BENJAMIN DONATH is a pastry chef, amateur photographer, and enthusiastic food blogger. Every week he publishes recipes on his blog. Along with the photos, the recipes entice his followers to try to replicate the dishes or simply spark their creativity. Ben works at a five-star hotel in Berlin, where every day he endeavors to inspire his guests anew. The success of the recipes in this cookbook can be attributed to Ben's background.
His passion for food has become his profession. The desserts with their special flavors and varied textures carry his unmistakable touch. Born in Potsdam, Ben devotes himself to savory and sweet dishes in equal measure. His work in different kitchens and countries has truly expanded his horizons. For Ben, cooking is more than just a calling: In the kitchen, he is able to express his creativity, delight his guests, or simply leave the cares of everyday life behind.
Ben always approaches ingredients with respect and dedication white taking care to enhance and not to lose their original character. His philosophy is to devote as much love and attention to the preparation of a simple dish as to a sophisticated multicourse meal. He loves the immediate feedback of watching the gestures and facial expressions of his guests from the moment they take their first bite.
The highest possible praise for Ben are those small moments when guests' eyes catch sight of a dish for the first time and sparkle with excitement, when a guest's nose captures the first delicate hint of the spices, and when a guest guides the spoon to their mouth for the very first bite. It is this precise moment in which everyone recognizes whether a meal is delicious-no words are needed. VIOLA MOLZEN: Even when she was a young girl, Viota's favorite words were "the food is ready." She always associates places and trips with specific dishes: pizza at the Eiffel Tower, peppermint ice cream in Ireland, chorizo brioche in Lisbon, and pineapple pancakes in Vietnam.
The List is long. So far the amateur chef has lived in the USA, the Netherlands, and Turkey, and currently she makes her home in Berlin. Yet Viola's love for food is evident in more than just her special gift for associating food with places. Viola's photos are confirmation enough: Whether as a child, teenager, or adult, nearly every photo shows the Lüneburg native eating. She recalls watching Heidi on TV as a girl and feeling jealous of the fresh goat milk and the delicious raclette cheese sandwiches that Heidi got to eat every day.
Viola hums when she eats good food, and she has mastered the art of learning to love ingredients. If she doesn't like something, she continues to try it and eat it until it tastes good to her. Viola enjoys entertaining; she is a full-time connoisseur and loves to cook Turkish cuisine in particular-with plenty of cumin, cinnamon, and, most of all, lots of love.
