I Got the Almighty Tongue - Chapter 152



Only Noblemtl

152 The most demanding guest

“Hello. I am Alain Ducasse. I know you are all busy with your work, but thank you for coming again this year.”

Alain pauses for a moment and looks around at the attendees.

“There are newcomers this year too. I think their minds are probably full of questions. They’re probably thinking, ‘What on earth are these authors trying to do when they get together?’”

ha ha ha.

I can hear the chefs’ laughter.

“This meeting is very personal. We are not an official organization, and we do not require attendance, although we use the name of the association. But I can say for sure that we are in agreement with our dear friend Carlo Petrini, who started the Slow Food movement. Carlo felt the need to preserve food diversity in the midst of the flood of instant food.”

He pauses for a moment and looks at the three people in chef’s uniforms.

“Joseph from America there!”

“yes yes!”

Joseph answers absentmindedly.

“Are the hamburgers in LA different from the ones in New York?”

“No, I would say it’s almost the same.”

Joseph, who was momentarily dazed by the unexpected question, came to his senses and answered.

“That’s right. Isn’t it amazing?

People who live 4,000 kilometers away, a distance that would take three days to travel by car, eat the same food. For reference, the distance from where we are now to Moscow is only 2,500 kilometers.

The spread of this kind of uniform fast food began in earnest in the late 1980s. It wasn’t like this in the past. Each town had its own distinctive food.

Is this right? If everyone in the world were to eat the same food in different places at different times, would we be happy?”

Many chefs nod in agreement with Alain’s opinion.

“But you and I both know very well that this is not an easy matter.

I’m from Monaco. The Alps are not far away. When I was a kid, I could easily find a special bean in the market. It was called Alb-Leisa, a lentil from the Alps. When you boil it in soup, it has a subtle sweetness and a nice chewy texture and aroma.

Recently, I was thinking about a soup recipe and I remembered this bean that I had eaten when I was young. I immediately ran to the market, but I couldn’t find it anywhere. When I asked the vendor, he said that the highlands where Albreze was grown no longer grow this crop.

They were growing wheat and potatoes. Before the green revolution, humans ate about 6,000 different crops. Now, we probably don’t even get half that. Just three crops—wheat, rice, and potatoes—provide humans with more than 50 percent of their caloric needs.”

Alain takes a sip of water and continues his speech.

“How many crops have disappeared over the years due to people’s indifference? And this is still going on.”

He pauses for a moment and looks at the chefs.

“You are world-renowned chefs. Your menus capture the attention and interest of the public. I would like you to become a little closer to your local community.

Why are crops disappearing? Is it because of climate change, a hot topic these days? That may be the case. But there is a more fundamental reason.

Crops disappear when there is no one to look for them. And when crops disappear, they take many other things with them: agricultural techniques, cuisine, and the culture that enjoyed and enjoyed those foods.

The proliferation of fast food has accelerated this phenomenon. It’s hard to imagine how many crops and dishes we will no longer see in the next 30 years, if we continue to do so.”

I nodded. His words were powerful.

“There are many chefs here who are adhering well to the principles of farm-to-table. That’s great. But you shouldn’t be satisfied with that. Look around and exercise your influence so that the ingredients and food culture that are disappearing due to our indifference are not lost. That’s all.”

Clap clap clap.

It was not a simple social gathering. As chefs, they had a heavy sense of responsibility and were thinking about what kind of contribution they could make to humanity and society.

The next step was for the chefs to come out one by one and say what they wanted to say.

“Hello. My name is Frank and I run a two-star Michelin restaurant in London. We are a vegetarian restaurant and our motto is self-sufficiency. Of course, we can’t be self-sufficient in all our food, but after years of hard work, we are now able to procure over 90% of our food ourselves.”

It’s great that they’re aiming to be a vegetarian restaurant that sources all of their ingredients.

“We are a business that does not use ovens or stoves. We cook everything by burning wood. We mainly use oak and almond wood as firewood.”

A female presenter comes out and talks about their unique operating philosophy. Her presentation caught my attention.

“What are the pros and cons of using Live Fire?”

Live fire is also used quite a bit in Segreto. It has its own advantages. However, abandoning all the conveniences of modern civilization and relying solely on it for cooking is a decision that no smart chef would make.

“There are so many cons that it’s hard to talk about them.

Everything has its drawbacks. The difficulty of starting and maintaining a fire, the lifespan of the pan or pot will be shortened if it comes into direct contact with the fire. The cooking speed will naturally be slower. In addition to this, there are health issues. You get burned often.

But one thing that makes up for it all is the taste.

As an Italian chef, I’m sure you understand what I mean. If there were no taste advantage, there would be no reason for such a thing as oven-baked pizza.

There is something magical about a wood-fired fire. It’s not noticeable when pan-frying, but it’s more apparent when you cook over an open fire. But I agree that combining stoves is a wise choice in many ways. We insist on live fire because we’re pursuing a more emotional experience.”

During the half day I spent here, my perspective broadened significantly. There were many chefs, and I was moved by the way each of them generously shared their management philosophy and know-how. How can such an altruistic group exist?

But not all presentations were good.

“I am against any cuisine that deviates from humanitarianism. The California legislature in the United States has already banned the distribution or cooking of foie gras in any establishment.

