Volodymyr Stukotin started cooking professionally at 17 in a Donetsk hotel and switched to raw food three years ago. As raw chef at Premier Palace Hotel in Kyiv, he spreads the raw food philosophy.
You are what you eat, as the well-known axiom goes. Eating fresh food made from high-quality products with proper techniques is a valuable contribution to a healthy life. But you can do even more for your wellness.
Today, dishes made with love and knowledge are in fashion in our restaurants. That is why I spread the philosophy of raw food, with its ancient roots and modern interpretation. I am Volodymyr Stukotin, a raw chef. I wouldn't say I'm unique, but I'm still a rare specimen!
I am deeply thankful to my parents, who gave me the freedom to choose, and day by day I grow more confident that I made the right choice. My mother cooked well. I can hardly recall any of the dishes she made, but I can still feel the intimate atmosphere of her kitchen.
I used to sit by the oven and absorb the aromas, tastes and sounds around me. I first tried cooking as a curious seven-year-old. My borsch was red as fire and hot as fire, and I had to wash down every spoonful with water: a real fire-borsch!
I am deeply thankful to my teachers. Older chefs believed in me, and I hope they have no regrets. I was only 17 when I started working as a cook at one of the hotels in Donetsk. I had graduated from food processing college and realized I knew nothing.
Every single day I discovered a wonderful and dangerous world of products, kitchen gadgets, cuisines and rules of serving. I also listened to my inner emotions and tried to put my very best into each dish. I trained my memory, body and soul so that my food would bring people both physical and mental satisfaction.
I am deeply thankful to the time I live in. I can study and try thousands of cultures and national cuisines and pick my favorite. Over the past three years, I have changed my life.
Still a curious boy, I dove deeper into food processes than they might require. I read, watched and listened to many doctors, cooks and philosophers, took part in discussions and meet-ups, and concluded that raw food is the most beneficial. That's an unusual statement for a cook to make, isn't it?
I eat fruit and vegetables, drink juices and pure water, enjoy life's simple pleasures and feel like the happiest man in the world. In these three years of raw living, I have created many dishes that keep the original taste, nutrition and aroma of every product I put into them. I see it as the voice of Mother Nature speaking to my guests through my food.
So I am deeply thankful to all the guests who come to Premier Palace and choose to eat raw cuisine. I truly believe I am making their lives better and healthier.
