Date: 29 September 2011
The biennial appointment with Vitrum, the international trade show dedicated to glass processing machinery and special products, taking place at Rho Fiera Milano from October 26th to 29th 2011, brings with it some newsworthy events. Inside Pavilion 22, the first of four days devoted to fine Italian cuisine will feature the unprecedented participation of award-winning international chef, Claudio Sadler. Known and acclaimed around the world for his exacting, meticulous style, Claudio Sadler reinterprets the traditional aromas of Italian cuisine. Chef of signature creations, among the most celebrated on the international scene, Sadler is one of the founders of the Jeunes Restaurateurs d’Europe association and gastronomy consultant for industry businesses and trade journals. The restaurant bearing his name in Via Ascanio Sforza in Milan is a place of amazing harmony; it strikes the perfect balance between sophistication and tradition, simplicity and creativity.
A word with the chef
What is the personal ingredient, that pinch of creativity, that you put into your work that helped you obtain the Michelin stars?
Honestly, it was nothing calculated or planned; but I think my determination and constancy in cultivating a creative and flavorful style of cooking, using fresh ingredients and modeled on simplicity were the qualities that led to my achieving the highly-respected 2 Michelin stars.
How does this creativity blend with Italy’s culinary tradition and the typical Italian flavors?
I have always felt that regional Italian cuisine is rich, varied and flavorful. The changes in climate that occur along the length of our country, the rapidly varying differences in topography, provide us with an incredibly vast array of foods to choose from; in addition, the need of the early populations to take advantage of the original raw materials led to Italy’s immensely rich gastronomical heritage. The task that follows is then easy for me. By checking out the local products and recipes, with the new techniques available, I can freely express my creativity.
How do you define creativity and innovation in cooking?
Primarily, what matters most is a respect for the products and knowing how to present them in a way that accents their sensory characteristics with a modern and evolutionary touch.
Creative cooking should be alluring and light, similar to a new art form that transforms food from a pure source of nourishment for the body to something that is gratifying to all the senses.
What advice would you offer to stimulate the creative juices of chefs-in-the-making who don’t have professional training in cooking but want to experiment with new dishes?
In essence, become creative. It can be done if you understand the classic fundamentals of the subject; then, if you have a certain sensitivity for beauty and art in general, you can develop your own creativity.
What are you counting on to amaze the guests at the Vitrum Gourmet Festival? What kind of menu will show off your culinary skills?
Above all, I will try to offer a menu that expresses my personality and embraces the seasonal dishes that celebrate this time of the year. Flavor is supreme, the presentation simple and inviting, to appeal to a passionate group of diners with little time to spend at the table.
Sadler Menu for the Vitrum Gourmet Festival
- Tiger shrimp and Riviera artichoke tart, potato mousse and oven-roasted ‘crystal’ potatoes
- Creamy carnaroli rice with ‘gobbi’ cardoons and toma d'alpeggio (high mountain cheese), dusted with dried black trumpet mushroom powder
- Braised veal cheeks, Jerusalem artichoke puree, and black truffle sauce
- Exotic fruit cup scented with passion fruit, fluffy coconut cream with coconut liqueur (batida).
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