By Elena Barassi
Icon of the haute cuisine, Gualtiero Marchesi meet me in his kingdom, Il Marchesino. He tells me about female chefs who always cook with their heart and he highlights that the haute cuisine is based on respect, curiosity and creativity. Last. He doesn’t want to take part to Masterchef. Never.
Which is your thought about healthy food?
An healthy food depends on 2 factors: the unlimited knowledge of raw material of techniques. If you know the raw material you can respect it, trying to preserve the early beauty and goodness, avoiding to destroy it.
Which is the future of cuisine, mostly thinking about new generations more and more undecided between fast food and Mediterranean diet?
Neither of these things, the main matter is to correctly cook, without snags, without messing up to amaze in all circumstances. The duty of the chef is to make health.
Which his your approach to the veg cuisine?
Positive, the day before yesterday I was in Switzerland in front of a salad buffet, all more spectacular and I ate lot of them.
In your opinion, which is the duty of the haute cuisine to provide a future and more exposure to young people ?
It’s important to realize that the Italian cuisine is mainly based on microclimates from which our food incredible variety comes from. We must start from here to study and work, preserving the tradition. Respect, curiosity and creativity are necessary to update the big heritage we have.
What do you think about Tripadvisor and about actions some chefs are carrying out towards Tripadvisor?
Maybe they are nothing to tell, but I would like to answer in a more generic way. I don’t like people who don’t enjoy in their enthusiasm, but they waste their time to criticize and protect himself. It usually happens during concerts where most people don’t listen to enjoy but to continuously criticize other people’s job. The choice is enourmous. We must try to be light.
Which are the most common mistakes the italian chefs are now making?
They don’t respect food, they destroy it with unnecessary procedures and additions. The cuisine shouldn’t have to deal with the pure show. I highlight, we make health.
Male or female chef? Which are the differences?
Maybe man is more technical, while woman usually cook with her heart and you can feel the difference. I was in Parma and I had dinner in a restaurant with risotto, salami and mushrooms in the menu. A wrong combination. At the end I convinced myself to try it and it was a good dish. I asked who was the chef, male or female and they answered me a woman. Here explained the surprise of a risotto, salami and mushrooms, good indeed.
Who are the most interesting chef around the world, for you?
I don’t know. It’s necessary to travel to answer in an impressive way and I have too many thing to do.
Culture, art and cuisine: how do you combine these three elements in your cuisine?
To make a culture the widest as possible. It’s essential to be curious and informed. To reach art, you need talent and the way is very very long.
Would you accept to be a Masterchef judge?
No
What do you think it’s your best success?
The open ravioli, reproduced or mentioned everywhere, often in a bad way.
Regrets?
Too many, but, in the end, I don’t think I’m not so bad
Your favourite dish?
Spaghetti, caviar and chives salad
Who is the chef at home?
None. One time, few years ago there was a big match with my wife and she was the winner.
Are you thinking about a new dish to offer?
A summer version of my rice, gold and safran: pilaf rice, flakes of gold and safran
Credits: Archivio Gualtiero Marchesi
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