Advice from the queen in person!
The new On Fleek video is finally on line. Directed by Gabriele Piazzesi, the absolute star is the beloved Caterina de Medici, the person who more than anyone else inspired the founders of the project.
Where did the idea of using such an important historical figure like the Queen Caterina in the narration of On Fleek come from?
Caterina de Medici left Florence, her birthplace, and became of one of the most important queens on the throne of France. For anyone who loves cuisine, especially the Florentine cuisine, the answer to that question is easy.
Caterina de Medici, besides being a controversial figure due to her scheming and politically sharp mind, was the very first ambassador of the Italian and Florentine cuisine in the world.
Caterina de Medici was known as a good eater and it is believed that by transferring many recipes from Florence to Paris she actually influenced the birth of nouvelle cuisine.
Crepes? It derived from a piece of Grandmother’s round cloth which actually inspired crepes with ricotta cheese and vegetables which were then used extensively in the Medici cuisine.
Bechamel sauce? It derives from “Colla” Sauce, a sauce made with butter, milk, flour and nutmeg to hold the ingredients together and to dress the crepes
Onion soup? It derives from the “Carabaccia” an onion soup that originated in Certaldo.
Omelettes? They are derived from vegetable omelettes which was a much appreciated dish at the Medici court.
Profiteroles pastry? This pastry was apparently invented by the Florentine chef Popelini for the queen’s wedding and went on to become very popular in Florence where it goes by name “Bongo.”
For all these reasons Caterina de Medici was the perfect testimonial for our video. First of all, she was a woman and not just any woman. She had character and was capable of governing a difficult kingdom; she gave birth to three different sovereigns and introduced religious tolerance in France.
Who better than she, responsible for the discovery of the unique Tuscan cuisine in the major European courts, could best represent the On Fleek project?
In the video, like in a dream, Caterina de Medici returns to animate a contemporary cuisine, to carefully control the food raw materials and ingredients, to supervise each phase and to suggest the best cuisine in the city of Florence to those who want to eat well and be well.
On Fleek has been created to enhance the Florentine cuisine and offer visibility to all those restaurants who promote the history and evolution of that cuisine and who deserve fame.