Cesare Casella

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Cesare Casella is an acclaimed Italian chef who grew up among the pots and pans of Vipore, the small trattoria his parents, Rosa and Pietro, owned outside of Lucca, Italy. At age 14, Cesare enrolled in the Culinary Institute Ferdinando Martini, in Montecatini, and sharpened his practical cooking skills while studying the history of food. After graduating, Cesare set about turning Vipore from a local favorite into both a regional and international destination. He began developing his trademark herbal cuisine (thanks in part to a garden with over 40 types of aromatic herbs) and updating traditional Italian recipes with new ideas and twists. By 1991, Cesare had earned Vipore a Michelin star and a reputation that attracted clients from Henry Kissinger to Tom Cruise.

In 1993, Chef Casella was named Executive Chef of Coco Pazzo in New York City. Soon there after, he launched its sister restaurant, Il Toscanaccio. In March 2001, he opened his first solo New York restaurant, Beppe, in honor of his grandfather, Giuseppe Polidori. Beppe has earned critical praise and commercial success for authentic, rule-bending Tuscan cuisine. Chef Casella then launched “Republic of Beans”, an Italian import company of heirloom beans, grains and spices. Through his collaboration with Thanksgiving Farms, in upstate New York, Chef Casella helps to raise Chianina (Italian cows), pigs, and grow certified organic produce.

In 2005, Chef Casella opened the critically-acclaimed Italian restaurant, Maremma. This Italian trattoria pays homage to the beautiful region of Maremma in the southwest of Tuscany, and its traditionally-Italian and seasonally-driven menu features house-made cured meats and sausage, pastas and other organic products. In 2006, the French Culinary Institute appointed Chef Casella as the first dean of Italian Studies in both New York City and Parma, Italy. Chef Casella designed and wrote the extensive curriculum for the joint programs and will continue to oversee the comprehensive training of all chefs and instructors involved. The Italian Culinary Academy launched in October of 2006 in New York City and in January of 2007 in Parma. The academy is part of the International Culinary Center, previously known as the French Culinary Institute.

Chef Casella has written three cookbooks, Diary of a Tuscan Chef] (Doubleday), Italian Cooking for Dummies (IDG) and, most recently, True Tuscan (Harper Collins). He has also been featured in many publications, including Gourmet, Bon Appetit and Food & Wine. He has been the subject of a series of The New York Times’ 'The Chef' columns. His frequent television appearances include segments on ABC and CBS news programs, The Food Network’s Tyler’s Ultimate and Molto Mario as well as Martha Stewart Living. He appears regularly at the James Beard House and DeGustibus in New York City, as a featured guest chef, and is an active member and supporter of City Harvest, Slow Food USA, Chef’s Collaborative, Seafood Alliance and the Gruppo Ristoratori Italiani(GRI), an organization which seeks to promote Italian cuisine.