Ricomincia la scuola non senza qualche problema: tagli ai finanziamenti pubblici (ci siamo abituati ormai), organico docenti incompleto, la nostra scuola, il Giolitti, in ristrutturazione almeno fino a Natale con tanto di muratori, polvere, trapani che martellano il cervello e via dicendo in giro per l'istituto. Dal torpore estivo ci siamo svegliati (per fortuna?) grazie ad un abbassamento di temperatura eccezionale di questi ultimi due giorni, ad un clima uggioso, ad un cielo plumbeo e ad un sole alla "Chi l'ha visto?". Il messaggio di inizio anno scolastico voglio darlo raccontando la storia di un mio ex allievo, uno dei primi, che ebbi nel 1996 e che oggi dirige il reparto pasticceria in Oriente. Quando l'ho conosciuto in classe, 2° A all'istituto "Albert" di Lanzo Torinese, di certo non avrei mai potuto immaginare che un giorno sarebbe diventato l'executive chef di un ristorante chic in un grattacielo di Shangai. Era un allievo svogliato, irascibile e indisciplinato come ce ne sono tanti, tuttavia è riuscito con tanta passione e fatica ad incanalare tutta quell'energia nella realizzazione di un sogno.
Dalla Cina mi ha spedito alcune foto in anteprima di sue realizzazioni e mi ha dato il permesso di pubblicarle sul mio blog.
Una sua idea mi ha colpito in particolar modo, il progetto inedito di un menu, che proporrà questo autunno nei ristoranti nei quali offre la sua collaborazione, cioè la spiegazione del piatto con bozze di disegno a matita, molto originali.
Di seguito inserisco una minibiografia in inglese tratta dal suo blog e le foto più significative.
Grazie Andrea.
PS: A tutti i miei allievi auguro un ottimo anno scolastico 2009/2010, nella speranza che ognuno sia in grado di sognare e capace di raggiungere il proprio traguardo.
"ANDREA BONAFFINI:
I was born in Torino, Italy on March 24th 1982. I love cooking since I was a kid. As I watched my mom cooking for my family everyday, I was always glad to help her. As a kid,
I was a very bad student, but I was number one in my cooking class, I graduated from professional cooking school after 5 years studying and I won a national competition in Italy when I was a student. I won the first place which made me even sure that I was born to be a chef.
I started to work when I was 14. It was a small family restaurant but it was a priceless experience because I started to know how to make authentic Italian dishes. I studied in the weekdays and worked during the weekends. In this restaurant I found my interest in pastry which made me today. Ever since I graduated, I travelled around the world to enrich my experience in pastry. I went to London, France, Japan, China, Korea and Brazil not for pleasure but pressure. My best experience so far is when I worked for the Flipot (Piedmont, Italy) and Sadler
(Milan, Italy). These 2 restaurants received the Michelin Stars - the award for oldest or best-known European restaurants - which brought me a certain pride to be able to work with two top restaurants in Europe.
Working with top restaurants is like a door-opening for me, it did not stop me at one point but made me even crave for more and more excitements such as; I was in charge of pastry for Olympic Opening Ceremony in Torino, 2006, I taught cooking classes at ICIF - Italian Culinary Institute for Foreigners, and I was also in charge of pastry in Japan International Expo 2006. Now I am working as an executive pastry chef at Y’s table, it is a fancy title I have to say, along with the title also comes a bigger responsibility. Do not take me wrong, it is not a pressure for me but an excitement. I am always excited to do more and more art in my job because it is not merely a cake I make, it is a masterpiece.
However, after all I have been through, for me my best teacher is my mother, she taught me not only the basic cooking skills but also to be who I am today, to be passionate in what I do. Simplicity is my concept in every creation I make, I call it ‘The Conquest of Simplicity’ ".."..
I was a very bad student, but I was number one in my cooking class, I graduated from professional cooking school after 5 years studying and I won a national competition in Italy when I was a student. I won the first place which made me even sure that I was born to be a chef.
I started to work when I was 14. It was a small family restaurant but it was a priceless experience because I started to know how to make authentic Italian dishes. I studied in the weekdays and worked during the weekends. In this restaurant I found my interest in pastry which made me today. Ever since I graduated, I travelled around the world to enrich my experience in pastry. I went to London, France, Japan, China, Korea and Brazil not for pleasure but pressure. My best experience so far is when I worked for the Flipot (Piedmont, Italy) and Sadler
(Milan, Italy). These 2 restaurants received the Michelin Stars - the award for oldest or best-known European restaurants - which brought me a certain pride to be able to work with two top restaurants in Europe.Working with top restaurants is like a door-opening for me, it did not stop me at one point but made me even crave for more and more excitements such as; I was in charge of pastry for Olympic Opening Ceremony in Torino, 2006, I taught cooking classes at ICIF - Italian Culinary Institute for Foreigners, and I was also in charge of pastry in Japan International Expo 2006. Now I am working as an executive pastry chef at Y’s table, it is a fancy title I have to say, along with the title also comes a bigger responsibility. Do not take me wrong, it is not a pressure for me but an excitement. I am always excited to do more and more art in my job because it is not merely a cake I make, it is a masterpiece.
However, after all I have been through, for me my best teacher is my mother, she taught me not only the basic cooking skills but also to be who I am today, to be passionate in what I do. Simplicity is my concept in every creation I make, I call it ‘The Conquest of Simplicity’ ".."..
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