The Pro Chef, 2012 November by The Pro Chef Middle East

MIDDLE EAST ISSUE 09 NOVEMBER 2012

FRENCH CHARM - Update on Chef JC

FISH HARM

- Caring for the sea

FAIRMONT PALM - New outlets? That’s easy

PUBLICATION LICENSED BY IMPZ, DUBAI TECHNOLOGY AND MEDIA FREE ZONE AUTHORITY

ISSUE 9 NOVEMBER 2012

EDITORIAL Recent times in London show that sushi is rapidly losing ground to gourmet burgers. Will we see that too?

FROM THE WALK-IN Details of some recent studies - high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) no longer the bad guy, perhaps, plus what’s new in packaging solutions.

THE EGGS FACTOR Chef Greg Khellouf from ChezCharles has - surprise! products from ChezCaharles in his fridge.

OUT AND ABOUT News of the forthcoming SIAL and SEAFEX shows, but a report from iba 2012 and news of local success in Unilever’s Chef of the Year competition.

SOURCING Think local produce can’t deliver on quality. Think again as we visit a hydroponics farm in Abu Dhabi.

MARKET FOCUS Nowhere is the sustainability versus customer demand argument more ﬁerce than when it comes to seafood. We gauge where the market is.

PIMP MY PLATE A Korean favourite dish in a gourmet French food hall? Why not says Chef Russell Impiazzi!

ON THE PASSE Chaminda Weerappulige is Head Artist at Rafﬂes Dubai, where he creates head turning works of art in the kitchen.

FACE TO FACE French heartthrob Jean-Christophe Novelli updates us his current activities and we track down two of the Fairmont team for updates on their new positions.

BOOK REVIEW Polpo gave the London casual but stylish dining scene a much needed rethink. now can they do the same with the restaurant’s cookbook?

TRAVEL El Bulli is no more, but there’s another reason to head at once to Spain: Murgaritz. We check out the scenery, the produce and the food of the new hot spot of western Europe, the West coast of Ireland. Plus food impressions of London.

THE LAST WORD We’re in the middle of a vacuum revolution. Chefs worldwide have adopted sous vide techniques to increase precision and consistency of their dishes, but the revolution moves on. The lastest ‘must have’ toy is the Gastrovac - a compact appliance for cooking, frying and impregnating in a vacuum.

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09 50

Do you want hand-cut fries with that? A

recent week in London catching up with old friends, visiting museums and, of course, checking out both old favourite haunts to eat and discovering new ones for the future, revealed a couple of surprising trends, which I suspect may reach us here in the UAE before too long. Most astonishing, for someone who loves the food, it appears that London’s love affair with sushi is, if not quite over, at least in a ‘We need to talk’ stage of the relationship. Of course, London’s established Japanese population, its well travelled food lovers and the healthy perception of sushi will mean that expensive establishments will remain, but it was noticeable how comparatively empty the conveyor belt outlets were on this trip and how deserted small sushi joints were. Of course, food goes in cycles of fashion, but I can’t help but feel that the ubiquity of bland sushi as an alternative to a sandwich on countless takeaway counters and ridiculously cheap sushi packs in supermarkets have rather destroyed the food’s brand equity. So much so, in fact, that demand for new restaurant space for sushi has dropped by about 60% in London over the past year. What has taken its place? The burger! No, not the burger from corporate hell but prime products from burger bars using high-quality fresh meat - demand here for space has risen 40% over the same time frame. The difference in the market this time round is that the new breed of burger restaurants are quite deﬁnitely not pitched at the fast food sector but at the casual but upmarket segment of the food audience. And that means that the commodity burger sold on price rather than quality is being replaced by a gourmet product served with care in a pleasant environment. A burger, to drive the point home, that may very well have a $30 price tag. At that level, the new burger bar is a destination restaurant not a late night alternative to a greasy kebab. The names of many of the new players may as yet be unfamiliar - Byron, Meat Liquor, Burger & Lobster, Tommi’s Burger Joint and Honest Burgers, amongst otherts - but more upmarket restaurants like Bar Boulud and CUT at 45 Park Lane are also joining the party. The new Burger Rebel in Dubai, which promises ‘burgers with attitude’ looks like being the start of a similiar renaissance here. Me? I’m sticking with sushi!

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From the walk-in

It’s all in the packaging The combination of packaging and ingredients will together shape the future of the food and beverage industry. That’s the expected message at the forthcoming These trends will be presented at the Hi Europe, NuW (Nutrition and Wellness Solutions) show - a leading event for functional foods and ingredients, nutritional supplements and health products.

he interplay between packaging and ingredients is expected to become a major force in the innovation of the food and beverage industry worldwide. Packaging provides essential functions to the product, communicating product characteristics, ensuring product safety and giving convenience. That’s why identifying and exploiting the clear synergies between these packaging functions and the ingredients is a key success factor for all manufacturers of food and drink products. Three sociographic shifts in the populations of industrialised and developing countries currently characterise the dynamic segment of packaging innovations: urbanisation, ageing and morality in terms of sustainable living. Elaborate, unnecessarily wasteful packaging is now being viewed critically by consumers. All biodegradable, recyclable and renewable materials that support a natural product image are clearly undeniably taking the spotlight, with bio-plastics and paper- or carton-based packaging clearly becoming the topic of the hour. Also, implementation of the new world ISO standards on packaging and environment is on the agenda. Ingredients which require speciﬁc packaging materials or technologies will clearly become a centre of attention. In many major cities, the single-person household has already become the predominant way of life. Gone are the days of the family-size package and buying behaviour is now focused more on immediate needs than on stockpiling. Apart from small sizes, the big trend in today’s market is innovative, resealable packaging. Ingredients and packaging may play together here in delivering longer storage time or easier ways to prepare foods, such as in the microwave. So, products that cater to the needs of more elderly consumers sugggest that packaging must be easy to open and labeling clearly legible.

HEALTH INGREDIENTS Europe is part of the world leading food ingredients, natural ingredients and health ingredients series of ingredients trade shows. Health Ingredients Europe was launched in 2000 with Hi Europe (NuW) 2012 being the 7th edition of this show. Health Ingredients Europe will be joining NuW Nutrition + Wellness Solutions in 2012, creating a new exhibition that provides a complete 360 perspective of the entire nutrition and wellness industry. www.nuwsolutions.com

APART FROM SMALL SIZES, THE BIG TREND HERE IS INNOVATIVE, RESEALABLE PACKAGING. INGREDIENTS AND PACKAGING MAY PLAY TOGETHER HERE IN DELIVERING LONGER STORAGE TIME. 4

From the walk-in

HFCS no longer bad, say scientists A new article published in the International Journal of Obesity found there is no evidence to suggest the current obesity epidemic can be speciﬁcally blamed on consumption of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS).

he commentary concludes that after an extensive review of all available HFCS research, there is overwhelming evidence showing HFCS is nutritionally equivalent to sugar. This opinion is in-line with the American Medical Association and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, both of which concluded that HFCS is not a unique cause of obesity. The authors state that while there has been a large amount of debate in the media about the impact of HFCS on obesity levels, they claim that sucrose (sugar) and HFCS are very similar in composition and are absorbed identically in the human GI tract. “The public discussion about HFCS will likely continue to rage on and more studies will be conducted,” said James M Rippe, MD, Founder and Director of the Rippe Lifestyle Institute and Professor of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Central Florida, one of the article’s authors. “However, at this point there is simply no evidence to suggest that the use of HFCS alone is directly responsible for increased obesity rates or other health concerns.” The article goes on to discuss a number of research trials that have been conducted on the issue of HFCS and obesity, concluding that at this time the evidence shows no short-term health differences between the use of HFCS or sugar could be detected in humans. Weight gain, glucose levels, insulin and appetite were not adversely affected by the use of HFCS over sugar. HFCS was developed in the mid-1960s as a more ﬂexible alternative to sugar and was then widely embraced by the food industry. The use of HFCS grew rapidly from 1970-1999 where usage peaked. Since 1999, the use of HFCS has declined while obesity rates have continued to rise. Sucrose is still the dominant sweetener worldwide with over nine times the consumption of HFCS. Dr Rippe is a cardiologist and graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Medical School. His research laboratory has conducted a number of studies and published widely in the areas of both nutrition and weight management. He is an advisor to the food and beverage industry and has received unrestricted educational grants from the Corn Reﬁners Association.

“AT THIS THERE IS SIMPLY NO EVIDENCE TO SUGGEST THAT THE USE OF HFCS ALONE IS DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR INCREASED OBESITY RATES OR OTHER HEALTH CONCERNS.” - Dr James M Rippe

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The eggs factor

The French fridge Since arriving in Dubai a few years ago, Chef Greg Khellouf has been involved in two interesting ﬁne food initiatives. He set up the L’Atelier des Chefs outlet in Le Méridien Dubai and is now also working with Charles Boghos at the on-line delivery service ChezCharles. What can we ﬁnd in his home fridge?

orn in Strasbourg, Alsace in France, I was always interested in cooking and, when I was ten years old, I knew I wanted to become a chef. I started work in the food industry when I was 14 and, two years later, was apprenticed to Père Benoit at his restaurant Traditionnel Steinkeller. After graduating from culinary school, I started working for Georges Blanc, one of the leading French Chefs with three Michelin stars at Vonnas Lyon, where I put all my studies into practice and learned the basics of kitchen management. After that I moved to three other Michelin starred restaurants (Jean Georges in Baerenthal, Alain Ducasse’s famous Louis XV in Monaco and Emile Young in Strasbourg) to round off my gastronomic experience. “Next, it was time for me to venture outside of France and I went to both New Caledonia and Florida to be part of the team who set up leading restaurants, before returning to France. “Then L’Atelier des Chefs recruited me to set up the Dubai branch in Le Méridien Dubai where I have spent more than three years. Most recently, gourmet Charles Boghos and I decided to join forces in order to provide a fully integrated service, ranging from new product offerings, to menu planning, recipes of the week and many more initiatives that will be launched soon. Make sure you stay tuned! So, let’s look in my fridge and bon appetit! Alain Milliat ketchup. Award-winning Strawberry jam from France. Black Angus tenderloin: It’s this fantastic beef we sell at chezcharles.ae and everybody’s loving it! Feta Karalis: The best feta I’ve tasted.

CHEZCHARLES ChezCharles.ae is an on-line gourmet food store, a destination for ingredients that are hard to ﬁnd, with a personalized approach to cooking. Extremely easy to browse and choose, the Web site contains products ranging from unique ﬁsh and sea food, exotic meat and poultry, an exclusive cheese room to seasonal fruits, vegetables, chocolates and sweets among many other hard to get ingredients.

The eggs factor

La Ratte potatoes

Tomatoes from Provence

Baby heart lettuce: I love veggies, as they’re so easy to add to any dish. Tomatoes from Provence: Again I love to be stocked up on my veggies so I have a selection to choose from. Mixed colour carrots: Ideal for ‘Boeuf aux carottes’. La Ratte potatoes: Easy to cook and prepare. Smoked Salmon Royal Filet: Great for when I need to prepare a meal quickly. Mozzarella di buffala: The best buffalo mozzeralla fresh from Europe. Brie de meaux: It’s always nice to have a couple of cheeses in the fridge for after hours nibbles. Tregor organic eggs: I am an omelette lover. Butter from Isigny Ste Mere: The only butter I use. Ferme des Peupliers yogurt: A quick and fresh snack when I need. Alain Milliat yellow tomato juice: I tried it once and ever since I’ve always have it. Fresh rosemary: Good to add to some roasting potatoes or beef.

Organic for my omelettes

Brie de meaux

Great tomato ketchup!

“MY FAVOURITE DISH? THAT’S VERY COMPLICATED AND A QUESTION I’VE BEEN ASKED MANY TIMES. I DON’T HAVE A FAVOURITE CUISINE, IT DEPENDS ON MY MOOD. I LOVE ALL FOOD!”

