Participants' biographies

Yumiko AIHARA

Born in Tokyo and now living in Paris , Yumiko Aihara is a culinary journalist. Alongside her university studies at Paris VII, she also took a cooking course at hotel school to broaden her professional training. She was editor of cook books at Shufunotomo publishers in Tokyo when she was awarded a Rotary International Foundation (USA) grant to continue her journalism studies.
She writes regularly for the Japanese press (women’s magazines and professional cookery journals) on French cuisine, famous restaurants, food products and wine.

Alex ATALA

Alex Atala’s food career began with a trip to Brussels where he studied at the Ecole H ô telière at Nammur. Once qualified, he worked in Europe for 6 years: in Belgium with chef Pierre Bruneau, in France with Bernard Loiseau, and in Italy . Returning to S ã o Paulo in 1994, Alex became a restaurant chef and started to be noticed by gourmets, journalists and culinary critics. He opened DOM in December 1999. His talent has brought him much reward, and his creations have become gastronomic benchmarks in the city. He has been awarded best Brazilian Chef many times, the greatest reward of all. International achievements include:

• first Latin-American chef to teach in the prestigious French school, Le Cordon Bleu, in Paris .
• invited to create the Brazilian Festival of Gastronomy at both the Payard P â tisserie and the Bistr ô in New York .
• participated in the 6 th ‘New World Food & Wine’ Festival at the Carlton Ritz Hotel in Singapore .
• participated in the Festival Alimentaria in Barcelona with a demonstration
• participated in l’Année Brésilienne in Paris where he cooked at Le Meurice Hotel.
• invited to give a demonstration at Madrid Fusión, where he spoke on Brazilian culture and how it features in his cuisine.
  

Sylvie AMAR

Born in Paris in 1970, Sylvie Amar still lives and works there. Her design studio is dedicated to industrial creation, concentrating on function and innovation of products. Because the function of a product today is so concerned with image, the studio also gets involved with brand image: perfumes and cosmetics, bank products, agribusiness, healthcare … but the speciality of the studio is gastronomy and the culinary arts. Sylvie Amar designs new tools for professional chefs and the home, and innovates new concepts in restaurant design. Her philosophy is to design products that rate highly in economy of style, usage, simplicity, shape and relevance in today’s society. A great lover of French food, Sylvie Amar has created guidelines for the gastronomic industry within her studio, whether it’s working on professional cooks’ tools, food containers, styling for the culinary arts, workbooks of ideas or finished products. This laboratory has developed in collaboration with chefs, head waiters and wine stewards as well as having personal experience in the kitchen and dining room. Throughout the year new products are designed to add to the overall output of the studio, working around the five senses and the body, all of special interest to Sylvie Amar  

Pascal BARBOT

Originally from Vichy in central France , Pascal Barbot attended hotel school between 1986 and 1989. He became a commis-chef in London for two years and then completed his military service in the navy in Noumea in New Caledonia . He was chef at Arpège from 1993 to 1998, then at a restaurant in Sydney , Australia until 1999. His experiences abroad have nourished his passion for travel to other countries where the ingredients and the cooking fascinate him: Japan , Morocco , India and Italy being some of them. In October 2000, Pascal Barbot and his associate Christophe Rohat, opened the restaurant Astrance, which won its first Michelin star in February 2001. In 2005 he was made Chef of the Year by Gault and Millau, and received a second Michelin star. Astrance is a small restaurant with 25 covers in Rue Beethoven in the 16 th arrondissement of Paris , offering a menu that’s always full of delight.

Bénédict BAUGE

Bénédict Beauge studied architecture in Zurich and Paris . He first worked in agencies (Ionel Schein, SOPHA) and then dedicated himself to cinema décor. Since 1990 he has contributed to the cookery and food pages of various journals and magazines, such as Marie-claire, L’Evénement du Jeudi, Air-France Madame, L’Amateur de Bordeaux, Biba, GaultMillau, and worked regularly for Slow, Cuisine et Terroirs, The Art of Eating, Omnivore, and Régal. In 1994 he launched MIAM-MIAM/faxine de cuisine, a gourmet bi-monthly newsletter that used to be faxed, but in 1997 became the internet site www.miam-miam.com. In 1995 and 96, Beauge worked with the Conseil national des Arts Culinaires on ‘sites remarquables du go û t’ and ‘100 marchés d’exception’ in France.

