It is no secret that I have been waiting for the publication of Massimo Bottura: Never Trust A Skinny Italian Chef for the past months. Published on 6 October by Phaidon, I have to say that this book went way beyond my expectations, despite the fact that the anticipation was high. For those who are not familiar with Massimo Bottura, this Italian chef is considered to be the most avant garde Italian chef in the world. His restaurant, Osteria Francescana has three Michelin stars and is at the moment considered to be the third restaurant in the world in the World's 50 Best Restaurants awards. In 2011, he was also given the Chef's Choice as the best chef in the world by his colleagues. The book, Never Trust a Skinny Chef, which I read from start to finish in two days, is an exceptional read. Having had the pleasure to meet Massimo and listen to him explain his philosophy of cooking, reading his book was actually like listening to him explain the creative process that has gone into … [Read more...]
Sang Hoon Degeimbre (L’air du temps) – a self-taught chef
Sang Hoon Degeimbre of two Michelin star L'air du temps in Liernu, Belgium describes himself as Korean born, a Belgian man and citizen of the world. This is another great story of a chef who followed his passion. He started working in restaurants as a sommelier and as he himself says, the first time he cooked in a restaurant was on the opening night of his own restaurant. A self-taught chef, Sang Hoon's story is an inspiring one of someone who fought against all odds to follow his passion and open a restaurant. But his restaurant is not just a run of the mill restaurant. Sang Hoon is known for his innovative dishes and a trip to the restaurant is considered a culinary pilgrimage. It has always been my wish to dine at his restaurant since my arrival in Belgium but for some reason or another this has never materialised. After listening to his story at Chefs Revolution in Zwolle last month, I am sure that the time has come to visit this temple of experimentation very … [Read more...]
Saveurs Toscanes: A feast for fans of Tuscany
Saveurs Toscanes which took place last weekend at the Arsenal in Brussels was a feast for lovers of Tuscan food and wine. It was great to visit the many stands with producers that made the trip from Tuscany and meet some cheese, wine and meat producers who we had been meeting over the years since the event started taking place. Tuscany, for lovers of food and wine, is one of Italy's richest regions. For wine, you will find appellations such as Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino and Rosso di Montepulciano. All were well represented at this event and I must say that most of the wines that I tried were good, even those from very small producers who are not known in the wine guides. Tuscany is also home to wines called "Super Tuscans" which are exceptional table wines that do not follow the norms, i.e. do not necessarily use the indigenous Sangiovese grape. These wines have become cult wines and among them is a small producer Chiappini who has vineyards in Bolgheri neighbouring … [Read more...]
The incredible story of Isabel Soares who combats food waste by selling ugly fruit
Food waste is a very important problem and a major issue our societies face globally. A lot of awareness raising is needed to get people across the supply chain to realise what is happening. From the farmer to the consumer, it is essential that we combat food waste together. Food and Wine Gazette is very new on the block and for the time being we have a very small audience. But just like Isabel Soares, the Portuguese entrepreneur who is serving 420 families with food which would otherwise be thrown away, we want to do our little part and raise awareness about the issue. The story of Isabel Soares is an incredible one. She recounted this at the Mad Food symposium that took place last month and the video of her presentation has just been uploaded on Mad Feed. Since starting less than a year ago, she has saved 41 tonnes of food from going to waste. Nearly single-handedly, she is serving 420 customers, has a waiting list of over 2000 customers and gets her produce from over 30 … [Read more...]
Jonnie Boer: An obsession for the finest local ingredients creates the ‘De Librije spirit’
To say Jonnie Boer, chef of De Librije, the three Michelin star restaurant in Zwolle takes his produce seriously would be an understatement. When he took the stage at Chef's Revolution in Zwolle he wanted to place the limelight on his suppliers. "It is always the chefs that are in the limelight but in reality what the dish is about are the producers and their products. "So I want to pay tribute to the men and women who have been supplying our restaurant with quality ingredients over the past years." Jonnie knows his produce incredibly well and also knows how to showcase it to reach its best potential. He was championing local seasonal ingredients 20 years ago before it became fashionable to do so to the extent that he recalls how he was ridiculed for trying to serve Dutch lamb as if there was something wrong with it. His wife, Therese heads up front of house and is a trained viticulturist and wine specialist. They have been open since 1992 He presented the first dish on stage … [Read more...]
