The much awaited BRDA & VINO Wine and Culinary Festival returned to the picturesque medieval village of Šmartno after three years on Saturday 23 April. It was great to be able to attend again after my last visit in 2019. The regular visitors who came from all across Europe and beyond and me had missed this event. BRDA & VINO is popular for many reasons, among them: the variety of dishes and wines on offer, the lovely atmosphere brought on by the many entertainers and the visitors themselves, the setting and surrounding views. All who attend are in a happy mood, heightened by the festive live music performances. Beautiful location The idyllic location, the tiny village of Šmartno, is bang in the centre of Slovenia’s most coveted wine-producing region—Goriška Brda, which has often been dubbed Slovenia’s Tuscany. One will see why when admiring the rolling hills and vineyards from one of the many hilltops. Šmartno itself is perched on a hill and offers amazing views of … [Read more...]
Racines: a way with pasta
BRUSSELS: The large raviolo stuffed with a whole burrata and a tartare of red prawns flown in from Sicily is cooked for just 52 seconds in boiling water. Chef Ugo Federico of Brussels restaurant Racines wants the burrata to melt but remain inside the pasta and the tartare of prawns to be served as a tartare, i.e. still cold. The end result is not only spectacular to see but also to eat. It is one of the signature dishes at Racines but it is not the only spectacular pasta dish. Soon after, there is a tortellino ‘carbonara’. For purists, it is not exactly carbonara because Ugo is using Parmiggiano Reggiano that has been aged by Belgian cheese affineur Van Tricht instead of Pecorino Romano for the filling and there is truffle instead of guanciale to top it up. There is a pasta with nduja and provolone Silano from the same region that hits all the right notes. It is on the right side of spiceness and the creaminess from the melted cheese combined to perfection with the acidity given to … [Read more...]
Second batch of smoked mushroom garum by Noma Projects returns for sale next week
The Smoked mushroom garum sold by Noma Projects which instantly sold out when it was launched the first time will again be available for purchase next week. The team has been crushing, blending and brewing the next batch which goes on sale on Wednesday at 3pm. This is a pre-order for those subscribed to the Noma Projects newsletter. Products may sell out during pre-orders. If they are not, the garums will be sold to the general public on Sunday May 8. Due to high demand during the launch, Noma Projects is limiting sales to 1 product per person (one single, one bundle, one 4-pack, or one gift set) to allow more of their friends to order. Noma Projects said that international shipping rates have unfortunately been rising due to fuel surcharges but they were working to improve this as they grew the service. Fermentation and garums have been one of the sources of success of Noma as it shifted to a more vegetable based cuisine over the years. Now, two of their favourite garums will … [Read more...]
Slovenia brings innovative thinkers for second edition of European Food Summit
The European Food Summit has taken its place as one of Europe’s most important gastronomy-oriented events. The event, in its second edition took place in Ljubljana in November. It was not just a forum for discussion offering delightful food for thought but also served to showcase some of the country’s most notable places also offering delightful food for thought. “The most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or touched, they are felt with the heart”. Saint-Exupéry’s inspirational quote from “Le Petit Prince” was the first thing to read on the “reincarnation” menu of Hiša Franko, in picturesque Kobarid, helmed by Ana Roš. This was the location of a warm welcome on our first day in Slovenia, at the flagship restaurant of the country which is fast becoming the ‘green star’ of the culinary world. Chef Ana Ros is a champion of sustainability, and as Slovenia's leading chef and the one most internationally recognised, she has helped to pave the way for young Slovenian chefs to … [Read more...]
In search of identity: Malta’s culinary scene has never looked brighter
VALLETTA: Malta’s culinary scene has never looked brighter. A six week stay on the island in summer only served to confirm what I have been observing over the past few years. The introduction of Michelin, despite some criticism, has really pushed the bar as ambitious chefs and restaurateurs step up their game amid the hardships and difficulties that the pandemic has created. There were two dinners over the summer that taken separately both could easily fit the bill as among the best I've enjoyed on this Mediterranean island. They say comparisons are odious and indeed it is unfair to compare the two experiences because one involved Alex Dilling, the chef of former 2 Michelin star restaurant The Greenhouse with an impressive pedigree of working under French giants Alain Ducasse and Helene Darroze before going solo. The British chef was spending 100 days at Ion - The Harbour (later extended), one of the latest restaurants to clinch a Michelin star under talented Maltese chef Andrew … [Read more...]
