His love for cooking, his sympathy and his dedication in each of the programs he presents make him one of the most beloved chefs on television. Enrique Sanchez dares with everything. He is in charge of three different formats, Cometelo, La Bascula and Cocina con Clan. Off camera, he continues with energy to research recipes, help those who need it and pass on his knowledge to anyone who asks for it.
-He’s finally enjoying a well-deserved break on television…
-Yes, until September I won’t return with the three programs. But even if I take a break from TV, I don’t take a break from cooking. I live by and for the kitchen. On vacation cooks are still cooks. I always go with a pen and a notebook and write down the ideas that come to mind when inspiration strikes. I see dishes and write down what comes to mind to give them my touch or to copy them, because there are dishes that cannot be changed, such as a good roteno starter.
-Next month he returns with his three programs, how do you manage to have time and give everything in each one of them
-I am lucky to do what I like, so I always find room for everything. I would even love to have more time to spend in the kitchen. I also love trying things, rescuing recipes from old books. I spend a lot of time researching. When I find out that some lady makes a recipe that I want to learn, I don’t stop until I find her and she tells me her secrets. My wife says that I am El Colombo of the kitchen.
-Of the three programs that Cometelo presents, it was the first, I will have a special affection for it…
-It’s my place, my space. The show’s script is my recipe. There is no one to tell me what to say. I start cooking and I tell what I do and what comes to mind. There are times when my mother tells me “but boy, how did you say such a thing
” and I tell her “mom, it has come out alone, what am I going to do to it”. Since they gave me the opportunity to do this program it has become my home, I don’t think I’m talking to a camera, I think I’m talking to friends.
-In La Bascula he has a very different role, presenter, with an audience on set…
-In La Bascula I feel super comfortable. Having an audience and dealing with people is very gratifying. Also, although the program does not It is broadcast live, we record it as if it were, and that is a challenge that I love. On the other hand, I think it is very important to deal with an issue like obesity. And it is a joy to see how the protagonists of the format, with whom I live, improve with the passage of time thanks to the advice and work of the program’s experts.
-But I’m sure where he’s better protected is in Cocina con Clan…
-That’s right. Suddenly some little kids appear in the kitchen who teach me something very nice in each program: That cooking is spontaneity, it’s surprise, it’s discovering… It’s wonderful to start peeling an avocado and the little ones are left with their mouths open and say “oooh, you’re like the incredible hulk”. In addition, this program has caught me in a very special stage of my life, I have two children who are more or less the same age as the Clan cooks and it reminds me a lot of when I’m at home cooking with them.
-As if having three television programs were not enough, you have more projects related to cooking…
-As I always say, I am in love with cooking and I am not capable of saying no to anything. Many times they call me to attend gastronomic events, to give courses and first I say no. But they offer me to adapt to my schedule, I think about everything I’m going to learn and in the end I end up going everywhere. –
-What is the most important thing when preparing a dish
-Without a doubt, the taste. It is a word that includes many things: A correct cooking method, adequate ingredients… As Celia Cruz used to say, you have to add “a flavor to life”. A precious word. The ingredient that cannot be missing in my kitchen is salt. Olive oil is basic but bland food is horrible.
-Speaking of foods with flavor, what dish do you recommend to Andalusians for this hot month
-Andalucia is the land that best enjoys cold cuisine. In August you cannot miss cold soups such as gazpacho, ajoblanco, roteno starter or salmorejo. Also ideal are some dressed potatoes, roasted pepper salad, salpicon, Russian salad… But come on, I love all this not only for summer, they are perfect dishes for any time of the year.
