MAD2

The Importance of Biocultural Diversity

Mon, 09 Feb 2015 00:00:00 GMT

Andrea Pieroni is an associate professor of food botany, ethnobotany and Ethnobiology at the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Pollenzo (Italy). Andrea is also the academic coordinator of the international post-graduate Master´s program in Pollenzo. Trained in Medical Botany (Pharmacognosy) at the University of Pisa (Italy), University of Antwerp (Belgium), and at the University of Bonn (Germany), he has been Research Assistant at the University of London since 2000, and was appointed as Lecturer (and, later as Senior Lecturer) at the University of Bradford in northern England in 2003, where he remained until 2009. Andrea has been the President of the International Society of Ethnobiology (2010) and he is since 2005 the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine and a member of the boards of several international ethnoscientific associations and peer-reviewed publications. He has also been the P.I. of the first collaborative research project funded by the EU Commission focused on traditional plant knowledge in the Mediterranean (RUBIA, 2003-2006).

Delineating the Edible and Inedible

Fri, 23 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Nordic Food Lab was a non-profit, self-governed gastronomic research institution, established in 2008 by the head chef of Noma, René Redzepi, and gastronomic entrepreneur Claus Meyer. Its purpose was to explore the building blocks of Nordic cuisine through traditional and modern gastronomies, and to share these results with chefs, academics, industry, and the public. From a houseboat in Copenhagen harbour, a group of professionals investigates old and new raw materials and techniques, developing knowledge and ideas for the Nordic region and the world.

After four years of joint operation of the Nordic Food Lab (NFL), the NFL’s Board of Directors will transfer the entire NFL to the Department of Food Science at the University of Copenhagen (UCPH FOOD). The self-governing NFL will close down, while its activities will continue as part of the Future Consumer Lab.

Passion & Prison

Fri, 23 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Rasmus Kofoed is a restaurateur, head chef and co-owner of Geranium (One Michelin Star Awarded in 2012, two in 2013, three in 2018) restaurant in Copenhagen. Rasmus won the gold medal in 2011, the silver medal in 2007 the bronze medal in 2005 at the biennial world chef championship Bocuse d’Or. He was the captain of the Danish culinary team for 7 years. Rasmus took part in many competitions and became Chef of the Year in 2003, he was the winner of the Nordic Championship in Stockholm in 2004. Winner of the Eurotoques 2004 prize, he won 1st prize in the Nordic Trophy for the Best Fish in 2005, and the Cordon Bleu in 2006, he again won the Eurotoques prize and the Desserts championship in 2006. Rasmus worked at Hotel D’Angleterre on Kongens Nytorv also at Kommandanten in Copenhagen and afterwards at the two-Michelin-star restaurant Scholteshof in Belgium. On his return to Copenhagen, he served as head chef at various top restaurants before opening his first restaurant. Rasmus is not only hungry for new challenges but also believes that thoughtfulness can be tasted. The experience that involves all our senses can be found in his restaurant.

An Appetite for Knowledge

Fri, 23 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Wylie Dufresne is the chef and owner of Du's Donuts and the former chef and owner of the wd~50 and Alder restaurants in Manhattan. Wylie Dufresne provides perhaps the single most convincing argument for the importance of culinary risk-taking in New York City. Over the last decade, Dufresne and his team have defied the odds, developing a body of unique work, fostering young talent and earning a Michelin star for the restaurant and a James Beard Award for the chef. The critic Frank Bruni once wrote of Dufresne’s methods, ‘he pushes hard against the envelope of possibility and the bounds of conformity to produce food that’s not only playful but also joyful and even exhilarating.’

In early 2013, Dufresne opened his second restaurant, Alder, in the East Village. It is the chef’s take on the traditional American public house.

