Creating cuisine with heart

Alberto Gipponi’s restaurant Dina in the Italian town of Gussago has been described in the media as ‘an author’s kitchen’. ‘I appreciate that description,’ says Alberto. ‘Dina is a place where I want to tell stories. Through my dishes, I like to give our diners some food for thought, if they are open to this and appreciate it.’ Alberto studied sociology, was a musician and teacher for a short while and then embarked on a career as a social worker. ‘But my obsession with cooking always came to the fore. At least once a month, I ate out at an excellent restaurant. But I had to learn to allow my hands to create what I could already taste in my mind, in my soul and with my palate.’ At the age of 35, he turned his obsession into his profession. He completed several internships in Italy and opened his restaurant Dina in November 2017. His restaurant has not yet received a Michelin star. ‘That was a major goal for a number of years; now I’ve let it go. A star would mean national and international recognition, including for our sustainable initiatives. Awards grant authority. But regardless of this, I will continue on my chosen path.’

On the very first day that Dina opened, Chef Alberto burned both his hands. ‘Third-degree burns, three hours after opening. Disastrous! Normally, I would have to stay in the hospital for a month, but after an hour I was back in my restaurant. I had to work without my hands for weeks. Only when you experience that do you know how important your hands are to you. They are your means of contact with the world, your protection and they give you strength. Within a month I was able to use them again, although a four-month recovery period had been advised. I just couldn’t live and work without my hands. Head, heart, palate and hands must be aligned in order to find depth in what we offer.’ As far as Alberto is concerned, Dina must exude the typical Italian warmth. ‘According to me, Dina is a traditional restaurant, but this probably won’t be true until 2044. Dina is seen as a super avant-garde restaurant with a disruptive chef. It’s an osteria: we have six tables and serve 10 to 12 people a night here with 10 employees. A lot of personal attention, therefore. We want to be that little restaurant on the corner, where you feel at home and welcome.’

In Italy as well, the chef is also constantly on the lookout for good employees. ‘But for me, the person comes first, and only then his skills. Everyone wants to be Christiano Ronaldo these days, but you also need other people on your team. Most of all, I’m looking for awareness. A person with the right attitude can become an excellent professional. But a professional who is not a nice person to start with, will also never become one.’ Alberto realises what younger people are looking for: more time for their personal lives and the chance to develop. ‘We need to give young people space to live their own lives. I close my restaurant for two and a half months in the summer so that my employees can do something for themselves or take an internship elsewhere in the world.

Alberto seeks personal contact: with his guests, employees and suppliers. ‘I appreciate artisanry. I like it when a supplier can tell me the name of his goat and also when suppliers, despite doing in-depth industrial-level technical research, still retain certain standards and values. Debic has never disappointed me as a supplier in this regard. Their products always meet my expectations - which is not an easy task, I know. The quality of Debic’s products and their impact on the end result in our kitchen is outstanding.’ Alberto likes to use cream and butter in his cooking and products. ‘I’m developing a menu called ‘Grasso su Grasso’: fat on fat. Fat is a carrier of flavour and offers great opportunities. It’s not really bad by definition! We just have to handle it properly and balance the nutritional value with our dishes.’ The price one has to pay for quality is secondary, according to Alberto. ‘If the price of your ingredients goes up, your menu must become more expensive. Value creates value and this will always hold true.’