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Forbes
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
After A Golden Age Of Influential Chefs In the 1980s And 1990s, Celebrity Chefs In The Past Twenty Years Have Added Little
Portrait of French chef Andre Soltner as he sits at a table in his restaurant, Lutece (249 East 50th ... More Street), New York, New York, 1984. (Photo by) Two weeks ago dozens of illustrious chefs attended a luncheon to pay homage to André Soltner, who died at the age of 93 in January, as an icon of their profession as owner of the New York French restaurant Lutèce. The show of so many colleagues for Soltner was out of respect for a man who never wavered from setting high standards for cuisine and for himself over more than three decades in the kitchen. Soltner was one of those chefs who in the 1980s and 1990s helped American gastronomy garner world-wide recognition that spurred chefs everywhere to break from stultifying molds and to explore regional foods once felt too common to be served in an upscale restaurant. Le célèbre chef cuisinier Paul Bocuse pose, le 24 janvier 2007 pendant le salon Sirha à Chassieu, à ... More l'occasion du concours le Bocuse d'Or, la "plus grande arène gastronomique du monde", qui fête cette année ses 20 ans. Plat de résistance du Salon international de la restauration, de l'hôtellerie et de l'alimentation (Sirha), ce concours de gastronomie, souvent considéré comme le plus prestigieux dans le monde, oppose pendant deux jours 24 équipes au total, de tous les continents. Leur mission: préparer un plat de poisson et un de viande en 5H30... sans se laisser déstabiliser par le millier de spectateurs. AFP PHOTO JEFF PACHOUD (Photo by Jeff PACHOUD / AFP) (Photo by JEFF PACHOUD/AFP via Getty Images) The recognition of chefs as true cultural influencers began in the 1970 when a handful of French cuisiniers like Paul Bocuse, Roger Vergé and Michel Guèrard made news with an exciting style of haute cuisine respectful but not bound to archaic culinary traditions. The U.S. media glorified them as chefs willing to step into the limelight rather than stay in the shadows, which, in turn, led to chefs in America to showcase new ideas that would radically––though tastefully––transform the way we eat, championed by a young cadre of Californians like Alice Waters in Berkeley and Wolfgang Puck in Los Angeles to challenge the idea that chefs rely on frozen and processed foods instead of searching out the very best seasonal provender available, even to paying farmers to grow it. Alice Waters, a Montessori teacher, pioneered California Cuisine in the 1980s. Puck, who wore a baseball cap in the kitchen, created an enticing new, lighter style of casual California dining, including 'gourmet pizzas,' for a Hollywood crowd that made his restaurant Spago celebrated and glamorous. In Boston Jasper White fostered New New England cuisine, based on abundant seafood and vegetables, while in New Orleans chef Paul Prudhomme put highly spiced Cajun food into a national spotlight. In Chicago Rick Bayless of Topolobampo elevated Mexican fare to a true cuisine, while Dean Fearing did the same for Texas cooking at his namesake restaurant in Dallas. Nobu Matsuhisa, first in Beverly Hills, then New York and internationally, set a style of sushi wholly new and put Japanese elegant and sexy. These chefs had enormous impact on American gastronomy and inspired another generation that included Marcus Samuelsson, Mario Batali, Ming Tsai, Bobby Flay and many more. (See my not-at-all comprehensive list of others below.) Wolfgang Puck during Wolfgang Puck Anniversary Celebration at Wolfgang Puck Express in Atlanta, ... More Georgia, United States. (Photo by R. Diamond/WireImage) Meanwhile French chefs working in America came to be considered transformative for their exquisite menus, like Jean-Louis Palladin in Washington DC, Michel Richard and Joachim Splichal in Los Angeles and Daniel Boulud, Eric Ripert and Jean-Georges Vongerichten in New York. An American named Thomas Keller set the bar ever higher with his highly inventive, multi-course California dinners at The French Laundry in Yountville. With the onset of magazines like Bon Appetit and Food & Wine and TV food shows, chefs suddenly became stars, some making Time magazine's Most Influential People' of the year list. NAPA, CALIFORNIA - MAY 28: Chef David Chang participates in a culinary demonstration during the 2023 ... More BottleRock Napa Valley festival at Napa Valley Expo on May 28, 2023 in Napa, California. (Photo by) Yet while became stars and the food media fell over themselves to find the next big name, very few chefs of the last 25 years have had much of an impact on American or global