‘The way people react to my food, keeps me going’

Hunters Room & Grill at The Westin Doha Hotel launched the festive season celebrations by hosting its first Thanksgiving week in collaboration with Chef Matilda Robinson from Washington. Chef Matilda Robinson began her culinary journey at the age of 10, as she catered events for both her community and her family of 16 siblings. In her own words, “Many people relate food to love, and with my very own hands, I can impact their hearts and help reassure them that I, and many like me, care about them, their health, and their future.” Chef Matilda followed her passion at the acclaimed Colonial Williamsburg Hotel Foundation studying Culinary Arts and Hotel Management. During her studies, she had the opportunity to learn from many esteemed culinary experts, such as John Krugelman, Pierre Monet, and Han Schadler.
Focusing her expertise on early American cooking, Chef Matilda has notched up many accomplishments in her career, such as becoming the first female Chef Entremetier at the Forbes Five Star and Mobile Four Diamond Rated Williamsburg Inn, in Williamsburg, Virginia. Chef Matilda was also premiered in Ebony Magazine as the Chef Garde Manger at Starwood Hotels and Resorts Carlton Hotel in Washington, and was also named the Director of Chefs for “Team Nutrition,” an initiative to promote healthy school lunches led by US Presidential Candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton and US Department of Agriculture Undersecretary Ellen Haas.
Since 1993, Chef Matilda has assisted in leading the culinary team at the St. Regis Washington as the Chef Garde Manager. During her tenure at the St. Regis, Chef Matilda has enjoyed providing many world leaders with indelible culinary experiences. Here are edited excerpts of her interaction with Qatar Tribune’s Sherry Aggarwal Gupta.

What does Thanksgiving mean to Americans?
Thanksgiving, traditionally, is all about food and togetherness with families and friends. No matter where you are, you make sure that everyone gets a meal. In America, during Thanksgiving you will see many social activities happening around. People will open their doors to the less privileged, feeding the homeless so they get an opportunity to eat the traditional thanksgiving meal of turkey, macron and cheese. You must have seen events where the US President goes to homeless shelters and feeds the homeless. So, that’s thanksgiving for us. It is about giving back and you are being grateful for life and yes and food recipes which are handed down from generation to generation. 

What was the first thought that came across your mind, when Westin Doha invited you to prepare special Thanksgiving dinner in Doha?
I was happy that someone was interested in Thanksgiving outside the United States. In Washington, I meet lots of people around the world, and realise that they don’t celebrate Thanksgiving but when they celebrate in America, they find it a wonderful holiday. So my question was do you really want American Thanksgiving or something else. But they wanted a traditional thanksgiving dinner, so I started working a menu that I would do in my house or in St. Regis, or a homeless shelter will do. And I am really happy that I worked around a traditional meal. 

What surprised you when you hosted a Thanksgiving dinner here?
I did not know that there were so many Americans here. And, the feedback that I got was overwhelming. ‘I felt at home’, ‘You reminded me of my mother’, ‘It could not be better’... I will say the event was successful based on such feedback.

What was the best compliment you received for the feast you prepared?
For me, it was one gentleman saying, ‘It was exactly how I expected’. Also, the best part was to see everybody’s plates clean. There is no fun when people say that your food is good but plates are not empty. Clean plates say it all. One day, an Arabian person came over and she loved it all too, especially the desserts. I told her that American desserts are a little sweeter but she said no, the desserts were perfect. So it made me happy that Arabian people accepted my food too.

Have you been around Doha and what did you like here the most?
I have been to St Regis. And I was out of words to explain how magnificent it looks. I have been to many St. Regis but it looks better than the best. The city’s skyline at night is spectacular. I have not had the opportunity to say which my favourite spot in the city is. That will be when I come back and explore Doha in its true glory. I am definitely coming back and I will be bringing my family along the next time. I would give myself some vacation time to explore Doha.

Given an opportunity to work in Doha, would you like to work in the city?
Yes, I would. I tell you why, because my entire experience here told me that there is a lot more to this city. And, most importantly I think, what I do, and how I do can be lots of success in the city. Today morning too, a guest walked up to me and said that he wished he could get the food that he had during Thanksgiving dinner somewhere else in Doha whenever he wants to. 

Has local cuisine inspired you in any way?
I am taking along the Baba Ganoush recipe with me. Because in America, there is no recipe that says you prepare Baba Ganoush with roasted eggplants, tahini and pepper. In America, when you call someone for dinner, you go for Hummus and Baba Ganoush, because it is easy and quick. But no recipe looks like what I had here. I cannot wait to introduce this recipe there. Also, home cooks inspire me a lot. I work with home cooks and their little ideas really help me a lot to create something new back in St. Regis. 

In general, what inspires you?
People’s smiles and the way they react to my food, keeps me going. It inspires me to do better and make even better recipes. Like I tried Baba Ganoush here and I was like ‘Oh my God, it is so awesome’. Likewise, I want people to not to just eat but experience goodness in my food. 

Do you think professional education helps in being a great chef?
I know people who have professional education and they are great chefs and also know people who have no professional education, they are great chefs. I have seen lawyers who turned into great pastry chefs, doctors who turned into chefs. So, I believe, it’s all about your passion and that’s what you need. We work long hours, we work hard, so passion is the most important thing needed to be a successful chef.