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Next week the spectacular city of Venice will be the stage for the 2013 S.Pellegrino Cooking Cup. The event will bring together chefs and sailors from all over the world for an exquisite regatta for foodies.
The 2013 S.Pellegrino Cooking Cup is a two-day affair beginning on June 14th with events throughout the city. On June 15th, sailors will race from Lido in Venice to the Island of San Giorgio. Simultaneously, 10 chefs will compete onboard preparing their best signature dishes.
Members of the public will be able to sample Italian delicacies and witness the Acqua Panna & S.Pellegrino Young Chef of the Year 2013 Award. It's an exciting event that combines the pleasures of the sea with fine cuisine by some of the most talented young chefs in the world.
With that in mind, we'd like to introduce you to one of the many talented chefs competing for the top prize. His name is Giuseppe Iannotti, a 30 year-old self-taught chef from the Southern Italian region of Campania.
Chef Iannotti opened up to us about his life, cuisine and passions. Here's what he told FDL:
Describe yourself in three words
Only three? Open-minded, stubborn, passionate.
What is the first flavor you remember and why?
That of milk. Even today I drink it. Until the age of 6 I downed 2 liters per day.
If you were a dish, what would it be?
Bread from Capriati al Volturno, tomatoes grown in the volcanic soil of Vesuvius, extra virgin olive oil, oregano from Ortolana Pietraroja, and anchovies from the Cantabrian Sea.
Which is the dish you prefer to prepare and the one you prefer to eat?
The dish that I will create tomorrow, the same goes for what I prefer to eat. I do not like to eat things that I've prepared more than twice.
Who or what is your main source of inspiration? A flavor, a situation, a dish you tried... And why?
I am a self-taught and my inspiration comes from a series of sensations that some ingredients give me.
Tradition and innovation: what is the relationship between these two words and how you can apply to the kitchen
Tradition is also successful innovation.
What is the fine dining for you?
To me fine dining is the right recipe based on psychology, service, ingredients and technique.
What will be, according to you, the next trend in the field of food and conviviality?
The trend of involving the diners in a culinary sensory experience is only in its infancy. By now, anyone who crosses the threshold of gourmet restaurants needs to leave behind the everyday and dive into an addictive and exciting world of wine and food.
Year 2050: what foods do you think we'll bring to the table? 2050?
Maybe by then the food and wine trends will change and someone will prefer to down pills, energy bars or something. Well, maybe. By then I'll be in my 70s. I see myself in the garden still taking care of my plants, in the markets choosing products that inspire me and meet my standards of quality and taste, around the world, in books or on the web studying processing techniques, cooking, and the utilization of raw materials.
