Italy has no gourmet cuisine: statement by Peter Goossens during final broadcast Celebrity Masterchef

(Photo accompanying this article from presenters Masterchef edition Italy)

Statement yesterday by Peter Goossens at the start of the program "Celebrity Masterchef" and announcement of upcoming dish "Lasagne". Peter Goossens: "Italy has no gourmet cuisine". It was with much disbelief that I heard this. My UNIDENTIFIED MIND on this statement, regardless of the level of Peter Goossens.

As a Piedmont wine and gastronomy expert, I wonder what the restaurants would bring if not local cuisine with a creatively expanded slant. Piedmont has 35 one-star restaurants, 2 two-star restaurants and 3 three-star restaurants. Separately, there are numerous restaurants in the running for a star, less high in price but an experience.

It feels like a sledgehammer blow to hear this from an authority in Belgian gastronomy after we have been visiting the Piedmontese gastronomic scene on a regular basis for 25 years. So we take the test ourselves before the client of Piedmont Travel (our other company) goes there. Piece by piece, those restaurants are gems and their commitment to consistency and sustainability with 0 km sourcing of food, among other things. By the way: hitting up a gourmet restaurant in Italy costs quality-price consideration less than in Belgium. Especially since the wine price is not done x 3 as in many establishments that friends of ours visit in Flanders and Wallonia.

From a chef like Peter Goossens, you expect him to have traveled a lot to do local cuisine in other countries. He has surely never been to Piedmont. Now that he has free time - that's how he describes it himself in an interview - maybe it's the time to take that step ánd with hopefully the result that he rethinks his opinion. Tip for Peter Goossens: visit the three star restaurant of your fellow presenter Masterchef Italy namely Antonino Cannavacciuolo of Villa Crespi - repeating three star Michelin - located near the beautiful Lago d'Orta. Of course, we will never know what he carries as a conclusion in his brain because Celebrity Masterchef is behind us. Having seen all episodes of both the Flemish "Celibrity Masterchef" and the Italian "Masterchef" broadcast on Sky Tv, I would like to point out a few striking differences

Choice of candidates

Unfortunately in Flanders yet another program with BVs. In the Italian version of Masterchef, the ordinary man/woman had their say. A selection was made perhaps months in advance, including sessions of the potential contestants in the kitchen. Surprising was how "empowered" the participants were.

Award for the winning party

Despite the perhaps very high cost of selection, the winner - Anna Zhang - received the grand prize of €100,000. She gave this sum away to her father for the sacrifices he made to allow Anna to grow into what she is today. Anna's father and mother were living in China, wanted more than one child (obligation in China at that time one child) and without knowing one word of Italian decided to settle in Bella Italia (area around Venice) to work immediately for a second child. Anna - super enthusiastic contestant obvious from the instagram images of Masterchef It - has had opportunities in Italy that are not so obvious as a foreigner in Italy. At 30 years old, she works as a key person in the Italian fashion industry. Wondering if Celebrity Masterchef after the broadcast also has plans for Daphne as with Anna Zhang: releasing a cookbook, a special event cooking class and more. Anna Zhang eventually won with her dish "L'Albero della Vita" (The Tree of Life).

Choice of presenters

For Italy, there was not only Antonino Cannavacciulo known besides his own Villa Crespi with the TV program "Incubo da Cucine," a similar program to Gordon Ramsey's version. Besides Villa Crespi, there are two more bistros - in Turin and Novara - where you can have lunch or dinner for a softer price. Here Antonino is not present to take pictures with customers after lunch or dinner. This is not always the case because there are still private shots but he tries to be present as much as possible. It is worth mentioning that with the two bistros and Villa Crespi itself Antoniono has seven stars. And a hotel too (suites at the restaurant Villa Crespi).

Other presenter was Bruno Barbieri, owner of several restaurants and also presenter of the program "4 Stelle", visiting and staying overnight with very critical owners of hotels to judge a hotel 4 stars from A to Z. Very flamboyant figure with high standards. Very flamboyant figure with high like factor for the Italian fashion world.

Also Giorgio Locatelli, owner of new restaurant in the National Gallery (Trafalgar Square) in London. He is proud to say that he left Italy at the time with 450 pounds and sold his previous restaurant in London for 8,000,000 pounds.

The trio was more expressive in body and moves in all broadcasts compared to our three West Flanders presenters. There was more response to the private world of the unique contestants. The presenters also flew into the winner's arms and embraced with very high enthusiasm.

So, that was it. Writing this helped deal with the irritation over Peter Goossens' very inappropriate statement Piedmont is my passion, my know-how, my daily field of promotion and work.