Juan Antonio Pellicer

Another week, another interview in our section we grow with... Juan Antonio Pellicer, A special teacher, who puts passion into every dish, every class and which bears his flag Murcia.

Today we share with him conversation, flavors, spices, dishes, memories and much more ...

Why teacher?

I was official Murciano Health System and 28 years left to me by a high school teacher opositar specialty cuisine. He combined the work in the inspection of Insalud, and teaching cooking classes at the Centers for Women in the evenings since 1990 and the University of Murcia in the Department of Nutrition and Food Science.

Professor of kitchen is a dream come true.

How did your career with the kitchen?

Since childhood I liked cooking and reading cookbooks, after I visited to see the difference kitchens to cook at home and cook in professional plan, but it all started as a hobby, studying cooking in Santa Pola and Alicante Capital.

The hospitality is very self-sacrificing and if not by vocation, it is very difficult to endure many hours of work. You can have days 18 and 20 hours, but if you like, that time passes quickly and is very rewarding.

The perfect catering ...

My specialty is catering. I do it to my friends although it is true that I have done catering to thousands of kilometers from home, always bearing my region flag and accompanied by students from hotel schools in Murcia.

I could prepare paparajotes, rice and vegetables, meat pies, murcianas dumplings, zarangollo, gypsy pot, kettle, etc., in different countries and in Shanghai with the Kings of Spain when they were princes, Beijing, Beverly Hills, Napa Valley (California ), Mexico, Panama, Brazil, Moscow, Warsaw, London, Paris ... And some of them for more than 600 people.

A dish for lunch today ...

Undoubtedly, the gypsy pot. Does not fail, despite the high temperatures of these days. It is a source of vitamins thanks to the large amount of vegetables it carries. Always I recommend it. We can not lose the spoon dishes of our region.

A treat for the palate?

Artichoke. It can be used in many dishes and have always present. I try to work with nutritious products, with high doses of vitamins and artichoke certainly have them.

Melon reminds you of ...

My childhood, my grandfather, Torre Pacheco, the Campo de Cartagena. 4 years remember what else was planting cotton, peppers and melons. A long time that the taste of melon before, melon lost my grandfather. Thanks to "El Abuelo" I could remember good times around the table with the intense flavor of melon before.

I want to thank many Murcian companies such as Melones El Abuelo that provide us with raw materials for the School of Hospitality. In order for our students, future cooks of our Region, to know the products that are grown in our land and to prepare dishes with the best material from these companies. Since we are lucky to be living in the Huerta de Europa and we have to help spread the consumption of fruit and vegetables through gastronomy.

This is Juan Antonio Pellicer, a humble man, who has two passions, cooking and "his Murcia."