Chef Chadi has partnered with Coca-Cola to develop six traditional Arabic recipes, which will be available on bottles during Ramadan.
Television chef Chadi Zeitouni tells Caterer Middle East about his experiences while cooking for celeb chef Emeril Lagasse and US President Barack Obama.
What is the secret to having a successful career in television?
A sense of humour and giving people the right recipe in a funny and simple way always works. When you look at the camera, you know that millions of people are looking at you and you have to convince them to follow your method. They should feel like you are with them in the kitchen.
What is your advice for aspiring TV chefs?
Be simple and be yourself; don’t be an actor. Give the audience all the secrets that you have and if you don’t have any secrets, you should travel and discover new things because there is always something new being discovered.
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What is the best thing about working on TV?
Being loved by people is the best reward. When you pass them on the street and they say you are a great chef, it’s the best feeling.
Tell us about your partnership with Coca-Cola?
Finding a recipe on a Coca-Cola bottle is something new, it’s never been done before. The question we asked is: how do you create happiness during Ramadan? The answer is, through food. The recipes we have are from the Arabic kitchen and we have chosen the most important dish from six countries.
What does Ramadan mean for you?
In Ramadan, the most important thing is how family and friends sit together at the same time and share the same food. You don’t only find Arabic dishes during Ramadan; you can find Indian, you can find Chinese, a dish from everywhere.
What is your favourite ingredient to work with?
I love to work with, and use, ingredients I find everywhere in the world. But I insist on working with these ingredients in a fun and healthy way because I think that any ingredient is like a person — if you work well with it, you will be its friend. It’s important to know how to cook the ingredients in the best way.
You have cooked for a few celebrities as well. Which experience stands out?
My idol — because I’ve been watching him for sometime — is Emeril Lagasse. I love Emeril and his style. I was in Louisiana to meet him and I was lucky to cook with him. And I was in the White House in September 2012. I cooked for President Obama and the First Lady and it was a very good experience. But I enjoy cooking for everybody equally.
How was it cooking for the president?
It was very beautiful to be in the White House and to experience that, to see how the people live, to see the history of the house and to meet the chefs working there. But cooking for them was not something different, because for me cooking is fun. I can cook for you like I would cook for any president in the world.
What’s the best advice that you’ve been given?
I wouldn’t call it advice but I’ve learned this from experience — you are what you eat. You can tell what a person is like based on what they eat and their method of cooking.
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