When I went to Liernu in the Belgian countryside some 50 kilometres outside Brussels to interview Sang-Hoon Degeimbre I was asked to stay for a 'light lunch' after the interview (read our interview here). Little did I know that I would be served with the 'business' lunch menu being currently served in the restaurant up to the end of December. I had previously eaten at L'Air du Temps and had listened to Sang Hoon's presentation at Chef's Revolution in Zwolle so I was familiar with his story. But after also interviewing him, I knew this was going to be a unique experience. First the table was literally inside the kitchen and I could just stand up and take photos and observe the calm buzz of a 2 Michelin star kitchen. Second the dishes were presented in most cases by Sang-Hoon himself who explained them to me. What struck me was the calm inside the kitchen despite the number of people that were preparing the lunch. But then I remembered what Sang-Hoon had told me earlier during the … [Read more...]
Archives for December 2014
Azienda Agricola COS: A Sicilian winemaker with a difference
Azienda Agricola COS, founded in 1980, is one of Sicily's most well known wineries. Few, however are aware that their wines are natural wines which are extremely low in sulphites and are mainly aged in amphoras (see above photo) like in the old days. I met one of the winemakers of COS, Giusto Occhipinti, at the Vini Birre Ribelli fair organised in Brussels for the first time this weekend, tasting all their wines and discovering what makes them different from other winemakers in Italy and the world. This was the first stand I visited and what was immediately distinct is that unlike common practice they recommend that you start the tasting with the red wines to be followed by their two white wines, because as they say, the white wines are made in a similar fashion to the red wines and hence have a distinct character. But before I report on the tasting, a bit about the story of this Sicilian winemaker from Vittoria, a small Sicilian village in the South East of … [Read more...]
Excellent line-up of wine makers at the first rebel wines and beers fair in Brussels
The first ever Rebel Wines and Beers fair was organised at Tour et Taxis on Sunday (7 December) with the second day of the fair taking place on Monday (8 December). We visited the fair this morning and met with a number of wine producers all of which are producing 'natural wines' or wines which are made with minimal chemical and technological intervention in growing grapes and making them into wine. All the wines we tasted at the fair (around 50 in total) had minimal use of sulphites at bottling. We heard some very interesting stories from the wine makers on how they make the wine and why they produce it in this manner. At the stand of Sicilian winemaker Azienda Agricola Cos we tasted the whole range of wines produced by this Sicilian winery. Unlike convention, they recommended we started the tasting with red wines which was then followed by the white wines since these are produced with the skins on, similar to the way in which red wines are made. Although we were familiar with … [Read more...]
Vini Birre Ribelli – coming up in Brussels tomorrow and on Monday
Vini Birre Ribelli (The Rebel Wines and Beers Fair) is the first edition of a natural wine and beer fair being organised at Tour et Taxis in Brussels on Sunday 7 December and Monday 8 December. It brings together many special producers of beer and wine such as Jean Van Roy from Cantillon, the legendary Brussels anti-conformist brewery as well as many Italian and French natural wine makers. In total 81 "rebel" wine growers and 13 brewers will be taking part in the first edition of this fair. All these producers are part of a movement which is gradually changing the world of wine. The organisers have said that they want this fair to be a meeting place for sharing and discovery among two inter-connected worlds - natural wines and rebel beers. What joins these two worlds is the philosophy of the producers who fight for their ideals. The fair opens tomorrow from 10am to 8pm. There will be a number of events, including two debates tomorrow afternoon. There are French wineries … [Read more...]
Weekly roundup of great reads on food and wine #13
Japan seems to be attracting great chefs at the moment. Three Michelin star chef Heinz Beck has opened a restaurant in Tokyo just in time for the festive season. Beck is German-born and has been based in Rome for 20 years. He is the only chef to have three Michelin stars at La Pergola, in the Italian capital city. On the other hand, preparations are in full swing for the opening of Noma in Tokyo next month. Rene Redzedpi, the world famous chef was in Japan to source produce for the restaurant. He has been interviewed about the experience of opening a pop-up restaurant in Japan. He speaks about the overwhelming response they have received to date and also about the interesting produce he has found in Japan. It is very interesting and worth a read. Jose Andres has written a fantastic article on National Geographic about Changing the Way We Eat Meat. He says that while a piece of meat like a steak is a beautiful thing to eat, he believes that we should be thinking about eating … [Read more...]
Top 10 books on food and wine for Christmas
As the Christmas season approaches it's always great to receive tips on what to buy, particularly if you are at a loss. For a food and wine lover there is nothing like receiving a good book for Christmas. Here is a list of some of our favourite books on food and wine. We are sure you will not be disappointed. We have reviewed some of the books in more detail so if you are interested you can take a look in the Book Review section on Food and Wine Gazette. Here are our top 10 books on food and wine: 1. Massimo Bottura: Never Trust A Skinny Italian Chef: The top book of the year must be Massimo Bottura's Never Trust a Skinny Italian Chef. This is a fantastic book about food, cooking and creativity. It is not your run of the mill recipe book and unless you are a really dedicated cook, you are unlikely to replicate most of these creations. But what the book does is bring you the stories behind the dishes of one of the world's most famous restaurants. It's also a wake up call to follow … [Read more...]
Andree Köthe: Vegetables are not just a side dish
Andree Köthe is the chef of two Michelin starred German restaurant Essigbraetlein. He is known for keeping a very low profile. When the organisers of Chef Sache announched that Köthe would be presenting his philosophy and dishes at Chef Sache many food enthusiasts exclaimed "at last". I have to admit that I had heard very little about what many consider to be the German answer to Alain Passard before his presentation at Chef Sache. An internet search did not help because little is written about this very interesting chef in English and my German skills are pretty non-existant. The restaurant in Nuremberg, Germany, is called Essigbraetlein and looks like an ordinary Gasthaus or tavern from the outside. Until recently, the restaurant did not even have a website and is not even very active on social media. But behind this facade lies a 25-year-old story which Köthe started together with Yves Ollech. "My story is also his story and his thinking. He has a lot of ideas and courage so … [Read more...]
Carcasse: a restaurant by one of Belgium’s best butchers Dierendonck
Carcasse is the name of a new restaurant that has just opened the reservation system for the restaurant opening on 15 January 2015. It will be based in the Belgian coastal town of Koksijde as is the restaurant of one of Belgium's best butchers Hendrik Dierendonck. The butcher, which supplies some of the best restaurants in the country including In de Wulfe and Le Paix among others, as well as the Netherlands, will be welcoming guests from January. It is always exciting when a renowned butcher opens a restaurant, because you know that the quality of the meat will be second to none. The same is the case of Jack o'Shea in Brussels who is opening its chophouse in the Brussels centre in the coming days after a long wait since the announcement. We have tried Dierendonck's meat and it is exceptional, so we look forward to trying out Carcasse on our next visit to the Belgian coast. On Carcasse's website, Dierendonck says "we are about meat, but not just meat. The way in which animals are … [Read more...]