Move through the timeline
and find out about
Chef Pietro Leemann’s life
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1961
I was born in Locarno. My parents, Ada and Alfredo, were teachers who loved good, natural food.
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1962
Our family moved to Minusio, where our new house had a large vegetable garden. This is where I began playing games in which my imagination went wild, immersed in nature.
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1963
Anna, my youngest sister, was born. My other sister, Barbara, was two years older than me. We grew up to be three very different children. Barbara was lively, while I was shy and Anna had an aptitude for music.
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1964
I started going to a nursery school run by nuns. I cried my eyes out on the first day, but then I slowly made friends with the other children.
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1965
This was the year I started searching for the truth and asking many questions. I was sure that what I didn’t understand could be explained to me by people who were older than me. I started thinking for myself.
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1966
I started going to a primary school in Tenero. My father taught at the same school and drove the small bus that took students from/to their homes that were scattered around the countryside near where we lived. Everything was just fine.
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1967
My school mates had fun hurting small animals. I discovered violence against other beings and I objected to it. I secretly visited the priest in the local parish to take communion.
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1968
The brother of a school chum made me listen to a Beatles song at their home. I thought that a beautiful world was starting to emerge. I promised one of my girlfriends at school that I would marry her. From the Catholic books my aunt – who was a Mother Superior – gave me, I discovered the existence of God.
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1969
I was an avid reader, I liked writing and mathematics and I enjoyed learning! I attended the religious education lessons from the back row of the classroom because there was a more agreeable feeling from there.
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1970
My father bought an old military lorry in which we children would play, but it was also a means of transport. It was like having a small house in the woods. The lorry became a place of adventures, where we discovered animals and roots, but we also played with toy cars and dolls. Mara, who suffers from Down’s syndrome, was born and the structure of the family changed.
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1971
We started helping my father in his construction work as well as my mother – who is a very good cook – in the kitchen. I preferred helping my mother, especially when she baked cakes... and I loved eating them. The biscuit rolled up like an elephant’s ear was a must.
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1972
I started going to grammar school in Locarno. Instead of having a just one female teacher, I now had several teachers and I used to call them ‘prof.’ (the shortened form of ‘professore’, meaning high school teacher in Italian). I had to study more subjects. My favourite ones were mathematics, geography, science and French. Girls started blossoming into young women, while I remained a child.
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1973
Life became more complicated. Some schoolmates started bullying other students, the girls wore very tight trousers and pretended to be adults; they talked about aspects of life that seemed useless to me.
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1974
That summer, two friends and I decided to go and help out in a summer pasture. I discovered an ancestral world which shocked me. We had to get up early in the morning, we ate very little and we all slept together in a large room. I wasn’t prepared for this experience, which hastened my introspective soul-searching. I tried to assign the right value to things.
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1975
I started feeling depressed. I thought the world was all wrong, but I couldn’t find any way out. I had no one to confide in, I would have liked to understand things better. I let my hair grow and my school performance dropped. However, I made new friends and I realised we were all in the same boat.
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1976
Angelo Conti Rossini, a renowned Ticino chef, after having been interviewed by my father, came to eat at our home. I was fascinated by him. He was an amazing character. He brought us a vanilla Bavarian cream dessert. I was amazed. I saw a possible new future and decided to become a cook.
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1977
My parents expected me to choose another profession, therefore they suggested I do a one-month training internship in a hotel. I really enjoyed the experience. I finished my high school studies and I asked Angelo to help me find an apprenticeship as a chef.
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1978
I started working in Lugano at “Da Bianchi”, a restaurant that served traditional Italian cuisine. I was glad that I no longer had to depend on my parents. The restaurant was a male-dominated environment. Although I was on friendly terms with everyone, I distanced myself from my more aggressive colleagues.
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1979
I finally got to read what I liked. I was very keen on science fiction, philosophy and the history of religions. I went to a conference, where one of the speakers was Rita Levi Montalcini. I asked her if there was any superior being to mankind. She replied that this was not possible.
