Background information
You’re a summer scrooge? Get yourself a parrot!
by Anika Schulz
"When you improvise, you're either lucky or talented".
24.9.2018
Translation: machine translated
Pictures: Christian Walker
Not everyone enjoys cooking, but that's not the case for Lorenz Graf. The amateur chef from Zurich is completely in his element when he's peeling carrots and using his chopper.
It doesn't matter how good the weather is outside; when Lorenz wants to cook, he cooks. Preferably for those closest to him. When his best friends or his girlfriend take a seat at the table, he doesn't serve a simple plate of pasta. Lorenz is ambitious. "When I get in the kitchen for someone, I need something complex that represents a challenge, like a terrine."
Never without a recipe
The dishes Lorenz prepares come from recipe books. He says: "If you improvise while cooking, you're either lucky if the meal is good, or you're talented. I only change a recipe once I've fully assimilated and understood it." For him, recipes have a good reason for being. "What's more, he finds cookery books very aesthetic, almost poetic, and flips through them regularly, rather like picture books. Just looking at the photos triggers an immediate desire in him to cook himself.
(Basically) You don't need much to cook
The first thing that jumps out at you in Lorenz's kitchen is how small it is. Surprising for such a passionate amateur cook. "I've often been asked why I don't move out. Firstly, flats with large, well-equipped kitchens in Zurich are very expensive. To cook, you need a few ingredients, some water and a saucepan or frying pan. However, he doesn't entirely follow this guideline. His kitchen is full of utensils. The first machine I see is a slicer. There's also a meat grinder, which he immediately shows us, and there are also lots of knives in the small room. His cutting tools are suspended from the wall by a magnetic strip. "Nothing is worse than a dull blade that crushes instead of cutting."
Beauty is hidden in products
When Lorenz starts cooking, he enters another world. "I'm completely in my element. My girlfriend says it's as if a switch flips inside me at the first movement of my hand." The beauty and romance that emanates from good produce fascinates him. "Even a simple carrot is beautiful. The way its colour changes slightly when you peel it and the typical smell that emanates from it is incredible." By the way, he rarely cooks with anyone. "He doesn't have a favourite cuisine or meal, but at the moment, Scandinavian gastronomy is at the top of the league when it comes to creativity. With risotto and espuma, there's still work to be done. "I've yet to get these two recipes perfectly right."
Restaurants offer a different experience
Lorenz loves going to restaurants and eating food prepared by pros. On the one hand he doesn't like cooking for himself, and on the other it's another experience to cook for yourself. "Despite his regular visits to restaurants and his own ambitious experiments at the stove, Lorenz likes simple food, but always prepared with passion and, from time to time, even eats fast food. "When you go to a restaurant, it's important to know what to expect. If you're too demanding and can't tell the difference, you'll be disappointed." Bratwurst or cornette bolo can be just as good as Michelin-starred cuisine. "To be honest, I think my favourite dish would belong more to popular cuisine."
My life in a nutshell? On a quest to broaden my horizon. I love discovering and learning new skills and I see a chance to experience something new in everything – be it travelling, reading, cooking, movies or DIY.
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