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15 Гру
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Add alcohol. Enhance the flavor. Unleash the aroma.

Nagorna Nataliya / news / / 0 Comments

Why do we use alcohol in our dishes?

Exquisite Dessert
Photo: Nataliya Nagorna / Varadero Restaurant

Humanity began crafting fermented beverages back in the Neolithic era and recognized the benefits of alcohol. People became so engrossed in purposeful production of alcoholic beverages and stopping them was impossible. When a dish is being prepared in the kitchen and there’s an alcoholic beverage nearby, people will inevitably try to combine them. Sooner or later, it happens. Dishes with the addition of white, red, or rosé wine have been known from ancient times to the present day. Dishes with beer are a classic of German cuisine and many other countries. Strong alcohol is added to dishes made from meat, fish, seafood, various types of baked goods, and desserts. But for what purpose?

Steak with cherry sauce (alcohol added)
Photo: Nataliya Nagorna / Trum Restaurant

Professional chefs confidently state that alcoholic beverages enhance the taste and help the aromas of the dish fully unfold. Alcohol becomes a kind of conductor of chemical processes. Its molecules interact with fat and water, transferring aromas and flavors from the liquid medium to the dense one.

In meat dishes (like the famous French Boeuf Bourguignon), red wine is added. And the dish Coq Au Vin made from rooster cannot be prepared without red wine. They are made for each other. Some types of berry sauces are enhanced with whiskey. White wine is added to sauces for fish and seafood, red wine for meat. Do you remember that wine for a dish is selected according to its sauce?

When the whole family is at the dining table, can such dishes be served to children? More often than not, the answer is positive (except for sauces). Alcohol evaporates quickly during cooking, and its beneficial effects remain. White wine can be used in dishes with fish and seafood. This adds acidity. Fish can be marinated with white wine. It produces an excellent taste, and it prevents the development of undesirable microorganisms.

When you want the dish to have the scent of wood, brandy is added. Beer gives a rich bread taste. This is a classic of German cuisine. Dishes with the addition of beer are also often prepared in the Czech Republic, where brewing traditions are very strong. Pork knuckle cooked with craft barley beer according to a German recipe. This method of preparation makes the meat soft, tender, and easy to separate from the bone.

Pork knuckle. Cooked with craft beer.
Pork knuckle. Cooked with craft beer.
Photo: Nataliya Nagorna / Ribeye Restaurant
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09 Гру
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Try Crocodile, Choose Durian, Become a Vegetarian in Asia

Nagorna Nataliya / news / / 0 Comments

Hanna Boiko
Hanna Boiko

The gastronomic world of Asia is bright and colorful. It is not like European cities. This is a different rhythm of life, worldview, culture, traditions. Residents of this vibrant and often warm part of the world are accustomed to their food and take it for granted. For Europeans, Asian eating habits can be funny or even shocking. The average European stomach, to be honest, is not always ready for that kind of diversity. Eating habits are also unique here. So, let’s figure that out, and ask. No, not from professors, doctors, gurus, but from ordinary travelers. What is the Asian gastronomic world like? Let’s find out from a professional model and gastronomic enthusiast, Hanna Boiko. Due to her work and passion for culinary research, she travels a lot to Asian countries, tasting and cooking. And over there she became a vegetarian.

— How many years have you been traveling, and which Asian countries have you been to?

I’m traveling for about 8 years, and I’ve visited countries like Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Indonesia, Taiwan, India, South Korea, China, and Cambodia.

— What gastronomic features surprised you the most, and in which country was it?

Durian
Durian

The most exotic thing I’ve ever tried was definitely Durian. It’s a fruit that they call “the king of all fruits”; it has a very pungent smell, but a sweet and creamy taste, though it’s surely not for everyone. The smell can easily put people off trying it. And I also tried crocodile meat. I was expecting something incredible. But it tastes like chicken to me. I didn’t want to try grasshoppers, beetles, or spiders. Although for residents of various Asian countries, this is historically normal, these things are meant for tourists like me.

— Which Asian country’s cuisine do you like best and why? Did individual dishes or the national cuisine as a whole win your heart?

My favorite cuisines so far have to be Thai and Korean. Both are very unique and have a high spice level, but also both incorporate sweet and sour ingredients in their cooking, to make the dishes balanced.

— How do you usually get acquainted with the cuisine of a new country? Do you choose a restaurant, cafe in advance, or go to the local farmers market and try to cook yourself?

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12 Чер
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1. Nataliya Nagorna`s interview for the French magazine

Nagorna Nataliya / news / / 0 Comments

My interview for the French fashion and art magazine Malvie Magazine (@malviemag)/ Мое интервью для французского фэшн и арт журнала “Malvie”.

https://www.malviemag.com/…/nataliya-nagorna-art-in-the…
Thank you very much to your favorite magazine Malvie Magazine for deep, professional, interesting questions, the opportunity to express my opinion! It is always very pleasant to work with you! We will publish the full text of the russian translation of the interview shortly on our website. Follow our publications, friends!

