Interview with Alessandro Cozzolino

1. Tell us about your background and journey into the culinary world. 


I was born and raised in the southern town of Caserta, 32 kilometres north of Naples. My earliest cooking influences came from home, watching and learning from my mother and grandmother. I absorbed their values in that kitchen: respect for ingredients and produce and cooking to demonstrate love towards family and friends. At 14 I set out to gain experience in a professional kitchen, working in my free time from school in the kitchens of a restaurant in Naples. It was then that I followed my dream to become a chef and enrolled in a five-year course at culinary school in Cassino, a city close to Rome. I was hooked from then on. 


2. What inspired you to become a chef and pursue this career? 


My first approach to cooking was with my family, but honestly, I don't know precisely how my passion was born. I have simply always been attracted to good food and dining in general. Studying and gaining experiences in different cuisines over the past 15 years have refined my way of understanding cooking, making it healthier but at the same time attractive.


3. How have your experiences around the world influenced your cooking style and approach? 


Taste needs to be trained, so tasting cultures different from my own has certainly shaped and defined me as a chef but also as a person. I don't like to define everything with the word "influenced", I believe that the right word is to define my cuisine in a more personal way than before.


4. How did it feel returning to Italy?


When Villa San Michele, A Belmond Hotel in Florence contacted me at the end of 2018 I was already thinking about the possibility of returning to Italy. The project I was offered - the role of executive chef of the overall culinary offering of the hotel, and the direction of its fine dining restaurant La Loggia was such an amazing and attractive one that I could not say no to. 


5. What are your signature dishes? possiamo mettere : Risotto, piccione e Zucchina(con i nomi menu 2024) ?


One of the most appreciated signature dishes at La Loggia is the Carnaroli, a risotto of roasted bell pepper, fennel, and Casentino gray piglet. This dish can be considered one of my historical dishes. A dish that, since its first execution 10 years ago, has evolved over time and become 'Tuscanised' upon my arrival in Florence. It is a childhood memory, particularly of the stuffed peppers made by my mother. In fact, as a child, I would only eat the inside of the stuffed pepper, leaving the exterior aside. For this reason, the dish's presentation consists of well-arranged peppers on the plate, creating a checkerboard pattern of peppers and creams made from various ingredients, and the risotto served in the middle. This signature dish is a tribute to my mother.


6. Looking back on your journey in the restaurant world, what advice would you give to your younger self if you were entering the industry now?


Stay calm, don't be afraid of others and continue to taste the incomprehensible because a chef's life is all about taste.


7. How do you choose where to eat when you’re not in the kitchen? What draws you to certain restaurants? 


The personality of the cook, the restaurant's atmosphere and the warmth of the dining room team. My travels around the world have influenced and inspired me in many little ways. They can sit around in the back of my head for years before finally being tried out.


8. What is your biggest achievement to date?


I am proud to have created a personal culinary concept made of techniques and tastes that belong to me, and that is much appreciated by our guests. In addition to this, I am proud to have a team that has the same vision as me, and with some of them especially, we now consider ourselves like a family.

9. What’s the most memorable dining experience you’ve had in recent times and what made it stand out?


I have had so many great experiences, but if I really have to mention one, it is the Yakumo Sarju restaurant in Meguro-ku, Tokyo. It remains a memorable experience at the moment. I have been there twice. It's an omakase where, in terms of taste, discovery crosses paths with chance encounters, and the experience involves all the five senses.


10. If you could eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?


Well, I could never eat just one thing for the rest of my life. I'm a cook, so I need to vary and tickle my taste buds. But one thing that i'm realising lately and that won't be around forever is my mum’s parmigiana. I know it won't be forever, so every time I eat it, I hope I can eat and savour it for as long as possible.

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