Food&Kitchen: interview with Masquespacio

2018-02-12 Ana Milena Hernández Palacios and Christophe Penasse are the founders of the famous Spanish design studio Masquespacio. Established in 2010, the studio draws on Ana and Christophe’s experience in interior design and marketing to operate in the field of branding and interior architecture.
The studio’s projects all over the world have something unique about them. They are innovative enough to have won prestigious prizes and awards and attracted the attention of the international media concerned with fashion, design and lifestyle.
What do you think, when entering your kitchen, Ana and Christophe?
“That we wish we had more time to enjoy our kitchen. Cooking is really relaxing for us, but because we have little time, we always end up doing it in a hurry.”
What dish best represents your life, and why?
“The dish that best represents our lives would have to be a blend of Spanish, Colombian and Belgian cooking. As we live in Spain, but come from different countries, we have a rather odd way of cooking, based primarily on Mediterranean foods. But if we had to choose a favourite dish, we would go back to our roots! For me, Christophe, this would mean mussels and chips, while in Ana’s case, it would have to be Ajiaco, a traditional Colombian soup.”
What wine gets your heart beating?
“We believe the best wine is the most appropriate wine for the dish we are eating, because it is capable of adding another flavour to the meal. This is a major plus in any restaurant.”
What is the top in the kitchen, according to you?
“Having enough space to make a good dish, and everything you need to make it easy to prepare.”
What is the ingredient you can’t do without?
“For Ana it would have to be honey. For me, olive oil, the basic ingredient in any Mediterranean dish.”
What is the funniest item in your kitchen?
“To be honest, I don’t really think we have anything funny in our kitchen. Maybe the yellow coffeemaker?”
Is there a dish you’d like to try making?
“There’s something about Spanish cooking that we admire a lot. In our home countries, recipes are normally made with a lot of ingredients and sauces. But the Spanish can cook meat or vegetables and add only salt, giving them a very special flavour. We find ourselves coming up against this every day!”
Which recipe do you do best?
“Ana is very good at making breakfast, while I like to make spaghetti with shrimp.”
What traits do you admire in a chef?
“Creativity, of course, but also the ability to create a simple dish made with only a few ingredients, but with a special flavour that only that one cook can give it.” What’s the meaning of food in your experience?
“Food is a part of life, not only because it responds to a basic human need, but because it is something to enjoy, and an expression of the culture of the country you come from.”

Mariagrazia Villa

Photos: Cualiti Photo Studio, Luis Beltran Photography