David Skoko will join some of the world’s most famous chefs.
David Skoko will soon get a show on the 24Kitchen cooking channel. He will be the first Croatian chef with a show on the popular TV channel. When not in front of cameras, Skoko is the chef of the Batelina, a well-known restaurant in Banjole near Pula, reports Večernji List on September 24, 2018.
David Skoko is a talented chef with a personality which is perfect for TV cameras. 24kitchen says that Skoko will present simple, traditional dishes that will be spiced up by his creativity. In each episode, we will follow the preparation of a full meal which includes an appetizer, a main course and a dessert, inspired by the flavours of his childhood. The dishes will mainly be based on simple and easy-to-buy ingredients.
When world-famous chef Anthony Bourdain came to Croatia several years ago for his TV show, he visited Skoko and was impressed by his food. Batelina was founded by Skoko’s father as a small family restaurant. Due to David’s creativity, it won the title of the best Croatian restaurant in 2014.
How did you get the opportunity to have a show on 24Kitchen?
Fox TV Croatia has been lobbying for several years for a chance to present a Croatian chef on 24Kitchen. After two years of efforts, they have managed to convince the channel to produce such a show. They have contacted me and I immediately agreed, not asking too much about the conditions. This is a major honour.
The channel features some of the world’s biggest culinary stars, such as Gordon Ramsay and Jamie Oliver. You also met the late Anthony Bourdain who visited your restaurant. How did these chefs achieve such popularity?
Most of the popular TV chefs are very charismatic, they know how to behave in front of cameras.
What is your favourite culinary show?
Unfortunately, I do not watch them often because I have a lot of work. I would not consider Anthony Bourdain’s shows to be cooking shows. He did travel-focused shows which also covered the food, but also touched on the political situation in the countries and places he was visiting. I love Gordon Ramsay and all of his shows.
What will you cook on your show?
We have received instructions on what we could prepare. The meals should be homemade, simple, easy to reproduce, colourful and fun. I will not change the dishes at all but prepare some of them as my mother used to prepare them. This is my first show for 24Kitchen so I just have to prove myself in order to do later what I really want.
Do you think that all these culinary show harm or benefit the Croatian cuisine?
All popular cooking programmes benefit our industry because there are more and more young people who want to cook. On the one hand, they provide a picture that is very interesting and offers a lot of creativity and freedom of work. On the other hand, they create an idealistic image of a chef’s life and many do not understand how difficult and painstaking the job is.
It is possible that after your show is broadcast you will become internationally famous.
I do not have too high expectations, I do not think about the fame. After all, we know where we are coming from and where our language can be understood. My English is not good enough to be able to conquer the world market. And there many very high-quality chefs who have secured their positions and will remain there for a long time. I think that my show on 24Kitchen will confirm my position in the region.
What is cooking, is it a skill or a philosophy?
Cooking is a nice craft that can be considered a life philosophy. Professional cooking is a serious job that is subject to criticism. We create values on the plate which are not lasting, but the feelings produced by the plate are permanent.
Translated from Večernji List (reported by Zoran Vitas).
