The secrets from the Chef & Sommelier

 ITI in Brussel is the leading taste institute in the world where all kinds of suppliers are sending their products to be judged by a panel of professionals from around the world, this is a great gathering of chefs of all kind of backgrounds and ages what makes the average score points really non controllable and honest. This year I am invited again as a judge and I just cant wait to see some of the folks that I know will be there, a few days of hard work but also great companionship and food, thank you https://www.taste-institute.com/en/home  for the invitation and see you in December 

 Michel Guerard a true legend passed today and may he rest in piece with Escoffier, Bocuse, Alain Chapel and the rest of the big boys. I hade the fortune to spend some days with Michel at his place and now the famous Spa's in France Eugenie-les-Bains during my culinary travels in early 90,s he was a true gentlemen and took time for me and my visit there to explain his gastronomic journey and the Nouvelle cuisine that he was a crucial part of to establish in the early 80, s when I started my career and I was absolutely absorbed by the way this French chefs was treating the food and ingredients in a new and fun way to preserve the flavor of the actual ingredient, a new era was developing and still today we all pay attention to what happened then. The new Nordic cuisine was a creation and a form after this idea and still many people see the Nordic as a start of something new. Le Grande chef   

 I was and are still devastated with loosing Mama Mia the westie queen last February but extremely happy for our new family member that we received this week, a 9 weeks old westie girl with no name(I call here Stella (star in Italian) I am so sorry that I cannot hold her in my palm when I'm to far away and I will miss some of her baby steps for sure and she will get much bigger before I have the opportunity to see her, Westies are great dogs with amazing character and totally fearless and I cant wait to see how she will develop and she will be the headline here for sure.  

 Marriage is never easy and it takes a lot of effort to keep going on and make life easy and comfortable but with me its a real challenge constantly moving around like I do and all the crazy things that I come up with all the time and have always done, some of my gipsy blood I guess, My stronghold and support have always been there for me and gave me the freedom to grow as person and chef, with out I would never achieve what I have done so far and more to come for sure. My family had the opportunity and privilege's to visit many places in the world thank to my travels but at the same time they have carried a heavy load in day to day life without me around to shear the burden, I am well aware of this and I try to compensate my own way, 19 years of marriage and still going strong thanks to you my love Christina my moon and sun in my life and thank you for making us a strong team that can overcome anything thrown at us. Love you endlessly my sexy beast. 

 White sandy beaches with turquoise water and no people on the beach, sounds interesting?  lets start with arrival in Male the capital and only city, crazy busy and hectic with all the boats and sea planes waiting for guests and nowhere to have a beer! Male is dry like a desert storm in Sahara being a Muslim country, I stayed in Male for 5 days and I loved this town, great food and friendship, for drinks we went to the closest resorts, 15 minutes boat ride and you can get everything. so back to the beach, yes pretty cool and nice for a day or two, then you get bored out of your mind! If you are there for your honeymoon you will be divorced before even ending your vacation, for me it was great to see but I would never go back for more that maybe two night tops.

 The never ending city of Rome Italy is famous for its architecture, fountains, food and chic shopping and La Dolce Vita of curse and what a treat to spend days here with my loved ones to absorbed culture and everything that is available here, of curse the time is a limit and it always makes you to come back to discover more, the lifestyle is extraordinary and Italians are easy going, no rush, one more espresso, more sport discussion, one more panini and it continue like this so yes Italians live longer and healthier even if they eat a lot of carbs throughout the day and never get fat (older yes when it catch up) Just strolling around and doing nothing is relaxing and I loved every second of it and to visit all the historic sites is a lifetime must on the bucket list. pasta, pizza, saltimbocca, vino and of curse the never empty Negroni, Mi piace molto e grazie  

 Mr Mike, the American lawyer who been living in Cairo for the past 24 years and are my new habibi took me around old down town Cairo last night to show me some of his hidden gems, this guy is remarkable and interesting that people knows his name!! after a tour at the Greek club we went to Café Riche, extremely cool place where you can feel the time stand still and you are moved back to the Egyptian black & white movies, this café opened in 1908 and are a true landmark in Cairo that have witnessed many changes in Egyptian modern history, from Nasser, to King Farouk and Prime ministers to resistance during the 1919 revolution and other important tales that shaped Egypt to what we know of today, search Café Riche on Wikipedia for more interesting info.