French style cooking and making it big in NYC
Fatima Ali talks about living her dream.
KARACHI:
After her A’ Levels, Fatima Ali landed directly into the New York-based Culinary Institute of America. Her big break came, however, when she appeared on popular American TV show “Chopped”. It was in the third episode of season 12 that she was crowned the winner. Ali initially worked at the At-Vermilion Restaurant in New York, where she cooked fusion Indian-American food, blending it with more spice and giving it a modern touch. Currently, she works at Café Centro in Manhattan, an eatery famous for its classic French food. “I think my cooking is different because I use a variation of techniques,” says Ali. “I do a bit of both, I make traditional food with a modern twist, there is a fusion of sorts,” she adds. At Centro, Ali says she loves to cook Lamb Tagine, a Moroccan dish with a lot of spices. She says, “Making this dish brings me close to home. It is delicious, a traditional Moroccan dish that people love and enjoy.”
Here’s a story about a 23-year-old girl, who followed a passion that was born in her grandmother’s kitchen. She travelled to the Big Apple to fulfill her life-long dream, only to realise that she could make it all happen.
After her A’ Levels, Fatima Ali landed directly into the New York-based Culinary Institute of America. Her big break came, however, when she appeared on popular American TV show “Chopped”. It was in the third episode of season 12 that she was crowned the winner. Ali initially worked at the At-Vermilion Restaurant in New York, where she cooked fusion Indian-American food, blending it with more spice and giving it a modern touch. Currently, she works at Café Centro in Manhattan, an eatery famous for its classic French food. “I think my cooking is different because I use a variation of techniques,” says Ali. “I do a bit of both, I make traditional food with a modern twist, there is a fusion of sorts,” she adds. At Centro, Ali says she loves to cook Lamb Tagine, a Moroccan dish with a lot of spices. She says, “Making this dish brings me close to home. It is delicious, a traditional Moroccan dish that people love and enjoy.”