Nespresso Professional, conquering the “Cocinero del Año”

Barcelona was the party “guilty” of innovative – almost futuristic – cuisine. Granada came with a party atmosphere and Andalusian and Latin products. What did Valladolid bring this time? The best of the land: local products, but also the innovation that every gastronomic critic needs in their reviews.

This was an event in the city that covered the entire history of a country of lovers of fine food. An event where gastronomy is felt with the five senses. We at Nespresso Professional grok this concept perfectly, and that’s why the aroma of coffee was the main scent at this exciting semi-final.

Eight “candidates” – we use the term loosely, as all eight are respected chefs on Spain’s gastronomic scene – once again worked hard to leave an expert jury with their eyes open and their mouths begging for more. This jury included Michelin-starred chefs such as Miguel Ángel de la Cruz and José Carlos Fuentes, but also professionals in the field of gastronomy, such as the journalist Julia Pérez and the consultant Rafa Morales. Trained palates for top-tier cuisine. They were all part of the jury for our “Mejor Tapa Nespresso".

Among the top competitors, Áxel Smyth Taracido and Cristóbal Muños Ortega, together with their assistants Claudia Merchán and William Saavedra, placed first and second respectively in the Vallodolid “Concinero del Año” semi-final. Áxel offered reinvented traditional cuisine, while Cristóbal travelled across the globe with his creations. Both were worthy of taking part in the final, which will take place at the Feria Alimentaria 2020. One is from Toledo, and the other is from Valladolid – the two Castiles – showing that what’s important (even when it comes to geography) is what’s inside.

Damian Seijas is serving for the third time as a member of the jury at the “Camarero del Año” semi-final. As it always has, this contest represents the perfect combination of maîtres d’hôtel, barmen and sommeliers. Our Nespresso coffee ambassador, together with other movers and shakers from the hospitality industry, such as Noel Vela, Ángela Marulanda and César Cánovas, enjoyed tasting beer, cocktails and coffee recipes.

Flavio Mila Lopes, the maitre d’ at Zamora’s El Ermitaño, was the obviously winner of this title. But there was another prize for the one who piqued our curiosity thanks to their coffee recipe, a recipe that managed to bring two feuding drinks into perfect harmony. Which Nespresso recipe stunned the entire city of Valladolid?

Valladolid is one of Castilian gastronomy’s most notable flagships. Experts consider it the cradle of inland cuisine, the cuisine that specialises in roasted meats, pulses and very sweet desserts. And these are all paired with the best wines (there’s a reason the southwest is known as the Land of Wine) and accompanied by top-quality vegetable ingredients (in the north, known as the Land of Fields).

Our mouths were watering just thinking about the creations that the chefs and servers might surprise us with. A city filled with history, quality raw materials and Origin coffee to create unity in the kitchen. And two excellent professionals who put all their efforts into winning the “Mejor Tapa Nespresso” (Best Nespresso Tapa) and “Mejor Receta Nespresso” (Best Nespresso Recipe) awards.

The jury for the “Cocinero del Año” and “Camarero del Año” was charged with judging both teams of participants. Chefs such as Teresa Gutiérrez, past winners such as Joaquín Baeza and gastronomy journalists such as Julia Pérez judged these lovers of cooking. Teachers such as Jesús del Río, coffee experts such as Damián Seijas and barmen such as Adrián Fernández judged the order takers.

“Café y pistacho, amargo y tostado” (Coffee and pistachi, bitter and toasted), by Rubén Osorio was the winning tapa. Inspired by Valladolid, the chef himself said, “Lately, the fields in Castile smell of pistachio, since there are exponentially more being grown, especially in this city. Now that we’ve got pistachios – and good ones – what better thing to do than pair it with a good coffee?”. An Origin Brazil coffee, the pistachio, cacao and other ingredients stood out from the rest of the magnificent dishes.

Christian Illán is the winner of the “Mejor Receta Nespresso”. This recipe brings together two table-talk drinks that used to clash. “T & Café” blends tea’s best characteristics with coffee’s best benefits. A preparation that is worthy of watching live, a preparation worthy of a very special award.

Castile grows pistachios of exceptional quality. They can be eaten alone, with cold and hot dishes, starters, meat, fish and desserts. The versatility they offer when getting the ball rolling – or should we say rolling out the dough? – in the kitchen makes them an ally of Castilian cuisine.

This nut is the decisive touch in a hard-fought tapas war. Going out for tapas is a traditional Spanish custom that has been reinvented by the futuristic touches of the participating chefs, and Rubén Osorio of Miranda del Ebro was an unforgettable winner.

With experience in the “Cocinero del Año” contest (he finished third at the past edition), this chef decided to study Cooking and Pastry Making, hence his right-to-the-milligram precision. However, he also wanted to learn about all the ins and outs of the gastronomy industry, so also studied Restaurant and Bar Services.

The most famous chef at the La Casona restaurant in Pancorbo, Burgos, is pleased to have perfectly expressed his tapa made with coffee, pistachios and a whole lot of inspiration from the land of the River Pisuerga.

This time, the award for the best “Receta Nespresso” went to Madrid, to the highest restaurant in the capital. This barman got us to think about tea and coffee as one. Two drinks created to clash now live in harmony in one glass of this recipe. How could we not give an award to this white flag of peace that is served cold and shaken, but not stirred?

What was the prize for these two culinary geniuses? A trip to Barcelona to attend the Nespresso Atelier, a pop-up space where they and their companions enjoyed a Michelin-star dinner prepared by Paco Pérez, and a session of haute cocktail making with Héctor Henche, barman and director of Fizz Bartenders.

The Basque Country is well known for its pintxos of many sizes, shapes, textures and raw materials. They like coffee to start the day with the vigour so characteristic of them, cutting it with milk and lots of sugar; they call it ebaki. Well-known chefs from this region also use it in their star dishes. Fish, seafood... local products that are reinvented with this famous beverage.

If we move on to Barcelona – a city that has already played host to one of the “Cocinero del Año” semi-finals – we can say that coffee is a representation of Gaudí’s favourite place. In fact, the creations presented at the semi-final were inspired by Catalonian products in their perfect geometry and in amounts close to the Golden Ratio.

The aroma of orange blossoms envelop us when we travel a bit south on the map of Spain. Imagine invigorating the perfume of the Levante with the aroma of awakening. And now imagine it if we serve the coffee cold. As a slush, with leche merengada or cinnamon. And Valencia’s bombón, the classic with sweetened condensed milk. Of course, people on the Costa Brava and the Costa del Azahar know how to make good sweets.

Now we head south, to the land of sun and good tapas, and arrive in Granada. This city hosted the second semi-final of the “Cocinero del Año”, where the submissions were full of Andalusian products. Andalusians not only prefer their coffee served in a glass wherever they go, they also drink it with either a lot of milk or with a lot of coffee.

Now we visit the centre of the country, very close to the third “Cocinero del Año” semi-final, held in Valladolid. The country’s capital, Madrid, has many ways to drink coffee, although we certainly love its coffee milkshakes, a creation halfway between a drink and a dessert you eat with a spoon. Coffee with milk, black, iced coffee... These coffee lovers have more than one way to indulge themselves.

There’s an exception to every rule… but this rule has thousands of exceptions. The fact is that, within our common ritual, each of us prefers our coffee our own certain way. We may drink it as our neighbours do, but we always give it that little touch we like so much. And that’s the magic of a cup of good coffee: able to bring people together without losing their individual essence.