Ciak, engine, action … thus begins the long film of the life of Federico Fellini, magical, visionary and with a good fork, the one who with the food has formed a complex relationship and that has always left its mark in his life as well as in his film production. Land of origin the Romagna, in his DNA succulent dishes and beautiful women, as well as big dreams. Dreams made elsewhere, luck in the Eternal city, Rome, to which he gave his heart and his best films. "At the table with Fellini", whose name also refers to the title of the book written by his niece Francesca, suggests abundance, full bellies, but also his always extravagant ways of doing, he who loves traditional cuisine, the company of his favorite dishes never gave up on a good glass of Lambrusco.
An authentic Italy, the one reported by the director on the big screen, the sensations aroused by the food, the smells, the flavors, love for our land which has always inspired poetry. Feelings, passion for life and its nuances and this indissoluble bond with our primary needs dance. His art, his works, these stories that have become masterpieces passed into history, inimitable fixed points to cling to. Between a taste of the saltimbocca alla romana and a tasty one scarpetta in a plate of rigatoni, following a filmic itinerary, we walk with our minds through the streets of Rome. A photo of the Trevi Fountain, the icon of Sweet life, of that passionate bathroom of Mastroianni and Anita Ekberg. But among all these culinary legends, what did Buon Fellini taste? "Tortellini del Maestro", so they are renamed, tortellini in broth served with a glass of Whiskey, a simple and tasty dish to be savored in the old restaurant "Cesarina", which has now become “Al 59”, located in the beating heart of Rome, the right place to relive the magical atmosphere of Italian cinema, feasting on the same table where the director used to have lunch.
A true "Gourmet of life" as his dear niece Francesca defines it, Fellini used to taste his Christmas lunch-style dishes, full-bodied and abundant foods, worthy of a great beloved land, Romagna: maltagliati with beans, spaghetti with tuna, fish broth, roasted pigeon, practically his favorite dish, boiled meatballs with raisins, up to the dessert, the renowned English soup, with that aftertaste of alchermes, to whet his dreamlike palate. Savory recipes, generous moods of a land where food is important, the people are nice, frank, whimsical at times rough but always friendly to their guests.
Fellini, in fact, as a good bearer of tradition he almost never liked to eat alone: at his table he always invited writers, journalists, actors, politicians and producers. He was not attracted to elaborate dishes, he always opted for simplicity: he claimed that there was nothing tastier than a crispy oven-baked rosette with a walnut of Parmesan inside, the sacrosanct snack that between one take and another he tasted with such much enjoyment. Spoiled and pampered even by the delights of his costume designer Danilo Donati, as well as his personal chef due to his magical flair, his sins of gluttony never ceased. There Fellini's culinary culture, so we can define it, a propensity to taste, nibble, vary, without ever really stopping at a single dish. Federico Fellini has always been more inclined to the discovery of flavors, to creativity rather than to the satiety of one's stomach.
Of Elena Strappa
