Tag: starred

30 years of Joia with Pietro Leemann, the first starred vegetarian in Italy – Italian Cuisine

Turns 30 years old Joia, the vegetarian restaurant of Pietro Leemann, the first vegetarian chef in the world to receive the Michelin star in 1996 and, still today, the only one of its kind to show off the coveted recognition in our country.

Three decades have passed since Leemann, already established after working in some of the most important kitchens in Italy, decided to embark on his journey back from a trip to the East.
"It was the beginning of a great adventure," recalls the chef. But also a big bet in the Milan of the eighties: "Back then, there were almost only Tuscan restaurants in the city. There was only one Japanese in my street (Panfilo Castaldi, behind Porta Venezia, ed) just a couple of places: today, at least 30 ".

In these years the Milanese gastronomic panorama has definitely changed, as has the sensitivity of customers. "Once upon a time, traditional vegetarian dishes were for those who could not afford meat. Today they become a choice. If at the beginning the public approached the green world in search of healthier food, now conscious choices are dominating made of environment and sustainability. And ordinary people are revealed later than restaurateurs, still slow to incorporate this philosophy, with the fine exception of gourmet venues ".

THE DECALOGUE
From these considerations was born one of the many projects that sees Pietro Leemann at the forefront in spreading what is a real philosophy of life: it is his "Decalogue for a healthy and sustainable cuisine" which, together with two young athletes, Oliviero Alotto and Alessandro Ippolito, is taking around the great restaurants in Italy.
First, Pietro (in an electric car), Oliviero and Alessandro reached Enrico Crippa at the Piazza Duomo in Alba, Norbert Niederkofler at the Rosa Alpina of San Cassiano, in Alta Badia, e Massimiliano Alajmo in Le Calandre di Rubano (PD): "traditional" restaurateurs but among the most attentive to the plant world.

With them, they shared the set of rules that goes from having always on the menu at least four vegetarian and / or vegetable proposals, with attention to seasonality and territory, to favoring the organic (all the ingredients in Joia's kitchen are organic) and small producers, from respecting animals and fish, opposing the logic of intensive farming, reducing plastic and energy consumption: a set of good practices that everyone should follow.

"It is important that change also takes place in the restaurant world: the kitchen is a formidable tool". This is demonstrated by the many young chefs who came out of his brigade to open new realities in very obvious contexts. The last two examples, which Leemann likes to remember, are Fabrizio Marino of the Maggese restaurant in San Miniato, in the heart of the most "carnivorous" Tuscany, e Rie Otsuka of Orterie, tavern in the small town of Stazzona, in the province of Sondrio.

DO SCHOOL
What comes out of the Joia is an articulated system that makes the training one of his hinges. With this spirit the was born Joia Academy in via Felice Casati, an institute for the dissemination of vegetarian culture open to professionals and amateurs alike.
And, above all, his most ambitious project, the "Code of vegetarian cuisine" (Giunti, 90 euro), a volume of almost 700 pages which is much more than a recipe book: an essential tool to create a "green" cuisine of the highest quality, respectful of living beings and the planet, which addresses every aspect: from techniques to equipment, from ingredients to scientific and philosophical insights, with 40 dishes signed by the chef and an appendix that brings together traditional Italian and oriental recipes.
"Because the kitchen can be theorized, but then it is also necessary to know how to put it into practice", says Leemann. "To make it become a source of happiness".

Francesca Romana Mezzadri
Photo Lucio Elio
October 2019

The starred sandwich according to chef Caterina Ceraudo – Italian Cuisine

A tribute to the feminine talent and beauty of Calabria and its raw materials: Petelia is the name of the limited-edition star-rated sandwich by chef Caterina Ceraudo for the opening of the new Panino Giusto First Floor in Milan

When creativity meets quality and a feminine touch is added, the result can only be excellent. The starred sandwich proposed by the chef Caterina Ceraudo for the menu dedicated to the Masters of Italian Cuisine of Panino Giusto it's a real explosion of Mediterranean flavors. A limited edition to taste as soon as possible to feel from the first bite all the essence and richness of Calabria, the land of origin of one of the most interesting young chefs on the contemporary Italian scene.

Chef Caterina Ceraudo and the Panine Giusto sandwich masters

Petelia is his name

At the opening of Panino Giusto First Floor, two levels of taste and shopping with Yamamay for a total of 1000 square meters in Piazza Cordusio a Milan, the excellent collaboration with the chef is born Caterina Ceraudo of the restaurant Dattilo, a Michelin star. Just from the Greek name of the Calabrian town Strongoli in the province of Crotone where it was born is called its gourmet sandwich, Petelia. A tribute to the feminine talent and beauty of her Calabria, the young cook proved ready to test herself on something different from the classic menu: «I accepted this invitation because bread, in its authentic expressions, is always present in my kitchen and because I had not yet attempted to conceive a sandwich, something to eat with my hands, which must take into account the harmony of everything together in the same bite! .

