On June 14-15th the city of Venice will welcome the 2013 S.Pellegrino Cooking Cup, an event that combines the art of sailing with fine dining - two quintessential Italian pastimes.
This extraordinary event will bring together 10 of the world's most talented young chefs and sailors, all of whom will compete in a 12-mile regata from Il Lido in Venice to the Island of San Giorgio.
As the sailors race through the sea, the chefs will be below deck preparing their best signature dishes for the judges of the Acqua Panna & S.Pellegrino 2013 Young Chef of the Year Award.
It'll be an exciting time for visitors to sample gourmet food and drinks at different events throughout the city. With just days till the race, we'd like to introduce you to one of the participating chefs.
We present to you German chef Dominic Petzold, 26, who is based in Dubai. Petzold runs Orange Restaurant located at The Westin Mina Sehayi. Here's what this talented chef shared with FDL:
Describe your cooking style with three keywords
Innovative, instinctive, fresh.
Which is the first taste you remember and why?
Homemade plum compote from my grandma for breakfast.
If you were a dish, which one would you be?
Lobster ravioli with lobster bisque – just one of my favorites.
Which is the dish you prefer to prepare and the one you prefer to eat?
I would like to prepare a simple but perfectly cooked Foie Gras Terrine with brioche and fig chutney. The dish I would prefer to eat would be just a steak with freshly sautéed vegetables.
Who or what is your main source of inspiration? A flavor, a situation, a dish you tried... And why?
I think the best inspiration is when you wake up early morning and make your way to the market and you see, taste and feel the products which are there. That’s the best inspiration I can get!
Tradition and innovation: which is the relationship with these words, and how is it applied to your cuisine?
Its always good to take a traditional recipe and give your on twist to it. I think tradition comes from history and innovation comes from you – but still both tradition and innovation are very close!
What is fine dining for you? How do you think new generations are changing this idea and making it evolve?
Fine dinning for me is cooking on a top level with the freshest ingredients, best quality products, cooked to perfection. But in the end it’s more than just the food. It’s the finest food, the best service and a perfect atmosphere. I think every generation is changing the fine dining a bit and so will the next.
Which will be, according to you, the next big trend related to food and conviviality?
I think the next trend will be more into street food but more likely from Asia. They've got such good and big range of flavors - just simple and tasty. For the conviviality, I think it’s going to be more interaction with the guest.
If you weren’t a chef, what would you be?
Honestly speaking I always wanted to be a chef, I don’t know but definitely something food related.
Year 2050: what food do you think we’ll bring to our table?
I think it will go more into healthy fast food because people don’t have time anymore to enjoy a good meal and visit a restaurant.