This year, we are celebrating 10 years of Lifestyle by V-ZUG. What would you like the anniversary to bring you or Lifestyle?
I wish V-ZUG ten more great years in the formats for which it is renowned. Lifestyle, in particular, is a very interesting format with its stories and recipes from brand ambassadors. I’m delighted to be part of this team.
This is now the second year you’ve worked with V-ZUG. What do you particularly like about the collaboration?
V-ZUG is a partner with keen quality awareness which appreciates the same values that I do. We both make quality our top priority. V-ZUG provides me with appliances and products that fit into our company and that endure. I don›t have to compromise – they work, and this aspect is very important to me.
Weʼre touring Switzerland with our Food Truck: what makes cooking in our Food Truck special for you? What can guests expect from you?
Cooking in the Food Truck is like working in a small catering service. At the end of the day, it’s not much different to working in a restaurant – you prepare the food well, but rather than working in a show kitchen, you’re standing in the Food Truck. It makes a nice change to being in a restaurant, and gives us an escape from our everyday lives.
Why did you become a chef?
I became a chef because itʼs a profession that never gets boring. There’s always something going on and it›s very interesting. I love the preparation period – before guests arrive. And when they do, then the pace really picks up. But time absolutely flies by, and no sooner have you started than it’s suddenly the end of the shift or closing time.
What values do you and your cuisine represent?
The food in Steinhalle bears my signature. It should be real, honest food that leaves an impression owing to the flavour of the products. We try to cook both regional and seasonal cuisine. But we never fail to incorporate a special something – little surprises and exciting combinations. Basically, I just want my name to be associated with delicious food. That makes me happy.
What effect would you like your culinary creations to have?
I make sure that everything we cook is absolutely delicious. This is the most important thing to me. It should taste good and it should be fun for people. You should want a third, fourth or even fifth mouthful of every dish. We want to cook delicious meals, but we also want to keep them simple.
How will your cuisine develop in the near future?
I think we’re trying to make things even simpler. This means focusing even more closely on the essential flavours on the plate, as well as purchasing products which are even higher in quality and even more local. This is what the future holds. However, we still want to create casual cuisine.
Where do you get your inspiration from?
I get my inspiration from my childhood and from my everyday life. I also like to rediscover things with my daughter – especially products that are really simple and taste great. This is what inspires me.
Do you have a first/early (childhood) memory that you associate with food or cooking in general?
As a child, I spent a lot of time in the kitchen with my mother. But I always made sure that I didnʼt have to wash up. I never enjoyed doing that. I much preferred to help with drying up and, of course, preparing the ingredients. I also spent a lot of time in the garden with my grandparents. They had their own farm and they planted and harvested many things themselves. Whenever I had holidays, I would go there and help them. Basically, I grew up with food from our own garden.
What should eating be about today?
Being simple! And it should taste good and be fun.
Why did you choose this dish for the anniversary dinner?
I chose the fresh rolls as they›re one of my favourite recipes. Guests love them and they›ve been one of my classic dishes for 8 years or so now. You roll it up and enjoy a really delicious meal.
For the recipe you need Vietnamese rice paper, which we pickle and press with fresh herbs. This is the secret to the recipe. You can buy the rest of the ingredients in any store.
Which heating mode/steam cooker programme is most useful when preparing food for the anniversary?
For this recipe, we use the steam cooker›s hot air function. We use heat transfer, meaning we do not use direct heat. The chicken is cooked very gently for 10 minutes. At this temperature, which is not too high, it comes out very tender.
Do you have any serving tips?
I would just suggest that you take a close look at the recipe online. The recipe is very challenging to prepare, and itʼs best to do it exactly as shown in the video. If you do this, it should work fine. It can always go wrong, because it all depends on how well you roll up the Fresh Rolls. But everything usually goes smoothly.
From look and feel to smell and taste is our guiding principle: what treat do you particularly like to conjure up in the V-ZUG Combi-Steam?
The quark soufflé is my favourite recipe at the moment. We also recently added the recipe to our menu. When we make it, I always make sure that we have enough left over so that I can enjoy one myself at the end of the evening, too!