Popular TV host, food blogger, and cookbook author, Maria loves food and cooking so, of course, we had to catch up with her. She is known for recipes that are easy, simple and garnished with plenty of love. Her first book From My Kitchen to Yours won an award from the Gourmand World Cookbook jury, an international organisation founded by Edouard Cointreau, which annually selects and honours the best food and wine books from around the world. Maria also competed with the best celebrity chefs from around the world in the cookbooks category for the Gourmand International Awards in 2017.
1. Tell us about the inspiration for your book From My Kitchen to Yours.
As with my blog, The Maria Goretti Corner, the inspiration for my book has been my family and friends, the food that we all love and the memories that I have. My book is a little piece of me. Writing a book is no walk in the park. It requires a lot of research, and, single-handedly, it takes a lot more time than it would if I had a team helping me out. And yes, a second book is coming soon.
2. In your book, the recipes are simple yet wholesome and homely, and you share plenty of cooking tips. Is there a reason you have kept it this way?
Yes, I like to keep my food simple yet wholesome and let the flavours be the hero. I wrote my book because I wanted to share my recipes with my readers. Hence cooking tips is a must to help them out. It gives me great joy when someone replicates my humble recipes and prepares food for their loved ones the way I do. I have an emotional connection with cooking, and I create recipes that give me joy.
3. With great food, there is always nostalgia. Which are the dishes that you remember eating during your childhood?
Most of the food that I make is the food that I grew up eating. I have a few of my mum’s dishes that I have added to my kitchen. Growing up, there was a lot of East Indian influence in my mum’s cooking along with a touch of Austrian cuisine. I remember eating my mum’s chow, vindaloo, prawn curry and orange marmalade.
In fact, the recipes my mum has handed down to me, I have kept as pure as 24 karat gold—I do not want to modify or alter them because that would mess with their taste. My mum’s recipes are my legacy and I love them just the way they are. All the recipes in my book From My Kitchen to Yours have the Goretti tag to it, and I have tried and tested each one of them.
4. Tell us what you learned at Gordon Ramsay’s institute, Tante Marie Culinary Academy in London?
Everything! From baking to cooking techniques to creating recipes, we pretty much covered it all. This gave me enough confidence not to be afraid to make mistakes in the kitchen. I do believe that any skill can be taught. However, it is the passion and love for what you are doing that infuses it with a life of its own.
5. You know your food, you are eloquent, and you are comfortable in front of the camera, with plenty of viewers calling you one of India’s best TV celebrity chefs. What do you think was your key to being a successful chef on TV?
I started my career being on television (as a VJ), so I had the experience of facing a camera. And I love cooking, so I guess blending the two together was effortless and put me in a comfortable space. This got translated on camera and was easy for the audiences to relate to.
6. Which dish have you got the most compliments for?
The yummy lasagne is finger-licking good till its last bite. Although anything you serve with love is bound to get you compliments, this lasagne is always polished off.
7. You are continually whipping up delectable dishes. With all this cooking, how do you manage to stay fit?
I eat almost everything I like, but I make it a point to run every day, which works for me. Also, I think thin. I believe it is essential to enjoy the food you eat rather than count calories. The key is self-control—you must eat everything that you like in moderation—that’s the best way to live.
8. You have been a successful VJ, and we have seen you regularly on TV and the silver screen. So, we are curious, have you always had a flair for cooking or been a foodie?
I have always been a foodie. However, cooking is a newfound love that is going to stay. The best part of being a VJ was that I travelled extensively, which allowed me to try out new cuisines all the time.
9. What are your future gastronomic plans? Many celebrities have opened restaurants and cafés. Do you see yourself headed in that direction too?
No, not at this point in time. I respect, and I am in awe of all my friends who have gone out there and opened restaurants. As I know the kind of time and energy that goes into it. Now I choose to continue fueling my passion for food, cooking and writing. But you never know what the future holds as I have always believed that the sky is the limit.
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