Archivi tag: Food Industry

Jennifer Massier, the emotional Chef

Smiling and spontaneous, Jennifer Massier has thrilled him -Massimo Bottura- with her dish taking home the podium in the competition “The chefs of tomorrow”. Her energy exploded when she was announced as a winner and we could not let this girl run out of talent and inspiration.

 

Would you tell us more about you, your background and when did your passion for cooking start? 

 

IMG_0637Chef has always been my dream job, but as God always guides us humans, the path did not go straight, but in retrospect, it all had its good meaning, because I still needed the school of Jesus here for my healthy development. I first trained at McDonald’s, but I always enjoyed cooking at home and especially sauces have always been great fun because I think a good sauce makes a good cook. Yes, and then, through divine guidance, I landed at the Posthotel of Alexander Herrmann, just over a year ago, where I was now able to find the best job in the world. At that time, I started as a kitchen helper, but Tobias Bätz, my Headchef, quickly saw my passion for cooking, and helped me find a way to cook my apprenticeship. About the training I had the opportunity to win the second competition of the Jeunes Restaurateurs in cooperation with the European Authentic Pleasure 🙂

 

 

DE. Würdest Du uns mehr über dich erzählen, deinen Hintergrund und wann deine Leidenschaft fürs Kochen begonnen hat?

 

IMG_0508 Köchin war eigentlich schon immer mein Traumberuf, aber wie Gott uns Menschen da immer so führt, ging der Weg nicht direkt, aber es hatte im Nachhinein alles seinen guten Sinn, denn ich brauchte die Schule Jesu bis hier her zu meiner gesunden Entwicklung noch. Ich habe erst eine Ausbildung bei McDonald’s gemacht, aber ich habe immer super gerne Zuhause gekocht und besonders Soßen haben mir schon immer super viel Spaß gemacht, weil ich finde, eine gute Soße macht einen guten Koch aus. Ja und dann bin ich durch göttliche Führung vor etwas mehr wie einem Jahr im Posthotel von Alexander Herrmann gelandet, wo ich jetzt den besten Arbeitsplatz der Welt finden durfte. Damals habe ich als Küchenhilfe gestartet, aber Tobias Bätz, mein Küchenchef hat sehr schnell meine Leidenschaft für’s Kochen gesehen und hat mir einen Weg gebahnt die Ausbildung zu Köchin zu machen. Über die Ausbildung hatte ich dann auch die Möglichkeit jetzt schon den zweiten Wettbewerb der Jeunes Restaurateurs in Kooperation mit der European Authentic Pleasure zu gewinnen 🙂

 

At what point you thought you wanted to participate to this contest, in Italy? 

 

a655a95e-03dd-4084-a1a6-e34835c0d82aI first participated in a competition from the Jeunes Restaurateurs in cooperation with the European Authentic Pleasure in Germany and the first prize was the trip to Italy and participation in the competition in Modena from the European Authentic Pleasure and from the start I had an extreme joy for the competition and, of course, Massimo Bottura. He is a great role model for me and the idea of ​​meeting him was so incredible, but cooking for him is of course much more!

 

 

 

 

DE. Wann hast Du entschieden, an diesem Wettbewerb in Italien teilzunehmen?

 

0189d01e-8408-451a-92e6-5e937ddfbe47Ich habe zuerst an einem Wettbewerb der Jeunes Restaurateurs in Kooperation mit der European Authentic Pleasure in Deutschland teilgenommen und der erste Preis war die Reise nach Italien und die Teilnahme am Wettbewerb in Modena von European Authentic Pleasure und ich hatte von Anfang an extreme Lust auf den Wettbewerb und natürlich für Massimo Bottura zu kochen. Er ist ein großes Vorbild für mich und die Vorstellung Ihn zu treffen war so unglaublich, aber für ihn zu kochen natürlich noch viel mehr!

 

What’s your favorite food, the one that most represent you?

 

I have many favorite foods, but if I had to choose one, it would be spinach and potatoes.

DE. Dein Lieblingsgericht?

 

Ich habe viele Lieblingslebensmittel, aber wenn ich mich auf eines festlegen müsste, dann wäre es Spinat und Kartoffeln.

 

Zampone and Cotechino! Was it a challenge to integrate this typical Italian (from Modena) food into your recipe?

 

IMG_0651No, it was not very difficult to find a recipe for the Zampone! I love to work creatively, so I quickly found the right recipe where the Zampone also worked great.

 

DE. Zampone und Cotechino! War es eine Herausforderung, dieses typisch italienische Essen in deinem Rezept zu integrieren?

