Nadine Mustafa The holiday season is the best time to get together with family and friends, participate in seasonal activities and over-indulge all the mouthwatering food that we get to eat only at this time of year. It could also get hectic to prepare and plan for a feast. Luckily, culinary chef Ghada Nawara walked us through the secrets to her brand and food preparations and shared with us her favorite recipe for the season.
Take us through your journey. When did you decide to do cooking professionally?
I was passionate about food and the art of cooking since I was young. My family was always impressed with my skills and creativity when it comes to food. After my boys hit an older age, they continued their university abroad ,and so I had time on my hands to cook on a narrow scale for family and friends. Feedback and word of mouth played their role and I eventually took the official step towards creating a small business. I created for myself a social media presence, and one thing led to another, and TV started to call for on-air cooking.
You’ve studied your way through this industry. How was your experience?
I wanted to learn more than just the practical part of cooking, so I decided to travel and enroll in a prestigious program. Now, I’m a proud recipient of two certificates from École Ritz Escoffier as well as Le Cordon Bleu. I had great mentors there who offered me substantial knowledge that enabled me now to teach others all there is about food and everything in relation.
You cater for various events. How do you set your services apart from other caterers?
We tend to have a minimum of 10 persons to cater to and up to 250, according to various events. When I think of my brand’s establishment, I like to always be myself and not imitate others. I seek perfection in regards to the concept of the dishes, the presentation and the serving as well. I love to always be up-to-date with the market and create different fusions with ingredients or my special spices that I get from France and Beirut. I believe this is what makes us stand out – the quality and care we give.
How did you come up with ‘GEE’?
GEE is my latest creation, aside from catering. It was recently launched to include all the easily-served and delivered delicacies from sandwiches and croissants to freshly baked buns, salads and desserts. We have been working nonstop on this concept for nearly eight months after numerous tastings and some market analysis.
You present really helpful tutorials for beginners. What motivated you to make these videos?
I simply had the perfect opportunity to travel a lot and learn from the best, and I want to give some of what I acquired back to my community. To help someone know the basics of how to set a table, all about silverware and how to put together delectable simple recipes is worth a lot. However, no one will repeat the same techniques; everyone finds a way to put their own twist and create their own identity in what they present. That’s why I, along with my supportive marketing team, came up with these tutorials to assist as many as we can, especially during the times of the pandemic.
Do you have a signature dish?
I have various ones actually but our top best seller is by far the roast beef dish with prune sauce.
Who’s your favorite international chef?
Well, she’s not particularly my favorite but the closest to my heart. I admire Martha Stewart as a business woman and an entrepreneur. Her diversity in branding actually inspired me to launch my catering services and GEE, and hopefully more in the near future.
Your guilty food pleasure..
Anything sweet, especially the chocolate mud cake, and our GEE’s very own halva cream.
Any advice for amateur cooks who want to be professional?
Practice, practice, practice! It makes perfect, as they say, and happens to be more important than studying. Try to choose a food specialty and watch recipes. Keep trying to get it right in your own way and never give up.
Simple Christmas Recipe: Oven-Roasted Turkey Breast
First, it should be marinated in the following:
5o gm of butter
½ a cup of Orange juice
¼ a cup of vinegar
¼ a cup of honey
Teaspoon of garlic powder
Teaspoon of onion powder
Teaspoon of paprika
Teaspoon of cinnamon
2 lobes of clove
½ a teaspoon of ginger
1 tablespoon of ketchup
1 tablespoon of barbeque sauce
1 tablespoon of yogurt
Recipe:
In a bowl, mix all the ingredients together and marinate the turkey breast well. Roast it in a preheated oven at 200°F for 2 hours until the inner part is cooked. You can serve it with saffron rice and sprinkle some pomegranate and pear.
