Monthly Archive for November, 2008

Disappointing DR

Trine / Published on November 16, 2008 in Petit Fours. 6 Comments

This is a different post from what I usually write, but I just feel I have to say this.

It has taken me a few days to really digest Danish Broadcasting Corporation’s (DR) noma documentary.

I knew DR was filming at noma and that there would be a broadcast this autumn. During my lunch and dinners at the restaurant I’ve been filmed several times while eating the food at my table, sharing a meal with blogger friends, having drinks at the bar or talking to Rene Redzepi, chatting with Heston Blumenthal, playing football at Mr. Burns’ football cup. After hours and hours of filming I imagined a series of 3-4 episodes showing noma behind the sceene – both in the kitchen and in the front.

What did we get? One single hour and with the uniform focus on Rene’s, at times, rough tone in the kitchen.

I’m really sad. This could have been such an exciting documentary that would have broadened our minds. But now DR has probably shut out any further opportunity for the press’ future access to behind the scenes of gourmet restaurants. If so, I understand, and I am really puzzled by why the portrait was angled like that.

I would much rather have seen the documentary drawing a picture of noma as a whole and with all aspects of the restaurant.

Why didn’t we for example see how they plan a day at noma, how they assign customers to tables, how they train the waiters, how they hire staff and what they say during an interview, how they start the working day in the morning? There are so many immensely interesting views to this fantastic and really unique working place. Of course the quick temper is a part of the story – but it’s not the whole story.

I fully understand if everyone at noma feels hoodwink.

I’m disappointed. DR could have made a beguiling noma documentary but they failed by turning it into yet another story of an angry chef.

Autumn Time is Truffle Time

Trine / Published on November 14, 2008 in Copenhagen Post and Petit Fours. 14 Comments

Autumn time is truffle time. The moisty, earthy smell of this strange fungus is autumn in its purest sense and as the best truffles are in season at this time of the year, this is when to opt for the truffle dish.

To me, the smell of truffles is also a trip down memory lane. My childhood was scented with truffle – quite literally, as my Italian dad back in the eighties had the noble idea of bringing the Italian truffle to the Danes, and making a living from it.

So, he sat up a truffle import, right there, in our dining room. I remember lying on the couch, doing my homework while listening to my dad selling truffles on the phone. Sometimes in Danish, sometimes in Italian and at such high speed that it became a murmur in the background, a sound turning into a melody with a rhythm. The same phrases over and over again. Then laughter and some typing on the type writer. Then silence.

Every once a month during the season, he picked up the truffles at Copenhagen airport’s cargo section and brought them to our home late in the evening. During the night each truffle was carefully inspected, smelled at, touched and squeezed, scrutinized and brushed for the tiniest sign of moist or mould, which would damage the little precious thing. Then they were weighed to perfectly match the purchase orders and meticulously packed with ice coolers to be delivered the next day.

White Alba truffles. Photo from Trøffelhuset

To give you an idea of how immensely powerful the smell of the white truffle is: We used to infuse raw eggs with truffle taste just by placing them in a jar next to a truffle. It’s that strong. It goes through everything. And it was everywhere during the week of brushing, weighing and packing. My dad kept some of the truffles in the fridge with our food which was infected by the truffle aroma. Even the milk, which was why I didn’t fancy cereals for breakfast those days…

The smelly business was a success, though. After a few years my family opened a shop so not only restaurants but also private customers could explore these golden lumps of the earth. We sold fresh truffles when they were in season and frozen ones throughout the year. Each day we offered a hot dish for take away. The classic one was Linguine al Tartufo: Linguine made with a very simple sauce of cream, butter with truffles, one garlic clove very lightly fried, sprinkled with grated parmesan cheese and finally topped with (lots of) truffle in paper thin slices. Try it. It’s so smooth and tasty, it’ll make you weep.

I still remember my very first white truffle experience for lunch at the shop where I worked twice a week. My mum cooked risotto and shaved the beige fungus over my plate. The scent and taste of the white truffle is (to me) a more distinct and sharp aroma compared to the black truffle and the light summer truffle and it has a light garlic note to it besides the earthiness – an aroma very hard to describe in fact. Sometimes the scent is stronger than perfume. Only four grams of white truffle is enough to overpower the rice dish.

The shop is gone now, but the truffle business  goes on. The truffles arrive every week and in larger quantities than back in the eighties. They are still nursed, brushed and weighed by my dad and are then sold on to top-notch Copenhagen restaurants – maybe one of them will end up on your plate tonight.

Buon appetito!

Copenhagen Post on 21 November 2009

A Comment on the Noma Documentary

Trine / Published on November 13, 2008 in Petit Fours. 19 Comments

For you guys who were not able to see Danish Broadcasting Corporation’s noma documentary tonight, I thought I’d like to make a comment.

The one hour long documentary was portraying chef and owner Rene Redzepi. Half of the time we followed Rene in the kitchen instructing cooks how to prepare dishes, what to do and, very clearly, what not to do. This was spiced up with interviews with kitchen staff, Rene himself and his girlfriend Nadine Levy who in fact met Rene at noma. Very honest interviews, actually.

Yes, we did face Rene’s temper and a glimpse of what it means to work at the world’s 10th best restaurant. I can assure you that the glass walls surrounding the kitchen facing the restaurant are indeed sound insulated.

But what I really liked about this documentary was that, despite the roughness, it showed passion, perfectionism, and enthusiasm. Watching it was the next best thing to be dining there in person.

Rene said that it’s possible to work like that for 10 years max. Five years has past already, so only five more years to enjoy noma?

By the way, I didn’t spot anybody else I know by name but Heston Blumenthal, Connie Nielsen and Lars Ulrich – except for the staff, of course. :-)

Noma Documentary

Trine / Published on November 8, 2008 in Petit Fours. 7 Comments

Danish Broadcasting Corporation has been following noma day and night with a camera for months, and this has now resulted in a documentary that will be run the on DR1 channel the 12th November 8pm. Interesting, I’m sure.