Family Frames Vision of Chef Massimo Riccioli

 

[slider_pro id=”8″]

 

I don’t look at Massimo Riccioli of Rome’s la Rosetta and see only a truly great chef. I follow his outsized gestures, expressions and whimsy and see a comedian, a throwback to the stars of classic Italian cinema. I imagine a first-name celebrity: Say only Massimo and it can mean only Riccioli.

I was deeply disappointed by the news that Massimo had left Massimo, the glitzy London restaurant and oyster bar at the ritzy Corinthia Hotel. But I am grateful that before returning to Rome he revealed to me a secret to his culinary stardom as well as a hope for the future.

So what secret did I learn from the consummate Italian seafood chef who, though a fusspot for simplicity, can’t manage in the kitchen with only one all-purpose fish stock?

Did I ask him why he bothers matching fish stocks to the specific fish they enrich (e.g. a mackerel stock only for mackerel dishes?)  No, I am not about to stock my fridge with a variety of single-fish fish stocks, no matter how convincing his reasoning.

Did I ask him about his sublime formula for pasta al nero di seppia (in cuttlefish ink), as the slideshow above might lead you to guess? No, I assumed the zesty tang from the sprinkling of grated Pecorina Romano did the trick, in open defiance of the no-cheese-with-seafood rule, and did not prod any further.

I chose instead to direct my question to his creative vision:

Where, Massimo, did you get your eyeglass frames?

Massimo smiled, pulled the blocky black frames from his face and examined the printing on the inside of their temples. The act was pointless and Massimo knew it. The tiny inscriptions are impossible to read without glasses. The frames, he revealed, were knockoffs of a model by a famous British designer.

As I scribbled his answer word-for-word Massimo realised he’d made mistake which, back home in Rome, might have dire consequences.

“No, no, no,” he said. The frames were in fact originals from Mondelliani (Via dei Bergamaschi 49, Rome). Mondelliani co-founder Rosaria Riccioli is, in addition to being Rome’s first name in eyeglass design, Massimo’s sister.

Her brother the chef/comedian hopes to be back in London, possibly to prepare simpler, trattoria fare. But at the moment his greatest wish of all is that his sister Rosaria does not see this post.

 

0 Comments

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Post

Your First Negroni?

I had my first Negroni, the now wildly popular cocktail of gin, red vermouth and bitters, at a bar in the Prati district of Rome in 1994.  The man next to me had one hand on a red cocktail, the other on a woman who looked exactly like Italian actress Monica Vitti...

read more

SpagWednesday Week

SpagWednesday Week is my video mix of photos taken by Paul Winch-Furness at six SpagWednesday pop-ups organised in London by young&foodish. The featured guest chefs are Arcangelo Dandini of L'Arcangelo in Rome, Rowley Leigh of Le Café Anglais in London, Giorgio...

read more

BRING YOUNG & FOODISH HOME

As a member of the Young & Foodish community, you’ll hear about our latest food discoveries, recipes, videos, live sessions, product recommendations, parties and at-home events. We’ll help you lead a more foodish life.

Welcome to the Young & Foodish community.

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This