（摄影：Stephanie  修片：VICI）

（这就是Paolo）

（Paolo创造的美食）

人说千金难买一笑，我说多少钱也换不来上海的艳阳。今天是多日小雨后的一个大晴天，阳光明艳美好，沾到光的所有的事物都精神起来。这是个放松的周六，要去朋友的意大利餐厅 La Piazzetta去吃个午饭。

那不是冲着什么免费的午饭，而是因为La Piazzetta有自家的氛围，Lynn是位好客的女主人，又是好朋友Deon的姑妈，我去那里就像是到朋友家里做客。当然，还有Paolo做菜给我们吃。

Paolo是个Ricky的侄子，可爱的意大利小伙子，事实上，他比我和Deon都小，却已经有了10多年的厨师经历。每次见到Paolo，他都很高兴，脸上的笑很天真、很顽皮，还喜欢和Lynn开玩笑。

我常想，当年一位十四岁的少年是怎么知道自己未来事业的方向的呢？他说，一天妈妈在做Pasta的时候，他也用手捏了捏，感觉了下面的质感，还尝试做了一些，后来就和烹饪结了缘。我问，家里除了他以外，谁是好的厨师。他说没有，妈妈做饭不好吃。我笑说，或许正是这一点成就了他的厨师事业吧。想想14岁时的我，只是个懵懂的孩子，何曾想过什么立业的“大事”？

Paolo做菜的时候喜欢又唱又跳，因为他真的很享受烹饪的过程，他说每天能做菜是一件特别快乐的事情。大概因为来自意大利的小城市，他的生活轨迹竟然是如此的简单，简单得让我有些感慨。有些人可能只因为一个理由快乐，而有些人则需要一百个理由让自己快乐，是不是少一些理由，我们就会更容易地快乐起来呢？Paolo就是这样的例子，简单做着自己的工作，爱着自己的妻子，还养了一个天使一般的孩子。生活就在每天烹制出美味的菜肴中度过，就在家人的陪伴中度过。。。

我问他，烹饪是一辈子的职业吗？他毫不犹豫地给出了肯定的回答。我有些惊讶。我们是这么不一样的人：我希望自己要体验更多，而他在14岁就定下了生命的基调；我觉得感情问题在40岁前给自己个交待就行，而他23岁就和女友走到了一起，很快就有了自己的下一代；我对自己要求很多的同时似乎对别人要求也越来越苛刻，而他每天行走在餐厅和家之间，两点一线；我的生命还有很多不可预见的内容，而他却已经像30年后那样生活。我们很难说哪一种生活更好，也没有人规定我们一定要怎样生活。我相信我很难像他那么安定，他也不会尝试我的风格。

不过，终究我们有着对于上海共同的看法：这是一个繁华但生活质量不高的大都市。我们向往的是慢悠悠的节奏，可以真正用心去体会的生活，就好比意大利菜，是一道一道上的，每道菜都要去细品它的味道，全然不似中国人喜欢一下子把菜上齐，然后三下五除二地消灭干净。而很多时候，Paolo很骄傲地称自己为artist，把自己的菜当成艺术品，它们也确实是艺术品----美而精致，让我们不忍心动筷子。

很想看看Paolo在厨房里载歌载舞的样子，因为那种肆意的对于生活的热爱会感染所有人。我们还盘算着把他做菜的样子录下来放到网上，招徕生意，听起来很不错，呵呵。

（我和Paolo在聊他的“美味人生”）

说了这么多，你不如亲自来La Piazzetta，和Lynn、Ricky，还有Paolo当面聊聊，品味意大利美食，分享对于生活的热爱。

上海浦东南路1138号上海湾广场B02

Shanghai Bay, Basement B02, No.1138 Pudong South Rd, Shanghai China 200120

Reservation: 86-21 68882993

Paolo，an ever-happy Italian chef

As the Chinese saying goes, a hearty smile is worth a million dollars. For me, nothing is worth more than a treasurable sunny day in Shanghai. It is beautiful and clear after the days of drizzles. The sunshine is so pleasant that it lightens up everything in it. On this relaxing Saturday, I’d be guest at La Piazzetta, a restaurant run by an Italian friend.

I went there not just for the free meal, but for the family atmosphere I enjoy as a friend of Deon, who’s Ricky’s cousin-in-law. Ricky’s the co-owner of the restaurant, hospitable. And we have Paolo, an interesting young Italian chef, cooking for us, artistically.

Paolo is Ricky’s cousin, a real lovable person. Though he’s younger than me and Deon, he’s been boasting his over 10 yrs of cooking experience. The innocent and naughty smile blooms in his face each time when people visit there.

I always wonder, how could a 14-yr old find out the direction for his future career? He told me, one day, when his mom was making pasta, he tried to feel the texture of dough and worked out some pasta, which finally helped to ‘tie the knot’. Mom is not a good cook, he said. I couldn’t help but laugh to it. It should be Mom’s lameness in cooking that finally makes his career. Well, what was I doing at the age of 14? Have I ever thought of anything this big?

Paolo loves to sing and dance to the beat of chopping. Obviously, he really enjoys what he is doing. The fact that he’s from a small Italian town and lives a simple life puts me into some thought. Some people are happy for no reason, while others are happy for a lot of reasons. Won’t be it easier for us to be happy if we insist on fewer expectations? Paolo is an example: he lives a simple life, loves his wife and now has a angel-like baby. Time passes by in each beautiful meal and at each family gathering.

I asked Paolo, is being a chef a life-time job? He gave me the positive answer without any hesitation, which surprised me quite a bit. I’m to explore the world, while he decided almost all on his life at the age of 14; I was thinking of a real late commitment to someone, while he found his significant other when he’s 23 and had a child soon after; my requirements on a lover are filing up, while his life is all about the restaurant and his family; mine is still unpredictable, while he’s now having a life like he might do 30 yrs later. No one could tell which life is better, since we’re not supposed to be stereotyped. But I can’t be stable as he is and he’s not into my style, I believe.

However, we do share the same point about Shanghai. This is a glamorous metropolitan with relatively low life quality. We both expect to live a slow-paced life which’s just like Italian cuisine. Dishes come slowly one after another. You take your time to taste each one.

Paolo’s proud of being a cook artist and he regards his dishes as art works. And they are real art works that are so delicate that we’re afraid of ruining their beauty with our forks and knives.

We really want to see him sing and dance live and see how his overwhelming passion about life inspires everyone around. Soon Paolo’s dance video might be shown online to drum up some more business. It sounds great to the restaurant, doesn’t it?

So much about Paola and La Piazzetta. Why don’t you come and talk with Paolo and Ricky in person over happiness and an Italian tasty life?