Recently food has moved from the kitchen to the stage, taking the message out to the public in a fun way to remind people of the joy of cooking and the pleasures found sharing a meal at the table. I really don’t like the new competitions on TV with food to me cooking is about hospitality and sharing.
I “met” Don Pasta on FB, when his book La Parmigiana e La Revoluzione was published. Actually I had bought the book and after reading it, googled him. Since then he has also published a Remix of Artusi and now is traveling around Italy filming the Nonna’s cooking one recipe each from the different regions.
The other night, for an event during the Florence Artisan Food Festival called TASTE, he was invited to perform at the new space in the upstairs of the Mercato Centrale. The space has become a new hangout, a modern piazza, people gathering with food and drink. Socializing.
Daniele De Michele, knows as Don Pasta, has combined two of his passions, Music and Food.
I asked him a few questions:
When was Don Pasta born and what did you do before?
I studied economy, but have always been a DJ, from when I was 16. At a certain point the passion for cooking, which I learned observing my family, in Otranto, the Salento region of Puglia, united spontaineously with my parties based on music. In 2000, when I was living between Paris and Rome, everyone told me that it was great, that it worked together. I began to write about my love for family style cooking mixing it up with my huge passion for music. Soon after I began putting together shows, in which I show how cooking is something to live in a generous and beautiful way, without too much sophistication.
What is your Mantra, I often hear you say ” If you have a problem, add oil”
Se lavori mangi, se non lavori mangi e bevi.
If you work you eat, if you don’t work you eat and drink. It is a saying from Naples which I fully support. In the end, it shows our need to enjoy life, even in difficult times. In my shows, I like to demonstrate that knowing how to cook at home is really basic and it is not true that you need a lot of time or technique. Just watch, be curious and above all, like I say, take time time to speak to vendors, farmers and fishermen and know that behind everything you buy is a person that produced or fished with attention to what they do.
You know I am in love with your book, La Parmigiana e La Revoluzione, how is the revolution going? Do you do shows for children too?
My revolution is small and very intimate. I try each day to apply it, sometimes it is very difficult, other times it is so rewarding that you never get tired. My main interest is to work in difficult situations, because there you have a real chance to compare, in a true, sincere way without barriers. You learn a lot from small children, prisoners and in the poorer parts of a city. I bring my small “suitcase” of stories and they tell me theirs. Mostly they show me that dignity is the most beautiful tool that people have to live in this world
A recipe I love is Fish Broth, Brodo di Pesce, It makes me feel like I am home in Otranto, Puglia. In the book I write about when my son Pablo was born, I made it to celebrate.So that makes me think of the most beautiful and sweet music that has ever been recorded; Nick Drake.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAZA8Su6vpc
During the show, He made fresh pasta with a sauce from mussels, white wine and chili pepper from my friend Rita’s company PEPERITA. He offered the ladies in the audience some to taste, teasing with
“Hai peccato? Mai ripenti!”
“Have you sinned?…. Never ask for forgiveness!”
Here I am, getting my pasta blessing from Don Pasta…. and not asking for forgiveness!MAI Ripenti.. Don’t regret!
Do you listen to music while you cook? I adore music and have quite an eclectic selection. Not sure I can actually pair recipes and music, but it would be a good exercise. For me, music is more about a time and a place, so if that then blends with a recipe, magic happens.
Share some food with friends, crank up the tunes!
Party and don’t regret!!!
