Chef Ricardo Acquista named winner for the 2012 Doha Food Festival Black Box Competition (Qatar)
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Chef Ricardo Acquista named winner for the 2012 Doha Food Festival Black Box Competition (Qatar)
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Category: Middle East - Qatar - Exclusive experiences
- Gourmet restaurants
- Rewards - Gourmet restaurants
This is a press release selected by our editorial committee and published online for free on 2012-04-18
The Ritz-Carlton, Doha invites you to join us in congratulating Chef Ricardo in winning the 2012 Doha Food Festival Black Box Competition.
In early February, The Ritz-Carlton, Doha took part in the 2012 Doha Food Festival and showcased Chef Ricardo Acquista and Porcini’s infusion of Italian cuisine and molecular gastronomy.
During this event, Chef Ricardo was chosen to participate in one of the event highlights, the Black Box Competition, against other chefs in the industry. What makes this event unique was that chefs were unaware of ingredients they were required to use until the competition commenced – and Chef Ricardo did not fail to impress judges and the audience with his innovative dish.
Products in the box were: tomato, onion, one baguette, salt and pepper, prawns, parmesan cheese, cream, basil and pasta. As these were common but limiting ingredients, Chef Ricardo used techniques he acquired throughout the years, along with his imagination to create the winning dish, Fettuccini with Prawns and Tomato En Papillote.
“I had the time of my life. It was fun and it was a good show for the audience.” Chef Ricardo explained, “The dish was presented like a balloon wrapped in Carta Fata. Once the pouch was unwrapped, the steam unveiled an appealing aroma reaching out into the crowd, and finished with a hint of cream, basil and parmesan cheese garnish. The visual impact and subtle flavors in this dish was indescribable.”
Chef Ricardo has traveled throughout the world including Argentina and Europe where he honed his culinary skills amongst others in Tarifa, Sevilla and Granada. Throughout his travels, he worked for a number of highly acclaimed restaurants including a two star Michelin restaurant in Sanlucar la Mayor, as well as in Barcelona, Spain, for a three star Michelin restaurant. Chef Ricardo began his culinary career in Rosario, Argentina, where from 1997 to 1999 he was appointed Assistant Professor of cooking classes at Colegio Gato Dumas.
Chef Ricardo’s passion behind his cooking is the connection he finds between the hand, heart and mind to discover new tastes from different ingredients and cuisines from around the world. Mediterranean cuisine is Ricardo’s most desired cuisine as this is where his passion for cooking originated. Influenced by the ingredients and traditional dishes from Italy, he is able to incorporate this into his current cooking techniques as well as what he has taken from his culinary journeys around the world.
In March, Chef Ricardo will continue to present his skills and knowledge in the upcoming Master Class and Chef’s Table with a Patagonian theme.
The Ritz-Carlton, Doha
Soaring 115 meters above Qatar’s sea and desert landscape, The Ritz-Carlton, Doha is an impressive symbol of the nation’s emergence as a destination for travelers to the Middle East. The 374-room, five star hotel fuses contemporary styling with classic Arabic and European design. Located on its own exclusive island in the prestigious West Bay Lagoon district, the hotel has sweeping views, which overlook the turquoise blue waters of the Arabian Gulf.
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