Yes, I know how to spell Chef, but Valeria is a “She”, a Woman, a SuperChef. She is the best of all the “shefs”. And also of all men chef.
She works in an area that an Italian law has defined as the “place of the excellence of Tuscan food”, where the raw material, from the humble borage of the fields, to the inimitable ricotta, is superlative.
She has established herself in an even more masculine world than the other worlds of work; she has brought a small village, Montemerano, to be known all over the world; she “resisted” – whoever owns a restaurant understands perfectly what it means to “resist”: the economic crises, the sacrifice of work with 12-15 hours a day on feet, the relationship with the staff, the Italian bureaucracy -; she not only has resisted but has been able to renew herself, adapting to the times, to technologies. Always remaining faithful to the dictate of freshness of the ingredients.
I’m talking about Valeria Piccini from the Caino restaurant.
I saw her again today. I have talked to her. I tasted her dishes that arrived one after the other, fragrant and precious, waiting for the moment when I would speak with her again.
The first time was 44 years ago.
On holiday in one of the most beautiful and relaxing areas in the world: Manciano, Saturnia and Montemerano.
We decide to enter this inn, clean, welcoming, with beams on the ceiling, elegant and rustic at the same time.
We look inside: at a table is Enzo Tortora, the famous journalist.
We are very young – I am 20 years old -; we have a moment of hesitation, we fear that the bill in a restaurant frequented by VIPs can be too expensive. But then we go in: it will go as it should go. It couldn’t have been better.
I order the Gnudi, a dish I loved and still adore – it was also one of the iconic dishes of the Tamerici, my restaurant -. I had loved my grandmother’s ravioli and even more I loved those balls that she made from the filling when it was left over. I went to look for them in the tray. For me, no filling tasted better than that.
At the first bite I take my breath away. How was it possible that these Gnudi were better than my grandmother’s? I call the waiter, ask him what was in the dough. The waiter scoffs, he doesn’t know, he says he goes to ask in the kitchen. After a few minutes Valeria appears, with a tray in her hand and on top of her a powerful ricotta and a spoon. She invites me to taste.
That’s where the secret was.
There my admiration for Valeria Piccini and for her way of working, that is cooking, began.
Today, after 44 years, I was able to tell him.
Now I begin to rattle off the photos of our menu. Photos made by my friend Sumiyo Dan, because she is better than me and because I always leave my cell phone somewhere.
TASTE INTENSITY menu
The trip from Florence was worth it. Thanks Valeria for still being there and spreading your gastronomic knowledge.
Marcella Ansaldo © 2022