The only butter for me

Tenderloin - a favourite

Out and about

SIAL continues to grow SIAL Middle East, the region’s fast growing professional trade exhibition for the food, drink and hospitality industry, is welcoming eight new international pavilions to this year’s event, registering an impressive 60% growth in overseas market interest.

s we went to press, SIAL Middle East had announced that 21 international pavilions with exhibitors from four continents will participate. These now include include the US, China, Turkey, France, Vietnam, Italy, Iran, Pakistan, Argentina, Korea, Thailand, Tunisia and the UAE, with eight new destinations - Bulgaria, Brazil, Kenya, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia and Taiwan - making their debut. “Growing numbers of international destinations are targeting SIAL Middle East as a direct entry point into the GCC market,” claims Mohamed Jalal Al Reyaysa, ADFCA’s ofﬁcial spokesperson and the

Chairman of SIAL’s Higher Organizing Committee. “We have eight new international pavilions on the show ﬂoor this year, including a showcase of the best beef from Brazil and also a dairy pavilion from Bulgaria.” Dairy production is a perfect example of the potential in the regional market: KSA produces less than 30% of its domestic demand, the UAE 17% and the rest of the GCC less than 10% of needs. A similar story exists in the meat market: 56% of meat products in the GCC are imports, with the UAE, Oman and Qatar currently importing over 75% of market product. “The Middle East is a very important market

SIAL MIDDLE EAST HAS GROWN FAST SINCE ITS INAUGURAL EDITION IN 2010, AND IN 2011 IT WELCOMED 466 EXHIBITORS FROM 43 COUNTRIES AND 9,707 VISITORS, WHICH REPRESENTS A 55% AND 34% INCREASE ON 2010 FIGURES, RESPECTIVELY.

Taken at the 2011 show

for Brazilian beef, accounting for approximately 30% of our exports and we believe that there is still huge potential,” says Gabriela Tonini,Technical Coordinator for the Association of Brazilian Beef Exporters. Brazilian exports to the UAE totalled $2.17b last year and regional trade increased by more than 28% to $25.13b with 2012 expected to see growth of up to 15% according to the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce. SIAL Middle East 2012 will also incorporate three new events as part of a co-location agreement, with Rice & Grains 2012, ITCA Abu Dhabi - the new global event from the International Travel Catering Association (ITCA) and the Emirates International Date Palm Festival added to the event line-up. The exhibitions will welcome more than 30 national pavilions with 1,000 international exhibitors. “Abu Dhabi is one of the largest purchasers of rice in the UAE as a direct result of its wide food subsidies programme for people of the emirate. The integration of Rice & Grains into SIAL Middle East complements the other offerings at the event and, with Abu Dhabi a major business hub for the region, exhibitors will beneﬁt considerably from participation,” Al Reyaysa explains. The GCC imports 90% of its food requirements and is entirely dependent on external markets to satisfy consumer demand for maize, rice and barley.

Out and about

Speciality Food Festival 2011

Building on success With the continued growth of Gulfood, the Dubai World Trade Centre has, this year, collocated three distinct Gulfood branded shows: SEAFEX for the seafood trade, The Speciality Food Festival for high end products and Sweets & Snacks Middle East for this ever booming sector. We spoke to Mark Napier, Director of Exhibitions and Events at Dubai World Trade Centre and the organiser of Gulfood about the strategic thinking, speciﬁcally about SEAFEX.

ish and seafood a perennial menu favourite in almost every culture around the world. In fact, it’s a multi-billion dollar industry with a current annual global output of 145 million metric tons of seafood, according to the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation. And seafood producers are increasingly looking to the Middle East for business growth. This lucrative regional market with its diverse mix of nationalities and cultures has a very strong preference for seafood. The UAE consumes more than 50kg of ﬁsh and

seafood products per capita per year according to Asmak International Fish Farming Company while the Emirates Wildlife Society’s recent surveys show that 66% of the UAE population eats ﬁsh at least once a week. We also saw a 114% growth in 2010 for Scottish Salmon, making the Emirates the second-fastest growing market for the product in the world. Mark Napier, Director of Exhibitions and Events at Dubai World Trade Centre and organiser of Gulfood, explains the thinking behind the speciﬁc SEAFEX exhibition.

Has the new strategy of spinning out events from Gulfood been successful in terms of exhibitor response and added revenue? As you know, Gulfood is now the largest annual food trade show in the world. More than 3,800 exhibitors and 110 international pavilions took part in the 2012 edition highlighting the pivotal role that the show plays in facilitating trade between suppliers and buyers from every corner of the globe, and the exclusive access it provides to the highly lucrative markets of the region. With more than 62,000 trade

Out and about visitors attending, it is an enormous show that contributes substantially to the local, regional and international industry. The decision to create these focused, niche food trade events was driven by demand – from exhibitors and visitors - and that has enabled the Gulfood project team to apply their considerable experience and expertise to deliver shows that are targeted, equally effective and highly successful for all our stakeholders. The response we have received from exhibitors to participate at the specialist food shows is testament to the success of the shows. We have seen impressive year on year growth in exhibitor space with many new, niche and specialist producers choosing the shows as their preferred platform to showcase their products to the region. Speciality Food Festival 2012 is the most international one yet in the show’s three year history with many exporters and official country pavilions exhibiting for the first time - a real endorsement of their growing influence in an international arena. What was the thinking about pulling out these specific sectors for their own show focus? Quite simple: exporters asked us to. Of course, it is no surprise that the specific sectors warranting their own shows are ones that are seeing strong growth in the region. The decision to launch SEAFEX, the first dedicated seafood exhibition in the Middle East, was made to meet the growing

Speciality food for the camera

20% year-on-year growth for the past three years, and predicted to continue at the same rate until 2015 according to Euromonitor International, the Middle East represents a key element in the future for global industry growth.

Mark Napier demand for seafood in the region. Speciality Food Festival is another exhibition that was introduced to meet a growing market demand. With the rise in luxury hospitality in the region, just under 500 new hotels, totalling 125,481 rooms, are conﬁrmed to open across the region this year (Source: July 2012 STR Global Construction Pipeline Report), the foodservice industry has been put under pressure to source ﬁne, gourmet and niche food products to satisfy the equally fast-growing dining market. And the Middle East’s love of all things sweet has driven the ongoing success of Sweets and Snacks Middle East. With the market enjoying more than

What benefits are there for visitors for more focused shows? Do you see opportunities to spin out more such shows from Gulfood? The exclusivity and focus for each show encourages a new level of quality – in relationship building, in types of products/ingredients, in cuisine, in service. Exhibitors at the shows appreciate this highly targeted environment, citing the fact that visitors are exactly the decision-making customers they want. Likewise, the forums, workshops and show features are tailored and relevant for a niche market. There is always the potential for more niche shows to be added to our portfolio. Again, decisions will be driven by market demand. There is a rush of food exhibitions over the next three months in the UAE. Do you think the sector is being overplayed? Definitely not. Food is an essential commodity and with the region’s status as an emerging market the need for food exhibitions has never been more pressing. The recent boom in the hospitality sector, growing population and influx of tourists into the region, means that there is huge opportunity for suppliers to capitalise on this fast growing market. In addition to this, the UAE, Dubai in particular, is well established as the gateway between East and West – currently the third largest re-exporter of food in the world, and with the GCC’s logistics market currently valued at $27b according to a recent report by Booz & Co, the country plays a critical role in the future growth of food logistics. Looking at SEAFEX, this is an industry that is the poster child for issues both of sustainability and environmental concerns. As show organisers, do you feel a responsibility to spread messages to buyers and users about the issues involved? Trade shows have to reflect the market they serve so of course sustainability is high on the agenda. SEAFEX offers a platform for the industry, both to showcase products and to source new ingredients and suppliers. As facilitators for the industry, we extend our platform to include knowledge sharing, trends and industry issues. Our role is to keep the industry informed and updated and we shall be highlighting how to source, prepare and enjoy alternative, sustainable choices.

“AS FACILITATORS FOR THE INDUSTRY, WE EXTEND OUR PLATFORM TO INCLUDE KNOWLEDGE SHARING, TRENDS AND INDUSTRY ISSUES. OUR ROLE IS TO KEEP THE INDUSTRY INFORMED AND UPDATED AND WE SHALL BE HIGHLIGHTING HOW TO SOURCE, PREPARE AND ENJOY ALTERNATIVE, SUSTAINABLE CHOICES.” 14

Out and about

A world of baking 70,000 bakers, confectioners, caterers and decision makers from the food retail sector had a glimpse of the future of their industry at iba 2012 – information that will be valuable during the three years until the next iba (World Market for Baking) in Munich.

or six days in Munich, trade visitors from around the world found out about present and future developments and up and coming trends in the market. iba this year also set a new benchmark: 1,255 exhibitors from 58 countries provided a full market overview and 94.5% of visitors agreed that the show’s range of products is one of a kind. Visitors travelled from a total of 177 different countries to attend iba. “Our expectations have been exceeded by far,” says Peter Becker, President of the German Bakers’ Confederation (Zentralverband des Deutschen Bäckerhandwerks). “On the one hand, we have had more foreign visitors at iba. On the other hand, I am particularly pleased that so many German bakers attended the most signiﬁcant trade show in their industry. Everyone has seized the opportunity,

which only arises once every three years, to gain a comprehensive overview of the market. Nowhere else in the world will you ﬁnd such a wide choice of different companies.” “iba is essential for setting trends like no other within the industry”, says Dieter Dohr, CEO of GHM Gesellschaft für Handwerksmessen mbH. “iba offered solutions for the individual challenges of each and every visitor, be this the efﬁcient use of energy, hygiene and packaging or coffee, all of which are issues that will become increasingly important in the future, demonstrated by the increase in the range of products being presented at the trade show.” The reaction amongst exhibitors was also very favourable. Despite fewer visitors at this year’s six-day event than at the previous seven day event,

bfm Ladenbau

Bread

the high level of satisfaction amongst companies nevertheless shows that “all of the important decision makers were there”, according to Becker. “From day one, there was a great atmosphere at iba and many deals were concluded. The key to this level of success is certainly likely to be the manner in which companies presented themselves at this culmination of three years of business. It never ceases to fascinate me or other visitors to the show how companies give their utmost, not just in setting up their stand but also when presenting their equipment live.” Visitors to the trade show were also witnessed the bakers’ and confectioners’ trades in perfection at a large number of national and international competitions: the iba-cup for bakers, the German Championships of Master Bakers and the iba-cup for confectioners. The iba-cup for confectioners is hosted by the German Confectioners’ Association (Deutscher Konditorenbund), which uses events such as these and a gateau gala at its stand in order to raise interest and awareness with trade specialists of the future. The show was kicked off by the première of the iba-summit’s Global Baking Dialogue, which took place a day before the actual opening of the show. The iba-summit saw renowned speakers, including the EU Commissioner John Dalli, Professor Dr Klaus Töpfer and Professor Dr Hans-Werner Sinn, discuss specialist topics such as food safety and trends in the baking industry.

A PERSONAL VIEW Brian Ballinger, GM of Heidi Chef Solutions, travelled from Dubai to Munich for iba 2012. Here are his impressions. “I had the pleasure of being both an exhibitor and guest at the largest bakery and confectionery exhibition. There were many highlights for me from the iba-cup by the German Bakers Confederation that brought together 12 teams from countries all over the world to compete in both Bread and Confectionery competitions to the many daily live baking demonstrations that took place from the world’s best bakers. “Innovation was also a big part of this year’s show with many equipment suppliers showing their latest energy efﬁcient baking, prooﬁng and freezing systems with a clear strategy of allowing the industry to become greener in its processes.

