Michelin star chef talks about how art influences his food

Chef and coowner of Eleven Madison Park Daniel Humm PicBipin KokateSwiss chef Daniel Humm looks surprisingly relaxed in a Tshirt and navy pants despite it being just a day to go for the exclusive The World Series dinner at The St Regis We wonder if its the bliss of tracking down an Iyengar yoga instructor in the city to train him for three days We are constantly training our mind but yoga helps train our body and mind If I can do it thrice a week despite my schedule anyone can he tells us urging us to take it up as wellClams with fennelAs a three Michelinstar chef who helms Eleven Madison Park the No 1 restaurant on the Worlds 50 Best Restaurants list and a fourstar rating by The New York Times were sure that yoga plays a key role in his success Post a hearty veggie lunch of samosa pani puri mango lassi and kulfi dal khichdi and dosa at a popular SoBo eatery the famed chef chats about the influence of art on his work and his love for his mums foodWholeroasted kabocha squashHow has your trip been so farI love how the food varies from region to region I feel like a kid who doesnt know anything For me everything is so new in a beautiful way I went to Jaipur Jodhpur and Chandigarh for the architecture They served me 100 dishes at Umaid Bhavan Palace I felt like a king I wanted to get a sense of India and what I have realised is that two weeks is not enough It will take a lifetime The people are amazing even the smallest food stall offered me tea I am also meeting artist Subodh Gupta next week I like his work very muchCookies and creamWhat are you going to take backThe breads are great and I love dosa I am planning to get a tandoor now it doesnt just need to be Indian food in the tandoor You could use the tandoor for many applicationsHow does art inspire your foodMost of my friends are artists and art inspires me more than any other profession I think it is the philosophy of artists and how they push their boundaries that draws my attention It is that inspiration and philosophy that makes its way on to a plate Its not so much of a visual thing but how they look at their work it also changes the way I look at my workCranberriesIs art the reason for your minimalist foodI believe in quality I hail from Switzerland where people are quite humble and those with money dont really flaunt it With food if you have amazing quality you dont need to have five different ingredients you can just have one You dont need an art gallery at home you need just one artwork thats so good you dont need another one I always wanted to cook with very little but its taken me long to do it because its so difficult My goal was also to be the best And to show that I can be the best with just two things on the plate is very hard Its easier if there are seven different things Its the same with writing To say something in few words is very powerful Its taken me 20 years to learn what I do For 20 years all I thought about was how to add things add courses techniques ingredients everything And only in the last five years I have been able to take things awayWho inspired you to cookThe first person was my mom who is an amazing cook Her work inspires me to this day And its been different chefs at different moments The chef who inspired me the most is Geacuterard Rabaey He held three Michelin stars for many years I worked for him for five years and that was very important to meWhat are your best memories of eating your mothers foodOne of my favourite things that she cooks is rabbit with oranges olives and rosemary My moms roast chicken became the signature dish at the restaurant She only made it for Christmas as we were a middle class family That recipe has foie gras and truffles and so it was made only once a year I would wait for that one dish the whole year Today we serve it every day to hundreds of people When my mom visited the restaurant I dont think she liked it laughs She likes a onceayear special But she has never judged my cuisine She just wants me to be happy smilesSo what prompted your move to New YorkI really wanted a change I was young I wanted to see the world And at 25 I got this opportunity and I had nothing to lose I couldnt even speak EnglishWhat does the threestar Michelin rating mean to youI grew up in Europe Michelin was the only thing to achieve for many years The dream was so big that you were scared to dream of it you felt like you will curse it if you even dream about it I wasnt sure if I would ever be able to achieve it I am the first chef ever to go from one to three stars When it happened it felt like a mistake as it has never happened in the history of Michelin We were hoping for two and then we got three It was crazyHas it changed the way you look at foodIts given us confidence to take more risks Its given us access to the best products and cooksAny chefs on the current scene who inspire youI am more into artists I am not interested in eating at fine dining restaurants It affects me and the food I present If you want to be the best your food has to be recognisable Its the same with art If a great artist draws a line you know its him because of the way he holds the brush In the last two years we have been able to do that It started when I stopped paying attention to other food I have so many cookbooks I dont look at them any more I have to be inspired by other things for my view to be unique Music and architecture also play a roleCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates