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HO.RE.CA Expo, the most important in Greece dedicated to Hotels and Catering, was held in Athens from 11th to 14th February 2022: here the world of hospitality met to discuss culinary tradition, the present of cuisine and of catering innovation. For Next Cooking Generation it was the second time at HO.RE.CA Expo: visitors to Athens could get to know waveco® and the innovative technique of induced maturation©, through the experiences of the chefs who already use it, thanks to demonstrations and show cooking events. A very special guest also arrived at the NCG stand: chef Aristotelis Megoulas. Let's see what he told us.

waveco® in the kitchen of chef Aristotelis Megoulas

Born in Paris and raised in Athens, after his studies in Bologna, Aristotelis Megoulas decided to open a restaurant in Corfu whose cuisine combines the places he loves the most, those that "raised" him as a man and as a chef: France, Italy, Greece. On the beautiful island of Corfù, in the middle of the Ionian Sea, chef Megoulas has created his atelier, the Pomo d'Oro. Chef Aristotelis Megoulas' motto is Cooking for happiness, his ambition is to create flavors that combine the best local and seasonal products. To be savored with some excellent Greek wine, together with the people we love.

In Athens HO.RE.CA Expo we met chef Aristotelis Megoulas to chat with him about how waveco® technology can help to experiment and find new culinary solutions: the innovative technique of induced maturation© has now its place in the kitchen of his Pomo d'Oro, helping the chef in many preparations.

Interview with chef Aristotelis Megoulas

Our Francesco, NCG Marketing Manager, met chef Aristotelis to chat with him about cooking, technology and raw materials enhancement.

D: Hi Chef, thank you for agreeing to take the time and give us an interview. Can you tell us how you got to know waveco®?

Kalimera! For me it is a great pleasure: I have always admired the people who do their job with passion. A few years ago, I was a guest at a meeting in Thessaloniki: I went there  to talk about the relationship and the importance of quality coffee in catering. There I was lucky enough to meet Mr. Kontopoulos and I understood that he was a professional, with a passion for finding high quality and innovative kitchen equipment. A few weeks later, he called to invite me to the Horeca Expo fair and introduce me to something new. Coming from him, I wasn’t asking questions, I just took the plane. The rest was love at first sight.

Q: What made you decide to include waveco® in your kitchen, what struck you most?

The obvious benefits offered by induced maturation©, such as the food texture and the chance to save money and energy, are all too obvious. The most interesting thing, on a practical level, very important in the management of the kitchen, is that waveco® does not alter the production procedures and does not require expensive structures. It’s a small machine: just plug in the plug to have immediate material and financial results. On a philosophical level, however, since we are talking about Greco-Italic or Italo-Greek culture, I think that the most important thing about this kind of technology is that it broadens horizons by moving beyond the boundaries of creativity.

Q: How is waveco® helping you in the management of raw materials (procurement, conservation and storage) and, more generally, in the overall management of your menu?

One of the most frequent problems, since my restaurant is on an island like Corfu, is the management of raw materials. For example, I am lucky enough to find top quality large cut fish, which I can now manage with maximum safety and minimizing risks. The same is true for fruits, such as citrus fruits, for example kumquat; or for vegetables, such as wild asparagus.

Q: By actively using it, what do you think of the induced maturation© technology generated by waveco® focused ultrasounds?

I think that the kitchen should be oriented to the raw materials we use. I love slow cooking, I prefer to manipulate without attacking, shocking or altering products and their flavor too much. The induced maturation© allows me to cook in a refined way, with the utmost respect for the product and the work of our suppliers. While offering an excellent result to the guests of our restaurant.

Q: Can you tell us a “before and after” of your signature dish redesigned with waveco®?

A dish I really love is my cuttlefish mortadella with pickled artichokes and a saffron emulsion made of Kozani's Kroko and Corfu Lianolia oil. It is a dish that is connected to my childhood memories, to the mortadella sandwich that my grandmother prepared for me as a snack after the sea, to my beloved Bologna where I lived ten wonderful years that were my culinary maturation. Another dish I'm fond of is the cuttlefish spaghetti with seafood and mullet roe sauce from the lagoon of Chalikounas. Or roast lamb, such as roast beef, garnished in the Mediterranean style with tarama, capers, glasswort and confit tomatoes. In all these preparations we have managed to enhance the taste, greatly reducing cooking times and extending the shelf life.

Q: Chef, the slogan used for the last edition of Host 2021 and for this interview is: I waveco® and you? Can you leave us a personal consideration that may be useful in making the added value of this technology understood by colleagues who do not yet use it?

It is a tool that can be useful for improving traditional procedures and, in the meantime, a challenge for those who want to be contemporary if not avant-garde.

Thank you, Aristotelis, for this nice chat: cooking for happiness is a great motto.

Keep on following us so as not to miss the interviews with the most innovative chefs of Italian cuisine, such as Aristotelis Megoulas, and their advice for the best use of waveco®