Page 18 - Exploring Taste Magazine N.2

EXPLORING TASTE—SANTA MARGHERITA GRUPPO VINICOLO

“I believe that the uniqueness that distinguishes Italy is its difference. Italy is united and at the same
time it is greatly divided, but this is a characteristic – this must be acknowledged. It is divided into many
segments: you have the various ‘province’, families, and in the family there is the only person
who knows how to make ‘baccalà alla Vicentina’ (Vicenza-style cod).”

es that speak of the local area and are also inseparably linked to the only person who knows how to make ‘baccalà alla Vicentina’
history, customs and tradition. “Nowadays, what we interpret as (Vicenza-style cod). And therefore, in a single province, you have
tradition is what remains of knowledge,” said Alajmo, proving that 500 versions of this dish,” and I recalled – once again, the mem-
he has contemplated this matter a great deal too. “It is almost al- ory of – my grandmother’s “mondeghili”, the meatballs that, as a
ways related to a fragment of a historical period. We establish it, we child, were capable of making my day meaningful. I told him of this,
delimit it. Yet if you consider Italian cuisine, and go a little further and then I asked him what relationship he has with recollections.
back in time, you realize that saf ron, rose and ginger were rather “There is a part of your memory that you are aware of having and
commonly-used ingredients. Today they are considered exotic.” another part that you didn’t know you had,” he said. “Some of these
When Alajmo speaks of cuisine, f avors and gastronomy, glimpses implicit memories perhaps do not belong to your personal path, but
of several types of map can be constantly seen in the background: to what came before you. When a customer sits in a restaurant, he
the historical and geographical coordinates of the world, and at the expects to have a certain type of recollection. Everyone has his or
same time, an intimate map of personal recollections. Speaking, he her own. The most dif cult thing, for me, is f nding the one that
said, is also a way of cooking. “You can cook without having any- brings together not all, but most of the guests.” Shortly afterwards,
thing. You can perceive a f avor just by using your imagination. A I found my sensory delight in the red braised cheek served with
person can experience a f avor through the power of suggestion.” a black truf e-f avored celeriac cream, and in the “osso alle erbe”
When I asked what working as a chef meant to him, he corrected (herb-seasoned bone marrow), one of his most famous dishes, pow-
me and said, “In my case, I do not work as a chef, I am a chef. It is a erful enough to trigger a whole swarm of emotions. I know what it
question of embodying the profession. It represents a way of life. It is means, Massimiliano, when you speak of “letting the ingredients
so common now for a person to choose a profession because it gives live, let the food do the speaking”.
him a status – that means working. This is rather meaningless, it is Alajmo is both extremely theoretical and naturally enthusiastic.
almost like taking yourself for a ride. Instead, you should know what He asked me what I like eating and cooking, leaving me speechless
you are really looking for and express yourself in that profession. and embarrassed, but he f ared up when I mentioned cooking pro-
Action preceded by awareness.” grams on TV. “Cookery or entertainment?” he asked. I invited him
He stopped to ref ect when I asked him what, in his opinion, was the to continue. He added, “What I see doesn’t seem to have anything
lowest common denominator of Italian gastronomy. In a low voice, to do with cookery, yet it uses the kitchen as a screen to transmit
he said, “Yes. This is something I have thought about a great deal”, an entertainment-related world, for the needs of viewers who want
before taking another pause, and answering: “And I believe that the to identify themselves with a role.” I thought back to the previously
uniqueness that distinguishes Italy is its dif erence. Italy is united mentioned library, of the care that Massimiliano takes in his profes-
and at the same time it is greatly divided, but this is a characteris- sion, which is also his whole life. “I believe that a chef is also a chef
tic – this must be acknowledged. It is divided into many segments: when he touches fabric,” he explained, “when he drinks a cof ee”.
you have the various ‘province’, families, and in the family there is This is not a uniform; a chef is always a chef.

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