A storm hit the area of Benevento, Italy, a few days ago causing floods that have caused havoc in the factory of one of the region's main pasta producers, the Pastificio Rummo. People on social media, first in Italy and then internationally responded instantly by promising to help the troubled pasta maker. A young internet user Luciano Lobosco created a #SaveRummo event on Facebook entitled "A pack of pasta makes a difference". It went viral immediately with over 123,000 supporting the event to date and leading the pasta maker to thank users for this spontaneous gesture. The pastamaker, in a message on its Facebook page this evening thanked all those who have shown solidarity following this week's flooding that caused huge damages in the factory. "We are very proud and touched by your support, that came from all over the world and are working hard to bring the situation back to normal. We count on communicating how long it will take us to get back into production to those we keep in … [Read more...]
Is there such a thing as the best cookbook? 1000 Cookbooks has the answer
Which is the best cookbook ever published? Is there such a thing as the best cookbook? What are the favourite cookbooks of chefs? Or bloggers? Or authors who've written cookbooks or books about food? That is the question that a new project by Jon Croft, a food book publisher at Absolute Press and Matthew Cockerill, co-founder of Open Access Publisher, BioMed Central, try to answer with a newly launched website/app called 1000 Cookbooks. By doing so they have come up with the ultimate list of the top 1000 cookbooks. It has been termed as the 'Spotify for Food' in the Bookseller website after a soft launch at the Frankfurt bookfair last week. 1000 Cookbooks asked over 400 people from chefs to authors, bloggers and food professionals to list their 10 favourite English-language recipe books of all time. From this list, they have curated the top 1000 recipe books of all time. Among those who voted are chefs like Fergus Henderson, Tom Kerridge, Jason Atherton, Virgilio Martinez, Wylie … [Read more...]
Details of Alinea Madrid pop-up restaurant announced
Booking for Alinea Madrid, the pop-up restaurant of the Chicago-based Grant Achatz, considered as one of the most inventive chefs in the world is now open as details of the restaurant have been announced. Alinea Madrid will launch on January 12 and will stay open till February 6. This American restaurant is considered to be one of the best in the world and is a collaboration between chef Grant Achatz and restauranteur Nick Kokonas. Alinea Madrid said that the history of Alinea is inextricably linked with the modernist cuisine of Spain. It is no secret that Achatz, like many contemporary chefs, has been inspired by pioneering Spanish chefs like Arzak and Adria to embrace culinary innovations and risk-taking. "On both sides of the Atlantic, dining as an experience, both cultural and artistic, has allowed chefs a new freedom to rethink what a restaurant can be...and in turn to give patrons exciting and delicious ways to enjoy dining out," says Grant Achatz. Alinea Madrid fulfills a … [Read more...]
Lola in Brussels celebrates its 20th anniversary with book publication
Lola, one of the chic restaurants in Place Sablon, Brussels, is celebrating its 20th anniversary. For the occasion, it launched a book that tells the story of the restaurant and also presents recipes of some of the most classic dishes served at the restaurant. The brasserie Lola is the story of five people passionate about cuisine who launched the restaurant 20 years ago. The five friends, Caroline, Larbi, Henri, François and Laurent came together to create the restaurant which has become one of the highlights of this historic Brussels squares. They started off with Les Faste Fou, a place specialising in salads just off Avenue Louise in 1987. Lola, their second project, six years later, was more ambitious not only because of the location but also for its cuisine. A contemporary brasserie, it focuses mainly on seasonal ingredients. Its menu changes according to the seasons but it still retains many Belgian classics on its menu such as the 'croquettes des crevettes', the americain (or … [Read more...]
Massimo Bottura reaches new heights
Massimo Bottura, chef of three Michelin Star restaurant Osteria Francescana has reached new heights with the announcement that he has been awarded a maximum 20 points out of 20 in one of the most influential and prestigious Italian publications. L'Espresso Restaurant Guide has awarded the Italian chef from Modena a perfect score in its 2016 guide to Italian restaurants. You might ask what the fuss is all about given Massimo Bottura has 3 Michelin stars and earlier this year made it to the second place in the World's Best 50 restaurants list. But this is the first time ever, in the history of this guide, that a chef and restaurant has been awarded maximum points. Commenting on the announcement on Twitter, Bottura said he just wanted to thank everyone. Meanwhile, Enrico Crippa of restaurant Piazza Duomo in Alba has also seen its score go up to 19.75, just a quarter of a point away from Osteria Francescana. The other restaurants that had 19.5 points have retained their score. These … [Read more...]