He is a judge for the SlowFood prize For Biodiversity (the study and preservation of products in danger of disappearance), and on the scientific committee of the French Arche du Go û t. In 2004 Beauge was co-founder and then member of the organisation Gourmet Voice, the foremost international Festival in Europe for the food press. For this event he researches and presents a forum devoted to gastronomic communication throughout the world .

Abdelhai BEN GHAZI

A native of Fes , Abdelhai Ben Ghazi is a university professor, psychoanalyst and advertising executive.

Abderrahim BARGACH

Teacher of journalism and a journalist, Abderrahim Bargach studied at the Centre de Formation des Journalistes in Rabat and at the Centre de Formation et le Perfectionnement des Journalistes in Paris, on the rue du Louvre. He also holds a diploma from the International Institute of Food and Wine. Bargach has been a correspondent for MAP in Paris and has worked in the French press, notably for Le Monde, Libération, Psychologie, l’Agence France Presse and l’Agence Centrale Parisienne de Presse. He was chief editor then regional director of MAP from 1986 to 2000, he presented a television programme on comparative cuisine, ‘Walima ou la cuisine en f ê te’, which became just ‘Walima’. A national and international expert on gastronomy, Abderrahim Bargach is director of the Cookery Encyclopedia editions at OKAD. He has published articles in l’Encyclopédie du Maroc, le Maroc des potentialities, La civilisation marocaine. He is also President of the Académie Marocaine de la Gastronomie and a judge for Slow Food. Lastly, he has been awarded the Cuillère d’Or (Golden Spoon) by the Club des Poétes Gourmets d’Allemagne, is a knight of the Confrérie de la Diététique Méditerranéenne , and Ma ï da d’Or of the 2nd Fes Culinary Festival

Zoubida CHARROUF

Professor at the Mohammed V University in Rabat , Morocco , Zoubida Charrouf’s interest lies in the phytochemistry of Moroccan medicinal plants and the evaluation of their chemical components in nutrition and cosmetics. A woman of action and conviction, she has contributed to the upliftment of rural women through money-making schemes using medicinal plants, through literacy, training (in management, marketing and communication) and through the protection of the environment. Zoubida Charrouf was behind the first argane oil co-operatives in Morocco, which now employ more than 2500 women who form task groups to collect and begin the process of argane oil production, followed by extraction of the oil, and an economic interest group (GIE) Targanine that is concerned with the marketing of the products.
Zoubida Charrouf has been active in obtaining geographical guidelines for argane oil as there are many false claims both inside and outside Morocco . She is the author of over a hundred publications and articles on argane oil.

Meryem CHERKAOUI

A young graduate of the Institut Paul Bocuse in Ecully, Meryem Cherkaoui opened her restaurant, La Maison du Gourmet , in 2002 in Casablanca , where she is the head chef

Jacques CHIBOIS

Having begun by studying agriculture, Jacques Chibois soon discovered his true calling thanks to the strong influence of his mother. He began an apprenticeship at a starred restaurant close to his home town. Now happy in his vocation, Chibois undertook a tour of France in 1971 allowing him to work with such great chefs as Jean Delayeyve, Roger Vergé, Louis Outhier – and stayed with each of them for 18 months. This journey around France led him to Michel Guerard with whom he worked for 5 years after finishing his training. In Paris he managed all Guerard’s television broadcasts. During his military service he was the personal chef of a 4-star general and left the army as Maréchal Chef des Logis. Chibois then became director of kitchens at Régine’s Clubs in Paris , London and New York . In 1981, he became chef at the Hotel Gray d’Albion in Cannes where he supervised not only the Royal Gray, known by every gourmet and the best 2-start restaurant in Cannes, but also the four other restaurants and complexes that make up the hotel.

CHOUMICHA

Born in 1972 in Casablanca , Choumicha is arguably the best known face on Moroccan television and beloved of her public for some years, thanks to her celebrated daily cooking programme, Ch’hiwate Choumicha and the weekend version, Ch’hiwate Bladi. These programmes have won many awards: 2 Jamours for best programme in the category Art of Living and 1 Noujoum Biladi. Choumicha has published three recipe books in Arabic and one in French which continue to be a great success. Thanks to her great experience, Choumicha launched the first Moroccan culinary magazine in October 2005, ‘Parfums, Saveurs et Cuisine du Maroc’. This informative and elegant bi-monthly magazine is aimed at French-speaking upper- and middle-class Moroccans. It covers the culinary arts and the art of living, is mostly concerned with traditional and regional cooking and looks at modern and international cuisine. 

