• When discussing Italy and its cuisine, what do you feel is the common link between its different regions as it relates to food and cooking?
CAF: The common link is the land and its history. Some regions resemble each other in terms of kitchen because they have hosted or have been dominated by the same people. The kitchen of the Campania region, for example, has been influenced by French and Spanish people and by its very fertile land; so productive as to be defined as “Campania Felix” by the ancient Romans.
• When talking about personal tastes, what has been your own favorite dish you have ever created, and why?
CAF: To tell you the truth, I am never completely satisfied with what I do and can always see things I can improve. I always aim for the “perfectly resolved” dish. Anyhow, I like “Lamb shoulder cooked at low temperature, marinated artichoke, and lemon garlic sauce.” The quality of the ingredients used, the mastery of flavors, and the cooking techniques were very much thought about. It is balanced explosiveness!
• What inspires you to wake up every morning to do what you love?
CAF: My love for food and cooking was cultivated by growing up in a family that loved to eat and a home where my mom cooked a lot. I love to be an Executive Chef when I wake up in the morning, but at night, when I feel exhausted, I may hate being an Executive Chef. The next morning I love it again and feel I could not live without cooking.
• When sitting at home with your loved ones, enjoying a meal, what is that meal composed of, and what makes this moment the perfect one?
CAF: I am off one day a week. Together with my family, I usually go and visit my parents. We have lunch all together: very traditional food, the one my mother has cooked all her life. Flavors and tastes bring me back to when I was a child. Having lunch with them is a ritual I love because it happens once a week, which means that I look forward to it every week.
• What advice would you give to aspiring chefs who wish to follow your steps and those aiming to earn the coveted Michelin recognition?
CAF: I would recommend loving what they do; otherwise, do not do it. Results come. They are a consequence of how much effort and love you put into what you do. The coveted Michelin recognition is a bit of a dream. Any cook would love such recognition. It means a lot to a cook, like the Oscar’s to an actor and the Pulitzer to a journalist or writer. My main piece of advice is to follow your dreams. Dreams are meant to be pursued and grasped. Work hard, educate yourself, strive, and never forget to be kind to others. – GM