100 Days, 100 Chefs, 100 Recipes: Day 7 Giovanni Romero

Versión en Español

My interest in cooking began at an early age because my family owned several restaurants in Mexico City. Practically my childhood I lived in the kitchen, my anxiety to learn the secrets of this profession excited me more than anything else. Every day after school, the first thing I would do was to go help the majority, at that time to finish preparing the food to welcome our guests.

The sound of pots and gnashing of preparations filled me with all my senses. It was the only place where I felt fulfilled, so many experiences filled my childhood and adolescence that still fills me with nostalgia. I had the opportunity of attending an excellent school of gastronomy but I really do not like to talk much about it, I prefer to work as I've been doing since I was 8 years old, 25 years ago to get a place, and not a document, for me it is not important, the important thing is to want to achieve excellence in everything you do, but that's just what you get with effort and dedication.

The true school is what you learn in the kitchen day by day. The kitchen is the only one place with magic, there's nothing like being in it, to start building is to let you be lead by the hands. For many years I worked for several hotel chains all highly regarded as is the Ritz Carlton or the Paraíso de la Bonita among others. I have had great chefs who taught me and I still learn because in every opportunity I learn from every one of them as Thierry Blouet, Regis Lacombe, Olivier Lombard, Guy Santoro, Roger Verger, The master Alejandro Heredia indeed a whole institution in Mexico, among others and I could go on but I don’t like to mention names in fear to skip someone and be disrespectful, all those chef who inspired and helped me who I continue to offer my sincere respect. In the Vatel Club México and L’Academie Culinaire de France there are several of my teachers.

Today I have my own business, located in the city of Toluca 45 minutes from Mexico City I have my own restaurant with a wine cellar boasting more than 465 labels, an event hall and a boutique hotel under construction, the: María Cristina, Restaurant Bar & Garden. The "GRUPO MEXICANO DE GASTRONOMIA" or MEXICAN FOOD GROUP that owns the Maria Cristina Salon is in the process of certification ISO 9001-2000, which as you know those are the processes where businesses are certified to ensure quality in everything we do.

In February of this year 2009 I was awarded by Chef Olivier Lombard and Chef Guy Santoro the Presidency Vatel Club México, Toluca Chapter. I received this with the desire to help enlarge the food culture in this part of the country. In March this year I reached a new achievement in being admitted into the select circle of chefs of the L’Academie Culinaire de France.

At the moment I do not have anyone in my family who has diabetes, but I do have some friends and acquaintances who do have diabetes all I know is that they can lead an almost normal life just trying not to overdo in some foods.

Here I leave you a tuna tartar for 6 people

Ingredients:

1 kg of fresh tuna
40 gr capers
2 Echalot brounise minced (cut in ½ Cm cube)
40 gr cucumber
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp mustard dressing
1 tomato, poached in brounise
50 gr onions
50 gr mixed lettuce
¼ lemon juice
¼ red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

Method of preparation:

Chop the tuna into cubes about ½ Cm adding lemon juice, vinegar and let stand in refrigerator 30 minutes before serving. Then add the tuna with mixed vegetables with mustards, salt and pepper to taste

plating:

Place a hoop in the middle of the plate and into the 2” ring incorporate the tartar and pressing with a spoon until thoroughly compacted then remove mold

Decoration:

Place above the Tartar a bouquet of mixed lettuce, arrange around the place diced tomato and serve with crackers.

Suggestions:

If you can not find good quality fresh tuna replace it with any white fish. (grouper, snapper, flounder, bass, etc).