- Michelin-starred chef Massimo Bottura started sharing his family dinners while on lockdown in Italy through Instagram Live.
- His show dubbed “Kitchen Quarantine” streams at 3 p.m. ET (8 p.m. CET in Modena, Italy).
- While the shows aren’t saved permanently, Bottura does share clips from shows on his profile.
- One since-deleted clip featured a recipe for a grilled cheese sandwich that Bottura served as an appetizer. I made it myself and it was delicious.
- Visit Insider’s homepage for more stories.
Massimo Bottura owns and operates several world-class restaurants, has the title of a Michelin-starred chef, and is known as one of the best chefs in the world. Now, he’s adding the title of virtual cooking guide to his resume with his Instagram Live series called “Kitchen Quarantine.”
Bottura started sharing his nightly cooking expeditions with his Instagram followers amid Italy’s anti-coronavirus lockdown. His daughter Alexa films each episode as he cooks up dinner with his wife Lara Gilmore and their son Charlie.
The episodes disappear after 24 hours, but there are some clips that Bottura publishes to his profile.
http://instagr.am/p/B9uHfGJpqm4
I found it hard to follow Bottura's live shows as if they were a cooking class simply because there's no way of knowing what ingredients he'll use ahead of time, but that's intentional.
Massimo Bottura said that his live sessions are not cooking shows
In his question-and-answer session posted on March 16, he said, "We just want to be part of the world," adding that the videos are just his way of staying connected to other people.
If you do want to cook like Massimo, though, you can tune in as he goes live - 3 p.m. ET (8 p.m. CET) - build a grocery list, and then watch it again as you cook the meal yourself. I've gotten some pretty useful tips and great ideas from the Bottura family on how to use ingredients I already have just from watching.
One clip showed him making a toasted cheese sandwich
In looking through the clips on Bottura's profile, I came across a recipe for what I knew would be a crowd-pleaser: grilled cheese.
Bottura made it as part of a refrigerator-emptying meal - there are days when he just uses up everything in his fridge that's on the verge of spoiling - and documented the process from start to finish in one of the clips.
The post has since been deleted, but Charlie posted a photo of the dinner table to his Instagram profile and you can see the small plate of two toasted cheese sandwiches on the right.
http://instagr.am/p/B97akksHaZ1
Bottura used leftover "white sandwich bread" that he had in his fridge, some smoked provolone cheese, and slices of parmigiana that come in singles just like American cheese singles here in the states. He also added some prosciutto cotto - which is cooked ham as opposed to the cured raw ham that is prosciutto crudo - and lots of butter.
During my next scheduled trip to the grocery store, I set out for the ingredients
I was able to find some smoked provolone cheese but I couldn't find the parmigiana singles, so I bought a small block on the rind. The butcher counter didn't have prosciutto cotto, so I bought a few slices of crudo instead.
Bottura is passionate about minimizing food waste. So instead of buying white sandwich bread that I knew I wouldn't eat, I decided to repurpose some of the Parker House rolls I made with the help of a virtual cooking class.
Once I had everything, the sandwich was easy to make
I cut the cheeses into thin but wide slices and layered them onto the rolls with the Parmigiano Reggiano on the bottom, the smoked provolone on top of that, and then the prosciutto.
Following Bottura's lead, I loaded up a pan with butter and spread even more on the top and bottom of the bread. He also suggested using a second pan to put some weight on the sandwiches and squash them so they become gooey, oozy, and flat.
I burned my first two sandwiches because I increased the heat coming from my stove, so I adjusted and tried again. I found that cooking these low and slow was the key to success.
If you're looking to get some tips and recipes from chef Bottura, I'd recommend watching his livestreams and taking copious notes.
That way, next time you grocery shop you'll be able to get everything you need and reference your guide for how to cook up the ingredients like a Michelin-starred chef.