Chef Adriano Baldassarre, busy relishing the ingredients of something as simplistic as a Caesar salad at a hotel in Bangalore, sat with us for a quick chat on Italian cuisine, its similarities with Indian dishes and much more.
Adriano has close to 9 years of experience catering Italian food to Indian tastes. He spent two years as an executive of Vetro restaurant at the Oberoi Hotel in Mumbai and consulting chef for Perbacco at the Lodhi hotel in New Delhi in 2018. He has also served as the private chef for the affluent Ambani family.
Awarded the Michelin star at the age of 27, Adriano is called the romantic chef. For him, food is uncomplicated.
On his inspiration...
He says the best way to make pasta sauce is to add a clove of garlic, follow it with juicy tomatoes and a drop of olive oil without any additional spices. Food should be real and made out of love, he adamantly believes.
On being asked where he gets his inspiration from, Adriano recalled the hearty Sunday brunches with his family in Rome. We figured that his understanding and passion for the cuisine are deeply rooted in familial and cultural values. His grandmother and mother hosted their relatives almost every weekend and as a child, he equated happiness with food. The rest, he says, is history.
Similarity between Indian and Italian cuisine...
According to Adriano, the approach to Italian and Indian food is cooked is very similar. "We both enjoy sharing. Many places do that but we do it in a very similar way. There is warmth around the food table," he said.
His food mantra...
While he managed to find a stirring similarity between the two cuisines, he did share what makes Italian food so unique. In his years of experience, Adriano swears by one mantra for his food.
"We don't put we remove. In every recipe, there are just a few ingredients and the main ingredient is always pampered. Adriano established that simplicity is what makes Italian dishes loved across the globe.
Take on smaller quantities of Italian food...
Also, over the years he says, Italian cuisine has become healthier and more sustainable which has helped its popularity. “Italian food has become light in terms of the way it is cooked.”
“You will never see a big quantity of Italian food. There is variety. A little bit of this, little of that and not anything heavy,” he further explained.
Adriano flew down to Bangalore for the Italian Cuisine Week, hosted by Kempegowda International Airport in collaboration with the newly established Consulate General of Italy in the city. The renowned chef curated a special menu, with his signature dishes taking the centre stage, for the week-long event.
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