What can you tell us about your career journey so far?
I successfully completed a food preparation course at City and Guilds of London Institute, as well as a practical assignment and final examination conducted by the Swiss Lanka Hotel School, Colombo. After 10 years in the field, I joined Hilton in Kuwait as a demi chef de partie, which is where I am today.
How has your professional experience helped shape you into the chef you are today?
Experience counts for a great deal in our profession. I have made it a point to regularly participate in competitions. I won a bronze award for vegetable carving at Hotel Asia 2016 and at the FHA Culinaire challenge in Singapore, a gold award at the 2018 Hotel Asia international culinary challenge, as well as numerous awards at HORECA Kuwait.
What are you cooking today?
I am preparing a zesty slow-cooked lamb shoulder with mashed potatoes. The recipe contains Nestlé® Nescafé coffee, Nestlé vegetable seasoning powder and Nestlé coconut milk. It’s packed with flavor.
What are the main ingredients and products you are using these days?
I’m using spices and plenty of fresh herbs to uplift dishes.
What important food trends have you noticed lately?
These days, there’s an emphasis on Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, South American and Asian cooking. People are looking for variety, and these cuisines boast plenty of it. I expect to see a surge in demand for Korean and Thai barbecues, which provide some exciting fusion-flash to standard barbecues.
What advice would you give suppliers and foodservice professionals who are looking to offer their best to the market and meet demand?
My advice to suppliers is to provide top-quality ingredients at the best prices. We need to offer our clients premium dishes each and every time, so suppliers have a great deal of responsibility to make this possible for us.
RECIPE: LAMB RACK ROAST
Ingredients for one portion
- 200g lamb rack French cut
- 40g crushed dry peas
- 2g Nestlé seasoning powder
Pumpkin roll
- 20g pumpkin slices (7×7 cm)
- 40g Maggi mashed potato
- 10ml milk
- 1g Nestlé coffee
Seasonal vegetables
- 40g carrots (boiled)
- 1 asparagus head (boiled)
- 5g shimeji mushrooms (boiled)
- 5g green zucchini slices (grilled)
- 3 edamame beans (steamed)
- 5g shallots (half-roasted)
Sauce
- 30g Maggi barbecue sauce
Preparation
Poach the sliced pumpkin. Let it cool and set it aside.
Add 10 grams of mashed potato mix to the milk and put over a medium sit. Season with salt and add the Nescafé coffee.
Season the lamb rack with Maggi seasoning, sear and slow roast it in the oven at 150 degrees for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside for 6 minutes. Coat with dry green peas.
Plating
Arrange the vegetables and pumpkin roll on the plate, add the BBQ sauce, slice the rack of lamb into two pieces, arrange on the plate and serve.
About author
Rita Ghantous
Rita Ghantous is a hospitality aficionado and a passionate writer with over 9 years’ experience in journalism and 5 years experience in the hospitality sector. Her passion for the performance arts and writing, started early. At 10 years old she was praised for her solo performance of the Beatles song “All My Love” accompanied by a guitarist, and was approached by a French talent scout during her school play. However, her love for writing was stronger. Fresh out of school, she became a freelance journalist for Noun Magazine and was awarded the Silver Award Cup for Outstanding Poetry, by The International Library of Poetry (Washington DC). She studied Business Management and earned a Masters degree from Saint Joseph University (USJ), her thesis was published in the Proche-Orient, Études en Management book. She then pursued a career in the hospitality industry but didn’t give up writing, that is why she launched the Four Points by Sheraton Le Verdun Newsletter. Her love for the industry and journalism led her to Hospitality Services - the organizers of the HORECA trade show in Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Jordan, as well as Salon Du Chocolat, Beirut Cooking Festival, Whisky Live and other regional shows. She is currently the Publications Executive of Hospitality News Middle East, Taste & Flavors and Lebanon Traveler. It is with ultimate devotion for her magazines that she demonstrates her hospitality savoir-faire.
