The details that escape

The details that escape attract my attention. I remember with some clarity that the best moments spent around a table were characterized by some detail that subtracted lunch,  or dinner, for me quite boring as a thing in itself, from their routine through an unconventional detail: at best an eccentricity, in the worst a real mistake. I can say that the imperfect tables are certainly the most interesting, provided that the choice to break the rule is conscious, or if not, that the guest is at least equipped with truly flawless taste and aesthetic sense. It is clear that I am referring to family lunches, and it is equally evident that we are beyond good manners, entering into everyday life that is intertwined with tradition, rituals and a family table lexicon. The most interesting tables are often  profoundly represented by the hostess, both for the colours chosen and for the menu, up to the conversation. The eccentricities in my family are wasted, going from the extremes of formalism, to what I actually allow you to imagine, to the opposite extremes of an anarchy that is sometimes organized. I was able to enjoy both the tradition of French cuisine as half the family comes from there, and the tradition of Italian cuisine, inherent in the other branch of the family. So it is absolutely normal for me to feel at home with foie gras, ratatouille, soup d’oignon, creme brulèe, flan Parisien as with caciucco, risotto and tiramisù. I then developed a love for American cakes and therefore in this melting pot of flavours I was able to develop a completely personal awareness of the table and taste. The perfectly starched tablecloths of flanders were alternated with colourful and decidedly informal tablecloths. At silverware, unmatched cutlery. Now, as then, it is in detail that it escapes consistency to attract my attention, to make lunch more interesting. My favourite tables are those rich in poetry and warmth, where harmony and the pleasure of meeting come first. The aesthetic which, in my case is dictated by a certain careless elegance, is a fundamental part to accompany the pleasure of a moment together.