Blessed

August 26, 2023 | yellownblac

I was tidying up my writeup for the column in the paper and had the chance to have another look at Alain Passard, and the story I did with him.

It brings me this warmth looking at the video, and the address of his restaurant in Paris, it was exactly what I saw, I loved his quotes and looking at the video, I feel blessed to have heard these wonderful things he shared.

He was looking at me as he spoke, lucky me!

The full story and video here: https://guide.michelin.com/sg/en/article/people/video-alain-passard-one-cook-two-lives

such as this :

The only thing left to do when you are afraid to take risks is nothing.

My hands wanted to explore new sensations on vegetable textures. I wanted new flavours, new scents, new images, new sounds.

“I never regretted it. Every day is like a first day. We are artisans and we have an incredible job. Very few jobs allow you to activate your five senses. It is a stimulating job that makes you feel good. Great cooking today is more of an adventure than just a job.”
We do this job because we have passion for it and because we love it, and it is gratifying to the five senses. I like to be puzzled by a scent, a flavour, the sight of something in the garden, for instance, the sound of fire on the stove, the sound of cooking. A tomato and a celery do not make the same sound during cooking. Finally comes the hand, the gesture, that is able to craft something completely new. We are able to nourish our five senses through this creative process.”
This energy is focused in one place where I love to be, with my team.”

Nuance is the hardest thing to teach. It is like tempo music, like learning how to make a pause in a recipe — that’s the most difficult.”

After a slight pause, he adds: “Everything I have achieved today comes from my 10 fingers, from my hand at work every day. I think my hands are the most precious thing I have besides sight. That’s what I want to teach to all my chef students — the gesture, the grace, the agility of the hand, the dexterity of the hand.”

Life is in the details

August 23, 2017 | yellownblac

Super love this! Unlearning to learn. Discovering as if it were the first day.

Throwing away everything you know. The reason for waking up everyday.

Missed him the last time he was in SG, I sooooooooooooo want to speak to him!

And I will.

Beautiful

July 3, 2016 | yellownblac

Francis Mallmann

April 26, 2016 | yellownblac

Super inspired by Argentine chef Francis Mallmann, arguably the biggest food star in the Latin world.

Watched him on Netflix and twice over, Francis Mallmann is an expert at cooking with fire: over it, under it, in it and around it.

https://www.nowness.com/story/francis-mallmann-carne-knowledge

He says that to cook with fire, one must have a feminine side, to understand the fragility of the meats.

But above this mastery over fire, its his mastery over his life that is so awe inspiring.

He is unbounded by constraints of any sort. He is boundless, but because he has family, he is torn between the two. There is just one time in the documentary that he cannot himself, talking about his family, and perhaps is regretful or sorry, that he has chosen himself over his family.

But that’s mastery too.

Love all the quotes he gave in the documentary, so wise, so deep, so alluring.

In order to grow, you have to be there, at the edge of uncertainty.

All those things made me dream

That there was a free world somewhere

So my big draw in life since very young was freedom

The freedom of believing only in myself

And not letting myself being led by anybody

I wanted to be my own

I wanted to do whatever I wanted.

I m always cooking in the wild

My message is, Get out of chair , sofa , office . go out

When u cook with fire it’s like making love

It could be huge

You have to respect what you cook

There needs to b a festive feeling about the hard work we r doing

I was very stubborn about my freedom

There’s nothing more sad than an overcooked fish

They r v inspiring romantic

They made me breathe they make me tremble

They make me live

I seldom invite people to lunch or dinner

They are really chosen

I cant spend Time with people that I don’t enjoy

I can’t do it anymore as theater

I make choices

And that’s the beautiful thing about growing up

Learning to say no

In a nice way but you say no

I said the truth

Growing up has a bit to do with that

To be able to tell the truth

To show who you are

Even if it hurts

every person that works with you

You have to let him go at the best moment

When he and you are at the happiest moment

Then he and you think you are doing your best

They have to go

Because from there on, there is only one way which is down

You are young you have a master you want to emulate him

But

At some point in life you have to turn around

And say I have to find my own way my language

Big prizes in life, they make you happy and sad

Because they make you question yourself

I said that was it

You have your little car

You have a place to sleep

And the dreams are dead

You don’t grow on a secure path

All of us should conquer something in life

It Needs a lot of work

It needs a lot of risk

Transfer of emotions

April 3, 2016 | yellownblac

“The transfer of emotions in food is the most beautiful ever.”

—- Massimo Bottura

http://reportergourmet.com/videogallery/massimo-bottura-emotions-you-can-eat-310

One of my favorite chefs whom I had the chance to interview.