“Ingredient suppliers also played their part with innovation with exhibitors showing products for gluten free, lactose intolerance and products that target low carb and high protein diets. “A lot of suppliers and end users across the industry are now also a lot more aware of product food safety issues and hygiene requirements and this played a big part during the exhibition with many exhibitors offering hygiene solutions for all areas of the baking industry from handwash systems for small craft bakeries to fully automated washing and handling systems for large ibakeries. “Overall the exhibition is always and educational as well as meeting point for bakers and confectioner across the world and iba 2012 was no different. I for one thoroughly enjoyed my time in Munich and look forward to iba 2015.”

iba-cup 2012, The world’s best confectioners, Winners Yon-Ho Park and Soon-Seung Kwow from South Korea

Out and about

A STRATEGIC VIEW

German Championships of Master Bakers, Ingmar Krimmer and Raphael Springmann

iba-cup international, the world’s best bakers, Team Japan

“Only at iba will you gain a proper overview of what the investment goods sector has to offer your bakery. Only here will you find marketing ideas, information and solutions that are tailored to companies of all sizes. And only here will you meet colleagues from around the world”, promised Peter Becker, President of the German Bakery Trade Association. Day-by-day, the trends that iba focused on are becoming more and more visible, with topics that ranged from energy-saving innovations and production process optimisation to many quality improvements in the field of kneading technology, or from hygiene to appealing shop fitting concepts with an increased focus on gastronomy. “Unjustifiably, bread and bakery products play a far too little role in the public sphere, unless when prices rise. We want to make a change to this state of affairs,” said Becker. “After all, in the western world at least, bakery products are important parts of both diets and culture.” The iba-summit focused on three core sets of topics. Against a background of population growth and climate change, the food safety topic cluster looked at future supplies of raw materials, availability and price structuring. The food versus fuel dilemma and many raw material speculations at stock exchanges was also discussed in detail. A second emphasis was on trends. Where are mainstreams or worldwide developments to be found? Which changes in taste or behaviour will define the next ten or 20 years of bakery products? Which pastries are future-proof and how will all parties involved – such as machine manufacturers, raw material suppliers and, of course, bakers – cope with new developments? Future-proof marketing strategies formed the third emphasis of the summit. Since the success of a business mostly relies on the PoS, it presented new concepts: from shopping centres to supermarkets to on-line retail.

German Championships of Master Bakers, Fabian Gerum (Landsberg) and Georg Hermann

1,255 EXHIBITORS FROM 58 COUNTRIES PROVIDED A COMPREHENSIVE MARKET OVERVIEW AND 94.5% OF VISITORS AGREED THAT IBA’S RANGE OF PRODUCTS IS ONE OF A KIND. VISITORS TRAVELLED FROM A TOTAL OF 177 DIFFERENT COUNTRIES TO ATTEND IBA. 17

Out and about

Local success

The winner of the regional heat of UFS’ Chef of the Year recently found more success at the global ﬁnal, held in South Africa.

n the Unilever Food Solutions Chef of the Year final held at the University of Johannesburg’s School of Tourism and Hospitality, eight senior chefs vied for the title of Chef of the Year and eight chefs aimed to win the Junior Chef of the Year category. Both categories saw international chefs go headto-head with some of South Africa’ best in the culinary world, as they competed for top honours. The senior finalists originated from Johannesburg, KwaZulu Natal, Stellenbosch, Cape Town, Egypt, the UAE and Pakistan. Participants had to create recipes using Unilever Food Solutions products and submit their recipes for a starter, main course and dessert with accompanying photographs. The regional finals took the form of a mystery basket cook-off with entrants required to prepare a three course menu using some Unilever Food Solutions products from the mystery basket. The finals also had a mystery basket cook-off - the most taxing and adrenalin-inducing cooking competition for any chef.

Chefs were judged on criteria that included most indulgent; best innovative presentation; best use of UFS ingredients; and best representation of theme. Some of South Africa’s leading chefs with a wealth of experience behind them were on hand to help judge the entrants. Unilever Food Solutions has been hosting this competition since the early 1970s. The competition, says Craig Elliott, Executive Head Chef of Unilever Food Solutions for South Africa, is about pushing the boundaries of creativity, imagination and skill. “It’s about uniting behind our talented chefs and going to great lengths to provide them with solutions and inspiration for use in their own kitchens every day. “It has been exceptionally gratifying to UFS to see the positive enthusiasm displayed by chefs when creating recipes with our range of ingredients.” Winner of the senior award was Tiaan Langenegger of Overture Restaurant in Cape Town, whilst Gulf regional winner Paul Bussey, Executve Sous Chef at The Bonnington Hotel in Dubai, gained

second prize. “The day was intense,” he recalls, “but I do think it was tougher in Dubai. Here, we had just an hour to create our recipes but in South Africa it was three and a half hours and we could take the recipes into the kitchen with us. I think my big disappointment was that there was no fresh ﬁsh amongst the ingredients.” Bussey’s three dishes were a ricotta and quail tortellini, pan-fried duck breast with a mushroom pearl barley risotto and a basil infused panacotta with wild berries. “I got great support from the whole team at the Bonnington,” Bussey says. “In fact, we may well enter a team event next time.”

“IT’S ABOUT UNITING BEHIND OUR TALENTED CHEFS AND GOING TO GREAT LENGTHS TO PROVIDE THEM WITH SOLUTIONS AND INSPIRATION FOR USE IN THEIR OWN KITCHENS EVERY DAY.” - Craig Elliott, Executive Head Chef of Unilever Food Solutions for South Africa

Sourcing

Fresh from the water For chefs who say that locally sourced vegetable lack consistency of quality, then a visit to Emirates Hydroponics Farms for Vegetables just outside Abu Dhabi is a eye opener. Shelves after shelves of herbs and lettuce are not only healthy looking and taste great, but their consistency is stunning.

pening in 2005, under the name City Farms, now Emirates Hydroponics Farms for Vegetables (EHFV) is run under the day to day management of Marketing Director, Rudi Azzato. Sidestepping the problem of growing delicate vegetables in the UAE, the farm uses modern hyroponic techniques and a largedy organic nutrient source. “We don’t have a problem with quality,” explains Azzato. “Our traditional problem has been price. People believe that if things are grown locally, then the price should be cheaper but we ﬁnd when people taste the produce, then they understand what is possible.” At ﬁrst, with a driver and boxes of vegetables, Azzato went cold calling. “People saw that the quality was just as good as Europe and we slowly built up the business.” Now, EHFV sells wholesale to large supermarkets, to local manufacurers like Barakat, by home delivery in Abu Dhabi as well as to a select number of hotels. “Abu Dhabi distribution for us is easy - the city

Consistent size and quality

Fresh produce

The greenhouse and seeding sheds

“YES, YOU CAN GROW ALL YEAR ROUND, BUT AT WHAT COST? YOU JUST CAN’T GROW LETTUCE ALL YEAR ROUND HERE, SO SOME MONTHS WE SHIFT TO HERBS.” - Rudi Azzato

On the passe has a simple grid. Dubai is more challenging and is so spread out,” Azzato explains why chefs in Dubai miss out at present. The Emirato parent company, the R&B Group, has interests in many areas from concrete to road building. “They weren’t farmers, but saw the business opportunity,” Azzato says. “They have invested considerably, expanding our the original 1,000m² farm to approximately 20,000m² once the new extentions are completed by the end of the year.” The high point of the farm is the massive 1,000 m² RGS greenhouse that stands nine metres high. It is fully enclosed, complete with its own computerised climate and humidity control systems to monitor and regulate the temperature within the greenhouse 24 hrs. The air within the greenhouse can be replaced six times every hour providing fresh air and CO². “We began growing three varieties of lettuce, now we’re up to ten. We also grow a dozen types of herbs. Hydroponics makes sense for a variety of reasons, perhaps the most important being water saving. If I grow lettuce in the ground, I’ll need to use up to six litres of water every day but, here in the greenhouse, it’s just 350ml. Also, because the feeding system, the plants aren’t competing for nutrients, many of which we’ve developed ourselves for speciﬁc species. A lot of work we’ve done has been trial and error - you know, ﬁnding out which species work best here, what are of the best seeds.”

WHAT IS HYDROPONICS? Hydroponics is the science of growing plants without the use of soil. The word comes from the culture of growing plants in water. In soils, nutrients and water are randomly placed and often plants need to expand a great deal of energy by growing long roots to ﬁnd

water and nutrients. By expanding this energy, the plants growth is not as fast as it could be. Plants grown in hydroponics are no different to plants grown in soil: they will have the same physiology. The plants take the same nutrients as those grown in soil.

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Sourcing The system is fast too. Basil grows from seed to market size in a month, lettuce in a month and a half. “We’ve tried some things that didn’t work. I’m always ordering seeds to experiment with, but emon basil wasn’t accepted by the local market. We tried six types of Boston lettuce before we found a variety that was suitable for the climate and resistent to insects.” Most of the seeds are sourced from Europe. “Saving your own seeds is very time-consuming and is basically a whole other business we don’t want to be in.” The farm seems to have found a natural level and systems are turned off during the height of summer, party for maintenance but partly so staff can have vacations. “Yes, you can grow all year round, but at what cost? You just can’t grow lettuce all year round here, so some months we shift to herbs.” Coming in the future are cucumbers, tomatoes and capsicums. “We also experimented with strawberries but those were mainly for the family and local deliveries. We’re proud of what we’ve achieved here. We’ve proved local produce can be quality produce.” Returning to Dubai, chef for hire Andy Campbell was already enthusing about the quality and the operation. “They won’t deliver to Dubai but it’s worth my while to head up here from time to time and stock up,” he says. “You know, some people might say they should be growing in soil and all that but they’re giving it a go and that’s great!” Hotel chefs in Abu Dhabi would no doubt agree. They’re lucky enough to get deliveries direct.

Packaged for delivery

Great produce

Mr. Rudi Azzato sharing his knowledge

Emirates Hydroponics herbs

Almost ready for transfer to the greenhouse

Serving up fresh ingredients since 1868.

A dash of creativity. A pinch of inspiration. Add to that the delicious range of Knorr seasonings, sauces and soups and you get the perfect meal that will keep your guests coming back for more! Unilever Food Solutions: Tel. +971 4 881 5552 | UAE Distributor: +971 4 347 0444 / +971 4 347 3455 For more information, email: mohammad.shanawani@unilever.com

Market focus

Sea food, eat food... Fish is a perennial favourite on UAE menus. That’s great - it’s healthy and provides great scope for chefs’ creativity. The not great news is that a number of local species are being heavily over-ﬁshed, leading to the Emirates Wildlife Society’s Choose Wisely campaign to get us to change our ﬁsh preferences. The issue of seafood sustainability is global too, of course.

