Interview with two Michelin star chef Rosina Ostler

How would you describe your cooking style?

My cooking style is a mix of my various experiences and my personal preferences as regards taste and aesthetics. My cooking is precise, creative and bold, especially when it comes to using strong flavours and unusual combinations. It is often unexpected. That’s why I can’t associate it with a specific country. My training was based on French cuisine, but has been shaped by Nordic influences and modern cooking techniques, including pickling and fermenting. It’s always difficult to put the subtleties of your own style into words – but our guests tell me that they can clearly see my personality imprinted on the menu.

You started your training as a chef relatively late and previously simply cooked as a hobby. When did you decide that you wanted to make cooking your career?

When I was studying for my bachelor’s degree. I studied media management, but I cooked whenever I had a free moment and started writing my own recipes and sharing them in a blog. It didn’t take long until I started being asked if I would like to work as a private chef for birthday parties. My studies then took a back seat. Finally, after an internship with a professional chef, I knew that I wanted to turn my passion into a career. I was actually planning to start training as a chef straight after graduating.

In actual fact, she was drawn instead to Italy initially where she completed a master’s degree in Food Culture and Communication. Why is this?

I wanted to finish my academic career with culinary studies. Although my studies were not directly connected with the culinary trade, I learned an enormous amount about the background to the industry and about food. Visiting food producers simply leaves a lasting impression when you can see how products are made. For example, I had the opportunity to visit a farm in Calabria during my studies, which produces the spicy, spreadable pork sausage called nduja. Now we produce this sausage ourselves and can also use parts of the animal, which would otherwise not be used.

What does cooking mean for you?

For me cooking is much more than simply an activity – it is a passion, freedom and creativity. It allows me to connect deeply with nature, to express my personality and requires concentration and skilled craftsmanship. It also allows me to express hospitality, generosity and appreciation.

What inspires you when creating dishes?

I draw my inspiration from the best available products, from nature and from the changing seasons. Travel also provides me with inspiration. It helps me to come up with new ideas – as does visiting a special exhibition, for example. I observe the beautiful things and then develop the ideas further. Trying out different foods and spices for myself also inspires my creativity..

Do you have culinary role models?

I feel inspired by many people. But I can’t be more specific than that. I don’t want to be like someone, or cook like someone. I don’t have preconceived ideas and I want to find and follow my own style and path.

What do you consider to be iconic dishes?

An iconic dish for me is one that reflects a particular era in terms of time, place and culture and that endures beyond short-lived trends. It is characterised by courage, originality, innovation and a formative history, which allows its popularity and familiarity to transcend borders.

What does your culinary future look like? Which projects will you work on next?

First of all, we are unbelievably lucky that we have been able to successfully retain the two stars that the restaurant had before my time. During my time in Norway, I was able to collaborate closely with suppliers, producers and farms. This is very important for me at Alois too of course. However, we also benefit to a large extent from the delicatessen’s product expertise and supplier network. This gives me the freedom to access the best products for my dishes and always try out new things. And even though we already have a great network, I remain open to interesting suppliers and also like to collect ingredients myself like herbs or mushrooms. Furthermore, we just planted raised beds on the patio behind the kitchen so we can grow our own herbs and edible flowers.