What's the secret to discover at Mi Piace?

In my next life I’d like to be born Italian,” said my son, and I nodded in agreement. We were in Pontedera located in the Tuscan Region as guests of Mama Rosa and Papa Pier Luigi.  Mama Rosa gave our son his first taste of Italian cooking the way the Italians enjoy it: simple and darn good. “It’s good because it’s simple; it’s healthy because it’s simple. It’s simple because everyone knows that good ingredients stand best on their own.”  Now, that formula is a simple one, too. 

Today, I met the Italian chef of Mi Piace, The Peninsula Manila Massimo Veronesi, and immediately, the “simple” formula came to mind. How does Massimo bring simplicity into his kitchen and to the dining table?  Chef Massimo beamed and said, “I start with a simple salad — fresh garden greens mixed with thinly sliced parma ham and thin wedges of sweetened apples, to be followed by…”  (Note: he used the word “simple.”)

Massimo became rapturous about the dishes that he pictured in his head and would cook ala minuto. He was careful not to engulf our taste buds so that each dish was served in tiny portions, the better to savor every ingredient on the plate.

The first dish was red tomato Tortellini stuffed with braised eggplant in Arrabiata sauce with Chilean mussels on the side. The jolt of crushed red pepper from the chili-based sauce revved up this dish; what a good way to open up the palate to more surprises. 

Il brodo was double-boiled beef consommé with slices of fresh mushrooms and baby asparagus. Chef Massimo added the creamy, semi-soft taleggio cheese, chewy to the bite although it stuck to my spoon; I un-stuck it anyway. The steaming vapor released the flavor that reminded me of the comfort soups of long ago that nourished me — or rather, snapped me back to sweet life.

Gli gnocchi was a combination of hand-rolled potato gnocchi, prosciutto ham and tiger prawns topped by a pumpkin cream sauce with slivers of scarmosa cheese — a tasty combination that was light and pleasing.

By now, our gustatory senses had reached a level of satisfactory anticipation, just the right time to introduce the main dish, la guancia. This was Wagyu beef cheeks slow-braised in Barolo wine. (Barolo is claimed to be the “wine of kings” or “king of wines” avidly collected by wine connoisseurs). There was also globe artichoke pansotti (which means “pot bellied” in Italian) served with mashed potato encircling a pool of the Barolo sauce.  True to its reputation, the beef was tender and succulent. Guilt flew away with every bite, knowing that the fat in the Wagyu had more mono-unsaturated fats that melt at room temperature. The good news is that Wagyu is suitable for those on a low-cholesterol diet.  Chef Massimo was wise to serve the heaviest food in small quantity and serve it last when it was impossible to overindulge.

To cap the meal, chef Massimo brought in a glass campote of refreshing, ice-tingling fruit sherbet with slices of tropical fruits and sprinkled with star-shaped chocolate morsels.

What is the secret to enjoying a remarkable feast? Chef Massimo said there’s nothing remarkable about it. “When we (Italians) cook, we cook as a family and we eat as a family, and of course, we try to do it as well as we can, for the family.” 

“Hmm, not far from how we Filipinos like to eat,” I observed. “We like to eat with a variety of dishes on the table so that we can pick or sample from each other’s plates without compromising the quality of the food and breaking our kitchen budget.”

Chef Massimo beamed as he handed me a sample of his Pasta Fresca menu.

Could dishes this good be budget-friendly as well? 

Now you know.