Chef Davide Palluda teaches us that running is like baking

Was your first restaurant already this one?

Yes, it was the kindergarten I attended as a child. I remember we slept in what is now the kitchen, I remember the scent of Sister Angela’s soup. I admit that she was not a very nice nun but when she cooked that soup with a delicious scent of basil… I happened to wonder if I will come to emulate the scent I remember. Certain aromas and flavors trigger a memory that makes us feel good, gives us energy. In 1994 I didn’t think twice, at 24 I threw myself into the project thinking “if it goes well ok, otherwise it will be ok anyway.” In the kitchen you need instinct.

What kind of imprint did your first restaurant have?
Definitely a simpler, uncomplicated cuisine, but after a short time I realized that I could do more. At 27, my cooking evolved and I won several awards: Young Chef of the Year for Espresso, Young Chef of the Year for Gambero Rosso, a Michelin star. All these came very fast.

When was your passion for sport born?
I used to ride a bike without ever excelling, I cycled regularly until I was 32. Then I had a kind of burnout because of a mix of work, children and family and I didn’t have much time left. Following the advice of friends I started running and, maybe it was because of some chemical process, but my body felt better after a few times. I always recommend starting like me, with someone who already knows what to do and who can give you advice about movements and about the right shoe. Nowadays I run three times a week, I change the hours I run during the year and my life has improved significantly.

I guess that here in Roero running is amazing.
Yes, there are some wonderful trails. The more you run and the more you immerse yourself in the territory and in nature, the more you respect them. If we walked more in our territory, there wouldn’t be all this rubbish on the ground. A well-done run or brisk walk changes your life, makes you appreciate food more, gives you awareness of your body: outdoor sports make you feel really good, both physically and mentally.

Is there anything in running that can be associated with cooking?
The artisan bakery technique. The waiting, the performance, the preparation, the precise timing, the attention to detail. The idea of bread, which is not a simple support but a menu item, if you make a mistake in the baking process, the final result is compromised. Baking (and cooking in general) is an act of love towards others, running is an act of love towards yourself.

Today you run with Saucony’s Endorphin Edge, a decidedly innovative and technological shoe. As in a dish, even behind a shoe there is much more than mere appearance.
You’ve mentioned one of the most important topics of the last decade. Today we have arrived at a cuisine that is more ethical than aesthetic. The shoes I tried on did not surprise me only for their shape, lightweight and beauty, they surprised me because I felt like I wasn’t wearing them. Sometimes in a dish you don’t know the whole process to make it (and you don’t need to know it) but you appreciate its taste, the final result. It’s the same for this shoe, I am not aware of all its technical features and of the research and development of those who designed it, but I appreciate its performance. We cannot be experts in everything, but when you find a balanced dish (in this case, a product) you feel it and you can appreciate it. Simple because it is uncomplicated, you just need to remove the superfluous to focus on the things that really make a difference.

Is there a dish you’ve eaten that you would have liked to invent yourself?
There are so many, one of the dishes that impressed me was Enrico Crippa’s salad (Piazza Duomo, Alba). I wondered “how can something so beautiful be tasty?” In the end, it was much more tasty than beautiful.

Is there any chef that inspired you?

There are several, each of them inspired me for different things. I have always tried to follow Marchesi’s advice on commitment, elegance, example as a high form of teaching. I looked to France for the precision, to Spain for inspiration, to the East for levity. Putting these things together my style was born.

Is there a cuisine that is evolving that represents a reference for you?
It would be normal for me to tell you about Scandinavian cuisine, made of fermentation and acidity. However, it is not an evolution but a discovery for us Europeans. As for me, I would say Japanese and Asian cuisine in general, very modern and complicated. We have found that if something is cut in a certain way it can be eaten in one bite. I am very fascinated by this kind of cuisine, although I don’t use it a lot.

Back to sports, you’ve recently run your first trail running race, is that right?
Yes, I really loved it. Perhaps it was the most complete contact with nature, with wonderful places, I had, less mannered I would say. I liked the idea of running to fully experience the area around me.

People says that while running a race you always think that you have never trained enough.
That’s completely right, it’s the meaning of life though! The ambition, the goals. What’s wrong with having goals? It is essential, sport teaches not to give up, to do everything to reach them. If I had to give a young guy a piece of advice, it would be to dream big, to think of becoming the best in the world, to leave your mark, to find your own style.