Star chef Tim Mälzer in the questionnaire: “My greatest talent? Talent Freedom!”

STim Mälzer began his career at the London Hotel Ritz. Today, the fifty-one-year-old is one of the best-known German chefs. Almost cathartic freaks in competition with his colleague Steffen Henssler in “Mälzer und Henssler deliver” or in “Kitchen Impossible” (both VOX) characterize his image. Mälzer’s love of uncomplicated cuisine is sometimes expressed brutally, sometimes tenderly. During the Corona crisis, he repeatedly drew attention to the difficult situation of restaurateurs; in spring he closed his Hamburg restaurant “Bullerei” for three weeks. This is where Tim Mälzer takes one of his rare lunch breaks before this interview.

What do you eat for breakfast?

I only drink a cup of coffee. Black.

Where do you buy your clothes?

I buy suits from Herr von Eden. If I want it to be more casual yet age appropriate and a bit intellectual I go to Thomas I Punkt, for my more casual hoodie look I prefer G-Star. And when I’m desperate to come across as youthful, I choose Beastin.

What is the oldest item of clothing in your closet?

A pair of sweatpants. It is dark grey, patched several times and my “guilty pleasure” in the wardrobe. I only wear them at home, I wouldn’t wear sweatpants or shorts in public. There was an exception with Kitchen Impossible, but we shot at 40 degrees. I only find these two-thirds pants even worse.

When was the last time you wrote a letter by hand?

Three weeks ago.

What book has impressed you the most in life?

“Watership Down” by Richard Adams in the original language really impressed me. I was also fascinated by Bret Easton Ellis’ American Psycho. The monotony of the words lulls you in so much that the violent excesses described hardly get through to you. You read and think five pages later: Wait, what did the character just do?

How do you find out about world events?

I use easily accessible online formats for simple information, and extensive magazine spreads for everything that goes in depth.

What’s your favorite small talk topic?

Basically everything. I’m quite good at small talk, I like a friendly atmosphere. Getting in touch with people is also part of my job as a professional host. I can move well on the surface without anyone noticing that I have no ground beneath my feet.

What was the last movie that made you cry?

I’ll put it this way: I see rising water in a relatively large number of films. Even with children’s films.

Are you superstitious?

no

What can you laugh about?

Actually about everything. Also about me. And bad humor. I find Ricky Gervais sensational, but also the operettas by Studio Braun. Humor that is weird and sometimes hurts can be an outlet.

your favorite first name?

Tim.

Do you take a lunch break?

Hardly ever. When I do get around to it, I use it to sleep.

In which country would you like to live?

I really like living in Germany. We have a good health and a very good social system, basic security, and people from weaker backgrounds are at least given the option of going their own way. We live in a relatively safe and also open country: You can say what you want – you just have to endure that the opposite opinion can also be said.

What’s never missing in your fridge?

Parmesan, bacon, butter, some veggies. Not in the fridge, but important: pasta.

Do you feel freer with or without a car?

I feel freer in the city without it, but I’m a car person. Also because for me the car is one of the few places where I can be alone.

What’s your greatest talent?

Talent Freedom! That’s why I’ve never decided on anything: I cook, I’m an employer, I’m an entertainer, I make books, I design interiors, I’ve created a kind of adventure playground for myself. Christian Rach once said about me that I taste very well in my head, i.e. I can understand and analyze taste. Most of my dishes are created in my head. So maybe my talent is being a good head taster.

What do you do when it’s unreasonable?

I speak without thinking. Unfiltered. That’s not necessarily smart, because what is said is often just a snapshot, but is quickly made into something absolute.

Which historical person would you like to meet?

Jesus.

Do you wear jewellery? And a watch?

Never a watch, but always a ring.

Do you have a favorite scent?

Allure Homme Sport by Chanel.

What was your best holiday experience?

A six-week trip to Italy with a school friend. We were 16 and were allowed to discover the world alone for the first time. We spent the first few days on the Spanish Steps in Rome, met people from all over the world, flirted, made friends, strolled through the streets at night. The cuisine, the smells, the atmosphere – it was a beautiful, wild, wonderful time!

What concert were you at last?

At a performance by Max Mutzke, with whom I am good friends.

Luckily, what are you missing?

More privacy.

what do you drink for dinner

Water or Spezi at home, wine in the restaurant. Preferably jammy, cheerful wines that also taste good without food, with a little more volume in the mouth and a little residual sweetness. Also semi-dry, I’m like an old lady.