Chef Enzo Fargione of Osteria Elisir in Washington, D.C., is the author of the new book Visual Eats: A Behind the Scenes Look at Modern Italian Cooking. He grew up in Torino, Italy, and has worked in the United States for many years; he is based in Washington, D.C.
Q: Why did you decide to write this book, and what do you
hope readers will learn from it?
A: I felt the necessity to send a clear message
about my culinary experiences and knowledge, how easy it really
is to cook when the passion for what you are doing is present.
I wanted people to really appreciate the restaurant industry
and to learn from it while reading all the behind-the-scenes stories I
wrote in my book. After all, this is a colorful industry and chefs are
often considered or labeled as crazy.
Q: What have been the most important influences on your
cooking?
A: For sure my two mentors. The first one is my
culinary professor back home in Italy and the second a chef I worked
for many of my young years. I watched him climbing the stairs of
success internationally, while delivering a sense of professionalism and
pride in everything he did and in details in the kitchen. They
both changed my life forever.
Q: Do you have a favorite dish you like to cook? To eat?
A: I get excited when I cook pasta as well as meats,
fish, soups salads, you name it. What I feel whenever I step in the
kitchen cannot be described in words. I don't see this as a job, to me my work
is a fun playground, a vehicle that allows me to express my skills and
vision of cooking while driving to unknown destinations.
I often eat out and I love a great deal of well prepared
Chinese food, especially Dim Sums; Mexican cuisine is a weakness of mine as
well as a simple board of charcuterie and cheese with a great bottle of Super
Tuscan or Brunello. Now I 'm happy!
Q: How has the restaurant scene in Washington, D.C., changed
over the years that you've worked there?
A: Washington is a very cosmopolitan and diplomatic
town. A little reserved with a European feel. I guess this
is one of the reasons why I fit in here so well and I fell in love
with it.
Twenty-five years ago the restaurant scene in D.C.
was very poor. Over the years the culinary progress and the always
changing trends made it possible for many great chefs to settle in
Washington, bringing their quality work and their knowledge.
About 10 years ago Washington finally rose to be one of the
top 10 restaurant cities in the U.S., but frankly we are still a little far
away if we compare it to great food cities such as Chicago, San Francisco
or New York. We are on the right path; at least it is wonderful
to know that nowadays it's pretty hard to have a bad meal in D.C.
Q: Are you working on another book?
A: Yes! I constantly feel the need to tell a story. I
guess everyone comes to a point in their lives when you
feel compelled to criticize, tell the truth and share life experiences.
In my line of work there are so many injustices. Too much
success, not enough, celebrity status with very little knowledge
and others who hold the secret of the culinary holy grail
hidden away and incapable of sharing it...so I decided to write about it
involving some of the biggest international names of the culinary industry. The
book is called "I Have Something To Say."
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: Everything else is in my book. Laughs, recipes,
real-life stories, celebrity chefs’ trips and so many odd and confusing moments
I finally decided to collect them all in one book.
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
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