Market focus

here’s a mixtures of approaches that the restaurants in the UAE take towards seafood. Some make good mileage out of using on local, sustainable seafood; some serve only sustainable seafood, despite the origin; some ignore the issue; and some seem to label all sorts of fish as ‘hammour’ in order to increase sales. However, the issue here is too serious to ignore. Taking the case of local favourite, hammour, its current fishing is estimated to be at seven times the quantity that would mean that the species remains sustainable. Local fishing practices too are having a major impact, with too many young fish being taken. It’s claimed that over half the locally caught fish is unsustainable, species are endangered and, with around two-thirds of us eating fish at least once a week, we’ll soon have to take action. Lisa Perry, who is the programme director of the EWS-WWF’s Choose Wisely campaign, receives information from the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi, which assesses studies on fish stock, which includes fishing effort, total catch, fish age and fish size of fish, all measured against previous years’ figures. An important part of the Agency’s work is analysing any potential decrease in adult numbers, as they are the ones key for future generations. As she explained in response to a number of questions, “Since 1978, the UAE has seen an overall decline of 80% in the average stock size for all commercial species. This problem is serious. We have now reached a point where selected some species including the Hammour, Kingfish, Shaari and Orange Spotted Grouper are being overfished or removed too early in their lifespan. This is now happening at such a rate that these species do not reach their potential.” The Choose Wisely campaign is unique to the UAE and is connected to the EWS-WWF Sustainable Fisheries Project, which was launched after fish stock assessment studies carried out by the capital based EAD (Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi) showed a severe decline in important commercial fish stocks in the past 30 years. “There are some other WWF offices around the world implementing sustainable seafood and fishing campaigns such as Finland, Norway, South Africa and Australia to name just a few,” Perry notes. However, at present, there is no general GCC co-operation because, as she explains, “the campaign wishes to achieve its goals by engaging with the retail, gastronomy, tourism and corporate sector in promoting sustainable options of fish and communicating the issue to customers in the UAE”. The consumer guide was first published in 2010 and has since been updated twice. The last update was in July 2012, with two new fish species - The Giant Sea Catfish (locally known as Khan) and the Yellow Tail Scad (locally known as Durduman) added to the green category, meaning that they are fished within sustainable levels and their stock is not now experiencing heavy fishing pressure. Perry is reasonably optimistic about the future. “The EWS-WWF believes sustainable fisheries are achievable in the UAE and that consumer awareness can play a key role in stimulating change and thus achieving the goal of the project,” she claims. “Fish are a staple of the Emirati diet and the UAE has a

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long-standing fishing tradition. So the protection of fish resources holds both cultural significance and the inherent benefit to marine ecosystems and biodiversity. EWS-WWF believes that with joint local efforts and high level of awareness among the public, creating a market for environmentally sustainable fish and seafood products is possible.” However, many think that the campaign, although a great start, needs to be supported in other ways: such as better education of the local fishermen, involvement of fish suppliers, co-operation of non-fine dining restaurants and even federal legislation. Perry, in part, agrees: “It is increasingly important to work closely with the fishing industry to address this issue.” What is clearly important in all this is educating consumers. We believe chefs have a responsibility not only to source ethically but also to educate their diners. Across far too many restaurants in the Emirates you can still see unlabelled fish - chefs should make clear what they’re serving. As Chef Uwe Micheel, President of the Emirates Culinary Guild and Head of Kitchens, Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Deira Creek, says: “If guests ask now for hammour, I say to them ‘We want our children to enjoy it in the future’. There are lots of great sustainable fish in the market.” And, whilst it’s great that a number of high profile chefs and hotels have adopted a sustainable approach to seafood, too many still pay lip service to the idea but cannot deliver a firm deadline for the removal of hammour from menus. Of course, that’s not the only fish we should be concerned about. Okku Executive Chef Hugh Sato Gardiner uses sustainable species and takes in being the first Japanese restaurant in the region to take blue-fin tuna off his menu. The problem: however much chefs and consumers commit to sustainability, time is running out for many fish locally. The more we love them now, the less chance we’ll be able to love them in the future.

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Market focus

Fish focus We got together a small group of well known local ďŹ sh enthusiasts to give their comments on sustainability. They are: t +PIO $PSEFBVY &YFDVUJWF $IFG 'BJSNPOU 1BMN +VNFJSBI t 5IPNBT 1FOEBSPWTLJ &YFDVUJWF $IFG 4PmUFM %VCBJ +VNFJSBI #FBDI t .BSL "MMBO .BOBHJOH %JSFDUPS 8FU 'JTI t 4BNBOUIB 8PPE 'PVOEFS PG 'PP%JWB )PX GBS EP ZPV GPMMPX B QPMJDZ PG VTJOH TFMMJOH PS FBUJOH POMZ mTI TQFDJFT UIBU BSF TVTUBJOBCMF +PIO $PSEFBVY As a member of the Fairmont hotels team of Executive Chefs for many years, we have strived to be sustainable in all areas and this is a very important area where we have been taking a leadership position for sometime now. 5IPNBT 1FOEBSPWTLJ For me, it is really important that the policy is being followed to a T. I think that seasonality works together with sustainability. It is a win-win for all species. .BSL "MMBO From a company perspective, we avoid

selling species that are in the danger zone. There are several responsible ďŹ sheries throughout the world, especially in Nordic countries, which work dilligently both on their ďŹ shing techniques - lines not trawls - and on quotas. A number of seasonal ďŹ shing patterns are adopted where ďŹ sh are hunted during times of abundance and avoided during the spawning seasons. Unfortunately this hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t spread as much to mid and south European nations, who are not distinguishing on catch species as much. We have established links with primary processors in these countries and work on seasonality which ensure we are receiving species caught sustainably, legally and by proper methods. And we advise our clients on what is seasonal, for example. 4BNBOUIB 8PPE When grocery shopping, I always buy sustainable seafood where I can, also locally ďŹ shed. The pink ear emperor (shaari eshkeli) and orange-spotted trevally (jesh um al hala) are favou-

rites. However, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s only a handful of restaurants here that serve sustainable seafood which would be my ďŹ rst choice if opting for a ďŹ sh course. *T UIBU JO SFTQPOTF UP ZPVS QFSTPOBM DPODFSOT PS GSPN DVTUPNFS EFNBOE $PSEFBVY It is my personal concerns and also the growing concern of all clients throughout the world who are concerned about the enviroment. 1FOEBSPWTLJ I think, ďŹ rstly, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a personal concern, My goal is for all my guests to be educated about what is happening to the ďŹ sh population and how we can make a difference together. Allan: Having been in the industry for over 25 years, I have become acutely aware of the plight of certain ďŹ sh stocks. The days of sourcing from a market like Billingsgate or Rungis are long gone in my opinion. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s simply no traceability. I am proud that I have developed a supplier network in tune with nature in the industry. The consumer has a right to ask where ďŹ sh are coming from; itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the supplierâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s duty to have the answers. 8PPE We all have a responsibility to sustain our planet, so why eat overďŹ shed, endangered species when thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s plenty of other ďŹ&#x201A;avoursome ďŹ sh out there? By choosing to buy sustainable seafood only, we can each do our bit to lower the demand for threatened species. )PX GBS EP ZPV UIJOL UIF GPPE DPNNVOJUZ IBT B SFTQPOTJCJMJUZ UP NBLF FUIJDBM TPVSDJOH B QSJPSJUZ

Market focus

EFTQJUF DIFGT XBOUJOH UP QMBZ XJUI BT NBOZ nBWPVS DPNCJOBUJPOT BT QPTTJCMF $PSEFBVY We certainly have a responsibility to educate and guide the consumer and if we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t we might not have any wonderful ďŹ sh and seafood products to play with in the future. 1FOEBSPWTLJ It is vital, for all chefs to take the lead on this matter. It starts from the kitchen and works its way to the guests. You can still be able to play with ďŹ&#x201A;avuors, just use them more wisely! Allan: Of course it has responsibility but the market here is being driven by demand. Many menus are composed often months in advance with the focus on a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;wowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; factor rather than ethics. It is certainly not a priority now but I am certain that given the innovation of the region, it will develop with the right drivers behind it. 8PPE Along with local municipalities, I think that responsibility has to sit with chefs - they need to set the example for the F&B industry, educating their procurement departments and suppliers, as well as their customers so that they start demanding sustainable species. %P ZPV TFF B DIBOHF JO DVTUPNFS VOEFSTUBOEJOH PG TVTUBJOBCJMJUZ JTTVFT 4IPVME DIFGT BOE TVQQMJFST UBLF NPSF PG BO FEVDBUJPOBM SPMF JO QSPNPUJOH FUIJDBM TPVSDJOH BOE FYQMBJO UP DVTUPNFST XIZ GPS FYBNQMF UIF MPDBM GBWPVSJUF IBNNPVS TIPVME OPU CF FBUFO JOUP FYUJODUJPO $PSEFBVY Slowly, I think, customers are making informed decisions but we have a long way to go and, yes, of course we chefs should be part of the educational solution. 1FOEBSPWTLJ Absolutely. These last ten plus years, people have seen what is going on with our ďŹ shing industry. I believe that guests are more in tune with food channels and magazines. We as chefs should be the voice for all our guests. Allan: Personally, no. Yes, I do believe itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the industryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s responsibility to promote the awareness of ethical sourcing especially through the medium of the concerned press. The supplier more often that not has to work within the parameters of his clientâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s demands, unless that supplier can force the issue and push awareness. Otherwise, the mentality of supply and demand will continue unabated. 8PPE I think the consumer is wising up, but thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s still plenty of work required to change consumer behaviour. %P ZPV BDDFQU BU BMM UIF BSHVNFOU UIBU FBUJOH PG TPNF MPDBM TQFDJFT JT QBSU PG UIF DVMUVSF BOE TPÂ&#x2014;pTIPVME CF BMMPXFE UP DPOUJOVF $PSEFBVY With respect to the local customs and culture, no I do not. Being Canadian we know what happened to cod ďŹ shing on the east coast - the lack of control and over ďŹ shing caused the complete destruction of the cod ďŹ shing industry. It would be a real shame if this would happen to the ďŹ shing industry here with the challenge facing the hammour, for example. 1FOEBSPWTLJ Not at all, this just tells me that some of the chefs are just not concerned with what is happening to our ďŹ sh industry. Take hammour for an example - there are other types of ďŹ sh that are in season and have a similar taste. This is what

1FOEBSPWTLJ Without a doubt. In this day and age, we should all take responsibility. It starts from the top level. Allan: In theory, yes, but it would take a great deal of resource, manpower and importantly training. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also the issue to consider of the ďŹ shing methods themselves which probably havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t changed for hundreds of years. How can a vessel which is economically reliant on ďŹ shing, go out and just catch a particular species and not another? The cost would be enormous but, if any region could achieve this... 8PPE Most deďŹ nitely - I believe it needs to start with ďŹ shing laws.

5IJOL CFGPSF ZPV EFTJHO B NFOV chefs should being doing: educating the client. Allan: Hammour is considered to be the local speciality but many hotels have made a conscious decision to remove it from their menus which is to be applauded. However, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s still just a few. It will take proper policing of ďŹ shing stocks to bring home awareness that hammour is scarce. But letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s be clear: â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;localâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; ďŹ sh are mostly caught in waters closer to Iran than the UAE and the greater bulk of hammour is arriving from Oman on a daily basis. We are certainly not going to see a blanket ban on hammour ďŹ shing but perhaps the establishment of a ďŹ shing season? 8PPE Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve not heard this argument before! %P ZPV UIJOL UIFSF TIPVME CF TPNF BDUJPO GSPN UIF .VOJDJQBMJUZ PS (PWFSONFOU UP CBO UIF VTF PG TPNF TQFDJFT $PSEFBVY If it means that by taking a stand on overďŹ shing and so certain species will survive, to be ďŹ shed by future generations, then yes.

*G B mTI IBT CFFO DBVHIU UIFO JU NBLFT NPSF TFOTF UP FBU JU UIBO KVTU UISPX JU BXBZ %P ZPV BHSFF PS EP ZPV EJTBHSFF $PSEFBVY We should never waste food products of any sort, so if a variety of ďŹ sh is caught as a by product of ďŹ shing for other species then we should use it appropriately. 1FOEBSPWTLJ Good question, I think it depends on what type of ďŹ sh it may be and, if it still alive, throw it back in the water. Allan: When a ďŹ sh - more especially a large deep water ďŹ sh like hammour - is pulled up through the water in a net, it dies of decompression. It is dead before it has surfaced. This is one of the harsh facts of ďŹ shing. The idea of smaller ďŹ sh in the same net which become the by-catch is certainly a more emotive issue. Can this be avoided? Larger nets for the smaller ďŹ sh to escape through and so on? I would have to say in fairness that once caught, under the right conditions, it should be eaten. 8PPE I disagree - I believe you have to look at this longterm. Perhaps there will be some level of initial wastage but, if restaurants and supermarkets donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t sell the overďŹ shed species, they will no longer order it, whilst putting pressure on suppliers for alternative sustainable solutions.

