Profile of a Tante Marie Graduate…

Maria Goretti is a home chef from India who absolutely loves cooking! She shares her love for cooking on her blog, in her recipe book and on her Youtube channel.

Name: Maria Goretti

Job Title: Home-Chef

Year Graduated Tante Marie: I did the Cordon Bleu Certificate course in 2011.

What have you been up to since you left Tante Marie?

I have been trying out my culinary skills on friends and family, continued blogging on mariagorettiz.blogspot.com, I have just about wrapped up a recipe book and I have just started my YouTube channel called The Maria Goretti Corner.

What got you into cooking/attend a course at Tante Marie?

I heard about it from a friend who is a Tante Marie graduate, Shazmeen Lawyer, who I met while hosting a cook-off competition for television. She did her Cordon Bleu Diploma at Tante Marie. Unfortunately I did not have quite as much much time to spare, so had to go with the 11 week course!

What is your Signature Dish?

My signature dish is an East Indian dish which I learnt from my mum. It is called “Mutton Moile.”

If you had to name 3 qualities that make a great chef, what would you choose?

Patience would be the first, along with a deep understanding of the blending of spices and simplicity in a recipe.

What is your favourite Tante Marie memory?

There are so many. I just loved our kitchens, I loved all we learnt and I remember one Chef, Tim, let us eat during cooking, so we made an eggs benedict and we all sat and ate it immediately. Oh and the wine class was a lot of fun. The wines were delicious! Graduation day day was also lovely… The last three days of cooking were super fun with chef Alex.

What have you achieved as a chef that you are most proud of?

I think food has taught me patience and humility and has taught me that if I want to be good, I have to stay a student for life.

Which is the most memorable restaurant you have eaten in and why?

I had a meal of cured meats at Pizzicheria de Miccoli in Sienna in Italy with a bottle of port. It was just the most delicious combination of meat, cheese, bread and wine.

If you could cook for one person, who would it be and why?

I think it would have to be for my grandmas, Rose-Mary and Agnes and my grand Aunt Sr. Carola. They were amazing cooks, self taught and had the finesse of a trained chef. Their puff pastry had more layers than a ballerinas skirt. They are my bench mark in terms of flavour and consistency.

Twitter: @mariagorettiz

YouTube: mariagorettiscorner

Website: Under construction