A Recipe For Design

food

A RECIPE FOR DESIGN Prepare a fashionable feast to please any palate.

By Cally Jamis Vennare

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The intense textures and brilliant colors of Italian food created a unique juxtaposition of fashion and flavor in my mind.’’

During a recent trip to Italy, I found myself more passionate than ever about two great loves—food and fashion. (Wine, I must admit, is a close third.) The intense textures and brilliant colors of Italian food created a unique juxtaposition of fashion and flavor in my mind. Basil green. Pomodoro red. Eggplant purple. Funghi brown. Mozzarella white. Espresso black.

Each subtle shade and hue reminded me of rich jewel-tones, warm earthtones or stark black and white patterns that I typically associate with artisaninspired fabrics and fashions. Every meal created a distinctive color palette on my plate. And when we visited friends in Abruzzi, there was a new ingredient. The furnishing, you might say. It was the added expression of love and pride in every dish presented. Each recipe, no matter how simple or complex, evoked a broad smile and a fond memory from years past.

Was the wine going to my head? I don’t think so. After a few inquiries, I

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was relieved to discover that many of the world’s top fashion designers are strongly inspired by food.

Whether it was a favorite dish or one simple ingredient, the nostalgic stories and “commandments for consumption” came forth with abundance. Read on for tasty tales and delicious recipes from some of our favorite designers. Buon appetito!

ROBERT STOCK | Robert Graham When I was young, my mother and grandmother would make Veal Parmigiana and spaghetti on a hero.

As children, we called it “Pisghetti.”

That is still my favorite dish to this day, and I salivate just thinking about my mother and grandmother cracking the eggs, adding the bread crumbs, dipping the veal and adding fresh mozzarella cheese on top to create this wonderful smell of cutlets frying in a covered pan. Mmm, I can taste it now.

Over the years, I have done a lot of design work in Italy, which has always brought me back to this fond childhood memory. Because of that, I try to go back to Italy as often as possible (at least 4 times a year).

When I’m there I always have flashbacks of my mother in the kitchen making this amazing dish. Whether I’m on vacation or designing fabrics in Italy, I am always searching for that wonderful Veal Parmigiana.

1 hero bun spaghetti

Preparation: 1. In a large skillet, heat oil slowly until just bubbly.

2. Dip each cutlet into egg, then into breadcrumbs to coat generously.

3. Slowly place cutlets into hot oil and fry on both sides until golden brown.

4. Remove cutlets and lay on paper towels to drain.

5. Preheat oven to 350 F. 6. Arrange cutlets in a baking dish and spoon tomato sauce on top to cover. Sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese and top with mozzarella.

7. Bake for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted.

8. Boil water and add spaghetti noodles to pot until cooked.

9. Place veal cutlets on hero bun.

Add spaghetti and tomato sauce on top. Close up the bun and enjoy!

Robert Stock’s Pisghetti Ingredients: 1 cup olive oil for frying 2 veal cutlets sliced thin and pounded flat dry bread crumbs 2 eggs, beaten 1 cup prepared tomato sauce grated parmesan cheese 2 slices mozzarella cheese

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ANNA ZEGNA | Ermenegildo Zegna My favorite recipe is Risotto al tartufo d’Alba. I love this dish not only for the refined taste, but also because it reminds me of many happy and joyful moments spent with friends and family. Truffles from Piemonte, the region where all my family comes from and where my grandfather, Ermenegildo Zegna, founded the Ermenegildo Zegna Group almost 100 years ago, are known to be the best in the world. As they say, “Piedmont comes into its own in fall, the time of truffles.”

Somehow, the colors of the Risotto al tartufo also remind me of my family’s tradition. The white of the rice can be associated with the whitest and purest cashmere that has characterized Zegna for all these years, and the color of the truffle is the brown of the ground where Oasi Zegna has extended.

A good risotto depends on the quality of the water, which is also fundamental for fabrics. In fact, the water in which our textiles are washed and dyed strongly influences the overall quality and softness. The area of Trivero, in the Biellesi Alps, where the Lanificio Ermenegildo Zegna stands, is renowned for the soft and crystal water that perfectly meets the needs of this industry and of cooking! The water that passes through our wool mill is clean enough even to drink, in line with what was my grandfather’s vision and drive to protect the environment.

Accompany this with a red wine like Nebbiolo or Dolcetto, both from Piedmont and the favorites of my oldest brother, Gildo.

Prep Time: 20 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes

Risotto al tartufo d’Alba Ingredients: 2 ½ cups short grained rice, for example Carnaroli or Arborio ½ cup unsalted butter 1 tablespoon very finely minced onion ½ cup dry white wine

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Every meal created a distinctive color palette on my plate.’’

4 cups freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano 1 quart simmering beef broth 6 ounces fresh white truffles, brushed clean

Preparation: 1. Sauté the onion in half the butter until it begins to turn golden. Then add the wine and cook over low heat until the onion is falling apart and the wine has evaporated.

2. Add the rice, mix well, and then begin adding broth, one ladle at a time, stirring gently all the while.

3. When the rice has almost reached the “al dente” stage, remove the pot from the fire and stir in the remaining butter and the Parmigiano Reggiano,

then slice half the truffles into it using a truffle slicer.

4. Heat the risotto through, transfer it to a serving bowl, and slice the remaining truffles over it.

Gianluca Isaia | ISAIA Near and dear to me, my family and my Neapolitan roots is fresh Neapolitan Mozzarella—the one and only original mozzarella. Authentic mozzarella is only from Napoli!

ISAIA’s Official Certification of

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Authentication:

Commandments for Consumption of Genuine Mozzarella 1. Carefully remove from (genuine) Neapolitan water.

2. Keep the water.

3. bserve 1 minute of spiritual silence.

4. Appreciate the true Neapolitan art form.

5. Close your eyes and smell Napoli!

6. Make a wish.

7. Put on your ISAIA jacket.

8. Consume “senza niente”—no oil, no pepper. NAKED! 9. Mangia! NEAPOLITAN STYLE. 10. Don’t try to remove the smile from your face while eating—it’s normal.

11. If perchance you should not eat it all, replace in the same “acqua” and, above all, do not refrigerate.