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1980
I finished my apprenticeship with ever-increasing success, knowledge and pleasure. I was nicknamed ‘anima lunga’ (literally meaning ‘tall soul’, as I was tall and skinny, but also referring to the Italian idiom “saperla lunga”, meaning “to understand the particulars of a situation” or “to know the ins and outs”). I was a misfit. I was forced to eat huge quantities of meat, the effects of which I am still feeling today. I expected life to be something more than brief flings and having fun which is the central focus and meaning of everything my colleagues did.
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1981
I left for my military service on Monte Ceneri. I declared that I didn’t want a rifle, so I was given a gun. At the mandatory target shootings, I made mistakes on purpose so that I would not be enlisted in the army. Despite this, I was chosen to become a corporal. This meant four additional months of service. To avoid this, I invented a hard-luck story. With hindsight, I would have preferred to have been a conscientious objector. I spent a winter season in the “Corviglia” skiing area in St. Moritz, where I learned traditional French cuisine. Meat, fish, meat... luckily, we also made lots of desserts and I ate plenty of them. They saved me from being unhappy – this was not the kind of cuisine I liked.
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1982
I spent the summer season in Montreux. Working in a hotel is a piece of cake, compared to working in a restaurant. I relaxed so much that I didn’t like it, but I had time to concentrate on my studies. In the autumn I sent off my curriculum to Girardet, which at the time was deemed to be the best “nouvelle cuisine” restaurant. Thanks to Conti Rossini’s help, I was accepted onto the kitchen staff composed of 24 people.
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1983
This was a year of great cuisine in the best restaurant I have ever worked at (after Joia of course!). Here, I learned rigour, which helped me avoid mistakes and prompted me always to strive to do better. Like all my colleagues, I did a lot of sports. This ‘school’ taught me how to cook, but also a lot about life. It left its mark on me and gave me deep-rooted professional skills. Here I discovered superstar chef, Jean Michel Colin, who was demanding, but even-tempered and extremely introspective. I found out that we were interested in the same books. From him I learned thoughtfulness, even in extremely stressful times.
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1984
I took a three-month sabbatical, to rest from overworking, get a clear understanding of the skills I had achieved, and to study. There’s very little time to do this as a member of staff in a large kitchen. I began to have a clearer idea of what I wanted to achieve: good cuisine, with a robust culture. In March, I joined Gualtiero Marchesi’s kitchen staff in Milan’s via Bonvesin de la Riva. This was a more spontaneous cuisine than Girardet’s, but less rigorous. Rigour is the basis of quality cuisine. Therefore, I tried to implement what I had successfully learned so far. Marchesi was an extraordinary person, a gentleman who loved culture and respected everyone. I spent beautiful days with him, when our imagination wandered through the evolution of gastronomy, connecting the present time to cuisine. He was a real source of inspiration.
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1985
I spent other sabbatical months in my parents’ mountain hut. I needed to reflect carefully on my life. I then moved to Geneva, where I was hired by the Richmond Hotel. The chef was a talented pupil of Michel Guérard, one of the founding fathers of “nouvelle cuisine”. I stayed there for six months, just long enough to earn some money and devote myself to research. I attended Christian groups, and I took some extracurricular philosophy and psychology courses at the University of Geneva. Due to the pleasure I got from the courses, I realised that perhaps I should have continued my studies. I liked the university environment very much and I became aware of how others understood things. Above all, I was relaxed amongst people who thought about and discussed different things. I became a vegetarian. I realised that this was due to the evolution of nutrition affecting both me and the planet.
