Cook & Chef Interviews

One on one with Michael Katz

Tuesday, 30 May, 2023

Michael Katz (Jerusalem, 1970) is a chef, teacher and food writer. During his 33 years in the culinary world, Michael has worked in three Michelin-rated restaurants; owned his own restaurant and occupied the post of senior lecturer at various culinary schools, including the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu school in London. He has helped establish a cooking school in Mexico City, and served as executive chef for several high-profile restaurants in London and Israel.

In 2021, Michael founded his own cooking school in Israel called Attilio, in honour of his first mentor, chef Attilio Basso. In Attilio, he aims to create a community of professionals that is "supportive, motivational, filled with knowledge and learning, where everyone contributes knowledge, experiences, successes, errors, ideas and inspiration".

Harmony in the kitchen starts at the head chef. It is not something you are born with but something you are guide into
Israel

Who inspired your passion for cooking?

In my case, my desire for cooking was not inspired by a person or a situation, it was more the result of a “cold” analysis of what I wanted to do with my career. I loved working with my hands -since I was young I have loved building scale models and playing music-, so I knew it had to be something that allowed me to use them. And, eventually, I chose to go after cookery.

Many years later it was clearer to me that cooking was not chosen by coincidence. I always loved the company of people and doing good for others. My father came everyday from work specially to cook for my brother and me, and I was lucky to travel and enjoy food from many countries around the world since a young age.

 

What was it like to start working in restaurants with two and three Michelin stars?

It took me a few years to really understand the impact of working in such establishments. The first kitchen I found myself was a two michelin star restaurant, so I had nothing to compare it to, no standard of working or atmosphere references. But I was raised to always aim to the high, my parents told me its always easier to go down and harder to go up. Also, I started after three years in military service, and I found the kitchen very similar in many ways.

 

The chef Attilio Basso became a great inspiration for you, to the point where you opened a cookery school named after him last year. How much of him is there in the chef that you are today?

I guess his spirit is all over the place. For me, Basso was more than a chef. He was a great personality, hard working, down to earth, always ready to teach and explain; and above all, he had respect for his workers, for his clients and for the ingredients he used. So it was clear for me and my business partner, Chico, that the school name would be “Attilio”.

 

You are an important ambassador for Israeli cuisine. Tell us what is special about this gastronomy for you?

Israel is a very young country still finding its way. Its gastronomy is a mosaic that reflects the Jewish diaspora, and is very much influenced by local palestinian cooking, bedouin, drouze, syrian, egyptian, jordanian and many more countries. So, for me, israeli gastronomy is the binding substance between the cultures and society living in Israel and around its borders.

 

You have also lived in London, Mexico, France… Have these places left their mark on your cooking style?

Travelling and living abroad influenced me a lot, not only when it comes to the cooking style, but also in the way I look at things and understand them, specially local traditions.

 

What is essential for a kitchen team to work and be in harmony?

I think good attitude, harmony and good vibes start at the leader of the kitchen, the head chef. Harmony is not something you are born with, it’s something you grow or join into, you are guided into it. A good leader will show and guide the team and choose its “players” accordingly.

 

For the past few years, you have mainly dedicated yourself to consultancy and education. You have taught at different cookery schools, you have a blog for young chefs with over 170 published articles… What does teaching mean for you?

I have been very lucky to work with extraordinary chefs who shared their knowledge and wanted to pass their tradition, and I guess it made a great impact on me. So being able to share what I gained in life with young and experienced cooks, and witnessing what they do with that knowledge, makes me wake everyday with a smile and lots of enthusiasm.

 

Do you miss being among the stoves in the kitchen?

During my teaching career I’m cooking more than ever, I give hundreds of cooking demonstrations in front of the students, so this part is still with me. Though I do miss the vibes of a busy kitchen with a great team.

 

In your opinion, and from your experience, what is the most vital thing a person starting their journey in the cookery world should know?

Like any profession that you want to enter and be good at, to be a chef there is a high price to pay: many working hours, commitment, persistence, practicing for many hours, low pay, investing in your education -whether going to a cooking school or buying inspiring books-, travelling if possible and being a long time away from home.

And bear in mind that there are no shortcuts, even if it sometimes looks like you can take them. Whoever wants a career in cooking should understand what cooking is all about, because it’s much more than just great tasty food and beautiful plates, it’s a way of life.

 

What do you think the cooking of the future will be like?

I guess it depends on how far we look at. I live right now in Israel, where the foodtech industry is booming: printed meat, lab grown meat, proteins from different sources, and much more, mainly for sustainability reasons. But I see also a vast growing of local small farms that are back in the game trying to produce high quality food and deliver it directly to the consumers. So I think the future will have a balance between new technology and old traditions.

 

If you only had 5 ingredients, what would they be and what recipe would you prepare with them?

Egg, white wine vinegar, trout, butter and fresh dill. I would make a warm smoked trout with a dill hollandaise.

 

Another of your passions is music. If you had to choose a soundtrack for your kitchen, what themes or styles would it consist of?

Wow, that is a tough question because I like many styles of music, but I guess it would consist of jazz and melody rock from the late 80's and classical music, especially baroque style.