Caroline’s Favorite Chef: Yotam Ottolenghi
Michelle’s Favorite Chef: The Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten
Caroline’s Favorite Cooking show: Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives, Guy Fieri seems like such a nice guy!
Michelle’s Favorite Cooking show: Chopped
Caroline’s Favorite Cookbook: Could never pick just one. I use all of Delia Smith’s, some of Martha Stewart’s, and of course, Ottolenghi’s books. Ina Garten’s recipes always turn out excellent, so I favor some of her books, too.
Michelle’s Favorite Cookbook: Marcella Hazan, More Italian Cooking
What experience most defined your decision and desire to get into the food industry?
C: I’ve always appreciated well-prepared, tasty food and cooked with my father since I was a child. My mother and Grandmother also influenced my love and appreciation for good food. Coming from a family of Foodies must have shaped my desires.
M: No one defining moment, more of an evolution based on my love of entertaining. Cooking comes naturally, and I have evolved as an entertainer, so holding a huge festival has evolved over many years of throwing successfully larger events and festivals.
Where’s your favorite place to shop for food and ingredients in Kuwait?
C: LuLu Hypermarket off the 208 changed the game for me in Kuwait. The selection of fresh produce is fantastic! There was a time I could only shop at Sultan due to lack of choice from other grocers. Things sure have changed. I like to order my red-meats from Prime Cuts.
M: LuLu Hypermarket. It has one stop shopping with a large selection of produce, a nice organic section, fresh, local seafood, and excellent meats from the US, Australia and New Zealand.
What food most reminds you of your mother’s house, and why?
C: My mother loved to throw all kinds of veggies and herbs in a pot and make a stew or soup. I always think of her when I tuck into a good, hearty soup.
M: Polenta. Many dishes remind me of my Mother’s house and my grandmother’s, but Polenta was always my favorite dish growing up, and it is not a common dish served at restaurants, so still remains special to me.
When you want to go somewhere else to eat, where do you go and why?
C: It’s always a treat to visit cities renowned for their famous restaurants and Chefs. I see it growing here in Kuwait, and I like to try all the new concepts. The quality and efforts the current up and coming generation of Kuwaiti Chefs and Restaurateurs are striving to meet is impressive. And I’m always up for the latest and greatest juicy, delicious burger.
M: We like to eat sushi when we go out, simply because it is an art form as well as a very healthy choice for dining out. It is also difficult to make, so I cannot make it better at home. We have found there are quite a few good sushi restaurants in Kuwait.
Who in the world would you most like to cook for?
C: My Children, and there is nothing more gratifying than having them join along in cooking with me.
M: Guy Fieri. He is so enthusiastic about everything he eats, and I love the way he describes food. Hopefully he would like what I would make.
If you were to leave Kuwait and could take only one kitchen gadget with you, what would it be?
C: My Knife!
M: My Kitchenaid mixer. Maybe not the most practical, if I only had one. But my baked goods and especially my homemade pizza dough has never been better than when I use my Kitchenaid.
