By Alexandra Moscato
“Life is too short to spend it dreaming, live your dream.”
They’re the words of Ahmad Lutfi, an Algonquin culinary graduate-turned-chef/professor, who has thrived with his passion for cooking as his motivator.
“I must have always been a cook at heart. At the age of seven, I used to take my plate back to the kitchen to ‘improve’ on my mother’s cooking,” said Lutfi.
Between growing up with a horticulturist dad who prepared things like yogurt, cheese and jams, and a mom raising chickens and rabbits to be used for food later on, everything was made from scratch and provided young Ahmad an environment of constant inspiration.
“She has always been a fantastic cook (still at 70),” Lutfi said about his mom. “And has effectively been the first influence on the love and respect I have for food.”
Despite food being a priority in his family, when Lutfi chose culinary school as his future career path, his parents did not approve. Therefore, Lutfi dabbled in many career options like journalism and teaching, after getting a BA in English literature, all the while still cooking on the side, and even managing two restaurants during his travels in the Middle East.
“And eight countries later, I had to admit that my true happiness could only be fulfilled if cooking became my main activity, not the other way around.”
Lutfi entered Algonquin’s culinary program at 39 years-old where he knew, “from the first visit, that this is the launch pad from which my true spirit would be liberated.”
You’re never too old to realize and fulfill your destiny, and Algonquin not only opened its doors for him to learn and grow, but also provided the opportunity to teach years later.
“I have a tremendous amount of respect for anyone going back to school at 35 plus, especially when you’ve got to start back at the bottom, but he was committed,” said David Fairbanks, a professor/chef at Algonquin.
Lutfi’s philosophy for cooking is, “let the food do the talking.”
“Attractive presentation is important but flavour is key, and that is the sort of understanding that I aspire to instill to my culinary students,” said Lutfi.
Surprisingly, his favourite thing to cook is vegetables, as they pose a particular challenge.
“My purpose is to prepare exciting, delicious, and surprising dishes using ingredients that are overlooked, underrated, or mistakenly considered boring.”
Always up for a new adventure, Lutfi has presently taken a year off to go expand his culinary expertise in the cooking heart of France, Provence. He’s excited to share his new found knowledge and skills to his students upon his return.
As Confucius said, “find a job that you truly love, and you will never have to work a day in your life,” which depicts Lutfi’s inspiring life.