We Are The Revolution.
This manifesto by the artist Joseph Beuys was a revelation.
We, chefs, can act beyond our stovetops.
We have a responsibility to raise our voices.
And spread beauty outside our kitchens.

HOW CAN I HELP?
Riso Cacio e Pepe

This recipe was created in response to the two magnitude-6 earthquakes  that struck Emilia
Romagna in May 2012.
Bell towers collapsed, houses destroyed, factories brought to their knees.
And then the image: mountains of Parmigiano wheels
fallen, shattered, abandoned on the ground.
Over 400,000 were damaged.
An economy devastated; an identity struck at its heart.

Credits: “We are the Revolution” Joseph Beuys

Fast action had to be taken.
Buy Parmigiano—lots of it.
The Consortium allowed direct sales,
every means was acceptable:
out of cars, by the side of the road, through friends and social media.

The word was spreading, but not fast enough.
So I asked my team: “How can we help?”

The answer: a recipe.
Let’s turn tradition into rebirth.
That’s how Riso Cacio e Pepe was born:
a reinterpretation of the iconic Roman recipe,
replacing pasta with rice and Pecorino cheese with Parmigiano.
No tricks or advanced techniques:
just time, hands, and cheese.

We presented the recipe at the Slow Food festival in Turin,
inviting the world to create a virtual dinner,
a table without borders.
From London to New York, from Tokyo to your home:
over 60,000 people responded.

Thanks to that recipe,
Emilia-Romagna became the center of the world.
All 400,000 wheels were sold.
No dairy farm closed.
And we witnessed the silent and extraordinary power of a recipe.

Post-earthquake Caseificio Parmigiano Reggiano, May 2012
Credits: Consorzio Parmigiano Reggiano

Because a recipe is not just the sum of its ingredients.
It is place. It is time. It is memory.
It is people.
And chefs are not just the sum of their recipes. They can be ambassadors. Planters of ideas.
Beacons of hope.
The quality of our ideas can change the world,
from the kitchen to the streets.

From that moment on, Joseph Beuys’ manifesto also became our manifesto:
We Are The Revolution.

Over time, it took shape and found its voice.
It became Food For Soul.
Today there are 12 refectories around the world.
Every day, they serve nutritious meals full of dignity,
made from recovered food and beauty.

Thirteen years after that recipe,
we still ask ourselves every morning:
How can we help?

NEVER STOP QUESTIONING

Refettorio Ambrosiano 2015, cooking with @maurocolagreco