Claudio Zorloni
Chef-Partner, Il Fornaio

“My happiest times had always been
spent cooking with
my mother.
So, I decided,
I belonged in the kitchen.”

grew up in the neighboring region of Lombardia with my parents and three brothers, and for as long as I can remember, I have always been especially fond of the robust flavors found in Piemonte. When I was a child, dinner was the most important time of every day. You see, both my father and grandfather made, bottled, and sold wine. When school was in session, my father would even invite my classmates to visit his enoteca, where he would proudly demonstrate exactly how the wine was made. As a boy, I often traveled through Piemonte with my father. His wine business required frequent trips west, and I was always eager to accompany him. On the way back home, we would stop at a tratorria for Coniglio all’ Astigiana (Braised rabbit with pancetta, onions and dolcetto d’Alba wine), which remains one of my favorite dishes today.

When I was 14, my mother assigned specific chores to each of us, to my three brothers and to me. She decided that I would be the one to help her cook. I was the lucky one! I learned much from her; not only how to prepare the traditional meals of Lombardia, but also she loved the savory, rustic dishes native to the northern-most mountains of Piemonte.

When I turned 18, it was time to study for a vocation. I began classes in mechanical design. To be an engineer was expected of all the boys, and so naturally I thought that would be the only thing for me to do. But I couldn't bear the idea of being stuck in a factory where engineers work. My happiest times had always been spent cooking with my mother. So, I decided, I belonged in the kitchen.

I left home to begin my professional career, which has included 15 positions as chef at restaurants in Italy, France, and London, England. And now I have had the great and good fortune of cooking for Il Fornaio since 1998. It is my opinion that there are many so-called American-Italian restaurants here in the United States, but at Il Fornaio we serve the classic Italian-Italian cuisine. This is rare. For example, we have many tourists visiting from Italy, particularly during the summer months. During their stay, they come back to Il Fornaio for lunch and dinner every day! Like me, when they find a good restaurant, they stick with it.

The recipes of Piemonte are not that different from Lombardia's, because, after all, they are neighboring regions. What is it that makes Piemonte dishes so distinctive? Piemonte is a cold mountainous area, so the food is not fussy. You might say it is Italian country-style cooking: appetizing, simple and tasty. Rather than depending on spices to provide taste, we let the natural flavor of the food itself simmer through.

Buon appetito!