Ceramiche d’Arte and Marcello Russodivito: When Italian Cuisine Meets the Art of CeramicsCeramiche d’Arte and Marcello Russodivito: When Italian Cuisine Meets the Art of Ceramics
Some encounters tell a story that goes far beyond a simple collaboration. They reveal a shared way of experiencing Italy, shaped by craftsmanship, beauty, conviviality and a passion for things made with care.
This is the connection between Ceramiche d’Arte and the story of Chef Marcello Russodivito, an Italian-born chef who became a prominent ambassador of Italian cuisine in the United States.
His professional journey began at a very young age and developed across Europe and America, eventually leading him to open his first restaurant in Suffern, New York State, in 1986. Over the years, Russodivito built his career around promoting Italian cuisine and food culture far beyond Italy’s borders.
Sale, Pepe, Amore & Fantasia
In 2005, Marcello Russodivito published “Sale, Pepe, Amore & Fantasia – Salt, Pepper, Love & Creativity”, a book conceived to be much more than a traditional cookbook.
As the chef explains in the introduction, his aim was to offer readers a broader experience of the Italian way of life. Alongside the recipes, the book explores the world of wine, food and wine pairings, Italian regions and many other aspects of the country’s gastronomic culture.
It is within this project that we also find Ceramiche d’Arte of Ravello, specifically acknowledged in the book for providing the ceramics.
A detail that still holds special meaning for us today: cuisine does not exist only in the food itself, but also in the way it is presented, experienced and shared. Handcrafted ceramics therefore become an integral part of the dining experience and of the wider culture of the Italian table.
25 Years of Cuisine, Stories and Passion
A few years later, Russodivito once again chose a book to tell the story of an important milestone in his professional life.
“The Story of My 25 Years as Chef-Owner – I Miei 25 Anni di Attività” was created to celebrate twenty-five years as a chef and restaurant owner in the New York metropolitan area. More than a collection of recipes, the book brings together photographs, memories and stories, taking readers behind the scenes of a long and remarkable professional journey.
Among its contents are 25 of the chef’s favourite recipes and 25 classic recipes from his previous cookbook, together with stories from his entrepreneurial journey and selections of restaurants and recommendations for eating, drinking and travelling in Italy.
It is a story in which food becomes memory, connection and identity: values that we also recognise in our own approach to craftsmanship.
An Italian Story That Continues Over Time
Rediscovering these two books today means returning to an encounter between worlds that are only seemingly different: cuisine and ceramics, the work of the chef and that of the artisan, taste and the beauty of the table.
These two languages share the same roots: the distinctly Italian ability to transform materials, traditions and gestures handed down through generations into something capable of being recognised and appreciated around the world.
For Ceramiche d’Arte, this collaboration remains a small yet meaningful chapter in our history: a story of Italian craftsmanship, cuisine and creativity that has travelled from Ravello across the Atlantic, carrying with it the beauty and culture of the Italian table.
