April 8, 2011

Tim Mälzer – Germany’s Delicious Dish




The first time I watched Tim Mälzer on Bavarian television I didn’t know if I was watching a chef or an ex-con. With his stubbly scalp and his rascally looks Tim Mälzer was no Jamie Oliver but while I watched, he prepared a 3-course meal in 30 minutes.

Mälzer was born in Hamburg in 1971. He is inevitably compared to his English friend Jamie Oliver as both are brash young celebrity chefs; Oliver - world-wide and Mälzer - Germany, but just for now…

Mälzer is probably Germany’s most influential chef. 1.5 million viewers tune in nightly to his show on Germany’s Vox network. Although I can only understand one word in 100, I can tell that he’s witty, hip and fast. He cooks meals in real time at break-neck speed. His popular, albeit, bad-boy image has derived from his devotion to Rock & Roll and customized pick-up trucks. On a DVD I have of Mälzer, he actually has the F-word on his tee-shirt. Oh, those crazy Europeans! His 3rd restaurant (in the works) is rumored to be in a former prison.

His avoidance of things “gourmet” has won him fans while critics steer clear. Mälzer’s motto is “fast, easy, delicious.” On his TV show, "Schmeckt Nicht, Gibt´s Nicht" (roughly translated: “We don’t do tasteless”) he favours simple dishes that can be cooked at home by anyone with the slightest interest in food. I hear that at one of Mälzer’s Hamburg restaurants, the lunch menu is only €8 because that’s what his customers can afford. At his most famous restaurant, The White House (Das Weiße Haus), he dispensed with a menu and prepared what he felt like.

He met Jamie Oliver in 1997 when the two of them worked at Carluccio’s Neal Street Restaurant in London. He spent 18 months in London which included a short stretch at the Ritz Hotel, which he says he quit the day after a badgering head chef caused a sous-chef to have a nervous breakdown. “I cannot stand bullies in the kitchen”, says Mälzer. Gordon Ramsay beware. You catch more flies with sugar.

A multiple award winner, Tim received the Golden Camera prize in 2006, as Germany’s most popular television chef. He’s sold millions of books and DVDs. The Rosenthal china company has developed a “Tim” collection of tableware called "Mahlzeit!". He is widely parodied on YouTube.

Today he’s grown his hair back and he’s really quite handsome in a gapped-tooth kind of way. I bought myself a DVD set from Amazon.de and every time I watch it, I learn a little more German. There is so much more to Germans than just beer and sausages.

Here’s a link to Tim Mälzer’s website. It’s in German only but I would recommend having a look. http://www.tim-maelzer.de/

schmeckt gut, Tim

Tschüss

photos were borrowed from http://www.tim-maelzer.de/ . Danke

3 comments:

Smorg said...

He sounds like my kind of chef! Thanks for posting. I didn't know anything about him before. :o)

Geisslein said...

Oh I LOVE Tim!!! He creates such a simple and great cooking - he is a really great talent! And he is such a likeable man! Really good choice, that you like him! And by the way: Thank you SO MUCH for your lovely comment at my blog - you´ve made my day! Sunny greetings from germany, geisslein

Jane and Lance Hattatt said...

Hello:
Although we have no interest at all in cooking, eating is another matter entirely. Having in Britain had somewhat of a surfeit of Jamie Oliver, your account of Tim is most intriguing, as is your blog which covers a wide range of fascinating subjects. In order to keep up, we are signing up as Followers, and will look forward to future posts.