True Stories, Book Two - Cosmopolis Redux (a Trailer Trash Tracys Remix)

Fri, 23 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Andrea Petrini is a journalist, food writer, and creative advisor. He was born in the region of Marche in Italy and has a French residence. Andrea has been cooperating with Gambero Rosso, Gault Millau and Libération. He writes for Cook_Inc, Biscuit, 'Express and Fooding. He is also the French chairman of World’s 50 best and creative director of Cook it Raw. He spends a large part of the year on the road, traveling throughout the world to discover contemporary cuisine.

From Nothing 'Till Something

Fri, 23 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Leif Sørensen is a Faroese cook at Koks restaurant. At MAD2, Leif combines his knowledge of international cuisine and has also been inspired by New Nordic Cuisine in his work. Leif uses raw materials originating on land, at sea, and in the air and his cooking is an emotional experience. He is also like to share his knowledge on the origin of the particular dish and its traditional ingredients. He is able to transform local raw materials into tasty and delicious dishes. Leif puts the Faroe Islands firmly on the culinary map of the world. Leif is convinced that the food the guests eat should reflect simplicity, freshness, and pureness of the Faroese nature.

Appetite? ... Ah. Hmm. Yes.

Fri, 23 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT

At MAD 2, Fergus Henderson and Trevor Gulliver engage in a conversation about appetite. Henderson is an English chef. Fergus has founded St John restaurant on St John Street in London that was awarded a Michelin star in 2009. Most of his dishes are derived from traditional British cuisine. Fergus is often noted for his use of offal and other neglected cuts of meat which is because of his philosophy of nose to tail eating. Gulliver is a restaurateur and Fergus´s business partner. Trevor created Wine Wharf and the Brew Wharf microbrewery and restaurant in Borough Market and built the Putney Bridge among other bars and restaurants. Trevor is a true lover of French wines and is often asked to judge food and wine around the world.

Do I Have an Appetite for Creativity?

Fri, 23 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT

In 1983, a 22-year-old Ferran Adrià took over the kitchen of the traditional French restaurant elBulli on the Spanish Costa Brava. In the ensuing three decades, the chef would transform the space into one of the most trailblazing and influential culinary destinations in the world, propelled by a philosophy that emphasised endless creativity, investigation and an open diffusion of the restaurant’s innovations.

elBulli retained three Michelin stars from 1997 until it closed in 2011. Together with Spanish telecom company Telefónica, Adrià turned the space into a foundation for culinary research without the constraints of a restaurant’s day-to-day operations. This venture, elBulli Foundation, opened in 2013 and more projects came along after that.

We Are Here Because We Have Appetite

Thu, 22 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Tor Nørretranders is a Danish author of non-fiction and popular science. His books and lectures have primarily been focused on science and its role in society, often with his own advice about how society should integrate new findings in science. Tor has published twenty books and been translated into ten languages. His best-known books are on consciousness (the User Illusion, 1999) and creativity (the Generous Man, 2005), but he has dealt with many other issues such as network technology, the environment, quantum mechanics, joy and children’s questions about the world. Tor holds an M.Sc. in environmental planning from Roskilde University and is honorary professor in the Department of Management, Politics, and Philosophy at Copenhagen Business School.

The Lone Wolf

Thu, 22 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Roderick Sloan is a Scottish chef and fisherman living in the village of Nordskott on the coast of northern Norway. He supplies restaurant Noma and other restaurants with the sea urchins. He is very passionate about his work and has a great interest in protecting the marine environment.

What Gives Me the Appetite to Be the Person that I Am?

Thu, 22 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Chido Govera is a farmer, campaigner, and educator. Chido is teaching mushroom cultivation to hundreds of people in Zimbabwe, Tanzania, South Africa, the Congo and also women from India, orphans from Columbia and many other. At the age of 11, she was elected one of 15 orphans to participate in a fungiculture project financed by ZERI Foundation and realized by the Africa University in Mutare. She knew only poverty and hunger in her life. Chido understood this opportunity as a possibility to give future to her community. She was even able to pay the fees and send her brother and other orphans to school. Chido decided to continue working with mushrooms to be able to simplify the process and therefore teach more people. In 2009, Chido was awarded the "Sustainability Award" by the "Specialty Coffee Association of America" for her sustainable project of reusing organic waste from the coffee industry to cultivate mushrooms.

