Flemish Food Bash is the name of a unique event taking place at the Belgian coast on 5 July. This event will bring together 40 chefs (20 Belgian and 20 international), 2 cheese aficionados, 8 pastry chefs, 20 bartenders, 2 baristas, 4 bakers, 4 butchers, 30 beers among others. A non-profit event, the Flemish Food Bash is in its second edition. It is aimed to go beyond the ways of social media by enabling people to socialise, mingle around and network. It is aimed for foodies who want to meet people with a similar passion, talking about the things they love most, sharing ideas and styles. The first edition took place in November at the Cafe D'Anvers. Billed as the world's best restaurant for a day, the lineup of chefs is one which should not be missed. Among others there will be Heinz Beck of the three Michelin star Rome restaurant La Pergola, Soenil Bahadoer of De Lindehof (2 Michelin stars The Netherlands), Sang-Hoon Degeimbre of L' Air du Temps (2 Michelin stars Belgium) and … [Read more...]
Weekly round-up of great reads on food and wine #34
It is scandalous for supermarkets to throw bleach in their dustbins along with edible foods, said a former food minister in France Guillaume Garot, who proposed a law which forces big supermarkets to give unsold food to charities. The French national assembly has voted unanimously to approve this legislation which aims to tackle the huge epidemic of food waste, which highlights the divide between giant food firms and people who are struggling to eat. We have written on the issue of food waste and feel this is an initiative that should be applauded and followed. The world produces enough food to feed all the planet but billions of tonnes of food get thrown away every year. Each and every one of us need to do our part. We would also like to highlight an article we came across called the war on big food. The article looks into the problem of certain ingredients in food, like artificial colours and flavours, pesticides, preservatives, high-fructose corn syrup, growth hormones, … [Read more...]
Prepaid meals arrive in restaurants in Europe and could revolutionise the way we eat – but will it work?
Are you ready to pay in advance for a restaurant meal just like you would do when going to a theatre performance, music concert or sports event? In September, when we wrote about Next, the Chicago based restaurant we asked a question whether such a system would work in Europe, given that this restaurant sold tickets in advance. Now, a few months later, the system called Tock, created by the co-owner of Alinea and Next, Nick Kokonas, has arrived in Europe. This new concept has faced some criticism as Clove Club in Shoreditch east London announced that it would be the first restaurant in the UK to adopt it for its tasting menus. Faviken, the Swedish restaurant also announced when they opened this season's bookings that they would ask for a prepayment for the food at the point of reservation, with accommodation and drinks to be paid for on site, after the stay. Many were quick to question the system and protest that theywould be paying in advance for the few who do not show up in … [Read more...]
Weekly roundup of great reads on food and wine #33
If there is one story you must find time to read this week, it is the story of Ben Shewry, the New Zealand-born public face of modern Australian cooking, running one of the world's top 50 restaurants. Widely regarded as the best chef in Australia, he had to battle with depression. Allan Jenkins writes an inspirational portrait of this chef, who has also been featured in David Gelb's Netflix documentary series Chef's Table. Hélène Darroze has been named the 2015 Veuve Clicquot World’s Best Female Chef. Here is an interesting interview with her in the Financial Times where she speaks about what drives her, her ambitions and personal life among others. Andy Hayler is unique. In 2004, he managed to eat at every three Michelin starred restaurant in the world. In this interview he says that not all restaurants are the same and there are distinct differences between the way in which countries are assessed. Read what he has to say about the most consistent country (some may be surprised) and … [Read more...]
Francis Mallmann: ‘Get out of your chair and go out’ – Chef’s Table review
"I am a cook that uses cooking to send this message of a way of living. I am always cooking in remote places in the wild with fires. So the message is get out of your chair, sofa or office and go out," says the most influential chef from Argentina. When I sat down to watch Chef's Table documentary on Francis Mallmann I was intrigued by the visuals of the trailers which showed Argentina's arguably most high-profile chef cooking lamb with fire in snow with a stunning landscape as the backdrop. That intrigue was not misplaced. This documentary, produced by David Gelb is an exceptional portrait of a chef who has really returned to the basics of cooking, using fire in all its possibilities to produce simple dishes which are full of flavours. Mallmann explains that today we educate children to be settled and once they have a job, a car and a place to sleep the dreams are dead. "You do not grow on a secure path. All of us should conquer something in life. It needs a lot of work, it … [Read more...]
