Art and food, food and art: when thinking of Italian food, the liaison with art comes almost natural. That’s why some artists, photographers and chefs came together for a project that showcases how food and art can be combined to give readers an experience that goes beyond the plate and the painting. L’Arte in Cucina (art in the kitchen) is a book launched in 2017, when artist Domenico Monteforte, from Tuscany, decided to put chefs next to artists and have the collaboration start. Artists got space to express their passion, while chefs were given the opportunity to showcase their best recipes. Every artist presented a recipe through a photo, while supervised by a chef with lots of experience and know-how.
The goal is to propose a different presentation of food, when compared to what is usually seen in magazines. On one hand, readers are able to discover artists’ stories and, next to them, to have recipes created by chefs in their restaurants. Plus pictures that show the continuous interaction between the two.
The 2018 edition will also present another 80 chefs and 80 artists among whom Chef Rudy Duran from Alameda and photographer Flavia Loreto, both proudly representing Italian food in the Bay Area.
Flavia Loreto was born and raised in Rome and became fond of photography during high school, as she wanted to be part and show the world around her
Flavia Loreto was born and raised in Rome and became fond of photography during high school, as she wanted to be part and show the world around her. “For me, photography is a way to connect with people,” she told L’Italo Americano. “At the end of each photo session, I made a new friend. We talk, we laugh, we tell each other’s stories. Not only it is important for photographers to show the world around, but it is also crucial to keep memories that would otherwise quickly loose their sharpness.” Flavia moved to San Francisco in 2016 after twenty years spent in Germany. Photography is her passion, but also a way of relating to the world and people around, to express emotions and feelings. While she started taking photos as a teenager, she later built connections with set photographers of Cinecittá Studios in Rome: that was the moment when Flavia understood the importance of telling stories through photos.
One of Flavia Loreto images taken in California
Chef Rudy was born in Livorno, Tuscany, and his philosophy is shaped by post World War II Italy, as much as his work experiences. “I learned to take pleasure in the feeling of being alive, and my appreciation for taste rose above all else.” Chef Rudy’s personality reflects the idea of how “Food is more than just fuel that feeds our bodies – it is the universal and indispensable means of conveying our traditions and sense of community.”
The beginning of the collaboration between the two goes along with their service in the Italian community: they are active during events in the Bay Area, Flavia as a photographer and Rudy serving food; they both live in Alameda, a little, cute island between San Francisco and Oakland; and they both enjoy each other’s company talking about all things Italian while sipping a glass of Prosecco. As Chef Rudy explained, “L’Arte in Cucina can be considered a beautiful concept book, where a bunch of painters, photographers, and chefs show different aspect of their art. You open the book and, page by page, it is like being in different symphonies.” And continued: “One day, I received a call from my friend, Maestro Domenico Monteforte: he is a well known painter from Italy and his works are permanently exhibited at the San Francisco Opera House. He told me he wanted to pair food and art. As I was born and raised in Italy, where you are surrounded by art, I accepted to be part of this project and asked Flavia to join me.”
Flavia Loreto was born and raised in Rome and became fond of photography during high school, as she wanted to be part and show the world around her
The connection between food and art is so strong they are almost considered one thing: “Good food belongs to art,” Flavia said. “The love and work chefs put in their recipes are comparable to the love and engagement artists put in their works. Love and passion for what you do is the connection between the two.”
Chef Rudy started in the food industry about 40 years ago, working on cruise ships and private yachts. “Since I never stopped working for the last four decades, I have seen many changes in the food world. And continued: “When I arrived in the Bay Area 18 years ago, I wanted to become a pioneer and my passion for classic, simple Italian food came up when I opened my restaurant, C’era una Volta.” He thinks that “As human beings, we enjoy art with our senses: music with hearing, paintings and pictures with sight, and culinary art with taste. In other words, after a long day of work, the moment of our meals should be beautiful and enjoyable: tasting food, surrounded by photos and paintings, while listening to our favorite music.”
Nowadays, people take shots of food and of what they eat or cook. What’s the value of having chefs visually showing their recipes in the book? Having artists expressing themselves with their work in a recipe book also means letting recipes speak for themselves. This allows the reader to imagine the flavors and the restaurant’s atmosphere page after page.
We wondered what’s the best advice Flavia could give to those who love food and photography: “Keep’n loving life and its beauty! The art of good food and the art of photography are expressions of the beauty of life.” Whereas for Chef Rudy, the secret of his cuisine is: “besides the Prosciutto and the Parmigiano, eat locally and put tons of love in it! Cheers!”
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