'For things to remain the same, things will have to change'. That is probably one of the most famous quotes from The Leopard, a novel written by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa. This is not what René Redzepi, chef of the world famous Noma has in mind. When he took the stage at Parabere Forum in Malmo last week he said that the problem is that everything needs to change. "My vision for Noma is not to be the best restaurant in the world but that it will be the best place to work in the world." The change he is looking for is not one that keeps everything the same but rather one that brings a fundamental shift in the restaurant industry. He is taking some of the most talked about issues in the world of work today such as equality, work life balance, the need to work in a comfortable and welcoming environment and improved working hours and in the process he is going through a reinvention not just from a culinary point of view but also from a restaurant management point of view. A lot … [Read more...]
Archives for March 2018
All roads lead to Lyon next weekend for attable festival
All roads lead to Lyon next weekend as the city welcomes European chefs from for attable festival, a prototype edition that starts on Wednesday but culminates in a series of events and dinners on Saturday and Sunday. The young Austrian collective for a progressive society will take over the Le Bistrot du Potager Gerland for what promises to be a unique dinner at Florian Remont's restaurant. The Austrian chefs need no introduction, they have all featured in GELINAZ! Does Upper Austria last summer. They are Konstantin Filippou, Felix Schellehorn, Lukas Nagl, Milena Broger and Lukas Mraz. The other Austria rising star Philip Rachinger, the one who was master of operations with his father at GELINAZ will feature in a dinner at Café Sillon on Friday evening together with Nicolai Norregaard (of Kadeau fame in Copenhagen), Mathieu Rostaing-Tayard and Joanna Figuet, both of Café Sillon. Lyon, the world's gastronomic city par excellence is organising what is being called a 'prototype' … [Read more...]
Gorka Izagirre wines: Making the impossible possible
Visitors to the Basque country will have definitely tasted the Txakoli, a local white wine that is drunk everywhere you go. But outside the region, the wine is extremely difficult to find despite the fact that it washes down well with food. When you visit the Azurmendi galaxy, a three Michelin star restaurant a few kilometres outside Bilbao in the idyllic Larrabetzu, you will not only find the sister restaurant Eneko, recently awarded with a Michelin star but also the headquarters of Bodega Gorka Izagirre, a newish and enthusiastically patriotic Biscayan wine producer. And as you would expect from a wine that is served in Eneko Atxa's restaurants, the wines produced are of the highest quality white wines while remaining true to their unique identity and origins. The wines are made from the Hondarrabi Zuri and the Hondarrabi Zerratia varieties. These are Atlantic grapes that are cultivated locally in small and concerntrated clusters located on the hillsides of Biscay giving … [Read more...]
Anchoas Royo: Making anchovies that are fit for three Michelin star Azurmendi
In a few weeks time, it will start to get busy for the small Basque anchovy producer Anchoas Royo located in the small fishing village of Bermeo in Spain. As the weather starts to get better, in the month of April, the boats will embark to catch the anchovies in the bay of Biscay. These are best between the months of April and June because the fish are bigger in these months. From here begins a long process of maturing the fish before they are ready to be sold on the market. After the fish reach the factory, they are salted and they will be allowed to mature for a long period before they are ready to be handled with care, one fish at a time and placed in the cans. The anchovies from Cantabria are known for their exceptional quality and you need to taste them to understand why these are sought after by food lovers around the world. “We are a very small company that gives a lot of importance to sustainability,” says Juan Carlos Royo Gabancho. “We only catch the fish we need … [Read more...]
Roscioli: When in Rome do as the Romans (and the chefs) do
There is the World's 50 Best Restaurants list and then there is Roscioli. If some 'rebel' voters would have their way, then Roscioli Salumeria con Cucina in Rome would be a permanent fixture on the list. And when you visit you can sort of understand why. If there was a price for the best curated salumeria in the world this would win hands down. At Roscioli it is not necessarily about the preparation that goes into the dishes but rather about the curation of the best ingredients that the Rosciolis can procure from the cheeses to the cold cuts that are served at the restaurant or sold by weight. Curating such a list of exceptional produce from cold cuts, to cheese, olive oils, wines deserves all the accolades one can afford. For foodies, this is definitely what Ali Baba's cave would look like.This is the type of place which you dream of having in the city you live in. A passionate family that have been baking bread since the 1800s and have turned their deli into one of the most … [Read more...]
