Elite Traveler Summer 2022

LEADERS IN LUXURY

Zuppa Fredda di Carbonara, which translates to ‘cold carbonara soup’

Appointed a UN Environment Programme Goodwill Ambassador in 2020 in the fi ght against food waste, the famed Italian chef speaks to Elite Traveler about this global movement. What is your culinary philosophy? “Tradition in evolution” is an idea that has led my work over the past 27 years. The kitchen at Osteria Francescana [Bottura’s renowned triple Michelin-star restaurant in his home city of Modena] is a laboratory, an observatory, where we look at tradition from miles away. We look at the past in a critical way, not a nostalgic way. This doesn’t mean disrespecting our culinary traditions — instead, it implies a deep knowledge while fi nding the most appropriate way to bring it into the future. Recipes are not meant to be followed literally. They are stories of a precise time in history. I take recipes as a starting point from which I begin the path of creation. Then inspiration comes from what’s around me. Being a chef means fi nding inspiration in everything. It means making a pesto with bread crumbs when you can’t fi nd pine nuts. It means using all you have in the fridge, giving new value to humble ingredients. Do you have a favorite dish at Osteria Francescana? That is a hard question — maybe impossible. There are so many iconic dishes that I adore. A dish like the ‘Five Ages of Parmigiano Reggiano in Massimo Bottura Chef Patron, Osteria Francescana

an expression of the territory. In Modena, this translates into the

incredibly rich variety of ingredients, artisanal techniques, culinary traditions and family rites, as well as the centrality of time. The long aging processes, the fermentations, the vinegar resting in the barrels are all tangible manifestations of our way of life, best described by the Latin expression festina lente : to hurry slowly. What did earning a Michelin Green at Osteria Francescana mean to you? I think the Green Star has opened up an incredible opportunity for chefs to think about how we can do things better: more equitably, more sustainably, more engaged with our communities. Just imagine that Michelin, the world’s oldest and most respected restaurant guide, after nearly 100 years has just introduced a new star that celebrates sustainability. It is quite amazing, and I hope that it will encourage restaurants to jump into the future and imagine a better and more delicious world led by good practices. In order to transform the food system into a healthier and more sustainable one, we need to fi nd the courage to strike a new conversation where respect for food takes center stage. Cooks can be more responsible and think not only about their creative output but also their carbon footprint — if we take our individual actions seriously, we can change the way future kitchens are run and have a positive impact on the industry. When we change our buying habits and increase demand for sustainable ingredients and products, we in fl uence producers and manufacturers. We are at a crossroads where we have a great opportunity to lead the industry towards better practices, and it all depends on our individual actions, both in our homes and in our restaurants. How do you make sure that all of your restaurants are as sustainable as possible? Our kitchens do everything they can to use every part of the animal, fi sh, cheese, fruit and vegetable. When our menu prep produces food trimmings that, in most places, go to waste, we prepare sta ff meals using the leftovers. In Osteria Francescana we have always

Di ff erent Temperatures and Textures,’ which began to take shape 30 years ago before I even opened Osteria Francescana, and which we are still serving every night. Or a dish from our current menu that embraces so many themes over the past years — from food waste to pop art to examining the Italian contemporary kitchen. This dish, ‘Zuppa Fredda di Carbonara,’ is a version of carbonara in the form of an ice-cream cone, with caviar and faux bacon made with banana peels. It sounds so mad but is so delicious and so right. I just love it. Tell us about your passion for the local produce of Emilia-Romagna. I was born in Modena, in the center of Emilia-Romagna; it’s where balsamic vinegar and Parmigiano Reggiano have been produced for the past 500 years. I often say that my muscles are made of Parmigiano Reggiano and my veins are made of balsamic vinegar. It de fi nes who I am, where I come from, as a person and as a chef. For me, cuisine is

followed the ‘nose-to-tail’ approach. And this approach is used in each project, from Franceschetta58 [Osteria Francescana’s Bistro in Modena], to Cavallino [Bottura’s reinterpretation of the storied Emilia-Romagna restaurant beloved by Enzo Ferrari], from Gucci Osteria [with branches in Florence, Beverly Hills, Tokyo and Seoul] to Torno Subito [in Dubai]. Have you always been passionate about limiting food waste? The Italian cucina povera is the original ‘no waste kitchen.’ The philosophy of using everything is a legacy that comes from our mothers and grandmothers: It is the basis of the Italian tradition. I learned everything I know about not wasting food from my grandmother! I still remember one of my favorite

Left Osteria Francescana, Bottura’s three-Michelin star restaurant in Modena, Italy Right Refettorio Gastromotiva in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Photos Callo Albanese, Angelo Dal Bó