Roberta Angelone, who is famous as the chef of Il Forno in Manali, has now shifted her base to Delhi. You can hire her to cook at your home or learn the best of Italian cooking. She chats with Divya Kaushik
She is very much like the food she cooks- warm and comforting. In almost no time she gets chatting with you with such ease like she has known you for years. May be this is why people who met her once at Il Forno, Manali, still try to spot the smiling face, exchanging pleasantries and passing the cheesy delights from one table to the other at the Italian restaurant. But sadly for them, Roberta Angelone is now no more handling the kitchen of Il Forno. She shifted her base from Manali almost a year ago. She has now found a home in Delhi.
Roberta, now in her 50s, first came to India as a backpacker in the 70s from Naples. She met another like-minded person here, fell in love and decided to settle in Manali with her two children. Manali then was not as happening a tourist destination as it is now. It was a quiet, serene place, apt for a foreigner who chose to settle in India as much for its diversity as for its beauty and spirituality. She was the chef at Il Forno for her passion and love for Italian cooking. In less time, she became a stuff of legend for tourists in the region and Il Forno became the landmark point for foreigners and Indians alike. “I worked as a cook in various restaurants in Italy. When I started with Il Forno, Italian food was not famous among Indians. But foreigners picked up an instant liking for the food that I served. I maintained the authenticity of the Italian cuisine and always used fresh ingredients, something that I saw as a child at home. Fresh ingredients and spices play a key role in Italian cuisine. Over time, when Indians started picking up a liking for Italian food, the restaurant was more talked about,” Roberta reminisces. Travellers’ blog entries and famous show like Highway On My Plate did wonders to the popularity of the restaurant and encouraged Roberta to talk about her cuisine more. Therefore she even came up with the book, Cooking Italian Food in India, wherein Roberta has put together the recipes that made her restaurant a success. The book combines a range of appetisers, soups, sauces, main dishes and desserts. It includes her tips on how to use herbs, choosing the right pasta for a sauce, and the best wine to pair with your dish.
Roberta might have moved to Delhi now, but travellers still visit Il Forno hoping that they will have meals cooked by her. Now in Delhi, Roberta is offering cooking classes to those interested in learning the nuances of authentic Italian cooking. You can even call her home to cook a special dinner for a small gathering. “I noticed in Delhi, people love Italian cuisine, but there are only a few places that serve traditional Italian food and those are too expensive. So I thought why not give people an option to learn the cooking themselves or I can cook a special meal for some occasions. The prices are Rs10,000 per day/night for a small group, Rs15,000-20,000 per day/night for larger groups. Italian cooking courses are priced at Rs4,000 for a five-course meal. It will be a three hour-long class where I will teach about cooking an appetiser, pasta, risotto, pizza and a dessert. A full meal course is for Rs10,000 and a buffet meal course, where I will guide a person on how to host a perfect party, is for Rs12,000,” informs Roberta.
Roberta now plans to be a part of an Italian restaurant in the city. “It will be opening up in some time here,” she says and hopes that she will someday open up her own restaurant here.