area 109+ | around food

the vision of Massimiliano Alajmo

Belonging to an ancient family of restaurateur from Veneto, after having graduated, in 1990  he deepened his experience in different restaurants in Italy and abroad.
In 1993 he dedicates himself with his brother Raffaele Alajmo to the restaurant of his family, “Le Calandre” at Sarmeloa di Rubano (PD), which in 1996 gained the second michelin star, becoming the youngest chef of european history with such an important recognition. In novembre 2002 he awarded the third star, confirming himself one of the major chef on a european level.
www.alajmo.it

area: What should the space where the cook works be like? Should it be dark or bright, what kind of light does he need to work, and what climate and temperature is ideal?
Massimiliano Alajmo: The space is closely linked to light, and the ideal reference is certainly aimed at an interior dimension.
area: Does the configuration of the space change, depending on the type of food which is prepared there?
M. A.: The most important space we must work on concern ourselves.
area: What is the ideal environment in which to consume your dishes?
M. A.: Our restaurant, which has been created as the ideal setting for our dishes. It is a synaesthetic dialogue which makes the different senses interact in the essential direction of our research.
area: Is it correct, in your opinion, to separate the area where the food is prepared from the dining room?
M. A.: Yes, but not always. There are some cultures where the guest is involved in a more direct manner. In our case we maintain a transparent, but at the same time intimate, relationship.
area: Do you agree with the tendency to design transparent kitchens, in glass, through which it is possible to watch the food being prepared? And, in your opinion, what has given rise to this new orientation?
M. A.: As I mentioned a moment ago, I consider (in our case) that it is fascinating to reassure the guest and to trigger his imagination, but without denying him the intimacy which he will, in any case, search.
area: To what extent does design and aesthetic quality influence the spaces of the kitchen, as compared to more functional aspects?
M. A.: As far as I am concerned, aesthetics is a function of the content.
area: Is there a connection between the materials of the utensils you use and the foods you prepare?
M. A.: This is a very fascinating aspect, because it requires experience, expertise and sensibility. The way we perceive foods changes depending on the materials and the forms.
area: To what extent do technology and design influence your way to cook?
M. A.: My point of view is that technique is not digestible, and design should be the representative form of a concept. This means that technique is a means, and the form the aesthetic consequence of the intention.
area: How much do aesthetics, design, the way a dish is presented, matter in the preparation of foods? Apart from the aspect of taste, how much does the aesthetic combination of the composition matter?
M. A.: Everything in a dish matters and, if truth be told, a lot of what is around it. More than anything, what matters is the intention of the guest, and the harmony he may create.
area: How much does the aesthetic value of the plate matter: the colour, the form of the dishes, the cutlery... And in your opinion, does the current production of objects for the kitchen fully meet the requirements of the cook, or do you think it is necessary to invest more on research and design?
M. A.: I invite you to taste the “Gioccarita” (you find an image of it in the attachment), a delicate dessert dedicated to my little Mariarita. During this process – consisting of 12 elements that are completely unknown to the guest – he or she receives an envelope with 12 picture cards (drawn by Kimberly McKean and Giorgio Cavazzano) depicting every element the dessert is made from. There is a study on chromatic effects, on the forms which perforce appear in the imaginary mind of a child which, still lacking a taste memory, experiences the gastronomic discovery in relation to its natural sensibility, translating the flavour in a new figurative language.
area: Is an evolution of the plate and the cutlery conceivable?
M. A.: Certainly, even the evolution today often looks to the past, to recreate an instinctive material dialogue which is too often denied by the distance created by the cutlery or by a container which is sometimes too sophisticated, and which violates the food stored in it.