Thank you

September 6, 2015 | yellownblac

Ishinomaki 一岁了。

老板娘请了我过去吃一餐，她说，在他们最彷徨的时候，我的一篇报道让顾客带着报纸上门。

此后，他们不再担心顾客不够。

我当然不任何全是我的功劳。但听到了，看到这片热闹的景象还是很窝心。

但更加感动的是，老板娘告诉了我他和先生的故事。

在我自己也很脆弱的时候，我选择听。结果自己再一次被解救。

老板娘说了他们如何从困境中突破，然后有了这家餐馆。于是我再一次感受到了初心的重要性。

初心发得正

宇宙的力量一定相行辅助。

重点是，我重新看待了伤疤这件事——原来，每个人都是带伤上阵。每一个人的身上都有疮疤。问题是，你用什么态度和眼光看那个伤？怎么用那个伤？怎么从那个伤，引发出正能？引发出美。

怎么改造那个伤疤。

然后再看自己。

突然就觉得伤疤不再可怕或不敢碰触。而且还多了一份美感。

因为我知道，在破灭当中，下一步出现的就是生机。

就像老板娘说的种种，软弱、无助、彷徨、恐惧、抑郁。他和丈夫就是因为突破了着一些，战胜了这一些，才能有今天。我才能尝到今天的美味，看到这些色彩。

然后食物的味道，就跟着不一样了。




   然后我进一步知道我为什么要坐着一份工。

我就是需要。

om ma ne pad me hum.

Paris（IV）：Les Deserteurs

November 30, 2014 | yellownblac

很久没有这样采访了。
餐馆没有发布任何文告，在全然无知的情况下去feel去感受。
它让你全身细胞醒来。
让你觉得你活着。
Daniel Baratier巴黎餐饮界新晋厨师，也是最优秀的一股力量，已经受到巴黎的认可。
最深刻的是他的笑容笑声，很像孩子一样，笑容背后没有别的了。

他的伙伴Alex原来是Restaurant Sergent Recruteur的开馆大臣，但帮助这家餐馆摘下米其林一颗星、一年半之后，两人决定离开。

我问他为什么，他说，就想拥有自己的一块地方，在全然自主的情况下做创作，做完全是自己想做的事。

就因为是自己的地方，可以纵情发挥，义无反顾。

只是为了自由这件事。

这家餐馆不大，大概只能做25个人。从外头看，很别致，反应了法国人chic的追求。

这里在2014年4月开张的。他说，取名Les Deserteurs是因为离开Restaurant Sergent Recruteur。

“Les Deserteurs就是离开军营，一去不复返的人。好玩的是，之前的餐馆当中引用军士之名。”

他就是这样的顽童。

午后1时许到餐馆，里头满座，最里面靠窗的地方摆了一副餐具，那是为我准备的。

他来自法国哈尔卑斯山区，靠近Mont Blanc地方的Haute Savoie，童年在山间里嬉戏，无忧无虑。这点我相信，听他爽朗孩子气的笑声就知道。

倒是他提醒了我，童年快乐对一生是多么重要。

他说，长大的日子里有乡间的野味蔬果奶酪孕育他，味蕾就是这么来的。他自烹饪学校毕业之后，到加勒比、加拿大、美国、伦敦、波拉波拉岛、科西嘉累积实战经验，最后回到巴黎。

问他，为什么空间重要？

他说：“因为是我在烹饪。。”

他离开前一家餐馆前，做的就是策划菜单，他不想做那样的厨师。

“我真的热爱做这件事，而且我想回到原点，去品尝、去屠宰。我热爱烹饪的一切，包括屠宰、一切、一切。我需要一个可以自由抉择的空间，在这里，我可以每周工作100个小时都一副反顾，为自己做事，那是很不一样的感觉。”

他是依照天气创作的人。

“我每天踩着自行车来到餐馆，很喜欢那个过程，可以冷静、呼吸、思考。往往，在过程中的感受能够带动我启发我，比如如果当天下雨天冷，我就特别想吃暖心的菜，午餐会想做一些让人吃了，打从内心暖和开来的菜肴。”

他游走世界，认识了许多杰出的食材供应商，餐馆合作的都是小型农场、渔场、屠场之列，都是直接给他进货，间中不靠任何中间人，以他自己的话说，就是“直接、诚实”，比如阿尔卑斯山Leman湖的Fera鱼，又如苏格兰的Grouse、Courence的野生鹿还有Auvergne的各种稀有草饲牛肉。

“这种Fin Gras du Mezenc非常稀有，一年才800头这样的牛，整个巴黎只有两家餐馆获得这种牛肉，我们是其中之一。”