Maxime Colin (Villa Lorraine): Bringing the best out of top quality ingredients
Maxime Colin, 27, is full of passion for top quality ingredients and you can see it in his face when he proudly displays a piece of Kobe beef. He speaks passionately about what makes Kobe beef so special, explaining the attention to detail the Japanese give to raising the cattle for what is considered the best meat you can buy. We met Maxime in the kitchen of Villa Lorraine which serves as the kitchen for both La Villa and La Brasserie. The Villa Lorraine, on the edge of the Bois de la Cambre in Brussels, houses two restaurants owned by Serge Litvine who purchased the restaurants in 2010 and is working to make it shine again. Villa Lorraine is a Brussels and Belgian institution having been the first restaurant outside France to get the coveted 3 Michelin stars in 1972. Maxime Colin has been head chef there since August 2014 and retained the 1 Michelin star that had been previously awarded to La Villa under Alain Bianchin in November 2013. He explained the philosophy behind … [Read more...]
Weekly roundup of great reads on food and wine #32
There are a number of interesting reads in this weekly roundup from an interview with legendary restaurant critic AA Gill to Nathan Myhrvold's views on the next big thing in food, a list of some splendid bars, a guide to Emilia Romagna and some recommendations on places to eat in Venice. Food Republic has an interview with legendary restaurant critic AA Gill. He says that he wants blander food in restaurants. "Everything is overflavoured now. We've been dominated by the East and Latin America and these enormous, big flavours. This style of cooking is fantastic and I love it. But when was the last time that I ate a blanquette de veau that was just white, and just soft, and wasn't shouting at me," he said. Nathan Myhrvold, the founder of Modernist Cuisine says the next big thing in food is not about importing new foods but inventing them. "Invention is always how we have developed new cuisines," he said. Myhrvold also believes that we are in the midst of a major shift regarding all … [Read more...]
A year after the Osteria Francescana experience
At this time last year, I was eating a pizza with two dear friends in Modena. Hard to believe after a 12 course lunch at Massimo Bottura's Osteria Francescana a few hours earlier. It was an experience that I will always cherish and it is one of the reasons (though the story is much more complicated than that) why Food and Wine Gazette was born. We are still months away from our first year anniversary of Food and Wine Gazette, but 9th May marks a very important milestone for me. Years earlier, when the word foodie was still not mainstream as it is today, I had set myself two targets when it came to experiencing Italian cuisine, that of eating at Fulvio Pierangelini's Gambero Rosso and at Massimo Bottura's Osteria Francescana. Both chefs have been extremely important for contemporary Italian cuisine though the styles cannot be more different to each other. Having eaten at Gambero Rosso a few years before it closed for ever, the visit to Massimo Bottura marked an important … [Read more...]
Chef’s table review – Massimo Bottura: A recipe as a social gesture
Massimo Bottura sees the world like few others. His passion for food is not only compelling but it is also contagious. You only need to see him in action live or on a television programme to realise that he has this capacity to stir emotions in people which is second to none. That he is passionate about cooking and food is no secret. But what few know is that one of the biggest secrets to his success is his wife Lara Gilmore, an American who he met in New York. This Italian restaurant in the city of Modena is probably one of the most famous restaurants in the world. It is listed as the world's 3rd best restaurant in the World's 50 Best Restaurants, has three Michelin stars and has really put Italy at the top of the world's league. While many are in love with Italian food, very few tend to associate Italian cuisine with innovation and avant garde cuisine. What Massimo Bottura has done is change all this in a country which does not like to mess with 'grandmother's recipe' as … [Read more...]
Tim Raue: Western cuisine is too complicated
Tim Raue is one of the most prominent German chefs in Berlin if not the whole of Germany. His restaurant Tim Raue has made it to the 40th position in the recently published Opinionated About Dining list, moving forward from the 62nd place. The German chef is unique in his style and in his approach. His two Michelin star restaurant serving Asian inspired cuisine has been awarded 19 points by Gault Millau. His cuisine, as he himself says, reflects his character. We caught up with him a few months ago but had not yet published our interview and we feel this is the right time to bring to the fore this talented chef. But why would a European be cooking Chinese food in the German capital? "What I am looking for is basic, traditional Chinese dishes. What I love is that they are so pure and simple. In Western cuisine we are doing things which are so complicated and using too many techniques. At the end of the day, what I want to do is bring everything together. What I look for in a … [Read more...]