A Lesson in Leadership
Written by Saida El Harakany
Art Advisor and Director of Cultural Programming at Legacy (operators of the Grand Egyptian Museum)
with a foreword by Alya Sorour
Massimo Bottura may arguably be one of the world's top chefs, but his genuine appreciation for food is simple. As one of the world’s leading food storytellers, using ingredients as vessels of emotion, it’s easy to see why Bottura is drawn to Cairo; he simply wants to cook for the people. In doing so, he ignites the spark that will carry a new generation of contemporary tastemakers into the future.
Saida El Harakany is the Art Advisor and Director of Cultural Programming at Legacy (operators of the Grand Egyptian Museum). She is a kindred spirit with a passion for food and a belief in local gastronomy. Saida was one of Cairo Food Week’s biggest supporters; from the get-go, her team met ours with equal excitement, and together, we took on the challenge.
This is her retelling of the legendary night Massimo Bottura cooked for Cairo, surrounded by thousands of years of history at the Grand Egyptian Museum.
Chef Massimo Bottura of Osteria Francescana, 3 Michelin Stars
He is particularly enchanted by a wooden stool produced by Amr Orensa specifically for the show. The stool pays homage to ancient Egyptian woodwork techniques. It was a moment of dialogue in mastery where a MasterChef recognizes and appreciates the mastery of the designer.
Before I say more, let’s rewind to the night before. Egypt was hit with a major sandstorm. We had planned to host the dinner outdoors and weren’t sure what to do now.
This was the inaugural dinner of the first edition of CFW. So much planning had already gone into every detail, yet here we were about to be defeated by a sandstorm. The whole team rushes for a meeting: Nooge, co-founder of Cairo Food Week (CFW) Hoda El Sherif, Mohsen Hafez from the organizing company GT Events, and the GEM’s team. And then Hoda says, “We are literally taking Cairo by storm.”
Collectively we decide that the dinner will be moved indoors. Everything has to be rearranged. We needed to move fast.
That whole night, this entire experience, was a lesson in leadership, starting with the two founders of CFW — Hoda El Sherif and Sherif Tamim. They had a vision for this event, and from the get-go had the humility to realize that for it to come to life, they had to work collaboratively; they had to include everyone with a passion for food, for culture, for Egypt. And so everyone in the field was invited: chefs, designers, veteran restaurateurs, brand new eateries, food startups, historical venues, academics, and bloggers. It became everyone’s dream.
It’s an unusually hot day for June with the temperature soaring above 40 degrees Celsius, but as soon as you enter the banquet space of the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), you are instantly transported to a breezy oasis of papyrus. Ahead of you is an exhibit that “honors the aquatic plant that forever changed the course of history,” curated by Nooge Taher of the Nook.
Titled “Papyrus Ripples”, it showcased the deconstructed process of making papyrus, broken down step by step, just as a recipe is constructed by adding flavors upon flavors. And there, in the middle of the exhibit, I spot Massimo Bottura mesmerized by the display.
Pasta al Pesto in Abstract
Back at the museum, everyone knows who Chef Massimo Bottura is, and we’re all in anticipation and haven’t had a bite all day. I have to say I was, unsurprisingly, blown away by the culinary experience. But what was an eye opener for me was the process, the collaborative effort, the whole team. This night was truly a lesson in leadership.
The first course is served: ‘Pasta al Pesto in Abstract,’ which, in his words, is a marriage between a mistake and an experiment. Ten years ago, one of Bottura’s chefs mistakenly overcooked 7 kg of pasta. But instead of tossing them out, he asked if he could turn them into a creamy miso-like paste that could be repurposed later, and according to Bottura, “it was so sweet and full of life that we had to do something with it.” The resulting dish — which included toasted pine nuts, string beans, crunchy potatoes, olive oil and fresh basil — pays tribute to traditional pesto but finds its inspiration in miso, which is quintessentially Japanese.
“Tonight we celebrate the harmonious fusion of culinary artistry, thoughtful design and Egypt’s magnificent heritage.”
- Indjy Taher, The Nook
“ I have to say I was, unsurprisingly, blown away by the culinary experience. But what was an eye opener for me was the process, the collaborative effort, the whole team. This night was truly a lesson in leadership.”
- Saida El Harakany, Art advisor and director of cultural programming at Legacy
“ Food is medicine & healing, it is a form of expression, it is the epitome of love & loyalty.”
- Dina Touta, Heritage Consultant
Chef Alessia Belladonna, Francescana Family
Cacio e Pere
Next comes the ‘Crunchy Part of the Lasagna,’ conjuring childhood memories of one of the most traditional Italian dishes, of Bottura’s grandmother’s cooking, of him playing in the kitchen as it was being made, of sampling the crunchy parts. Bottura took risks and challenged traditional recipes. Blending past and present, he used them as his base and re-presented them in a contemporary manner using innovative techniques. Just as ancient Egyptians took the papyrus plant, shredding it then soaking it and drying it, before weaving it and pressing it and then offering up paper to the world. Maybe he was inspired by our ancestors.
Caesar salad in Bloom
But what is clear to me is that using creative innovation is a mark of leadership in any industry.
Out comes the ‘Beautiful. Psychedelic, Spin Painted Veal, Charcoal Grilled with Glorious Colors as a Painting.’ I’ve heard of this dish so many times — after all, I am an art advisor, and this dish is inspired by the British artist and collector Damien Hirst. The room is silenced. It really is beautiful to look at you. I don’t want to ruin this painting, but the aromas are irresistible. I honestly did not want to talk; I did not want to have any conversations. I just wanted to be left alone to savor every bite.
“The main course is about art. All those colors are not there just because they’re beautiful, but because they create the perfect umami.”
- Chef Massimo Bottura
Beautiful, Psychedelic, Spin Painted Veal, Charcoal Grilled with Glorious Colors as a Painting
Then, the most beautiful bouquet of flowers is served: ‘Caesar Salad in Bloom.’ It took me a while to be able to disturb the serenity of this artwork and take a bite.
I finish and go to the kitchen to thank the chef for this experience, and there he is cutting up meat from what’s leftover and creating perfect little bites for the staff: museum staff, cleaning staff, waiters. Anyone who was lucky to be in the kitchen at that moment. After all, he was here to feed people — all the people.
And then I remembered: before dinner, as the team was prepping, I was observing the formidable Jessica Rosval — whom one could write volumes about — show the staff how to cut lettuce into the perfect shape for a salad. She was patient, passionate, and trimming the edges with the same delicacy a heart surgeon would navigate blood vessels. A leader who is keen on teaching her team, one who is not concerned about getting it right but who’s generous with her knowledge and, more importantly, her time.
Thank you to Hoda & Sherif, for inviting me to be a part of this dream. And thank you to Massimo, Jessica, Alessia, Doina and Stefano for generously giving us a glimpse of the Osteria Francescana family and experience. We leave you with a challenge: to return to Egypt with your own interpretation of our cuisine.
The Grand Egyptian Museum will be waiting.
Chef Stefano Ghironi, Francescana Family
“I have a strong belief that it’s going to inspire us to see Egyptian cuisine in a new light, with a new artistic perspective.”
- Sherif Tamim
Strawberry Fields