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1986
The West, its philosophical models and cuisine cramped my style. Positive thinking pervades all kinds of behaviour and is always open to criticism. People eat the same things in Paris, Milan or Munich. I discovered Chinese and Japanese cuisine, although I did not understand them. I became interested in Buddhism by reading texts that discussed it, but I did not understand it. I therefore decided to set out on an extraordinary adventure. After scraping together some money, I went East. What I found there was different from what I expected. It’s one thing to read about things and lose yourself in reverie, but it is totally different to experience things first-hand. I spent an extremely invigorating year in China, where I studied Chinese, the nation’s cuisine and culture. I practised Tai Chi, which became my first meditation tool.
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1987
In Japan, I was hired by the Tsuji School in Osaka, where I taught Italian and French cuisine. The most well-known French, Chinese and Japanese chefs came here to show students how they cook, and I had some very interesting exchanges of ideas with them. I realised that there were great food and philosophical models. A new world emerged. I studied and reflected on various subjects, but I also frequented Christian monks and missionaries. I began to practise Kendo, which well represents the spirit of the Rising Sun. I focused on examining my own thoughts and feelings, and clarifying my desires, which became my goals. I made choices that shaped the rest of my life.
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1988
I had to decide whether to stay in the East or go home. It wasn’t an easy decision to take. I was having an extraordinary experience. Every day I studied, practised, discovered new things, and I had many friends. The risk, or the presumed one, was to remain in the East forever. I discovered a lot and I wanted to pass it on to the West. I decided to return to the West via China, passing through Tiananmen Square, where protests were taking place. For a very small sum of money, I bought a train ticket that took me back to Europe, passing through Siberia, along Lake Baikal, Moscow, where up-and-coming restaurants were hidden in alleys, so as to not antagonise the regime; then Poland, where the snow had already melted, wheat was already high in the fields and large deer ran alongside the railway. I passed the border at Berlin, where the wall was still standing, dividing the city, and here I was checked from head to toe.
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1989
I started working with Gualtiero Marchesi again, helping him organise banquets around the world for Bulgari. I wrote articles for magazines in the food sector, I interviewed chefs and pastry chefs, I became a consultant for restaurants that were about to open up or were improving their current business. However, I was not satisfied by standards in general. I was only able express what I had learned in a very limited manner. Although I was extremely free, I felt hemmed in. In July I was contacted by a group of far-sighted friends – Raimondo, Luca, Alberto, Nilde, Anna, Laura and Nicla. They wanted to start up a restaurant called Joia. My adventure with them began in September. I worked first as a consultant, then I joined the company and I later started working there full-time.p>
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1990
With Nicla, we took over the management of the restaurant, which was struggling to take off. My ideas were very avant-garde. The following dishes were created: “Omaggio al surrealismo” (“Homage to surrealism”), a dish featuring averrhoa carambola (star fruit), which remained on our menu for six months, but was not understood by our customers, and “Colori, gusti e consistenze” (“Colours, flavours and textures”), which became the dish that symbolised Joia’s philosophy. It was fantastic to be able to express myself without using meat or fish. In my leisure time I taught Tai Chi and studied.
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1991
I published my first book “Alta cucina vegetariana” (“Vegetarian Haute Cuisine”). The restaurant began to get itself known. We participated in “Festival Saperi e Sapori” (literally, the “Knowledge and Taste Festival”), started up by well-known chef Igles Corelli. (This is an Italian gastronomic event at which top chefs work together, exchanging their knowledge and experiences and offering the public extremely interesting dishes). Alain Sanderens, Iginio Massari and Alain Chapel, whom I had already met in Japan, cooked dinner with us. All European cuisine is similar. I decided to stop reading books on it and started creating dishes without external influences.
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1992
From my Chinese experience, where all its vegetarian cuisine was a play on the texture of meat and fish, I invented dishes that imitated meat, such as chicken, using potatoes, a vegetarian roast and an olive fillet. I created dishes that were able to entice even the most carnivore public, one who was therefore able to develop an interest in an equally delicious cuisine, which is, however, more ethical and healthier.
