Not many would know that there are women Michelin star chefs heading important kitchens globally. Some of them travelled to India and told SHAlINI SAKSENA how it is a hard job to be recognised in a man’s word
The world dominated by men chefs may just be over. With the rise in the number of women Michelin star chefs globally, chefs like Gordan Ramsay, Thomas Keller and Heston Blumenthal may soon find themselves looking up. Achieving a Michelin star status is the ultimate achievement for any chef. In the last decade, more and more women are emerging at the forefront of fine dining. You have Michelin star chefs from the UK, the US, Germany, France and even Slovenia.
These women have not only proved that they can be good chefs but that they are good chefs and can run a kitchen as efficiently as their male-counterparts. But to be at the top of their profession means that they have had to work that much harder to show that they are just as good.
“I would not say it was very difficult nor has it been easy. I would say that this profession is tough for both men and women. One has to give it 100 per cent. One has to be on one’s toes all the time. I have a son, a family and we all get together and do what I love — cook. In any profession one has to work hard to reach the top. One supposes for women, because we have husbands, children and a home to look after, work sometimes takes a back seat unlike for men who can give it their full attention. But then there are women like us who despite having families have pursued our passion and reached the top. What matters is how dedicated one is towards one’s job and that is true in any field,” lisa Allen, the executive chef of the Michelin starred Northcote Manor in the UK, says.
Ana Ros from Slovenia, another Michelin chef, tells you that women chefs have to fight to be better and prove themselves. It is a male dominated society and one has to work hard to stand out and be recognised. But the world is changing rapidly. There are many important kitchens in the world that are headed by women,” Ros says.
The 41-year-old is the co-owner of Hisa Franko restaurant and a member of Jeunes restaurants d’Europe. The 34-year-old lisa, on the other hand, was recognised at the Restaurant Chef of the Year by the Craft Guild Chefs in 2011. One her first visit to India, as part of an initiative by Creative Services Support Group (CSSG) — 40 Girls to 40 Chefs — lisa and eight other celebrity chefs travelled to India recently to provide career opportunities to underprivileged young women in the food industry.
Speaking about the initiative, Anand Kapoor, president CSSG, said that there are very few opportunities for the underprivileged women in India. “We want to create awareness that women too can be role models. For this, we have brought these chefs. The charity dinner in Mumbai and Delhi was to raise funds to tackle the imbalance of opportunities for women,” he adds.
For these chefs, cooking in India has been an experience that they are not likely to forget. “The culture, the people — everything here is so different. There is a lot to take in. Unfortunately, we have not had the time, to step out of the kitchen and really explore. But in Delhi, we had the opportunity to see the city and we tried out some of the traditional street food. It was very different, but good. The amalgamation of spices that are used in cooking here is very fascinating,” lisa says she ended up serving European dishes with a dash of Indian spices.
She finds the produce and spices in India different. “One has to know how to use them in our style of cooking. Back home, we are used to the frozen Indian curry. Here the way the spices are used and dishes cooked is amazing,”lisa says, adding that it is necessary to constantly change.
“People want a change fast. We if don’t keep up with the change, we will be left behind. We need to evolve as far as our cooking is concerned, know what is trending and happening in the rest of the world and take a leaf out if it and offer it to the customers,” lisa says.
The important thing for her is the presentation of the cooking. You first eat with your eyes. The second are the flavours. One can say strawberries, cream and mint chocolate is a great combination, but one has to first try it to arrive at that conclusion. Also, the combination of the presentation and flavour should be such that it shows your passion and gives you a trademark — that if it has a certain flavour and presentation then the dish is by a particular chef. That is the most important thing — to be recognised by your food,” lisa asserts.