Manuel Ferrari landed at FoodExp with his new sweet creation: the Merenda dei ricordi (Snack of Memories). The pastry chef of the palatial Villa Serbelloni in Bellagio (Como) wanted to share his atypical, yet deeply felt, journey into the world of pastry. Ferrari, in fact, started as a savory chef. After beginning his career at Villa Serbelloni in 1999, followed by various internships and training across Italy and abroad, he realized in 2010 that something was missing from his vision: a profound understanding of the confectionery arts. “Despite starting with a less-than-idyllic relationship with pastry, I decided to approach it with the same mindset as cooking: aesthetics and technique at the service of the product, to enhance its purity and essence,” he explains. From this philosophy comes a snack that is also an emotional memory: butter from Trentino, his homeland, and the "pane e pomodoro" (bread and tomato) of Puglia, his wife’s place of origin. Two traditional snacks of the past meet in a crunchy bread made with two ancient grains, accompanied by whipped butter scented with lemon, green tomato jam, and raw chestnut pollen. Finally, two flakes of Maldon sea salt. A dessert that speaks of roots, bonds, and everyday life, in a perfect balance between technique and memory.
