Photograph by Casey Gomez of THINKtank! Creatives
What elements from your life in previous kitchens did you bring with you to Carmagnola?
I really love to cook within a traditional element, but then I’m not confined by the traditional part. I like to use it as a base then step out just a little bit to keep it unique.
What drew you to Italian cooking at this stage in your career?
I have a background in Italian cooking, but it’s been a long time. I really like the tradition of it. I love that the Italians really focus on high end ingredients, that’s kind of our focus [at Carmagnola], too. Our mission is to showcase these beautiful products and not manipulate them too much, just really respect what they are.
What’s inspiring you these days when creating new dishes?
The primitive art of cooking on an open fire. We have this beautiful handcrafted grill. Every day we’re evolving and learning how to use it. It’s a living thing so you have to respect it. You can’t tell it what to do; it tells you what to do.
Is there a dish on the menu that you feel best represents what you’re trying to do at Carmagnola?
The Picanha [in Steak Jess’s Way]. We soy cure it, sous vide it, then we hold it in a CVap [warming cabinet], then we smoke it. This simple cut of meat, we tinker with it so we can show it off properly.
Are there any similarities between German, American, and Italian cooking that made the transition to this style of cooking easier?
When I was at Bauer, I loved to take old school classic dishes, give them the proper respect but modernize them a little or add an ingredient that makes it unique. That’s how we’re doing it with the Italian [cooking] process, too.
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