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1993
I created the flavours that have been the leitmotif and have represented the character of Joia until this day. Light pesto, smoked aubergines, refined curries, chocolate cake, steamed meringue, avocado and vegetable pesto. I invented traditional dishes with a new twist, such as “Chocolat du chocolat” and “Riso basmati e zizania convivono?” (“Can Basmati rice and Indian wild rice be served together?”). New trends took shape.
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1991
Dishes like “Dolcezza a strati” (“Layered sweetness”), “Banana di mandorle con banana” (“Almond banana with banana”) and “Zuppa di agrumi all’orientale” (“Oriental-style citrus soup”) were invented. Our cuisine was ennobled. I hoped I would be awarded my first Michelin star, but it was too soon. However, the restaurant flourished. We served sixty people every evening. There were three of us working there and we really scurried around. The Espresso and Gambero Rosso restaurant guides rewarded us for our hard work and gave us good ratings. It was a beautiful, stimulating period.
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1991
With Jean Bernhard Aegerter, a great Swiss photographer, we started thinking about our cuisine and the image we wanted to portray. We conducted food experiments in nature: in the middle of a brooklet, we lit a fire and cooked a pumpkin. We also drained a wheel of cheese in a rock fissure. We tried to combine photography with nature in novel images. We took photos for the book "Colori, gusti e consistenze nell’alta cucina vegetariana” (“Colours, flavours and textures in vegetarian haute cuisine”), which became an icon for our cuisine. The book allowed me to make a quantum leap in terms of aesthetics and creativity, but also, more precisely, of the philosophy behind my dishes. “Uovo apparente” (“Apparent egg”) and “Banana di mandorle con banana” (“Almond banana with banana”) were added to our menu.
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1996
The Michelin star awarded to the restaurant validated our top-quality vegetarian cuisine. That summer I spent a mystical month near a remote lake in Canada. This led to the creation of a dish called “Le fragole si specchiano nel lago” (“Strawberries mirrored in the lake”). The experience allowed me to emphasise the introspective facet of cuisine. The purpose of food is to bond with others, with ourselves, with the phenomenal and transcendent worlds. The dishes on our menu became a way of conveying a message to our guests.
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1997
This was the Year of Monte Verità, the sacred place of vegetarian cuisine. At the beginning of the last century, a group of visionaries founded a community seeking the values of existence. Theosophy and anthroposophy intersected here, finding fertile ground that led to the birth of ecological-naturalist movements. As my thinking went along the same lines, I was chosen as the manager of the community. After what I thought had been a successful year, my contract was not renewed because I did not want to cook meat. However, during the collaboration, the following dishes were invented: “Ccodella Angelo Conti Rossini”, in honour of my mentor, and “La crème de la crème”, a vanilla version of the hugely appreciated chocolate dessert.
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1998
This year was a transition period, devoted to spiritual self-realisation. I met Don Piero, a parish priest, in his hermitage at Vercio, above Lake Mergozzo in Switzerland, who in his religious practices focused on silence and meditation. I spent some unforgettable moments with him, exchanging opinions and knowledge. The inner world continued to stimulate me and I started introducing it into Joia’s cuisine.
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1999
I met Rosanna and a new life began. We got married in November and, in December, Romy was born. Everything happened very quickly, but I was happy. I felt lucky, as I had everything I wanted. From oriental experiences to working in the restaurants I liked, to having my own restaurant and, at my young age (39), a family. From being a person who was maybe overly serious, I became cheerful and I started playing with cuisine too.
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2000
The “Spirale del gusto” (“Flavour spiral”), “Spaghetti all’italiana” (“Italian-style Spaghetti”), “Frutti di bosco in altre consistenze” (“Soft fruit in other textures” – these were not molecular) were created. I played with colours and shapes, I let my clients share in the joy of food and life. I worked with transparencies in my food and searched for light.
