The chosen name aims to minimize: “Contemporary restaurant”, but the world behind this apparent simplicity is of a very different substance and dimension. There is certainly a lot of passion: that of a brigade of talented young people in their early twenties who have found themselves after various experiences abroad to make catering in a futuristic dimension, "Fabbrica" which is a coworking campus open 24 hours a day, in the spaces recovered from the historic Somaini cotton mill of Lomazzo, founded in 24 and active until 1893 which came to have 1974 workers, and which today, after an important example of industrial restoration and recovery, has also been reconverted into homes and headquarters of ComoNExT – Innovation Hub, a large science park and business incubator, has over 1300 from different sectors, all dedicated to innovation.
But, above all, there is the experience devoured – it is appropriate to say – from one of the most promising and talented young Italian chefs Davide Marzullo, native of Uboldo (Varese), who at only 26 years old has already forged milestones for his professional ambitions. He passed through Alberto Faccani, a Michelin star at Magnolia in Cesenatico; for Claude Bosi who with his Hibiscus in the market town of Ludlow, in Shropshire, managed to win two Michelin stars, for Helene Darroze in the refined The Connaught in London, three Michelin stars. Not yet satisfied, he also wanted to try the exciting rarefied cuisine of René Redzepi at Noma in Copenhagen, judged the best restaurant in the world five times according to The World's 50 Best Restaurants ranking. With that wealth of experience it wasn't difficult for him triumph at the first edition of the Antonino Chef Academy the Italian culinary talent show, broadcast on Sky Uno that opened its doors to him at the court of Antonino Cannavaccuiuolo at Villa Crespifor a year and a half.
Despite his 26 years, the times of his memories seem far away, when I entered a real kitchen for the first time in his uncle's restaurant at a very young age: “A cuisine linked to traditions and the territory. A kitchen where family memories are expressed and told through typical Italian dishes. And it was in this kitchen that I realized that this profession would be a fundamental part of my life».
They are far away, but the love for the well-planted roots of a ca kitchen that winds through elementary sensations (in the philosophical sense of the term, or of his intrinsic values) who instinctively chases the atmosphere of memory, who seeks to penetrate with new sensations the flavor of poor ingredients of unaltered raw materials, this has remained solidly combined and exalted by thecontribution of the great techniques and knowledge of processing and cooking assimilated by the great masters around the world.
A cuisine of instinct, passion, technique and irony
And a great modesty also remained: "We have embarked on a great journey, difficult but exciting" - declares Davide, full of grit - this is the first experience of 100% business management. It's a big responsibility but I'm lucky to have people by my side who, in addition to being my dear friends, are highly trained young professionals who support me every day. Trattoria Contemporanea is the starting point for the evolution of the restaurant concept, not only on a culinary level. It is a project made of love, passion, instinct and balance. This is what I hope customers perceive and what we would like to convey with our dishes". Which, translated, means a cuisine made of raw materials, research, secrets but also instinct and fun, prepared and served with the typical lightness and passion of young minds.
In fact Trattoria Contemporanea offers a unique, surprising, one of a kind, one of a kind experience cooking by instinct but steeped in technique based on high quality raw materials that can be modulated for different situations, a business lunch offer for the day, when the people of ComoNExT flock there, two different tasting menus, and for the evening, an innovative, modern food experience, which testifies to the "knowing how to dare" of the young brigade, all supported by a well-stocked and high-level wine cellar.
In the recipe proposed by the chef for the readers of Mondo Food, the sense of the culinary philosophy, by chef Davide who it goes to the heart of matter, poor, exalting its wealth and nobility in a thousand subtle nuances. In the cauliflower slice, the grilled vegetable is covered with aioli sauce, green olive cream and parsley oil. A poor ingredient is worked to the best of its potential in the chef's constant effort to give it a new dignity. An entirely apparent poverty, mind you, because behind so much essentiality there is a culture reasoned from international experiences.
The recipe: slice of cauliflower
Ingredients
A medium sized cauliflower
2 lemons
Eggs
Caper powder
sugar
Cream
Garlic
Oil
Salt Pepper to taste.
Preparation:
Steam the cauliflower and finish it on the grill.
Prepare an aioli sauce, a milder mayonnaise with a cream of garlic, vinegar, salt and cream inside. Typical Provençal sauce originally from Catalonia, more precisely from the cuisine of the city of Valencia. It is easily prepared by pounding in a mortar – or by chopping – a few cloves of garlic and adding egg yolks (kept at a particularly important room temperature), lemon juice, salt and white pepper and, as with traditional mayonnaise, pouring the 'oil flush.
Using the children's whisk, the capers are blended to obtain a powder.
For the lemon paste, proceed by cooking a lemon in water, then after having cooled it, cook it at a low temperature at 80 degrees for about 5 hours in a solution of water, sugar and herbs and then blend it.
Presentation:
Arrange the broccoli on the plate, sprinkle with the dried caper powder. Then pour the aioli and garnish with the lemon paste.
Contemporary Trattoria
