Even as a child he loved helping his Aunt Emilia (chef/local icon) in the kitchen where, they say, he used to line up the anolini and the tortelli like little lead soldiers.
He enrolled in the Hotel School of Salsomaggiore graduating with full marks and, still only sixteen, he presented the Press Club with a special dish of his own creation: “Pork Liver wrapped in natural pork netting Spigaroli”. There followed the experience gained in the best 5 star restaurants in Italy and abroad and participation in major gastronomic competitions such as “International Golden Chef”, where he took second place at the age of 17 ahead of chefs of renown.
In the meantime he was called upon both by Luigi Veronelli on the presentation of his first television broadcast and by Enza Sampò and Edoardo Raspelli for “What are you making to eat?”, but these are just a couple of examples. In that period the Parma Promotional Consortium was established in Parma (promotion and culture relating to the area), Massimo was called on to be part of the circle of grand Parmesan chefs that set up the inaugural evening.
At the age of 22 he was invited to teach at the Hotel School of Salsomaggiore and stayed for 5 years teaching cookery.
He is held in high esteem because of his culture and his skill as a chef by Massimo Alberini, journalist, gourmet and vice president of the Academy of Italian Cuisine that invited him to teach Parmesan cooking to the School of Fine Cooking at the Gritti Palace in Venice.