Countless chefs work night and day for years just to be considered good. But if it takes all of this effort to be good, then what makes a chef great?
1. Massimo Bottura is an innovative chef from Italy, who grew up in the city of Modena. He specializes in applying the visual appeal of contemporary art and design with traditional cooking methods. This three-star Michelin Chef believes feels the need to "Compress ideas into edible morsels." Such a well-placed philosophy for a chef who works to prevent food waste.
2. Carlo Cracco is a famous chef from Italy, who was born in the region of Veneto, that neighbors the Adriatic Sea. He specializes in progressive Italian cuisine. Above all else, the three-star chef believes a true dining experience requires using locally-sourced ingredients - prepared according local customs. He lives by this belief in the restaurant he currently works at, Ristorante Cracco.
3. Nadia Santini can be found in the town of Canneto sull'Oglio, most often in her beautiful restaurant, Del Pescatore. She specializes in French cuisine, but does so, while using traditional Italian methods. Her philosophy is how if she is forced to serve more than thirty people in one sitting, her food suffers for it. She has a three-star Michelin restaurant.
4. Massimiliano Alajmo stands as the youngest chef in history to obtain a Michelin star for his restaurant, Le Calandre. He specializes in trying to create enlightening dining experiences - utilizing special methods to enhance the flavors of natural ingredients. He confesses freely, that he does not create anything. He merely showcases the ingredients and allows their own inner-light to shine through.
5. Antonino Cannavacciuolo can be a called a chef of the senses, as he is incredibly passionate about using all of the elements that surround him to create dishes, which illuminate the true essence of his ingredients. In accompaniment to being a two-star Michelin chef, he is also a respected television personality, and the author of at least three cook books.
Italian food is not simply about pasta and marinara. These chefs know this, and they demonstrate this by tempering traditional techniques with outgoing, contemporary tastes.
