This article was written by National Geographic Traveler (UK).
On the western hills of Barcelona, Casanova is a temple of slow, soulful culinary arts. It is a place that uses only natural richness and depends on the traditional methods and the particularities of the region's topography, climate and culture.
In fact, the restaurant, a fertile country farmer in Pendedede, famous for its white wine, claims that 98% are self-sufficient and the rest is sourced from local producers. There are only 7 staff members who will grow, cook, deliver and then explain to us after all. And Casanova offers a dining room with only six tables. The most innovative chef in the world.
Andres Torres, who worked as a war correspondent before becoming a chef, combined ancient processes with modern executions to inspire inspiration from the traditional, indigenous communities he encountered in many globe trotting extracts. I'm getting it. Baked potatoes are in a pool of butter with herb skins and spices. The egg yolk was filled with chicken infused and warmed. Mohamma (filleted salt-cured tuna – a typical dish in coastal Spain); lettuce sorbet with marinade and roasted lettuce leaves.
“Based on my experience visiting communities around the world, I created and improved the dishes,” Torres says. He bakes bread in wood ovens, like Peru's Quechua speakers, roasts coffee like Colombian tribes, and produces chocolate using methods he has learned in Guatemala.
Many of these techniques fit into his commitment to sustainability. Torres has seen enough worlds to see how important it is to maintain the resources of the planet, but there is no time for sky gestures. “Sustainability is a huge hit in restaurants around the world,” he says. “But there are a lot of bullshit out there. For me, sustainability is very basic. It's very easy.” To that end, Casanova is egg-soaked chicken, honey infused with lavender and rosemary. It has a beehive to make, and a phenomenal vegetable plot. Scrap from the kitchen is composted and used to fertilize crops for the next season. A moderate amount of wood is foraged for fire, but most of the power comes from solar panels.
Casa Nova is largely self-sufficient and has its own vegetable garden, chicken and smokehouse.
So far, certainly these are pretty standard eco practices. However, Torres produces his own salt and ventures on a boat to collect the Mediterranean seawater. He created a stone “insect hotel” to support pest eating bugs that protect crops without the need for pesticides. Rainwater is collected in barrels previously used to mature wine, and is then used for vegetables. Plates and other dishes are made by Torres' wife. And instead of using dehydrators, as with many high-end restaurants and industrial producers, Torres built his own drying room and smokehouse. “The big factories cut the tuna into slices and dry them with devices that control the temperature and humidity,” he says. “Not me – I put it in the sun and it dries naturally. It's tasty.”
Torres, a self-taught man who grew up in Barcelona in the 1970s, has been interested in his mother's heartfelt Spanish soul food (the crispy potatoes and fried ham eggs remain his favorite dish). did. Torres often see the chef at home, as the family rarely went out to eat. “I was very interested,” he says. “I asked her a lot of questions: what is the ingredient? Why do you cook this way? I studied without attending university or culinary school. For me, university is the way is.”
As a teenager, Torres was already cooking for his brothers and friends. By the age of 17, however, he began working as a freelance war reporter, continuing to cover conflicts in Libya, Afghanistan, Colombia, Iraq and the former Yugoslavia. He also spent his time living in the Andes of India, Cambodia and Peru. “What I learned the most is humility and gratitude,” he says.
Torres' next chapter arrived about 20 years ago. He purchased an old Chick Farm surrounded by vineyards near Barcelona as a place to recover after his trip. He sometimes cooks to visit friends and acquaintances, such as Peruvian tuños (lyophilized potatoes). And his culinary reputation spread through word of mouth, and even strangers began to knock at his door. So in 2015, Torres opened Casanova. And last year, another unexpected visitor knocked. This is the Michelin Guide, which awarded Casa Nova the Green Star for Sustainability.
The restaurant serves creative dishes such as Hake and Vegetable Suful in Beurre Blanc sauce. Photo by Margaret Stepien
Torres maintains the intimate atmosphere of the dining in front of the restaurant with friends. The diner is given a tour of the grounds where his philosophy and processes are explained. The starters are served in a cozy room with a crackling fireplace, then visit the kitchen to meet staff before dining in the 22-year-old dining room. “Torres says. “If I had a party at home with 200 diners, I wouldn't be able to greet them all. This is not business. I want it to be a place for pilgrimage.
Environmentalism is just part of the story he wants to tell. The restaurant supports funding for Global Humanitia, a nonprofit organization founded in 1999 to support food security, education and children's rights around the world, and is urgently involved in victims of conflicts and natural disasters. Provide relief. Torres claims to be the first chef to enter Ukraine after the war broke out, driving from Poland with 500 bags of groceries. He's returned ten times since.
At Casanova, Torres shares his travel stories with guests, encouraging socially conscious discussions. “They think they'll eat – and obviously they are – but we're about what happened to your neighbor, your father, what happened in the world, what happened to us. they have a conversation about what happens every day,” he says. “And 90% of diners say, “Well, what can I do? Can I make a donation?”
In June, Torres received the prestigious Basque World Culinary Award, known as the “Nobel Prize for Food and Food,” when he was recognized for his combined work with Casanova and global artificial work.
But because of all this, Torres' views on food are quite simple, like his approach to sustainability. “Food is nourishment first and foremost, a sensation in vision, smell, taste, even hearing,” he says. “When you have a sauce you like, you pick up a spoon and you start rubbing the dish – that sound, it's glory.”
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