In Gila Nazari's Kitchen
Gila Nazari is a TV journalist whose work takes her all over France, feeding her curiosity and culinary discoveries. A passion that has long driven her and is fast becoming more than just a hobby! Meet a passionate woman for whom eating is, first and foremost, an opportunity to get together and share.
Hello Gila! Can you tell us in a few words where your passion for cooking comes from?
Cooking has always fascinated me, first and foremost for its convivial atmosphere. More than cooking, I love entertaining, pleasing my loved ones by cooking them good meals. I imagine that comes from my origins. Franco-Iranian, I have very clear memories of my first trip to Iran, at the age of 10, where we ate, in large numbers, as a family, on rugs. The last time I went there, three or four years ago, we ate at the table but always with this incredible sense of hospitality, dozens of dishes on the table, a crazy generosity. It is above all, this generosity and conviviality that I love in cooking.
What role does cooking play in your daily life today?
It's omnipresent. When I'm not cooking, I try new restaurants, and when I'm not eating, I talk about cooking with my friends, brainstorm, read cookbooks... I have dozens of notes on my phone with all the inspirations I come across, taste, and my ideas. Cooking nourishes me in more ways than just "physiologically." It nourishes my imagination, my creativity...
Tell us about your inspirations. What stimulates your creativity in the kitchen?
Taste, taste, taste! I spend a lot of time in restaurants. It's very inspiring to discover other people's cuisine. A condiment, a texture, a combination... It always gives me a thousand ideas. Travel too, of course. Flavors from elsewhere, spices, smells, colors. Cuisine that doesn't resemble that of our own. Iran obviously inspires me a lot. I like to add a touch of my origins to my dishes: saffron, pistachios, spices...
Can you tell us about the importance of choosing the right utensils in your kitchen?
I don't think you need a thousand utensils to be a good cook. However, you do need a few GOOD essentials. And obviously, the knife is the foundation! Without a good knife, the kitchen can quickly become a real pain.
You're a journalist who travels a lot around France. Do you have any favorite places to share with us?
I've been to Marseille a lot this year. For work and for pleasure. It's a very inspiring city for food. L'Epicerie l'Idéal and more generally the Noailles district is a favorite.
I love the clever mix of different cultures that reigns there. Still in Marseille, I loved Livingston. And of course the Tuba Club with the wonderful chef Sylvain Roucayrol who masters fish and seafood dishes to perfection.
I also like very simple places where the setting and the product are the stars. I never miss an opportunity to go to "Huîtres de Trousse Chemise" when I'm passing through the Ile de Ré: a few picnic tables, directly at the oyster farmer's, who opens oysters and a bottle of wine for you, facing the marshes. This place is magical.
You have a restaurant project you're about to launch: can you tell us more?
I've been a television journalist for 10 years, knowing full well that one day I'd leave everything behind for cooking. I would love to open my own restaurant and it's planned for 2023. But while waiting to find the perfect location, I launched Goût: a service that offers both cooking and tableware for private events, for individuals or brands. Meals at the table or in the form of a buffet, with floral decoration, tableware (great passion for pretty tableware): in short, I try to organize the perfect gourmet moment, always with this generosity and conviviality that I love so much in the kitchen.
Gila's Instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/gigi_nzri/
Goût's Instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/gout.paris/
Do you have a little secret cooking tip to share with our community?
It's not really a secret, but for me, the foundation of cooking is the choice of ingredients and seasoning, the spices, herbs. Even the simplest dish, if it's made with seasonal, quality ingredients and if it's well seasoned, it's bound to taste great! Take a simple tomato sauce, for example, if the tomatoes are seasonal and come from a great producer, they'll have a sweeter, more intense taste. And your homemade tomato sauce will definitely be delicious.
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