%VSEVNBO

Pimp my plate

Put a egg on it! In the quality produce packed food hall of Galleries Lafayette, a simple Korean dish might seem out of place but, for Culinary Director Russell Impiazzi, reinventing the dish is just another day’s job to be ﬁtted in when he isn’t racing around the Gourmet stations and shelves, checking all is well with his team.

ibimbap is a popular Korean dish which doesn’t seem to have travelled widely. However, this mix of rice, chilli sauce and beef originated from the Korean custom of not keeping any leftover food from one year into the next. So, as a way of using up bits and pieces, it became the perfect national dish for New Year’s Eve. The Culinary Director at Galleries Lafayette, Russell Impiazzi admits that he’s never come across the dish before. “To me, as an Englishman,

if I see a fried egg on something, then I think it’s breakfast!” he jokes. Still only in his mid-30s, he’s already enjoyed a career that has spanned New York, South Africa, South America, Indonesia, India, Europe, Caribbean and and Dubai. Over the years, he’s opened more than 20 restaurants from early days with the Hyatt Group that saw him appointed to the Hyatt Regency in Dubai aged just 20 and, not too long afterwards, part of the opening team at WAFI - The Pyramids, with full responsibility for 120 chefs.

STEP BY STEP COOKING GUIDE

Step 1: The beef prepared and seasoned

Step 2: The beef is cooked to medium

Step 3: The ceps are reconstituted and sliced

Step 4: The risotto well under way

30 0

He’s still finding his feet at Lafayette Gourmet, which several new concepts already in place and more to follow. However, it seems unlikely that he’ll open a Korean station in the store. “I’d never even heard of Bibimbap,” he says, “but it was clear what the flavour cominations were. I really didn’t want to use exactly the same ingredients so, for a Meditteranean type of dish, I made the rice into risotto, substituted ceps for the original’s shiitake mushrooms and so on. It needed flavour which we got in with the shallots and I thought the Scotch eggs were an interesting twist, as well as providing more opportunity to use the beef.” The beef provided was a new brand from Australia, Emerald Valley. “Normally, I’m not a fan of grassfed beef but this was good. I’ve had some of the other chefs around the floor try it too in their dishes.” Did he enjoy the challenge? “Sure, it was fun. I’d thought of using a spinach foam but that didn’t quite work out.” Would the pimped plate make it onto his menus? “I think it could, yes. I’d probably put it on the Italian station.” In the job less than a year, how is he enjoying it? “Very much so, it’s loads of fun and there are so many things to do, it’s impossible to get bored. We’re changing what we do all the time, but each counter has its own identity. There’s bound to be an evolution - I’ve got an oyster bar coming soon plus another very interesting concept that I think you’ll like. And, of course, the ability to use this great produce is a real treat.” The original Galleries Lafayette in Paris is much more retail focused, of course, so where did the shopping/dining concept come from? “The owners really wanted to push the concept as far as they can and we’ve worked closely with the Paris team all the way through. They’re very supportive.” So no problems, then? “The location is a bit of a nightmare - we get almost no passing trade and our challenge is to become a destination. Personally, I never thought I’d end up working in a shopping mall, let alone two storeys above ladies’ fashion! We have to be realistic about what

“TO ME, IT’S ABOUT ENSURING THAT EVERY PRODUCT OR PIECE OF PRODUCE IS AS GOOD AS IT CAN BE - WHETHER IT’S ON A PLATE OR THE SHELF, THEN THE QUALITY SHOULD BE THE SAME.”

Pimp my plate we’re doing. If we’re honest then, no, this isn’t somewhere people will come and do their regular weekly food shopping but we can be a place that people head for when they want something a little bit special - you know, some great cheese perhaps.” Impiazzi is passionate about food. “Look, I don’t mind if people come to eat here or if they come and buy produce and cook at home. To me, it’s about ensuring that every product or piece of produce is as good as it can be - whether it’s on a plate or the shelf, then the quality should be the same. What I really want to do is link in with the speciality fool guys and get their passion and commitment to quality into our environment. I really do want to build stories behind the products.” As an example he points to the new organic fruit and vegetable stand, supplied by Unifrutti’s Green League initiative. “Maria Olivia, who is heading up the project, and I worked together to get this in place. It’s fabulous produce. She is so passionate about what she does. Could we do it with local produce? No, not really - there’s real inconsistency

in the quality and frankly I don’t think many of the local owners really believe in it. But people do care about food and we’re seeing more enthuiasm every week. My job is to ﬁnd the right partners, ones with a passion!” One thing he is insistent on is that Gourmet won’t stock mass produced items. “If you look at our cheese room, for example, what you see is what we have. If we run out, we run out until the next delivery. That’s the only way that we can guarantee quality.” He’s also passionate about education. “We want to do more demos, getting the chefs interacting with customers. And I also want to encourage more families - we have a great new space where parents can leave their kids for arty activity and some good simple food that kids like whilst they go off and do their shopping or enjoy some of the fresh food here.It will be kid friendly but good food” And the lomngterm secret of Impiazzi’s success? “Delivering food that’s as authentic as possible. Good, authentic food - that’s what it’s about!”

Bibimbap Serves 4 Ingredients: 700g beef fillet, thinly sliced on the diagonal 2 brown onions, halved, thinly sliced 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 2 tsp finely grated fresh ginger 2 tbs light soy sauce 2 tsp caster sugar 2 tsp sesame oil 5 dried shiitake mushrooms 325g sushi rice 1 tbs sesame seeds 2 tbs peanut oil 120g baby spinach leaves 4 eggs 2 carrots, peeled, cut into matchsticks 1 large cucumber, julienned Sauce ingredients: 80ml hot chilli sauce 2 tsp sugar 1/4 tsp sesame oil

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 30

Method: 1 2

4 5 Step 5: Deep frying the Scotch egg

Step 6: Slicing the conﬁted shallots

Step 7: Frying the shallots and garlic

Step 8: Baby spinach ready for plating

Combine the chilli sauce, sugar and sesame oil in a bowl for the sauce. Combine the beef, onion, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, sugar and sesame oil in a bowl. Cover and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to marinate. Place the mushrooms in a heatproof bowl. Cover with boiling water and set aside for 20 minutes or until soft. Drain, remove the stems and slice thinly. Cook the rice. Fry the sesame seeds over medium heat until lightly toasted. Preheat a barbecue flat plate on high. Brush with peanut oil. Cook the beef mixture, turning once, for three minutes. Transfer to a plate. Cover with foil. Add one tablespoon of remaining oil to the flat plate. Cook the spinach until it wilts. Transfer to the plate. Add remaining oil to to the flat plate. Crack the eggs onto the flat plate. Cook, spooning over the oil, for two minutes. Divide the rice among serving dishes. Top with the beef, mushroom, spinach, carrot and cucumber. Top with sesame seeds and egg. Serve with the sauce.

Pimp my plate

Steak and eggs Seared rump steak with scotch eggs, cep risotto and caramelised shallots Serves 1 Ingredients: 160g grassfed beef rump (Emerald Valley used) 80g carnaroli risotto rice 15g dried ceps, soaked and drained chopped shallots garlic conﬁt Parmesan reggiano washed baby spinach leaves - handful 4 small shallots bayleaf 50ml balsamic vinegar 25gms brown sugar 500ml chicken stock Ingredients for Scotch eggs: 4 quail eggs 200g minced beef panko breadcrumbs fresh thyme 3 eggs Method: 1

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5 6 7 8

Prepare the caramelised shallots. Peel and sauté the shallots, add the brown sugar and slowly start to caramelise, deglaze with the balsamic vinegar and reduce, add 120ml of the chicken stock and place in the oven to finish cooking approx 20 mins or until soft all the way through. Prepare the risotto: slowly sauté the chopped shallots and garlic confit together, add the ceps and cook together for a minute or so. Add the chicken stock and allow the flavours to develop, season, taste and then add the rice and reduce the heat and continue to slowly cook together. For the Scotch eggs, boil the quail eggs for two minutes and refresh in iced water, peel and dry. Mince the beef and add the chopped fresh thyme and add an egg yolk, season and mix well. Take the whole quail egg and wrap the minced beef around so it’s approx 20ml thick. Roll in flour, eggs and the panko breadcrumbs and chill. To finish, season the rump steak with sea salt and black pepper and sear in a hot pan for approx three to four minutes each side. Allow to rest for at least ten minutes before serving. For rump steak, suggest not to cook more than medium/pink. Finish the risotto with the Parmesan cheese. Deep fry two Scotch eggs - 180c until golden brown. Slice the shallots in half and quickly sauté. To plate, spoon the risotto around the plate, slice the beef into three pieces and arrange on the rice, cut the egg in half and place next to the beef, spoon the shallots around the plate, arrange the fresh baby spinach and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.

On the passe

CARVING A NEW CAREER Chefs like to be seen as artists, but it’s rarely as true as it is for Chaminda Weerappulige, Head Artist at Rafﬂes Dubai. From an artistic family, he taught himself ice, fruit and vegetable carving and, after winning multiple awards, his pieces now grace the lobby of Rafﬂes.

isitors to Raffles Dubai frequently stop in the lobby area to seek out the new work of art on display in glass cases. What many of them may not know is that they’re created by a chef using typical pastry items such as flour, sugar and food colouring. They’re the work of Chaminda Weerappulige, a Sri Lankan who has the unusual kitchen title of Head Artist. His path to his current role is equally unusual. Tell us how you got into this role? I grew up in Sri Lanka in a family of artists. So my father was a wood carver, my brother worked with food as I do now. Even as a small child I was always painting and drawing whenever I could, then I began carving at about ten years old. At first, I worked on animals and then progressed onto humans. This was with wood like your father? No, I used styrofoam! There was just something in me that made me know I would have a career as

On the passe

On the passe an artist, then my cousin told me about a position in a hotel as an artist. I joined the Galidari Hotel in Colombo after showing them my work, then started working in the kitchen and learning the basics. Then I got involved in carving with ice. I’ve never had formal training but I learned a great deal from the pastry team - in fact, I’m still very much learning today. I stayed at the Galadari for a couple of years and then came here to Dubai to work at the Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club for two years. Then, in 2000, I went to work for the Carnival Cruise Line, based out of Miami, as what they called a Travelling Culinary Artist and there extended my range from ice carving to where I was supervising and designing for all the buffet decoration, as well as preparing vegetable and fruit carvings, wax, butter and chocolate carvings and styrofoam carvings for banquet functions. I was also training new staff and creating sugar craft and show pieces. In 2008, I moved to New York to work for Ice Fantasies, again carving ice for functions, then two years later I shifted back down to Miami. More ice? More ice! This time for So Cool Events, designing and carving, overseeing banquet preparation and lighting the sculptures. Finally, in February of last year, I felt the need of a change after so many years of working with ice. It’s hard work as I was mostly using a chainsaw! As an artist, did it matter to you that your work only had a short lifespan compared, say, to your father’s work in wood that would last for a very long time? No, not really. It’s a creative thing and the medium is challenging to work with. It’s also fast - a typical ice carving is maybe an hour or an hour and half’s work, with some of that happening as the ice begins to melt. It’s all about practice and knowing the materials. So what brought you back to Dubai? I joined Raffles Dubai last November. Dubai is a city where the standard of F&B is very high. I’d wanted to work back here for quite some time - everyone talks about the place - and I thought this job would give me an excellent opportunity to learn. Being a Food Artist is challenging even when you fully understand the medium you’re working in - you’re basically sculpting with pastry or chocolate. Talk us through the process of creating one of your pieces? Raffles has a great 125 year history and the hotel has a great link with fashion and style, so that’s often a starting point. For one of my pieces, I normally do some colour sketches and discuss my ideas with the other chefs and hotel management. Once we agree, then I may make a small version just to ensure that the concept works in 3D and then move on to the final one. With the fashion link, I spend time over at Wafi Mall looking for inspiration. The parrot on the cage, for example, was an extension of a display I saw but they used

“I SPEND TIME OVER AT WAFI MALL LOOKING FOR INSPIRATION. THE PARROT ON THE CAGE, FOR EXAMPLE, WAS AN EXTENSION OF A DISPLAY I SAW BUT THEY USED A BUTTERFLY.” a butterﬂy. My big fashion challenge at present is doing something for the introduction to Dubai of Debbie Wingham’s black diamond dress. I’m still working on it but I don’t just want to copy it.

which really clicked was for Qatar National Day and a reception hosted by the Embassy: it was a ﬁve metre tall spiral mosque. They still have it on display at the Embassy.

