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Chef Kumalè: a gastronomy globtrotter who searchs

Vittorio Castellani, this is his real name, continues to traver to discover new cooking and "using the kitchen and the history to open the minds and hearts of Italians towards other cultures"

by Monica Sommacampagna

The activity began in 1991 as a joke. He, Vittorio Castellani, very Italian, during a radio broadcast footprint of cuisine, he made up a nickname, which now takes him around the world: Chef Kumalè.
Journalist, trainer and event organizer, today this man is a heartfelt point of reference for a kitchen is not merely "ethnic", as keen to point out, but "open to the world." And make at least two trips each month to capture precious traditions of every country, synergies, opportunities for contamination. In his case, rather than gastronomic philosophy we can talk about food culture in its broadest sense and seductive. Yet, in spite of the passion that infuses every word devoted to recipes and foods from around the world, Chef Kumalè kitchen with love and attention his rare delicacies as "strange". Chef is in name and fact. Small but not insignificant peculiarity: its "restaurant" is, literally, the world.

My culinary philosophy. "I consider the kitchen as a place of exchange and encounter ever. On each plate is the story of a people, its roots, traditions preserved for centuries. The task that I feel more closely? Using the kitchen and the history to open the minds and hearts of Italians towards other cultures. "

Research. "Today I am comparing with the cuisines of northern European countries such as Sweden and Ireland. I go to the roots of the food trials I leave to others. "

Tradition. "The study. In Spain I take care of the international section of the Forum Gastronomic Girona, along with talented chefs like Ferran Adrià. There is an incredible universe of knowledge to be explored. "

Extra virgin olive oil. "It is the essential ingredient of Mediterranean cuisine. I use it regularly, recently I was a guest of the Chamber of Commerce of Heraklion in Greece and I appreciate their virgin low acidity. Of course, in North Africa and the Middle East are using more butter. For example, Malta uses butter suffered as a result of British rule "

My wine list. "I'm not a wine expert. I note the possibility of traveling kitchens married with different beverages such as tea or beer. But I love to combine different types of wine, just that the recipes are not too spicy or hot, to break the harmony of the combination "

Projects. "I'm just so many. I'm working on a guide to the best world food restaurants that I'd like to make known with iPhone and on the web, with free use. It is a fact that in Italy in recent years there has been an increase of 400% in the presence of world food restaurants. Over time, standards are much improved, the quality has increased. I also find it interesting Italian products used to make dishes from other countries. Among my projects includes an exhibition of photographs of trucks with tires as a photo frame of streetfood. I like to work on projects other than usual. "

What I feel. "The new horizons. I'm leaving for Brazil, then I expect Lyon, then to Scotland. "

The phenomenon of the moment. "I do not study fashion. But it is a fact that today in Latin America is becoming the phenomenon of re-examination of contemporary cuisine with a wealth of important raw materials, consisting of over 4,000 species of plants and fruits. In addition, employing the Japanese masters in Latin American products, a fact little known in Europe ... I note a very interesting ferment in Northern Europe and Australia. Perhaps few people know that Ireland was among the first countries, 15 years ago, to recall the Slow Food philosophy today label as "good, clean and fair." There is great attention to health, some restaurateurs have their own greenhouses or enter into commercial agreements to support quality products for use as ingredients in their recipes. So give a hand to those who are defending precious raw materials ".

by Monica Sommacampagna
01 November 2010 Teatro Naturale International n. 11 Year 2

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