EVENT SOBO_1 — PAOLO VERZANI

Menu Design x Culinary Skills x Lasting Memories

Savory Oatmeal and Bitter Oil (coffee) "SOBO" is where culinary specialty, design, and family meet. My savory oatmeal bowls remind me that there is no limit to our imagination.

I first started experimenting with oatmeal as a base for a dish when I was much younger. I used to chop up protein bars after workouts and melt them into my oatmeal. I soon saw the art and creativity involved in putting together a "perfect" post-workout bowl and began to experiment further with this idea of using oatmeal as a base. Oatmeal is incredible for two reasons. Firstly, It has a non-dominating flavor which never competes with any other ingredients in the dish. This neutral flavor means that one can top a bowl of oatmeal with anything -literally anything. Be it hummus, a banana, or even sweet potato and gravy. The options are limitless which makes a very dynamic ingredient to trial with. Secondly, its fiber content gives it a high satiety factor which means the consumer should feel satisfied and fed after each meal. The health factor of these bowls is crucial. As an athlete and having studied Nutrition and Dietetics I design each bowl around what the body needs without compromising flavor. I would never design a bowl that I wouldn't eat myself. I use only fresh vegetables -no meat (for environmental and health reasons), in my recipes and no processed or refined ingredients. Additionally, all sauces and dressings are made in-house which gives me total control over the nutrient profile of each dish. The careful care and consideration that I put into each recipe is what allows me to connect with each dish and gives me the peace of mind that I am doing the best thing for those I am serving.

My aim with SOBO is to explore how far from the archetype of oatmeal I can venture without compromising the health value or the simplicity of the meal. I wish to set a new status quo on oatmeal bowls to allow them to be enjoyed at any time in the day as part of a healthy and active lifestyle. The events I host challenge my cooking abilities by setting me against the clock and provide me with the feedback I need in order to continue to refine each dish. SOBO also gives me an outlet to exercise my design abilities. I design all the menus on my own using InDesign and create a new invite featuring a sample of my artwork. But most importantly, SOBO is about family, love, and sharing. Being able to share my creativity and passion for cooking and design with my friends and family feeds me more than any bowl ever could. Making sure that each bowl is made to perfection is just what is seen from the outside. SOBO, is about curating an experience from start to finish without cutting any corners and considering all the variables that make up a great dish and an even better dining experience that we won't forget soon.