gastronomy beyond show biz pizzazz. David Chang, cast as the 'bad boy' of American chefs for his foul language, dismissal of vegetarian food and litigious nature, opened the innovative, seat-of-the-pants cooking at his New York 12-seat restaurant named Momofuku, with backless stools, daily menus and blasting house music in 2008. Given the torrent of media exposure he received––including several TV shows––investors lined up to give him a global empire of restaurants. These days, after closing a slew of his original restaurants, he is mainly partner in a fast food chain called Fuku with 15 branches, and whatever influence he once had on young chefs seems slight. LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 13: Guy Fieri poses with fans onstage during the Players Tailgate ... More by Bullseye Event Group on February 13, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo byfor Bullseye Event Group) Certainly Anthony Bourdain had tremendous impact within the industry, but not as a chef, which he left behind after becoming a media star; rather he became a food-focused travel guide on TV, and no one has come along to replace him since his suicide in 2018. So, too, Guy Fieri burst upon the scene with a clown-like act, not as a chef, and he, too, became a chain restaurant entrepreneur. And I doubt anyone who credit Gordon Ramsay with putting any positive spin on his profession. DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - JANUARY 20: In this image released on January 21, 2023, Chef Jose ... More Andres captured at their new restaurant Jaleo during the Grand Reveal Weekend of Dubai's new ultra-luxury resort, Atlantis The Royal on January 20, 2023 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (Photo byfor Atlantis The Royal) One has only to look at the lists of great and promising chefs given awards by the James Beard Foundation since the 1990s through 2005, in which the 'Rising Star' candidates and winners included young chefs who themselves became highly influential chefs, including Michael Mina, Marcus Samuelsson, Todd English, Douglas Rodriguez, Grant Achatz, Nancy Silverton, José Andres and Bobby Flay who have mentored so many more. But in recent years there have been few chosen by the Foundation's vague criteria a chef 'who set high culinary standards and has served as a positive example for other food professionals.' For this year's upcoming 2025 awards there are some extremely talented chefs on the list, including Gabriel Kreuther, Suzette Gresham-Tognetti and Jungsik Yin, but none, at least not yet, has had any impact on American gastronomy, even within their respective cities. Most seem chosen merely for geographic and ethnic diversity––Ann Ahmed, Khâluna, Minneapolis, MN; Francis Guzmán, Vianda, San Juan, PR; Sarah Minnick, Lovely's Fifty Fifty, Portland, OR; or Ricky Moore, Saltbox Seafood Joint, Durham, NC––but outside those regions is there really reason to believe they will have any impact on other food professionals or American gastronomy overall? Chef and television personality Gordon Ramsay, circa 1999. (Photo by Julian Barton/TV Times/Future ... More Publishing via Getty Images) The Golden Age of great chefs in America was born out of imitation, adaption and innovation by young cooks buoyed by receptive media to get a national, even global, audience. For their efforts American gastronomy has never been better, more diversified or solid, from coast to coast. But these days it seems we want 'stars' who will fare brightly on dramatically crafted Food Network competition shows and be lucky enough to ride the publicity before next season's contestants show up. WASHINGTON, VA - OCT21: Chef Patrick O'Connell prepares to cook for a gala dinner at the The Inn at ... More Little Washington celebrating the 60th anniversary of Relais and Chateaux, with Chef Patrick Bertron of Relais Bernard Loiseau, October 21, 2014. (Photo by Evelyn Hockstein/For The Washington Post via Getty Images) Here are but a few of those chefs from the 1980s and 1990s who had significant impact on the way cooks cook and Americans dine today: SAN FRANCISCO, CA - 1988: Chef and author Jeremiah Tower poses in his restaurant "Stars" during a ... More 1988 San Francisco, California, photo portrait session. Tower, a flamboyant and outspoken author began his career at the famed "Chez Panisse" restaurant in Berkeley, California. (Photo by) Emeril Lagasse, Susanna Foo, Jody Adams, Lydia Shire, Judy Rogers, Larry Forgione, Jeremiah Tower, Charlie Trotter, Patrick O'Connell, Gary Danko, Georges Perrier, Mark Militello, Norman van Aken, Stephan Pyles, Robert Del Grande, Julian Serrano, Roy Yamaguchi, George Mavrothalassitas, Alan Wong, Joyce Goldstein and many others.
