Food markets are the heart of any city. You tend to miss out a lot when you miss visiting the food market in any city. A food market is the centre of the city and it tells you a lot about the food culture and produce of that city or region. The San Lorenzo Mercato Centrale in Florence is no exception. Although the food market in Florence is a tourist attraction in its own right and attracts a large amount of tourists, the quality of the produce on offer also gives you a direct insight into Florentine and in particular Tuscan cuisine. If you are not into food, it is still worth visiting for its architecture. This old market is an architecturally interesting building that was built by Giuseppe Mengoni, the same architect who created the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in Milan. The market inaugurated in 1874 was inspired by the Les Halles de Paris. Its glass and iron combination ensures that light comes in naturally and allows the amazing colours of the splendid produce from fruits … [Read more...]
Old artisanal Belgian biscuit maker Maison Dandoy expanding
Maison Dandoy, the Belgian artisanal biscuit maker famous for its Speculoos has been slowly expanding its offer not only in Brussels, where it was created in 1829, but also outside the Belgian capital. After the successful opening of a shop in Tokyo in 2012, Maison Dandoy is opening a shop in the Belgian city of Antwerp on the Graanmarkt as well as a temporary pop-up store at the Stadsfeestzaal. The shops have been open since 23 November in time for the Christmas and New Year festivities. For the festivities, the Brussels based biscuit maker is offering two collections, Saint-Nicholas' sweets are for kids of all ages. There is also a Christmas pack called Holy days ask for devilishly good cookies. This biscuit maker has a very interesting history which started in 1829 with Jean-Baptiste Dandoy, a young baker. He was the brother of the mayor of Uccle at the time and set to create the biscuit firm which still carries his name today. It was originally opened in rue … [Read more...]
A visit to Antica Macelleria Falorni in Greve in Chianti, one of the best butchers in Tuscany
A visit to the Chianti Classico region would not be complete without a stop-over in Greve in Chianti. It is small and picturesque but it is the main town or village of the Chianti Classico wine region and is home to Chianti's largest wine fair that is held every September. Situated between Florence and Siena, a visit to Greve in Chianti would not be complete without heading to the butcher shop Antica Macelleria Falorni which is a tourist attraction in its own right. Part butcher shop, part bistro, it houses a cheese and wine cellar and has an incredible selection of the salamis and hams for which the butcher shop is famous. It was founded in 1806 and has been making salumi of the highest quality for the past nine generations following traditional methods and old recipes that are passed from father to son. They have a range of salamis from the traditional ones with fennel to one with white truffle and another with chianti classico. They also make a wild boar salami among … [Read more...]
Food is fashionable at the moment, it will be over in three years time – Luciano Monosilio
Luciano Monosilio, chef of Pipero al Rex in Rome is known for his creative and sometimes surprising cuisine. He is also known for his spaghetti carbonara which is considered to be one of the best if not the best you can get in Rome. When he visited Belgium in July for Flemish Food Bash he prepared his signature dish which he serves at his Michelin star restaurant. I asked him why a Michelin starred chef would serve such a dish. He replied that "It is the only traditional dish that I have on the menu and in time, it has become famous to the extent that many now say that it is the best carbonara you can find in Rome." I am slightly disappointed as he has finished serving it and I have not tasted it. And I become even more disappointed when the chef of Ristorante All'Oro Riccardo Di Giancinto also from Rome, tells me the best dish he has ever eaten was Monosilio's carbonara. Alas, I will have to wait for my next trip to Rome. Pipero al Rex is a special restaurant in Rome named … [Read more...]
Massimo Bottura gives lesson in creativity: The future is about culture
How many times have we heard about the importance of quality of ingredients in cooking? For Massimo Bottura, the opposite holds true. "Cooking is not just about the quality of ingredients but also about the quality of the ideas." That should not come as a surprise to those who know about this Italian chef. He is known to find inspiration everywhere including in particular from the 'cucina povera'. He then takes his creations to a level worthy of the second best restaurant in the world. Many would nowadays throw away the crust of a Parmiggiano Reggiano even if it is used to impart flavour to soups. He has found a way to use it to replace pasta in his compression of pasta and beans (Pasta e Fagioli). Bottura does not need any introduction. Chef of Osteria Francescana, the Modenese restaurant that is the second best restaurant in the world, he can be a man of many contradictions. He is known to make things look very simple but that simplicity comes mainly with the benefit of … [Read more...]
