Domingo Schingaro

Chef Domingo Schingaro's culinary philosophy at Due Camini is a profound act of radical clarity, choosing a path defined by patience, presence, and the quiet intelligence of the land over speed, spectacle, and innovation for its own sake. His core ethos centers on restraint, humility, and a deep respect for natural rhythms, emphasizing a dialogue with seeds, soil, and seasonality. He advocates for "accompanying" the ingredient rather than imposing on it, allowing dishes to evolve organically around what nature provides. Ingredient sourcing is hyper-local and deeply connected to Puglia's agricultural reality. Due Camini operates as an extension of the land, with every dish beginning with what is cultivated in Borgo Egnazia's regenerative gardens or recovered from heirloom and endangered seed varieties. The "Seed House" initiative is central to this, serving as a hub for research, preservation, and dialogue with farmers, agronomists, and fellow chefs to protect forgotten varieties and transform shared agricultural knowledge into a living culinary language. Schingaro proudly states that 90% of their ingredients are sourced from a short or very short supply chain, often directly from their own gardens. Schingaro's overarching vision extends beyond the plate, positioning his kitchen as a form of cultural resistance. By recovering lost varieties and celebrating them, he protects identity and challenges the homogenizing pressure for food to be fast, standard, and global. He believes innovation stems from preservation, using modern techniques to honor the cultural memory embedded within Southern Italian cuisine. Ultimately, he aims for guests to understand the deeper spirit of Italian food culture: one of sharing, gathering, and celebrating rituals that connect people to one another and to the land, rather than merely focusing on nourishment. Chef Schingaro's technical mastery is characterized by a radical embrace of restraint and a deep commitment to the integrity of the ingredient. He focuses on "doing less" to allow the inherent qualities of the produce to speak, letting ingredients guide the evolution of a dish rather than forcing a preconceived outcome. His technical style often involves utilizing every part of an ingredient, as exemplified by the Polignano carrot, where the peel becomes juice and the leaves wrap traditional peasant dishes. This meticulous approach ensures richness in simplicity and zero waste. He often employs techniques that allow pasta to slowly absorb the color and flavor of a cooking base, akin to a risotto method, ensuring profound flavor integration. His approach to flavor and plating emphasizes strong, decisive tastes rooted in Puglian tradition, presented with an essential and material elegance. Dishes are designed to evoke a profound sense of place and season through aroma, warmth, and depth of flavor, often highlighting visual contrast. He masterfully balances inherent bitterness with sweetness or acidity, showcasing the complex palette of local ingredients. Among his legendary signature dishes are: * **Polignano Carrot Tubetti**: A symbolic dish demonstrating richness in simplicity, where tubetti pasta is cooked in separate orange and purple carrot juices, finished with Normandy and acidulated butter, Parmigiano Reggiano, and garnished with bergamot peel powder and sea fennel. * **Pastina, Pane e Pomodoro**: A dish evoking childhood memories, cooked with intense tomato water, enriched with extra virgin olive oil butter, and garnished with a crisp of sourdough, basil, and oregano. * **Raviolo di Zucchine, Zafferano e Acino Pugliese**: Hand-braided zucchini ravioli prepared "alla poverella" (fried with garlic and mint), served with a Puglian grape and a delicate saffron broth. * **Linguine, Granchio Peloso, Prezzemolo e Aglio**: A contemporary revisiting of a cherished childhood memory, featuring locally caught hairy crabs, parsley, and garlic, showcasing a masterful blend of nostalgia and refined technique.

Career

• Capo Partita at Riva dei Tessali Hotel and Golf Resort, Salerno, Italia
• Capo Partita at Le Meridien Grosvenor House Hotel, London
• Sous Chef di cucina at DIMORA SOVRANA - Sala ricevimenti - Ristorante - Meeting, Bari, Italia
• Capo Partita at Sheraton Nicolaus Hotel & Conference Center, Bari, Italia
• Chef at "PAD HOTELS & RESORTS" Hotel alli due buoi rossi, Alessandria, IT
• Chef at s.o.s catering, Alessandria, IT
• Sous Chef at iduebuoi, Alessandria, IT
• Chef resident at identita expo, Milano, Italia
• Executive chef at Borgo Egnazia, Savelletri