Local Norway
18-02-2025
- Local Norway
Four underwhelming Norwegian dishes – and what to eat instead
Despite having access to excellent fish and game and producing countless Bocuse d'Or (kind of like the World Cup for food) winners, Norway doesn't enjoy a solid culinary reputation. Some of the country's most famous dishes tend to lean on simple ingredients and recipes, meaning that they don't exactly set tastebuds on fire – even if they have a lot of history and tradition behind them. Here's the (controversial, we know) list of four completely underwhelming Norwegian dishes: Fårikål We're going straight for the heavy hitters, and Norway's national dish is perhaps not worthy of its status. Most recipes for this lamb and cabbage stew typically list just five ingredients: lamb, cabbage, salt, pepper and water. Therefore, it'd be unfair to expect too much. Theoretically, it should summarise Norwegian cooking at its best because it uses great local and seasonal ingredients. In practice, it's underwhelming and will leave your kitchen stinking of cabbage. Instead, you should try lapskaus. This dish, at its heart, is still a basic stew. However, the fact that it allows the use of stock, seasoning and more vegetables means that there's a lot more potential for flavours to develop. Lapskaus isn't seasonal either, meaning you can try it all year round. Lutefisk One of Norway's most infamous dishes may interest the gastronomically curious, but those able to get over the pungent odour and gelatinous texture won't be rewarded with a flavour bomb. Instead, the fish doesn't really have a strong taste and is more about the sides that are served with it. The sides include melted butter, bacon, peas and boiled potatoes – all things you can sample without trying lutefisk. The reason it remains popular is that it is strongly linked to holidays such as Christmas, with the dish earning its space on the tablecloth due to tradition rather than taste. Instead, if you want to sample Norway's world-class seafood, sample some seasonal Arctic cod (skrei). Perhaps the best dish to try would be some traditional Norwegian fish soup. Fish soup makes use of seafood found in Norway's waters and has a comforting creamy flavour profile. If you happen to be in Bergen, you can try Bergen fish soup, which has a slightly sweeter and sour taste. Moose Norway is home to plenty of produce that you can't in many other places, from moose to whale. Moose is popular with tourists and locals alike. Before we put you off, it's worth pointing out that moose can be great due to its earthy and gamey flavour. Although, much will depend on the cut. Some cuts are really tough, so a burger or stew may be the best way to sample some moose. When it comes to what to try instead, perhaps opt for some reindeer. It will typically be more expensive than moose, but its flavour can't be beaten. Reindeer is softer and more tender and tends to have a slight sweetness to it. The filet is perhaps the best cut, but the rump or other cuts should also provide a good experience. If you are on a tighter budget, then reindeer stew may be a better option. Bidos is a traditional Sami stew. The Sami are considered Europe's last indigenous population and have traditionally lived off reindeer herding and fishing. Kransekake Norway's number one party cake, which is saved for May 17th, weddings, confirmations, and Christmas, is probably more style over substance. While some find it chewy and dense, others will find it dry and bland. Those with a sweet tooth should consider going for a plate of ' suksesskake' or success cake instead.
