Marisa Tatangelo Sanchez is owner and head chef at Imagine Restaurant in Corrimal, where she serves modern Italian cuisine. From an Italian background - she was born in Italy but came to Australia at the age of six months - she developed a love for food, and fresh seasonal ingredients, at an early age.
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When did you first get interested in food and cooking?
I've always had a passion for cooking, I just love it. I started when I was a young girl with my mum and dad. We were always making home-made tomato sauce, home-made bread, home-made pasta, fresh herbs, fresh vegetables. We had chickens, rabbits, just name it. We used to roast eggplants and put them in jars with olive oil. We weren't allowed to do anything unless we had the food ready first. My daughter Natalie is a chef, too, she studied under me and then she travelled through Europe last year and landed a job at Jamie's Italian [one of celebrity chef Jamie Oliver's restaurants]. She is even better than me- her food is just beautiful - so you can tell it runs in the family.
Where has your career taken you?
I started at the Spanish Club but not as a chef, as a waitress. I ended up with Don Camillo, doing kitchenhand work. From there I met my husband and we had a restaurant called Jule's Tavern. We had a chef from Luxembourg and I learnt a lot from him. I worked at the Tullimbar Inn, The Treasury, I went to Spain and I worked in a restaurant in Gibraltar as head chef. I worked at Panorama House as well. I worked at The Lagoon for three years and become the head chef there. I also ran Wisemen's Park [Bowling Club] after I left The Lagoon. It was a little bit different but it was mine. I did that for three years until I was able to buy my own restaurant here in Corrimal.
What produce are you enjoying working with at the moment?
We are using a lot of artichoke at the moment, there is some good veal around - we like to use everything fresh, so it depends on what's in season. We have a blackboard menu that we change weekly.
What is one dish at Imagine that everyone should try?
The one dish that everyone likes is the "Chicken Imagine" - it's chicken breast stuffed with mozzarella and bacon, panfried with white wine and finished off with cream. People just love it, they want to lick the plate and I see it happening because since my daughter has come back I have an opportunity sometimes to come out of the kitchen and serve customers.
What do you enjoy most about working in a restaurant?
Well, of course I love cooking. What I love best is when I see the look on the customer's face and how much they have enjoyed their meal. That's what we are there for really, to please the customer.
If you could go anywhere in the world for a meal, where would you go?
What really draws me is Italy and Spain. I just love the freshness - especially our home town in Italy, I was there two years ago and I loved the food, it was so fresh. It's called Sora, Frosinone, near Rome.
CHICKEN IMAGINE
Serves 4
Ingredients:
• 4 chicken breasts
• cup of diced bacon
• cup of shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 nips of dry white wine
• 2 cups of pure cream
Method:
Slice an opening in the thicker part of the chicken breast. Stuff it with the mozzarella and bacon. Close the breast with a toothpick.
Pan fry until golden then turn over and cook further until it is fully cooked, approximately 20 minutes.
Add white wine, salt and cream to pan. Cook until cream thickens and then serve with your favourite vegetables.
Source: Marisa Tatangelo Ferri
