Eros Picco, guest chef at The Cube by Electrolux, talks about the importance of senses within his work
Published 2012-04-17 in Electrolux Design Lab 2012
An interview with Eros Picco, one of the guest chefs that have honored us by creating unique experiences at The Cube by Electrolux in Milan this spring. We had a very interesting conversation with Eros about the senses and how they inspire and influence him in his work. As you can read, all the senses are very present in the life of a star chef.
Which is your favorite sense? Do you have one?
No, I don’t have a clear preference for one sense or another. All the five senses are essential already before I even start to cook. I use them to understand if some ingredient smells good or if it has the right consistency when touched. In this way I know if the food can be cooked or not. It’s impossible to name a favorite sense. Apart from hearing, all the other four are absolutely crucial for my profession.
How do you work with the different senses in your cooking?
I definitely work with senses during the cooking process – and also when the plates are exposed to my clients. Starting with the sight – I need to arouse my guests’ curiosity with interesting colors, of course bearing in mind the season particularities. For example during summer I use bright colors as the red of tomatoes or green of basil. Vice versa when the winter arrives, I prefer less brilliant color as the brown of chestnuts or the yellow of mush. Then we have touch. My guests using the cutlery have to play with the food, understanding if it’s soft, crispy or dry. When it comes to smell, instead, I cover a plate, when it’s very aromatic, and uncover it on the table, so that the guests are surprised and invaded by different and strong scents at one time. Then of course sound… One example is the sizzle of the pan when we serve the food. And finally taste… probably the most important one, which enables us to enjoy the ingredients.
How does a setting like the open space of the Cube affect how you work with sensual experiences?
Of course when the kitchen is open, as is the case in The Cube, peoples’ senses are more involved. The guest uses the five senses in an amplified way! We have direct contact with sight, smell and sound. People can have a real preview of the ingredients they will taste. For example when I add some good white wine in the rice preparing a risotto. The wine evaporates all around… Or when I melt the butter.
Read more here:
THE CUBE by ELECTROLUX
Eros Picco’s restaurant