 

Nein sehr schwer war es nicht ein Rezept für die Zampone zu finden! Ich liebe es kreativ zu arbeiten und so habe ich sehr schnell das passende Rezept gefunden, wo die Zampone sich auch super integriert hat.

 

 

Jennifer Massier was chosen by Massimo Bottura. What is your feeling about Mr. Bottura and how this will  impact on your career or studies?

 

IMG_0756 Yes Mr Bottura is a very great man and I had a very close relationship with him in the competition, which put a lot of pressure on me. He confirmed myself to be on the right track. And he called my dish very emotional, which is avery big compliment to me as I cook very emotionally and he tasted it out, which is just great!

 

 

 

DE. Jennifer Massier wurde von Massimo Bottura ausgewählt. Was ist Ihre Meinung zu Herr Bottura und wie wirkt sich dies auf Deine Karriere oder Dein Studium aus?

 

IMG_0508Ja Herr Bottura ist ein ganz toller Mann und ich hatte an dem Wettbewerb ein sehr vertrautes Verhältnis zu ihm, was mir ganz viel Druck genommen hat. Es hat mich selbst bestätigt, auf dem richtigen Weg zu sein. Und er hat mein Gericht als sehr emotional bezeichnet, was für mich ein sehr großes Kompliment ist, da ich sehr emotional koche und das er das raus geschmeckt hat, was einfach großartig!

 

 

 

Where do you see yourself in two years ?

 

In two years, my apprenticeship is over and I wish to be a cook who breaks culinary rules, who creatively cooks creatively with passion and love.

 

DE. Wo siehst du dich in zwei Jahren?

 

In zwei Jahren ist meine Lehre vorbei und ich wünsche mir, eine Köchin zu sein, die kulinarische Regeln bricht, die ungezwungen kreativ kocht mit viel Leidenschaft und Liebe.

 

Thanks Jennifer, we wish you all the best for your sparkling career and we’re sure you will be that kind of Chef!

 

Zampone IGP & Chefs of tomorrow

On Saturday December 8th, the “Final of Chefs of tomorrow” competition was held during the 8th Zampone and Cotechino Modena IGP festival, where young students from Italian and foreign schools created new Zampone based dishes. Contestants were rewarded and selected by a jury led by the special one, Chef Massimo Bottura.

For the occasion we have interviewed Marco Buccianti, enogastronomy professor- from the school Istituto d’Istruzione Superiore “Bernardino Lotti” di Massa Marittima (http://www.islotti.gov.it/-) who guided his team with pride and passion to the third position.

_

IT. Si è svolta sabato 8 Dicembre, durante l’ottava Festa dello zampone e del cotechino Modena IGP la finale del concorso per gli Chef di domani, in cui i giovani allievi di scuole italiane e straniere hanno elaborato piatti a base di Zampone, premiati e selezionati da una giuria guidata dallo special one della cucina Massimo Bottura.

Per l’occasione abbiamo intervistato Marco Buccianti docente di enogastronomia, che con orgoglio e passione ha guidato al terzo posto gli allievi provenienti dall’ Istituto d’Istruzione Superiore “Bernardino Lotti” di Massa Marittima (http://www.islotti.gov.it/), scuola che si trova nel territorio della Maremma grossetana immersa sulle colline metallifere.

Marco, prima di tutto, congratulazioni dal team di DM. Come ci si sente ad essere stati premiati dal n°1 al mondo?

 

Grazie, è stato un risultato assolutamente inaspettato, arricchito da i complimenti di uno dei più grandi chef stellati del panorama della ristorazione internazionale. Essere premiati da Massimo Bottura non è cosa da tutti i giorni, un’emozione unica ed indescrivibile che gratifica dell’impegno e del lavoro svolto in questi mesi. È stato un piacere poter ascoltare i suoi consigli e le sue parole d’apprezzamento al nostro piatto. Ci ha colpito la sua spontaneità ed il suo entusiasmo, è stato un incontro unico nel suo genere. Un professionista che con semplicità ha tirato dritto al punto mettendo a fuoco il senso della nostra ricetta e del valore che gli abbiamo dato. Impagabile.

 

ENG. Marco, first of all, congratulations from the DM team. How do you feel getting an award from the number one chef in the world?

 

dm03Thank you, it was an unexpected result, enriched by the compliments of one of the best star chefs in the  international restaurant panorama. Being rewarded by Massimo Bottura is not an everyday occurrence, it is a unique and undescribable emotion, a gratifying honour for all the hard work done in these last months. It’s been a pleasure listening to his tips and his words of appreciation toward our dish. His spontaneity and enthusiasm impressed us, it was a special encounter. A master who with simplicity focused on the meaning of our recipe and comprehended the value we have given to it.

