Following the launch of Nestlé Professional’s Female Chef of the Year competition — the only annual contest between female chefs in the Middle East — HME.com spoke to two female chefs working in Dubai about their views on culinary competitions, favourite flavours and being a woman in the predominantly male world of professional cheffing.
FACT FILE
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Name: Pamela Gould
Currently working as: Chef de cuisine at Barasti Bar, Le Méridien Mina Seyahi, Dubai
Trained at: Aylesbury College, England
First mentor: Anton Elderman (The Savoy, England)
Favourite food: Something fishy!
What made you decide to become a professional chef?
When I was growing up, I had two choices: I could be a nurse or be a chef. My mom and my aunt are nurses, but my mom also loves to cook; she cooked all the time when I was young and I was there helping her in the kitchen.
I liked cooking; when my mom was at work, I’d start meals before she came home. My mom is from Jamaica and my dad is from West Indies, so she cooked all the traditional food.
Are there any female chefs that inspired you?
No, not really; I’m afraid it was only male chefs that really inspired me. When I was training, there weren’t that many strong female chefs around. In my first job I worked under Chef McKellar from Scotland, who always came up with little phrases, such as ‘waste not, want not’. I still use it in the kitchen today — we try to save money and use what we have, especially now with the financial crisis.
I also worked for Anton Elderman, the head chef at the Savoy. That was my second job out of college and The Savoy was a big eye opener. The kitchen was massive, it was broken down into ten different sections so you really learn your art.
But the person the person who really inspired me is my mom. Seeing her cooking for the family even though she had a job in the day time, the way she balanced it all — that really inspired me.
Is it difficult to be a female chef in this male-dominated field?
I think it depends on you. When I first started, there weren’t many female chefs, but nowadays you can see more coming out. You just have to adapt to the environment, adapt to the male counterparts that you work with and you have to be as strong as they are — maybe even stronger.
If you act like a ‘woman’, then you’d get treated like a woman, but if you act like a woman with a little bit of oomph and guts, then they’d treat you like a chef.
I think in any industry that you work in, male or female, you need to show that you can give 110% and that you can do the job better than the rest to earn respect.
What qualities does a chef need to be successful?
You have to be motivated, creative and dedicated. There are long hours, you’re serving a lot of people and there’s a lot of pressure. You can’t please 100% of your guests, but you try to please as many as possible and you need to be very passionate. Sometimes there’s tension in the kitchen and there’s a lot of shouting, so you’ve got to have passion!
What is the main trend you’re seeing in F&B at the moment?
Now that it’s summer, people want light food. Quite a lot of people like Asian food — that’s a big trend here. It can be light, it can be heavy, it can be spicy or not; it’s very versatile.
What do you love about your job?
I like coming into work because everyday is going to be a different day. You still have the same menu but you come in, you do specials, everyday is varied.
Is there anything you dislike about being a chef?
Not being able to travel as much — and the paperwork. When you get to the position of chef de cuisine you have to spend more time looking in. You’ve got to do the paperwork and the menus, you’ve got to plan, plan, plan and also monitor your staff. I like to be in the kitchen — I cannot sit at the computer for a long time and I don’t enjoy paperwork.
How do you balance your work and social life?
My philosophy is ‘work hard, play hard’. Generally I work till quite late then I go out afterwards, to meet friends and to unwind. As I get older, I seem to get more energy! But I do work hard to maintain the balance.
What’s your favourite dish on the Barasti menu?
It’s really simple, but I did a twist on the burger which is quite popular here. It’s like a traditional burger but with a Jamaican twist — jerk spice, edam cheese, mango, palm hearts, cucumber, mustard dressing. It’s quite refreshing, and you really get the Jamaican flavours.
But there are many so it’s hard to choose just one favourite.
Have you ever served a celebrity?
When I was working in different restaurants in London, you would get loads of different celebrities dinning, which gave us all a buzz in the kitchen.
Once Naomi Campbell came for dinner — I was quite impressed because I like Naomi Campbell; I like what she stands for, being the first black supermodel and all the time she gives to raising money for charity.
And then there was Princess Haya — she liked one of my dishes and she used to come for that specific vegetarian dish.
What is the next country you would like to work in?
