Identita' golose

Two days, about twenty classes and presentations on the stage, in the lounge and in the kitchens of a cooking school in Mayfair; these are the figures of the second edition of Identità London at Vinopolis, in the capital city of the United Kingdom. The first to speak was Jason Atherton on Monday, June 7 and the last were Chicco and Bobo Cerea the night after, from an English chef who is going to start his career on his own to the starred brothers of the Italian firmament with their risotto, a precious cameo in this edition studded with pasta proposals. From Gennaro Esposito to Davide Scabin passing through Heinz Beck and Massimo Riccioli, two chefs who settled in London too, besides Rome. And again Massimo Bottura and Andrea Berton in a constellation of thoughts, words and concrete signs filled also with Sat Bains, David Chang, Wylie Dufrense and Alex Stupak, the salty and sweet side of WD-50 in New York, Ashley Palmer-Watts, Alexandre Gauthier up to the rock-chef Alvin Leung who, as he did in Milan, pleaded the cause of the struggle to Aids through his new version of the cocktail Sex on the beach. And with me Tom Parker Bowles, a careful and curious M.C.
I was already convinced of it, Identità London has just confirmed my idea: abroad there is a longing for Italian quality, but without the bombast and superficiality of some outdated behaviors now useless. Indisputable facts and evidences of original existence are needed when we really want to confront the rest of the world; the blah, blah, blah we often live on in Italy becomes embarrassing abroad, especially now that a distinction is made between our popular and cheap cooking, pasta & pizza, and a haute cuisine of authentic contemporary quality.
We at Identità are already aiming at a new goal: Pavilion Italia at Shanghai’s Expo where Milan is going to show all its excellences, including cuisine, from June 16 to 23. Thanks to the collage of faces it’s easy to know which restaurants will be the protagonists in China: Marchesino of Gualtiero Marchesi, Luogo di Aimo e Nadia, Trussardi alla Scala of Andrea Berton, Joia of Pietro Leemann, Bulgari with Elio Sironi, D’O of Davide Oldani and Gold with Giacomo Gallina. Every day cooking show and haute cuisine lunch for about 30 guests.
Paolo Marchi
Founder and curator