In Milan, different personalities and different subjects with remarkable skills stand out.

It is the turn of Chef Vincenzo Sforza, the youngest participant in the Stealth Health Project that teaches us how to be young does not mean being unprepared if you have clear the objectives to be reached.

Chef Sforza is full of stories and experiences, gives us a dynamism that is also reflected in the recipe that presents. “Cernia d’Inverno” conveys an uncontrollable desire to do and at the same time a careful study of the individual ingredients.

DOWNLOAD “STEALTH HEALTH”
CERNIA D’INVERNO

by CHEF Vincenzo Sforza

D. Hello Vincenzo, let’s start asking you some questions.

R. The recipe comes from the knowledge of the company restaurant and the raw materials that are used in it, I immediately tried to propose a recipe that can be easily used even for a high number of diners. A classic recipe has come out because it is nothing more than the union of seasonal vegetables to a fat-free fish like the grouper. Furthermore, it was a further challenge for me to use an undervalued fish in the kitchens, albeit rich in omega 3.

D. In the recipe which could be the greatest difficulty?

R. It is really important to have knowledge of cooking fish because it is enough to mistake cooking to risk sacrificing an entire dish. The interesting thing is that it is a Stealth Health recipe but at the same time puts into practice the teachings of Stop Food Waste because all the vegetable waste used to compose the dish will be reused for the preparation of the broth. If you do not have an ingredient, it would not be a problem, because they are seasonal vegetables that can be interchanged.

D. If I had to redo the same dishes to serve during the service in the company restaurant, what would it change?

R. The idea for the exercise is to have “coppa pasta” to give the right shapes to the vegetables, but even if this tool is missing, it is also possible to carry on the realization of the recipe by choosing other, perhaps more angular shapes.

D. Which and how many Stealth Health approaches have you used?

R. I studied the material well and I told myself “let’s try and use all four of them”. Challenge successful? I managed to use three without sacrificing taste and appearance. With the Exchange of Ingredients, flour and butter have been completely replaced for the composition of white roux, thanks to the use of cornstarch and oil e.v.o. with the Perfect Match it was possible to combine foods containing vitamin C to protein foods, not necessarily white / red meat, favoring the intake of iron; with the Food Flips the quantity of fish has been reduced, which normally would be about 150g and in this case it is 130g, compared to the quantity of vegetables used.

D. They told us that, despite your young age, you are about to become Head Chef in a big kitchen. First of all, congratulations. How do you experience this situation?

R. I am serene because I had previous training experiences and also because our Executive Chef has trained me in an appropriate manner. It’s a short experience but I’ve had the opportunity to be a sous chef, so I feel quite comfortable despite a corporate restaurant not the same as the classic restaurant. The management of the temple and the division of roles, the requests of a diner are different.

D. Do you want to tell me something about these experiences?

R. Before coming to work here I was Sous Chef in a restaurant in Dubai, everything was different because it is not our country, they do not have our kind of culture and they do not share our type of diet. I found myself in trouble initially because I wanted to convey the way we cook and appreciate food to a different people.

D. In your kitchen what do you like, what intrigues you?

R. I love the kitchen in itself but above all the salty cuisine, while what is sweet requires an extra effort for me. My favorite dish to eat, which I have not eat for a long time because it was made by a person dear to me, is called “Ciceri e tria” or a simple soup with pasta and chickpeas in which the legume gave a not indifferent creaminess.

D. A difficult time in your life as a chef who left you a lesson?

R. I think it was the initial approach with Dubai because of linguistic, culinary and cultural difficulties. The solution was for me to insert myself into their world, to try and appreciate their cuisine and their culture. Only then did I understand for the first time how important it is to know who you are in front of when you are cooking.

D. How does competitiveness in the workplace work out?

R. More than competitiveness is the desire to improve, compete in a healthy way serves to grow personally and in relation to others. In my life I have often found myself having to overcome obstacles, making sacrifices compared to the boys of my age, but this has made me stronger and safer in character. I quickly understood who I am and what I want.

D. Chef Sforza … How would you complete?

R. You never pull back, a bit like a Yes Man.
Testing yourself is the best way to grow professionally and personally.

D.Thanks Vincenzo, let’s try this Grouper in Winter.

R. Thanks to you!