Luca, how would you describe your cooking style?

I would describe my cooking style as creative Italian cuisine.

What's your favourite dish to make?

I love each of my creations, they all have a story and a reason. One of the dishes I'm most enthusiastic about is certainly my ramen with vegetable sauce and mallard broth. Two different cultures meet in this recipe in a balanced, savoury combination. It combines the Italian and Japanese tales, which involve the palate with different elements.

What is your favourite ingredient to work with?

I consider every ingredient I choose to be perfect for that dish. Having determined the path a specific recipe must take, all of its elements are essential. The characteristics of a vegetable or a protein offer indispensable peculiarities. It is impossible to give them up!

Who is one of your top suppliers or producers?

Just as the ingredients, all of our partners are essential as well. For each dish, I need the perfect raw materials. The most suitable suppliers who know how to offer me what the recipe really requires are who I choose to work with.

What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced in your culinary career?

Every year I’ve been wearing the chef's apron has been filled with challenges and great commitment, but I certainly can't forget the firm decision to open restaurant L'Erba del Re. I knew perfectly well that the restaurant would become my second home. It turned out to be of the best decisions of my life, in agreement with my family.

Which gastronomic trend are you excited about the most?

As a chef, and as a person who values food, I am always very attentive to different trends. Both old and contemporary. But I don't particularly like to tie myself to one specific trend. Gourmet cuisine is a great opportunity to express yourself with your own style. Of course, every good cultural inspiration is of great importance, but so is staying true to one's own identity.

If you could only eat one dish for the rest of your life, what would that be?

Simple and strongly linked to my homeland, Tuscany, it is certainly the Panzanella, a bread and tomato salad. It reminds me of childhood and you never get tired of good family emotions.

What’s one thing in the area that guests have to see or do?

In Emilia, I would tell every tourist to discover the historic center and be enchanted by the rolling hills of the surroundings. But above all, I would suggest trying the local gastronomic excellences. Nobody should leave Modena with an empty stomach.

Thank you, Luca.