, preparing a chestnut puree and making sure that pepper, nigella, juniper and starred anise release all their aromatic notes. She’s called Antonia Klugmann
(Annalisa Cavaleri, Paginafood)

As usual, managing hindrances doesn’t allow me to enjoy any part of the congress. One thing, however, I recall with great pleasure, the present that Paolo (Marchi, Editor’s Note) gave me. For two reasons: because it was a true surprise, and because it comes from someone who doesn’t enjoy celebrations or self-celebrations. It touched me
(Claudio Ceroni, MagentaBureau)

Henrik Yde’s fermentations and Massimiliano Alajmo with his Fluidità (Fluidity). They made me leave with an even greater desire to experiment and look at reality from always different perspectives
(Daniela Cicioni, vegan chef)

I had the honour of presenting Dossier Dessert and attending the speech of a great person as Corrado Assenza, right from the stage and in front of an overcrowded audience. A change of perspective that has also allowed me to understand what a huge work there is behind a congress of this scale
(Rossella Contato, Pasticceria Internazionale)

Meeting old friends, especially Stefano Bonilli. It had been a while since I last talked with him
(Igles Corelli, Atman, Pistoia)

1. to be continued