 

IT. Il vostro piatto, la RIZAMPBOLLITA è una fusione di tradizioni fra Emilia e Toscana, l’ideazione è stata immediata?

 

L’ ideazione del piatto non è stata immediata, tutta la classe ha partecipato con idee e suggerimenti. Abbiamo scartato molte idee prima di arrivare ad una ricetta che fosse condivisa da tutti e rispecchiasse un sentimento di tradizione e cultura che volevamo trasmettere.

Il nostro è un concetto di Ribollita evoluta, piatto povero della cucina Toscana, dove l’eccellenza dello Zampone di Modena IGP entra in abbinamento con gli altri ingredienti caratteristici della zuppa. È nata così una ricetta completa dal punto di vista nutrizionale, attenta agli sprechi e piacevole al palato con l’inserimento di prodotti tipici del nostro territorio, come il pomodoro a grappolo da coltura idroponica, la cipolla di Maremma, l’olio di olivastra seggianese DOP e il “Pane del Sole”, prodotto da filiera corta recuperando le coltivazioni di grani antichi quali Senatore Cappelli e Grano Verna.

 

ENG. Your dish, the RIZAMPBOLLITA, is a fusion between traditions from the Emilia and Tuscany regions. Was its conception immediate?

 

dm05The conception of the dish was not immediate, the whole class participated in giving ideas and suggestions. We discarded a lot of ideas before getting to a recipe that reflected a common sentiment of tradition and culture we all wanted to transmit. Our dish is a concept of  advanced Ribollita, originally a poor dish from Tuscan cuisine, where the excellence of Zampone di Modena IGP (PGI) merged with the other characteristic soup ingredients.

 

 

IT. Credete che questi eventi/ competizioni arricchiscano gli allievi? Quale aspetto del concorso vi ha particolarmente colpito e stimolato ?

 

dm07Assolutamente sì! Questi eventi arricchiscono dal punto di vista personale e professionale gli allievi, sono occasioni uniche che li stimolano dal punto di vista creativo e innovativo, ad impegnarsi per dare il meglio di sé stessi e a mettersi in gioco. Inoltre permette agli studenti di confrontarsi con altri coetani appartenenti ad altri istituti di tutta Italia ed entrare più a fondo nel mondo della cucina. Creano motivazione e appassionano, generano curiosità e determinazione. In questi momenti suona ancora più forte la citazione del filosofo e scrittore Plutarco la quale dice “i giovani non sono vasi da riempire ma fiaccole da accendere”.

In generale tutto il progetto è stato molto stimolante, ci ha incentivato ad un approccio diverso, quello dell’esplorazione delle caratteristiche di tante materie prime di qualità che prima non pensavano potessero essere unite insieme per l’elaborazione di nuove ricette. E poi la possibilità di far assaggiare una nostra creazione ad uno chef di altissimo livello parlandoci di persona nel cuore di Piazza Roma a Modena, sotto una tensostruttura studiata ad hoc con la diretta Tv e tantissima gente che ci incitava, applaudiva e ci faceva continue domande complimentandosi per l’allestimento che avevano creato.

 

ENG. Do you think these competitions enriched the culinary students? What aspect of the competition has particularly impressed and stimulated you?

 

dm 06Absoloutely, yes! These events enrich the students personally and professionally, these are exclusive occasions that stimulate creativity and innovation, pushing them to give their best and meet challenges. Additionally, it’s an opportunity to confront their peers from all over Italy. In these moments, the most appropriate quote which I applied to young people, comes from philosopher and writer Plutarch who said “The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled.” Generally, the project was really exciting, it pushed us to experiment the characteristics of high quality raw materials we never thought could be associated together for new recipes. Then, we had the chance to have Massimo Bottura taste our dishes in the heart of Modena, under a tensile structure created specifically for the event, on live TV, with many people cheering for us appreciating our work.

 

IT. Che cos’è l’arte culinaria per questi giovani chef? Cosa credi sia cambiato nella loro percezione di “creare piatti”  in quest’era dove il settore food è stato portato in risalto dai media?

