The second episode of #AmicidiGusto is dedicated to Enrico, Italian chef at the Ché Fè bio-agritourism in Copenhagen.
That curiosity I felt when I was picking the fruits of the earth in our small home garden. That alchemy of aromas and flavors that my grandmother used to create in the kitchen.
Proposing Italian cuisine abroad is knowing how to transmit these emotions. An act of love for the land. To the culture of my origins.
When I was 6 years old, I decided I would become a chef. I trained and worked in restaurants in Vicenza, the city where I was born. Then one day a friend suggested I go and work in Copenhagen, in his agritourism. They specialized in organic Italian cuisine. I had never worked abroad. But I accepted the challenge. In my cooking I always look for the simplicity that you can find in a good Italian trattoria, or in the kitchens of our grandmothers and mothers. That skill in knowing how to exalt genuine products of exceptional quality.
Bringing Italian cuisine abroad is almost like spreading knowledge, educating a curious clientele.
It is not a question of feeding or cheering up an evening. It is about sharing a journey of rediscovery together.
Copenhagen is a multi-ethnic capital. Here, the integration of different cultures gives new energy and vitality. Moving here, at the age of forty, has been like being reborn in a previously unknown dimension. It excites me and pushes me to discover something new every day.
When I feel homesick, I go to a good pizzeria run by Italians. I say hello and have a chat while biting into their extraordinary pizza. But the most difficult moments are the holidays, Easter and Christmas. So I look for an artisan panettone or a focaccia.
The memories of a lifetime come back. And here, too, I feel at home.