菜单绝对是依据食材（还有他的心情）而定。3道菜的午餐套餐由于28欧元起，晚餐可从4或6道菜中抉择，只有这样的菜单。

问他想追求的是什么？他说：“想做到食物链里头的参与者都保持开心，包括生产食材的、我们自己还有客人，我想保持这样的关系，它很完美很完整，至于星星，那是额外的奖励。”

“美食是幸福的。厨师用爱心烹饪，美食会引发出客人的幸福感，然后会把这份感觉再传回来给厨师，使得整个过程非常圆满。”

隔壁桌一对来自布鲁塞尔的七旬夫妇闻名而至，对他的手艺赞不绝口。

先生原来是波音客机的工程师，现已退休，他说：“给我的感觉就是，还是赶快来吃，不然他很快要变贵了！”

他说，5年前巴黎还不是这样的，但巴黎有一批新晋的年轻厨师正在掀起革命，正与传统的法式烹饪抗议，才会做出这样的小餐馆，以同样高素质的食材为主，但气氛不那么拘谨，让人在放松、口袋不会烧破大洞的情况下享用到高水准的美食。

对此，Baratier说，他并没有把传统的丢弃。

“一切都关于平衡，我的基础是传统烹调方法，但我也善用一些技巧，让一道菜在轻和重之间找到平衡点，就是不能轻过头，不重过头我的料理就是在轻重之间，总是在一个边缘，我希望客人在碟子上有获得乐趣。因此，你也许不会清楚感觉到牛油，但牛油确实在。”

对他来说，乐趣也是未知。

“每天都不晓得新的一天，食材供应商会把什么送到我眼前，但尽管如此，我也不会因为没有确知而感到压力大或失控。我只是知道手下的食材最新鲜，与此同时，我感受到自由。”

他认为，眼前最时尚的，就是回到根基，以真材实里出发，同时借用一些摩登的技巧丰富一道菜，为这道菜寻一种平衡。

往后的日子，他也想去拾荒（forage）。

现在33岁的他说，他只是想回到原点和初心

这道grouse是苏格兰野生的季节性食材，一般是8月中到11月底才吃得到。

我没有尝过，听侍酒师Alex说的时候，马上就要了这一味。它就是松鸡，特色是一道菜3吃，最有特色的是将松鸡腿肉去骨，纳入甜菜、葱蒜弄成cailette－－一种Lyon的特色食品，吃的时候味道非常香，像是一种香肠的口感和味道。

隔壁桌一对来自布鲁塞尔的七旬夫妇闻名而至，对他的手艺赞不绝口。

先生说：“给我的感觉就是，还是赶快来吃，不然他很快要变贵了！”

他说，5年前巴黎还不是这样的，但现在年轻厨师有胆识，用于判别就传统和创新，给巴黎餐饮业一股新的力量。

老先生很好，一开始见我无法与侍应生沟通，代为招待我，之后我们聊起来，他还把自己的碟子上的鱼肉和芦笋给我吃，让我试试。

我问他，生命是什么？他说：“就是追寻梦想。”

我问他，两个人吵架了怎么办？他说：“肯定会有争执，肯定会有不顺心的时刻、不好受的时间，但不会有不好的一天。”

听的我泪流。

也许是旅游在外，特别细腻在品尝一切，因为对这样的一番话，特别被打动。

Underground Dining with Andre Chiang

March 31, 2012 | yellownblac

亲爱的沁芝

mummy因为工作的缘故，有机会接触许多世界名厨，以及体验各种餐饮乐趣。

这一天，我受DBS银行之邀参加了一场Underground Supperclub餐饮体验。这是银行为了回馈会员，而特别呈现的餐饮体验，为了让会员享有折扣之外的优惠，星展银行特别拉拢名厨，为会员呈现这类“地下宵夜俱乐部”的餐饮体验。

星展银行第三度举办这类特别餐饮体验，请来刚刚荣获“Chef of The Year”大奖的名厨Andre Chiang，为会员泡制特别晚餐。

过程中他分享了一些自己的想法，我觉得有些我很能认同，摘录下来跟沁芝分享：

on food n cooking：

my mother was a chef and has a chinese restaurant in tokyo, i was the only kid who is not allowed to eat out.my mother will always prepare for me a lunchbox,she will cook at 1145am and send the lunchbox to me, everyday/..my mother teach me that food is important, u cannot juz eat anything, u take food seriously, n this building is like a home, u feel that u r coming to a home, the kitchen is there, n if i m away we close. u c me everyday, n i hope pple juz come in to enjoy, nothing else

cooking is personal to me, cooking for another person, its that personal, its that intimate, its not a commercial behavior.

on creating：

i do not force myself to create, or squeeze an idea out. i go do pottery, sketch or art,sometimes i m inspired by a sad movie, i do design n u naturally become emotional, sensitive to things around u, n the ideas flow naturally, i do what i like.

here’s the menu