Can you recall the first work you did in Raffles? It was for UAE National Day - a cake with the Raffles logo painted on. I think the first piece

How often does a piece take to construct? Working alone, a few days. The parrot took ﬁve days. I don’t ﬁnd it hard and really enjoy the work. But the artwork is not all I’m doing here. I make special occasion cakes, displays for functions and special themes for the hotel. For Christmas this year, we’re converting the wall display at the back of the lobby cafe into a sort of giant advent calendar, with a new box opening every day and a new gift inside. Any new challenges? I’m still learning day by day. Recently I had to do some piping work and got some lessons. And I want to do more vegetable carving. Do I wish I had followed my father into wood? No, there’s no money in wood.

On the passe

Face to face

The favourite Frenchman? Long categorised as every English woman’s favourite Frenchman or the sexiest chef alive, Jean-Christophe Novelli is much more than his looks. He has won Michelin stars, built a successful business empire and, for the last few years, taught hundreds of aspiring chefs to cook at his Academy. We caught up with him for a brief chat.

orn in Arras in a family with Italian roots, Novelli left school aged 14 and went to work in bakery. Six years later, he was a personal chef to the Rothschild family. Then, three years later, in what seems in retrospect like madness, he moved to Devon to run Keith Floyd’s Maltster’s Arms restaurant. The story goes that as soon as he arrived, barely able to speak any English, Floyd cheerfully handed over the keys and announced he was going on holiday. Surviving the baptism of fire, he later won his first Michelin star at Le Provence in Lymington before moving to London to become head chef at the Four Seasons Hotel on Hyde Park Corner. In 1996, Maison Novelli was his first self owned restaurant, soon followed by others in London, France and South Africa, whilst he acted as chef patron or consultant to a number of other places, notably helping to pioneer the gastro-pub market. He now devotes much of his time to the Novelli Academy, helping to train chefs. Your Academy is coming up to the anniversary of its first decade. Has it been a satisfying time for you? What are you most proud of? The Novelli Academy has been my greatest business achievement ever. The fact that I have had so many visitors to the Academy over the last ten years and so many people come more than just the once has given me personally the greatest pleasure. Being able to share my skills, tips and experiences that I have learnt over the past 30 years is very special to me. Seeing people’s faces of joy when I produce various dishes and knowing that those skills will be tried at home makes me feel honoured. I am now teaching experienced chefs those skills too. We have had many chefs from private houses, hotels or good quality restaurants visit me recently, looking for inspiration that they can take back to their various places of work.

What do you think is the hardest skill or lesson to teach in the kitchen? The hardest thing to teach people is passion - passion for food, cooking and presentation, However, once they understand this, there really is no end to their achievements. Are you still looking to expand your consultancy work with restaurants? What territories would you now consider? I am doing a lot of consultancy, not only me but my entire team. We recently worked with a Chinese Olympic committee and have had offers from India but I am looking to do more in the Middle East as I feel that that area has been affected by the worldwide recession but is coming back at full force. Having had fantastic experiences there in the past, I ﬁnd the people so welcoming and appreciative of my knowledge. As a French chef who has spent most of his career in the UK, how much has British food changed over that time? Do you think that’s to do with better access to quality ingredients? A better awareness of diners of improving standards? A new generation of chefs keen to demonstrate their skills? The rise of the celebrity chef which has made food sexy? The UK has given me many chances over the years and I love the people, culture and history, especially regarding food. It is so multicultural and I think the food reﬂects this. Over the years there have been

many visitors from around the world who want their particular ingredients, from spices to herbs and my style of cooking has changed to include all types of fusion ingredients, sometimes with some very surprising results. I always love both sweet and savoury combinations. Many of the new chefs have also learnt to use the many ingredients available in the UK to great effect which is reflected in what people cook at home, making cooking at home the most popular hobby for both men and women. I find have many more men on my courses at the Academy now that when I first started. How useful is it to your business to be involved in the celebrity side of the industry? TV shows, etc? Do you think it might be a distraction from the food? Obviously the celebrity side of the industry has helped to expose me in the past but over the last few years I have reduced the amount I do. Not only because I feel that cooking directly for people is my passion but I also have a young family with my fiancé Michelle and like to spend time at home. I get a lot more out of cooking in front of the public and seeing the reactions for myself, this is why I perform many demonstrations at various food shows around the world. You left school early to start work in a bakery. Have you ever had any regrets about not being able to continue your education? I am always proud of my early life, especially my

“I AM TRYING TO INFLUENCE HEALTHY COOKING WITH FRESH PRODUCE. EVERYONE NEEDS TO BE ABLE TO COOK USING VERY LITTLE FAT, SALT AND CREAM.” 39

Face to face family life and learnt so much from my Mother both about the basic of life and cooking. Working as a baker gave me the best start in life and helped me to understand about cooking. This is where I learned the most about my particular industry - that’s not something that can be learned in school but I do encourage my older son to do well at school so that he has more options available to him. How do you approach the creation of a new dish or a new season’s menu? Are you always driven by the ingredients or by development of existing ideas or from the influences of seeing other chefs’ work? Most of my new dishes are dependent on seasons, what is fresh and what is available in the area that I’m in. I try to cook healthily and where possible to use very little saturated fat and show this in my demonstrations but generally I tend to vary what I cook depending on how I feel on the day. What ingredients or produce excite you particularly at present? Overall, anything fresh and seasonal but with no compromise, but according to the way I introduce a lot more different spices and fresh herbs. I work very well with vanilla pods, coffee seeds, cocoa powder, cardamom, wild lemongrass and I also occasionally introduce specific smoked paprika. Basically, cooking with urgency - quick but short and infusing more. You’ve obviously met and interacted with many of the years, but which chefs do you admire and why? Is a very difficult question to answer because I’ve met so many people and is impossible to mention names and every day is a new talent you discover, but if I look back the ones I have admired for well over 25 years is Marco Pierre White, Keith Floyd and Mary Berry. What key food trends do you see at present? What do you think will be the new big thing? What is going to change the way we eat in 2013? I am not sure what the trends are but I am trying to influence healthy cooking with fresh produce. Everyone needs to be able to cook using very little fat, salt and cream. The results can be achieved if the proper techniques are used without sacrificing the taste. If we allow you one last meal. What would you want to choose? My mother’s stuffed oven baked garden tomatoes. I understand that you’re now working with Emile Rassam based in Lebanon on a signature set of chefs’ uniforms. How do you approach a project like that and what are the important things you would want to see in the final completed designs? Yes, I am about to start working with Emile Rassam on a set of chefs’uniforms which I find very exciting and is a new avenue for me. I can only pass on my past experiences working in busy kitchens and help design something that is both comfortable and practical for everyone. They have come up with some fabulous styles and allowed me to play and develop those with my own detail. I can’t wait to see the results.

“I AM LOOKING TO DO MORE IN THE MIDDLE EAST AS I FEEL THAT THAT AREA HAS BEEN AFFECTED BY THE WORLDWIDE RECESSION BUT IS COMING BACK AT FULL FORCE. HAVING HAD FANTASTIC EXPERIENCES THERE IN THE PAST, I FIND THE PEOPLE SO WELCOMING AND APPRECIATIVE OF MY KNOWLEDGE.”

Face to face

For John Cordeaux, Executive Chef of Fairmont The Palm, it’s a busy time. With the hotel’s opening date still not ﬁnalised, he’s working hard on concepts for seven new F&B outlets, trying to balance creating a great destination hotel and serving local Palm residents.

fter more than 25 years in the business, nothing much rattles John Cordeaux, Executive Chef of Fairmont The Palm. An interview in a lobby area bare apart from three chairs and a table? No problem? Loud bangings interrupting his thoughts? Not an issue, as construction goes on around us. After all, he once served a banquet for 2,500 guests at the summit of Mount Temblant in Quebec, which reaches a peak of 2,871 feet! You seem to enjoy what you’re doing. I think in what we do, it’s not a job but a way of life. There are very few people who love going to work and I’m lucky to be one of them. There’s an emotional attachment to the work and our families no doubt want us to be more at home. I’ve so much real admiration to those chefs who get the balance right. How did you get into the profession? I grew up in a small village outside Lincoln - my

father was the local GP. You know how those little villages are - the church is next to the doctor’s surgery and so on - and, my mother being a great cook, especially a great baker, our house was always full of people popping in. As often as not, they’d bring food so it was always around me and, aged 11, I realised that’s what I wanted to do with my life. My parents took me down to the local small bakery and said ‘Please put him to work’ and for the next three years that’s where I spent my school holidays. How did you make the leap into the kitchen from the bakery? I was lucky. My Godmother, through her work links, managed to get me apprenticed with BTH (British Transport Hotels) when I was 15, really starting in the industry at the Royal Victoria Hotel. Before that I’d done some holiday work in hotels and there were the best weeks of my life! So I didn’t study A-levels or university, just did ﬁve days a week working in the kitchen and one day studying.

I imagine life back then in a Yorkshire hotel was a bit different to the glamorous world of big time chefs today? It was deﬁnitely a time of hard knocks. I was kicked. I was punched. I was shut in the fridge. That’s how chefs were at the time. However, I do believe that no job can be done with discipline and structure - if I had gone into cooking, then maybe I’d have ended up in the navy. Anyway, my career progressed and I got promoted to Sous Chef and so on. One of the lucky things that happened to me was that I was sent to New York to learn a bit more about taste and presentation, after which I decided to move to north America. A bit different from Shefﬁeld! Very different. So I had these two opportunities: stay in New York City or shift to Montreal. well, as a young man, I thought I could speak French pretty well, so I joined Fairmont Hotels and Resorts at the Fairmont Queen Elizabeth in Montreal, where I worked alongside Chef Edward Merard. It was a

Face to face

Face to face real shock, though. I arrived at the hotel and called down to the kitchen from my room to the Chef to say I’d arrived and I just got this very fast stream of French! I was comletely out of my depth, but I did survive and did well - a decade later I was the Executive Chef and it was time to move on so, still with the company, I moved on to lead Canada’s largest hotel kitchen at The Fairmont Royal York in Toronto, Ontario. And you could speak English again! Yes! I also served as the hotel’s food and beverage director for three years, which was an incredible learning experience. Eventually, though, I wanted to get back into the kitchen. Why did you move to the Middle East? Well, in 2009, there was an opportunity I couldn’t turn down: opening a new Fairmont property in Abu Dhabi, so I had to open the Fairmont Bab Al Bahr from scratch. How do you approach that in terms of deciding which outlets to develop? You have to know your customers, then concepts get developed and your energy goes into driving them forward. The key question, I think, is this: how do you differentiate yourself? The great thing about the Fairmont is that it isn’t a cookie cutter chain. Instead, it wants to be appropriate to the community and authentically local. Some of the decisions were easy - the owners already had the licensing rights to both the Marco Pierre White Steakhouse & Grill and Frankie’s Restaurant & Bar, so they were obvious. I’m not a great fan of all-day dining, so I wanted a concept that transformed from a buffet breakfast into a relaxed, generous family-style evening and I think that worked. What is the key to successful delivery? You have to be different and deliver quality - for example, Marco is quality but what can you do with a restaurant that serves hotel residents and guests? I think the answer lies in produce. In Canada, 99% of the ingredients we used were Canadian but the issue here in the UAE is that you can’t do that. Instead, there’s this great trap of using anything and everything throughout the year just because you can. I think you have to respect the season and, whilst you’re sourcing the best products, respect what you’re doing. I’m proud that we spearheaded the implementation of the EWS-WWF Choose Wisely Campaign for sustainable seafood throughout the hotel, but you also need to educate your customers. You’ve been described as “the colleagues’ chef”. What does that mean?

