The Kitchen

Cooking doesn’t need to be complicated to be good. While I know that certain results require more effort and complex techniques, I prefer to keep things straightforward. This section is a collection of the meals I love and experiment.

You will find a mix of my signature dishes and my own reproductions of original recipes that I’ve adapted to suit my taste. I believe a recipe is often just a starting point; these versions are shared exactly how I prefer to prepare and eat them.

The focus here is on clarity. I avoid "fancy" words in favor of simple, honest instructions. Whether it is an easy meal or a dish that requires more patience, the goal is always the same: good food made simply.

# Pasta

Modern Carbonara

One of the most debated italian pasta dishes on social media, often pushed toward unnecessary refinement. My version takes a measured approach instead: technique, balance, and a few deliberate deviations from an “original” recipe that is, by now, more myth than standard.

The Food DiaryLuca Mennoia

Spaghetti allo Scoglio

Classic Italian seafood pasta built on an intense shellfish liquor, reduced and integrated through a risottatura technique. The aim is to capture the Mediterranean in each bite—saline, direct—through precise layering of crustaceans, mollusks, and starch.

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Ravioli with Gorgonzola Fondue, Sage-buttered Pear & Toasted Pecans

A study in balance built on an all time classic and re-adjusted to my palate. Gorgonzola fondue is balanced by the sweetness of pear, developed with buttered sage. The velvety creaminess is countered in texture and flavour by the slight bitterness of the crunchy toasted pecans.

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Dry Herbs & Beans Cubetti

With this dish I wanted to trap the dry, woody flavors of the forest into an aromatic bouquet, layering rich umami and herbal depth against the unexpected, sweet spiciness of a Scotch Bonnet.

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Pasta with Romanesco & Crumbled Sausage

Just one practical everyday pasta recipe. It can be made with your favourite type of pasta, but I think it’s great with small-sized hollow formats such as “tubetti” or “ditali”. Ingredients (for 2 people) * Pasta – 160 g * Pork Sausage (knife-cut – “a punta di coltello”) – 80 g * Romanesco

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# Meat

Teriyaki Chicken

Chicken teriyaki made exclusively with thigh for optimal fat content and structure. Skin rendered until crisp, meat kept juicy, then glazed with a reduced teriyaki built to my own taste.

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# Soups and Sides

Omelette Baveuse

Classic French omelette cooked “baveuse”: soft, lightly set curds with a moist interior. Controlled heat and continuous movement ensure a delicate texture and a clean, rolled finish.

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Salmorejo Cordobés

This recipe is other than a secret. It is literally set in stone in the city of Cordoba, Spain. I religiously follow what it reports, and I posted it here as a page of my diary and a tribute to a piece of Andalusian tradition that conquered me from the moment I tried it.

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Gazpacho Andaluz

A cold Andalusian soup, made by blending raw vegetables. Olive oil and water are emulsified to structure this clean and sharp soup. Refreshing, hydrating and reinvigorating, its balance lies between controlled acidity and vegetable sweetness.

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# Risotto

Risotto with Celery Leaf, Zucchini and Gorgonzola

This dish originated as a means to utilize leftovers. Faced with a surplus of celery stalks with plenty of leaves and some remaining gorgonzola, I chose to the freshness of the celery leaves to contrast the intense structure of the gorgonzola within a creamy risotto.

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# Desserts

Creamy Pistachio

A layered dessert of silky pistachio–white chocolate cream, built in a glass with toasted pistachio and cocoa biscuit crumble for contrast in texture and sweetness balance.

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Tiramisù

For many Italians, tiramisu is deeply personal, often defined by their mother’s version—mine is no exception. This was the first recipe I learned, born from necessity when far from home. With good savoiardi, it stays simple yet deeply authentic and comforting.

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# Japanese

Ramen Teriyaki

A deep, layered ramen built on a homemade chicken–vegetable broth, enriched with miso, soy and butter emulsion. Served with noodles, teriyaki chicken thigh, marinated egg, shiitake, bok choy, bean sprouts and fresh scallion for harmony and texture.

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Sea Smoke Uramaki

My favourite home-made uramaki: fried shrimp and avocado wrapped beneath flame-seared salmon, finished with teriyaki glaze and ikura. Fat, smoke, sweetness, salinity, and texture layered just deliciously.

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Japanese Curry Rice

A Japanese comfort dish shaped by adaptation rather than tradition, learned directly from a dear Japanese friend. Curry meets rice in a nearly perfect match—mild, rounded, deeply familiar—reflecting genuine home-style cooking.

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# Hamburgers

Guanciale & Bufala Burger

A fusion burger bridging Brussels and Italy: buffalo burrata, guanciale, Brussels sprout cream, and confit tomatoes. A timeless comfort food reimagined as a cross-cultural encounter, with original contrasts.

The Food DiaryLuca Mennoia