Euronews
31-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Euronews
Kitchen Confidential: Behind the scenes at the 'Olympics of haute cuisine'
For contestants at the Bocuse d'Or, the 5 hour and 35 minute long cooking contest is the culmination of two years of qualifying events and countless hours of training. While young chefs on reality TV shows compete for money and fame, here they compete for peer respect and culinary immortality. But they're also representing their country and, behind the scenes, politicians and leading industry figures are counting on them to bring home the bacon, so to speak... The Bocuse d'Or is undoubtedly the world's most prestigious cooking competition and the pressure on contestants couldn't be higher. However, watching the 24 national teams competing in the final at Lyon's Eurexpo arena earlier this week, you wouldn't know it. There are none of the tears, arguments or drama that we're used to seeing on TV. These chefs go about their work with all the focus, precision and sang froid of bomb disposal experts. 'This is a cooking competition with real chefs,' says Denmark's 2019 Bocuse d'Or winner Kenneth Toft-Hansen. 'There is extreme order and system. In our business, it's famous for people who are yelling. Nobody's yelling. It's calm as hell. If there was no music or any noise here, you wouldn't hear the kitchens.' But, boy, is there noise. Fans come from around the world to support their teams and they make sure they're heard once they get here. The sound of trumpets, air horns and chants fill the arena from knives up to the final whistle. Like at the real Olympics, national flags are everywhere here at the so-called 'culinary Olympics', waving in the air, on clothing and banners, and painted on people's faces. A group of Japanese fans shows up in matching outfits with their country's flag tied around their heads. Over in the French section, one particularly devoted supporter has dressed as a rooster, one of France's national emblems. It's hard to imagine preparing world class food under these conditions and with the hopes of so many people riding on you. This edition's winner, 28-year-old French chef Paul Marcon, says coping with the pressure is all part of the training. 'It's something we work on with the whole team, with a mental coach. I have a coach for myself, personally too, to work on these issues. So we were ready for it and it didn't bother us.' National pride on a plate Representing his country under the French tricolore, he says, only helps to spur him on: 'It's a responsibility but it has to be more of a motivating factor. You can't let it overwhelm you.' French officials attending the event are decidedly less chill. For them, there's more than just national pride at stake: securing France's place as the world's gastronomic capital has real financial consequences. 'It's very important for us in terms of economic and tourist appeal,' Minister Delegate for Tourism Nathalie Delattre told Euronews Culture as the contest got underway. 'It's one of the major pillars in attracting international tourists to France, to come and taste and enjoy our dishes.' Earlier this year, the French government officially launched the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes National Center of Excellence for Gastronomy project. At a cost of 27 million euros, its goal is to provide 'long-term support for the success of French teams in international competitions in all gastronomic trades.' Guillaume Gomez, Ambassador for Gastronomy, Food and the Culinary Arts and the former head chef of the Elysée Palace, says culinary competitions from the Bocuse d'Or to reality TV have a ripple effect on the wider industry. 'After the Olympic Games, we can see that sports club revenues are increasing. So, in our professions - whatever they may be, cooking, pastry-making, cheese-making, table service - the fact that there's competition, there'll be communication, and so it creates vocations and attracts people to our professions. The same goes for reality shows and so on. Of course, after all it's still TV, but in any case it creates communication for all that.' Tasting the difference France isn't alone in hoping to reap the benefits of the Bocuse d'Or. Moroccan chef Kamal Mahal Essoulami, president of this year's Moroccan team and a member of the tasting jury, says the contest helps chefs develop their culinary skills, which in turn can put their country on the tourism map. 'We can't talk about promoting tourism if we don't talk about promoting gastronomy. And you can't talk about promoting a sector without talking about promoting the women and men in the sector. It's all very important. You can bring me the best material, the best raw material, but if you don't have the person who's going to translate that into a product with extraordinary visuals, with good presentation, with refined taste, what's the point? And that's what makes the difference.' The Bocuse d'Or first introduced its African qualifying event in 2018 and since then, Morocco, Tunisia and Mauritius have reached the final. 'So today, Africa is present, so we're trying to promote not just Moroccan chefs and Moroccan gastronomy, but African chefs and African cuisine. Of course, it's not the podium, but we've already won because our trade is developing well within the country.' And that, says French celebrity chef Marc Veyrat, is what legendary chef Paul Bocuse, who founded the biennial competition in 1987, would have wanted. 'He understood that world cuisine was about different cuisines and he brought together those differences, the right to express oneself through them. And that's incredible! He was an extraordinary man!'
