Preheat that oven ladies and gentlemen, because we have some recipes that you are not going to want to miss.
Sbe hosted the 4th annual Taste of sbe virtually this December and oh, was it a treat! The annual culinary event featured star chefs Dani Garcia, Masaharu Morimoto, Dario Cecchini, and Jose Icardi. Each chef was paired up with a celebrity guest for an interactive at-home culinary experience.
Attendees could purchase tickets to attend the 4 evenings of virtual cooking sessions, starting at $50 for all 4 sessions, and the proceeds helped restaurants and chefs struggling financially due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Each chef shared exclusive recipes to one of their signature dishes, and attendees were able to recreate the dishes in the comfort of their own homes (and probably pajamas.)
Celebrity guests included Nick Jonas, Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, Giuliana Rancic and Dutch designer Marcel Wanders.
We had the opportunity to speak with three (!!!) Michelin Star awarded chef, Dani Garcia, who was paired with Nick Jonas. Are we Jealous he got to cook with Nick? Yes, yes we are.
Check out the full interview with Chef Dani Garcia below.
The Knockturnal: What are you most looking forward to about the Taste of sbe?
Chef Dani Garcia: To be able to share our passion for food as well as our Mediterranean influence partnering with this great brand that is sbe and the celebrities they have partnered with. I hope one day we can also do a chef collaboration between all chefs that sbe has partnerships with. This is a crucial time and we are so thrilled to be able to highlight the cuisine of our restaurants through this virtual event.
The Knockturnal: Is there any particular celebrity you look forward to working with?
Chef Dani Garcia: If I had to choose I would say Nick Jonas, very talented artist and hardworking individual, and of course we are paired together. We had a blast working together on this.
The Knockturnal: What is your favorite dish that you will be making? Can you please explain the dish?
Chef Dani Garcia: Whole marinated Sea Bass. This dish highlights my roots from Malaga while also introducing the influences of my travels. Fish is placed in an ¨adobo¨ or marinated with a base of acidity and paprika for at least 24 hours, then is fried and placed over its own fried bones. Something I remember seeing for the first time in one of my travels in Asia. Very flavourful dish.
The Knockturnal: When did you begin cooking? What was the “aha” moment when you realized you wanted to become a chef?
Chef Dani Garcia: I´ve always enjoyed cooking, I remember being a young kid and seeing my mother and grandmother cook, but the moment that I truly decided to focus on it as a profession was at 16 years old. I began by studying in cooking school.
The Knockturnal: Which chef is your biggest inspiration?
Chef Dani Garcia: I have three main inspirations: Ferran Adria, Nobu and Robuchon. These are three chefs that are always looking to break barriers in their own way.
The Knockturnal: What advice do you have for someone that wants to become a chef?
Chef Dani Garcia: To follow their dreams, always. It is a very hard profession and there will always be moments and situations they will have to conquer. There are always naysayers and people with opinions, but the dream is always the most important part to conquer all.
Did you miss the event and the chance to see Nick Jonas in the kitchen? Don’t worry! Sbe will be streaming the virtual event for 30 days. So go grab your apron and get ready to check out the event here.