…   Premio Nacional de Gastronomía Real Academia de Gastronomía Apicius: Mejor Publicación Gastronómica …

      Marcos Morán. Casa Gerardo. Prendes, Asturias. Spain. Marcos has found the shelter his warrior self needs within the walls of his home. There he can be himself more than anywhere else and this is where you can see the real Marcos. When referring to his home, we mean Casa Gerardo, the house which belonged to his ancestors and which will one day belong to his descendants. He speaks of the house with pride, and it makes him think of a slogan, a motto: the establishment will always prevail over the people in it. Today, Marcos is Casa Gerardo, but one day he will leave and Casa Gerardo will remain. (extract from Apicius 19) Alexandre Couillon. La Marine. Noirmoutier-En-L’Ile. France. …Wonderfully well-accompanied, you have your head in the right place and your feet on the ground, standing upright facing the sea. You move forward with your back to the mainland, like a mischievous child testing the boundaries of his freedom, but not forgetting to turn around now and then to see if the mainland is still there, reassuring and affectionate. (extract from Apicius 19) Jacob Torreblanca. Pastelería Torreblanca. Elda. España. …and put orange granita, along with oil and walnut sponge cake cubes on a plate. Place the candy glass on top of the granita and pour in the chilled apple juice. Finish with the caramel apple filled with vanilla cream. Finally, serve vodka caviar on one side. (extract from Apicius 19) Daniel Humm. Eleven Madison Park. New York. USA. …obsession and competitiveness were always part of his life. Always looking to improve ‘his own marks’, his focus, his humbleness, his perfectionism and his gentle manners became a personal signature. … (extract from Apicius 19) Paco Pérez. Miramar. Llançà. España. In this far corner of Ampurdán, the horizon, the landscape and memories make up the vital heritage on which the chef builds his culinary imagination and rations it with tiny snippets on each plate. Paco knows how to look back tactfully and without nostalgia to face whatever comes his way with gratitude. He does not only feel rewarded by the genuine compliments at the end of each service, but also by the mere visit of each diner… (extract from Apicius 19) Jorge Vallejo. Restaurante Quintonil. Ciudad de México. México. Quintonil encompasses a kind of gastronomy that clearly expresses the flavours and shapes of modern Mexican cooking, and does so from a restaurant model whose kitchen and service are in perfect harmony. In addition to understanding its national gastronomy in a contemporary way, Quintonil uses ingredients grown by small producers to create dishes with homemade, everyday flavours, in order to extol them. (extract from Apicius 19) Alejandra Hurtado. Canela Patisserie. Santiago de Chile. Chile. The pace of her job sometimes blinds this incredibly modest pastry chef, making her unable to appreciate the potential of her creations. The professional level of this young woman has not just impressed us; it has totally won us over. (extract from Apicius 19) Josean Alija. Nerua. Bilabo. España. His new establishment in the Bilbao Guggenheim, on the banks of the Nervión River, has given him the necessary wings to make a leap in tenses, from saying “Josean will be great” to “Josean is great”. It is maturity. The maturity of this young ambassador for his region who oozes Bilbao from every pore. He and his team are one, and to whomever you speak, you are talking to Nerua dressed in wood and white. (extract from Apicius 19) Rodolfo Guzmán. Boragó. Santiago de Chile. Chile. Living at full speed is for the brave. It is for those who have no roof over their heads. For adventurers who are not shackled to their past, nor addicted to their future, but in sync with the present. These brave people live their lives like children with their toys. Passionately, effervescent in a magical world. Excitement. A discourse based on Andoni, Schiaffino’s brother and Rene’s cousin. Where a natural context is everything and without it there is no cuisine. For Rodolfo, his country is a boundless paradise. A pantry unique in the world, with amazing flora and fauna. (extract from Apicius 19) Enrique Olvera. Restaurante Pujol. Ciudad de México. México. …a deep love for his country which he expresses in a very personal Mexican way of cooking, a way of cooking that is contemporary and full of flavour, with dishes whose raison d’être is rooted in the culture and, on many occasions, is sustained by painstaking research with specialists in other fields. It is not ‘flirting’ with traditional Mexican cuisine. On the contrary, it is the mise en scène of the most fervently current interpretation of Mexican cooking, with the clear goal of making the magnificence of Mexico known. No flirting in any shape or form. Significant gastronomy, no more, no less. (extract from Apicius 19) Matias Perdomo. Al Pont de Ferr. Milano. Italia. My kitchen is multicultural. There are no issues regarding nationality or cultural differences, but only the desire to work together and to express every day our passion for food. Our profession has been too glamourised in recent years, but the reality is very different. You need to love this job to keep doing it after long hours of work. (Extract from Apicius 19) Mauro Colagreco. Mirazur. Menton. France. Alternate the red fruits, beetroot carpaccio, hazelnuts and almonds on a deep plate to form a circle, leaving a space in the middle for the quenelle of sorbet. Arrange 3 forest strawberry flowers and 3 mini water mint leaves over the red fruits and carpaccios. Serve the chilled red fruit soup in a small serving jug, which will be poured in front of the diner. (extract from Apicius 19) Helena Rizzo & Daniel Redondo. Maní. São Paulo. Brazil. Sometimes, just sometimes, you feel that special connection when you enter a restaurant. At Maní, that happened from the very first visit. After visiting Brazil several times, I realised that going to Helena and Daniel’s was a must. Her and him. Him and her. A perfect combination. Sweetness and zest. Good sense and craziness. None of these adjectives separately describe the Spanish or the Brazilian. Both could identify with them… (extract from Apicius 19)