Stories

Maria Florinda Capasso
The secret of ragù

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Maria Florinda Capasso, born in 1985 in Naples, is the manager of Tandem, a concept that blends the culinary tradition of Neapolitan ragù with an innovative approach to enjoy the dish. Without altering her grandmother’s recipe, Tandem instills in its “carne c’ ‘a pummarola” [meat with tomato sauce] the sense of care and family that has always been associated with this dish.
The interview delves into the project, but above all, it explores ragù with its rich history and deep values, firmly rooted in Neapolitan culture.

Interiew by: Gaia Nunzia Perillo
Video by: Laura De Cristofaro, Gaia Nunzia Perillo
Video Editing by: Annah Mauriello, Francesca Guglielmo
Document by: Gaia Nunzia Perillo
Subtitle ita/eng by: Federica Parisi, Gaia Nunzia Perillo
Translation by: Federica Parisi
MedEatResarch – Center of Social Research on the Mediterranean Diet of the University of Naples Suor Orsola Benincasa, head by Marino Niola and Elisabetta Moro
Realized: 07/01/2025

Maria Florinda Capasso

Year: 23/07/1985
City: Naples
Profession: Manager of restaurants “Tandem ragù”
Language: Italian, Neapolitan dialect

Video table of contents

0:35 - The connection and the innate memories of the ragù
1:59 - The “scarpetta”[bread with tomato] is legal!
2:17 - Ingredients, smells and sounds
3:18 - Cooking and "pippiare": a matter of love and patience
4:28 - The zito and its "recchietelle" [little ears]
5:14 - Grandma’s recipe and her secret
5:54 - Neapolitan, bolognese and genovese; origins and differences
8:56 - Eduardo de Filippo and the ragù
10:09 - The ragù on the table and the ragù in the street
11:25 - Tandem and the metaphor of conviviality

Geographic information

Country: IT
Region: Campania
Città: Napoli
Altitude: 17 m s.l.m.

Links and attachements

https://www.tandemnapoli.it/

https://www.instagram.com/tandem_ragu?igsh=MTF2OW00MTI3YTMycQ==

References

- Liber de coquina, manoscritto più antico, conservato a Parigi, Bibliothèque national de France (BnF), Lat. 7131, 96v-99v, confezionato forse in Italia meridionale nei primi decenni del XIV secolo

- Adamo, P., Della Corte, V., Marino, F., & Moro, E. (2024). Le origini della cucina italiana da Federico II a oggi. FedOA - Federico II University Press

- Sabato, domenica e lunedì (1990), diretto da Lina Wertmüller, tratto dall'omonima commedia di Eduardo De Filippo