QUALITALY 138

Januar y/Februar y 2024 XI MAGAZINE ALL GREAT ARTISTS WHEN THEY PROPOSE SOMETHING INNOVATIVE ARE SEEN AS ECCENTRIC PL: The first one who made two jellies said he was a jerk. Joking aside, those who take risks can create something new and make people talk. AT LEAST THOSE WHO TAKE INTELLIGENT RISKS. PL:- Everyone used to make fun of Bottura when he made crispy lasagna. Then lasagna became a historical dish. THE SOUND OF THAT CRISPY PASTA ENDED UP IN T MAGAZINE OF THE NEW YORK TIMES THANKS TO A VIDEO. PL:- Bottura’s dishes are amazing and Massimo is an artist. The lasagna is his vision. He can experiment and Osteria Francescana be a model of innovation because in small laboratories of excellence like his Osteria, experimentation is a competitive advantage. People go there to hear what the chef has to say. In an establishment that serves dozens of seatings like ours, no. AT BOTTURA’S THEY LISTEN. IN YOUR RESTAURANT THEY LISTEN BUT HAVE THE PLEASURE, AND PERHAPS THE PRETENCE, OF BEING LISTENED TO. PL:- I have to be a bit pandering to the customer because bringing people to eat at the hotel is difficult. Make them even more loyal. It is a cultural issue: we are not used to dining in a hotel we are not staying in. I ALMOST NEVER EAT IN THE HOTELS I STAY IN. I TEND TO GO OUT. PL: For the Four Seasons, the culinary offer is important. I have to be welcoming, generous and helpful. I cannot play the part of the edgy artist but acclaimed for his brilliance and therefore tolerated in the oddity of his behaviour to whom all is forgiven for the magnificence of his cuisine. MAKING A VIRTUE OF NECESSITY PL:- Not out of resignation. I am a realist: my staff have to make food for several outlets. I would subject the brigade to unnecessary stress if I imposed extremely cerebral dishes out of pride. The complexity of the dishes, the service and the mise en place must be commensurate with our goal, which is the maintenance of a star. At the end comes a coffee. The Atrium has always stood for excellence. Three cups are not to be had if you don’t stand out in the sweet and savoury and beverage offering. We are still in one of the best bar hotels in the world according to Forbes, but although it is a full-blown coffee experience, I do not appreciate the cup and in this, I am an anomalous Italian. As anomalous is my habit of bringing Chiara’s biscuits as a gift to the interviewee. You cannot deny a star chef excellence in pastry. After all, Chiara’s shortcrust pastry can only be delightful if, as the author lovingly tells me, it is not ready for cutting and baking until it moans, sighing, at the touch of her hand. And orgasm, in the kitchen, seems to me the most gratifying of rewards. AT PAGE 40 DID YOU KNOW? Light: an ingredient not to be underestimated LIGHTING, IN THE DINING ROOM AS WELL AS IN THE KITCHEN, SHOULD BE CAREFULLY DESIGNED TO ENHANCE THE FOOD by Elena Consonni Light is a central element in a restaurant. In the kitchen it helps to create a safe environment in which to work; in the dining room it not only creates the atmosphere but can even influence the pleasure of what one eats. With the support of architect Sarah Elise Sartore of Luce di Aranel in Missaglia (LC), who actively collaborates with Voltalighting in Como, a lighting designer,