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Netanyahu and Trump to Meet Amid Fragile Ceasefire Agreement
From the The Morning Dispatch on The Dispatch Happy Wednesday! A team of French chefs won gold in the Bocuse d'Or—basically the Olympics of fine dining—this week, returning France to the heights of culinary prestige. You may notice, however, that they are all wearing toques. We won't be fooled again. A federal judge issued an administrative stay on Tuesday afternoon temporarily blocking the Trump administration's attempted freeze on the disbursement of federal grants, loans, and other financial assistance. The Office of Management and Budget had on Monday night announced a temporary pause on all federal funding—'to the extent permissible under applicable law'—that may be affected by President Donald Trump's early executive orders, effective Tuesday at 5 p.m. ET and pending the administration's review. The move implicated tens of billions of dollars at a minimum, and federal agencies and lawmakers scrambled on Tuesday to determine whether various programs were affected by the freeze. The administrative stay will remain in effect until 5 p.m. ET on February 3, giving the court a few days to deliberate before an expedited briefing and hearing. The State Department on Tuesday advised U.S. citizens to leave the Democratic Republic of the Congo following the outbreak of violent protests targeting the American and other foreign embassies in the country's capital of Kinshasa. 'Due to an increase in violence throughout the city of Kinshasa, the U.S. embassy in Kinshasa advised U.S. citizens to shelter-in-place and then safely depart while commercial options are available,' an embassy security alert urged yesterday. 'We encourage U.S. citizens to depart via commercial flights when they feel like they can safely go to the airport.' President Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday to stop federal funding for gender-transition treatments for people under the age of 19, coverage of which is currently provided by Medicaid in some states. The order states that the federal government 'will not fund, sponsor, promote, assist, or support the so-called 'transition' of a child from one sex to another,' and directs federal agencies—including the Department of Health and Human Services—to curtail grants to hospitals and medical schools that provide such gender-transition treatments. Trump also issued an executive order on Monday night intending to eventually bar 'individuals with gender dysphoria' from serving in the military, though the move has already drawn a lawsuit from two national LGBT advocacy organizations. Law enforcement officials arrested a man near the U.S. Capitol building on Monday who claimed he intended to kill House Speaker Mike Johnson, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. A Tuesday court filing revealed the arrest and alleged the suspect approached a Capitol Police officer, requested to turn himself in, and had two molotov cocktails and a knife in his possession. The man—who said he traveled to Washington, D.C. from Massachusetts—also allegedly said he intended to burn down the Heritage Foundation, a think tank closely aligned with the Trump administration. The Senate voted 77-22 on Monday to confirm Sean Duffy to lead the Department of Transportation, with 24 Democrats joining all Republicans in support of his bid. Duffy, a former congressman from Wisconsin and Fox Business host, passed a procedural vote with unanimous support on Monday, but he lost Democrat votes yesterday in the wake of the Trump administration's announced funding freeze. The village of East Palestine and the Norfolk Southern Railway reached a $22 million settlement on Tuesday that will resolve legal claims stemming from the February 2023 train derailment and resulting toxic chemical spill in the eastern Ohio town. Norfolk Southern had already agreed to a separate, $600 million class-action settlement last April, with that money going to residents of East Palestine directly—although some are still in the process of challenging the settlement amount. A message from Yascha Mounk Acclaimed writer (and friend of The Dispatch) Yascha Mounk is a voice of reason in crazy times. Not afraid to take on either the identitarian left or the authoritarian right, he writes weekly essays about big ideas and hosts regular conversations with leading thinkers from Francis Fukuyama to Tyler Cowan. Subscribe now! On Saturday, four young Israeli women—all Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers captured by terrorists on October 7, 2023, and held as hostages ever since—were marched onto a stage in Gaza's Palestine Square in front of groups of Hamas fighters and Palestinian civilians. As Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa, Naama Levy, and Liri Albag stood there, they linked arms and waved to the crowd as part of what they later explained as an effort to showcase their undefeated spirits and put a dent into the sense of sinisterness the armed Hamas fighters were clearly trying to project. With the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas nearing its third week, the hostage-for-prisoner exchanges have continued apace. But the mere presence of the Hamas gunmen on Saturday as the main Palestinian force in the Gaza Strip served as a stark reminder of why a lasting peace is likely to remain elusive. The U.S.