From Parini to Persoone

see part one

6) Pier Giorgio Parini. This chef loves to caress vegetables, more than excessively manipulating them. At least two of the dishes he presented during Identità Naturali represented them raw or not very cooked. First of all we try a rolled chard leaf, previously seasoned with salt, lemon, oil, honey and bay leaf powder. Simple and good. The other dish was a very crispy chard prepared after passing it briefly, still raw, in the clarified butter. Then there are pieces of anchovies, flakes of marinated egg in salt (I helped the chef to say that the technical father was Cracco) and a touch of centrifuged cypress leaves. Should we want to make a comparison (something which is not very appreciated by chefs) we could say that Parini’s cuisine approach resembles that of Josean Alija. Respect for nature.

7) Rodrigo de La Calle’s lecture charmed me. This young man gives lots of dignity to vegetables. Instead of treating them as boring supporting actresses in the theatre show represented by the tasting menu, he gives them the main role on stage. He uses the almost empty cellar of his restaurant (he doesn’t have the money to buy wines) to cultivate mushrooms. In the face of limited resources, let imagination have the power!

8) Respect for the past. I greatly enjoyed the tribute to Ezio Santin, presented by Marco Bolasco. Without acknowledging our culinary history it’s impossible to look ahead. Moreover, in the kitchen things are so simple. 30 year old dishes can still be modern (Dal Pescatore) while other dishes by contemporary chefs already seem out of fashion.

9) Rafa Peña works in six square metres with two helpers but his cuisine is one of the most elegant and mouth-watering in all of Barcelona (ask Marco Bolasco, one of his most assiduous clients). So far the Michelin guide has ignored him, but not gourmets coming from all around, who visit him to get hold of his tasty and elegant dishes. At Gresca, furthermore, gastronomic excellence only costs 50 euros.

10) Many chefs have the defect of having a too "transcendental" attitude. This is why I greatly appreciated the humour of one of the most important chocolatiers in the world. Professional seriousness and respect are in no way in conflict with irony and smiles. My last praise, therefore, goes to Dominique Persoone and his lecture.

2. the end