Taste of Italy

Passion for food is not just a clichŽ where Italian Fabrizio Pellegrini is concerned.

The executive chef of the Il CaffŽ eaterie at Armani/Casa in the Al A'ali Shopping Complex expresses his love for all things gourmet with conviction.

"Food is an experience ... it isn't just about filling your stomach. I see food as red hot, the colour of passion," he said.

"This job has given me everything - I met my wife through this job, otherwise I wouldn't have her."

Chef Fabrizio, 31 from Mahouz, came to the island last September. He has 12 years of culinary experience, three dedicated to the prestigious Armani CafŽs around the world as executive chef.

He said: "I have trained kitchen staff and have opened a few Armani CafŽs in places including San Diego and Istanbul.

Although Italian cooking was his first experience, Chef Fabrizio has managed kitchens working with other cuisines including French, Spanish, English and Japanese.

He said: "The world is divided into six parts in terms of different types of cuisines. Europe is the most creative as every single country has very different types of dishes.

"Food quality in the States is going down - most of the good chefs in America are from Europe or have been trained there. South America has so many countries but its cuisine is same all over. Their most important ingredients are chicken, tomatoes, onions, lemons, red peppers and chillies.

"Indian cuisine also, I feel, has similar recipes for all dishes with fish and meat using a lot of spices.

"Japanese cuisine, the cooked food, is amazing. It is healthy and they are very straight in choosing their products."

Cooking came to him naturally, inspired by his most favourite chef in the world, his mother.

He said: "Given a chance any day I would prefer having my mother's pasta, she's the best chef in the world."

After completing high school in 1996, Chef Fabrizio drifted for a few months until his father sat him down and asked what he wanted to do.

He said: "I told him I wanted to cook. He said ok and got on the phone. Two hours later he told me 'be ready tomorrow at six to start work.' He had got me a job through his contacts with a catering company.

"It wasn't the best place, preparing 2,000 meals a day but I learned and understood a lot about the cooking business."

He went on to work for various restaurants taking in knowledge and experience including working with renowned Pastry Chef Ernst Knam.

Chef Fabrizio said: "I spent days crying in the kitchen but I have learned so much from him. He is my teacher and my approach to my job is all thanks to him.

"Nowadays in Italy everyone is seeking a college or university degree and it has become all about the money. There is no passion any more.

"I get so many resumes with big degrees from culinary institutes and colleges saying how motivated, hard working and what a great team player they are but they won't even be good enough to chop parsley properly.

"Our kitchen at Il CaffŽ had 20 people initially, now it has come down to eight and there is a reason for this.

"There are two men in my kitchen that I am very proud of - they came to be dishwashers but I already had one so I asked them if they really wanted a job and were willing to learn. "That's what I look for in people ... the will and the dedication to learn new things and work hard." Although Chef Fabrizio's list of customers has included political dignitaries as well as celebrities, his heart warms most at having simple people enjoy a meal he has prepared. He said: "We have regular guests who come and ask me to prepare something out of the menu and I interact with them on a friendly basis. "I like to cook for people with whom I can have a connection rather with than celebrities who come into the dining room, eat two bites and leave." For the future, Chef Fabrizio, originally from Portofino, hopes to buy a beach in Mexico where he could open a small restaurant and his wife would make necklaces from sea shells. Here he shares a favourite dish for GulfWeekly readers.