 

dm 02L’arte culinaria per i giovani d’oggi è il saper cucinare qualcosa di buono con un tocco di sana bellezza, saper trovare il giusto bilanciamento tra gli ingredienti e un equilibrio di sapori. Un’arte che si impara studiando fin dalla scuola alberghiera, stando in cucina tanto tempo a provare, sbagliare, riprovare fino a creare un qualcosa che rappresenti un’identità personale e culturale, nell’ottica anche di nuovi sapori e abbinamenti. Ci vogliono passione, sacrificio e dedizione, valori che con la visibilità dei media rischiano di perdersi in un’idea romantica e superficiale della cucina.

In un’era dove il cibo e le ricette sono messe continuamente in risalto dai media, il modo di creare piatti è sicuramente cambiato, ora c’è maggiore attenzione all’aspetto estetico, alla decorazione, con un’importanza rilevante all’intero dressage. È un fatto di tendenza che mette in risalto quella parte artistica che ogni chef porta con sé, però non bisogna mai dimenticare la sostanza, quella che fa provare un’emozione mangiando un piatto, ovvero il gusto e il piacere che rendono unica l’esperienza con il cibo.

 

Chi vuol vivere felice deve saper cucinare.

 

ENG. What is culinary art for these young chefs? What do you believe has changed in their perception of “creating dishes” in this new era where the food industry had been brought to the attention of the media?

 

dm 04Culinary art for the youth is being able to cook something delicious with a touch of beauty, being able to find balance between the ingredients and their flavours. You learn this art while studying at a professional catering school. You need passion, sacrifice and commitment, values that are at risk of being forgotten because of the massive visibility generated nowadays by the media, resulting in a hyper-romantic and superficial idea of cooking. Every chef has an important artistic side that should be emphasized, but the essence should never be forgotten; this is what creates an emotion when eating a dish. The flavour and pleasure are what creates a unique food experience.

 

Whoever wants to live happily, needs to learn how to cook.

 

Managing a restaurant. Of love and business.

I have recently written here about how food evokes nostalgia, and how nostalgia evokes emotions. When we ingest food ( and drinks!), we are literally putting sources into our bodies. Hence, you can regard food (and drinks!) as a core energy fuel. My preferred fuel sources are vintage champagnes, Belgian fires, mayonnaise and battered fried chicken as my cheat accomplices behind my commitment to MyFitness App. These bad boys don’t zap my energy low – rather they inject me with happiness and the friendlier side of me…

Drinks and Food in Kuala Lumpur
Drinks and Food in Kuala Lumpur

 

 

What are yours? I am a staunch believer in pairing good food with good drinks in evoking happy emotions.

HOW TO LEAD A TEAM. An outstanding team management strategy is your key in the restaurant business.

Recently I have been working with my bar team in creating a fun pairing of cocktails and bites. I won’t bother going into detail into what the cocktail above comprises of, but all I can say is that it is pretty, tasty and fun. How do you feel just by looking at it? I feel happy because I am proud of my team’s creation. Every effort that goes into creating food and drinks excites me.

 

Lyn Siew Lead Management tTps

WHAT MAKES A BUSINESS SUCCESSFUL. Sheer hard work. Passion. And creativity.

By nature I am not a chef, food stylist nor a mixologist – but from a bystander’s point of view, I’d like to provide opportunities for those who persevere in this industry. The food business is currently hingeing on a self prolific destiny through celebrity chefs, restaurateurs and media personalities as marketing ploys. Recently I have come across dire cases of personal branding which I think is utterly poorly distasteful.

We are not eating Gordon Ramsay. We are eating food. There is one simple philosophy whereby if food is good, people will come back for it. Emotions through ingestion should govern our basic laws of nature and desire. I shouldn’t think returning customers should repeatedly pacify a person who c conceived, invested nor backed a shitty restaurant. Sadly, in our deteriorating national economy, I have seen cases whereby even when the food sucks, there will always be suckers. Restaurants that thrive for every other reason but the food. The socialist in me screams unfair for those who persevered hard in this industry.

STARTING A RESTAURANT IS HARD. To start a successful restaurant is even harder.

Admittedly the food industry is one of the toughest – the turnover rate of failing businesses is amongst the highest within the retail, hospitality and service sectors. You may have come across this fundamental business mantra: the more aggressive you are, the more successful you are. But can aggression sustain the culinary word?

All we need is a little humanity back in the food industry. Despite the integration of technology into fast food chains, restaurant businesses are still driven by a living team consisting of manpower which makes things work by creating, innovating and strategizing. Without humans, there would be no emotions fed into the foods we create.

Lyn Siew

I love to believe in people. And I’d love them to believe in me, too.

While managing a restaurant, let’s not forget that the culinary world will always be driven by humans, not machine.

Lyn Siew

ruyi@orientalrestaurants.com.my