World renowned Italian chef Franca Mazza recently brought her fine New York cuisine to the tables of Montreal. After many years of excellence in the Big Apple, she discusses her culinary work during her time there and gives us all a look into her kitchen while talking about New York City’s finest.

TS: How long have you been a chef?

FM: I have been a crazy chef for approximately 22 years.

TS: Has cooking always been your passion?

FM: No. Flying was my first passion followed by cooking, [my] number two passion.

TS: What kind of food do you serve?

FM: I serve Mediterranean food. Simple and refined. Traditional but innovative, with very few ingredients. I particularly enjoy serving bite size food.

TS: Have different cultural foods inspired you in your creations?

FM: Particularly Asian products. Only because I am curious and creative so I like to try everything under the sun.

TS: What would you say is your specialty, or rather, what you are most known for?

FM: I am known as the passionate Chef Exclusive. I cook on a personalized base not for a table number. [I’m] traditional with a twist, and minimalist creations.

TS: In your opinion, what makes New York cuisine unique?

FM: New York cuisine unique? All the Nationalities that come together and create an amazing restaurant scene that you want to try out because it makes such a buzz.

TS: Where were you located in New York?

FM:I was never located anywhere in particular in New York but I worked in the Hamptons at School Street and then at Milos in New York.

TS: What kind of clientele did you attract there?

FM: A clientele that appreciates Noble food.

TS: Who would you say were your favourite New York City clients?

FM: My favourite clients in New York? All of them. There is no one like a New Yorker to appreciate good food.

TS: What are your favourite places in New York?

FM: Nobu at the sushi bar, Jean Georges for French refinement, Morimoto’s around the open kitchen, Olive’s for cappuccino, Balthazar for breakfast, Cipriani’s for risotto, Grom for gelato, and so on the list can continue...

TS: Do you believe that food plays a big role in New York culture?

FM: New York culture is all about food. With so many amazing restaurants to choose from and the fast pace lifestyle of New York, food plays a major role in the New York society. It is also the places that you can be seen [at] and hang out.

TS: New York is filled with celebrity chefs. What is your opinion of these celebrity chefs?

FM: Celebrity chefs? They have put food on the map and in my opinion, they are the food ambassadors, passing on information that the general public would have never known.

They also create an interest in the general public to care about what they eat and what they buy and give them the knowledge of ingredients that one would have never used or known about if it wasn’t for the celebrity Chefs.

TS: Now, aside from New York, what other places have you visited for your culinary work?

FM: Work has brought me to Athens, Taormina, Barcelona, Hanoi.
 

For info on Franca Mazza food visit: http://www.francamazza.com/