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2001
I investigated the naturalness of food and became closer to its producers. At the restaurant, I offered a choice of thirty cheeses, including one made by the extraordinary Rodolfo Bernardini, whom I would visit in his summer pasture in Cravariola. One day, when I went to see him, I saw him eating a marmot and I realised that I could only be a vegetarian ̶ I could never go back to eating and cooking meat. Through the names I gave my dishes and in their contents, my language continued to change. Some examples are: “Ratatouile scomposta”, “Deconstructed Ratatouille”, and “Raviolo rinascimentale” (“Renaissance Raviolo”).
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2002
I spent the whole year in Milan, with some inspiring trips to Sicily and Alto Adige, two models for good living and eating healthy food. More dishes were invented: “La morbida pelle del latte” (“The soft skin of milk”), which you can also touch, “Conserva musicale” (“Musical preserve”), “Gong”, “Ben Essere” (“Wellbeing”), and “Elogio alla purezza” (“In praise of purity”).
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2003
Rosanna and I bought an old Ticino-style house, which we decided to renovate. We felt the need for a sanctuary in the countryside, which was important for the changes occurring within us. It was essential to maintain a relationship with nature and our roots. The following dishes were added to our menus: “La mia Charlotte” (“My Charlotte”), “Lady Curzon, moglie del Viceré d’India” (“Lady Curzon, the wife of the Viceroy of India”), “L’altro Gazpacho”, (“The other Gazpacho”) and “La cerimonia del me” (“The ceremony focused on me)”.
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2004
I read some interesting books and I wanted to build something. Living in a family is wonderful and a constant source of serenity. My creativity stems from that source that nourishes my soul. More dishes were added: “Con olio extravergine di oliva” (“With extra virgin olive oil”), “Prima a sinistra e poi a destra” (“First left, then right”), “In solluchero” (“Ecstasy”) and “Kitsch”.
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2005
I had a rich family life and underwent a year of transition. Everything whizzed past without leaving its mark on me. Some new dishes: “Melodia di base” (“Basic melody”), “Sequenza non casuale” (“Non-random sequence”), “Mikado”, “Volume crescente” (“Increasing volume”) and “Doppia energia” (“Double Energy”). Also, “Ah”, a dish that was suggested by Romy, my youngest daughter.
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2006
Some structural work was carried out inside the Joia premises. The florist next door closed down and I bought the shop so that I could create a very modern, made-to-measure kitchen aimed at optimising work and saving energy, both high priorities nowadays. The book I wrote with Yuan Mei, the Chinese gastronome and poet and Brillat Savarin’s peer, was published by Electa. In it, I drew parallels between the two cuisines, identifying differences, equivalences and substances. It is my most erudite book. More dishes made their appearance: “Pane di pomodoro” (“Tomato-bread”), “Blub”, “Un sasso rotola” (“A rolling stone”), “Etichetta non conforme” (“Non-compliant label”), “Contatto e consenso” (“Contacts and consent”), and “Finta anatra alla pechinese” (“Fake Peking duck”).
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2007
I met Marco Ferrini, the extraordinary populariser of the Vedic culture, who helped me to discover the fascinating world of “Bhakti”, the search for the supreme love of God, the universe and its living creatures. I studied Ayurveda, which confirmed that I was on the right track. Good food choices are essential for a full, happy life. Dishes called “Virtù” (“Virtues”), “Perseveranza” (“Perseverance”), “Cibo per lo spirito” (“Food for the soul”), “Felicità” (“Happiness”), and “Omaggio a Rudolf Steiner” (“Homage to Rudolf Steiner”), the great European mystic, were added to our menu.
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2008
Giunti published my book “I nuovi confini della cucina vegetariana” (“The new frontiers of vegetarian cuisine”). I focused on expanding both the boundaries of this cuisine as well as my own. I developed self-discipline to optimise my research, as this is the only way to achieve true evolution. The following dishes packed with tasty vegetables were a great success: “Serendipity nel giardino dei miei sogni” (“Serendipity in the garden of my dreams”), “Quello che mangerei ogni giorno” (“Food I would eat every day”), “Come a casa” (“Like being at home”), “Elogio al piacere semplice”, (“Praise for simple pleasures”) and “Per chi ama la verdura” (“For those who love vegetables”), a dessert made with tasty vegetables that is a great success.
