VIDEO: AN INTERVIEW IN THE KITCHEN WITH CHEF JOE VELLA

A lifestyle blog in partnership with FINO Malta

Say Hello to Chef Joe Vella!

Chef Vella is one of Malta’s top chefs. With love and passion for cooking, he has through his life, worked his way up in various kitchens, including those of the Corinthia Palace, New Dolmen Hotels and for the past 12 years has excelled at the Hilton Malta and I’m most certain that many of you have tasted some of the divine creations. He prepares everything with thoughtfulness and grace, making everything seem effortless.

Obviously, this guy knows how to cook and assuredly knows a few things about well-functioning kitchens. So I reached out to him and albiet a little camera shy, he graciously agreed to be interviewed on camera at the FINO showrooms while I peppered him with questions about a chef’s kitchen and the difference between a home kitchen and a commercial kitchen and why this particular kitchen from FINO was his choice.

WATCH THE VIDEO TO LISTEN TO THE INTERVIEW WHILE HE COOKS A RACK OF LAMB IN THE OYSTER KITCHEN AT FINO FOR ME!

My Thoughts following the Interview

To be honest, I entered into this conversation with some preconceptions about what a home kitchen should be like for a Chef of his calibre – in its aesthetic and in layout. I assumed that it would need to be fairly large in size and be full of cutting edge gear and complicated gadgets coming out of everywhere. I was wrong on both accounts. It seems he was more happy to share with us as you will hear in the video, that the layout and that working space is the most important thing to him. Here are a few points I picked out from the interview:

1) EFFICIENCY OF MOVEMENT

Chef Joe Vella mentioned that as a professional, you work with what you have – you could make anything work – but the thing that allows this kitchen to suit his needs is that it allows him to work efficiently. What chefs are looking to do is to take the least amount of steps possible. This simply means that when they are cooking they want the distance from the refrigerator to the cooking surface to be minimal. Does that mean that the fridge is the most important thing in the kitchen?Nope.

2) CENTRE ISLAND

According to Chef the basic of all basics tends to be the centre island and then everything else flows around that because everything tends to come off the cutting board. The cutting board is the centre of his world and then the flow is from the fridge to the cutting board, to the range, and then over to the sink. As a result, Chef’s walking area is quite small – something that aids in his efficiency and allows the balance of the space to be taken up by spectators and dinner guests. Awesome!

3) His Sweet Advice for complete beginners in the kitchen?

Of course. In order to cook and do it well you must first have a passion and some imagination. I always suggest a bit of creativity and inspiration will help when cooking. Don’t worry too much about what a basic recipe tells you to do. Start with a basic recipe but then make the dish special, personalising it with some original ideas of your own. Try this recipe at home tonight Ok? It’s very easy!

Chef Vella Launches his 3rd Book entitled “ A Passion For Cooking”

Hilton Malta’s executive chef Joe Vella recently launched his third recipe book entitled A Passion for Cooking. Following his first two cook books, Food Book and Feast Your Senses respectively, Vella’s new publication contains around 300 recipes, including picnic recipes, dips and fondues.

Passion is Everything

“The motivation behind the book is sharing with you my passion in creating recipes and conveying my enthusiasm for the art of cooking.Throughout the past years I have realised that the key ingredient vital for success is passion.”

During the interview Chef Cooked this wonderful recipe and he was kind enough to send us the recipe. It was delicious and pretty simple to make!

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE PDF >> RECIPE BY CHEF JOE VELLA

I would like to thank Chef Vella for allowing me to spend the better part of two hours as I dissected the OYSTER kitchen from the VenetaCucine collection. He was gracious and patient and answered far more questions than someone should ever have to answer!

This was a great experience for me; I learned more than I thought I would and I was surprised by the disproportion between my expectations and reality. Whether you are someone who simply likes to cook, there are definitely some insights worth noting here; and if you are a skilled and seasoned kitchen designer, hopefully you picked up a few ideas to assist your clients have a pleasant experience in their homes.

I would like to thank FINO Team once again for your warm welcome and amazing partnership. Together is always better, teaming up with experts in their field is definitely the way to go.

Time is too short to waste. Get that lovely kitchen you’ve been dreaming about for ages, and when you do, make sure you speak to experts. FINO and their team are fantastic at listening and delivering their promises.