NEWH - November 2005 - (Page 21)

mof mof – minimum of fuss, maximum of flavor by Sue Lamont, Lamont Interiors Aside from his passion for life and food, part of Antonio Carluccio’s charm, is the enthusiasm with which he readily imparts 60 years of culinary and cultural knowledge – he is a fascinating storyteller. His focus, passion and humor are revealed within moments of meeting him. He speaks candidly about food in conjunction with culture, lifestyle, sex, politics, history and business and very openly shares the delights of his recipes inclusive of the ingredients for the season. Photos courtesy of Antonio Carluccio Our meeting took place at his Neal Street Restaurant situated on Neal Street, a popular Covent Garden landmark for more than 30 years. The Neal Street Restaurant showcases some of the finest Italian cuisine in London but with a refreshingly casual and genial ambience. True to his roots Carluccio is one of Italian foods’ greatest ambassadors and continues to source Italy’s finest produce for his restaurant and his Carluccio’s Caffés. In March this year he was awarded Honorary Associate and his award winning group of restaurants, Carluccio’s Caffes, an Honorary Member of the his studies. Out of necessity rather than design, he began to cook with ingredients sourced from his homeland. In valuing just what he was missing, he became passionate about his national food. Altagamma International Honorary Council. This non-profit association groups together leading international Italian companies operating in the luxury market. Antonio Carluccio was selected for his dedication, knowledge, enthusiasm and lifetime service to the Italian food industry. The art of recognizing and gathering food was taught to Antonio as a boy in the rural Aosta Valley near the Swiss border. It is also where his passion for picking mushrooms began. It was these activities together with the b a c k g ro u n d knowledge of what his mother had prepared their large family, that held him in good stead in Vienna during the course of Always interested in food as a major part of any culture, Antonio has traveled, witnessed, researched and participated in tastings throughout the world. In Australia, he says, “the Italians here are more Italian than Italians in Italy… being so far from home, they wish to continue the tradition of Italian provincial cooking.” It was 22 years ago he wrote, A Passion for Mushrooms, which was translated into seven languages and sold 300,000 copies. He is presently writing his 10th book, Italia. And it was while researching over 20 Italian regions for this latest book that he found the regional chefs far too parochial. He could not understand why the chefs would not explore the fusion between regions as an evolution – “to think outside of the box…” Despite culinary fame, Carluccio still prefers to call himself a ‘cook’ rather than a chef so he can dedicate himself to the discovery of things connected with food. To this day, however curious he may be about the new specialties of award-winning restaurants, he favors the philosophy that when a chef believes in what he is doing and the food he represents, he can achieve his best with “MOF MOF – Minimum of fuss, maximum of flavor.” He observes that too many chefs have the need to be singularly noted, to provoke reaction often to the detriment of the food served. “I cannot forget 21

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NEWH - November 2005

NEWH - November 2005
Letter from the President
Upfront
Contents
Hospitality News
Learning from Las Vegas, Exposing the Masters
Concept Hotels
Hospitality Industry Finds Friend in IRS
Mof Mof – Minimum of Fuss, Maximum of Flavor
Bubble Bash a Great Success!!
Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort
NEWH Welcomes New Corporate Partner NLP Industries
School from the Heart Update
Contributors
Coming Events

NEWH - November 2005