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2009
I removed fish from our menu, in keeping with my principles. Together with my brother-in-law, I sowed and harvested 800 kilos of buckwheat. The future means going back in time! Within Joia, I opened Kitchen, a fun bistrot, as my cuisine must be democratic and not only elitist. Thanks to my precious co-workers, I was able to focus on projects other than Joia, whose mission was to change what we eat. New additions to our menu were: “Paesaggio interiore” (“Inner Landscape”), “Pro-fumo”, “All’orizzonte” (“On the horizon”), “Caro Gualtiero” (“Dear Gualtiero”) and “Umami, il sesto gusto che affascina” “Umami, the fascinating sixth taste”.
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2010
I went on two exciting trips, to Shanghai and New York. I realised that what we prepare at Joia is truly avant-garde. Rosanna and my daughters gave me a splüi, a shelter dug under the rock where I started to mature cheeses. I set up a “farmers’ market” in Milan, in which many Lombardy farmers participated. I offered consultancy on how to start changing the food served in canteens in Milan and the Ticino. If children learn to eat well today, they will have a more peaceful life in future and will produce a better world. We introduced some new dishes: “Solaris”, “Milano, Joia, 2020”, “Zuccherino” (zuccheri no) (“Sugary [no sugars]”), “L’intimo piacere di fare la scarpetta” (“The deeply-felt pleasure of cleaning one’s plate with a piece of bread”, “Paesaggio interiore” (“Interior landscape”) and “Maggese” (“Fallow land”) and much more. I experienced an endless creative happiness.
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2011
This was an important year. I turned 50 and celebrated my birthday with a big party in the Giumaglio woods (in the Vallemaggia district in the Canton of Ticino), organised by the Joia staff. Friends from many different backgrounds (cultural, artistic, family and spiritual) came to celebrate this important milestone with me. Obviously, there were also friends I had met as a chef. In August, I was accepted as a disciple by Shriman Matsyavatars Prabhu, guru of the Gaudya Sampradaya sect and a great disseminator of the knowledge of the Vedas religious texts of India. I was given a new name: Parameshvara dasa. Life took a new turn.
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2012
The Joia restaurant opened its bistrot also at lunchtime and it was a great success! It was a democratic image of healthy cuisine for everyone. I realised that I had a growing number of farmer friends and my organic supplies were increasingly farm-to-fork. I dreamt of having a vegetable garden just outside the city and a beehive with buzzing bees on the balcony of my home in Milan. In November, I went on a pilgrimage to India, departing from Kurukshetra, the city where the epic battle took place that marked the transition from Dvapara Yuga (the third and best of the four Yugas [world ages] in a Yuga Cycle) to the present-day Kali Yuga. I visited several sacred cities, going up the Ganges from Haridwar to Rishikesh, up to Devprayag, a small town near the river’s source. It was an enthralling journey. India was captivating and revealed its true nature, allowing me to see holy places and people, but also to discover the fascinating world of spiritual transcendence.
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2013
Something had changed. The restaurant was doing well. I was contacted to teach a few courses, to talk about vegetarian nutrition and its philosophy, but also to give advice in areas other than catering, such as artistic and scientific ones, so I had a hectic schedule. Joia guests came from further afield and they were increasingly motivated to adopt a future-oriented style of cuisine. After several years of assiduous application of ethical and moral principles, linked to my spiritual choices, I was initiated into Brahmacharya. Besides the formal aspect, this meant devoting myself with ongoing commitment to the purification of my conscience and the search for Self. As in every activity, my increased commitment led to better results. I realised that this new achievement allowed me to see things more clearly and supported me in both my worldly and my communicative activities. My responsibilities and commitments weighed on me less. I felt part of a larger and perfectly designed scheme and wasn’t concerned about what I would reap.
