notes and photographs by Lucio Maria D’Alessandro
The recipe for the “Stellar” Tortello is simple: fresh eggs, flour, salted cod and genuine simplicity of an Abruzzo chef.
At the Ristorante Stella d’Oro, in Pescara, it is a very hot July afternoon when Cristian Marrone, with the skill of an expert pianist, moves his fingers for BARNUM on “his” fresh pasta, just piled up.
The air smells good. The young Chef is trying something new: a filling for tortelli made with salted cod, cooked at a low temperature, and … secrets that he will not reveal. I respect his copyright.
It is spectacular to observe and photograph him: he can send his hands in asynchronous at twice the speed of his voice.
Christian is less than thirty years old and has already traveled a nice piece of the world, performing in renowned kitchens, from Munich to Sidney.
Now he has chosen, advised by the heart, to return to work in Abruzzo.
While he is working on his tortelli, at irregular intervals, he pears into the dining room, checks the customer satisfaction and stares at the blue sea. Then he takes refuge in the kitchen again. When the water finally boils the tortelli disappear into the saucepan until they are ready to serve: “here,also, there is copyright,” he says and smiles. But when he lays them onto a bed of cream of carrot and lemon, I steal the plate. And take the last picture, the one above!
Restaurant: Stella d’Oro Pescara – via Primo Vere, 69 – 65129 Pescara Sud (Italy) – www.stelladoropescara.com
(click on the pics to open the gallery)
