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...]
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...]
Interview with Gert de Mangeleer (Hertog Jan): Easy looking dishes but it only looks easy
When we visited Hertog Jan in Zedelgem a few weeks ago to interview Gert de Mangeleer and Joachim Boudens, we asked the three Michelin star Belgian chef our series of quick questions which we normally ask to get some insights into his mentors, the chefs he admires, food waste and social media among others. Gert de Mangeleer, 37, was the youngest 3 Michelin star chef in Belgium when he received the important accolade three years ago. For a more detailed account of his story you may want to read our interview here. You can also get Joachim Boudens, the co-owner of Hertog Jan story here. We started the questions with his perspective on food waste, particularly given the fact that the restaurant has its own garden which generates 95% of the fruit and vegetables that are used in the restaurant. “I consider food waste as a gain to our business. We try to waste the least possible. In a way, it is also why we created L.E.S.S. When we buy a lamb for Hertog Jan, we can use the best … [Read more...]
10 things we learnt from Sergio Herman
Sergio Herman is not just a chef. He is one of the top creative minds to come out of the culinary world in the past years. His story could be an inspiration for many not just in the culinary world but for those who work in all creative fields. After all, today's top chefs are not only cooks, they are also artists in their own right. Driving back home after meeting him, I was thinking of the many lessons in just over an hour speaking with this incredibly successful chef. When you meet him, you realise he is buzzing with energy but also incredibly focused in his responses. With this, we are starting a new series on the lessons to learnt from these high performers. We hope that this serves as inspiration not only to chefs. 1. To reach the top you need to work hard, extremely hard. There is no short-cut for success We have heard it many times and it might sound like a cliché but you cannot be successful if you are not prepared to make sacrifices. For many years, Sergio worked … [Read more...]
Weekly roundup of great reads on food and wine #26
You might be thinking that the easy option is better. After all, getting ready prepared fruit and vegetables should be the same as the vegetables you pick up from your store with the added convenience. Think twice next time before you grab that ready prepared package. It has far lower levels of vitamin C than unprepared produce. On the same subject, the food industry deceives us about the nature of its products but we go along with it. Andrew M. Brown in the Telegraph writes that nearly everything in our consumer society works on the basis of this voluntary self-deception. This is the bargain we make in industrialised society. He says that if manufacturers told us what was really in their products and how they were made, we'd be so nauseated we'd never buy them. There is an interesting, though controversial view, by David Chang of Momofuku and quarterly magazine Lucky Peach on how the internet has made the world's food taste the same. It is a topic we have touched upon a few … [Read more...]
What Massimo Bottura’s 20th birthday at Osteria Francescana means for Italian cuisine
No one in recent years has worked as hard to put Italy on the worldwide gastronomic map as Massimo Bottura. The avant-garde chef from Modena has for the past months been on a worldwide tour to promote his brilliant book Never Trust a Skinny Italian chef and also showcase his unique Italian style. Yesterday marked the 20th birthday of Massimo Bottura's restaurant Osteria Francescana. This Italian restaurant has three Michelin stars and is at the moment considered to be the third best restaurant in the world in the World's 50 Best Restaurants awards. In 2011, he was also given the Chef's Choice as the best chef in the world by his colleagues. Today, Massimo Bottura is recognised among his peers as the chef who moved Italy to the 21st century. Over the years at Osteria Francescana he has pushed barriers, introducing new techniques to age old recipes and ingredients and new ways of seeing things which were bound to be extremely controversial in a land where the grandmother's recipe … [Read more...]
Chefs become activists to save the oceans and feed the world
Chefs are today storytellers through their dishes connecting ingredients to nutrition, the environment and sustainability. The chef is becoming an activist and he has to, otherwise his story will be a short one, says Peruvian chef Gastón Acurio in a just released documentary called Save the Oceans and Feed the World. Some of the world's best chefs gathered in San Sebastian on behalf of ocean conservation and they have pledged support to Oceana's "Save the Oceans and Feed the World campaign". They have committed to serve small fish such as anchovies, sardines and herring at their restaurants starting on World Oceans day on June 8, 2015. The chefs will cook these small fish to encourage diners to seek and enjoy this delicious, healthy seafood and also to promote sustainability. The documentary, released on the occasion (and which can be viewed below), features some of the world's best chefs speaking about fish and sustainability in a very interesting and thought provoking … [Read more...]
Weekly roundup of great reads on food and wine #25
The Observer Food Monthly has a list of the 50 hottest places, people and trends in food. Like all lists there is bound to be disagreement as to what has not made it to this list. Nevertheless, this is full of information on all matters related to food, so make sure you bookmark it and keep it as a reference point. Robert Parker, the influential wine critic has advised against buying wine as an investment. He pointed out that given the professional storage costs, slow appreciation and insurance costs, investment in wine is a tough and often fruitless endeavour. We do not necessarily agree with his 100 point system but agree that wine is there for enjoyment and not as an investment. Tim Atkin writes about the en primeur system in Bordeaux. He says that the system, to sell wine years before it is bottled, is outmoded, outdated and out of touch with modern consumers. We fully agree. Ultimately consumers will decide, but it might actually start to make sense for Bordeaux wineries to … [Read more...]
Money talks: Controversial sponsorship at Milan Expo highlights many contradictions
They say you need to lead by example so the announcement by Expo Milano recently that McDonald's and Coca Cola are now event sponsors has raised more than a few eyebrows. With the theme of the Expo Milano 2015 being 'Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life', many were quick to point out that this sponsorship announcement was jarring to say the least. With the Expo aimed at raising awareness about sustainability, food waste and healthy living, it is no wonder that the decision has been criticised by many. To understand this contradiction you may want to read further below what the Milan Expo is about. Slow Food were quick to point out the contradiction. They said that "we continue to believe that in order to feed the planet, it is essential that we consider social and economic sustainability, in terms of access to good, clear food that is fair for all. We also continue to believe that multinationals cannot in any way represent solutions as to how to nourish the … [Read more...]