Asked to nominate singular ingredients, culinary wizards Craig Thornton, Magnus Nilsson and Yotam Ottolenghi said they look forward to playing around in their kitchens with South American Surinam cherries, barley, and lemon geranium water, respectively. Thornton was recently the subject of a major profile in The New Yorker that cited his underground supper club, Wolvesmouth, as the hardest reservation to come by in L.A. Israeli-born, London-based restaurateur and cookbook sensation Yotam Ottolenghi has been at the center of the British food scene since opening his eponymous eatery in 2002. Swedish sensation Magnus Nilsson meanwhile rules the roost at Fäviken Magasinet, a rustic critics’ favorite situated on 24,000 acres of remote farmland in Järpen, 750 kilometers north of Stockholm. Here the gastro pioneers expand on their select future palate-pleasers. 

Craig Thornton: I’m always most excited about the new vegetables and fruits at the farms or farmers markets. Lately, I've been excited about Surinam cherries.

Yotam Ottolenghi: I am excited about the finds and rediscoveries I made on my recent journey around the Med: lemon geranium water and various types of flaked chilies such as urfa and aleppo. The geranium blossom is so fresh and wonderfully scented that I can see using it in many desserts and cakes but also in vegetable salads and white meat marinades. The chilies are smoky and mysterious and open up a whole range of options in both slow-cooked stews and freshly grilled vegetables and salsas.

Magnus Nilsson: Barley! We are going to brew our own beer!