And in the kitchen, what household appliances can’t you go without?
In a professional kitchen, you can’t do without a good oven, like the ones we have nowadays, which can cook with steam, at low temperatures, or do a thousand and one things. And you can’t go without a good hob. Nowadays, you can design made-to-measure hobs, with specific integrated equipment.
Utensils a chef just couldn’t live without?
A good knife, a good chopping board and a good frying pan.
In terms of materials, how would you describe the ideal kitchen?
I like a mix. I like a kitchen that people look at and almost identify as the kitchen of a dream house. I think the architecture is very important, as well as the aesthetic sense. Lighting is one of the things I value the most, very theatrical lighting. The areas where you work should be very well lit, but then the rest darkened, because it gives a more laboratory atmosphere, while at the same time being inspirational, as if it were a dream. In the Atelier, I have had several partners; at home, recently, I put in some Laminam countertops, which are antibacterial. I can place hot pots on top of them and they don’t burn. I can squeeze a lemon juice or cut a pineapple and no stains will remain on the countertops... These are materials that didn’t exist a few years ago and that not only make our lives easier, but also give us an aesthetic side. I’ve always been a fan of integrating this type of material in my kitchens.
"The lighting is one of the things I value most, very theatrical lighting”
For you, cooking is a unique act. Do you take this act very seriously?
Quite the contrary; you shouldn’t take everything too seriously. Above all, an act of cooking has to be an act of passion. Everything has to have passion, commitment and dedication – whether this is cooking for my daughter or in the restaurant. Of course, when I cook in the restaurant, I see the work in a different way, much more mechanised, more repetitive, much more technical, much less emotional, because every day we are replicating the same recipes so that they are the same for every customer that visits us. Then we have the emotional side, when we create the recipe. The creative process has a much more emotional side, much freer and much more aspirational. I take pleasure in both sides, because it’s also very challenging to serve up, every day, about 300 dishes between 7.00 pm and 10.30 pm, in a way in all come out with the right timings. So, during service I feel much more like a maestro, and during the creative process I feel much more like a craftsman.