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2014
I wrote and published an autobiographical book, “Il sale della vita” (“The spice of life”), in which I describe my metamorphosis from omnivore to vegetarian. In essence, the book describes how I have spent my life, both the best moments and the times which have deeply changed me, through to encounters that have marked or punctuated its rhythms and shaped my way of being. I also reflected on the importance of choosing suitable food for nourishing our physical and energetic body, in terms of psyche and soul. We are what we eat and we become what we choose to eat. Together with Joia staff, at Cascina Caremma in Besate, we designed and started our nature-inclusive vegetable garden. This is an agricultural farming style designed by the Japanese philosopher and agronomist Masanobu Fukuoka and developed by Emilia Hazelip. Every week, in turn, we go and cultivate, gather and weed out inedible herbs, which is an extraordinary experience for all of us in our new role of cooks-farmers.
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2015
Milan took off with Expo and so did I. I was Expo’s ambassador. In an incisive way, I managed to convey the message closest to my heart – that in favour of a healthier vegetarian cuisine, which is most beneficial to our wonderful planet and all those who inhabit it. I participated in many events, the most important perhaps being the meeting dedicated to the religions of the world. Each religion considers food to be the keystone of its faith, whose differences were united by a rice dish cooked by me. Thanks to my philosophical and mystical background, acquired through my explorations and extensive travels, I considered myself to be quite an authority on the various religions. I felt lucky that I could talk on a par with representatives of the different religions, understanding their affinities and sharing their experiences and my own. Many other meetings were also very special. With The Vegetarian Chance we organised a meeting focused on food and conscience, attended by Carlin Petrini and Marco Ferrini. I almost got to meet Vandana Shiva, a bold activist who defends the rights of small farmers. I became friends with Beppe Sala, Commissioner for Expo 2015, who later became a pragmatic, first-class Mayor of Milan. I also had discussions with the staff at the Swiss pavilion, with whom we established good relations and promoted the values of Swiss cuisine and culture. A sore point of the outstanding event was the quality of the food. Sometimes it was fairly good, although on the whole, it was not in line with the themes that were promoted: “Feeding the planet, energy for life”. Words must be put into practice with hard facts! p>
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2016
I realised that it was urgent to have a clear position on animal rights so as to have a non-anthropocentric vision. I got nervous about the prevarication of some economic powers, who get rich by plundering and polluting, remaining unpunished and not considered responsible for their actions. I did not understand GMOs, a useless and harmful farming practice, and the reckless use of chemicals on farms, especially neonicotinoids. Therefore, I joined the movements of scientists and people who are keen to offer alternative agricultural methods and have a more objective view of human beings’ relationship with nature, to be respected and safeguarded for human interest too. I thought that politics was too dependent on economic interests, neglecting what was right for the community, therefore the change towards a greater equilibrium was too slow. I realised that apart from myself, many other people had gradually acquired a clearer idea of the situation and they did not want to be fooled. Therefore, several initiatives, festivals, and farmers’ markets were set up. Also, ever more doctors and nutritionists were speaking out on the matter, and not just because these areas were linked to their own interests. Due to my firm belief on the matter, which I had demonstrated in running the Joia restaurant for many years, I was often invited to offer my testimony. I was extremely lucky to be able to express my opinions! My view was that by providing people with knowledge, they were then able to choose what was most appropriate for them and for everyone else too. We are what we do and also what we eat.
