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He r wor k wowe d top executive s a t Valrhona, th e famou s French chocolat e house , an d the bes t i s ye t t o come . “I’ve bee n attendin g course s i n Dubai , France , Ital y an d Turke y wher e I met world-fame d chefs . I constantl y see k new courses , trave l an d read t o kee p learnin g and advancing” , sh e says . Movin g forward , Samir a dream s bi g but keep s he r fee t pinne d to th e ground . Sh e advise s youn g culinar y hopefuls t o d o th e same : “Prov e yourself . Endur e hurtful criticism , stressful deadlines , standin g on you r fee t fo r 1 5 hour s an d moppin g th e floor.”
Wit h he r man y talents , Samir a chos e t o becom e a Frenc h pastr y chef . She looke d fo r reliable resource s t o lear n from bu t foun d non e in Arabic . Arme d wit h a dictionary , sh e started readin g Englis h books an d eve n looke d int o enrollin g a t “L e Cordon Bleu” , bu t he r friends advise d he r t o work. And s o bega n Samira’ s culinar y career . Wit h he r mothe r a s he r onl y ally, sh e too k a Commi s 1 jo b a t a bakery . “I’ d wak e up a t 7a m t o commut e from Mecc a t o Jeddah , where I’ d wor k til l 5p m before attendin g culinar y course s wit h international chefs . I’ d b e hom e past midnigh t an d sleep i n m y unifor m sometimes , onl y t o star t agai n th e next morning ” Samir a recalls. Sh e kep t pushin g he r boundaries , usin g ever y riya l sh e mad e t o fund he r self-development . Motivate d b y words o f encouragemen t from to p chef s sh e worke d mothe r an d daughter’ s admiration , Samir a wen t fro m on e prideful achievemen t t o another. “ I wil l neve r forge t the firs t da y a t work . I t wa s mother’ s day, ” she explains . Sh e brok e eggs lik e a pro , handled non-sto p kitchen chore s an d sol d cakes fo r 1 2 hour s straight. wit h an d drawin g strengt h fro m he r
Samira’s passion for pastry has taken her around the world, including stints in Dubai, France and Italy, working with some of the world’s best chefs and chocolatiers.
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Samir a always though t tha t making chocolat e – o r “black gold ” a s sh e call s i t – wa s simple . Alon g th e way, sh e ha s discovere d a new worl d t o explor e and shape , findin g inspiration Today , sh e manages “Dragées ” an d develops ne w flavours . “Whe n I’m cooking , I lik e classic recipe s an d I keep thing s traditional . But whe n I’ m creatin g new ingredient s tha t inspir e a vintag e feel, ” sh e adds. S o far , Samir a has create d 2 2 bonbo n and dragée s flavours. i n nature , women, histor y and cities. chocolat e flavours, I lov e t o us e bizarre
I love to use bizarre ingredients that inspire a vintage feel
Samira hopes to sell her products all over the world; a dream that’s already coming true, one bite of black gold at a time. G L O B A L S T A R D O M
Anothe r milestone cam e whe n Samira prepare d 1 3 chocolat e an d ic e crea m course s a t th e Kin g Abdulaziz Cente r fo r World Cultur e – Ithr a i n 2019. “ I went int o th e facilit y an d sa w m y nam e o n th e
screens . M y heart almos t stopped.”
94 goodykitchen.com
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