World's Greatest Chef Says "Love your own!"

"The King of Cuisine was in the building..."

When Alain Ducasse, the world's most celebrated French Chef/restaurateur/hotelier/ teacher and environmentalist arrived at Enderun at the Fort for the Press Conference "before cuisine, there was nature," people knew they were in the presence of a truly iconic man."

As the only chef to have under his belt three 3-Michelin Star restaurants in the gastronomic citadels of the globe  - Monaco, Paris and London - Alain Ducasse is clearly at a league of his own. But more than all the glamour and fame that came with his achievements, his real legacy comes from the contributions he's made as the founder of the Alain Ducasse Foundation (ADF) which trains and molds thousands of students and professionals all over the world in the culinary arts. Today, transcending philantrophic pursuits, he shares even more of himself in his active campaign for promoting the use of local ingredients, preserving culinary integrity, individuality and authenticity, and generally taking responsibility for mother earth and our farmers, the source of all ingredients.  

Admittedly not a big fan of globalization, he stresses on how "Each cuisine should be able to present its local influences in a contemporary manner, but should keep its own personal identity." - Perfect advise for us Filipinos who seem to have difficulty in defining who we really are in terms of cuisine.

He tells the story of how he builds the menu of his restaurants to adapt to their environment. In Osaka or Las Vegas for example, he first looks at what indigenous ingredients the region offers, then tries to adapt French Cooking to what's readily available- adding local flavor to excellent taste.

Stern yet seasoned, old-school yet ahead of his time - these characteristics are reflected in his views in life and cooking. Inspite his generosity with his time, knowledge and savoir-faire, he humorously comments. "A cook is (essentially) a selfish man. He goes to the market, which gives him pleasure, then again pleases himself when he cooks in the kitchen, then again derives pleasure from sharing it with his friends."

Too bad his packed itinerary kept him only here for two short days (in which he regrets not getting the chance to really try out Pinoy food). I would have wanted to wine and dine with him and hear more of his quirky thoughts.

One of his final thoughts i liked the most was actually his answer to the question, "What is the mark of a good dish?" This French man answers, "When you have a desire to drink it with good wine."

To that, this wine and food blogger says "Cheers, Mr. Ducasse!"

Wine and Words to Live By... with "Reverend" Al

Ok, so he's not clergy... He's Mr. Al Portney from Ste. Michelle Wine Estates (the umbrella company for the most celebrated estate wineries in Pacific NorthWest and California.) But with the passionate, almost religious way this man spoke about vinifera... and the fruits of the new world... and the countless adages about wine and life (that he so eloquently shared during our wine seminar yesterday), I'd like to think that Al might as well be a holy man preaching the good news in the wine world...

Al and his bottled stories...

His mission? To enlighten us on Washington State's premier wine estates - "Columbia Crest" having the no 1. wine in the world by Wine Spectator and "Chateau Ste. Michelle" the No. 1 winery in the world by Wine & Spirits. (For novices like me, I just understand it to be like the Academy Awards of the industry) 

 

It is said that, before enlightenment, there is confusion... . After tasting a dizzying 20 wines at 11 am, to say I was in a daze is quite the understatement.

First, there was the geographical issue of where Ste. Michelle Wine Estates is exactly... I made the grave mistake of assuming it was in D.C... Al's reply, "No, we aren't growing grapes at the back of the White House." So I must establish that it is in the West coast, at the border of British Columbia, near Canada."

Let's face it, Washington State is not the first place you think of when talking about wineries. But here's a bit of trivia: What do Washington State, Bordeaux and Burgundy, have in common? The perfect climate for growing vines. (44 degrees N and 45 degrees S to be more exact, is where the globe's premium wine belts are located.) 

With its ideal location and weather, Chateau Ste. Michelle has produced the ultimate Riesling in the planet. (In fact, according to Al, it sells so well that the Germans - who are historically known for their Riesling - are the ones purchasing by the case.) 

The Big Daddy of Riesling is not from Germany...

Here are some of the other wines we've sampled...

Very elegant sparkling wine... for its price range of 800, this aromatic is perfect for a laid back party at home.

unoaked, very light and fruity. It's clean and so easy to drink for those who don't want too complex tastes.

Unoaked, fresh and sweet. Good wine for young folk. Smells so good its almost perfume.

Citrusy with the right acidity.

A DOSE OF WINE WISDOM: To servers: "Don't keep refilling glasses with wine that's already warmed up to room temp. Wait until its empty so you can enjoy a fresh, chilled glass each time."

Five Star Chardonnay...

keem 'em coming, Chris!

an accurate depiction of how i was seeing things a few minutes later...

EROICA actually refers to the unfinished concierto of Beethoven... But if the sexier meaning works for you, we say "Whatever floats your boat."

nothing like Jindi Cheese and Waterthins Crackers to go with wine. 

Syrah or Shiraz means the same thing...

Leaving a message on the winemaker's wall of fame.

More of Al's Wine Wisdom:

On wine personalities: "There are Wine Drinkers (those who treat wine as just another beverage), then there are Wine Thinkers (cork dorks)...

Don't get stuck in these extremes."