Of course, I am not against eating meat. It is the way of nature. But is there any reason why we should eat the liver of animals that have been enlarged through long-term suffering?”

Joseph, who had been listening quietly, raises his hand and asks a question.

“There are many ways to cause ongoing suffering to animals.

Pigs that are forced to gain weight by eating only feed in narrow pens where it is difficult to even move, laying hens that are forced to lay eggs their entire lives in a chicken coop, and dairy cows that are forced to produce milk every day while attached to painful machines can all be considered this type of situation.

But the presenter seems to be particularly strict about foie gras.

I think it’s because France produces more than 80% of the world’s foie gras. It’s easy to criticize what you’re not familiar with and don’t know much about.

In fact, the French have little resistance to foie gras. It is simply a part of their familiar food culture.

On the other hand, if they saw the factory farms that are so common in America, they would be horrified. Basically, from their perspective, Americans are seen as savages, with animals that roam free. What do you think about that?”

The presenter’s face turns red at Joseph’s question. He seems angry.

“Come on! This story is never ending. Let’s wrap it up here. Joan, you should also step aside.”

Alain steps in and mediates. It seems he is keen to encourage productive discussion but also to prevent arguments for the sake of arguments.

In the midst of heated discussions and information exchanges, lunchtime was approaching. I turned my head and saw a large kitchen that seemed to be able to accommodate ten people. In the first place, it was a hall equipped with basic facilities for providing meals, as meetings and dinners could not be considered separate events.

The noisy atmosphere gradually died down and the chefs began to sit at the tables. I also found a suitable seat and sat down. Looking to the side, I saw a female chef wearing a chef’s uniform like me.

“hello.”

“Sorry for the late greeting. My name is Adelia. Please call me Adele.”

It was only then that I realized who she was: Adelia Hopkins, head chef at Mason Garden, a three-Michelin-starred restaurant that was later considered the most difficult restaurant in London to get a reservation at.

‘How many Michelin stars are there anyway?’

Wherever you look, you see industry heavyweights.

“I’m Shin Je-hee. Nice to meet you.”

“I know. I’m a fan of MasterChef too.”

She looks at me with sparkling eyes. It seems the media’s influence was greater than I thought.

“Why are you guys sitting here?”

Fabian, the chef of Paris’ up-and-coming restaurant ‘la table du castellet’, who was sitting across from us, looks at us and asks.

“yes?”

“You’re the only ones wearing chef’s uniforms. Of course you should cook.”

He speaks naturally, as if to say, “Don’t you know that?”

Hahaha.

Then the chefs around him laugh loudly.

I don’t really understand what’s going on. I know we have to cook, but the reactions are too intense.

“You understand. That line is something Fabian heard from Alain five years ago. Anyway, his personality is twisted. He remembers it exactly and uses it.”

Damn. Looks like I’ve become the butt of jokes again. I got up with a bitter smile.

“Let’s go.”

I look at Adele and say this. She sighs and gets up. Joseph is watching us from afar. When our eyes meet, he nods and gets up from his seat and comes to us. The three of us headed to the kitchen.

“They’re just like fucking old farts.”

Adele grumbles as if she can’t control her anger.

“We don’t have time. We’re already seated, so we can’t keep you waiting. Let’s think of a dish that can be served within 30 minutes.”

First, you need to check the ingredients. After checking the pantry and refrigerator, I found that I had enough ingredients to make most dishes.

The three of us put our heads together and started planning the menu.

Because they are top-class chefs, the exchange of ideas was creative and fast. Each course should not interfere with the taste of the next dish. They should be able to create synergy with each other and be able to cook quickly. If they can cook in large quantities, it is even better.

We finalized the recipe in 3 minutes and started cooking.

Adele decided to make the appetizer.

Tata tata tata.

Adele is chopping garlic and onions at a fast pace. On one side, water is being poured and vegetables are ready to be prepared.

The main one is Joseph.

Cheeeeeeek.

The meat, cut into cubes and seasoned, is being grilled until golden brown in a pan. Joseph puts two more pans on and turns the meat while making the sauce.

I am in charge of Primo Piatto. Since Joseph is planning to use flour, I chose rice to avoid the same ingredients. But I do not plan to make risotto.

You can see ingredients cooking in one large pot and three pans in front of you. The people who will be eating today will be the most picky diners in the world.

“Joseph!”

I hand the freshly kneaded dough to Joseph, who takes it and begins to roll it out with a rolling pin.

“Grazie (Thank you).”

The kitchen of a fine dining restaurant is always multinational. Three languages ​​are a given. I look at my watch and 15 minutes have already passed.

Wheeeeeeeeing

Adele is blending ingredients in a mixer. The dish will be ready soon.

* * *

“There are only three of you, but you seem calm. Your decision-making was very quick.”

Michael, head chef of Camillo, one of Germany’s leading dining establishments, speaks from his kitchen.

“It’s not like your time. There was one more person than this year, but it was really a mess.”

Romeo looks at him and says with a mischievous face.

“It wasn’t that bad. It was just a little late because Fabian insisted on cooking something that took a long time.”

Camilo says, picking up his wine glass with embarrassment.

“Thanks to that, I drank a lot of wine. Let’s look forward to what kind of food will be served this year.”

Ding.

As soon as Alain finished speaking, the doorbell rang in the kitchen, and the server started bringing out the appetizers.