This is the second post in our series on 10 things we learnt from very successful chefs. Our second is Sang-Hoon Degeimbre, a self-taught chef who is considered to be one of the most innovative chefs in Belgium. His story is an inspiring one because he cooked for the first time in his own restaurant calling it ‘the bluff of his life’. He has now been cooking there for the past 17 years, has 2 Michelin stars and it is one of a handful of restaurants in Belgium growing its own produce. He is known for his inventive combinations of uncommon ingredients and constant innovation. 1. Creativity comes from constant questioning: At this level, creativity is essential. But there is no magic formula for creativity. Not being trained as a chef means that you are constantly seeking answers to your questions. Sang-Hoon believes everyone is born creative. But what is necessary is to keep and open mind and have an interest in everything. We all want to create something but it is not always easy for … [Read more...]
Archives for April 2015
Stéphane Diffels: The hard route to finding one’s passion
It is often, these days, that we hear of people who quit their jobs to follow their passion. Then there are those who are restless because they are not sure what they want to do. They may be sitting in their jobs but they know this is not what they want to do. When they finally find what they really like and what they really want, they beat all the hurdles in their way and race ahead trying to gain lost time. The same can be said for Stéphane Diffels of L’Air de Rien. How do you spot the difference between a chef who has taken a more traditional route and one who has discovered the vocation for cooking at a much later stage? The signs are all in the cooking and in the way the chef speaks about food. Cooking in many ways can be technically flawless, but if there is no passion and if it is treated like any other job, it can be spotted from a mile away. In many ways, the difference between a memorable meal and a great meal could be boiled down to the passion of the chef in … [Read more...]
Weekly roundup of great reads on food and wine #28
It's early Easter Sunday as I write this and I haven't written for the past two days so a Happy Easter to all our readers of Food and Wine Gazette. From the wines of Liguria, to a balanced diet and the search for the perfect ragu there is no shortage of interesting articles even today. So let's start with our links to some interesting reads. The first article is a long read about the search for the perfect ragu. If you speak to any Italian, they will probably tell you that the best ragu is the one which is either made in their family or else in their city. And while Bologna might be the place which gave the name to 'Bolognese' it is not necessarily the place where you will find the best ragu. The secret to a great ragu is time and the quality of the ingredients. So please take a dive. One day, I may be tempted to share my recipe of ragu. I don't claim it is the best but it does work wonders. I love Ligurian wines. Maybe it is the location of the vineyards perched over the … [Read more...]
Jamie Oliver launches global petition for compulsory food education in schools
Over 445,000 people have already signed a petition 0n Change.org launched by Jamie Oliver just a few days ago to make food education in schools compulsory. Food and Wine Gazette is among those who have signed the petition because we share Jamie Oliver's views that there needs to be a major rethink on the way we look at food. It is a fact that we are suffering from a global obesity epidemic. There are 42 million children under the age of five who are either overweight or obese across the world. The bottom line is that the next generation will live shorter lives than their parents unless we do something to rectify the situation. The reasons for this are various and we have touched upon them from time to time. Education is definitely key to fighting the problem. Many times we are shocked to see children as young as the age of 2 drinking soft-drinks or eating junk food. As Jamie Oliver says, type 2 diabetes is being diagnosed in children as young as the age of 8 when this was a … [Read more...]