Out of the home, men may be the boss in the professional
kitchen, making them some of the best chef’s in the world. By contrast, ladies,
who may traditionally head the kitchen at home, are practically a rarity in
this business. Yet, for those who have ventured into this male preserve, the
ride has been a challenging yet satisfying one.
“I love the job,” avers Pastry Chef Samantha Nunes, who has
the privilege of being the only lady chef at the Goa Marriott Resort & Spa,
Miramar. “Ninety per cent of the chefs in the world are men as most women can’t
handle the hours and pressure. But for me, being a chef is the best job. There
are a lot of challenges, but you have to be positive and learn to enjoy it.
What makes it even more worthwhile is the incredible support I receive from my
male counterparts,” says Samantha who clubs six years into her working
experience. “More women should opt to be professional chefs,” she maintains.
In the business for 35 years, Goan Speciality Chef at Alila
Diwa Spice Studio Majorda, Edia Cotta is in agreement. Her own journey has been
a cauldron of love and dedication. “I love cooking and even to date if you ask
me to cook for a thousand-strong crowd, I would gladly do so. I can handle the
pressure. Cooking is never a chore, always a pressure,” maintains this
grandmother of four, who has always received a resounding reception whenever
she toured on food festivals. “I have been to Chennai, Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai
and Mysore and wherever I went, people were very happy to see a lady chef and
were appreciative of my work,” avers this Chef who had the honour of featuring
alongside the first winner of MasterChef India, Pankaj Bhadouria, on a special
TV segment on Goan cuisine.
If the lady has an upper hand in the business, it’s perhaps
on a few ‘unobserved’ counts. “When it comes to detailing and intricate work, I
do believe women can do a better job. They have a feminine touch,” observes
Samantha, who believes that women do score better in the bakery and pastry
department. “Temperamentally also, women are more understanding and chilled out
on the job. They can lighten up the atmosphere,” she adds.
“I find that women are more hygienic and less wasteful,”
says Chef Ruta Kahate of Ruta’s World Cafe (Margao, Mapusa and Benaulim) of her
personal observations in her 20-year career that has spanned the US and India.
But she clarifies that her perspective or choice to be a chef are not clouded
by gender. “I always loved food and I have always done what I like to do with
passion. Gender has never influenced or detracted from any of my work,”
reiterates this Chef who is inspired by world cuisine.
If the Chef is a lady, rest assured you have a dish filled
with feminine love!
