I Got the Almighty Tongue - Chapter 76



Only Noblemtl

Italian

The filming schedule was tight, so I was more physically exhausted than I thought. I was resting at the hotel when I got a phone call.

“This is Shin Je-hee.”

-Hello. I enjoyed watching your broadcast. My name is Roberto, and I am in charge of public relations at Barilla.

He has a very strong Italian accent. It seems he hasn’t been in America that long.

“Hello. Is there anything you would like to see me do in Barilla?”

I had a rough idea, but I asked out of courtesy.

-I would like to express my gratitude on behalf of the CEO.

No matter how much we advertised that we were producing high-quality pasta noodles, the public didn’t really believe us. Most people just bought it because they vaguely thought it was Italian and must be good.

But thanks to Chef Shin Je-hee’s tasting that was featured on the show this time, a lot has changed. It feels like my credibility for quality has been acknowledged?

He speaks in an excited voice.

“I just expressed my feelings as they were. I intend to continue to do so.”

This is true. I don’t care about money, so I have no intention of lying.

-Haha. That’s right. Pasta in America is really bad. After I was transferred to the US branch, it took me over two months to find a restaurant I liked here. Hmm. That’s not the point. So I have a suggestion.

“What do you suggest?”

-Barilla has a premium pasta line. I don’t know if you know, but the longer you dry pasta in a machine, the longer it will last and the less flavor it will have. The same goes for the color of the noodles. The higher the quality of the noodles, the more they have the original color of the wheat.

“Of course I know.”

-The high-quality pasta noodles we are releasing this time are made through a process that is not much different from natural drying in that sense. Thanks to this, the noodles have a short shelf life and are expensive, but they are definitely delicious. I would like to film a video of a chef cooking with these noodles. And if possible, I would like to ask for an exclusive model.

“I would like to ask for an exclusive model contract after MasterChef ends. I am too busy right now. I think you should discuss it with my lawyer later.”

-Okay. Then is it okay to make a video of you cooking?

“I don’t think that will matter.

-Then we will prepare and come to LA to see you.

This is a model from Barilla, the world’s largest pasta maker. It’s definitely an appealing proposition.

Barilla began in 1877 when Pietro Barilla opened a small bakery and pasta shop in Parma.

For over 100 years since then, Barilla has continued to be a family-run business for generations. The company’s craftsman-like image, which even refuses to go public because it does not want interference with its food philosophy, suits me well.

The very next day, Roberto came to me in LA with his film crew.

“There are a lot of cooking studios in LA, but this one is my favorite.”

The studio is clean. It is fully equipped with expensive ovens, mixers, extruders, and other equipment.

“What kind of pasta should I make?”

“I think it would be best to have a recipe that brings out the best flavor of pasta noodles. But how about something that people can easily follow, like carbonara?”

“Good idea.”

I changed into my chef’s attire and got ready. It’s a simple dish, so it’ll be ready in 20 minutes.

“Okay! Ready? 3, 2, 1, start.”

Filming began with the PD’s autograph.

“Hello. This is Shin Je-hee. Today, in collaboration with Barillasa, we will make authentic Roman-style carbonara. The ingredients are simple and it is easy to make, so try making it at home.”

“First of all, there are only five ingredients: good pasta, whole pepper, cilantro, eggs, and Pecorino Romano cheese. There are no other ingredients in Roman-style carbonara. This alone makes a great pasta.”

“First, put the pan on and heat it. Then, roll the whole peppercorns on the pan and heat them. The aroma will be activated when the peppercorns are heated. Shake them occasionally.”

“Thirty seconds is enough. Now, grind this pepper with a mortar or pestle.”

I lift a small pot and crush the pepper on the cutting board.

“You can use the pot like this.

Next, boil the water and add salt. 10 grams per liter is enough. While the water is boiling, I will make the sauce. Grate the Pecorino Romano cheese. You can use Parmigiano Reggiano, but the taste will be different. If possible, use Pecorino Romano.

And then add one whole egg here and the other one with only the yolk. Now mix well and the sauce is done. Simple, right?”

The water is boiling.

“Cook the noodles in boiling water. It says that these noodles are al dente for 10 minutes. I’ll cook them for only 7 minutes. Use a timer.”

I press the timer in the kitchen.

“Now let’s cut the chanterelle. Chanterelle is an Italian ham made from salted pork cheek, but you can substitute pancetta. You can easily buy it at a grocery store, so I recommend you try it. After trimming the end of the chanterelle with a knife, you can cut it.”

“Kwanchalle produces a lot of fat like bacon. After frying everything, drain off about half of the remaining fat. Then, set aside a little bit of the fat to be used as a topping later.”

“The noodles are cooked. Now, put them in the pan and mix them. It’s best to mix them while pan-frying like I do.”

