Bruno Barbieri's new book: “I'll tell you my most intimate truth.”
Bruno Barbieri returned to the small screen a few days ago with the new season of Bruno Barbieri 4 Hotel: but when the spotlights on television sets fade, when the trolley is closed and the judge's jacket is put away, who is Bruno Barbieri really?
Always ready to get back into the game
Over 40 hours of transcriptions in approximately five months of work. A work born from a profound desire: "to show the reader a different self, stripped of the shell of a public figure, ready to reveal its most intimate side," says Barbieri. From his humble family roots to the escape from his father who changed his destiny, from his formative years in the most prestigious kitchens to the American dream, from Trigabolo to Michelin stars to television fame, Barbieri retraces the stages of an existence driven by curiosity and the stubbornness of never feeling like he's arrived. Always ready to defend his principles and get back into the game.
The man beyond the screen, without filters
The chef has gotten a lot off his chest in the book. It's not just a celebration of success or the poetry of his Emilian roots: Barbieri confronts, for the first time, the scars of the past, the burning disappointments, those who hurt him and those who, at crucial moments, betrayed him. "It wasn't easy, it took me a long time, but, mind you, it's not self-celebration, quite the opposite. At 60, I felt the need to make it clear that I've gotten where I've gotten not without effort. It's a profound book, which tells not only my story, but the stories of other people, people who today, perhaps, are no longer with us." Unfiltered, Barbieri tackles topics he's never explored before, sharing reflections on work, family, friendship, the travels that have shaped his outlook, and the women who have left their mark on his life and his cuisine.
"Without armor and without discounts for anyone"
"For years, people have only seen harsh judgment, quick witticisms, and the perfection demanded on TV. But behind every dish and every achievement, there was a price to pay: loneliness, the bitter taste of betrayal from those I thought were friends, the courage to get up again, alone, every time," reveals Barbieri. While it's always easy to applaud when the stars shine, it's the shadows that reveal who you truly are. "I wanted this book to be a liberation. I've crossed oceans and cooked for the greats of the Earth, but the real challenge was to bare my soul, without armor and without discounts for anyone."
Like an X-ray, to be read "against the light"
In this authorial fresco, Controluce thus becomes a passionate and elegant confession. A journey where the anger of betrayal dissolves into the poetry of memory: the tale of a sailor of life ("I love going fishing"), who hasn't forgotten where he started, who has freed himself from the burden of the wrongs he suffered, and who gives his readers the greatest gift: the truth of his own story. "Of course, I couldn't tell everything... But this is 'My book.' An X-ray of myself, to be viewed 'against the light.'"