He clears the common doubt that people have: They aren’t trying to be futuristic at all. They’re just being themselves. It’s all part of his philosophy: “We are what we eat, and we’re the most beautiful when we are being real,” he says.
Nevertheless, working with food ingredients in their most natural state has been their biggest challenge, but Chef Casamichela doesn’t let the hindrances deter him from his beliefs. As he says, he avoids sugar as much as possible, to the point that he even uses natural honey. And so, working with nutritionists, he works to make his food healthy, light and well. For him, food is about balance — nourishing the body, aiding digestion, and clearing toxins — but it must also bring joy. ‘Healthy food shouldn’t feel like medicine.
That’s what, it really can be. He takes us through his kitchens, detailing his process, from the bread being fermented in careful cans, to a lamb leg cooking in the oven. He cooks for us a risotto quickly, cutting vegetables swiftly, spritzing oil over them and cooking it over a large fire. Finally, he serves us a fresh salad, the risotto, bread with an unprocessed tomato spread.
As we dig into the risotto — creamy yet light, each bite grounded in simplicity — it’s easy to see what Chef Casamichela means. Bread, olive oil, and honesty — that’s where it all begins.
Dining and Cooking