-brokered ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, signed on January 15, outlined three six-week stages, the first of which is currently about a third complete. The parameters? A cessation of hostilities, the withdrawal of Israeli forces to the edges of Gaza, the return of some Gazan civilians to the northern part of the enclave, and the exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners. Hamas' parade in Gaza City over the weekend was part of that exchange, the terms of which are lopsided in Hamas' favor, to say the least. If everything goes according to plan, the terrorist group will release 33 hostages—including children, female civilians and soldiers, and civilians over the age of 50—in exchange for hundreds upon hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, many of whom are convicted terrorists. The swaps are thus far occurring as expected, but that doesn't mean everyone is happy. Itamar Ben-Gvir, leader of the far-right Otzma Yehudit party, announced last Sunday he would resign from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Cabinet—where he served as national security minister—in protest against the deal. 'The deal that is taking shape is a reckless deal,' he said earlier this month, arguing it would 'erase the achievements of the war' by allowing Hamas to regroup and rebuild. Ben-Gvir doubled down on his resignation on Monday, saying he would only return to Netanyahu's government if the prime minister 'comes to his senses.' Netanyahu is set to meet with President Donald Trump at the White House next week, and the ceasefire is certain to be the focus of their conversation. If the swaps continue to go relatively smoothly, the two sides are supposed to enter negotiations over the agreement's second phase no later than 16 days after the first began: this coming Saturday. This phase will in theory include a mutual declaration of 'sustainable calm,' the exchange of all remaining living hostages by Hamas for some number of Palestinian prisoners, and the full withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, in theory rendering the ceasefire permanent. The third stage would involve the return of dead Israeli hostages' bodies and the kickstarting of an international reconstruction effort in Gaza. That said, reaching Phase 2 of the deal—let alone Phase 3—is far from a given. 'If Israel does agree to phase two of this ceasefire, I think there's a better than average chance that the government of Benjamin Netanyahu would collapse,' Jonathan Schanzer, the executive director of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, predicted in an interview with TMD. With Netanyahu's majority in the Knesset already razor-thin, a further collapse in his support could doom his government. In addition to Ben-Gvir's withdrawal, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, the leader of the far-right Religious Zionist Party, has also threatened to leave the coalition government over the deal—though he softened his stance earlier this week. And it's not just far-right members of Netanyahu's coalition who are incensed at the prospect of Hamas remaining in power in Gaza—much of the Israeli public is too. But recent polling of Israelis has also found that nearly three-quarters of respondents—including a majority of Netanyahu's own supporters—favored some sort of ceasefire agreement in order to secure the return of the remaining hostages. The prime minister—well aware of the political realities—has therefore shifted his tone on the war somewhat in recent months, while publicly stressing throughout the ceasefire process that the IDF could proceed with operations at any point. 'We reserve the right to resume the war if necessary, with American support,' Netanyahu said in a TV address earlier this month, referring to the first phase of the deal as a 'temporary ceasefire.' Hamas, of course, has its own reasons for coming to the negotiating table. 'What they want under Phase 2 is a decision undertaken by Israel to allow Hamas to exist,' Schanzer said. Like Hamas' show of force in Palestine Square, a formal ceasefire agreement that provides legitimacy to the Islamist terrorist organization and cements it as the undisputed power center in the Gaza Strip would be a major strategic victory for Israel's enemies. The new Trump administration maintains that such an outcome would be unacceptable. On Saturday, President Trump himself floated a dramatic solution for Gaza: moving the enclave's civilian refugee population to Jordan, Egypt, or other Arab countries and 'just clean[ing] out' those who remain. He claimed he had spoken to Jordan's King Abdullah II about the idea and was going to talk to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi soon. 'You're talking about probably a million and half people, and we just clean out that whole thing,' Trump suggested. 'I'd rather get involved with some of the Arab nations and build housing at a different location where they can maybe live in peace for a change.' He doubled down when speaking to reporters on Air Force One Monday. 'You could get people living in areas that are a lot safer and maybe a lot better and maybe a lot more comfortable,' he said. The president may, however, be too optimistic about his dealmaking prowess. Egypt and Jordan have long resisted taking in large numbers of Palestinian refugees; Jordan was destabilized by Palestinian nationalist agitation in the 1970s, and Palestinians still constitute a significant portion of the country's population. Since the war started, tens of thousands of Palestinian refugees have crossed into Egypt, where they face difficult living conditions and uncertain legal status. Trump also has relatively sunny plans for how Gaza can be rebuilt after the war. 