From surprising ingredients to special bread

The ingredients chosen by the chef Caterina Ceraudo for the Petelia they are a celebration of the raw materials of his land: capocollo, field salad and candied citrus fruits, Tropea onion marinated in raspberry vinegar and stracciatella, All enclosed in a special bread obtained from soft wheat Verna, an ancient variety grown in the Catanzaran Sila at 1300 meters high for at least 60 years, the so-called mountain grain. A choice that is certainly not accidental and that follows its path of enhancing the raw material and allowing it to involve another young Calabrese, Stefano Caccavari, creator of Mulinum, project that brings back the cultivation of the original grain, which is healthier and better because it is integral and free from invasive chemical treatments. A substantial difference that is felt from the first bite, crunchy and soft at the same time, to then reach the tenderness of the tasty filling until the final acidulous and engaging lash. The mouth water rises?

Chef Caterina Ceraudo and gourmet sandwich Petelia for Panino Giusto

Petelia is a happy expression of the kitchen of Caterina Ceraudo, based on an infinite respect for food and its natural origin, which leads it to use few elements enhancing simple flavors. Its could be defined as a balanced and light cuisine, apparently paradoxical in Calabria, which however manages to reach every dish, from savory to sweet. With the strength of the Ceraudo family behind them and their studies Niko Romito, the young Calabrian, born in 1987, already has important prizes and awards in her curriculum, such as Best Chef Woman 2017 for the Michelin Guide or Best Chef Under 35 of the 2018 Food Community Awards, as well as being part of theAtelier des Grandes Dames, network created by the Maison de Champagne Veuve Clicquot, to support the female talents of high catering. His is a pure and simple talent, visionary and creative, who knew how to conceive a gourmet version of the sandwich, a must on the menu of Panino Giusto.

Tokyo is the city with more starred restaurants in the world – Italian Cuisine

Also in 2019 Tokyo is confirmed as the city of the Michelin Guide, with the highest number of starred restaurants in the world and 13 of 3 Michelin stars

The twelfth and last edition of the Michelin Guide Tokyo 2019 has recently confirmed that, even this year, the Japanese capital is the city with the largest number of starred restaurants in the world, as many as 234.
This record, together with the variety of the starred culinary offer, makes Tokyo one of the main destinations and gastronomic attractions in the world.

All the records of Tokyo, world gastronomic capital

The Japanese metropolis has always had wide successes on the catering front, as well as great recognition by the Michelin Guide. The red guide, in fact, is notoriously always been very generous in the assignment of the stars to the city of Tokyo. 2019 represents, however, the record year from this point of view, since so many are the firsts achieved.

Let's start by saying that not only the metropolis of the Rising Sun has reached altitude 234 starred rooms, but that is also the city of the world with more 3-star restaurants, as many as 13against the 10 of Paris. The disparity between Tokyo and Paris becomes even greater if one observes the difference in the number of one and two-star restaurants between the two cities; Paris has 16 and 92 two and one star restaurants, while Tokyo has 52 and 165, respectively.

Furthermore, the new edition of the guide includes 484 restaurants, 73 of which are new entries, reflecting the dynamism of Tokyo's gastronomic scene. The assignment of the "new" stars concerned 33 restaurants, with some interesting news and records. In fact, among the new elected representatives three sushi bars or traditional ramen restaurants, or the Ryukyu Chinese Dining Tama, rustic and genuine cuisine in Okinawa, the Onigiri Asakusa Yadoroku with extraordinary onigiri (white rice presented in a triangular or cylindrical shape and often wrapped in algae nori) and finally Sobahouse Kinirohototogisu, just awarded a star for the quality of its ramen soups.

Sobahouse Kinirohototogisu, starred ramen shop

Going up even more than quality, they deserve to be mentioned i four rooms that have the merit and the record of having kept three stars during the various editions of the Michelin Guide, and the highest standards of cuisine, creativity and consistency, namely Kanda (Japanese cuisine), Quintessence (French cuisine), Joël Robuchon (French cuisine) and Sukiyabashi Jiro Honten (Japanese cuisine, sushi in particular).

True wealth, besides quality, is in variety

What is evident, therefore, is not only the excellence of local catering but also the great diversity in the offer, which ranges from prestigious luxury venues to small ramen shops. Not only that, among the many starred restaurants in Tokyo are not only those who specialize in Japanese cuisine, traditional or revisited, but also in international cuisines.

Quintessence, a starred French restaurant in Tokyo

One example is the well-known French restaurant L 'Osier in Chuo-ku, recently promoted to three Michelin stars thanks to the elegant cuisine of chef Olivier Chaignon, who marries seasonal ingredients from Japan and France. In short, as stated by Gwendal Poullennec, international director of the Michelin Guides, "The Tokyo restaurant is distinguished by a wealth of culinary variety, unique in the world. I have no doubt that this will encourage tourists to continue to visit Tokyo to experience the vibrant culinary scene ".

Photo: tokyo 3 star restaurant Sushi Yoshitake_CityFoodsters.jpg
Photo: Sobahouse Kinirohototogisu ramen shop Tokyo a stella_Page Facebook Sobahouse.jpg
Photo: French restaurant Tokyo 3 stars Quintessence_City Foodsters.jpg