Oct 28, 2007
FOODIE CONFIDENTIAL
Coast to coast
Chef Alessandro Di Prisco, who hails from the southern coast of Italy, now lives and works in Singapore's East Coast
By Huang Lijie
HE WAS forced into the kitchen as a young boy but Alessandro Di Prisco, chef-owner of Al Forno (East Coast), has no regrets.
'My mother loved to cook so I was often made to help out with the cutting, peeling and washing of ingredients,' says Mr Di Prisco, 34.
Growing up in Cava de Tirreni, a small town in southern Italy along the Amalfi Coast where food is a way of life and two-hour meals the norm, also nurtured his love for cooking.
At 14, he became an apprentice in a restaurant in his hometown that specialised in wedding catering, and went on to cook in hotels and restaurants along the Amalfi Coast for seven years.
In 1995, he was offered the job of chef at Al Forno (East Coast) by one of its previous owners, who is also from the Amalfi Coast, and he seized the opportunity to travel out of Italy.
When the previous owners of the restaurant decided to part ways in 1997, he took over the restaurant.
He and his Singaporean wife have a daughter aged five, and a son aged two. The permanent resident, who lives in Katong, does not see himself leaving Singapore - or his neighbourhood - anytime soon.
'My restaurant has been doing well. Plus, I love the sea and working and living in the East Coast allows me to visit the beach every few days.'
What dish are you most famous for?
Spaghetti frutti di mare or seafood spaghetti, which comes with crayfish, mussels, squid and clams. It's a common dish along the Amalfi Coast because seafood is fresh and abundant there. The freshness of the seafood goes well with a hearty tomato sauce.
What is your comfort food?
Pasta. I must have it at least once a day or I won't feel right. It's food I grew up eating but I never get sick of it because there are so many ways to prepare it, with different sauces, toppings and types of pasta to choose from. Even a simple aglio olio - pasta in garlic, olive oil and chilli - is satisfying.
What is the secret to good pasta?
A good tomato sauce is what makes a pasta dish memorable, but there is no real secret to preparing a good tomato sauce. It's not about what goes into the sauce, and I can tell you that I use canned, whole peeled tomatoes, olive oil, fresh basil, salt and garlic in mine. What is important is that the ingredients are of the right proportion and cooked for the right duration, which varies according to the quality of the produce available.
What is your favourite Italian dish?
Eggplant parmigiana, or fried breaded eggplant that is baked with mozzarella cheese in a tomato sauce. I love eggplant. I've been eating it since I was a kid and my mother has a great recipe for it. However, I don't have it as often as I'd like to these days because it's a time-consuming dish to prepare.
What food do you like besides Italian cuisine?
I go through phases. Right now, it's Thai food. I especially like tom yum soup. While I do suffer because the dish is so spicy, its hot and sour flavours are very satisfying. I don't go to a particular restaurant or stall as I like to eat around. I also like Indian food such as prawn masala and roti prata.
Where do you go for supper?
I've been frequenting Sin Hoi Eating House in Katong, which is close to where I live, for some 10 years now. It sells good Chinese stir-fried dishes such as chilli kangkong, fried rice and barbecued prawns. I usually visit it with my staff after a long day at work.
What is your fondest memory of food?
Making pasta by hand with my mother and younger sister when I was about eight. It wasn't so much the food as the atmosphere. It was cold but sunny outside and the TV would be playing in the background while we were gathered around the kitchen table kneading the dough and shaping the pasta that would be served for lunch. Thinking about it always makes me feel warm inside.
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