Mugaritz chef Andoni Luis Aduriz shares the eight items he can't live without

Laura Price - 16/12/2016

Header images: Kitchen items and Andoni Luis Aduriz photographed in the Mugaritz kitchen on a Dekton by Cosentino worktop (images: Oscar Oliva)

 

In the second installment of our two-part Can't Live Without series in association with Dekton by Cosentino, we go inside Mugaritz in San Sebastian, Spain.

Andoni Luis Aduriz, chef-owner of the No.7 in The World's 50 Best Restaurants 2016, lets us in on the kitchen items he can't cope without.

 


1. Tweezers

“In 1998 when Mugaritz was just beginning, we looked for a way to put ‘love’ into our dishes. A lot of people talk about cooking with love but what do they actually mean by that? To me, it means care and attention. So in those first days and months we looked for tools that could help us keep that level of attention while plating dishes, and that tool was the tweezers. Over the last 20 years, this exotic-seeming gesture has been adopted by restaurants all around the world.”

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2. Spatula

"The gesture of plating, beyond an exercise of precision, is also a declaration of intent. Using a spatula as well as tweezers allows us to work in incredible detail. How do you cultivate excellence? By practising until it becomes a habit."

 


3. Mobile phone

“Inside this tiny piece of equipment I have all my photos, my agenda and contacts, various apps for work and even a little book where I put down my ideas. It really is my portable office.”

 


4. Notebook and pencil

“Ideas always come to me at the most unexpected moments. I like to put down anything that can help me develop a dish, an article or a concept for a talk.”

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5. Book

“I take advantage of my travels to feed my knowledge. It's hard to find time for reading in my day-to-day life so when I’m getting my bag ready for a trip I always pack a book.”

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6. Satchel

“I like to go to markets or go for a stroll whenever I can, whether I’m at home or travelling. My satchel allows me to bring a little jacket, my spatula and tweezers and also to transport whatever I pick up on my travels.” 

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7. Jeans

“When you get changed twice or three times a day, you need clothes that are comfy and versatile. I can wear my jeans in the kitchen, at the market or even to give a presentation.”

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8. T-shirts

“I’ve been collecting weird and wonderful t-shirts for a few years now. Aside from being clothes, many of them also allow me to show messages or projects that myself or colleagues are working on.”

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Now go into the kitchen at De Librije in Zwolle, Netherlands, to discover chef-owner Jonnie Boer's Can't Live Without items.