Bar Bulot Antwerp: Perfecting the classics
ANTWERP: Joachim Boudens and Gert de Mangeleer, the duo behind the success of three Michelin star restaurant Hertog Jan and now entrepreneurs in their own right have been keeping busy despite the pandemic. After the successful return of Hertog Jan in a new intimate format, they have opened a second branch of their highly successful classic French-Belgian brasserie Bar Bulot in Antwerp. The first one opened in Bruges and immediately was rewarded with a Michelin star and also voted as Brasserie of the Year by Gault Millau. That makes it two restaurant openings in the span of two weeks. And both have started with a bang. This is the first time the duo have ventured outside of Bruges where they have made a name for themselves with three restaurants. And in doing so, they have clearly added to the allure of Antwerp, which is fast becoming the gastronomic capital of Belgium. Bar Bulot is their latest opening. They opened their first Bar Bulot in summer of 2019 as a temporary … [Read more...]
Green Revolution: A morning with Michael Vrijmoed and Stephanie Le Quellec
It is a crisp autumn morning. The fourth session of the Saint Pellegrino Young Chef Academy is taking place in a new spot created by chef and entrepreneur David Martin. It is in an idyllic spot, perfect to transmit knowledge. For this session, six chefs have been invited to work with mentor chefs Stephanie Le Quellec of La Scene in Paris, France and Michael Vrijmoed of restaurant Vrijmoed in Gent, Belgium. The focus is on the green revolution. Michael Vrijmoed has been serving a vegetable based menu since he opened his acclaimed restaurant Vrijmoed in Gent. And it is well known because he leaves no stone unturned in making sure that what he serves is just as delicious. “What’s important for me is that a dish tastes excellent. My main focus has always been that of getting the best taste out of ingredients. Making a dish look nice only comes second in importance,” he said. Stephanie Le Quellec explained that while it is still hard in Paris to offer a fine-dining vegetarian menu … [Read more...]
Digging up dirt on truffles
Author Tom Benjamin talks about what inspired his critically-acclaimed Bologna-set novel The Hunting Season. Today, authenticity is everything – we may not be able to travel to Italy but at least we can savour the flavours of the country, painstakingly following recipes proclaiming they’ve been handed down from one nonna to another using ingredients from Tuscan farms and Pugliese olive groves. Italians have an appreciation for food unlike any other culture I’ve experienced – they make small talk about it the way the British discuss weather, and have as many regional varieties as Inuits have words for snow. Italians take authenticity seriously. But ‘counterfeit’ food is a serious global problem, so much so that the FDA has stated the "sheer magnitude of the potential crime" makes prevention difficult. In short, where there’s money to be made, crime will inevitably follow, sniffing out a potential scam as efficiently as a Romagnan truffle dog. Speaking of dogs, … [Read more...]
The World’s 50 Best Restaurants is back: a look back at the events in Antwerp
ANTWERP: When the number two restaurant was announced in the Flanders Meeting and Convention Centre in Antwerp last week René Redzepi, chef and face of restaurant Noma knew that this would be a special moment, one that had to be savoured because it would be the last time he would step on the podium of the World’s 50 Best as number one restaurant in the world. Rasmus Kofoed, chef of restaurant Geranium, also in Copenhagen had just been called as the second restaurant in the world meaning the top spot would end up going to the 79-strong team at Noma. Redzepi admitted to being anxious because of COVID-19 when he entered the auditorium and saw all those present. He came prepared with a speech. “I promise I didn’t have a clue we would come first. But finishing second last time, there was always going to be the possibility that we would be number one,” he said. The title has a special meaning because Noma will become the only restaurant in the world to equal el Bulli’s feat of … [Read more...]
New book to celebrate 10 years of Septime
There is a reason why Septime in Paris has become a global destination for food lovers ranking 24th in the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list unveiled in Antwerp last week. At the age of 30 Bertrand Grébaut and his high-school friend Théophile Pourriat decided to open Septime in the 11th arrondissement of Paris in 2011. Their ambition: to build a space they had not experienced anywhere else in Paris, liberated and unpretentious, “a place with first-class cuisine, a beautiful setting, friendly service and a list of natural wines that we love.” Ten years later (and boasting a Michelin star), Septime and the rest of the venues have become a destination in their own right. Septime was soon followed by the opening of three other venues, each with its own identity: La Cave, an intimate wine bar specializing in natural wines; Clamato, where families and groups of friends feast on fish and seafood; and finally, the charming guesthouse D’une île, a magnificent farm set deep in the Perche … [Read more...]