‘Success takes hard work and drive, but you also need talent’

TV celebrity chef Farah Quinn is dishing up sizzle and substance for foodies in their living rooms. After many years in the United States, where she studied business, earned her stripes as a pastry chef and ran a restaurant, Farah came home on holiday in 2008 with her husband and son before starting a new job, and – voilà! – her good looks, cooking skills and endearing American lilt got her noticed. So it was goodbye to America and hello to her own TV cooking show, where she whips up meals in far-flung corners of the archipelago. With a growing number of fans, Farah is no flash in the pan: Next up is her cookbook, Farah Quinn’s Healthy Recipes for a Healthy Family. “It’s pretty much the healthy food I cook for my family,” she says, adding she abides by a white-is-not-right policy when it comes to her pantry. That means no processed flour or refined sugar in her home cooking, replaced by natural sweeteners of honey, pure maple syrup, fruit purées and juices.

illustration by Martin Dima

My mood right now …
Super happy.

What I like most about living in Jakarta …
Being so close to my family.

And can't stand …
Traffic and pollution.

When I was a kid, I always …
Loved to watch my mom baking, and I loved how she would let me be part of the process either by decorating or playing with the dough.

I knew cooking was my passion when …
I realized that I felt so happy being in the kitchen and it occurred to me that my TV was always tuned to the Food Network.

Studying business taught me …
That it takes a lot more than merely being creative to be successful in business.

Success for me is …
Being happy in what you do.

Success takes hard work and drive, or is talent the bigger factor?
Hard work and drive are essential, but without talent you’ll never truly be successful in your field.

I stay slim by …
Eating healthy and working out.

The talent I wish I had …
Singing.

I laugh at …
The randomness of the things I see in my daily life.

And cry at …
Touching moments.

I would never …
Be a singer.

I'm annoyed when …
Things aren’t running on schedule.

People would be surprised to know that …
I am tan by choice.

If music is the food of love, then food is …
The music of my life.

The love of my life …
My son, Armand Quinn.

When all else goes wrong, I can always rely on …
Coming home to my beautiful family.

The most surprising moment from my travels …
When I realized that some people can live so simply yet be so happy, and even though they have so little they are still willing to share with me.

I'm bored by …
Insincerity.

My friends are …
Chocolates and diamonds.

I was happiest when …
I gave birth to my son.

My guilty pleasure …
I am the biggest durian lover.

Traveling around Indonesia has shown me …
That this is a beautiful and diverse country that has so much potential.

And living in different places in the world has taught me …
To take the best of all cultures and learn from them.
The best part of being a celebrity …
It opens so many doors for me.

And worst …
You always have to smile and be friendly, no matter how you feel.

I lie when …
I never lie.

My three dream dinner guests …
Bill Clinton, Jude Law and Benazir Bhutto, because I adore them. Bill is awesome, there would be some very cool conversation at the dinner table. I think Jude is super cute, I would cook him dinner any time. And Benazir was a woman I really looked up to.
I would serve grilled red snapper with dabu-dabu sauce and coconut rice, and for dessert, pandan-steamed cake with palm sugar caramel.

My luckiest break came …
After I gave birth to my son. He was born in the Year of the Golden Pig, which is believed to bring luck and fortune.

My favorite music …
Deep house and indie pop.

And favorite book …
Love in the Time of Cholera, by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

My greatest fear …
Domestic flights.

In 20 years I will be …
Enjoying life and cooking in my kitchen for my loved ones.

My life motto …
Realize what you want and go after it.

+ Bruce Emond
Illustration by Martin Dima

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