Are you utterly underwhelmed by the stereotypical college meal of microwave butter popcorn and ramen noodles? Does the plethora of delicious restaurants in Boston excite your curious palate? If so, you’ll likely have endless conversation with this week’s Campus Celebrity.
Nicco Muratore (SHA ’15), transcends academic life at BU and dives into the realm of professional cooking. This week’s Celeb has a passion that is worth a five-star rating.
Nicco spends his free time in a rather unconventional way– cooking everything and anything. Living in an off-campus house with a kitchen and three refrigerators, Nicco is able to cultivate his culinary skills whenever he wants! What makes Nicco’s cooking so unique, however, is the clear sense of artistic logic behind his cuisine. The plate is the canvas, the food is the art, and he is the artist. “I design my food very carefully. Theres a reason everything goes together,” he said. This Celeb’s love for food is manifested in the overall aesthetic presentation of his dishes.
Nicco’s latest project is focused on branding himself. He has just launched his own cooking blog, titled, “Allston Gourmet: Nicco’s Culinary Adventures.” On his blog, he posts pictures of his dishes, recipes, and personal commentary on the culinary experiences that take place right in his off-campus house. The thought of producing delicious, eye-catching meals constantly keeps this fervent Celeb’s heart racing.
“This is what I think about all day… I think about food all day. I go to the grocery store and experiment. I am not conservative with the food I pick; I pick strange things,” said Nicco.
Along with his blog, this Celeb also hopes to promote his love for cooking through expanding his presence on a variety of social media. Nicco also has an Instagram account, where he is able to post pictures of the breath-taking plates he produces at home and at work– and these impressive dishes clearly depict this Celeb’s raw talent.
During his three years in Boston University’s School of Hospitality Administration, Nicco has been able to cultivate his love for cooking. Propelling his career by working as a line cook at Fenway Park, Nicco has since been able to land very noteworthy jobs as a cook. This Celeb has worked at Oleana and Sofra Bakery & Cafe in Cambridge, two restaurants that have received over four stars for ratings.
Despite the impressive professional experience Nicco has gained through working for various well-known restaurants, he actually prefers the experience of cooking at home for friends and family. “Cooking in restaurants is fun, but the creativity I am able to achieve can’t happen in the restaurant. It’s not my food, and I am not the Head Chef… When I am at home, I can do whatever I want,” Nicco said.
Nicco’s fuels his energy in the kitchen through making meals that evoke memories. “I want my food to be defined by whatever memory I am calling on, and then be bolstered by anything new I add to make the meal more exciting. I want to create new memories from old ones,” he said. Nicco’s cooking is greatly influenced by his family, a true Italian family who loves to cook real Italian food.
This week’s Celeb’s imminent future has the potential to be incredibly sweet. Nicco hopes to spend the summer landing a job at a noteworthy restaurant in New York City to help enhance his résumé, and next semester he will be taking his culinary skills overseas as he studies abroad/ interns in London, England.
This Campus Celeb has all the potential to make his passion for cooking a true success, and Nicco’s friends and family see the stardom in his future. Nicco’s roommate, Danny Fitzgerald (SHA ’15) spoke about what he sees in store for his best friend: “I think Nicco’s future lies in becoming a celebrity chef, like Emeril or Anthony Bourdain. Nicco has a spark and personality to him that… that is hard to hide behind the kitchen walls,” Danny said. “His food speaks for itself.”
Nicco’s blog: http://chefnicco.blogspot.com
Nicco’s Instagram: Niccomuratore