Chef David Marteau: 'It's time to say goodbye to hotpot restaurants'

A chef in kitchens around the world for the last 25 year, the now Shanghai-based executive chef David Marteau has served the likes of Diego Maradona, Arnold Schwarzzenegger, Yao Ming, Liu Xiang and the daughter of Deng Xiaoping when they swung through town.

Taking some time out of the kitchen at Parkyard Hotel Shanghai, Marteau is releasing his own cookbook, “Creative Cooking for the Global Kitchen," sharing his favorite recipes inspired by his last half-decade of China and cooking excusions around the world.

He talks here about what inspires him in the kitchen, Shanghai dining trends and how he sees his cooking impacting the local scene. 

Marteau tries to re-introduce Shanghai cooks to their inner chefs.

CNNGo: What inspired you to write this book?

David Marteau: It all started with the way my grandmother cooked for me. She was a great influence on me, always cooking from scratch with fresh ingredients. This is how I became passionate about food.

Now that I am further down the road in my career, I believe that I owed it to her to do a cookbook that will inspire people to really cook.

CNNGo: What -- other than good food -- would you like people to take away from this?

David Marteau: First and foremost, I would love to see people in Shanghai getting back into the kitchen.

Our lives, especially in Shanghai, can sometimes be very hectic and I want to bring people back to being passionate about food and cooking for themselves again. It’s in us to be creative and have fun in the kitchen.

I created some unusual recipes to make people think about being creative, to help them rediscover the lost feelings of going back to the market, looking at all the beautiful fresh ingredients and based on what they see, spontaneously create a menu.

CNNGo: How has working in Shanghai for the last few years influenced the recipes in this book?

It’s time to say good-bye to Shanghai hotpot restaurants. Even though I like hotpot --  my wife is from Chengdu -- there are too many of them leading to cutthroat competition, not good food. — David Marteau, Shanghai chef

David Marteau: To be able to cook in China is a great adventure.

Some of the recipes in the book came with the experience I gained while working here.

The "black chicken with red dates," as well as the "duck tongues" are two recipes that were inspired directly by my time in Shanghai.

CNNGo: What is one trend you like in the Shanghai dining scene?

David Marteau: I like that I’m seeing more simple and fresh food. 

From there a particular trend that I like is the way that many restaurant are going onto the healthy side: I’m seeing smaller portions, more vegetables and less oil. 

CNNGo: What is one Shanghai dining trend you would rather go away?

David Marteau: It’s time to say good-bye to Shanghai hotpot restaurants. Even though I like hotpot --  my wife is from Chengdu -- there are too many of them leading to cutthroat competition, not good food.

Plus, from what I heard about the chemicals they put in the stock, I don’t want to eat hotpot anymore. It's sad, but true. I encourage people to try a homemade hotpot if they eat it.

David Marteau (Twitter: davidmarteau) shares a Shanghai kitchen friendly recipe, "Red Wine Poached Pear with Sichuan Pepper Chocolate Mousse."

Click "NEXT" to see how to whip it up in your kitchen (no oven required).