DIMITRI ASCIUTTO
By: Publisher & Journalist Margaux CintranoFounder of Beyond Taste, Oltre il Gusto Magazine
MARGAUX: Where were you born and raised ?
Dimitri: In Amsterdam, The Netherlands. My father is Italian and my mother Dutch
MARGAUX: What and / or who were the catalysts that stimulated your interest in becoming a Chef ?
Dimitri: My father. In the early eighties my father worked as chef at restaurant Mario in Neck near Purmerend. This restaurant had 1 Michelin star. I was in those days about 18 years old. My father asked me if I wanted to work there to learn the Italian kitchen. I learned to make fresh pasta. Actually all pasta types and dough types. Furthermore, making pizzas. Later Mario’s brother Lorenzo Uva also started a restaurant in Amsterdam. My dad and I went to Amsterdam to start the restaurant from the outset. From the parents of Mario I got lessons. I really learned to cook. From appetizer, main courses and desserts.
MARGAUX: What do you think is the best to cook or make?
Dimitri: I love making different fresh pasta types, and Japanese cuisine. In the late 1980’s, I first came into contact with Japanese cuisine. I was immediately addicted to the good food and the beauty of this kitchen. In the early nineties I started making my own sushi. Now, looking back, these sushi was very bad, because we could hardly get the right ingredients here in the Netherlands. Only soon later in the nineties these ingredients became easier to find. I love making different fresh pasta types, and Japanese cuisine. In the late 1980’s, I first came into contact with Japanese cuisine. I was immediately addicted to the good food and the beauty of this kitchen. In the early nineties I started making my own sushi. Now, looking back, these sushi was very bad, because we could hardly get the right ingredients here in the Netherlands. Only soon later in the nineties these ingredients became easier to find. And so I could further prefect myself with making sushi.
MARGAUX: Where do you get your inspiration?
Dimitri: Via the Internet. I’m so happy that we have internet now. I can now quickly get to know a lot of dishes. Because of the online videos, I often get ideas for making existing dishes that I’ve been making for years now in another way. Through the internet, you will be creative to try out new things.
MARGAUX: What new things are you trying for now?
Dimitri: I am now writing recipes for several De’Longhi, Braun and Kenwood kitchen machines. These machines will force you to put existing recipes in a new jacket. And to describe that everybody who tries these recipes on Kenwood machines is also easy to get out of it. It’s very nice to do. With the latest machines, the Cooking Chef gourmet can even cook sous-vide. This again opened many new possibilities for this kitchen machine.
MARGAUX: Have you authored any books, seminars, courses, blogs, newsletters or a website ?
Dimitri: Yes I have helped on a book “end of privacy” from author Adjiedj Bakas, he is trend watcher. And I write recipes for the Dutch and Belgian De’Longhi, Braun and Kenwoodclub sites.
MARGAUX: If you could take one month to travel to any gastronomic dream destination for you, where would you travel to and why ?
Dimitri: O, it’s not a dream next year I am going to Japan. I want to learn and understand if my sushi skills is the same as the real masters in Japan. I think if you want to grow in your skills then you must understand the background of the culture. Only then you can grow in your skills.
MARGAUX: What further plans do you have in the future?
Dimitri: To write more recipes and try out new combinations. At this moment, I’m experimenting with molecular cooking, to catch Italian flavors in caviar and to process it again with a sous vide dish. I also like to combine old craft with the latest technologies, such as fresh pasta from Kenwood machines, using old wooden Corzetti pasta stamps. And besides, I read a lot of cookbooks and different cuisines from all over the world. So for the time being, I still have a lot to learn and write new recipes. But the most important thing is that people enjoy what I make.