Chef Ali Mahgoub to Newlyweds: Learn the Basics of Cooking and Be Creative in Your Kitchen

Every day, we find recipes and cooking tips from those interested in cooking and nutrition.

The wonderful thing is that professional chefs are also interested in presenting recipes in unique ways.

Ali Mahgoub is one of those remarkable chefs who managed to have 108.4k followers on social media.

He surprised viewers with his first-ever cooking show, “What’s for Dessert?” which daily aired during Ramadan on four satellite TV channels and featured a variety of delicious desserts.

Mahgoub sat down with “SEE” and talked about several artistic and personal topics.

Chef Ali Mahgoub

• Would presenting a 30-day dessert daily show be a challenge for you?

It was a huge challenge. Over the course of 30 days, I presented 52 recipes for oriental dessert and Western desserts, from kunafa and basbousa to Dubai chocolate and cake.

As Mother's Day this year fell during Ramadan, we tackled the idea of ​​making a cake for our beloved mothers using pre-prepared ingredients, including the baking mix, with precise ingredients. You just add the liquid ingredients and bake it in the oven. I also presented a variety of drinks.

Ali Mahgoub

The idea of ​​the show was based on how to make it easier for young women to enter the kitchen and make different types of desserts.

• Are desserts much more difficult than cooking?

The difficulty of making desserts lies in several points, the first of which is the precision of the ingredients, as they are all measured in grams to achieve the same result, and then come the finer details such as oven temperature, cooking time, not opening the oven before time, and choosing the raising agent in the oven.

Ali Mahgoub

Chef Ali Mahgoub

•  When did you decide on this career?

I started my career at a young age and worked in several fields while studying, but I didn't find myself in any of them. Then I found it when my older nephew worked in a pizza restaurant and is now a chef in Germany. He told me they needed an assistant chef. I started working as a steward, who is responsible for cleaning all kitchen utensils.

I progressed and became a peeler and preparer of ingredients. I learned from every chef I worked with. I worked as an assistant chef in cafes in Heliopolis.

In 2008, I moved to the Spectra restaurant chain. After a while, I joined Coffee Shop Company. In 2015, I started working at Paul, one of the largest restaurants in the Middle East. I was Paul Bakery's Food Content Producer.

Ali Mahgoub

• What do you do now?

I work as a Corporate Chef at Unilever Food Solutions in Egypt.

• Is education important to be a successful chef?

Study is important, but practice is even more important. Real-world experience gives you practical knowledge, but studying is just reading the information. Working with a top chef gives you a variety of information and experiences.

I believe in studying, so I earned a cooking diploma from the Egyptian Chefs Academy, where Chef Mona El Sabbahy, a renowned chef trainer, trains.

• What are your observations about TV and social media chefs?

They are respectable people, but we can't judge them in absolute judgment because they operate under time-pressure conditions and cameras, which is important in what they offer shape without paying attention to taste.

• What do you think of food bloggers who review restaurants?

• Every job has its pros and cons. The pros are that they introduce me to new places with specific cuisines and inform me of the cost. The cons are that some take a fee for this promotion, which is merely an advertisement far removed from credibility.

• What is the basis for a restaurant's success?

Restaurants succeed based on two very important factors: first, a skilled chef who serves delicious and presentable food, and second, a businessman who runs the establishment. Restaurants are not just about skilled chefs.

• Which international chefs do you admire and follow?

Chef Gordon Ramsay and Chef Bobby Chinn. I'm inspired by his story. I met him here in Egypt and was delighted to get to know him. I hope to participate in the Top Chef competition, where he serves as a judge.

Ali Mahgoub with Bobby Chinn

• What did you most care about presenting in your program "What’s for Dessert??"

It's presenting foods with a balance of sugar and fat. When you serve a dessert, it will have a syrup. Make sure the dessert has little sugar and the syrup tastes sweet by adding flavorings such as vanilla or cinnamon.

• What advice would you give to a new bride?

Cooking isn't difficult; it's based on perspective and experience. You need to know the basics and then experiment because experience is the best teacher.

Chef Ali MahgoubAli Mahgoub