Going back to what we were talking about - the old, tough chef - I realised when I became an Executive Chef, that I could make my own choices about how I ran my kitchen and how I treated people. You don’t have to behave like that any more. My job is to motivate people to be great chefs and, more than that, into great people. They need to be respectful, they need to be organised and they need to listen, but they need support and mentoring. I love sharing my experiences and training younger chefs. That’s a really meaningful reward for me. At present, building a team at the Palm is great fun and satisfying. Now you’re Executive Chef of Fairmont The Palm. How’s that going? It’s exciting, even though we’re not open yet. I’ve got a team of over 140 to train and seven outlets to open! What we’re trying to do is deliver unique

dining experiences. There’s no point doing what everyone else is doing. What are you planning? Firstly, Fero which means ‘fever’ - an authentic Brazilian churrasco restaurant that going to be all about the quality of the meat. There’s a Chinese restaurant that will be 50% traditional dishes and 50% adventurous Chinese style dishes. We’ll do allday dining with both buffet and a la carte family style dishes. A lobby lounge, of course, but again we’ve a twist and we’ll be serving British afternoon tea with dishes from England, Scotland and Wales. A cigar and malt lounge. An outdoor dining area that transforms into grilled seafood in the evening. And a cake shop where you can buy great bread, pastries and cakes. It’s a balance is being both a destination hotel for people across Dubai and a familiar local place for people living on The Palm.

“MY JOB IS TO MOTIVATE PEOPLE TO BE GREAT CHEFS AND, MORE THAN THAT, INTO GREAT PEOPLE. THEY NEED TO BE RESPECTFUL, THEY NEED TO BE ORGANISED AND THEY NEED TO LISTEN, BUT THEY NEED SUPPORT AND MENTORING.” 44

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Face to face

Italian passion Newly appointed as Executive Chef at the Fairmont Bab Al Bahr, Cladys Magagna is stepping into big shoes - those of John Cordeaux, who has moved to the Fairmont The Palm. With seven restaurants, a large banqueting operation and over 100 staff to oversee, heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s relishing the challenge.

Face to face

new job as Executive Chef at the Fairmont Bab Al Bahr is a tough job, bearing in mind the hotel’s successful reign of restaurant awards. However, Chef Cladys Magagna doesn’t see any problems. “Of course, I’m still looking for the bad news,” he laughs. “Whenever you go into an operation, you can see what may be missing.” Born in Piedmont, halfway between Turin and Milan, still relishes the food of his native region, his eyes glazing over as we talk of truffles. Aged 20, he enrolled into culinary school and then worked in the Botticella Restaurant in northern Italy. From there, he ventured abroad. Was food important to you as a child? I’m Italian, so yes! We lived near a lake so there was always lots of fish, my mother worked parttime so spent hours in the kitchen and I used to love watching her and then cooking came naturally to me. We had our own vegetable garden, grew our own herbs, produced our own EVOO, got chickens and rabbits from my grandfather - yes, lots of food! How was it then when you went abroad for the first time? Very strange for me. I went to Vienna to do one season and it transformed it. we took for granted growing up that everybody enjoyed great food but, there in Vienna, people were saying very complimentary things about our food, as if they

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“WILL THERE BE CHANGES AT THE HOTEL? YES, OF COURSE - YOU HAVE TO KEEP MAKING CHANGES. IN THIS INDUSTRY, IT’S NEVER BUSINESS AS USUAL.” weren’t used to good food. I was working at the Martinelli Restaurant, which had two Gault Millau hats, as Chef de Partie and then, two years later, was promoted to Restaurant Chef. Then, in 2002, I moved on to the Novelli Restaurant, which had one Michelin Star and three Gault Millau hats. Before leaving Italy, I had never really thought how easy it would be to work outside the country but I really enjoyed it! And what next? After a year at Novelli, I had the chance to move to New York City. There was a great buzz about the city that I wanted to be a part of - it’s a food city, after all - and I thought ‘I wanna work there!” I had no connections, just one phone number but I got to work for the I Tre Meril Bistro Group, where I was responsible for two restaurants and 16 cooks, in Brooklyn. A year later, I took a break from the kitchen and became both manager and teacher at the Italian Culinary Institute, as well as ovewrseeing Italian Cooking & Living and The Magazine of La Cucina Italiana.

4 good

Come on, a chef doing our magazine job! It was great, I loved it and those magazines and the passion at the Institute for food. I also developed culinary courses, organised menus and dining layouts for clients and created thousands of recipes for publication. Italian food in America doesn’t have the greatest reputation, does it? You know, spaghetti and meatballs‚Ä¶ Yes, that’s partly true but there is great food there too. A good Italian chef is really about regional cuisine and good authentic food. So, although you can’t create an authentic Italian regional cuisine in America, it’s true that you can still ﬁnd a good, American heirloom tomato even if it isn’t from Napoli. So, local American ingredients and then just the same system you’d use back home: a recipe, great produce and passion. Italian food is generic, so change is possible. What can make it great also is presentation and service, however the problem with taking Italian regional cuisine into the ﬁne

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Face to face

“IN ABU DHABI, WE HAVE A LOT OF COMPETITION AND ONE WAY WE CAN STAND OUT IS TO MAKE SURE OUR STAFF HAVE PERSONALITIES.”

dining arena is that people expect more ingredients to upgrade the food. But it doesn’t always need trufﬂes or whatever - just quality, simplicity and presentation.

everywhere. Now, whenever I am in the kitchen, I get the whole brigade together and we see what everybody’s origins brought together can achieve. that’s very powerful.

Did you enjoy the interaction doing food demos and so on? Oh yes, I loved it. It was never a formal format and it was so much fun. I tried to be engaging because that’s what people like - I think all chefs should be engaging and in touch with their customers.

And then to the Fairmont... Five years back, I joined the Fairmont Southampton in Bermuda as Restaurant Chef at the Bacci Italian Restaurant, then moved on to Executive Sous Chef for both the Fairmont Acapulco Princess and the Fairmont Pierre Marques in Acapulco, Mexico. In 2010, I became the Executive Chef, overseeing the entire kitchen operation for both properties. However, despite all these inﬂuences, I’m still an Italian - simple food with EVOO and sea salt!

Then you left? Yes, after four years with the Institute, much as i loved it, I wanted to go deeper into the food industry and, as much as I loved New York City, it was time for a change. Maybe I wasn’t quite the farm boy but I needed a bit more quiet than the city. So, in 2005, I joined The Abraham Lincoln ‚Äì Wyndham Historic Hotel in Pennsylvania as the Executive Chef in charge of managing the kitchen and developing new restaurant concepts. I began here to change my style and really look at ingredients and see what was possible. I also worked for a while in Brazil and Puerto Rico and learned a lot from

You were involved in the Fairmont wellness programme, I think? Yes, it’s a great system that tells you the nutritional value of ingredients. It helps you to take things back to the origins - no canned products, except maybe anchovies, olives and capers, for example. What brought you to Abu Dhabi? I think, right now, that the UAE is the right place

to be, except maybe for Brazil. In terms of food, certainly, it’s the best place with great restaurants. And I can get direct ﬂights home! What are you plans for the Fairmont Bab Al Bahr? I think a priority is to make service more engaging. This over-attentive style just doesn’t work for many people. In Abu Dhabi, we have a lot of competition and one way we can stand out is to make sure our staff have personalities. That will take training but, as much as food is important, service is so much more. Will there be changes at the hotel? Yes, of course - you have to keep making changes. In this industry, it’s never business as usual. I’ve only been here two months and we also have a new F&B Directior, so it’s too early to say what the plans are apart from saying I want to make this a healthy hotel, using great food, education, even classes to help people eat more healthily. We already have a very strong mark in Abu Dhabi and we can build on that. At the end of the day, I believe that food lovers like to ﬁnd a restaurant with good food, great ingredients and personal service. It’s that simple.

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Pearl fisheries advert.indd 38

11/5/12 11:15 AM

Book review

Venetian beauty Despite the fashionable belief that the craze for small plates of food has passed, a simple idea in London for an ‘authentic’ Venetian bacari has grown to a quirky chain of similar joints and a stunning cookbook.

hatever you do, don’t mention the ‘tapas’ word at Polpo, on the edge of London’s Soho or at any the other outlets in the small chain. Polpo doesn’t do tapas; it does cicheti. More speciﬁcally, it does Venetian cicheti. What makes a restaurant successful? If we knew the answer to that, then life would be much simpler. Location is always key, so too is offering a rather different take. So it was with some surprise that Polpo, with its small tasting-like servings of Italian - sorry, Venetian - food should have opened on the site of a recently closed Italian restaurant that specialisied in tasting-like plates. Owner Russell Norman is no stranger to success in restaurants, however, having cut his teeth at Caprice Holdings. He saw the gap for authentic food in the low-key, slightlier shabby side of funky and, having spotted an empty site in what was once Caneletto’s house, he poached Tom Oldroyd from nearby Bocca di Lupo. Combining delicious and keenly priced food with a relaxed vibe has proved popular and Norman

Book review

Russell Noeman

Book review has now spread the concept around London. So it was only a matter of time before the Polpo cookbook arrived from Bloomsbury Publishing. ‘POLPO: A Venetian Cookbook (Of Sorts)’ by Norman is the result. In the same way that Polpo the restaurant approaches eating out in a different way, so Polpo the cookbook rethinks the format of a collection of restaurant recipes. Attention to detail is meticulous - part cokbook, part travelogue, part Norman’s love letter to Venice - all matched by Jenny Zarins’ beautiful photography. In what is bound to be a much copied innovation, the book has no spine, which allows you to have it open ﬂat on the counter and, with signatures of pages tied together with string, to enjoy the look of an antique volume on your shelf. The 140 recipes include caprese stacks; zucchini shoestring fries; asparagus with Parmesan and anchovy butter; butternut risotto; arancini, rabbit cacciatore; warm duck salad with wet walnuts and beets; crispy baby pizzas with prosciutto and rocket; scallops with lemon and peppermint; mackerel tartare; linguine with clams; whole sea bream; warm octopus salad; soft-shell crab in Parmesan batter with fennel salad; walnut and honey semifreddo; tiramis√π; ﬁzzy bellinis and glasses of bright orange spritz. Hungry already?

“WE HAVE A RULE THAT A DISH IS READY TO BE PUT ON THE MENU ONLY WHEN WE HAVE TAKEN OUT AS MANY INGREDIENTS AS POSSIBLE.” Russell Norman

Travel

Impossibly green On a trip to the west coast of Ireland, counting the shades of green in ﬁelds, hedgerows and hillsides. 36, 37, 38, 39... Suddenly, in one of those strange moments of synchronicity, our hostess leaned forward and said: “Did you know we used to use the ‘40 shades of green’ theme for our Ireland promotions?” Of such moments are Irish holidays made.