Béatrice COINTREAU 

Béatrice Cointreau is President and Director General of Gosset Champagnes, Director General of FRAPIN Cognacs and manager of the Groupe Renaud Cointreau, Domaines et Cuvées de Prestige.  

Christian ESCRIBA

The name Escriba has been synonymous with gastronomic pleasure in Barcelona for four generations. The tiny shop in a superb modernist building called Antiga Casa Figueres, sits enthroned on Les Ramblas and has been tantalising tastebuds for a century. The patisserie is now in the hands of Christian who brings a touch of Catalan genius that has so often astounded the established tradition in Spain – and even in Europe – in the fields of architecture, cinema, painting or cuisine. Son of Antonio Escriba who was dubbed El Mago del Chocolate, the Chocolate Magician, Christian Escriba has developed his own culinary art: patisserie jewels.

By imagining jewels of confectionary made with sugar and silver, Christian Escriba has turned a new page in fashion. His collections touch upon the glamour and harmonise with the new fashion designs, and Escriba has invented collections for every great event in life, from that first meeting to marriage as well as the simple pleasure of giving. The great international designers come knocking at his door to have the honour and the pleasure of working with him. The Escriba collections are like golddust and can already be found in the most prestigious shops of Europe , such as Harrods in London and Galeries Lafayette in Paris .

Christian Escriba has never forgotten his original calling of master-patissier and he can often be found in his kitchen imagining new creations in chocolate.

Antoine HEERAH

In April 2002, after 10 years of hotel training, Antoine Heerah and Jér ô me Bodereau who had been together at Chez Alain Passard (3 Michelin stars in Paris), opened their restaurant Le Chamarré. This unique restaurant marks a fusion between the two territories of France and the island of Mauritius in a culinary adventure where the flavours of Mauritius meet those of French cuisine. Tamarind, curry leaves, combawa (lime-like citrus fruit), molasses, Bois-chéri tea and galangal lend their flavours to spring vegetables, red mullet, lobster, suckling pig and cherries.

Patrick MIKANOWSKI

Patrick Mikanowski is a fashion and beauty expert. Passionate about new technology, he was an artistic director in advertising for 20 years and is now an international advertising and food consultant. In the pursuit of good taste, he searches the world for new talent, an unpublished recipe or an innovative product. Interested in everything, mad about flavours and a demanding aesthete, he tells the tale of his encounters with 36 lovers of vegetables in Légumes de Jo ël .

Patrick Mikanowski has edited many beautiful books in which he focuses on the aesthetic and gourmet value of a product, for example Les monographies TOMATE (Le Chêne, 1999), Meilleur Livre de Recettes of the Gourmand cookbook Award 1999, and PATATE (Flammarion, 2003) Gold Award of Gourmet Voice International 2004.

Dina NIKOLAOU

Dina Nikolaou was born in 1967 in Greece . There she studied management and then marketing at the ISEG (Institut Supérieur Européen de Gestion) in Paris . But it was cooking that really delighted her so she took professional cooking courses at the most prestigious Parisian schools: Le Cordon Bleu, Ritz Escoffier, Alain Ducasse Formation and LEN OTRE. She now teaches at the best cookery school in Greece , Chef d’ouevre, and is a culinary journalist. In her restaurant in Paris , Evi Evane, Dina cooks Greek food with passion and great imagination, taking the cuisine of her country to new heights. She has written three cookery books for the public (Créer avec des fruits, Tartes salées et sucrés, Cakes saleés et sucrés) and one textbook for trainee Greek chefs. She presents a weekly TV programme Quelque chose se mijote on Channel Seven.

Dina Nikolaou loves Moroccan cuisine. She has studied it and finds that its Mediterranean and intercultural character is similar to the cuisine of her own country. With her students, she refers to these two cuisines by saying: ‘The cuisines of Moroccan and Greece are the most feminine of all, allowing feeling and emotion to come to the fore’

Jacques POURCEL

Jacques and Laurent Pourcel are the twin sons of a winemaker and were born in 1964 in Adge. Their masters have been Bras, Meneau, Gagnaire, Chapel and Trama during a journey that has opened the door to culinary creation. In 1988 they started Le Jardin des Sens in Montpellier – quite a gamble as they were only 24 and their sommelier partner from Angoulême, Olivier Château, only 21. This restaurant was soon to become a gastronomic benchmark in the south of France . Stars of recognition followed. In 1998, they received their third Michelin star for creative and refined cooking. The south inspires them, their world is bordered by the Mediterranean and both earth and sea notes are found in their cuisine. They excel in contrasts: hot and cold, smooth and crusty, salty and sweet, sweet and sour. It’s a cuisine of taste and colour.