Sven Elverfeld: Food education should start with young children
Sven Elverfeld is a chef with a conscience. His restaurant Aqua in Wolfsburg may be one of the best in the world (it has three Michelin stars since 2009) and is currently 33rd in the World's 50 Best Restaurant list) but he is thinking not only about the current refugee crisis but also how to raise awareness about proper eating among children. When I sat to talk to him at Chef Sache in Cologne a few days ago he started talking about the current refugee crisis and how he recently organised a charity dinner at Aqua with the Wolfsburg football team to raise money for refugees. So even though I am interested in his creative process (which we discuss later) my first question is about the current crisis. I asked him why he felt the need to do something and he said: "At the moment, I have the possibility to do it. If you are known in your community then it is easier to do something like this. It is not all about glamour. This is a problem and it does not scare me but makes me sad. When you … [Read more...]
Virtual reality for Tim Raue’s restaurant in Berlin
When Tim Raue went up on stage in Cologne to present a new concept, we knew he was onto something. Despite admitting that the technology is still in its early stages, Raue is experimenting with offering diners at his restaurant a unique experience by immersing them into his kitchen and explaining what they are about to eat in a personalised audiovisual manner. He is using virtual reality goggles to take diners at his restaurant on a 'tour of Berlin' and see the chef explain the story behind the dish he is serving as well as how it is prepared. Raue said at Chef Sache that many of the guests at the restaurant might not have time to visit Berlin. "We could have told the story in a different way but we felt that it would be more appropriate to use visuals to tell the story," Raue said. Two Michelin star chef Tim Raue can be considered as one of the most prominent German chefs in Berlin if not the whole of Germany. Apart from his flagship restaurant Tim Raue, the German chef has a … [Read more...]
Brussels welcomes San
San, the new restaurant of two-Michelin star chef San Degeimbre, is ready to start welcoming guests from Monday 5 October. The restaurant is built around a simple concept, that of serving food in bowls. This concept has already been tried and tested for lunch at the two Michelin star restaurant L'Air du Temps in Liernu, Belgium. San's restaurant is a welcome addition to the Brussels scene and has long been awaited by foodies in the city, particularly after the announcement of its opening earlier this year. The Belgian-Korean chef is going back to his roots by serving dishes in a bowl, something which is very common in Korea. There will be no forks and knives but only spoons. 'When you are using a spoon, you are forced to pick up what's on the plate and thus mix flavours," San told Food and Wine Gazette. Indeed, the dishes served at a press dinner showcased this concept to perfection. The taste from each spoonful was different and the flavours lingered on for a long … [Read more...]
Au Grand Forestier: A new restaurant by the owners of a Brussels institution
The Au Vieux Saint-Martin is a Brussels institution that needs no introduction. Serving Belgian specialities since its opening in 1968, it can be found in one of Brussels most prestigious squares, the Sablon. The owners of the restaurant, Albert-Jean and his son Frédéric Niels, whose family have a long-standing tradition running restaurants, have recently opened a second restaurant, Au Grand Forestier in the south of Brussels in the commune of Watermael Boitsfort. It is one of those places which only locals or people in the know will visit. Set just next to the Forest des Soignes, you will find it hard to believe that you are only a few kilometres away from the Brussels city centre. A typical Belgian brasserie, it serves all the traditional Belgian dishes such as the steak tartare or 'Américain' with fries, or tomatoes stuffed with crayfish. This is an ideal place for tourists coming to Brussels and wanting to find a typical Belgian brasserie that is off the beaten track. … [Read more...]
Hedone to close down and then reopen with no menu
This has been a week of big announcements in the restaurant world. René Redzepi, chef of Noma, announced he would be closing his award-winning restaurant Noma in December 2016 to reopen it as an urban farm. It might not have come as a surprise to those who follow this chef, but it still hit world headlines. A lot has been written but for those who want to know more you can read about it here. But there was also another surprise announcement about one of the most sought after restaurants in London, Hedone. Chef Mikael Jonsson announced he would be closing his restaurant for 10 days and will reopen it in a completely different format in October. The new Hedone will have no menu, will have just 22 covers instead of the current 40 and will be open for just six sittings every week. Jonsson, a lawyer by profession, is a self-trained chef who has risen to be one of the top stars of the international culinary scene over the past years. Some might consider this to be a PR gimmick … [Read more...]