Maya Klein Profile

What is your primary goal in the classroom?

“My main goal is to construct a menu that works together as a whole, and that creates a unique experience for your guests. To me, it is important that the flavors in a menu are balanced and that the recipes are accessible to everyone. Students should not have to go home and spend three days preparing a meal for friends and family”.

What is your philosophy in the kitchen?

“Practice brings confidence and perfection”.

What is your favourite Cuisine?

“Asian Fusion”

Which is your favourite cookbook?

“It would have to be ‘The Joy of Cooking’”.

[Editor’s Note: Maya helped test recipes for this book and you’ll find her name on the acknowledgements page. She is too modest to tell you this but I can!].

“I’m also very interested in some of the new books out of Australia. They have a fresh way at looking at flavours, and their recipes are naturally developed with everyday techniques and foods that are readily available. Because of their location, they have experimented a lot with Asian Fusion cooking, which as you know, is my favourite. One of the things that I’ve enjoyed about In Good Taste is exploring new cuisines through the good selection of cookbooks in the store. When I'm looking for a cookbook about a specific technique or cuisine, I usually find that I can save time, because In Good Taste has done the work of selecting the best cookbooks in each area.”

What trends do you see in cooking now?

“For a while, people have said they want to eat healthier but they’re now coming around to the realization that choosing a healthy way of eating is unique to every individual. So I see people now choosing fresh, organic produce and hormone-free meats, all in moderation. I hope this is not just a trend but a way of focusing on the flavors in foods”.

Is comfort food still big?

“Comfort food will always be with us in the sense that comfort food is different things to different people. For example, sushi is comfort food to me because that is what I grew up with and I’ll always love it. This kind of eating is not a trend, but rather a personal choice”.  

Who has inspired you the most?

“Without a doubt it has been Alice Medrich. She really taught me to pay attention, to try things out and really taste foods to make sure they work together. This training has helped me in my recipe development. I experiment with a lot of tastes and then work hard to make the recipes work so that people who use them can be assured that the flavors will be balanced.

What is the next cuisine you want to explore?

“I’m really interested in the Silk Road cuisines. That part of the world has always had the fusion of Asian and Western influences in its history. They also make great use of spices. Because the area has been closed to us for so long, it’s only now that we can truly explore the region’s foods.

“I’m also interested in exploring authentic Hawaiian cooking as my great-grandparents were from Hawaii and it’s time for me to explore another part of my cultural heritage”.

Away from the kitchen, what are your hobbies?

“Gardening, logic games, and numerous activities with my family”.

What ingredients from the garden inspire you the most?

“Fruit fresh from the tree or bush, and fava beans”.

What is the one tool you can’t live without?

“My balloon whisk”.