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2017
Nothing happens by chance, but rather, is caused by what has occurred; every success or failure is the direct result of choices that have been made. To be more effective, I deepened my knowledge of nutrition. Thanks to an extraordinary encounter, which helped change my life, I became more familiar with naturopathy and folk medicine. I improved my knowledge of wild herbs, both in cooking and in healing disorders, and also moved towards a subject that deals with the issue in a scientific manner, while keeping the traditions in mind. These encounters never occurred by chance. Several have happened during the course of my life and led to seminal experiences that enriched me. I have always enjoyed leaving the past behind me to embrace new prospects. I started approaching naturopathy, a natural science that treats diseases with plants and herbs that are not synthesised in chemical preparations. I applied several ideas in my cuisine. I thought of the Sichuan cuisine, where for thousands of years food was conceived as a fundamental element in disease prevention, but also in curing various ailments. In spring, I went on a wonderful walk in the mountains around Locarno, from the Cristallina glacier up to Escholzmatt, near Lucerne, where I visited Stefan Wiesner, a dear friend, who is a good cook and alchemist. In 2017 Joia flourished, as it was increasingly appreciated by culturally important people, but also favoured by many nourishing meetings with clients and friends.
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2018
I visited Emosson, in the Swiss Alps, where I saw the footprints of primitive reptiles which lived here in the Triassic period. A new world opened up to me on the history of the evolution of species and the geological changes over the last millions of years. I understood that the history of man was a tiny dot in that of the Earth and I felt extremely small. I realised that everything comes from an eternal time and that it will continue indefinitely. However, the fundamental aspect of my experience is the snapshot of the present, which represents the whole past and prepares us for what is to come. I felt a pressing need to broaden my knowledge in the physical and metaphysical fields and quickly got down to work. It would seem that this year, more and more countries have carried out concrete actions in the fields of environment and health. Hurrah! Thanks to a meeting I had with a friend, who gave me a record, “The Concert for Bangladesh”, I embarked on a journey, thinking back to my past and the fabulous 1970s. I realised how the spirit of that concert deeply affected me. Everything, at any moment, can be changed into a path of love, respect and freedom. I received a prestigious award from the “Fondazione del Centenario della Banca della Svizzera Italiana” (Foundation of the Centenary of the Bank of the Italian part of Switzerland) given in the past to famous intellectuals. What an honour!
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2019
Joia celebrated its 30th anniversary! It opened on 29 September 1989. Together with my co-workers, many of whom have become so good that I realise that one day I could allow them to take up the reins of the restaurant, I organised a huge party. Invitees from all over the world came to celebrate my restaurant, which had become a byword for haute and ethical cuisine, the symbol of a forward-oriented style of cooking. It was known as the restaurant that serves food that ‘nourishes’ the soul, one’s consciousness and body. The leitmotif of the party was to combine the different forms of artistic expression. I asked the great Korean artist, Eun Mo, to create an installation, and the music composer, Bruno Dorella, with whom we invented a revolutionary sound environment, to play during the evening. In the kitchen, we constantly churned out food for our open day, during which people got to meet the cooks and engaged with them for hours. Giovanni Hanninen, a first-class photographer, immortalised snapshots of the event, while during the shooting, the Korean choreographer and dancer, Yong Min, performed haiku of the great Zen masters for the guests. The celebration released an extraordinary energy and I felt incredibly grateful for this important achievement. Thirty years ago, who would have thought that such an unconventional idea for that time could have realised so many aspirations? For Joia’s 30th anniversary I published the most important book of my career, “Il codice della cucina vegetariana”, (“The Code of Vegetarian Cuisine”), a 700-page volume in which I describe my experiences over the years. It is a very comprehensive book that covers subjects ranging from the best vegetables to mushrooms and wild herbs, from green philosophy to data on nutrition, from how to create a cuisine to the foundations for preparing it, as well as salads and desserts. The aim was to bring people closer to a healthy, ethical, and delicious vegetarian cuisine.
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2020
In 2020, I took positions on environmental issues and started thinking about the future. I was awarded the green star for sustainable cuisine by the Michelin guide. This was another achievement, but above all, the confirmation that today, sustainability is becoming increasingly important in people’s minds and lifestyles.p>