Editorial

Dear Readers,

Born in Brazil and living in Germany for many years, I began my journalistic career as a chess reporter. I still write regularly about this fascinating sport.

A central focus of my work lies in interviews with chefs from the Michelin Guide scene. Conversations with Christian Bau, Joachim Wissler, Martin Scharff, Tim Mälzer and Dieter Müller are part of this work, as are encounters with wine personalities such as Anne Trimbach and Gaia Gaja.

I am interested in their ideas, their perspective on product and provenance, and their personal views on craftsmanship and creativity. These conversations are not about recipes, but about ways of thinking.

Christian Bau once put it this way:
“Do things with passion – or don’t do it.”

Alongside these interviews, I write reports on restaurants and culinary competitions, as well as travel features about cities, landscapes and cultural settings. My research has taken me from Israel to various regions of Turkey, to Cyprus and across the Mediterranean.

One particularly memorable project was collaborating with a cruise line featuring renowned chefs on board. In preparation, Mark Twain’s Life on the Mississippi found its way back onto my desk. Anyone who has stood on deck at dawn, watching the river unfold, will understand why. In the evenings, menus were tasted; the following morning, my essays appeared in the ship’s newspaper.

This is how I work – writing and photographing.

Yours sincerely,
Mathias Guthmann