Weekly roundup of great reads on food and wine #54

Burnt is the name of a film that is set to be released next month. It tells the story of a chef who moves to London in his bid to win three Michelin stars. A reader has sent us the following interview with chef Marcus Wareing about his role as consultant chef for the film. It is a very interesting read not only about the film but also about Wareing’s involvement and what he thinks the impact of the film will have on the industry. Wareing said that while the movie is not for the industry and is aimed at theatre-goers and for people to watch at home, it is still likely to attract people to the industry. “It is purely entertainment, but it will entice people to come and look at the industry and think: Yeah, that’s pretty rock and roll,” he says.

One sixth of a supermarket ready-made meal may contain sugar according to research carried out by The Telegraph. The British newspaper found that a crispy sweet and sour chicken weighing a total of 400 grammes contained over 60 grammes of sugar.

The Talks has a brilliant interview with Ferran Adria. The chef of elBulli fame, when asked whether he was the best chef in the world, said you cannot measure something like that. “However, my restaurant elBulli, not I, was certainly the most influential restaurant in the world. You can observe the fact that some of the most successful chefs now in their 30s and 40s worked at elBulli at some point.”

Magnus Nilsson, chef of Faviken, recently launched the Nordic Cook Book. Here are three meatball recipes from the book.

According to Rick Stein, restaurants should not be ‘too fussed’ about winning Michelin stars because customers don’t care that much about the awards. He said that the accolades served more to attract staff than they did diners.

Can London be as good as Paris when it comes to food? Foodies may immediately say yes. Three French brothers who are due to open an offshoot of their iconic Paris restaurant in London have admitted that the UK capital is now as good for food as Paris. They are owners of Les 110 de Taillevent in Paris and London which are sister sites to the two Michelin-starred Taillevent, one of Paris’ most iconic restaurants that is said to have inspired the film Ratatouille.

Michel Roux Jr has hit out at the ‘glorification’ of celebrity TV chefs. He said there were possibly too many TV cookery shows. Roux said TV cookery shows “can glorify the chef and put us on a pedestal. I worry about that; it brings young people into our industry for the wrong reasons.” He also says that many youngsters no longer experience the joys of seeing their mothers cook because two generations of working mothers have relied on prepared meals instead. He said this trend is fuelling childhood obesity and urged parents to spend more time in the kitchen.

Chris Dwyer has interviewed Alain Ducasse about French cuisine. The French chef said it was difficult to experience French cuisine at the highest level outside France. “It’s difficult at least outside of Europe, because of the produce. In the interview, he also gives his views about why women are vastly under represented globally at the highest level.

You may also want to read this interview with Suzanne Goin about the subject of women in restaurant kitchens.

Jancis Robinson takes a look at whether wine is better from a bottle (75cl) or a magnum (1.5l). The results she says are inconclusive.

Here is a look at the Mosel wine harvest and why it is different to other regions.

We love Tokyo and Japan. If you are heading to the Japanese capital anytime soon, the New York Times has tips on how to spend 36 hours in Eastern Tokyo.

And to end, if you have missed the news that Kobe Desramaults, chef of internationally renowned restaurant In De Wulf has announced that he is closing the restaurant at the end of next year, you may want to read about it here.