L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, MAY 13, 2021 www.italoamericano.org 26 L'Italo-Americano S hen he cooks for O s c a r - w i n n i n g actress Jennifer L a w r e n c e , h e prepares the dish she likes best, spaghetti with fresh tomatoes and basil, while to Vin Diesel he serves classic bruschetta, of which the Fast & Furious actor is p a r t i c u l a r l y f o n d . C h e f Arturo Avallone arrived in Los Angeles with a dream that, with determination, tal- e n t a n d p a s s i o n f o r g o o d food, he realized, becoming in a few years a well-known Hollywood celebrities' pri- vate chef. The first star for whom t h e y o u n g m a n f r o m Pozzuoli cooked for was the Avatar actress Zoe Saldana and her husband, the Italian artist Marco Perego. "Actor friends came to dinners at their house and asked me to go and cook for them. I start- ed with this group of clients a n d i t a l l b e c a m e b i g g e r from there." A word of mouth among H o l l y w o o d a c t o r s a n d actresses that led Arturo to c o o k f o r S h a r o n S t o n e , Adele, Cardi B, Kris Jenner, C a m e r o n D i a z a n d a l s o Italian influencers Chiara Ferragni and Fedez. "At the beginning, it was incredible for me to see them in person, b e c a u s e w h e n y o u a r e i n Italy you think of them as unreachable. Then, when you go to their house, you realize that they are just like you and me." Arturo, what is your first memory related to food? As a child, I remember inviting friends over and pretending it was my restau- rant, cooking for them and having lunch all together secretly from my parents. Over time, I realized that cooking gave me the oppor- tunity to express my creativi- t y , a n d s o I e n r o l l e d i n a cooking school. What does food repre- sent to you? I a m f r o m N a p l e s a n d t h e r e w e l o v e t o s p e n d Sundays all together and eat a lot of food. I come from a family of fishmongers and therefore I love fish, seafood, pasta with fish in general! W h a t d o y o u l i k e about this job? The fact that a very inti- mate relationship is created between me and the cus - tomer. You have to under- stand what they like, and you have to create a relation- ship of trust, also because you go to their kitchen and cook for them. Each client is very different and it's nice because I always do different things. H o w i s c o o k i n g f o r A m e r i c a n s , w h o a r e u s e d t o d i f f e r e n t f l a - vors? I immediately understood Americans mostly eat things that fall within the Italian cliché. So, at the beginning, I m a d e a l o t o f B o l o g n e s e p a s t a b e c a u s e e v e r y o n e wants it, along with ravioli, lasagna, tiramisù, bruschet- ta, your typical things. Then, I started to educate the cus- tomers, making them under- stand what we eat in Italy, combining food with wine and dessert. Are you a traditional- i s t i n p r e p a r i n g y o u r recipes, or do you adapt them to local taste? I have been asked to cook Alfredo pasta and, at the beginning, I was a bit more rigid and I would always say "No, I don't do that," while now if they ask me some- thing I do it, but always giv- i n g i t a n I t a l i a n t o u c h . M a y b e I c h a n g e i t , a n d I explain how we do it in Italy -- which often is not like they do in America. For example, here they use a lot of cream, it's everywhere, like butter. How do they see Italy? T h e y h a v e a n i m a g e o f Italy as a country of excel- lence. Sometimes I have to force my accent and gestures t o m a k e e v e r y t h i n g m o r e characteristic, almost to give them a way to travel to Italy despite being here. In fact, I also play Italian music, bring t h e f o o d t o t h e t a b l e a n d explain what I'm serving. They like to feel good, the experience in its entirety. How do they relate to you? The Kardashians haven't interacted much with me, but Jennifer Lawrence and Zoe Saldana are always very friendly, I often remain after dinner to drink and eat with them. Liza Minnelli was very sweet and very energetic, she came to the kitchen to thank me. How would you define your cooking? I w o u l d s a y i t ' s v e r y f u s i o n . I h a d t o a d a p t t o California products that are good and go well with classic I t a l i a n a n d s p e c i f i c a l l y Mediterranean flavors. I like to use fresh produce, a lot of fish, a lot of vegetables. A n y t y p i c a l I t a l i a n dish that you introduced celebrities to? Fried pizza! As soon as they taste it, they all freak out. In general, let's say that they are a bit obsessed with v e g a n , s u g a r f r e e , t h e n gluten-free. I have to adapt. S h a r o n S t o n e o n l y e a t s gluten-free for example. The first time I cooked for her I didn't know it and I had to make up for it by changing the whole menu at the last minute! S o m e o n e w h o h a s improvised as a cook? Yes, Jennifer Lawrence loves to cook and cooks a lot, so she often joins me and asks me to teach her some secrets. How has people's rela- t i o n s h i p w i t h f o o d changed in this city since you arrived? Los Angeles has changed a lot. There are many more r e s t a u r a n t s , e s p e c i a l l y Italian ones. People travel a lot more and have learned to eat and drink, so… it has changed a lot. For example, now everyone knows what c a r b o n a r a i s , w h i l e f i v e years ago it was not so well known. People are starting to appreciate true tradition, true Italian culture and good food. Do you miss Naples? Y e s , I m i s s s i m p l i c i t y , friendships, family, our food. The things that in Italy are d o n e i n f r e e d o m . H e r e , everything has to be sched- uled. W h a t d r e a m d o y o u have for the future? I will probably be the pro- t a g o n i s t o f a n A m e r i c a n cooking show very soon. It's early to tell, but let's keep our fingers crossed! And I'm also working on a brand of Italian sauces. I would like to c r e a t e a v e g e t a r i a n a n d vegan line made here in Los Angeles, with local products b u t I t a l i a n i n s t y l e . A n d m a y b e , o n e d a y , o p e n a restaurant or a deli of my own. Arturo Avallone, the Italian chef all Hollywood celebrities wants SILVIA GIUDICI Arturo Avallone, chef to the stars (Photo courtesy of Arturo Avallone) LOS ANGELES ITALIAN COMMUNITY

• Cover