Country-Style French Cooking at White Marble!
Chef Daniel Galmiche is a man whose great appreciation of healthy and natural products has helped his forays into cooking. This, of course, is something that can develop when you live in France, raised on your grandparents’ farm and learning to hunt from your father. “I think my personal history and life has always been a part of my culinary philosophy,” Chef Galmiche says in an email interview. “From my childhood actually, the way I was guided, from foraging with my dad going, to picking things in the garden for the lunch and dinner.” It has, in essence, became a part of his life, and even while he was training to be a chef, it had become automatic for him to keep the planet, seasons and sustainability in mind when it came to cooking. This also includes his work ethic in the kitchen, making sure things like food wastage and water usage is taken into account when cooking.
Perhaps it is then not a tad unrealistic to imagine Chef Galmiche writing cookbooks, with the most recent one coming out in 2021. The book,
French Countryside Cooking: Inspirational dishes from the forests, fields and shores of France, explores some of the places that Chef Galmiche loves to explore when he delves into food. It’s a love letter to his country and the food he makes, and every recipe is linked to a memory he loves like his family. At this point he’s written three books and the novelty of writing has not worn out. Chef Galmiche can easily name his favourite book as the first one he’s ever written, French Brasserie. “The first book is mostly filled with my childhood memories and adaptation, he writes. “It is so much fun, and it is so vivid. When I cook with Mum, or when my aunty cooks when we visited her in her small holdings, the memories of those days are all there written in the French Brasserie cookbook. Love it !!”
So, for a chef like him, having written three cookbooks, are there still any surprises? Shockingly enough, yes. “I love to research, and look for new inspiration, but generally I look among the seasons, or on visits to other countries.” He explains. The chef, who happens to be an ambassador the Norwegian Seafood Council, likes to take people to Norway to showcase just how Norwegian fishermen are exploring new options for catching fish, which includes how they deal with fishing, sea floor, marine preservation, stock, line caught fishing, protection, and other issues.
His curious mind makes him an ideal student while also being a great teacher to other chefs, and this was showcased in heavy rotation when Chef Galmiche arrived in Singapore as a special guest chef of White Marble Singapore, working together hand in hand with Chef Otto Weibel and Chef Kenneth Loke, as a part of the World Gourmet Summit's series of International MasterChef dinners. “When it came to choosing my dishes, I chose recipes that clients can understand, appreciate, and hopefully love," explains Chef Galmiche. Called, “L’appétit vient en mangeant”, the French Gastronomic Night was extraordinary & a complete sellout!
Paired with wines from Bar-Roque Grill and Wine Concierge, the carefully curated 6-course menu delighted guests’ palates by introducing Mediterranean elegance with a beyond-colourful splash of French flavours. Guests also walked away with a copy of Chef Daniel Galmiche‘s exclusively autographed "French Countryside Cooking" cookbook!
