journey towards health and gastronomy

In the year 2023, the Good Gourmet Award wanted to go beyond awarding the best flavors in the city and, in partnership with Erasto Gaertner Hospital, brought a category that combines gastronomy, health and information for the public. Looking at “food that is good for you” brought together the interests and mission of the Prêmio and Erasto, which produces a lot of research and knowledge within the hospital’s nutrition service.

“All the research question that Erasto continuously does related to functional food, made Bom Gourmet think about spreading this knowledge, taking it to those who are feeding the population: the chefs and cooks”, explains the head of Pinó , Andrea Sorgenfrei.

At Erasto’s Nutrition and Dietetics Service, the team’s work goes far beyond simply preparing meals or analyzing the quality of food in isolation. The relationship between the inputs, how the preparation methods can enhance the nutritional benefits and how to present this in a seductive way to the palate are assumptions that guide the work of the area.

“With the expertise of the nutrition and dietetics service, we were able to collaborate and contribute by bringing food that is good for everyone. And, when this knowledge was combined with the category in Good Gourme Awardt, managing to reach several renowned chefs, we were sure that we are on the right path and that we will be able to disseminate the knowledge of functional food in favor of health promotion and cancer prevention”, explains Carla Regina Martins, interim superintendent of the Health Complex Erastus Gaertner.

understand the category

The journey worked in a very productive and engaging way, divided into three stages: workshop, creation and submission of the dish and blind tasting with evaluation by the jury committee.

On April 17, 17 chefs who work in Curitiba participated in a workshop at the Erasto Gaertner Hospital, where they had the opportunity to get to know the kitchen and learn about food processing to maximize its nutritional power. This knowledge was provided by the supervisor of the Nutrition and Dietetics Service of the hospital, Marina Lopes, together with the nutritionist at the Hospital, Rebeca Elbert, who shared culinary techniques that promote health, highlighting the importance of healthy, sustainable and enjoyable food, emphasizing that it can be accessible to everyone. In addition, it was also highlighted how the way food is processed directly influences the nutrient profile and flavor of the dishes.

After the workshop, the chefs were invited to participate in the category and challenged to create a signature dish based on the most functional and healthy cooking techniques learned during the event. The dish created was evaluated by each person in a blind test, by a committee of judges composed of nutritionists Marina Lopes and Rebeca Elbert; Adriano Rocha Lago, superintendent of Erasto Gaertner Hospital; chef Celso Freire, elected in 2019 the ‘Chef of Chefs’ at the Good Gourmet Award and a reference for the gastronomy of Curitiba; and the specialized journalist and columnist for Bom Gourmet Luiz Augusto Xavier.

“We see that it is possible for you to transform hospital gastronomy into something special. I am surprised with the whim, commitment, creativity and, mainly, with the “obedience” of the chefs in relation to the purpose of the category. I realize that it is a moment that puts us, as chefs, in a very important health situation that we have to always think about”, says Celso Freire.

In the final stage, 10 chefs were classified, had their dishes validated and attended the final blind tasting stage: Cláudia Krauspenhar – K.sa; Emanuel Santos – Veg and Lev; Felipe Petri – Petrisserie; Igor Marquesini – Restau – rante Igor; Jaime Spazinni – Koré; Key Kurihara – C’lavie; Leonardo Costa – Ile de France; Rafael Krieger – Antonina 336; Rafael Lafraia – Curry and Pasta; and Vania Krekniski – Limoeiro.

In the overall assessment of the participating chefs, the whole experience was enriching, with emphasis on the opportunity to acquire detailed and specific knowledge about the influence of ingredients in the prevention of cancer and other diseases. Chef Cláudia Krauspenhar stated that it is essential to disseminate this type of information. “We know that food is fundamental for disease prevention, but on a daily basis, we end up losing a bit of this information of a more nutritional nature, so for me it was a surprise to see how some ingredients that we already use in the restaurant have a optimal nutritional potency”.

Igor Marquesini, the category champion, also emphasizes the importance of bringing these points. “People don’t have this knowledge, even the people in the kitchen learned different techniques to maximize the benefits of food in the meal. It is important for everyone to have this knowledge so that in their day-to-day life, at home, they can take advantage of all that that ingredient can do for them”, he opines.

Check out the dishes:

IGOR MARQUESINI

FISH WITH PUMPKIN PUREE AND FRIED RICE
“I chose to use cabotiá pumpkin, as it is a vegetable that acts as an antioxidant and prevents cellular damage, associated with the prevention of lung, prostate, colon, rectum, breast and ovarian cancer. Unlike some, it has better properties when subjected to higher temperatures, increasing nutrient bioavailability. I made a puree with the roasted pumpkin and finished it off with sauteed onion and garlic, adding it at the end of the preparation to maintain its organosulfur compound properties. We also managed to fit kale kale, which has a high concentration of chlorophyll, magnesium, iron, zinc, calcium, lutein, neolatin, violoxanthin, glucosinolates, vitamin E, C and flavonoids. Used in the dish lightly bleached to maintain these properties. In addition, this dish stars fish, which is rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids with anti-inflammatory properties.”

CLAUDIA KRAUSPENHAR

Pork tenderloin with jabuticaba sauce and cocoa nibs, white bean puree, grain salad and ora-pro-nobis with Borá honey.

EMANUEL SANTOS

Salmon with sesame, chia and chestnut crust, garnished with peach palm cannelloni in Fiorentina sauce and grilled vegetables.

FELIPE PETRI

Terrine da Terra, which has lentils, carrots, celery, garlic, onion, tofu, cabotiá squash, parsley, chives, rosemary, cumin, salt and pepper.

KEY KURIHARA AND GISELLE CARMONA

Salad of sprouted grains and legumes seasoned with a celery vinegar vinaigrette, fermented tomato and ora-pro-nobis, yogurt emulsion and honey from native bees, dandelion leaves and sweet potato seasoned with olive oil and lemon zest cloves, grilled mackerel and clove lemon air.

JAIME SPAZZINI

Trout in a quinoa and Brazil nut crust, tomato and guava cream, grilled persimmon and roasted onion mayonnaise with garlic and ginger.

LEONARDO COSTA

Vegetable cassoulet with saffron crunch, made with white beans, green beans, peas, pumpkin, carrots, smoked tofu, black pepper and saffron.

RAFAEL KRIEGER

Crab kafta, hummus, Greek salad and yogurt sauce.

RAFAEL LAFRAIA

Cabotiá pumpkin with baru nut curry and rice pilaf with turmeric and a vegetable selection with string beans and carrots.

VANIA KREKISKI

Chickpea linguine, mackerel fish, orange zest, romesco sauce with guava, spinach and Brazil nuts.

Check out the other categories and winners of the Bom Gourmet Award here!