You have a very interesting savory cheese cake collaboration with S. Pellegrino coming out soon. What’s the story or inspiration behind that?
Well, we were trying to figure out something that is interesting to do every year around the holidays, a thing that people can gift to other people, they can buy for themselves. And instead of doing a whole box of ingredients and a recipe you had to cook, this just seemed like a really nice, straightforward, festive thing that everybody could enjoy.
S. Pellegrino is a key component of many dining tables. How do you like to incorporate it in your kitchen?
Well, it’s a great mixer for drinks if you want. Obviously, great on its own. I drink gallons of it and always have. And I just find, I like the taste of it by itself. I like the slight saltiness to it and I think it’s really great and it quenches your thirst. But it also just goes really well with food, and I’m not just saying this. Sparkling water is just great for you. It helps you digest and S. Pellegrino comes from this source with water that has been flowing for centuries. It’s kind of cool.
Nice. I grew up drinking it when I would visit my family in Italy and it’s certainly a great match for food. What would be on your ideal cheese board?
Well, lots of cheese. These are just a few of some really lovely cheeses, but I love all kinds of cheese. I don’t like really stinky cheeses though, I must admit. But great goat cheese, great sheep’s cheese, great Parmigiano, all that kind of stuff. I love all that. Provolone.
Any other snacks to add to it?
Figs, nuts. Either dried or fresh figs, fruit. All that at the end of a meal is just great.
Nice. Do you have any favorite pizza spots in the U.S.?
I haven’t spent time in the U.S. for so long that I can’t really say. I’ve been reading about new places that have opened, but I’m not there as much as I used to be. But I used to love to go to a place on Bleecker Street. John’s Pizzeria, which I think is still there. It’s still there, yes. And that was always really good because there’s a really thin, beautiful crust. I love that.
Lovely. What’s your go-to order wherever you get pizza?
I really just like a plain Margherita pizza or something like that. Really quite simple. Although there are those places up in New Haven, Connecticut — Pepe’s and Sally’s. I think they’re still there. And they did a pizza that was bacon and clams, maybe it had some onion on it. No tomato or cheese. Oh my God, it was delicious.