There are very few times in today’s hectic world when we are able to just do one activity without being distracted by technology. Our attention span has decreased considerably, we barely have time to sit at table and eat let alone cook on a daily basis. Yet, never have food programmes on television been so popular and chefs been such household names. Speaking for myself, cooking is the place where I can relax the most. It is the place where I can focus on one small process after another. There is a certain element of relaxation that goes with chopping vegetables, hearing the sizzle of a grill or the gentle patience required as you constantly stir a risotto. I have just finished Michael Pollan’s brilliant book Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation, published last year and found it extremely interesting. Pollan has written a splendid book about cooking which should be a must read for anyone interested in food and its place in our history and culture. And while you might … [Read more...]
Albert Jané (Acustic Celler): ‘Great wines are made in the vineyard’
Albert Jané is a passionate winemaker who is considered to be one of the pioneers of the D.O. Montsant region, in Spain. Coming from a winemaking family in the heart of Penedes, Albert had full confidence in the Do Montsant regionI had the pleasure of meeting him recently at a wine tasting event organised by La Buena Vida. The name of the winery ‘Acustic’ reflects not only the style of wine but also Albert’s philosophy of winemaking. He told Food and Wine Gazette that he likes to make great wines from exceptional vineyards. “It is the grapes and the weather conditions which express the history and reflection of a region and not the winemaker. I firmly believe that wine is made in the vineyard not by the winemaker,” he tells me. “Wine is pleasure, emotion and passion,” he tells me. “When you take a good bottle of wine and listen to what it tells you, it gives you a similar feeling to music. That is why I have used ‘acustic’ for the winery. “I like to think of my wines as being … [Read more...]
10 things we learnt from Sang-Hoon Degeimbre (L’ Air du Temps)
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...]
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...]
L’Air de Rien: a voyage of discovery
There is something playful about the choice of the name of the restaurant L'Air de Rien, in Fontin in the province of Liege. When I ask chef Stéphane Diffels what it means he smiled and told me that sometimes you might feel the air blowing from behind you, you turn and there is nothing, 'rien'. There are other times when you just sit, relax and let time go by. The name of the restaurant may come from a play on words but there is also something playful going on in the kitchen. The cuisine is inventive, avant-garde but relaxed at the same time. The chef has created a style that manages to showcase the produce of the area using different techniques and textures to create a unique set of emotions when you are eating. The restaurant recently launched their new website and for the occasion they held a bloggers' lunch which we unfortunately had to miss. Nevertheless, an invitation came to visit the restaurant and given the logistics (it's around 120 kilometres away from Brussels) … [Read more...]
Rafael Palacios: Making magnificent white wines in Galicia, Spain
Rafael Palacios does not need any introduction among Spanish wine lovers. Considered to be among the best white wine makers in the whole of Spain, if not the best, he began his new wine project in Valdeorras in 2004 using the Godello grape which is an indigenous white grape variety of the Valdeorras region of Galicia. The Godello grape is a stunning variety that has been rescued and is now attracting a lot of attention. Rafael Palacios recognised the grapes' potential has been making wines which are the perfect expression of the quality of this grape variety. I met Rafael last weekend at a wine tasting organised by Belgian importer La Buena Vida and asked him what it means to be the 'best' white winemaker in Spain. "That's a very big statement," he tells me. "I am very happy to work with the Godello grape and I am extremely happy and proud that I have found my passion. That is important and that motivates me to continue to work to make better wines." Rafael is the youngest … [Read more...]
Weekly roundup of great reads on food and wine #27
Technology can be daunting particularly if it is not part of your main task. While some chefs have mastered the art of social media and others have learnt how to handle their clients using phones or cameras in their restaurants, few really have embraced technology to the maximum. We've discussed the issue in the past and think that there are many pros and cons to social media. So for our first link, here is a discussion about why chefs should embrace technology. Here is an interesting article of a professional chef who reveals the most common mistakes made by amateur cooks while cooking. Which are the mistakes you make most often? Big data could be the salvation for the restaurant industry according to restaurateur, publisher and entrepreneur David Chang. He wants to launch an app that can analyse customer data to create a better dining experience. Should fast food labels feature health warnings like cigarettes? It is a question asked in this article. Health food advocate … [Read more...]
Open kitchens make chefs happy and customers happier
There is something special about restaurants with an open kitchen. The ability for customers to view what is happening behind the scenes is not only fascinating but it also emphasises a connection between the chefs and the customers. When we were in Japan eight years ago, one thing which really struck us was how common it was for restaurants to have open kitchens. An open kitchen in Europe has become more common nowadays though still not mainstream. Some of the best restaurant experiences (at least for foodies or those who love to cook) comes from either being able to see what is happening behind the scenes, or even better, when they get to speak to the chefs when they sometimes come out after service to speak to their guests. Now, a study, published by Harvard Business Review has confirmed what might otherwise have been just a perception or hunch. It might sound obvious, but the study has shown that transparency in the kitchen not only improves the perception of a good … [Read more...]