When did your passion for cooking begin?
I used to always be crazy about food. Apparently I was a hungry baby from the day I was born. My passion for cooking probably begun when I was able to start holding things in my hands. My mom used to always keep me by her side when I was a kid and she would let me help her while cooking and baking. My grandmother too. My mom would think of the most creative kid-friendly recipes and she would let me carry them out while she was giving me instructions. My grandmother was a perfectionist when it came to baking. I think I got that from her. I always adored making dough from just flour and water and create different "cookie" shapes. As I was very small, I remember I had to drag a chair next to the stove or the table to look at what my mom and grandmother would cook and I would ask if I could help them. And they always let me and I remember being extremely happy about it every single time. I guess I have always been passionate about cooking. It wasn't something that I grew into liking it but I grew up with it, as if it was in my blood.
Where did you work prior to Accurx?
I was working as a quality control analyst at the biggest juice factory in Cyprus. I have a degree on Food Science so it was relevant to my studies but it got very boring very quickly.
What's your favourite thing about working at Accurx?
Working with Leo is the best part about working at Accurx. If it wasn't for him I believe I wouldn't enjoy working here as much as I do now. And the things that I learn from him make it even more exciting.
What dish that you've cooked for Accufolk are you most proud of?
I think one of the dishes that I made and everyone went crazy over it was the Greek Spanakopita (spinach pie). I remember people telling me that they were coming in the office that day just for that. And I think everyone's reactions were really wholesome and it made me really happy.
Drawing on your knowledge of nutrition and experience as a chef, what are the key components of a good nutritious meal and how do you think your role contributes to Accufolk being able to perform their best?
My mom was the person who got me interested in nutrition. She has a masters degree on Food Nutrition and Public Health and she used to be my teacher in primary school so I was always influenced by her in the best ways. I loved listening to her explaining the connection between good food and its impact on our bodies, the Mediterranean food pyramid, the importance of exercise and as I said before, she and my grandmother were my role models and teachers when it came to cooking. I grew up in a Mediterranean country so it was inevitable that I would grow up having delicious, homemade food made by my mom and grandma everyday. I guess my take on good nutritious food is anything that is simple, homemade, cooked from fresh, good quality ingredients and something that reminds me of home. I always consider the nutritional value of any meal that I have but what makes me happy and what makes people happy might sometimes differ. Here, at Accurx, I try to incorporate as many dishes from my part of the world as I can. I like telling stories through what I cook. Sometimes it's stories from where I grew up, sometimes it's from my childhood, sometimes it's about bringing some memories back.... I believe people enjoy the food more when they know there's a backstory to it.
What would be your death row meal? (Starter, main and dessert)
This is probably one of the most difficult questions you can ask me because I can never pick a favourite food or desert... But I will write down what pops in my mind now:
Starter:
Greek Salad (tomato, cucumber, black olives, feta cheese, onion) with toasted sourdough with pickled anchovies and fresh wild herbs from either Greece or Cyprus because the flavor those herbs have, you can't find ANYWHERE else
Main:
Ok.. for this I have two options because I can never decide on just one:One is a Filipino street food I saw on a YouTube food channel and I wanted to try it since forever and the name of the dish is Lomi (egg noodles) but this particular one contains a rich, thick, pork broth with lots of spices, coconut milk, egg and the toppings are: garlic, roasted pork, fried spring rolls, liver, ground pork, Chinese kikiam (looks like a sausage), fish balls, hard boiled egg, chicharron and is served with soy sauce, chilis, kalamansi and fresh onions on top. This will definitely kill me before the death row time comes.The other one is just plain pasta with my grandmother's tomato sauce and Anari cheese on top (Cypriot ricotta-like cheese but salted. Anari can be eaten fresh -soft- and unsalted or matured and hard that we grate on top of pasta).
Desert:
I JUST LOVE CREPES... I would like to eat some crepes suzette and some crepes with nutella, strawberries, cookies and ice cream because I have always had a sweet tooth and I wouldn't die unless I had both of these kinds of crepes