Q & A with Cesare Casella
If you see a chef wtih fresh rosemary in his shirt pocket, it’s Cesare Casella. “I think the Italian cuisine in
Single/Married/Divorced?
Married
What did you want to be when you grew up?
A chef!
What was your first job in food?
When I was a kid, I worked at my parent’s restaurant Vipore in
At what age did you start working at the family trattoria called Vipore? What was it like being your mother’s sous chef?
It started when I was eight years old, and I would hand diners the menu. And every year I would gain more responsibilities – I grew up in the restaurant!
What did you learn from your mom and working at a restaurant at such a young age?
I would watch my mom cook, and learn from her that way. Only after I was 17 years old did she start to really teach me. She really taught me how to respect the ingredients and the food. I also learned how to talk to the food – like when I go to the market, I look at the ingredients and they talk to me. The next time you go to the market, look at the fish, tomatoes, and fruit you’re buying. If it looks sad, then it’s old. The food must talk to you.
You’re
never seen without your signature, fresh rosemary in your shirt
pocket. Do explain your fondness for herbs and “herbal cuisine”…
I
have a real passion for herbs, and never leave the house without
rosemary in my pocket. And ladies love it! They come up to me all the
time to ask me about my rosemary!
You also attended the Culinary Institute of Ferdinando Martini in Montecatini. Looking back, do you think you benefited more from the education you received in your family’s restaurant or culinary school?
They are two very different things, and they work together to give you a culinary education. The education combined is important.
I used to come to the
You make your real debut on the
I think my Tuscan cooking has involved a lot. At my restaurant, I take traditional ingredients, traditional dishes, and do it my way. Since I’m the Dean of the
How has the Italian restaurant scene in
I think the Italian cuisine in
Your latest venture, Salumeria Rosi Parmacotto, is a market-cum-restaurant. What was most difficult about collaborating with your partners, the Rosi family and how did Oscar-winning set designer, Dante Ferretti, become involved in designing the interior?…
I wish every collaboration would work this well. Partnership is like a marriage, and I worked really closely with the Rosi family on creation of this salumeria. It was also so easy to work with Dante Ferretti – more so than working with the architect. When he first explained his design to me, I couldn’t quite tell how it would come out. And after I saw the finished product, I cried. It was so exciting to see his ideas come to fruition – to see the black mirrors with the giant map of
What is your favorite dish on the menu at Salumeria Rosi Parmacotto?
This is too difficult a question for me to think which one is better for me. It’s like asking which of your children is your favorite. I always love the beans and the salumi though, and the salumi platter with Parmacotto mortadella, prosciutto, and others, alongside my Sette Fagioli salad – I love.
Which is your least favorite (and yes, you must pick one)?
I don’t always like the sweets. I stay more with salumi than dessert.
Where do you go for a delicious meal in
I love eating out at Del Posto and The Four Seasons restaurant, and if I want a delicious snack I go to Academia di Vino.
Any new plans on the horizon? A cookbook perhaps? Spill the beans…
I’m writing a new book – True Italian. It’s all about true Italian cuisine, ingredients, and culture, along with lots of recipes.
Phone: (212) 877-4800