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...]
Archives for October 2014
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...]
Weekly roundup of great reads on food and wine #4
This was the week that MadFood, a symposium held last month in Denmark released a talk by American cook Chris Costentino in which he emotionally describes the pain of becoming a 'television celebrity'. If you haven't watched the video or read an extract of his talk, I would urge you to read it. While speaking to young chefs, his lessons are valid for anyone thinking of going on TV and particularly reality TV. There is a lot of food for thought in his words. Given we are on the subject of Copenhagen, the New York Times this week had in interesting feature about what to do for a weekend in this Danish city. Copenhagen is famous for what is currently considered to be one of the greatest chefs in the world Rene Redzepi of Noma. But it is also the standard-bearer for New Nordic cuisine, a movement sustained by a society that encourages homegrown talent using local ingredients. This is one of the cities we really want to visit and this article clearly explains why with a lot going for the … [Read more...]
Chefs on TV – all that glitters is not gold
Television is not just about stardom and fame. It can really create problems for people who are not aware of the risks and pitfalls that may exist. As a former print journalist who has seen many people succumb to the allure of television only to become unrecognisable when they attain so called 'fame' this talk at the Mad Symposium by Chris Cosentino, a Californian chef is a must watch. In this case, this American chef gives advice to young chefs "to be careful what they wish for" which was also the talk of his half an hour presentation in Denmark. If you do not have 30 minutes to watch it, here is a short resume. But if you are tempted or allured into doing it, you need to really watch this video and to think before you actually decide to take the plunge. Only in this way can you be sure that you will not end up regretting it. This is important advice not just for chefs but for anyone who is tempted by the allure of fame on television. Cosentino recalls how after taking … [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...]