The chef who just won the award for best culinary and gastronomic influencer talks in this interview about cooking with a social role, challenges and affections in times of haters
In the week in which Paola Carosella won the i-Best award as Best of Brazil in the Culinary and gastronomic influencers category, the chef, entrepreneur and presenter talks to Paladar readers about how cooking can have a political and social function. Of the pleasure of challenges and the delicacies necessary in times of haters.
Paola Carosella chooses her favorite restaurants in Sao Paulo; I wait
Palate Let’s start with the phrase of Father Júlio Lancellotti, quoted in his acceptance speech at the i-Best award: “cooking can be a revolutionary act”. How does this phrase impact your work and life today?
Paola Carosella In recent years I have felt the weight of reality a lot, more than other times. Maybe because TV and working outside the kitchen brought me closer to reality. The situation of already very vulnerable people has worsened during the pandemic and my active participation in various causes has really impressed me. I thought: how can I connect with the beauty and art of food in a world so unequal and cruel for some? But the reality is that without being a chef I am nothing. So this phrase (by Father Júlio Lancellotti) helped me understand my place in the kitchen. This goes beyond ingredients, recipes and techniques and also includes sharing knowledge.
When you talk about sharing knowledge, how is this work concretely carried out in your kitchen and in other areas of professional and personal activity?
Teaching, welcoming, respecting differences, training, exposing cooks and chefs to different learning and experiences. Talk, spend time with them, open doors, show paths, be loving and bring diversity into the work environment.
Winning i-Best as Best in Brazil in the Culinary and Food Influencer category via popular vote speaks volumes about your relationship with those who follow your work on social media. When did you understand that, in addition to being a chef, you are also a great communicator?
This is something I still don’t really understand. Sometimes I feel like a good communicator, but my place of comfort is still the kitchen. Even though I am a person who likes challenges; new and unknown places really seduce me.
How did you manage to balance so many different dishes at the same time: company, cooking, social media, TV… At any point did you think that the recipe was unbalanced?
Yes, often… This is a recipe that is constantly under construction.
With success stories in different professional segments, what would make your eyes shine in a special way right now?
Perhaps, little by little, we will be able to balance all these dishes better, focusing on fewer things and with more time.
Being a person of opinion, who is not afraid to speak about what he truly believes in, is an act of courage, especially in times of haters. How did you deal with opposing fans on social media?
Sometimes it’s easier, other times the comment hurts more. It’s good to remember though that in invisibility everyone is brave, much of this hatred wouldn’t be possible in person. The Internet has another greatness. But real life happens outside the networks.
Sweetness seems very represented in the environment you create around you. Your kitchen has a special delicacy. The way you teach a recipe has a sweetness to it. How much importance do you give to the scenery around you? The tone you give to your words, even if they are sometimes hard for some people to digest?
I wish I could be sweet all the time. In truth, I think calm educates, builds, teaches. But I can’t always stay calm…
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Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
