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...]
Interview with Fulvio Pierangelini: ‘It is time to relearn everything’
Among food lovers of a certain age, Fulvio Pierangelini needs no introduction. Only a few years ago, he was considered to be one of the most influential if not the most influential Italian chef of the 2000s. He has left a very important impact on the food world and has advocated collaboration and exchange between chefs for at least 10 years at a time when this was unheard of. So when Fulvio says that it is time for us to relearn everything about food we should sit and listen and also reflect on the state of the food and wine world today. "In history, there was a time when the rich were fat and the poor were thin. Today, the opposite is the case and we need to ask ourselves why this is the case and whether this is good because clearly we have a problem," he says. "We have reached a stage where we need to relearn everything. We need to have more respect for ingredients, all ingredients. People may feel sorry for a lobster or a lamb but ultimately we need to remember that even a … [Read more...]
Weekly roundup of great reads on food and wine #104
Is chlorinated chicken about to hit our shelves after new US trade deal? Consumers could be exposed to American farming practices banned by the EU. Those of us who want to eat safe, healthy food awoke to a nightmare on Tuesday, a chilling interview on Radio 4’s Today programme. Bob Young, chief economist at the American Farm Bureau Federation, made it crystal clear that any US trade deal struck by Theresa May would be contingent on the UK public stomaching imports of US foods that it has previously rejected: beef from cattle implanted with growth hormones, chlorine-washed chicken, and unlabelled genetically modified (GM) foods. Ana Roš of Hiša Franko: Gelinaz! Shuffle and Slovenian Cuisine: Ana Ros is an articulate, intelligent and fascinating woman with many facets to her life and persona. She is the perfect example of a person using their will and determination to shine as a culinary star in a comparatively unknown part of the world. I will stay tuned for what she does next and … [Read more...]
‘Balance is what I look for when making a praline’ – Tom Vanthemsche, The Cacao Tree
Tom Vanthemsche always dreamt of being a chocolate and ice cream maker. With The Cacao Tree by Tom, his boutique shop in Rhode St Genese, just outside Brussels, he has fulfilled his dream. He works with fresh ingredients particularly those which are in season and he prides himself of using fresh farmer’s milk which he picks up himself and 60% fruit in his sorbets which is highly unusual. "Some think our sorbets are ice-cream because they are very creamy. This is because of the percentage of fruit we use." Tom told Food and Wine Gazette in an interview that he prefers to use fresh products rather than unusual spices or ingredients that might shock but don’t necessarily work. “For me, finding the right balance between sugar and acidity is crucial. I will add a bit of texture to the chocolate, make it creamy but what I am looking for is balance. For me that is fundamental.” He is constantly on the look out for new chocolate. “When I set to create a new praline, I will taste the … [Read more...]
Revisiting L’air du temps: Winter is not a barrier to creativity
The sun is glistening and shining on the snow that is covering the fields in Liernu. Spring is still far away and the vegetable garden at L'air du temps is still resting. The first shoots from the garden will only come in late February though San Degeimbre is already preparing his February menu called "Waiting for the Green". January is not necessary the best month to visit a restaurant. It comes just after the holidays and is the month when you normally try to detox from the excesses of the previous month. And it is not the best month for fresh produce. But a friend who happens to be a Maltese chef is in Belgium and we have planned to visit Wallonia's culinary cathedral. San Degeimbre is a chef in evolution. Today, he has reached a level of maturity that one would expect from a restaurant that is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. But that maturity is not stopping him from experimenting or trying new things. The creative streak is all the more visible even if it does … [Read more...]
Weekly roundup of great reads on food and wine #103
All change in the aisles to entice us to eat more veg: British shoppers are to become the subject of an experiment aimed at making them eat their greens. In a bold move to rebalance the contents of supermarket trolleys, Oxford academics have teamed up with supermarket chiefs to persuade consumers to buy less meat. The project, in which Sainsbury’s is a key collaborator, is being funded as part of a £5m Wellcome Trust programme, Our Planet, our Health, which aims to improve human health in a world going through profound climatic change. Eating more vegetables and fruit and less red meat will benefit people’s health and the environment, say researchers. OFM’s classic cookbooks: The Classic Italian Cookbook by Marcella Hazan: Marcella Hazan single-handedly changed food as I knew it at home. I’m not saying my mum was not a good cook before the arrival of Marcella, far from it, it’s just that Marcella set new benchmarks in cooking and understanding food. Over the years that … [Read more...]
From the sea to the plate: Three Savona fishermen cook their morning catch
Three youngsters in Savona have abandoned their professions and work to become fishermen and cook the fish they catch directly on their fishing boat. Although the life of a fisherman is not easy and depends on the weather and the winds and waves, these three fishermen have decided to follow their passion, abandoning their work and turning their hobby into a commercial activity. Alalunga is aimed at promoting the territory and help a sector in crisis. The three youngsters Davide Busca (26 years and a former architectural engineer student who worked in his family business), Mauro Mantero (who worked in his father's business and Lorenzo Busca, a dentist) have become the youngest fishing boat owners in Italy. Their typical day starts very early in the morning. At 4.30m they throw their nets when the sky and sea are still black. They wait for sunrise and then they draw their catch and return back to the port where they will prepare their catch to be served either as a 'fritto … [Read more...]