Delicooks

How long have you been cooking?
From childhood I was intrigued by mixing different ingredients and elements – a kind of alchemy that ended up becoming a tasty dish. And it was through helping my mother in the kitchen that I was gradually initiated into the  'secrets' of the kitchen. One day on my mother's birthday,  I started to play about with the menu, choosing some unconventional, somewhat exotic, combinations which transformed a mere dinner into a party, a gift. Christmas dinner for the family was another challenge I took on when I was only 14 years old.

Did anyone inspire you to devote your life to cooking?
My mother’s efforts to prepare dinner on special occasions was the real spur. Similarly the sheer enjoyment felt by dinner guests spurred me on.
 
What is never missing from your fridge?
A parmesan and good olive oil can be used to work miracles for unexpected occasions, enhancing flavors ... a simple touch that highlights the simplicity of the dish without changing its basic structure.

What do you miss about Argentine cooking?
The food of childhood. You know how we all say when we’re grown up: 'This is great, but ... not like my mother’s.”  There is something about those early experiences that continues to operate at some level even as we expand our culinary horizons. A 'background' that has to do with affection and nostalgia, family and friends around a table ... shared experiences, smells and tastes ... These overlap and interplay with the ten years I have been living in Spain, with varying and rewarding experiences and friendships, with the play of aromas and flavors that open and build on that 'memory'. I could say that globalization allows me to prepare a steak with chorizo just as well here as over there, yet all the other connotations will be missing
 
Roast meats or paella?
Both. The roast is as much about the meat as the gathering of friends and family around a fire made with wood. You can get hypnotized watching the play of the flames, listening to crackle and savoring the smell that is woven through our chat and laughter. But I love rice of all types as well.

The best and the worst things about being a chef?
The best thing is the chance to be creative, the people you meet, the shared passion, the satisfaction of offering someone a dish and seeing them enjoy it.
The worst things include the frantic pace ... always working against the clock, the rush to get dinner ready  – that can really stress you out.
 
What was the last cookery book you bought?
I'm addicted to books, especially essay and cook books. The last cook book I bought was 35mm. It brings together classic film and famous chefs, inspired to new creations by inspiring movies.

Tell us mini recipe and / or a trick that never fails.
Using the liquid that comes with buffalo mozzarella to make a vinaigrette.

What has been your most rewarding job?
The preparation of starters and desserts that I made for a friend’s wedding.

What are your current projects?
I am currently working as a home economist, which allows me to explore new  'territories'. An aesthetic, an "architecture" which is based fundamentally on the presentation of the dish and its composition without losing sight of the purity of the lines of the elements that go into it.  It gives me enormous satisfaction and excitement. One possibility for further research is to explore both visual and sensual metaphor and accessibility to a public which is not necessarily “initiated” but who are excited by the experiences of tastes, colors and images.