Why Johann Lafer swears by kohlrabi and peas
Berlin. The star chef can be seen in the telenovela “Rote Rosen” – and is starting his own show. A conversation about correct nutrition.
Star chef Johann Lafer (66) has two new jobs: On the one hand, he is taking on a guest role in four episodes of the telenovela “Rote Rosen” on Erste, and on the other hand, he is starting his own cooking show “Drei Teller für Lafer” on Sat.1 from Monday. through. In both cases, the Austrian can once again show that he is an absolute master of his field. In an interview, the popular TV chef reveals why he almost completely avoids meat these days and prefers vegetables instead.
Mr. Lafer, you will be a star guest on “Rote Rosen” at the end of May. You play yourself. Would you have agreed if you had had to take on a different role?
Johann Lafer: No, definitely not. I don’t have the skills to really play a role and do it authentically. My roles so far, be it in “White Blue Stories”, “Praxis Bülowbogen” or now in “Rote Rosen”, have always had something to do with my profession.
How did you experience filming?
It was quite a challenge. Right at the beginning I was told that an episode would be shot every day in two locations at the same time, which put psychological pressure on me. I just thought, my goodness, no one wants to work late and finish work later because of me. I am the brake on fun. Then there was this strange script of 40 or 50 pages in front of me. All of this left me a little unsettled. But I had a wonderful trainer who took me by the hand and quickly took away my fear. In the end I felt like it wasn’t an Oscar-worthy performance, but it was acceptable.
So you don’t want to pursue a second career as an actor?
I would like to take part in the “dream ship”. That’s something extraordinary. Otherwise it will definitely not be my main job in the future. My wife loves watching “Rosenheim Cops” and always says I definitely have to play in it because it has a lot to do with food, but that’s not on my to-do list at the moment.
With around 3,000 cooking shows on television, you are an absolute TV professional. Starting next week, your own afternoon cooking show “Three Plates for Lafer” will start on Sat1. Why is this happening?
The concept is completely new. I have noticed for a very long time that teaching cooking from generation to generation no longer works the way it used to in order to understand everything you need to know about cooking or to be motivated to eat well yourself. That’s why we’re now bringing three generations together in one kitchen. And everyone benefits from my 46 years of professional experience as I support them with tips and tricks and show them how to create a good meal. In each program we have an overarching theme such as “vacation memories” or “eating with friends”.
Working with fresh fish: Johann Lafer.
© picture alliance / press and business service | Bernd Kammerer
Will you also be at the stove yourself?
Yes, I will also cook something that will be judged by the audience afterwards, while the three generation plates will be judged by me at the end. I will then give advice on what can possibly be improved. It’s not about doing something badly, but rather being constructive and positive. Like giving the tip to take the fish out of the pan a few minutes earlier next time so that it becomes softer and juicier. This way, viewers at home also get the feeling that they can manage to cook something. Ultimately, we would like to encourage you to make your meals more varied and better in the future.
How do you manage this?
It is important that viewers have trust. I had my first show as a chef on television 40 years ago and have written many books since then. So you can say that I have mastered cooking. My motto is: “Simple, but better!” That is also the future of cooking. Because excessive, elaborate cooking is not done at home. If someone wants to prepare a goulash, I tell them the conditions under which it becomes something special and show them small opportunities for development. That’s what people want to see. A dish that you know and whose taste you grew up with. My job is then to make it a little different and more modern.
How important is it that we learn to cook more simply?
Very important. If you can’t cook, you first have to learn simple, substantial cooking. When you master the basics, further development comes. But I have the feeling that today people want to advance into higher spheres with very little basic knowledge. That’s the wrong way. In our show I am there to convey the concerns of cooking and nutrition. This is under the aspect that everything we do also works at home. For us, motivation and comprehensibility for the viewer is the number one topic. We give constructive instructions for this.
more on the subject
Cooking shows have been booming for many years. Does this mean we cook and eat better?
No. That’s the big problem. I would like to avoid the word “show” in this context. We’re not doing a show, we’re doing a cooking show. Cooking isn’t a puppet show, but for me it’s a practical instruction that doesn’t end up throwing away any food and results in something that you can enjoy. Purchasing and product knowledge also play a role for us, as does the freshness and utilization of food. Of course, I know that not everyone has everything available these days, often for financial reasons. But we had a young man who confidently made a “vegan carrot variation” and received the “plate of the day” from me. Consumption of goods is zero, but sensational with creativity and skill.
Health is now playing an increasingly important role in your diet. Her third book with the nutritional doctor Matthias Riedl was published in February: “Medical Cuisine – Healthy Gut” (Gräfe Unzer, 264 pages, 30 euros). What health benefits are in the recipes?
Many many. I am the best example of this. Our books came about because I had osteoarthritis and was receiving medical advice. It was phenomenal for me when I realized how much nutrition affects the body. This meant I was able to avoid having to replace the second knee.
Thanks to the fasting diet, I no longer have high cholesterol levels.
Johann Lafer – about his diet
You yourself fast regularly. What does giving up mean for you?
Thanks to my spa stays of three to four weeks at the beginning of the year, I know exactly what can be achieved. Thanks to the fasting regimen and my change in diet, I no longer have high cholesterol levels. All other values are also stable.
What do you cut out to stay healthy?
If you know what effects certain ingredients in food have, you try to eat more of what is particularly valuable than of the things that are not particularly beneficial for the body. Like meat and fish. Then you leave them out. If I went to a steakhouse today, I would order the smallest steak, but I would like a lot of the wok vegetables and the potatoes with the sour cream. As a result, I consciously gave my body an amount that it can process easily and I can sleep better in the evening.
What is the most important thing for you personally when cooking today?
It’s the freshness and awareness of what works best at what time of year. I’ve been collecting wild garlic three or four times now and have frozen a lot of it as a paste. We’re eating a lot of asparagus at home right now. It makes me happy to take this into account. Unfortunately, many people today don’t have the knowledge and understanding for it. That’s why I hope that we can open viewers’ eyes with the new show, which is very seasonal. For example, it doesn’t have to be winter vegetables in summer. Now there are great young vegetables like peas, kohlrabi and asparagus. You can make a nice vegetable soup from it. I would like to strengthen this awareness. For health, sustainability and personal well-being.
“Three plates for Lafer”, from May 13th, Mon.-Fri., 3 p.m. on Sat1 and on Joyn. “Rote Rosen”, May 29th – June 3rd, 2:10 p.m. on Erste and in the ARD media library
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