Delicooks

It’s good to use local fresh, local products which are full of vitamins necessary for our daily lives.

After enjoying his food I wonder where his passion for chili comes from?

This started when I was 13. My father took me to dinner at a Thai restaurant in Amsterdam where it specialized in mushroom and prawn soup, which   burned like hell!  From then on I realized I had a tolerance for high spice but I gradually discovered the flavors of milder chilies and have had a passion for them ever since. Throughout my career as a chef I've had the opportunity to travel and to try out many different products and sauces for example Sriracha in Thailand, Sambal from Malaysia and Indonesia, Harissa from Tunisia and the Maghreb and the wide variety of fresh and dried chilies from Mexico, a country that captivated me completely through its people and above all its food. I discovered that these products could change a simple dish into a feast for the eyes and taste buds. One day a friend sent me a video of a woman, called Jojo, who lives in New York and is dedicated to developing Sriracha. Jojo's Sriracha.This Video enlightened me and helped me to make the decision to immerse myself into the amazing world of sauces, which I had been thinking of doing for many years.

Many people are not used to including chili in there cooking, are there any secrets to calm down the spicy effects?

Dairy products are a very effective way of calming down spicy foods this is   the reason there is normally a yogurt sauce as a side dish in Indian food.  Also a mix of   anise, fennel and cardamom that help with the digestion of spice. Together with cumin, turmeric and cardamom which helps make spicy recipes easier to digest.

Today there are many studies showing that the chilies do not cause heartburn or digestion problems. The issue is the extent to which we consume them.

To tell the truth there is nothing like a good shot of pure alcohol (whiskey, rum, brandy etc.) to dilute the capsaicin, responsible for the heat of the chili!

What is the use in which chilies have surprised you?

There are studies underway for the fight against cancer and pharmaceuticals are seeing whether it can be used as an anesthetic.

 There are many different types of hot sauces, which is your favorite?

 It's hard to choose one but Sriracha is great because it is 100% chilies and is also fermented which is unusual because it means there are different “vintages".

 There is also sambal oelek and Harissa which are fantastic for the simplicity in their design and the enormous contribution of flavor in dishes that they parry with.

You have traveled and cooked in many different places ... What would your dream kitchen look like

My dream kitchen would be made of   stone and wood with a large marble centerpiece and a wood burning stove with a hob, a tandoori oven, a pizza oven and a garden with lots of different herbs. The less stainless steel the better!

Today I still dream of my grandmother's kitchen in our cottage in France.

Trends in cookery change all the time.  What works for you at the moment?

What I’m enjoying is the return to simplicity, good seasonal products (we had forgotten that our food is seasonal!).  It’s good to use local fresh, local products which are full of vitamins necessary for our daily lives.

Tell us about your new project "taste the world".

To begin with it’s about spice which is not very well known about in   Europe. Chilies are good for you and contribute to a healthy way of life I would like every household to have sauces, butters, jams and oils containing chilies. Nowadays people do not spend enough time in the kitchen and get bored of their daily meals.

So, with these simple changes to our kitchen can we transform our everyday dishes into tasty authentic delights?

Yes!  Also a taste the world chef can come to your home and show you how with cookery classes. I'm also  starting  a project with  eatwith.com where once a week my home will be available  for private dinners in which I receive my guests and my family for delicious dinners and fun.

Do you have a favorite recipe that you can tell us about?

As a great grandson of an Italian I’m a big fan of pasta so I'll give you my version of carbonara pasta.

If you thought carbonara is a cream based sauce you were wrong!

For a carbonara for 4 people you need to beat 3 eggs with the yolk, a lot of parmesan, loads of freshly ground pepper and a touch of cream (optional). This mixture is incorporated at the end with smoked bacon once the pasta has been cooked.

My trick is that before sautéing the bacon place some thin slices of garlic in cold olive oil to flavor it. Then cook the bacon in this oil and when it has   lightly browned add to the pasta at the very end to give a crunch.

Can you tell us your desires? ...

I have too many!  But there are two which I wish for daily.

The first is that people should smile more, even when there are no reasons, sing and dance and cry when they want too.

The second is that young people should not be afraid to have children. They are the ones who change this world, they are our legacy.