RIYADH: Saudi chef Mona Mosly was one of the Kingdom’s first professional female chefs, best known regionally for her eight-season stint as a judge on the Middle East version of “Top Chef.” Mosly built her career working in restaurants across Europe and the Middle East. For the past three years, she has been flying solo; her roster of high-profile collaborations includes VOX Cinemas and, more recently, Le Petite Maison in Riyadh. She founded the dessert shop Sweet Atelier in Riyadh, which offers unique sweet treats and intricately crafted cakes.
“God blessed me,” she tells Arab News. “Because knowing what you want to become when you’re young helps you, because you have a goal. It might not be easy to achieve, but at least there’s a goal. I really believe in manifestation and in God’s plan. I’m so proud that I could, in one way or another, make a difference. With ‘Top Chef,’ people started seeing kitchens and chefs in a different way — as something that you can do with pride. I’m so happy I was a part of that.”
When you started out, what was the most common mistake you made?
I was too hyper and excited. I was full of energy — looking at the kitchen and thinking it’s Disneyland. I was so happy looking at the pans, the pots, the people, the chef’s jacket — it always gave me goosebumps. But I think the only real mistake is being afraid to make mistakes. The more mistakes you make, the more you learn.
What’s your top tip for anyone wanting to become a professional chef?
Whoever wants to wear a chef’s jacket has to take it very seriously. It’s like being a doctor. You have to go through the process step by step. I learned this in Paris. I was crying that I was cleaning their garbage, but I understood that you won’t be able to understand life until you go through these small things — the things that you really hate. I had lots of opportunities to (climb the career ladder quickly), but I never accepted them because I knew that one day I would wrong myself and I didn’t want that for myself. So, please take it slow. Enjoy every step, enjoy every moment, because it will create the best version of you.
What is one ingredient that can instantly improve any dish?
I love garlic and onion. I don’t understand people who don’t love them. To me, they are the fragrance of each dish.
When you go out to eat, do you find yourself critiquing the food?
I never do. I’m tired of it. On ‘Top Chef,’ I critiqued a lot of chefs, so now I live my life as a normal human being.
What’s your favorite cuisine or dish to order?
A burger. My cheat meal.
What customer behavior most frustrates you?
No guest truly understands the journey of an ingredient reaching the plate. It’s many hours, lots of energy, heat, cold, it’s our time, it’s our passion. We are sacrificing our celebrations, being with our families, to make people happy. Some people come and you just feel happy; they’re blessings to you. And some people come and they’re hard to deal with. It’s a hard thing to do to please everyone.
What do you most enjoy cooking?
I think baking gives you the best feeling because it’s long hours and you bake your emotion into it. I love making bread and I love making donuts.
What are you like as a leader?
Now, I'm very chilled. I'm a loving human being. (Laughs). In my shop, when we have a big party or something, I’ll go with the music, I will give them love, I will give them good energy, good vibes, because I feel that the true, real investments are the people in the kitchen. And if they're happy, they’ll make the food right.
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Chef Mona’s Halva Cookies
Ingredients:
227g of brown butter
28 g of cooking cream
150 g of brown sugar
150 g of white sugar
2 eggs
6 g of kosher salt
6 g of baking soda
142 g of chopped Velrohna chocolate
142 g of halava
100 g of chopped pistachio
10 g of vanilla essence
In a mixing machine with a paddle attachment, add both sugar, brown butter, egg, cooking cream, Halava, vanilla essence and mix at medium-high speed for 2 mins.
Add kosher salt, baking soda, AP flour and mix for another 2 min on med- high speed.
Add chopped chocolate and pistachios, and mix for one min.
Once the dough is ready, transfer to a stainless steel container and keep in the fridge for one hour.
Form the dough into 56g balls and keep in the freezer for 2 days before baking.
FOR BAKING: Set the oven to around 160 °C. Add the cookie balls directly from the freezer to a tray with parchment paper and bake for 15 mins.
Once cookies are done, allow them to cool at room temperature, transfer to a container, and cover.
To serve:
Ingredients:
2 cookies
75 g of Arabic ice cream
20 g of cotton candy/halava
30 g of pistachio
Put 2 cookies on a plate and place in the microwave for 20 sec.
Cut 2 and ½ slices of ice cream from the roll and place them between 2 cookies.
On a serving plate, add 25g pistachio slivers.
Transfer the cookies to the plate, then put cotton candy on top.
Crush 5g of pistachios and sprinkle on top.