Travel Travel

Travel

reland, especially the west coast counties of Galway, Mayo and Clare, is a mix of tradition and modernity. It’s a bitter irony that many of the features that now draw people to the area derive from centuries of hard living, poverty and worse. And what we see now as attractive - the small fields, the low cottages, the lack of much major infrastructure and industry - are as they are because of the past. The land is surprisingly empty because millions of Irish citizens either died from hunger or emigrated to the USA searching for a better life. Like, the highlands of Scotland, that may leave an attractive landscape but it’s hard to enjoy completely in isolation from its cause. And living on the west of Ireland was always hard. It might benefit from the warmth of the Gulf Stream but heavy rainfall and hard land combined to make subsistence farming about the best one could hope for, unless a landowner with resources to create good grazing. Yet out of all this, the sheer beauty of the landscape and the warmth of the people make the west a great destination. And if there’s rain, then merely copy the Irish and call it ‘a soft day’ instead of a wet one... Thanks to massive European Union investment, a great deal of upgrading of roads in the region has taken place, meaning that travelling from town to town is now fast and easy - even Dublin is only a couple of hours away, heading east. The building boom that followed Ireland’s entry into the EU has now now died, however, leaving many halffinished buildings scarring the landscape. But, remarkably, it’s the renaissance of Irish food which is the real story, perhaps best headlined by the international reputation of the Galway International Oyster Festival held every September. This four day celebration of local oysters combines food, drink and music into a great event, uniting residents and visitors alike. The city of Galway is small enough to feel comfortable, yet diverse enough to offer a wide range of other activities and the Festival is one of the friendliest major events I can remember. Across the west, however, you can find artisanal

DRINKING ETIQUETTE There’s no getting away from it - Ireland is a country where people like to drink. But they drink socially and sociably - if you’re at the bar in a pub, then the assumption is that you’ll be drawn into conversations. If you’re looking for peace and quiet, then sit at a table with a paper and you’ll be left alone. The obvious drink of choice is Guinness, which does taste different in Ireland than the drink you may have had elsewhere. It’s a drink that cannot be hurried - to pour one properly takes the best part of two minutes in order for the head to form correctly, so don’t be impatient. The Irish way is to order your next when 2/3rds of the way down the ﬁrst - to give it time to arrive and to settle before you’re ready!

Galway Bay

producers and food lovers combining to create a wealth of culinary talent and produce. In the small town of Lisdoonvarna, for example, there’s the award-winning Burren Smokehouse where master smoker Peter Curtin and his Swedish wife Birgitta built a thriving business on clever marketing and his smoking innovations. Using prime sustainable local products, the couple now export globally, including to royal families in the Gulf! Yet, often it’s the small enounters and the unexpected sights that linger in the memory. The low fields of peat waiting to be cut for winter fuel. The far-off Croagh Patrick mountain in Co Mayo, site of many barefoot pilgrimages to the summit for the faithful. Cormorants fishing the rich waters of the River Shannon as it empties into Galway Bay. The stark yet soft beauty of The Burren, a large range of unique limestone landscape with its own indigenous flora and a place to enrich the soul. The chance conversations. The utterly prosaic

Oysters are a favourite

Travel

GOOD FOOD DESTINATIONS Although your own itinerary will bring your own discoveries, here are a variety of places to enjoy good, local food that we highly recommend. The Roadside Tavern, Lisdoonvarna, Co Clare. Owned and run by Peter Curtin of the nearby Burren Smokehouse, who was born in the house. Very friendly. Great music. Good company. Excellent beer. And, of course, a wide selection of smoked fish from the smokehouse. Pull up a chair, start a conversation with someone on the next table and wile away the afternoon - a relaxing time is guaranteed! Morans Oyster Cottage, Kilcolgan. Co Galway. The nearby Galway International Oyster Festival may garner all the publicity but local wisdom suggests that one of the best places to enjoy them is Moran‚Äôs, siting outside, gazing over the water and enjoying some of Ireland‚Äôs finest. McDonaghs Seafood House, Quay Street, Galway. Don‚Äôt mess with tradition. In a pedestrian area of Galway that is stuffed with places to eat, the queue for the freshest fried fish and old fashioned chips at McDonagh‚Äôs frequently snakes out of the door and into the street. No wonder - this is the taste of your childhood. Good quality produce, treated with respect and no messing.

AT LEAST 320 IRISH BUSINESSES ARE PRODUCING ARTISAN AND SPECIALITY FOOD, WITH A HUGE NUMBER OF THEM TRADING AT FARMERS AND FOOD MARKETS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. shop-front of a renowned 7th-son-of-a-7th-son faith-healer. The streets of a small coastal town thick with throngs of people arriving to watch traditional rowing contests. And through it all runs the food. As well as the love and dedication of a new generation of producers and suppliers, chefs and restauranteurs. By focusing on quality, locality and sustainability, they have transformed a good landscape that used to

be largely ignored in discussions about food across ‘better’ European food countries. Artisanal cheeses. The highest quality shellﬁsh. Atlantic salmon. Well-prepared beef and lamb. Farmers’ markets. Food festivals. Fine dining or simple pub lunches. The question is not whether to enjoy the west coast of Ireland, but rather when, not what to eat but, perhaps, how often...

McDonaghs Caf Rua, Castlebar, Co Mayo. Following the success of the ﬁrst Caf√© Rua in this lively town, Aran McMahon (son of founder Ann) has taken the rustic charm a bit more upmarket and produced a stunning combination of deli, sandwich bar and restaurant. Light, airy and with constantly changing menus based on the best local ingredients, Caf√© Rua is a perfect place to get to know the range and quality of local suppliers, together with a chance to quiz staff about sourcing of produce.

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Travel

Jos Luis Lopez de Zubiria

Basqueing in success After the closure of el Bulli, Catalonia’s restaurant reputation has yet to reach the heights again, but another of Spain’s regions - the Basque country - is more than ready to take up the challenge, led by Mugaritz.

erhaps less known than Barcelona, San Sebastian is now one of the world’s great cities for food. In the surrounding area you have a choice between Michelin 3-star Martin Berasategui, family-run Rekondo, Elkano and Asador Etxebarri, not to mention a host of pintxo bars, all relying of amazing local produce and chefs willing to experiment. And then you have Mugaritz, the Michelin 2-star in Errenteria headed by Chef Andoni Aduriz who apprenticed at el Bulli. He calls his approach ‘techno-emotional cuisine’ and his ability to apply science to cooking has seen Mugaritz - derives

Jos Luis Lopez de Zubiria

from the Basque ‘muga eta haritza’ or ‘oak at the border’ - recognised as one of the handful of top restaurants in Europe, if not in the world. However, the path has not been easy. His ﬁrst choice of location was a sports centre, but he was outbid on the space. “The story of Mugaritz has been that, one of obstacle, obstacle, obstacle and the will of people passing those obstacles,” Aduriz says. His second choice was a former dairy in the mountains, in the shade of the region’s largest oak forest. It was perfect and the location helped guide his developing style. “The location was fabulous, magical, surrounded by nature,” he recalls.

Travel But there was not an auspicious start when Mugaritz opened, a 20-minute drive outside San Sebastian, because it had a reservations only policy. With time on their hands, Aduriz and staff worked with their natural surroundings and explored the local herbs. “Today it’s really the identity of Mugaritz. So a problem gave us a solution or an opportunity, Thanks to us not working in those first years, we have an incredible, impressive respect for people,” he explains. “The exchange isn’t that people give us money and we feed them. They’re accomplices. We try to offer them things that obligate us to commit ourselves to their experience.” This commitment includes foraging locally and planting in the restaurant garden so they can pick produce, flowers and herbs just minutes before they’re served. The staff spend around 12,000 hours a year in creativity. “ll of these accumulated experiences, we try to synthesise them and filter them through our personalities and give them to our clients by way of a sequence of 20 dishes,” Aduriz says. “If all of this doesn’t work, then I‚Äôll

speak to the sommeliers and I’ll tell them to give them a lot to drink!” Much of Aduriz’ work is playful. “I come from a place with very traditional cuisine. I think they’ve been doing the same thing for 25,000 years!” he says, but his own key work is very different, as most evidenced by his trademark ‘Edible stones’ dish. Diners are encouraged to pick them up, touch them and ask if they’re edible. “When we have something new, we try to confront it with some thing that’s already familiar to give a reference that helps to put the attention on what’s new,” he says. “Mugaritz is a ‘border’. It’s the border of the limits of your capabilities and to surpass it. Even if we make a mistake it’s exciting. I hope to never lose the hunger that I have to grow and to learn.” Mugaritz develops between 75 and 100 new dishes a year, some of which can take up to 200 hours to create, although some such dishes like ‘Fresh almonds and meadowsweet’ took a mere ﬁve minutes. “It was just a strike of inspiration. It was very

intuitive,” Aduriz says. “But what was necessary was my 38 years of life to do that dish.” What is extraordinary about Aduriz is that his success followed a start in life that seemed to doom him to failure. At school, he failed all his subjects. At cookery school, he failed his ﬁrst year. But, aged 16, he suddenly discovered what chefs outside his home town were doing through magazines. Suddenly passionate, he then had a hunger to study and achieve. At which point he met Ferran Adriá. He worked at el Bulli in the early 1990s, just before the restaurant became so iconic. “Sometimes at service there would be zero customers but we knew what we were doing was right,” he recalls. Today, Adriá considers Aduriz one of the best three chefs in the world, possibly because of his young protege’s belief in paring a dish to its essentials. “At Mugaritz, we look for the least amount of ingredients, to see whether it can work with less,” he explains.

Per-Anders Jorgensen

Jose Luis Lopez de Zubiria

“WHEN PEOPLE COME TO A RESTAURANT THEY CAN THINK THAT THEY’RE IN A MONASTERY. BUT THAT’S NOT OUR INTENTION. IT’S A LITTLE BIT RIDICULOUS, SO MUCH SERIOUSNESS BECAUSE DEEP DOWN, A RESTAURANT IS A PLACE THAT PEOPLE COME TO ENJOY. IF PEOPLE LEARN SOMETHING, DISCOVER, AND ENJOY THEMSELVES, IT HAS A MUCH GREATER IMPACT ON THEM.” - Chef Andoni Luis Aduriz

Under the Patronage of H. H. Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan Deputy Prime Minister of the UAE, Minister of Presidential Affairs and Chairman of Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority

26-28 November 2012 , ADNEC

Consider yourself a bit of a masterchef? Strategic partner

Compete alongside hundreds of other chefs across a range of disciplines at La Cuisine by SIAL For further information contact the Emirates Culinary Guild.

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Travel

A return to London for editor Dave Reeder saw him photographing and eating in equal measure.

The last word

Object of desire We’re in the middle of a vacuum revolution. Chefs worldwide have adopted sous vide techniques to increase precision and consistency of their dishes, but the revolution moves on. The lastest ‘must have’ toy is the Gastrovac - a compact appliance for cooking, frying and impregnating in a vacuum.

eveloped by the Universidad Politecnica de Valencia and the cooks Javier Andres (Restaurante La Sucursal, Valencia) and Sergio Torres (Restaurante El Rodat, Javea), the Gastrovac functions by creating an artificial low pressure, oxygen-free atmosphere which considerably reduces cooking and frying temperatures, maintaining the texture, colour and nutrients of the food. More interestingly for chefs, the Gastrovac also creates the so-called ‘sponge effect’: when the atmospheric pressure is restored, the food absorbs the liquid around it, allowing infinite combinations of foods and flavours. This effect is the basis for cold impregnation, which opens up a whole

THE GASTROVAC ALSO CREATES THE SO-CALLED ‘SPONGE EFFECT’: WHEN THE ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE IS RESTORED, THE FOOD ABSORBS THE LIQUID AROUND IT.

new area of creativity for chefs. During the actual cooking, air in the food expands and comes out, leaving space which is filled by the cooking liquid. What is interesting about the Gastrovac is that it comes to the market with little background information or established. That means that experimental is forced on the chef and some very interesting results can emerge. Reading chef reviews on-line, it seems a common approach is to choose a selection of complementary flavours and products from the walk-in and then just wing it. Certainly the ability to infuse cooked vegetables with a wide variety of flavoured liquids is going to get many chefs taking a number of chances on new flavour combinations. Whether it will form part of every regular kitchen seems unlikely but, for the chef who likes to push the boundaries, the Gastrovac looks like an essential piece of equipment. The price? Around $4,500.

Dehydrated cauliﬂower and mussels, with ribbon vegetables.

Powdered frozen basil with fresh tomato puree and a white licorice puree.

The perfect recipe for success from our chefs

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