Book by Wim Kaspers
Guys behind the stove shows the true face of a group of amateur chefs who want to share their passion for cooking with you in this book. The recipes in this book come from chef Ton Hartman and Constant Fonk and are all prepared and tasted by the Guys of the cooking club. The recipes offer a challenge for every real man.
The action photos by photographer Ray Stofberg show a beautiful image of the cooking Kerels. This sets it apart from other cookbooks.
History of the cookbook Guys behind the Stove
A few years ago, the idea arose to make a cookbook with all the recipes that we had prepared in the past three years with the cooking club Het Noordhollands Kookgenietschap. Ton Hartman granted permission to use his recipes for this. Professional photographer Raymond Stofberg followed us with his cameras for three years without any obligation and the result is absolutely fantastic. More than 10,000 beautiful photos illustrated the beautiful dishes and the way in which they were created. In the final choice of the photos for the book, we were guided not only by the representation of the dishes but also by the dynamics of cooking in combination with the characterful Kerels, and of course their varied guests.
Author Wim Kaspers says:
On one of my raids in a catering wholesaler I met top chef Ton Hartman. It soon became apparent that we shared the same passion for cooking. My wish to be able to cook at a high level seemed to become reality. Of course it would be nice to share the passion with more fellow enthusiasts and that is how the idea arose to set up Het Noordhollands Kookgenootschap. I thought that if club members display great passion for the profession or company in which they work, it should not be so complicated to let these people create the same dedication in a monthly recurring culinary evening.
Two star chef Constant Fonk says:
Cooking clubs; I didn't have much to do with them. Of ten hobby cooks, two work themselves to death, the other eight socialize around a bottle of wine. You understand, from experience my enthusiasm for cooking clubs had turned into disappointment and cynicism. Until Wim Kaspers, after many futile attempts, introduced me to Het Noordhollands Kookgenietschap™. What a relief!
This cooking group is fantastic! Had I simply made a mistake in cooking clubs and tarred everyone with the same brush? Well, Het Noordhollands Kookgenootschap has adjusted my view on hobby cooks and cooking associations quite a bit. The inquisitive North Holland cooking enthusiasts are of the caliber of not talking but cleaning.
Especially the younger generation of professional chefs knows how to create the most beautiful culinary still lifes on a plate, let them make an omelette or sabayon sauce and the piano gives false notes. This is due to a lack of solid basic knowledge and skills that are based on the great classical principles of French cuisine. It struck me that the Guys behind the Stove know and master many basic principles and actions excellently.
Culinary Journalist Jurriaan Geldermans says:
It remains strange. In nine out of ten households, it is the woman who prepares the daily food. That is - based on about 6 million households - still a sloppy 5.4 million meals per day. On the other hand, I believe the Netherlands has 104 star chefs, of whom only one is female (Margo Reuten of Da Vinci**).
In prehistoric times, it was exactly the other way around for men. They went hunting for a mammoth and lit a fire here and there along the way to roast some meat. Nice barbecuing in the open air, for a large group of hunters. Add a bunch of fermented berries and then just gesticulate tall tales with your hands and feet. Always a party. But don't ask that same Neanderthal to boil an egg at home, because it would definitely remain raw.
Available in bookstores from November 20, 2012. Price Euro 29.95.
ISBN : 987-90-811437-2-1
More information:
Wim Kaspers
M: 06-22391401
E: W_Kaspers@upcmail.nl
Burgundian sports
Summary
Double talent Willem Kaspers. A book by a born storyteller, blessed with a fabulous memory and a great sense for meaningful and unique details.
Anyone who reads 'Bourgondische Sporten' will discover that Kaspers' storytelling is driven by a wonderful quality: boundless curiosity.
Review(s)
NBD|Biblion review
Burgundian sports is a very misleading title for a collection of short and cheerful stories, few of which have anything to do with any sport. They tell nice things about Alkmaar, a milkman, cafes, cooking etc. Only on p. 213-216 and 237-255 do we read something about running and training for the marathon. That is immediately the one in New York which the author completed in a modest 4 h 14', a non-Burgundian experience. After that the writer dives into wine cellars again and tells about Dutch singers. Kaspers is a good storyteller, better than running. It could have been a bit less egocentric. Illustrated with some black and white drawings, normal print.
(NBD|Biblion review, Drs. Jef Abbeel)