A race to deliver: Deliveroo launches in the home of Take Eat Easy
The days when the only thing you could order for home delivery was a pizza or a meal from a fast-food outlet have been over since the launch of restaurant delivery services opening in different cities around the world. The service is hotting up worldwide with a number of platforms entering the market with the aim of offering a service to both customers and also restaurants who would otherwise not offer deliveries. The same could be said for Belgium. Deliveroo, a UK restaurant delivery start-up launched in Brussels on 6 October setting it in direct competition with a similar start-up Take Eat Easy, which is Brussels based and which had launched in 2013. Deliveroo, with its motto 'Proper Food, Proper Delivery' is offering a delivery service from 'quality restaurants' to homes and offices. The company was founded in February 2013 in London by William Shu and Greg Orlowski. With proprietary software and a logistics platform, it offers deliveries from high quality restaurants or … [Read more...]
Virtual reality for Tim Raue’s restaurant in Berlin
When Tim Raue went up on stage in Cologne to present a new concept, we knew he was onto something. Despite admitting that the technology is still in its early stages, Raue is experimenting with offering diners at his restaurant a unique experience by immersing them into his kitchen and explaining what they are about to eat in a personalised audiovisual manner. He is using virtual reality goggles to take diners at his restaurant on a 'tour of Berlin' and see the chef explain the story behind the dish he is serving as well as how it is prepared. Raue said at Chef Sache that many of the guests at the restaurant might not have time to visit Berlin. "We could have told the story in a different way but we felt that it would be more appropriate to use visuals to tell the story," Raue said. Two Michelin star chef Tim Raue can be considered as one of the most prominent German chefs in Berlin if not the whole of Germany. Apart from his flagship restaurant Tim Raue, the German chef has a … [Read more...]
Chef Sache panel discussion: We are in the middle of a culinary revolution
We are currently in the middle of a culinary revolution. Guests at top end restaurants want to feel relaxed, dress casually and enjoy their lunch or dinner without fuss like in the old days. They are also more willing to experiment, to try new things and eat more. This was the main theme of a panel discussion at Chef Sache on the changes that are currently taking place in the restaurant world. Two Michelin star chef Tim Raue from the Berlin restaurant with the same name, explained how attitudes in restaurants have changed completely over the years. "In the 1990s, people used to go to a Michelin star restaurant to show who they were and they used to wear clothes to depict this. Things have changed completely, just look at what we are wearing today on stage. This would not have been the case a few years ago. He said that people have done away with suit and tie. Dining has become a lifestyle product and they don't need to show off when they go out. Dining out means pleasure and … [Read more...]
Brussels welcomes San
San, the new restaurant of two-Michelin star chef San Degeimbre, is ready to start welcoming guests from Monday 5 October. The restaurant is built around a simple concept, that of serving food in bowls. This concept has already been tried and tested for lunch at the two Michelin star restaurant L'Air du Temps in Liernu, Belgium. San's restaurant is a welcome addition to the Brussels scene and has long been awaited by foodies in the city, particularly after the announcement of its opening earlier this year. The Belgian-Korean chef is going back to his roots by serving dishes in a bowl, something which is very common in Korea. There will be no forks and knives but only spoons. 'When you are using a spoon, you are forced to pick up what's on the plate and thus mix flavours," San told Food and Wine Gazette. Indeed, the dishes served at a press dinner showcased this concept to perfection. The taste from each spoonful was different and the flavours lingered on for a long … [Read more...]
Massimo Bottura announces he is working to create university of gastronomy in Modena
Italian chef Massimo Bottura announced he is working on the opening of a university based on gastronomy in Modena. He was speaking at Chef Sache in Cologne, Germany where he gave an inspirational presentation on creativity and his creative process. "Opening a gastronomic university in my home town Modena next to Osteria Francescana is my dream and we are working on it," said the Italian chef who has become world famous for his artistic and philosophical approach to food. Speaking in Cologne, Bottura said that future chefs will need to be well-read, cultured but also ready to get their hands dirty because knowledge comes from the basics. Seen as an iconic figure among fellow chefs, Bottura has for many years been misunderstood in his home country. But this year, he has reached the pinnacle of his career. He reached the number 2 position in the World's Best 50 list and has had huge success with the charitable soup kitchen at the Refettorio Ambrosiana in Milan. And he was also in … [Read more...]