From the restaurant in Montpellier , the brothers embarked on an international development idea in 2000 that would place them amongst the most active chefs in the world. Their impact would be felt in London , Shanghai , Bangkok , Singapore , Tokyo and Mauritius . They opened their restaurant Maison Blanche in Paris with the idea of ‘ La Compagnie des Comptoirs’ a proposal for six establishments serving ethnic food opening around the world.

Claudia RODEN

Born in 1936 in Cairo , Claudia Roden studied in Paris and then went to London where she still lives. She specialises in research into the culinary traditions of the Middle East and North Africa , using an approach that is anthropological, historical and scientific all at the same time. It is also inspired by her personal experience of the chefs and the customers. Claudia is particularly attached to the culinary traditions of that part of the Mediterranean where she grew up, and her work has been influenced by the art of living in Egypt , its light, colours and aromas, and the traditions and ritual involved in its hospitality. She has revolutionised western ideas about Middle Eastern cooking with her bestseller on eastern food, A Book of Middle Eastern Food (Penguin). She continues to write on Mediterranean food, as well on Italian and Jewish cooking, with a particular interest in the social history of these countries. In 1992, Claudia Roden was awarded the Glenfiddich Trophy.

The Scotto Sisters: Elisabeth Scotto, Marianne Comolli and Michèle Carles

The Scotto sisters started cooking at a very tender age. Writers and journalists, they have been creating recipes for us to enjoy for more than 25 years. They have been published in the big magazines and write for, or have written for Cosmopolitan, Marie France, Psychologies Magazine, Elle, Elle à Table, Vital, Madame Figaro, Cuisine et Vins de France and Gault Millau Magazine. They are passionate about French cuisine and interested in recipes from all over the world.

Together, they have published many books such as Gourmande et pressé (Hachette, 1994) and La Cuisine des Parfums (Le Ch ê ne, 1996) that have been reprinted over and over again; they have appeared on many TV programmes such as Apostrophes (Antenne 2 in December 1989), Ç a se discute (France 2, December 1995) and Xyelles (Téva, December 1999).

In 2005 the Scotto sisters won the Amunategui-Curnonsky prize in the food section, awarded by APCIG (Association professionnelle des Chroniqueurs et Informateurs de la Gastronomie et du Vin).

They are currently working on a book that brings together all the recipes of their childhood that they still love, as well as newer creations. Secrets de Famille will be published by Le Ch ê ne in the autumn of 2006.

They are also working on a book about their roots and their journeys and encounters in Italy and Algeria , as well as many of their recipes. This book is called Les 1000 recettes des s œ urs Scotto , and is destined to become a reference book for us all both now and in the future .

Hervé THIS

Hervé This is an organic chemist, and director of the INRA Group of Molecular Gastronomy working in the chemistry of molecular interaction laboratory at the Collège de France (directed by Jean-marie Lehn), and at the analytical chemistry laboratory at the Institut National Agronomique Paris Grignon. His field of research is molecular gastronomy, a scientific discipline that he created in 1988 with the physicist Nicholas Kurti (1908-1998) who was an Oxford professor.

An engineer at the Ecole Supérieure de Physique et de Chimie de Paris (ESPCI) and graduate of the University of Paris IV , This worked for twenty years at Belin Publishers (creation and direction of numerous scientific essays and books), and as chief editor of the journal Pour la Science which he left in 1999 (although he remains scientific consultant there). At the same time, he directed the scientific programme Archimède on Arte, and Pi=3.14 on France 5 .

He gives lectures at many universities and speaks at conferences all over the world. Since 2004 he has presented the Cours de Gastronomie moléculaire public at INA-PG.

This is widely published. He has written many articles in journals such as Pour la Science , Thuries Magazine, La cuisine collective , the Dutch Cuisine saisonnier, Science Ouest, the Italian Grand Gourmet and the Spanish Cocino Futuro. His many books are usually published by Belin (Les secrets de la casserole, Révélations gastronomiques, La casserole des enfants, Science et gastronomie, Casseroles et éprouvettes, Traité élémentaire de cuisine, Six letters gourmands, Maths ‘6), and he has often appeared on daily or weekly television shows (on France 5, for example) and on radio (France Culture, France Inter).