Seasonality is a guiding principle in how she cooks and how she sets the table. Food stylist Pilar Ruiz de Temiño founded creative culinary studio Pilsplace, encouraged by friends who wanted more people to gather around her long, convivial suppers. Now settled in her elegant Enge apartment in Zurich with her family, she brings a touch of Spanish informality and liveliness to the city. We talk about setting the perfect table, from seating to the small gestures that make a big impact.
By Kaira van Wijk
Growing up in the baroque town of Zaragoza, in an old building with soaring ceilings and in a family of architects, she was hosting from an early age. She laughs: ‘I’m the oldest of five. When my parents would leave, I’d instruct my younger siblings to help orchestrate a beautiful menu and a table, and we’d surprise them when they came home. My parents are very much into design and art, and it was really appreciated.’ Clearly, hosting is in her blood.
Inviting us into her apartment, she is chatty, generous with ideas, and buzzing with energy from the get-go. She loves a touch of colour, like the pale-yellow blouse paired with a knitted, pine-green vest she’s wearing today, and the bright mimosa in her living space. While her little one rests, she pours me a drink, entirely at ease.
She is still slowly shaping her interior, but her eyes light up when she talks about a custom cabinet currently being made by a Swiss artisan to house her tableware collection. ‘I have so many,’ she says. ‘I collect them everywhere – i.e. on travels to Oaxaca, where we learned to make clay bowls with craft makers, and at auctions.’ Favorite labels include La Cartuja de Sevilla, Casa Maricruz, Molecot Porcelain and Ginori 1735. Gesturing towards the window, she adds: ‘The one thing you can never go without when decorating a new place is textiles. Soft linen curtains, a big rug where everyone can sit for an apéro and a generous cheese board. The rest of the interior will come together over time.’ From there, we dive into her best table-setting tips.
Fail-safe rule for stress-free hosting…
‘I really dislike stress, so preparation is everything. I make sure most things are ready well in advance and focus on large, generous dishes that can sit at the centre of the table and be shared, buffet style. I also always make sure the ending of the evening is taken care of. There’s something extra ready: a bit of chocolate, another bottle already chilled, maybe a simple game. That’s what sobremesa is all about; the Spanish tradition of lingering at the table long after the meal is finished. Plates are cleared, dessert has passed. Sometimes we play cards, I always have a deck ready. Sometimes we just talk with jazz in the background. People need to feel like they’re at home.’
A tablescape at home works when…
‘When it comes to setting the table, I always think about a centrepiece of food on the table next the the big dishes. Stacked tomatoes, apricots in summer, maybe with a flower placed in between so it feels playful but not heavy. Bread is another favourite. It’s nice and stable, generous, and always works. You can stack it, slice it, play with shapes, fold napkins around it. I have beautiful linen tablecloths from favorites like Kulu Club, Zara Home or Ciola Monogram and napkins - always ironed - at home, embroidered with our initials and names.’
Unconventional hosting tip…
‘Give leftovers away. It’s resourceful and fun. Nothing should end up in the bin. At a Thanksgiving dinner at Villa Nomad, a creative agency here in Zurich, we used kilos and kilos of pumpkins. It looked abundant and celebratory, but we left little notes inviting guests to take one home. I do the same with tomatoes or other seasonal produce. If there is too much, guests leave with a bag. Whatever remains becomes soup or sauce.’
I like to source my ingredients from…
‘I shop in a mix of places. The supermarket for basics, but for anything seasonal I much prefer the local farmers’ market. I go there for seasonal vegetables. I also love foraging, particularly for mushrooms. Just make sure you check what you pick. Mushrooms are something I cook with constantly, sometimes as a main, sometimes as a side. I roast different types in the oven with lentils, parsley, lemon, olive oil and almonds, or use them in pasta, like pappardelle with miso.’
A Spanish food tradition I’ll never let go of is…
‘The aperitivo, especially on weekends. That ritual of starting at my bar trolley with something salty like gilda (a hearty, briny bite made of a pickled guindilla pepper, a salt-cured anchovy, and a green olive, skewered on a toothpick) and a drink, and somehow it turns into lunch in the same place… and then sobremesa happens almost by accident.’
How I approach table seating for my guests is…
‘In Spain there’s an old expression, “sit a la vasca,” which means men on one side and women on the other. It always makes me laugh. I prefer mixing everyone, and I’ll often even split up couples. That way conversations flow, people meet in new ways, and the table feels more playful and alive.’
One indulgence I won’t let go of, even since becoming a mom…
‘Breakfast. Fifteen minutes just to myself, and I like to mix it up. Something warm and comforting in winter, something fresh like pan (bread) with grated tomato and a dash of really good olive oil, or avocado, in summer.’
