She continued: “As chefs, we try to showcase our skills, not only to our guests, but also to ourselves. And it’s nice, but, sometimes – let it go. It’s all in the food. Enjoy one good tomato, or open a can of something good. This changed my perspective. I am not so old; I’m 33, and at this age, you want to create, build your brand, and build something for the future.
“But, when I saw the uncle, talking to us so happily, slicing up the bottarga (salted or dried fish roe) from a can, I thought, ‘Why do we complicate our lives? Why don’t we just enjoy what we do?’ We don’t always need to complicate things. We are cooks and we want to create something special for our guests, yes, but sometimes, people just want to relax. They don’t want to read menus and say, ‘What’s that?’”
Another life-changing meal was at the famous steak restaurant Casa Julian in Tolosa, near San Sebastian, Tamara said. “When you arrive, the beef is hanging from the ceiling, all around you. And there’s this guy, he’s so old, and he has a small charcoal oven. And then they serve you the beef, with the yellow fat – oh! When I saw it, I was like, ‘Goodbye, all my dieting efforts in the past year!’”