Why vegetables are way more exciting than meat for a top chef
Jean-Georges Vongerichten, the chef behind dozens of restaurants around the globe, including Mercato in Hong Kong, says cooking vegetables is more challenging than cooking meat, poultry and seafood, and more stimulating
What was your childhood like? “We had three generations living under the same roof in Strasbourg in Alsace, France. Our family was in the coal business and growing up was like being in a mini restaurant because we were a family of 12 and we had workers, so every day for lunch we had 30 people and 20 people for dinner. There were big pots on the stove and my mother and grandmother started cooking in the morning. They made one-pot meals like pickled cabbage sauerkraut and pork, roast chicken, lots of potatoes.
“My bedroom was above the kitchen and I could smell what they were cooking. I learned that you had to be timely – lunch was at 12:30pm and if you showed up at 12:45pm there wasn’t much food left.
“When I was young, I would organise my siblings’ and cousins’ birthday parties. I didn’t cook but I did the music and lighting. I was the entertainer. I liked to please and entertain people.”
How did you get into cooking? “I was the oldest son and was expected to go into the family business. When I was 15 years old, I was sent to engineering school but I hated it. After six months, the school threw me out and my father was upset. He didn’t know what to do with me, but maybe he felt bad for me.