WITH an audience of television viewers that runs into millions, Chef Osama is a household name in the Arab world. His live daily shows such as “Ma Osama Atyab” or “It’s More Delicious with Osama” and “Bilhanna Wa Shiffa” or “With Joy and Good Health” promote the art of healthy cooking to the public.
The fifth edition of his Arabic cook book, “Bilhanna Wa Shiffa” is now on sale all over the region. It contains 18 new recipes with each one presented in an appetizing, full-color photograph. Along with Chef Osama’s personal recipes, the book features holiday favorites for Ramadan and othere special occasions.
Chef Osama will be demonstrating his talents in person at the forthcoming Dubai Ideal Home Show from November 30th to December 3rd at the Airport Expo in Dubai. It is part of the Tefal Taste Temptation Theatre which boasts interactive sessions with the public.
Osama, you have an extraordinary ability to come up with simplified formulas for complex cooking techniques and recipes. How did you learn this?
Since my audience includes millions of viewers on several continents, I have to learn to simplify complex cooking techniques and recipes. In fact, my shows are features for those who want to understand and enjoy glorious food without too much fuss. I am happiest at the stove with my apron on. Besides, in today’s frantic rush, everyone is looking for ways to prepare delicious and nutritious meals as quickly as possible. That is why I offer recipes and cooking methods for a meal that is both healthy and satisfying and on the table in less than an hour.
You have mastered a broad range of styles of cooking, apart from your own. Is there anything else you would like to add to an already impressive list?
Yes, I would like to achieve mastery of other cuisines besides my skills and understanding of continental cuisines such as French, Russian, and Serbian. I define my style of cooking as “Nouvelle Mediterranean Cuisine.” You can see and probably taste my work at the Tefal Taste Temptation Theatre at the Dubai Ideal Home Show 2006.
You are working on a new series of cooking programs at present. Will you offer us at the Dubai show a glimpse of what you are going to do.
Recently we designed a new studio kitchen for the Dubai TV program in order to showcase features created to expand the edutainment (educational-entertainment) experience for viewers. The new kitchen includes a market at the corner of the set. One area is devoted to fruits and vegetables and another to herbs and spices. A third section changes every day according to the show.
Probably, the most revolutionary aspect of the new format will be the opportunity for adventure as we leave the studio and visit the kitchen of a local hotel restaurant. Once a week, I present the viewers with a different chef who will share a recipe and the cooking instructions for a main dish and a dessert.
In fact, creating and outfitting an easy-to-work-in kitchen and making decisions on what kinds of appliances are best suited to food preparation and the individual cook’s style is a special feature in the new series of programs.
You have had a rich and varied career, providing food to some of the world’s most important people. Have any of them ever thanked you personally.
Oh yes, many have thanked me personally. My career spans more than 20 years during which I have come to appreciate the true pleasure of cooking because of personal exploration and the discovery of cultures reflected in traditional dishes from around the world. I learned many of my basic skills at the Hotel Technical Institute in Cairo and during my apprenticeship at the El-Nile Hilton International Hotel. However, during my first chef’s job at the renowned Serbian Crown Restaurant in Washington DC, I honed my skills and understanding of continental cuisines. Later, I moved to Braun’s Fine Caterers in Lanham, Maryland, where I cooked for members of the political and diplomatic communities as well as for numerous members of the foreign community. All this experience over the years has stood me in good stead.
What was your most recent major work in the US?
In suburban Maryland as corporate executive chef for Martin’s Incorporated — one of America’s largest social caterers. I created and developed an innovative Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) recipe guide and developed and implemented Technical Specifications, Nutritional Labeling and Standard Sanitation Operating Procedures (SSOP). They were submitted to the USDA for the operation of a federally inspected meat and poultry processing facility producing Home Meal Replacement (HMR) gourmet menu items prepared and shipped for retail distribution.
This is a commercial line of gourmet dinners for a chain of national supermarkets and I am sure this could be the answer to America’s demand for instant, elegant and yet affordable-meals. In addition, I am also an active member of the Capital Chapter of the American Culinary Federation (ACF), of the Epicurean Club and the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP).
What can we expect at the Ideal Home Show Tefal Taste Temptation Theater this year in Dubai?
I will host the Tefal Taste Temptation Theater along with my colleagues Sanjeev Kapoor and Ainsley Harriott. Of course, I will be interacting with visitors, offering advice about my easy cooking techniques, signing books and woking at the show in conjunction with my colleagues. You will get an opportunity to watch me making some of my signature recipes along with my colleagues.
Copies of my books will also be available and whether you are a seasoned cook or just a beginner, “Bilhanna Wa Shiffa” should certainly be every reader’s primary reference.
Have you participated in any similar events like the Tefal Taste Temptation Theatre at Dubai Ideal Home Show? If yes, what is so special about that event?
Oh yes, the most important being the new set in the famous Modhesh Fun City, certainly the hot spot of Dubai Summer Surprises. It is definitely special for me as I love being with children. I also make it a point to allocate time to teach cooking to children which is something I love to do.
Ma Osama Atayab (Its More Delicious with Osama) progressed through the various themes of the event from the inaugural flowers week and ice, heritage, colors and closed with Back-to-School. We celebrated each of the 10 weeks in our own way, and satellite transmission enabled us to share these special food adventures with viewers in the UAE and around the world. The temporary quarters at the Dubai Conference Centre provided us with the opportunity to have a studio audience in addition to daily calls from home viewers. Each Thursday, we had special surprises and often included children in our activities. A live band added to the festive mood, and the changing of themes each week inspired a few unusual decorative additions to our television kitchen. We even created what nature has never produced a pineapple-date palm tree. It was designed for Pineapple Day. Sand castles, visiting chefs from Jumeirah, ice carving along with foods from the basic to the exotic, a wedding cake and our own version of Go Fish, fishing for a meal from our on-stage tank, gave us a chance to explore the world and share the experiences and surprises with everybody who loves good food. Participating in the Tefal Taste Temptation Theatre at the Dubai Ideal Home Show is something I look forward to every year.
