A red carpet rendezvous with award-winning celebrity Chef Wolfgang Puck

Eats & Treats in Bahrain to your heart's content with Tania Rebello

Taste won an easy domination over speed in a great discussion in one of the treasured afternoons well spent with Chef Wolfgang Puck during the Formula One race week at his restaurant CUT at the Four Seasons, Bahrain Bay.

Chef Wolfgang’s award - winning restaurants at the Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay include CUT, Re Asian Cuisine and Blue Moon Lounge. A Formula One enthusiast, you will often find Chef Wolfgang visiting the Kingdom during the race week to host one of the most sought after BBQ dinners of the year.

The legendary chef began his culinary journey at the tender age of 14 when his mother noticed his interest in cooking and encouraged him to take up an apprenticeship. He then moved to Los Angeles and began working at Ma Maison where his culinary talent gained popularity among the affluent.

Chef Wolfgang opened his first restaurant Spago in West Hollywood in 1982, which became an instant success. He has catered the Oscars for 25 years in a row and Hollywood celebrities have been patrons of his food for decades.

He has also been featured in several cooking shows as well as TV shows such as Saturday Night Live and the Ellen De Generes Show to name a few.

It was a sheer delight for Tania Rebello to interview a highly acclaimed and admirable chef, who is both cheerful and humble.

Name a food item that makes you very happy.

Chocolate! I love chocolate! However, it has to be dark chocolate- 65% or more. I have a lot of chocolate in my refrigerator and I even freeze some. I freeze chocolate truffles and enjoy them because they melt slowly.

Name two ingredients that you cannot do without.

The two ingredients would probably be salt and pepper.

Can you tell us about a dish that you cook and eat when you are in a rush to get somewhere?

When in a hurry, my family loves to grab certain fast food but I am not fond of it. I am never that hungry that I would need to eat fast food. I like to sit at a table to eat dinner, have a glass of wine and enjoy the meal. Therefore, if I am in a rush, I do not need to eat. I will just have a few bites of chocolate and I will be okay.

What is a fun activity that you like doing during your free time?

I love to play tennis. I grew up in Austria so I like to go skiing. I also love music. I like to travel and see new places. I travel a lot so I like to read and recently I recently read a book on ‘Napoleon’ and another book called ‘Caste’, which I think that everybody should read.

Your mom was a pastry chef and she encouraged you to go to apprenticeship at a young age. Can you tell us one thing that she taught you that you believe is lost among the youth in today’s world?

My mom taught me discipline. When I was a child, I still remember that always during the beginning of New Year, children would spend their time skiing as we lived in the mountains. I was tempted to go; however, my mom would often tell me “You should start the year with studies”. She was pretty nice and easy going but insisted on starting the year on the right foot by studying. Discipline and patience are most important. Young kids today do not have patience and they always think that the grass is greener on the other side. Apart from discipline and patience, I always asked myself, “How can I get better?” Where can I learn more? So, few years ago, I went to Harvard to do a business course to learn something more.

Can you give our readers a tip to stay energized during the month of Ramadan?

Eat proteins to keep your energy higher for a longer period. Do not eat too many sweets.