The Psychology Behind a Memorable Meal

Thu, 22 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Paul Rozin is one of the most influential psychologists and is currently a psychology professor at the University of Pennsylvania. Paul graduated at the University of Chicago where he earned bachelor´s degree and had the doctoral degrees in biology and psychology from Harvard University. He is a member of the Society of Experimental Psychologists, has twice been a fellow at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences, was a visiting Scholar for Phi Beta Kappa, and a Visiting Scholar for one year at the Russell Sage Foundation. He is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and a recipient of the American Psychological Association Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award for 2007. He was an editor of the journal, Appetite, for ten years.

Over the last decades, the primary focus of his research has been human food choice considered from biological, psychological and anthropological perspectives. During this period, he has studied the psychological significance of flavourings placed on foods in different cuisines, the cultural evolution of cuisine, the development of food aversions, the development of food preferences, family influences in preference development, body image, the acquisition of liking for chilli pepper, chocolate craving, and attitudes to meat.

An Introduction to MAD2

Thu, 22 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT

René is the chef and co-owner of Noma, a restaurant in Copenhagen that opened in 2004 and specialises in Nordic cuisine. It has received two Michelin stars every year since 2008 and was named the ‘Best Restaurant in the World’ by San Pellegrino for three consecutive years – 2010, 2011 and 2012 as well as 2014. Previously, he cooked at elBulli and the French Laundry.

MSG and Umami

Thu, 22 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT

The Korean-American David Chang is the chef and owner of the Momofuku Restaurant Group, which began in 2004 with a modest East Village noodle shop and today includes some of the most iconic contemporary restaurants and bars in the world. These are Momofuku Noodle Bar, Momofuku Ssam Bar, Booker & Dax, Ma Pêche, and Momofuku Ko (which holds two Michelin stars) in New York; Momofuku Noodle Bar, Momofuku Daisho, Momofuku Shoto, and Momofuku Nikai in Toronto, Ontario; and Momofuku Seiobo in Sydney, Australia.

Chang’s work is often singled out as among the most influential in spreading a now-common restaurant philosophy that eschews pomp in favour of quality cooking, informality, and accessibility. His food is American in perhaps the most real sense of the word, harnessing the cultural exchanges that mark his home city and country.

Chang is also a founding editor of Lucky Peach, a quarterly journal of food and writing published in collaboration with McSweeney’s.

Ethical Food Futures

Thu, 22 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall is a known British television personality, journalist, celebrity chef, food writer and “real food” campaigner.

Back-to-basics is Hugh’s philosophy. Hugh spent some time in Africa. When returning, he worked for a brief period as a sous-chef at River Café in London. He also commenced freelance journalism and was published in Punch, Evening Standard and The Sunday Times.

Hugh is best known for hosting the River Cottage series on the United Kingdom television broadcaster. Hugh feeds himself, his family and friends with locally produced and sourced fruits, vegetables, fish, eggs, and meat. He also filmed the series that explore sustainable fishing Fish Fight campaign and Chicken Out! Campaign, encouraging people to become more aware of food production.

Cultural Consciousness

Thu, 22 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT

The ebullient Massimo Bottura is the chef behind Osteria Francescana, a three-star-Michelin restaurant in the Medieval city of Modena, Italy. Bottura opened Francescana in 1995. Here the chef celebrates local producers and cooking traditions from a 'critical and not nostalgic point of view.' With dishes like a bollito misto in which the meat is not boiled or a preparation that showcases five textures and temperatures of Parmigiano Reggiano, Bottura encourages change and abstraction while working with the materia prima of his surroundings.

An avid collector of contemporary art and vinyl records, Bottura attempts to incorporate these passions into the Francescana experience.

