Food&Kitchen: a chat with architect Laiza Tonali

2017-03-06 Laiza Tonali graduated from Politecnico di Milano with a degree in architecture and has worked with prestigious studios including that of Michele De Lucchi and designed school buildings, offices and banks, planned museum renovations, entered international architecture competitions, and oversaw residential and retail projects from conception right through to construction.
She has been self-employed since 2007, working primarily on home interior renovations and designing new single-family homes and custom-made furniture.
She became a mother in 2014, and says this is her best project of all.
What is your first thought when you go into the kitchen, Laiza?
“I think about what I would like to eat, and I hope I have all the ingredients to make it, or at least something like it!”
What dish best represents your life, and why?
“The fritters I used to make with my grandmother for carnival: I always used to sample the raw batter, and I still love the smell of butter, sugar and flour.”
What wine gets your heart beating?
“Hierà, a red made by Hauner, and Fiore, a white by Barone di Villagrande. Both of them take me back to a place that is magical for me, the island of Salina.”
What is tops in the kitchen for you?
“A marble countertop with a load of kitchen implements on it, in the gigantic kitchen of my dreams.”
What is the ingredient you can’t do without?
“Lemon, especially one I have picked myself.”
What is the most fun item in your kitchen?
“A vegetable cutter that turns vegetables into spaghetti strips, which I then sprinkle with seeds. I think I must have been a seed-eating animal in a past life!”
Is there a dish you’d like to try making?
“I like to try making ethnic dishes, because one way of discovering a country is through its cuisine, and I like the idea of bringing home the flavours and scents of a voyage.”
Which recipe do you do best?
“In winter, I like to improvise new soups, while in summer I make spaghetti with clams, tuna roe and lemon.”
What are the qualities you appreciate in a cook?
“The way they make it look so easy to transform ingredients into special dishes.”
What does food mean to you?
“It’s all about love, good health and conviviality.”

Mariagrazia Villa