XAVIER ISABAL
Who or what made you want to be a cook?
« One of my grandmothers made the cod with potatoes and garlic and the other cooked the potato tortillas.
As a child, I wanted to be a cabinetmaker or a pastry chef. I chose pastry then cooking and I took over the kitchens of the family establishment. »
The standardization of taste threatens the kitchen, how do you react concretely?
« The culture of the product is atavistic among the Isabal. My father, founder of the Slow Food Bizi Ona Convivium of the Basque Country, taught me to supply myself directly from nearby farms and from small boats on the coast. In addition, I have my own vegetable garden and a garden of fruit trees. »
How do you create a dish?
« I first make a drawing starting from a seasonal product from my vegetable garden, which I discover at the market or which a supplier offers me. I then do tests that are tasted by all the members of my team. They comment and I refine. »
In your opinion, what should food criticism be?
« Criticism is constructive when it is not murderous. To do this, she must listen to the Chefs to understand what she may not have understood and clear up her doubts. »
What was your greatest gastronomic emotion?
« My grandmother's omelettes. »