A cook from Camagüey goes to Paris!
- Submitted by: manso
- Editorial Articles
- 02 / 11 / 2011
2011.02.10 - 14:42:51 / radiorebelde.A cook from Camagüey goes to Paris! Camagüey, Cuba. - Francisco Rodriguez is the only Cuban and Latin American that made it to the finals of the International Competition Gourmand World Cookbook Awards. He is the chef of Gran Club Santa Lucia Hotel, located in the tourist resort of Camagüey northern coast, Frank, as everybody calls this native of Camagüey, presented his project “Useful cooking” to compete against almost 8 000 participants from all continents. The winners from each country will compete in the finals for the title of best cookbook of the world. "The Best in the World" Prize will be delivered next March in Paris.
"My book - Frank comments - includes traditional elements of any work of this kind; in other words, recipes, nutritional advices and ways to use some food. However, its peculiarity lies in a compilation of cooking tastes and ways to prepare the favorite dishes of important and well-known historical and cultural personalities from Camagüey, like Ignacio Agramonte, Nicolas Guillen, Carlos J. Finlay, Orlando Cardoso, Raul Gonzalez de Cascorro and the Five Cuban Patriots, unjustly held in US prisons.”
"I included the favorite dishes of Rene Gonzalez, Ramon Labañino, Fernando Gonzalez, Antonio Guerrero and Gerardo Hernandez, because they have been deprived from such pleasures for over 12 years. That is something anybody could do and yet, this is denied to them, because in US prisons, where they serve unjust sentences, they cannot eat a typical Cuban dish."
The first stage of the world competition included perusal of 26 000 cookbooks and 8 000 qualified to the second round, but the chef from Camagüey now ranks among the ten finalists.
The work presented to the competition is more than an ordinary compilation of advices and recipes. It narrates the history of Cuban cuisine from 1600 until now, in such a way that the authentic Cuban cuisine, the influences of international customs and the particularities of typical dishes from Camagüey are all there.
"I was able to collect plenty of information - Frank said - on the traditions of our province, which is very strong in the east and center of the country. It also stands out in the area of the Caribbean; because we are famous for our good taste and a discerning palate, with Spanish and African influences."
Some interesting notes appear in the book “Useful Cooking”, praised by the renowned specialist Edouard Cointreau, Honorary President of the World Cookbooks Award: “It has peculiarities you don't usually find in a work of this kind; because he speaks, for instance, of tomato. Yet, he explains its origin, properties, its journey across the world and then the dishes that can be prepared with this vegetable.”
Frank Rodriguez, chef at the Santa Lucia Great Club Hotel, in the tourist resort of Camagüey northern coast, didn't only work thinking of international gourmets. His book has a chapter of recipes for 14 days…
"Yes, I did it to make the work of our wives in the kitchen easier; with recipes easy to prepare and a varied menu with ingredients available for all. That’s why the book has profiles for tourism, trade, specialized schools and family life.”
Frank remarked: "According to the official notice sent by the Organizing Committee, the World Competition confers 58 prizes, 40 in cuisine and 18 in the specialty of wines. I am competing for the award in the category of "Special Book”, with finalists from Spain, Africa and Asia, because only 4 works still remain in the contest, representing 4 continents.” In 2008, Frank won the Outstanding Prize of the Forum of Science and Technology in Tourism and also submitted his treaty to the Congress of National Federation of Culinary Associations.
The book "Useful Cooking" has 12 chapters that deal, among other matters, with menu design, basic sauces, pastas and typical dishes from Camagüey. It also encompasses knowledge of birds and ways to prepare them, ecological salads, some advices for storing and preserving food and a glossary of cooking terms.
This international contest started in 1995, upon Edouard Cointreau’s initiative and has since conferred the Gourmand and World Cookbook Awards, to reward the best cuisine and wines books.
The contest promotes the work of those “that cook with words” and also seeks to help the readers and gastronomy fans to find the best advices and recipes. Moreover, it propitiates that texts from the whole planet are published at the main world markets in English, Chinese, Spanish, French, Italian and German.
The ceremony where the awards to the best cookbooks of the world will be delivered is scheduled for next March in Paris, the French capital. There will be the cook from Camagüey Francisco Rodriguez, representing Cuba and the American continent. (Pictures by author and courtesy of the interviewee)
By Miozotis Fabelo
Source: Radio Rebelde
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