What influence do food guides and bloggers have on the culinary world?
Love them or hate them food guides and bloggers have a way of influencing us. Whether it is a word of mouth recommendation, a food blog, a tweet or photo on Instagram, a review on trip advisor or a guide book (Michelin, Gault Milau or Gambero Rosso for example), the way we make our choices these days is very much influenced by what we read. It was therefore incredibly refreshing and thought-provoking to listen to Fulvio Pierangelini speak about how he hated the internet and food blogs. "I reached my limit when I said that food bloggers are to gastronomy what peodophiles are to love." That might sound like a very harsh statement but it is one which epitomises the love/hate relationship that chefs and restaurant owners have with guide books and food blogs. Here was one of the best chefs in the world, who had one of the most important restaurants in Europe hitting out at the internet, which had probably helped make him successful in the first place. He said (you can read about this … [Read more...]
Quique Dacosta – from washing dishes to one of the most avant-garde chefs in the world
Quique Dacosta's story is an intriguing one. He started working in a pizzeria at the age of 14 washing dishes. Not having any culinary tradition in the family he recalls that working in a restaurant was not romantic but rather a means to making money. "I started to make some modest money but it was enough for me to start discovering gastronomy." This is indeed a prime example of "Where there is a will, there is a way." Today Quique Dacosta is the chef of a restaurant that is called by his same name and considered by many, particularly after the closure of Ferran Adria's elBulli to be one of the new leaders of avant-garde cuisine in Spain. He has won awards and accolades and his restaurant has been awarded the coveted three Michelin stars. Unlike most chefs who have travelled the world and worked in various kitchens, Dacosta has only worked in one place, his restaurant. He started working there at the age of 17. It was in 1989 and he joined a family restaurant by the name of El … [Read more...]
Fulvio Pierangelini – an Italian chef in exile
Few restaurant experiences have left a profound influence on my way of thinking about gastronomy as Fulvio Pierangelini's Gambero Rosso. This Italian chef who was riding the crest of the wave in terms of fame and success decided to close his restaurant in 2008 and since then has never returned back. Pierangelini, who had never taken a plane in the previous 30 years, as he himself says, has been away on a pilgrimage for the past six years. Pierangelini, an Italian, is probably one of the most enigmatic, underrated and captivating chefs of our time. He is maybe enigmatic because he hates the limelight, hates the internet with a passion and didn't even know that restaurant guides existed when he opened his restaurant in 1980 in a small fishing village in Tuscany which as he himselfs says was in the middle of nowhere. You will wonder why an evening at Gambero Rosso had such a deep meaning for me. First, when we visited in 2006, this was the first 2 Michelin star experience for my … [Read more...]
The power of creativity – inspiration can come from anywhere
Readers of Food and Wine Gazette know that we are very interested in the creative process. So as an interval from profiles of forthcoming chefs that featured at Chef's Revolution we would like to focus a bit on creativity and the creative process. What triggered our interest is the underlying theme of these chefs who in their own ways may be considered as artists. They are innovators like creators who push boundaries and find inspiration everywhere they look. As an inspiration for creativity we recommend you watch this fun video on 29 ways to stay creative. There is no magic rule to being creative. Many people ask how we find ideas to write on a daily basis. It is difficult to say other than if you allow your creativity to flow, you will eventually have a pool of ideas, some of which will work, others which can go on the back burner either to be forgotten forever or to be revived when the time is right. Writing is something we enjoy though food, wine and travel may be … [Read more...]
Richard Ekkebus (Amber, Hong Kong): Obsessed with quality ingredients
Anyone who has been to Hong Kong knows that this is a city that never sleeps. At a crossroads between East and West, its food markets can be breathtaking for visitors who are normally surprised by the quality of the produce that one can find. What I recall and which might seem odd for Europeans is that when you go to markets there, you can actually buy live fish to take home to cook alive. It is therefore no surprise that Richard Ekkebus, award-winning chef of Amber, the 24th best restaurant in the world in the S. Pellegrino World's 50 Best Restaurants, fourth restaurant in Asia, best restaurant in China with two Michelin stars has stayed in the Chinese city since his arrival there in 2005. And he says he has no intention of leaving the city. "I have found my niche there and I am very happy." Ekkebus is a chef that takes the quality of produce extremely seriously. You could actually feel the passion with which he spoke about the quality of ingredients he finds in Hong Kong … [Read more...]