Diventari Grandi

Diventare Grandi means “becoming Grandi,” and this book is by parts memoir, gastronomic reflection, and showcase for a young Italian chef who has earned his first Michelin star for Matteo Grandi in Basilica, located in Vicenza, in the Vento region.

Though there are photographs and descriptions of many dishes which Grandi has developed, there are no recipes, so it’s up to the reader to put the ideas into practice.

Grandi is more willing than some Italian chefs to experiment with new ingredients and new ways of using familiar ones. To a dish of hare tortelli made with chestnut flour, he adds a slice of foie gras terrine that melts over the pasta, and tops that with crushed frozen raspberries. A dish of goose, prunes, and truffle is finished with wasabi “to open the nostrils by extending the taste into the retro nasal pathways, while cleaning the palate.”

Paperback. Color photographs throughout. In English and Italian.