DINE&WINE
GRČKA KUHINJA SA DUŠOM I TRADICIJOM GREEK CUISINE – WITH SOUL AND TRADITION Ribe iz Egeja i divlje zelje FISH FROM THE AEGEAN AND WILD GREENS
What inspired you to become a chef? “My connection to cooking started in my childhood. I’ll never forget chasing my grandfather and soaking up every move he made while cooking. I can still smell the aroma of my mother’s stews as if they were prepared yesterday. And her soft dough on the kitchen table... that was a game for me! I kneaded that dough like plasticine. That’s also where I first learned the mean- ing of emotion in cuisine.” How would you describe contemporary Greek cui- sine and how do you strike a balance between tra- dition and innovation? “Modern Greek cuisine is a natural continuation of the cooking of our grandmothers. Recipes evolve and techniques advance, but the soul of the dish must re- main unchanged. I always say that you have to occa- sionally “stir the pot”, otherwise something will burn! I like to experiment, but the most important thing for me is that the taste remains authentic.” What are three ingredients without which you can’t imagine Greek cuisine ? “Extra virgin olive oil, tomatoes and
Volim da dajem obrt receptima, ali postoji jedno jelo koje nikada ne bih menjao – grčka salata. Ne traži promenu, jer već jeste savršena I like to put my there’s one dish I’d never change: Greek salad. It doesn’t require change because it’s already perfect own twist on recipes, but
Šta vas je inspirisalo da postanete kuvar? – Moja veza s kuvanjem počela je u detinjstvu. Nikada ne- ću zaboraviti kako sam jurio dedu i upijao svaki njegov po- kret dok kuva. Mirise maminih paprikaša i dalje osećam kao da su juče pripremljeni. A njena meka testa na kuhinj- skom stolu... to je za mene bila igra! Gnječio sam ih kao plastelin. Tu sam prvi put naučio šta znači emocija u ku- hinji. Kako biste opisali savremenu grčku kuhinju i kako ba- lansirate između tradicije i inovacije? – Moderna grčka kuhinja je prirodni nastavak onoga što su radile naše bake. Recepti se razvijaju, tehnike napre- duju, ali duša jela mora ostati ista. Uvek kažem – moraš povremeno da „promućkaš lonac“, jer u suprotnom ne- što zagori! Volim da eksperimentišem, ali najvažnije mi je da ukus ostane autentičan. Koja su tri sastojka bez kojih ne možete da zamislite grčku kuhinju? – Ekstradevičansko maslinovo ulje, paradajz i origano. Do- voljno je da ih ukucate zajedno u pretragu i otvoriće vam se hiljade recepata. I to sa razlogom. Ako biste morali da jedete samo jedno jelo do kraja ži- vota, šta bi to bilo? – Ribe iz Egejskog mora i divlje zelje sa grčkog tla. To je esencija svežine, ukusa i zdravlja. Ako već moram da bi- ram samo jedno jelo za ceo život – neka bude to. Kakvi su vam utisci o Srbiji? – Oduševljen sam! Hrana, energija, ljudi – sve me podseća na Grčku, ali sa jedinstvenim šmekom. Srbi imaju isti od- nos prema trpezi kao i mi – trpeza nije samo jelo već me- sto okupljanja, emocije i iskrenosti.
oregano. It’s enough to type them to- gether in a web search for you to come across thousands of recipes. And there’s good reason for that.” If you could only eat one dish for the rest of your life, what would it be? “Fish from the Aegean Sea and wild greens from Greek soil. That is the essence of fresh- ness, flavour and health. If I had to choose only one dish for the rest of my life – that would be the one.” What are your impressions of Serbia? “I’m delighted! The food, energy, people – everything reminds me of Greece, though with a unique flair. Serbs share the same attitude to- wards the table as Greeks – a table isn’t just for serving food, but repre- sents a place for gathering, emotions and sincerity.”
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