Diners in the 21st Century
Saragossa, City of Reflection on Gastronomy25th - 26th May 2009

SPEAKERS

Jesús Contreras

Anthropologist, Lecturer at the University of Barcelona and Director of the Food Observatory (ODELA).

Francisco García Olmedo

From 1970 through to his retirement in 2008, the speaker imparted master classes in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the Higher Technical School of Agricultural Engineers at Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. He specialises in genetic plant engineering. A citizen with full rights in the two cultures, his scientific distinction goes hand-in-hand with his extensive activity as a writer, with his books of scientific essays.

Javier Pérez Escohotado

PhD in Hispanic Philology, writer and teacher of Spanish Language and Literature and author of, amongst others, “Crítica de la razón gastronómica” (Critique of Gastronomic Reason).

Jean-Pierre Poulain

Lecturer, PhD Graduate in Sociology, thesis on “Antropo-Sociology of Cuisine and Uses and Customs at the Table”, Master of Sociology Conferences, Director of the Catering Industries and Tourism Studies Centre (CETIA) of the University of Toulouse La Mirail. Joint author of “History of Cuisine and Cooks. Culinary techniques and table practices in France, from the Middle Ages to today”.

Jean-Claude Ribaut

Heir and current critic, with a long history published on the pages of the newspaper Le Monde.

Santi Santamaría

Is the chef and owner of the restaurant "Can Fabes" in Sant Celoni (Barcelona). Established in 1981, it belongs to the Association Relais &Châteaux and Traditions &Qualité. In 1994 he was awarded the third Michelin star, becoming the first chef from Catalonia to earn this distinction.
After publishing The Cuisine of Santi Santamaria and The Culinary World of Santi Santamaria, in 2001 he began a weekly collaboration with the magazine supplement of La Vanguardia. He also runs the Santceloni restaurant in Madrid, which has two Michelin stars (2005). He has also published Cooking is Beautiful, The Restaurant, Between Books and Stoves, Cook's Word and was involved in the collectable series Our Cuisine. In the year 2006 he opened his first establishment in the metropolitan area of Barcelona, namely the restaurant Evo, which is located in Hesperia Tower hotel in Hospitalet (one Michelin star). He has a line of products known as Gourmand Santamaría, which includes his own wines. Later on he published The Pleasure of Health (then followed by 100 Home Recipes, which focused on natural, healthy products. In 2007 he opened the restaurant Tierra in Valdepalacios Relais &Châteaux Hotel (one Michelin star, 2009). He is the only Spanish chef to have seven Michelin stars. His latest work, Bare Cuisine, won the 1st Edition of the Premio De Hoy 2008 Prize, and has recently been re-edited by Booket (2009). He was the International Chairman of Relais Gourmands , and has received the title of Best Cook of the Year (1993) and the Gran Prix de l’Art de la Cuisine de la Académie Internationale de Gastronomie (1996).

Jeffrey Steingarten

United States journalist and writer, qualified to be a writer on gastronomy at Harvard College, Harvard Law School, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard Lampoon, over recent years he has been the internationally respected and renowned food critic for Vogue magazine. He has recently become the food correspondent for the online magazine Slate. He has been awarded innumerable prizes of the James Beard Foundation and the International Association of Culinary Professionals. On Bastille Day 1994, the French Republic made him Gentlemen of the Order of Merit thanks to his writings on French gastronomy. As the man who ate everything, Jeffrey Steingarten does not have a favourite food, colour or song. However, his favourite places to eat are Memphis, Paris, Alba, Chengdu and his New York loft.

Javier Urroz Arancibia

A journalist, currently resident in Bilbao, who can be considered the Doyen of gastronomy journalists in the Basque Country, having worked for 30 years in the gastronomy sector, he collaborates and works as a freelance writer with several different media, such as TVE, Deia, Tribuna Vasca, ETB, El Diario Vasco, El Mundo del País Vasco, etc. Between 1985-88 he was the delegate in Paris for ETB
He currently runs his own communication company, CRE&COM (events organisation, communication and media relations in the leisure and gastronomy sector and the publication of books).
He has been recognised with important awards and distinctions, such as Antena de Oro TV 1984: (Best Programme Idea). National Gastronomy Journalism Award 1994: (DV Publication). Basque Country Gastronomy Journalism Award. 1996: Coordinator of the Calahorra Vegetables Sessions. Gourmand World Cookbook Award 2004. In the Best Guides category with the book “La Rioja Quality Tables and Recipes”. 2004 Gourmand World Cookbook Award 2007. In the Best Design category with the book “Aloña, Only Tapas”. 2007.
He has published many books, most notably: “Tapas around Bilbao and Environs” (2002), “The Best Tapas of Bilbao” (2002), “The Large Book of Navarre Cuisine” 2003, “Vegetable Cuisine ”(2003), “La Rioja, Quality Tables” (2004, Gourmand Cook World Award 2004), “The Best Tapas of Vizcaya” (2004) and “Aloña, Only Tapas” (2007, Gourmand Cookbooks Award 2007).

Jörg Zipprick

The Speaker has been writing about gastronomy since 1992. He has visited leading cooks from Europe and America, and carried out culinary trips around North America and Central America, Africa, Russia and Asia. In June 2008 he published a controversial article on this matter in the German magazine Stern. He lives in Paris, where he works as a correspondent for Stern, Financial Times and other media.

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