Transfer the noodles to the pan and start tossing them skillfully. The oil and noodles from the pan will start to mix together.

“As you can see, an emulsion has formed and the water and oil should be mixed together like cream. Now, we’re going to pour in the sauce. If there’s too little moisture, it’ll end up like scrambled eggs. Keep the moisture level at this level. And now, let’s mix it in.”

The sauce, which is a mixture of eggs and cheese, begins to mix with the noodles. The noodles begin to be coated with the sauce.

“Now sprinkle the ground pepper and cook over the fire while stirring a little more, and it’s done.”

As soon as the words were finished, the pasta was rolled up and plated on a plate. It was an artistic carbonara. On top of the carbonara neatly rolled up on the plate, the previously removed garnish was placed and the remaining pepper was sprinkled on top.

“This is it. It didn’t even take 20 minutes to make. I have to taste it.. Roberto? There’s no one else but you.”

When I call Roberto, who was watching from the set in a suit with his arms crossed, he is startled.

“Me?”

“Yes. You’re Italian and you work in the food industry, so there’s no one who can taste it better than you. And even though the portions are small, the filming staff should try it too.”

With the cameras still rolling, people gather one by one, pick up their forks, and taste the carbonara I made.

“Fantastic. It’s a classic. The flavors of the noodles and eggs, the richness of the cheese and the pepper, it’s perfect.”

Roberto gives a thumbs up. The American staff also taste the authentic carbonara for the first time and smile broadly.

“This is carbonara. It’s delicious. If there was a place nearby that sold it, I would buy it and eat it every day.”

The filming ended with a comment from the camera director. Since it was a short video and there wasn’t much to edit, it was uploaded the next day.

The video received generally good responses and I was preparing for the next Master Chef shoot with a relaxed mind. Then something unexpected happened.

* * *

Ring ring ring

“This is Shin Je-hee.

– Chef, this is Roberto. Do you know a chef named Raphael Denis?

Raphael Denis is a French chef who owns a Michelin star restaurant and is also active in broadcasting. He is known to mainly film content that teaches recipes for dishes.

“I know. Aren’t you a chef who often appears on TV?”

-That person collaborated with a cream company called Horizon in the US and shot a video, and it’s causing some controversy in Italy. Of all people, they used our company’s side… We’re in an awkward position right now. Please be careful, because you might get into trouble too.

“All right.”

Roberto hangs up the phone abruptly. Curious, I look for the video.

Raphael is cooking in the kitchen. He is making a British cream pie. It is clearly a video promoting American whipped cream, so it seems that the recipe was centered around dishes that are easy for the general public to follow.

He makes the second dish. He sautés garlic and bacon. When the ingredients are cooked, he pours milk and whipping cream into it. In the adjacent burner, a pot of Barilla pasta is boiling. After a while, he takes out the noodles and drops them into the boiling sauce. Then he pours in chicken stock to give it some flavor and starts to simmer while shaking the pan. Finally, he seasoned it with salt and pepper and the dish was done.

“Okay, everyone, the carbonara spaghetti is now ready. Let’s taste it.”

Raphael wraps the pasta around his fork and puts it in his mouth.

“It’s delicious, as expected. The people in Italy are a bit like that, but the food is definitely delicious. You guys should try making carbonara with this Horizon Cream. Then I’ll come back with another recipe next time.”

Oh my god. I know what the problem is.

Raphael, of all people, has offended the pride of Italians in their food. Italians never put cream or milk in carbonara. So when you make it and call it carbonara, Italy is understandably angry. I read the comments on the video.

└Thank you for the great recipe. I made it for dinner and it was delicious.

└This is not Italian carbonara. It’s just a pasta dish with no pedigree and a lot of cream on it. If you want to know how to make a proper carbonara, watch the video of Chef Shin Je-hee making it.

└Americans eat pasta with a lot of tomato ketchup on it. They put pineapple on pizza. And now they’re trying to ruin carbonara.

└Recipes change over time. Italians who don’t understand this are uncivilized. Would your pizza and pasta have become so globalized if it weren’t for America? It’s shameless to criticize America now.

└It was thanks to Italian immigrants that pizza and pasta became globalized, not America. America even distorted them in a weird way and created their own horrible dishes. Leave carbonara alone.

It might have ended up being just a coincidence.

Horizon made the mistake of choosing carbonara to promote their cream, and there was certainly something about Raphael’s words and actions that irritated Italians. But even so, what had been a manageable incident was beginning to show signs of escalating into an unmanageable conflict.

Giuseppe Prezzolini, the Italian ambassador to the United States, has joined the controversy.

[As a diplomat, I respect the different recipes of each country. But oh! Oh my God. This is not it.]

Italians rose up like wildfire at the tweet he posted with the link.