Chef Antonia Klugmann looks out over the fields of Friuli
In the remote region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia It seems that time has stopped. Located east of Venice, where Italy meets Slovenia, its hills, forests, vineyards and rivers are at the heart of Europe. Although little known, this small territory has a powerful past. Friuli takes its name from the former conqueror Julius Caesar , and his lands have been inhabited by names that marked history, from Attila the Hun to Ernest Hemingway . But his real business card is the rich -albeit rustic- culinary traditions of Friuli, which see the convergence of Germanic, Latin and Slavic influences.
It is this eclecticism that fascinates and inspires the celebrated chef Antonia Klugman . Born in nearby Trieste, her unique cuisine, defined by seasonality, sincerity, and emotion (her dishes are often make diners cry ) is deeply marked by the sense of belonging. Everything at L'Argine A Venco, the 16-seat Michelin-starred restaurant that rode in a converted 17th-century mill in 2014, he connects with his own diverse roots.
The daughter of two doctors and of Austrian-Jewish and Pugliese (from Apulia, Italy) descent, Klugmann found her passion for food late, and only she took up cooking after changing course after three successful years studying law . She never looked back. It was a bold move that works as a testament to the strength of her character. After two years washing dishes, and apprenticing with Bruno Barbieri , in 2006 she opened her first and much celebrated restaurant, Antico Foledor Conte Lovaria . "I don't follow anyone," says Klugmann. "My style is personal."
Pure and unassuming, Klugmann's kitchen celebrates the beauty of the everyday . “My mind finds no beauty in the rare,” she tells her sister, who works as a manager at L'Argine A Venco, as they search for dandelions in a nearby clearing. But despite finding inspiration in the everyday , the chef goes beyond the clichés of traditional Italian cuisine on her menu: in it you can find blue fish and anchovies, or Jerusalem artichokes harvested from their garden , lovingly cultivated. Change is at the core of this chef's creativity. Klugmann sees her menu as a reflection of her own progressive personality. " It is important to evolve every day she says. "Keep pushing."
The complexity of Klugmann's food stems, in part, from her commitment to work the local kitchen without generating waste . She uses every part of her locally sourced produce - from the fish to the flower, pip, stem and root of the plant - resulting in very distinctive flavors. The chef finds solace in her surroundings, taking inspiring journeys to both the many ghost towns in the region as well as her local suppliers, including a young farmer in a family-owned flour mill that has been in operation since 1895. Behind the wheel of the dynamic Lexus ES Sedan , one thing is clear: despite sinking its roots in the deep culinary heritage of Friuli, Klugmann's kitchen never stops moving.