The Arcimboldo online magazine takes its name from the 16th century painter Giuseppe Arcimboldo because the artist created the famous “Composite Heads”, paintings that revealed a human figure by putting together fruit, vegetables, fish and kitchen products.
“The Golden Arcimboldo” or the golden figurine with a modern and stylized shape, created by the 3D Artist Francesco Conte, expert in lighting and look dev www.frankwy.com was created to reward the Artists of Taste, in Italy and abroad, that is, those who, with their profession and divided into specific categories, meet the following requirements in the food and wine sector: “Artists of Taste, guardians and ambassadors of the arts ancient, capable of knowing how to narrate history, to communicate the culture of their territory, looking to the future and keeping up with the times and trends, with uniqueness and emotional capacity”.
The Golden Arcimboldo is also equivalent to the symbol of the Golden Brush, used by artists to create their works.
After a series of evaluations by communication and gastronomic professionals, deserving Artists of Taste became part of the L’Arcimboldo guide with the awarding of one to three Golden Brushes.
Mary Zumbo entered the L’Arcimboldo Guide with the award of 1 Golden Brush in the Modern Artist category.
Mary Zumbo tells us about herself:
– “Class of ’82, I was born in Reggio Calabria, married for eight years to Vincenzo and moved to Taranto, my husband’s hometown.
In June 2021 we took over our current location, an opportunity that came almost by chance and which we jumped at; it was a challenge given that I have always been passionate about cooking and love pizza.
With the commitment to give the best of us to bring out something good, our Pizzeria “Carpe Diem” was born, located in a strategic point of Taranto, in front of the swing bridge, the main attraction of the city and it is precisely this position that convinced to undertake this adventure.
For the first few years we hired a pizza chef, but one day he left us out of the blue in the run-up to Christmas, so I didn’t get discouraged, I rolled up my sleeves and for a few days I improvised as a pizza chef.
I baked some oval pizzas and some burnt ones, but I managed to solve the problem; then, unable to find a replacement, we turned to the master pizza chef Vito Fuggetti to both undertake a professional pizzeria course, but then in Fuggetti’s eyes I was more suited and so in January 2023 my journey in the world of pizza began.
Lessons that never ended with Vito, a master who later turned out to be a friend, who supported me, encouraged me and above all to be more confident in my skills as a pizza chef.
The first day I was at the counter alone, I panicked, the fear of not being up to it arose, but Vito reassured me that I would do it successfully and so it was.
Today I am at the counter with a confidence that I would not have imagined, independent and master of the profession to which I dedicate myself with pure passion.
My dough is the result of a blend of 00 / 0 and Type 1 flours with a hydration that varies between 75 -78% and maturation/leavening for a minimum of 36 hours.
The pizza product I make is light, digestible, fragrant and tasty, completed with both traditional and innovative quality ingredients, with which I manage to create harmonies and explosions of both tastes and aromas, managing to satisfy even the most demanding palates.
I continue to expand my wealth of technical knowledge and methods, I am committed to trying and experimenting to improve and grow professionally.
I participate in races and competitions dedicated to pizza, opportunities that I consider important to question ourselves and compare with colleagues, they are certainly moments of growth beyond the result in the ranking and it is for these reasons that since 2022 I have also been enrolled in the Professional Academy of Taste of Grottaglie.
My journey in the pizza world began recently, I am aware that it requires sacrifice and dedication, the road is long and sometimes tortuous, but as a good Calabrian I am very stubborn and I move forward to best achieve my goals.”
