Massimo Bottura, the chef at the helm of Osteria Francescana, the world's best restaurant, was this evening honoured with an honorary degree in Management from the University of Bologna. Bottura got the degree for setting an example by merging entrepreneurship, culture and technique and that helps to spread Italian culture worldwide. The Modena based chef, who has three Michelin stars and is number one in the World's 50 Best Restaurant list has also set up the Refettorio Ambrosiano during the Milan Expo. Since then he has opened refectories to feed the world's poor in various cities including Rio. In summer, a soup kitchen will open in London in the Chelsea area and he also has plans to open one in Berlin. Bottura belives that chefs can make a difference today because they have a voice unlike in the past. An honorary degree to a chef is not common but Bottura says that even Harvard have studied the way they work in the restaurant. The restaurant today receives 2,000 … [Read more...]
Archives for February 2017
Chef Sache 2017 to be held in Düsseldorf
Chef Sache, the largest and most important avant-garde culinary festival in the German speaking countries will be moving to Dusseldorf from Cologne for 2017. Port Culinaire and Food Events, the organisers of the event, have announced that this year's edition which takes place on 17 and 18 September will be held at the Areal Böhler, Alte Schmiedehallen in Düsseldorf. The location was converted into an event location in July 2012. The old industrial complex, whose unmistakable character, has been preserved will welcome some of the world's most creative chefs. The lineup of chefs confirmed for this year's event include Thomas Dorfer, Landhaus Bacher in Mautern, Wachau, Vladimir Mukhin, White Rabbit in Moscow, Esben Holmboe Bang of Maaemo in Oslo, Paul Pairet of Ultraviolet in Shangai and Heinz Reitbauer of Steirereck in Vienna. The event is nine years old has is growing every year. Last year, the attendance during the two days of the event numbered 3,100 visitors. The … [Read more...]
Weekly roundup of great reads on food and wine #105
Chef José Andrés on Trump, the American Dream, and Uniting People With Free Food: Three years ago, chef José Andrés began work on restaurants in two long-anticipated Washington, D.C., hotels: Fish by José Andrés at the MGM National Harbor and a Spanish passion project slated to open in the Trump International Hotel at the Old Post Office Pavilion. The first one opened in December, but the second project famously led to an ongoing legal battle with Trump’s company. Earlier this week, Grub sat down with Andrés at Fish to discuss the firebrand chef’s thoughts on the politics of our current food culture, why he’s determined to win his legal fight, and to get his take on President Trump’s first weeks in office. Why the French Can’t Get Enough of This Illegal Bird: For several decades, the French have been obsessing over a small bird that weighs less than an ounce. Hunters consider it the king of all wildfowl; great chefs deem it the caviar of birds. However, in 1999 it became a protected … [Read more...]
Fourth edition of Salon du Chocolat in Brussels next weekend
The fourth edition of the Salon du Chocolat in Brussels will be held next weekend from 10 to 12 February. Having been successfully organised since 2014, the event promises to be a celebration of Belgian chocolate in all its forms. This year, the event is being organised at Tour & Taxis in an area of 8,000 sqm. Over 130 participants, from chocolatiers, pastry chefs, confectioners, designers and cocoa experts will be taking part in this year;s edition. Philippe Close, the deputy mayor of Brussels City Council responsible for Tourism, Finance and Personnel said "Brussels’ image is inextricably linked to chocolate; we have the best chocolatiers working in the most prestigious locations, real craftsmen who offer their delicious product in every shape and form, from the simple bar to the most sophisticated arrangements. Their know-how and traditions have been quite rightly institutionalised in a museum dedicated to cocoa and chocolate." This year's theme is Cocoa - the heart of … [Read more...]
Six hands dinner at Prieuré Saint-Gery on 27 February featuring Melanie Englebin and Euphrasie Mbamba
Vincent Gardinal, chef of l'Hostellerie Le Prieuré Saint-Gery is inviting two ladies, a female chef and a female chocolatier to a unique six hands dinner on 27 February. Melanie Englebin, chef of Brussels based restaurant Cecilia who was also named as Young Chef of the year 2017 for Brussels by Gault Millau and Euphrasie Mbamba, who created the range of Sigoji chocolates will join Vincent for the second edition of his events called 'Les Invitees'. This is the second time that Vincent, chef of Le Prieuré Saint-Gery is inviting women to cook with him. The first successful event was held in December and welcomed Isabelle Arpin, chef of WY in Brussels. The restaurant is found in the farming village of Solre-Saint-Gery, on the outskirts of La Botte du Hainaut, not far from the French border. A former priory, chef and owner Vincent Gardinal has been welcoming guests in his Michelin starred restaurant for more than 20 years. Accompanying Vincent Gardinal for this evening is … [Read more...]