'You know, as a developer, it could be the most beautiful place—the weather, the water, the whole thing, the climate. It could be so beautiful,' he said during an October radio interview. '[It] could be better than Monaco.' But according to Schanzer, two fundamental questions must be answered before any effort to rebuild Gaza begins: 'One: Are there patrons?' and 'Two: How can such an undertaking occur while Hamas is still in power?' Finding patrons would require cooperation from Arab states, especially Gulf monarchies like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). As a precondition for their participation in the rebuilding process, the UAE has demanded reforms and a new prime minister for the Palestinian Authority (PA), which governs the West Bank. They also want 'an explicit commitment to the two-state solution' from Israel. But the UAE, like Israel, sees no role for Hamas in the future of Gaza. Leaders of the Gulf state do want the PA to be involved, unlike Israel. In remarks last month, Netanyahu described the Palestinian Authority as 'defective' and its establishment under the Oslo Accords as 'a terrible mistake.' He added that he wouldn't 'delude himself' into thinking it should govern Gaza after the war. There are some signs, however, that Netanyahu's government might be singing a slightly different tune a few short weeks later. Last week, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar did not rule out the PA playing a role in postwar Gaza if it made some significant changes, such as ending its 'pay to slay' policy of paying the family members of those imprisoned, killed, or wounded for perpetrating violence against Israelis. 'The PA must stop educating children to hate, inciting against Israel, and conducting legal warfare against it,' he said. 'If they met these conditions, addressed these problems, and changed their attitudes, it would be a different Palestinian Authority, and then we could seriously discuss together a better future for both nations.' In his New Cartographies Substack, technology writer Nicholas Carr explored how media technology has transformed the human relationship with selection and creation of messages and meaning. For centuries, he argued, machines were only involved in the transmission of media, not its selection or creation, but that changed in 2006 with Facebook's News Feed. 'The editorial function was no longer the exclusive purview of human beings,' he wrote. 'When, sixteen years later, on November 30, 2022, OpenAI released ChatGPT to the public, communication technology's ambit expanded once again, this time to encompass the role of message creation—the speech function that up to then was seen not just as the exclusive purview of humans but as an essential and singular quality of humanness itself. Machines still don't understand the meaning of the speech they produce—that may or may not change in the future—but it turns out that doesn't matter. For computers, understanding is not a prerequisite to speaking.' CNN: Caroline Kennedy Accuses Cousin RFK Jr. of Being a 'Predator' CNBC: Google Reclassifies U.S. As 'Sensitive Country' Alongside China, Russia After Trump's 'Gulf of America' Comments English singer-songwriter Sam Fender is in the process of rolling out his third studio album, People Watching, and this single goes out to Lola, the official dog of The Morning Dispatch, who never fails to keep Grayson company no matter how late the writing process goes. In the newsletters: Nick Catoggio unpacked (🔒) Trump's funding freeze gambit. On the podcasts: Jonah Goldberg is joined on The Remnant by Francis Dearnley, executive editor at The Telegraph, to discuss Keir Starmer's woes and the British perspective on Trump's second term. On the site: David Drucker reports on how Elon Musk has made himself 'truly untouchable' within the Trump administration, Charles Hilu provides an update on support for Tulsi Gabbard on Capitol Hill, Kevin Williamson knocks Trump's lackluster effort to pressure Vladimir Putin, and Jonah argues Trump is risking the GOP's unity with his demands for loyalty. Do you expect the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas will reach its second stage? Should it?
South China Morning Post
29-01-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Bocuse d'Or 2025 in photos as France wins top cooking competition
Published: 1:45pm, 29 Jan 2025 After major investments in a bid to restore its lost national culinary prestige, France savoured victory on Monday at the world's most prestigious international cooking competition, the Bocuse d'Or. Paul Marcon, son of former winner Régis Marcon, clinched the title in France's gastronomic capital, Lyon, 30 years after his much-garlanded father. The biennial event, which takes place in front of a boisterous live audience, was founded in 1987 by the late French cooking legend Paul Bocuse. Having seen Scandinavian countries dominate over the last decade, France's team has professionalised and attracted funding from both public authorities and private donors in a sign of the importance of the title for national identity. Marcon prepares dishes as he competes in the 2025 Bocuse d'Or cooking competition. Photo: AFP Régis Marcon, father of Paul Marcon, celebrates after his son wins first prize at the Bocuse d'Or 2025. Photo: EPA-EFE Ismo Sipelainen of Finland competes in the Bocuse d'Or 2025 cooking competition. Photo: AFP