On where to buy your bottles: "Buy wine only from reputable people"

On quality: "Get wine that's tried (pedigree & heritage), true (trusted brand) and tested (if you like their Cabernet, you'd probably like their Merlot)."

On discovery and enlightenment: "Life is too short to drink bad wine. There's just so many choices out there."

On pairing: "Complement is always good, contrast is also great, but never conflict tastes."

Last words... I had to ask Al what his favorite bottle is. He couldn't resist saying lightheartedly...

"An empty one"

VINOS DE ARZUAGA in Manila

It doesn’t matter if you’re a wine connoisseur or simply an enthusiast – everyone loves a good ol’ story behind a good bottle of wine. And for all it’s modern-day appeal, (Julia Roberts admittedly craves for it, J. Lo poured it at her wedding, and football royalty Real Madrid has made it their official wine), I like that the Arzuaga label finds its time-honored heritage in Spanish vineyards along the legendary Duero River in Castile.  There is where a man named Don Florentino Arzuaga, in a countryside setting where his rustic winery -complete with a weather vane and bell tower in the middle of purple fields -  began producing one of the most highly acclaimed wines in the region, and the world.  

At Makati Shangri-La's Red last week (Feb 5), I was privileged to wine and dine with premier winemaker Ignazio Arzuaga when he came to Manila to bring with him a collection of award-winning blends from Bodegas Arzuaga.

Arzuaga Crianza, Pago Florentino, Fan D’Oro, Reserva Especial and La Planta Tempranillo.

“Warm in the day and cool at night,” Ignacio talks about how Ribera del Duero’s very ideal location and altitude lends itself to the perfect grape.

A sumptuous five course menu by Chef Thomas Linke of Red complemented the wines. Here, a cocoa dusted foie gras with pomegranate and vanilla syrup with pata negra crisps starts off the dinner paired with Fan D'Oro and the La Planta.

Star Anise pork belly, chorizo tamales with thyme and oregano immediately follows, served with the Pago Florentino Red Cencibel.

There was an olive oil poached wild salmon fillet with blackberry reduction, warm sambuca jelly and  shellfish veloute. Literally one of the softest, creamiest and "melt-in-your-mouth-est" salmons I've ever tasted. Too bad I couldn't take a better photo.

On the other side of this photo, where you can't see, I was devouring a bone marrow crusted organic beef tenderloin and mashed potatoes and couldn't be bothered because it was soo good.

That's Anne, Alex, Jean Claude, Me (in my Spanish-inspired outfit) and Lia

La Camara members

An occasion to lift a glass for

Ignacio, Sergio Mazza of Makati Shangri-La, Brett Tolhurst and Jean Claude Terdjemaine

All in all it was a grand event where everyone took their sweet time and stayed 'til late -- a very Spanish trait i very much like, I must say. 

Tuscan Dining at Chelsea, Serendra

Literally a family affair at Chelsea Serendra for the Banfi Wine Dinner: A Tuscan Toast 

Alex, my officemate, and I invited our folks to join us in dining "taverna-style" (as in tables of 6 or more and everyone sharing platter after never-ending platter of yummy Italian dishes.)

All 10 courses were paired with the Tuscan wines of Castello Banfi Winery.

Fumaio, Collepino, Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino...

i like the way the names roll off my tongue.

The Romans plus my dad (right)

Mom and friends joined the party

More guests, friends and families enjoy the charmingly casual set up

to put us more in the "countryside" mood...

Judith and Elias of High Life chat all night with

Guillaume Blanchard of Castello Banfi.

First on the menu, Panko-Crusted Feta Greek Salad with Lemon and Dill served with Banfi Fumaio - a light, white wine.

The "Pissaladiere," according to Chelsea owner Andrej and his lovely wife Myrza, means "onion pizza." The caramelized onions went well with the sweetness of the red wine - the Collepino.

Parmesan Jalapeno Arancini with Deep-Fried Olives and Caperberries

Baked Herb Chicken and Spinach Gorgonzola Rigatoni

Salt Baked Barramundi with Garlic Aoli

A very interesting way of cooking fish - with a salt wrap. It was a bit of a challenge though breaking through to the inside. But the Barramundi was actually not too salty and very soft. 

Duck Confit and Sausage Cassoulet is my new fave comfort food. It actually reminds me of a white bean recipe at home except that we use pork.

It will fall-from-your-fork: "Low and Slow” Merlot-Braised U.S. Beef Short Rib Stew was delicious with creamy mashed potatoes and crispy, fried onions.

Banana and Balsamic Caramel Waffles with Chocolate-Dipped Bacon. I took a bite of the bacon and it wasn't what I expected. It actually works when you make the bacon real crispy then it just gives the chocolate a little salty crunch. The caramel was my favorite though coz there would be slivers of it on the soft waffle, like when you break the surface of a creme brulee. 

Warm Cinnamon Nutmeg Apple Pie with Lavender Honey Gelato

My dad's favorite. He orders it everywhere so I could say that he knows his apple pie.

Our moms on the other hand, enjoyed the Vittoria Cappuccinos. Funny, since it was  served with a piece of chocnut on the side, they figured it was meant to be dropped whole inside the coffee. It actually worked so maybe it was?! Can't know for sure but i'll probably try it again as well.