Chef Mama’s secret: Cooking from the heart
Batoul Jarmourne
also known as Chef Mama, was born in 1947 in Asif, Morocco. A self-taught chef, she worked with Princess Lalla Amina in the late ’80s in Rabat, the youngest sister of the late King Hassan II of Morocco, and daughter of King Mohammed V of Morocco and Lalla Bahia. Chef Mama also worked with different embassies and ministers during her time in Morocco.
On the occasion of Ramadan, the Moroccan chef at Medley Restaurant in Pullman Dubai Deira City Centre Hotel, tells us about her culinary heritage:
What is your earliest memory in the kitchen?
My earliest memory is when I first starting working in a very well-known restaurant in Morocco in 1986, which all the upscale people as well as the royal family would visit often. And one day the King’s on was at the restaurant and he ordered a fish dish which I cooked myself. He liked it so much that he asked to see me in person and congratulated me for his amazing culinary experience.
What is the first dish you remember making?
When I was a kid, all I remember was watching my mother cooking. The way she would choose her vegetables and the other ingredients to be fresh, and the love she was putting in every meal. I saw myself in that and I immediately fell in love with cooking as well. When I was five years old, I took sand and tried to make bread out of it. And at the age of 8, while my parents were away, I wanted to give them a present. So I decided to cook for them. I made a fish with lemon and spices and I had it ready by the time they came back. My parents were so proud of me and they recognised my talent and my passion. From this day onwards, they pushed me towards my dream.
What is the best cooking advice you have ever received?
The best cooking advice that I continuously follow myself and I keep reminding everyone in the kitchen is “cook from your heart”. When you put love to everything you do (and that goes outside the kitchen as well), even a simple dish like bread and butter would taste thousand times better.
Therefore I cook for our guests like I cook for my husband and my kids, putting passion and love. I prepare all dishes the way I cook at home for my family.
If you could choose one dish for your last meal, what would it be?
I enjoy Moroccan lamb tanzin so much I can eat it every day. And I miss it enormously as you cannot find it here in Dubai.
When do you feel happiest?
I feel happiest when I cook and I create my homely dishes for our guests at Pullman Dubai Creek City Centre and I go outside and I see smiling faces enjoying every bite.
And when people come to me thanking me for the amazing experience they had and saying how much they loved my food. Right then is my rewarding moment that puts me on top of the world.