The initiator of the book was Dr. Nataša Bratina, the president of the Association for Children with Metabolic Disorders, and a lover of high cuisine. "People suffering from diabetes often believe they would have difficulty finding food adequate for them in top restaurant, but it is not so; a number of dishes for them can be found even in our best restaurants, and that's what gave me the idea fort his book," Bratina explained at the Tuesday presentation of the book in the Podvin Villa, where probably the largest number of the Slovenian first league caterers gathered in one place, which was a great achievement in itself.
Practically everyone responded, from Tomaž Kavčič, Janez Bratovž and Igor Strelec to Luka Košir, Jorg Zupan, Uroš Štefelin and Marko Pavčnik, 32 chefs alltogether. The only directive was that the recipes should be for a seasonal menu, as local as possible (which is the standard practice in the participating restaurants), consisting of an appetizer, a main course, and a dessert. The menus are very diverse, and some of them are much more extensive than originally expected - Slavko Žagar Jr. from Skaručna even included a larger part of his culinary arsenal.
Cookbook for all
The authors of the cookbook equipped with informative calculations of carbohydrates, fibres, proteins, and energy values, emphasized that it was not intended only for diabetics, but to all those who appreciate good food. The participating chefs thus hadn't made any essential changes of the recipes, as they claim that the dishes served in top restaurants are already on the high level, and as such unsaturated with carbohydrates or sugar.
Thus the book includes a number of classical dishes made by participating chefs, some 'signature dishes' the recipes for which remain in their original form, be it sashimi trout by Luka Košir from Grič or the cult pork leg from Skaručna, the triumphant pasta with pumpkin flowers by Jure Tomič from Debeluh, or vegetable tartar steak by Bine Volčič from Monstera, Subida's noodles, or fried egg yolk with truffles by Uroš Fakuč from Dam.
We can treat ourselves to anything, but moderately
Basically, diabetics can treat themselves to the same food the healthy people eat, but only if they maintain a healthy lifestyle, and in moderation – which, after all, applies to everybody. "Top chefs know that we should not fear fat and proteins; carbohydrates are a bigger problem. They tend to accumulate in our bodies while we are sitting on a couch, and cause illnesses," one of the leading Slovenian nutritionists Andreja Širca Čampa explained.
