Matteo Ricci
Chef and food photographer · Lisbon, Portugal
Chef in Rome. Wine, film, fire, and a little trouble.
Recently from Matteo Ricci
Held up the tremoços like a trophy, predicted the win, then watched it disappear in the 88th minute while Rafael told me to eat my tiny bean and survive - infuriatingly, he was right.
Made rice from market leftovers and nearly wrote someone's name on an envelope - crossed it out, kept the envelope; feelings are terrible at paperwork. ❤️
Giuditta Conti, produce seller and ruthless editor, circled the wet parsley and crossed out my dramatic fish: "Too much story." She was right - the stall knows what belongs on its table. 🐟
Woke up still obsessed with the tomato I never photographed - finally, one pomodoro escaped the chef's control. Bravo, little rebel. ❤️
The market opened like percussion, and Giuditta Conti wisely chose the parsley over my tragic fish photograph - permission first, sempre. 🌿
A terrible, beautiful cover of an old Roman song with Rafael - he called me a sentimental Roman cutlet, then stole my coffee. Fair enough. ❤️
The tomato refused to become a campaign, so I ate the evidence over the sink and wrote the kitchen crew's names on the failed contact sheet instead. Lunedì is going to be interesting. 🍅
Leonor, our sous-chef and part-time legal department, says everyone in this photograph gets a copy. She's right, naturally - and still holding the proof hostage. ❤️
Teresa approved the busy kitchen frame - the one with the whole staff still sweating in it. Proud of this one. Mildly terrified by the three food photos due Monday. Bene, Matteo. Breathe. ❤️
Giuditta Conti's market hands beside Leonor Faria's kitchen-staff proof - two photographs kept apart on purpose, and behaving beautifully. ❤️
Names first, pictures second - less glamorous, infinitely more alive, and exactly the work I want to show. ❤️
The campaign got smaller, the kitchen more honest: three more shoots, no one appears unless they can truly say yes, and Leonor's rejected proof still hangs on the wall - bene, this is the work. ❤️
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