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31 Гру
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Bize D’Amour. Black and White Harmony by Zhanna Kiseleva’s Architecture

Nagorna Nataliya / news / / 0 Comments

On the eve of the New Year, amid an elegant and stylish Christmas tree, it’s the opportune time and place to reflect on the past 12 months. The opening of the new French confectionery “Bize D’Amour” in the upscale district known as “Fountain” by the sea in Odesa could have been an ordinary event. Instead, it turned into a sensation, both gastronomic and architectural. The new building, with its distinctive sharp black forms, was a source of surprise and admiration. Enormous panoramic windows, reflecting the gliding yacht on the waves and the snow-white clouds drifting by, starkly contrasted with the surrounding houses.

Foreign specialists led groups of tourists to “Bize D’Amour,” sharing enthusiastic reviews about the building and the confectionery. Meanwhile, local residents either voiced support or raised an eyebrow in bewilderment. The ensuing heated discussions only added fuel to the fire, fueling interest in the new landmark. We decided to delve into a conversation about Odesa’s new architectural icon with the project’s architect, Zhanna Kiseleva.

— You have successfully executed various restaurant and cafe projects in Odesa, but this is your first collaboration with restaurateur Roman Vynogradov, correct? How did your creative partnership come about, and who initially proposed the design for the exterior and interior in such a distinctive shape?

Yes, this is our inaugural joint project, and it has become truly iconic! In the initial stages, we presented several sketches. This black and white version was the boldest. We didn’t even anticipate the client would opt for it. However, Roman selected precisely this sketch for the future confectionery, and we are profoundly grateful to him! The concept for a graphic solution for a confectionery had been brewing in my mind for a long time, dating back to a trip to South America. I witnessed large pieces of natural chocolate there. When working on the “Bize D’Amour” project, that visual image clicked. A massive, chunked piece of chocolate! The building’s facade wasn’t designed haphazardly but purposefully, with everything meticulously calculated. A strong design will always be provocative, evoking a sense of the history of the moment. In some respects, this design even mirrors the current semi-military situation in Ukraine—sharp, chopped, triangular shapes complemented by smoother, more feminine ones. A harmony of male and female nature.

— Why did you choose black and white for such a shape, a piece of chocolate?

In this project, the black color plays the role of a prima ballerina. I have an appreciation for Malevich and his “Black Square.” I have a general affinity for black—it provides protection, creates comfort and coziness, accumulates and preserves energy, and helps focus on what matters most. In “Bize D’Amour,” black serves as a powerful focal point, harmoniously complemented by elements of white. There is nothing superfluous; the emphasis is on substance and form. Like a “white kiss,” it may not be extensive, but it holds significant importance.

— What architectural style was chosen for the new project of the French pastry shop “Bize D’Amour”? Why was such a choice made?

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26 Гру
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Ahead of time. Love and the Sweet Life with “Bize D’Amour”.

Nagorna Nataliya / news / / 0 Comments

The chain of French cafes and pastry shops, “Bize,” in Odesa has been delighting lovers of delicious sweets for 12 years. In 2014, “Bize” reached the finals of the prestigious National Restaurant Award of Ukraine, “Salt,” and was recognized by experts as the best cafe in the city. Over the years of operation, it’s not just the confectionery’s guests who have ‘grown up.’ Now, children who enjoyed Bize’s cakes and pastries many years ago bring their families and kids, colleagues, and friends here. And the network’s confectioners are actively developing.

This year they opened “Bize D’Amour” on Fontanska Road, 78, expanded the assortment, and launched a new series of pastries and pies based on recipes from a popular confectioner from France. Summing up the past year, our team met with restaurateur Roman Vinogradov, owner of the Bize chain of French cafes and pastry shops. We discussed trends in the restaurant and confectionery business, new tastes, preferences of Ukrainians, and, of course, a new confectionery with the passionate name “Bize D’Amour.”

— Why did you decide to call your new confectionery “Bize D’Amour”?

Translation from French sounds like “Kiss of Love.” This name will be very close to our guests because 80% of them are women. Our desserts, pastries, and cakes are often purchased by couples in love. And this is a wonderful gift! The theme of love is multifaceted, endless, eternal.

Роман Виноградов

— What role does love play in your life, and how important is it to love the work you do?

Love is a state in which I live every day. That space that I can’t imagine myself without. This is love for my family (wife, children), for my country, and the field in which I have been involved for many years – the restaurant and confectionery business. Love is in everything. And I am very grateful to the forces above that this condition has not passed and, I hope, will not pass.

— Perhaps this is a stereotype, but when talking about love, strong associations arise with Paris. Was France a source of inspiration for your new patisserie, “Bize D’Amour”?

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