QUALITALY_135

July/August 2023 VI MAGAZINE of our country’s cuisine, placing it among the most important in the world. YOU WORK CLOSELY WITH YOUR FAMILY IN THE RESTAURANT. DO YOU CONSIDER FAMILY MANAGEMENT A STRENGTH OR CAN IT SOMETIMES CAUSE PROBLEMS? I believe that the human factor is fundamental to the identity of a restaurant, regardless of family ties. Also working with me are my wife Cristina and my son Mattia, who embrace and share, together with the other staff, a philosophy, a thought, characteristics that make our restaurant something people can believe in blindly. You don’t need to invent; you need to know. Know and educate. Education is fundamental, in the restaurant business there must no longer be a superficial knowledge of the trade. Cooking, art and creativity are elements that go hand- in-hand and anyone who is passionate about cooking knows how much the collaboration between these elements can lead to the execution of an excellent dish. Adding or removing ingredients, adding a touch of innovation to a grandmother’s recipe , adding that pinch of personality to a traditional dish, can lead to the discovery of new flavours. IF YOU HAD TO USE THREE ADJECTIVES TO DESCRIBE YOUR COOKING WHAT WOULD YOU USE? Tasty (in the sense of taste), genuine and immodestly good. Tasty because ours is a traditional cuisine, with old-fashioned flavours. These are the flavours that even young people are rediscovering today, after a period when they explored ethnic and fusion cuisines... Now they are re- evaluating the stronger flavours of Emilian tradition. Our cuisine is poor, apparently simple, but it requires time, energy and manual labour. That is why it is now difficult to make it at home. That’s why people go back to eating it in restaurants. Genuineness is related to what was said before. We use the products from the soil in our cooking, without flavourings or seasonings, to enhance the quality of the product in its substance. The third adjective... comes from the rest. WHICH INGREDIENTS DO YOU MOST LIKE TO USE IN YOUR DISHES? My cooking involves the use of locally- sourced products from the Modena area, i.e. foodstuffs that are consumed within a few kilometres of where they are produced. For me, this is a fundamental aspect because it also encourages a healthy and conscious way of catering. WHAT ROLE DOES THE CHOICE OF SUPPLIER PLAY IN ENSURING A HIGH QUALITY PRODUCT? Food safety is a key issue for anyone involved in running a restaurant or establishment that is open to the public: today, there are detailed regulations with specific guidelines on storage, freezing, transport and handling of foodstuffs, and even beverages. Selecting good quality ingredients for your menu is very important: the taste and texture of food make the difference between an establishment and its competitors, and customers are certainly able to distinguish a mediocre dish from an excellent one. The right suppliers allow you to have more options of products to try, to find the most suitable ones to achieve the optimum result. The restaurant has wanted to maintain the traditional cuisine over time, sometimes making a few changes in order to continuously improve its dishes. To ensure such a long life for a restaurant business, there are many rules and, above all, many values to be respected. One principle that is very dear to us is that of taking care of one’s customers. In the kitchen, we do not allow mistakes and we make sure that the preparation of the dishes is perfect, that the quantities are generous so that the eyes are also satisfied. Another important aspect is the cleanliness of the premises, which we ensure with great meticulousness. In short, the customer is always at the centre of the restaurant. IF A BOY TOLD YOU THAT HE WANTED TO BE A CHEF WHEN HE GREW UP, WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE HIM? Being a cook requires at least two basic requirements: creativity and passion. Indispensable elements together with a continuous study of the ingredients of the dishes because they must respect the local tradition, so that the flavours can be recognisable. The well-being of the person eating must also always be kept in mind. I notice enthusiasm and willingness to work in young chefs, but the work in the kitchen is hard and requires great sacrifice. It is not only about being able to cook by exhibiting practical skills, but it is also important to acquire discipline and basic cooking concepts. To become good cooks, therefore, the road is not an easy one. __________________________________ RECIPE Fresh pasta and meat starring on the menu Grandmother’s’ recipes are the most identifiable dishes on the menu at Trattoria Da Bollo, but slightly revisited with the respect and love that Fabrizio Menabue puts into each of his dishes. Among the first courses, the most representative are tagliatelle with ham ragout, tortellini strictly in capon broth, and tortelloni with ricotta cheese. ‘The particularity of our ham ragout,’ explains the chef, ‘is that it is not just made of ham. I wanted to make it a little less strong by mixing it with other meats. I refined my grandmother’s and my mother’s recipe, finding the right proportions between the ingredients. Our pastry is made with 10 eggs per kilo of flour. The eggs are free range, yellow dough. We only use type zero flour, which makes for a rough pastry that captures the sauces better. For the ricotta tortelloni, we make a very soft filling, which melts in the mouth. Just combine it with creamy butter and fresh sage to season it. These are simple dishes that use carefully selected ingredients’. Among the main courses, the most popular are veal shanks and pork ribs cooked at a low temperature; and more generally all roasts. ‘We use conventional, old-style, methane ovens,’ he continues, ‘we follow the cooking process carefully to maintain the right degree of moisture in the meat. Years ago I put roasted veal shank on the menu, when we used the pork shank. Today it is one of my most popular main courses. A more recent dish is whole ribs, which are cut up at the table’. __________________________________