What inspired you to work for ALMA?
I arrived at ALMA in 2007, in October to be precise. It marked a turning point for me, also professionally, and from that point on, thanks to ALMA and the policy of the time, I was given many opportunities to grow, get involved, and carry forward the concept of teaching and of the thinking chef. He can be not only a good chef but also a good teacher, in order to help our future generations even more.
International students of Culinary Arts
Why do you do what you do?
I do what I do because I like it. This pleasure has actually grown over time. The truth is that, at the beginning, I suffered a bit and perhaps thanks to this initial antipathy, an absolute pleasure in doing this job has been created over time, and when you do something that you gradually realise you like more and more, you are totally immersed in positive moments, which then give you the desire to continue.
What I like most is that you always find the motivation to do better in every difficulty, and the most positive aspect is finding that the less pleasant moments of the job give you the strength to go on and try new things.
What is your favorite part of your job?
My favourite part of my job is having that somewhat strange feeling of having bonded with the students. I give an example linked to the world of our school, in a lesson at the school's own gourmet restaurant "Ristorante Mater", where we created such a working feeling that you could see them working independently and this is very gratifying for me.
It shows that everything that was done in the previous hours was useful for something and the message has arrived. With this message, you can perform a service and this gratifies me a lot.
Student's final exam fresh stuffed pasta
How do you use your education and international background in your current role?
Obviously, I do not limit myself to passing on information of a technical, theoretical, and practical nature, but I try to offer a version or perhaps a vision of cooking that stimulates or spurs in them a healthy and honest concept of the profession of cook that tends to be not only up-to-date, but also makes them protagonists of a change aimed at improving the cook's life, not only the food that is produced by the cooks.
What makes ALMA special?
Its staff, doing what they do on a daily basis, and in the way they convey and recount its daily life. You can see the serious professionals, who do not do it just to sell themselves, but do it because they believe in that ideal.
They believe in that movement, and I think that's one of their great strengths, as well as having a track record and being the first on the market, the Pioneers, because now this market is expanding enormously.
Students in class
What do you hope participants take away from your programs?
An everlasting memory, like a sort of tattoo imprinted on their soul, so that this sign contributes not only to their professional growth, but it makes them reflect on how important it is to work with fair and sound principles, both personally and professionally.
This is what I'd like the young people to take away from here, a concept of life as a cook and of life with other people, which is fundamental in a profession where one is bound to spend so much time with other colleagues, in such a stressful and strong pace.
Students in a restaurant kitchen
What does meaningful travel mean to you?
In itself, it is to be considered that any trip is significant even if only because you decide to go. Embarking on a journey certainly for one reason or another, whether it's for work, fun, duty, or culture, is meaningful in itself, beyond what it is, so that everything around the trip is part of what you will always take with you.
An experience such as travelling is always important, as it encourages you to compare yourself with others, to get to know others and to get an idea of things. Unlike what many people think, we are much more similar than we think in the world, beyond any culture, religion, and other qualities.
We are similar and this thing is underestimated. You always think "who knows how they're going to do it", "who knows how they're going to be", "who knows how they're going to behave", and "how they're going to judge us", but instead you discover that people are so similar to each other, even if they don't speak the same language and even if they have different histories.