America, Australia, or maybe an Asian country like Singapore or China.
What is your favourite ingredient to cook with?
I like fish because I think you can do so much with it. And I like to eat it as well, so I think that’s why.
What philosophy do you live by?
I always say ‘practice what you preach’. If you expect the chefs that you work with to learn what you want them to do, then you should practice what you preach. Don’t expect them to follow standards if you don’t follow standards at all times.
And it’s also important to learn to listen and how to adapt to your staff. If you always shout and never listen, it doesn’t benefit you or the chefs. The chefs will lose their inspiration and concentration, so you need to learn how to listen, how to be patient and how to deal with each situation differently and properly.
What advice would you offer participants in Nestlé Professional’s 2009 Female Chef of the Year competition?
Have fun and be creative. Think about your flavours, make sure that they do work together and also think about the presentation. It doesn’t need to be out of this world — it needs to be simple but eye-catching and tasty.
FACT FILE
Name: Ines Lobo
Currently working as: Chef at Latifa School for Girls, Dubai
First job: The Taj Beach Resort and Spa in India
First mentor: Prem Kumar (The Culinary Institute of America)
Favourite food: Vegetarian cuisine
What inspired you to become a chef?
I wanted to do medicine but then I didn’t qualify. Then one of my friends actually went into catering so I thought I’d give it a try — and that’s how I became a chef!
I never had any inclination to be a chef. Back when I was growing up we never knew what it meant to be a chef and it wasn’t a popular choice for women to be chefs, especially in my family who are all engineers and doctors.
It took my father a few years to understand what it really meant to be a chef and how prestigious it could be. Before that he wouldn’t tell anyone I was a chef!
Where did you start your career?
I worked with all the major hotels in India, doing about a four or five-year stint at all of them. Nad al Sheba Country Club in Dubai was the last place I worked at before coming to Latifa School for Girls; I was there for 11 years.
Why did you originally come to Dubai?
My ex-boss at Nad al Sheba Country Club was my first boss in India. He came out to Dubai and the first year he came here he asked me to come over and I didn’t eve consider it — besides working as a chef I had my own private business as well, so I was making a lot of money in India. But he kept on hassling me so eventually I agreed to come over.
Who inspires you?
My first head chef, Prem Kumar, who passed away recently. He was the head instructor at The Culinary Institute of America and he was actually the first Asian chef to be there. He was my inspiration and my mentor. He thought me everything I know, from cutting an onion to being a chef — he’s the one who taught me to be good at what I do.
The first thing he said to me was ‘I’ll give you a long rope; either climb the rope or hang yourself with it ‘.Back then I was the only girl on the team.
What was the biggest challenge, being the only woman?
You know how men are, in India especially back then — you couldn’t do anything right! But you just have to know how to deal with them, that’s what you had to learn from day one. And remember that whatever they can do, you can do it ten times better. I’ve always believed that — men do it because it’s their job, but for women it’s passion; it comes from inside, it comes naturally.
What is your favourite dish to eat?
I am very fussy about eating, very fussy. I will not eat at a buffet, I don’t enjoy buffets. I like to eat at a table, I like to be served. I don’t like chicken and I don’t eat beef anymore; I am more into vegetarian dishes.
I like Chinese food and I like Indian food, anything with an Asian influence really.
What is your opinion regarding the status of female chefs around the world?
They’ve always been around, but they never had recognition — no one ever noticed them.
Now, you hear more about the. There is a lot of hype in the media creating awareness about female chefs and that’s good.
What is the most important trait for a chef to have?
Patience; being a good cook has nothing to do with a specific ingredient, it is patience. You can see this because today cooking trends are going back to slow cooking, because it’s much more delicious.
What advice would you offer participants in Nestlé Professional’s 2009 Female Chef of the Year competition?
Don’t think as a woman, think as a chef. You are not a female chef, you are a chef. Gender does not matter at all, just be focused. The lifespan in the industry for female chefs is generally short, so make the most of the time you have now while you’re still in the early stages of your career.
The inaugural Female Chef of the Year competition will be held at ICCA Satwa Dubai on August 4, 2009.
If you would like more information on taking part in this event, please send an email expressing your interest to zain.sidhu@ae.nestle.com, including your name, job title and restaurant.
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