Noma opens bookings for vegetable season which runs from June to September on 5 March
If you are tempted to visit Noma, which reopened on 16 February, Monday 5 March is your opportunity to try and secure a table for the vegetable season which runs from late June through to mid-September. Cooking with vegetables has always been a favourite of Noma but it is the first time that they are daring to create a menu entirely out of vegetables and to make it as delicious as one with meat. Noma will be offering a vegetarian menu and a vegan menu. You can attempt to secure a table for 2, 4, 6 or 8 on the Noma website at 4pm (Copenhagen time). During the season, Redzepi and his team will move from the Ocean menu to the Vegetable menu. They will be exploring the plant kingdom and everything that is edible; cooking with what they can find underground, above ground, near the water and in the trees. "We will forage for the freshest ingredients in every lake, river, stream, meadow and woodland, work closely everyday with our collaborators to harvest their best crops, and grow … [Read more...]
Nacarat (Amsterdam): ‘To die for and believe me I really like living’
I dutifully followed my wife who was climbing up every floor of the Hudson’s Bay Department store on Rokin in Amsterdam. It felt like it was the Via Dolorosa. Then, in between the suede boots at a 70 per cent discount and the new collection of bright yellow bikinis that Ralph was offering while it was minus three outside, I saw a sign I could finally warm to. Restaurant, it said. I hunched my shoulders and overtook the spouse, shoving her to the side with all the grace of an American football player who is about to be reunited with the touchdown line. I thought I was heading towards one of those self-service oases that the weary shopper, or her husband, gets to visit when in a department store. The kind where you weigh the cucumber and potato salad, pay for it and grab your cutlery all in one svelte urban movement. No way. This was Tel Aviv Bauhaus meets New Amsterdam cool. The grand open kitchen running down the middle of the place is flanked by rows of tables for two which are … [Read more...]
8 energizing things to eat after morning exercise
After a morning jog or any workout session, our body needs specific nutrients to repair muscles and stabilize blood sugar levels and refill lost energy. You feel exhausted, tired and hungry post morning run. So, it is essential to eat a mix of foods that can improve recovery and boost up the energy level in your body. So, read on to know about the 8 foods to eat after a workout. 1. Greek Yogurt Greek yogurt also known as powerhouse of low fat protein has double the amount of protein and carbohydrates compared to regular yogurt. You can mix yogurt with cereal, oats and fruits because fruits pack micro-nutrients and vitamins which have been proven to fight muscle soreness. “Mix it with cereal or fruit,” recommends Dr. Louise Burke, head of Sports Nutrition at the Australian Institute of Sport and co-author of The Complete Guide to Food for Sports Performance: Peak Nutrition for Your Sport. 2. Milk Milk is another drink that can be our post-workout drink. Milk contains … [Read more...]
Is this the future of cookbooks? René Mathieu creates first ever augmented reality book
René Mathieu, the Belgian chef of Michelin star Luxembourg restaurant Bourglinster will shortly be launching the first ever augmented reality recipe book. The book Vegetal (published in French) is much more than a recipe book. It showcases the creativity of the chef but just in his cuisine (he has an 18 score in the Gault-Millau guide) but also his way of looking at the future of cookbooks using augmented reality. What is special about the recipe book is not just its design which includes the way to plate the dishes, what plates to use and the wines that go will with the dishes but the use of an application called Admented which turns the book into an augmented reality work. Using this technology, the reader will be able to leave the book and enter the universe of René Mathieu by watching original audiovisual content that has been created and filmed specifically to accompany the recipes. This content is not only visual and informative but it gives the reader a completely new … [Read more...]