A Cooking Course with a Difference

There we were, 30 of us in a very small restaurant kitchen with 6 burners and very little workspace. Our task? Create a meal from the array of food laid out on the counter. All of this had come from Biorampe, a shop that sells organic food that is unsellable in the usual markets, because of damaged packaging, sell-by date in the very near future, or aesthetic deviations in natural produce; twisted carrots etc. All of us were there because we had heard about an exhibition in Zurich sponsored by the Swiss aid organization Helvetas. Called “We Eat the World”, the show features “enjoyment, business and globalization in the food world”. The cooking course in which I was taking part was one of a number of events surrounding the exhibition and was taking place in the Buffet Dreieck, a tiny restaurant that uses whatever food is available that day at the special shop. The chef creates imaginative dishes that vary every day and it was now our turn to do the same and then sit down to the feast that we had created.

Divided into 5 groups with varying assignments, we got to work

planning dishes that fit our assignment; ours was vegetarian. Much discussion ensued, and then groups began fanning out to the restaurant tables to do their mixing and slicing. One member of my group chopped up a plethora of veggies for an Asian dish, another made a veggie pastry with ready-made dough and I put together broccoli, garlic, nuts, smoky tofu and cayenne pepper. The restaurant chef and a helper steered us toward the proper pots and pans. With only 6 burners, cooking was a challenge, as you can imagine, but some groups were doing appetizers and salads, working in a much more peaceful atmosphere. Those of us crowded around the stove got to inhale the tempting aromas from other pans and chat a bit. I was by far the oldest, and only one of two foreigners. I heard about one man’s year as an exchange student in Texas and replied to the frequent question of how I had heard about the cooking course.

Finally, magically, the tables were cleared of chopped veggies and set with cutlery and napkins. The prepared food was dished into warming pans, wine was uncorked and we lined up to introduce our particular contributions. And then it was to the feast itself, an amazing buffet of 30 or so imaginative creations. The contrast with the usual cooking courses, with their carefully measured set ingredients and exact recipes, was great. The imagination and adaptability in evidence were so inspiring. The atmosphere was terrific! We all agreed that it should be an annual event. For sure we will meet one another at the restaurant, curious as to what is on the menu that day, or at the special grocery store, browsing with no particular plan through unfamiliar products.

For those of you in Zurich, the Helvetas “we eat the world” exhibition is taking place this summer at Sihlcity: www.wir-essen-die-welt.ch.  Here is the discount shop for organic food: www.biorampe.ch, and here the restaurant Dreieck: www.buffetdreieck.ch. Enjoy!