CHEF GABRIELLE KURZ, OR SIMPLY GABI'S CHIEF, IS A LOCAL CELEBRITY IN DUBAH FOR HEALTHY NUTRITION (TALK THAT IT IS WORKING OUT OF THE ROYAL FAMILY). WORKING ALREADY 8 YEARS IN THE MADINAT JUMEIRAH COMPLEX AND AS THE IDEAL INSPIRATOR OF THE TALISE NUTRITION SYSTEM, SHE CREATED A HEALTHY MENU, THE DISHES OF WHICH ARE NOT ONLY TASTY, BUT ALSO MORE. WE MET WITH HER TO TALK ABOUT THE BALANCE IN FOOD AND THE INFLUENCE OF FOOD ON OUR BODY AND THINKING. Interviewed by Irina Malkova
Gabrielle, everyone knows that the most important thing for proper nutrition and well-being is balance. How important is balance in Talise Nutrition, and in which restaurants can I try these dishes?
Gabrielle: Talise Nutrition is the backbone of the Talise brand, a division of the Jumeirah Group hotel chain that specializes in beauty and health. Talise Nutrition culinary products can be found at Jumeirah resorts around the world. We call it "Taste of Health." Talise Nutrition dishes are on the menu of all our restaurants, they can be ordered in hotel rooms and included in the banquet menu. A special icon indicates that a particular menu item is healthy food.
Madinat Jumeirah has an entire SPA menu dedicated to Talise Nutrition anti-aging meals. They promote relaxation, improve the appearance of the skin and neutralize toxic substances. The name of each dish has its own special icon, so that it is easier for guests to figure out what benefits these or those ingredients bring. For example, at the Waterfront Café - this is a cafe at Jumeirah Beach - a separate fitness menu dedicated to Talise Nutrition's Health Tastes. These dishes are ideal for those who want to lose weight, get in good shape and find a balance of body and spirit. At Madinat Jumeirah's Quay Café, our first fresh bar is open, where there are plenty of light wholesome snacks and green smoothies with, for example, Peruvian maki, spirulina, wheat sprouts or acai berries.
How does food affect the mind? How much can an ordinary person control his own body by simply changing his diet?
Gabrielle: Food is at least half of our health and well-being. We eat every day, and literally every bite can improve our health and appearance, give energy and strength.
Could you tell us about your cooking courses and seminars at Madinat Jumeirah?
Gabrielle: I love to share good healthy food recipes. At the Talise Nutrition courses, I show you what to do and how, or directly lead the process and help participants prepare a lunch or dinner, which we then eat with appetite. I also organize a kind of competition for the preparation of some healthy and healthy dish.
The participants prepare an improvised dish from a random set of ingredients, and the judges evaluate the creativity, the health benefits of the dish, its appearance, as well as whether the players met the time allotted to them and whether they showed enough team spirit. It can be a lot of fun.
What is meant by "raw food"?
Gabrielle: This means eating foods that have not been cooked, which means the vitamins they contain are not destroyed by heat. This also includes dehydrated, frozen and canned foods, so a raw food diet is not limited to salads and fresh fruits. For example, delicacies such as frozen sorbet, crackers with sage seeds or cakes with dehydrated carrots will be a wonderful decoration for any raw food menu - but this is not a complete list! I first presented a raw food menu at Madinat Jumeirah in 2007, when I became the chef of Magnolia Restaurant, the first healthy vegetarian restaurant in the entire region.
What are you writing about on your blog at www.talisenutrition.com?
Gabrielle: Basically about Talise Nutrition and a healthy lifestyle. I also post some of my recipes with photos, so that everyone can cook the dish at home.
It is known that in the UAE, because of the climate, it is difficult to grow many vegetables and fruits. Where do you recommend buying fresh food?
Gabrielle: Organic farming is actively developing in the UAE. In winter, for example, you can buy local organic fruits, vegetables, and herbs from numerous farmers markets. The first true farmer's market opened six years ago at the foot of the Jumeirah Emirates Towers. Now we are organizing another one - it is called "Saturday Bazaar" and takes place on the territory of Souk Madinat Jumeirah, respectively, on Saturdays.
Everyone knows that the main enemy in food is sugar. Is it possible to replace it with something in the daily diet?
Gabrielle: Over the centuries, people have consumed more and more sugar, and ultimately this has led to many serious health problems. Taste can and must be developed! If you like sweets, try replacing white sugar with honey, stevia or agave syrup. Although, of course, honey and agave are the same sugar, albeit less harmful. But if I am allowed to give advice, I recommend eating less sweet in general.
What nuts and oils are the most healthy?
Gabrielle: Nuts contain incredibly useful fatty acids for our body, and in all, without exception: almonds, walnuts and pine nuts, cashew nuts and sunflower seeds. The most important thing is not to get involved or overeat.
As for oils, linseed and peanut oils are too expensive and have an overly bright taste, but are extremely useful. So they can be slightly sprinkled with salad or added to green juice or a smoothie. Coconut oil is great for cooking. Olive and sesame oils are the most versatile.
What products from those that are grown in the UAE (except dates) would you recommend to our readers?
Gabrielle: I love the local ladies' tiny cucumbers and grapes. It also grows excellent eggplant with an incredible nutty flavor and grass called zaatar, which goes well in a salad, goes to string beans, feta cheese or even muffins to add spice.
The year before last, you were awarded the prestigious title of "Best Culinary Authority of the Year" in the Middle East. Tell us about yourself - how did you decide to become a chef of healthy eating, and do you like living in Dubai?
Gabrielle: I adopted a healthy lifestyle from my family, so I have never been a “regular” cook. I always cooked healthy foods. For the years that I spent in Dubai, this city has become very dear to me. I fell in love with him. This is not a city, but a boiling cauldron - multicultural, free from prejudice, with a myriad of possibilities.
