A First Taste of the S.Pellegrino Cooking Cup 2013

The S.Pellegrino Cooking Cup has officially begun in Venice and it's now in its 13th edition. A unique regatta that takes place in the beautiful are between the islands of Lido and San Giorgio combining sailing and haute cuisine with a touch of Italy.

The ten chefs in competition arrived Friday morning from all over the world and started preparing in the kitchens of the Molino Stucky, a historic location that hosts the event. Each chef had only a few hours to add the final touches to the signature dish that will be judged by the Culinary Panel made of experts and starred chefs including Davide Scabin and Massimo Bottura. The acknowledgements and awards they are competing for are among others 'Young Chef Of the Year 2013' and the Acqua Panna People's Choice Award.

During this first day, there was a lot of adrenaline in the kitchens, concentration, and a keen desire to impress. Was it enough to get a vote from the jury? The judges met around a table for the welcome dinner right after the opening ceremony and a red carpet followed by an elegant aperitif on the refined premises of the Mariano Fortuny Palace. At dinner, the judges had a taste of the candidates 'signature dish' for the first time.

Taste, execution, presentation, pairing with wine and water were evaluated. We are only halfway through the event and each dish received a partial vote for now. There is much anticipation for today, chefs will be cooking on board of their sailboat during the regatta, increasing the level of difficulty. The forecast shows a sunny day with not much wind, lets see how it turns out…