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Italian Susy Massetti was born to cook ... literally. For the newly-appointed executive chef at The Diplomat Radisson SAS Hotel, Residence & Spa was delivered in a restaurant and has been cooking up a storm in the kitchen ever since!
She comes from a family of restaurateurs and chefs and is looking forward to tantalising the taste-buds of Bahrain's food lovers with cooking skills developed over generations along with her new culinary creations.
She explained: "My mother went into labour while working in the kitchens and her sister-in-law and my grandmother helped with the delivery because the ambulance couldn't reach us in time."
Chef Susy, 52, arrived in Bahrain after receiving a call offering her the prestigious post while vacationing in Thailand with her daughter, Andrea, 17.
She is not daunted by the challenge and is hoping to show the male executive chefs on the island that a kitchen is just as much a woman's domain in a five-star hotel as it is in the family home.
Who dares suggest men make better cooks? She said: "Are there any physical reasons? I don't think so!
"I can stand on my legs for as many hours as a man can and I can take the same amount of pressure. It's a myth that is taking the rounds because being a chef is a highly-demanding job and people feel that it is harder for women to adjust to such conditions.
"I don't think it's about who is better. Women are considered to be the universal 'sacrificers' in any relationship and we have been educated over the centuries to think this way. If a woman is given an opportunity to excel, she hardly ever fails."
And Chef Susy is not one to fail having added the sparkling ingredients to the kitchens as executive sous chef at the Sheraton Hotel & Resort in Abu Dhabi in recent years as well as top eating establishments in the US, the Caribbean as well as Europe.
She added: "I really appreciated the fact that a woman chef has been taken onboard as the executive chef in Bahrain. I take it as a compliment."
Interestingly, Chef Susy is married to celebrated corporate chef, Marco, who resides in Dubai.
"We have always had arguments like my pasta is better than yours!" she admitted. "But after being together for so long and being in love we have decided to ... disagree!"
Her son, Kafka Pucciarelli, 31, is also a top chef aside from being a wine connoisseur with the Radisson in Dubai.
The most prevalent ingredients in Chef Susy's kitchen are olive oil, fresh herbs and vegetables as well as a wide range of spices ... plus a good, sturdy pan. Her "all time, absolute favourite food" remains pasta with basil, fresh tomato sauce and olive oil. She also loves red rice from India and Sri Lanka and is particularly fond of Asian cuisine.
"Spicy, is how I like it really spicy!" she added. "What I find fascinating is you can take the roots and heart of an old recipe and create something which is more in line with today's living standards.
"My retirement project is to one day work with my friends in Sri Lanka in organic cultivation supporting local produce.
"You need to put an essence in where you are into what you do. For instance, if I found some beautiful basil growing in Bahrain, I wouldn't want to export it from Italy. Cuisine of a country is like taking a virtual trip into its soul. By knowing the local people's eating habits, you are also getting to know their tradition and culture."
At the Diplomat Radisson SAS, Chef Susy wishes to make radical changes to the restaurants - especially at its new Italian Restaurant, Mondo, which she describes as "her little corner".
Other plans, she said include a "totally, new and unique idea" in the kingdom. Watch this space!
Chef Susy added: "Don't play with your food mothers used to tell us as children. I would disagree - play with it all you can. That's the recipe of great cooking!"
She is currently living in Budaiya with her daughter who attends the Al Hekma International School in Isa Town.
"Susy is the first female executive chef here in Bahrain and she will be responsible for overseeing all aspects of our food production. Our goal is to ensure we cater to both our international and local markets through innovative and modern food offerings," said Rick Erdos, general manager of The Diplomat Radisson SAS Hotel, Residence & Spa.
The hotel recently opened 121 luxury apartments - a choice of one, two or three bedroom apartments or exclusive penthouse suites - and the Diplomat Spa which offers unique facilities including a separate male spa and ladies only indoor pool, 12 ladies treatment rooms, seven men's treatment rooms, five pools - two of them outdoor, a 280 square metre feature lagoon pool, state-of-the-art male and female gymnasiums, sophisticated steam and sauna rooms, jacuzzi and cold pool facilities, an outdoor tennis court and two indoor squash courts.