The Taste of Wheat

Thu, 22 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Dan Barber is a chef and co-owner of the Blue Hill restaurants in New York City and Tarrytown, New York. He received a B.A. in English at the Tufts University in 1992 and later studied at the French Culinary Institute.

He was won numerous James Beard Awards, was named one of Time‘s most influential people in 2009, and his writings on food and agricultural policy have appeared in the New York Times, Gourmet, The Nation, Saveur, and Food & Wine. Barber was appointed by President Barack Obama to serve on the President’s Council on Physical Fitness, Sports and Nutrition. He is also a member of the Advisory Board to the Harvard Medical School Center for Health and The Global Environment.

The Audacity of Hope... and Szechuan Peppercorn

Thu, 22 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Mission Chinese Food is a co-project of a restaurateur, chef and food consultant Anthony Myint and chef Danny Bowien. The project has humble origins springing from trucks and fleeting pop-ups and traces its beginning in a different project called Mission Street Food. Mission Street Food was replaced by Mission Chinese Food in 2010 and became one of San Francisco’s top 100 restaurants. Anthony collaborates with chef Danny Bowien, who was named a 2011 rising star chef by San Francisco Chronicle. Head chef Danny Bowien serves some of the most interesting food of Szechuan and Chinese-American classics to Cantonese, Taiwanese and Xi´an tastes. In 2012, Anthony and Danny opened a second location of Mission Chinese Food in New York, on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. In 2013, Bon Appetit Magazine named Mission Chinese Food the ninth-most important restaurant in the United States. Anthony also opened a charitable fine-dining establishment called Commonwealth Restaurant in 2010. Danny was awarded the prestigious “Rising Star Chef” by the James Beard Foundation in May 2013.

Appetite as a Guide Between Nature and Culture

Thu, 22 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Massimo Montanari is one of the leading experts in Food History and Culture and plays an essential role in the popularization of scientific research to the general public. Massimo is currently professor of Medieval History at the University of Bologna in Italy. He has been invited as visiting professor to many leading universities in Europe, Japan, the United States, Mexico, and Canada. Massimo is a consultant and contributor to the publishing house Laterza. He was among the founders of the magazine “Food & History,” published by the Institut Européen d’Histoire et des Cultures de l’Alimentation (Tours), and was its director until 2008. He is a member of the Scientific Committee of the same IEHCA. In 1997 he founded, together with colleagues from other Italian universities, the “Centre of Studies on the history of the countryside and peasant labor,” based in Montalcino (Siena), of which he is the president. In 2001-2002 at the Faculty of Humanities, University of Bologna, opened a Master in History and culture of food (Storia e Cultura dell´Alimentazione), later transformed into a European Master, carried out in collaboration with the University of Tours (France), Barcelona (Spain) and Brussels (Belgium).

Rotten, Fried Bananas

Thu, 22 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Like many chefs of his generation, Enrique Olvera first studied gastronomy outside of Mexico but did not return to his home country to cook French or Italian food, as would usually have been the case. Instead, Olvera and his colleagues decided to embrace their vast culinary heritage to develop restaurants that make the claim that Mexican cuisine is worthy of a cosmopolitan restaurant setting.

Olvera and his Mexico City restaurant Pujol have become the most visible representatives of this movement and the chef’s annual gastronomic summit, Mesamérica, has served to highlight the country’s highly regionalised cuisine while simultaneously creating an active community of chefs.

Asking the Winds of the Seasons

Thu, 22 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Shinichiro Takagi is one of Japan’s leading chefs with strong ties to his home region of Ishikawa. His highly acclaimed kaiseki restaurant is Zeniya, in Kanazawa, where he cooks meals in the traditional kaiseki style. There is no set menu at Zeniya. Shinichiro uses fresh ingredients and local fish in his restaurant. He thinks about the food in 12 seasons throughout the year. In this speech from MAD2, he talks about fierce adherence to seasonality. His interesting thinking certainly brings innovation to the international cuisine scene.