Massimo Bottura is the chef and owner of Osteria Francescana, a restaurant located in the historic center of downtown Modena, where he’s acquired a deep sense of certainty and come of age that have been a great help in his trade. The power of innovation and hard work has always been with him over the past ten years, a learning relationship fostered by such great teachers as Ferran Adria and Alain Ducasse, two of Italy’s top culinary gurus.

His life is about a peculiar journey through tradition, innovation and the unexpected. His formulas and recipes are peppered with classic and contemporary ingredients, let alone a combination of simple and complex cooking techniques. Therefore, he’s always open to new and thrilling interpretations of the Italian culinary art. As he puts it, “the important thing to me is to achieve a balance between form and color to captivate the eyes of the customers. Then comes the balance among texture, temperature and flavor to please the palate.”

“Swaying between tradition and innovation, I stand up for taste in order to generate thoughts,” he insists. He stresses that the 8th Habano Festival will open up a window of opportunity to come up with a menu of exception –yet preserving the identity of the Italian cuisine- for a bunch of international from such a high-end world as the realm of cigars.

He admits he only smokes every once in a while, though right now he’s girding his loins to give a crack at the finest stogies. That’s why the Cohiba is his cigar of choice. But, what about his relationship with Cuba? Has he ever visited the country? What does he like the most about this island nation?

“I’ve only been to Cuba once. It was last year, during the 7th Habano Festival, and I came as an aficionado. It was a pretty interesting experience in which the warmth and spontaneity of the Cuban people captured my heart. I was stunned at the beauty of Havana’s architecture,” he says.

“I also had the opportunity to tour Pinar del Rio’s tobacco plantations and cigar factories in Havana. It amazed me to see the uniqueness of this product, its craftsmanship, its allnatural origin and its fascinating centennial history,” Mr. Bottura concluded.

Ingredients: 400 gr. of veal tenderloin chopped in four pieces Bacon For the sauce: 1/2 lt. of red wine (Italy’s Nebbiolo is recommended) 4-5 cloves, half a cinnamon stick and orange peels 500 gr. of meat broth Black pepper in grain Thick-grain salt 1 tablespoon of traditional balsamic vinegar Onion jam a la raspberry vinaigrette Broiled potatoes mashed in olive oil Preparation Reduce the wine down to 50 percent using the cloves, the cinnamon stick and orange peels. Add the meat broth to slash an additional 20 percent. Cook the veal to a crispy in a copper frying pan and then fry till the bacon gets crunchy.

Wrap the bacon strips around the veal. Put in the oven (preheated at 200 degrees) and keep there for 7-8 minutes. Let it rest for awhile. Let the sauce and the traditional balsamic vinegar emulsify at 70 degrees. Cut off the veal tenderloin in two halves, add the salt and the black pepper. Prepare potato quenelle (mashed potato balls) and decorate the tray together with the onion jam. The crunchy veal is served with the emulsifying sauce.

Massimo Bottura’s Awards & Prizes 2002 Rai Sat Gambero Rosso Award 2002 Michelin Star Prize 2004 L’Espresso Presentation of the Year 2005 “El Mejor de la Gastronomia” International Award in Spain’s San Sebastian 2005 L’Espresso Award of the Year 2006 Michelin Star Prize