Ryan Hopkins | July 9, 2024
Chef Carol Gomba-Raphesu popularly known as Lroca was born and raised in Pretoria Mabopane, she’s a mother of two and is the eldest of three siblings. Went to varsity but did not study culinary arts, worked in the banking industry until she resigned and opened a catering company.
“I have always been fascinated by food” Said Lroca. Started cooking at the age of 12 and since then cooking for people has been my way of spreading love, I taught myself a lot of recipes with the help of my aunt. However, I knew I needed professional training which is why I decided to enrol at Capsicum Culinary studio in Pretoria and study to become a chef. Food has become my love language, I love the joy it brings to people.
I have multiple careers which include being a Chef, Content creator, a wedding dress designer, wedding DJ, catering for big and small events and, also provide training for kasi small restaurants and individuals. However, I’m mostly passionate about food, which is why my content creation is focused on food.
I have a Youtube channel and social media platforms such as Instagram, tiktok and facebook under the brand name “Food According to Lroca” where I create recipes and post them. I initially created my channel to save recipes for my kids to have forever, secondly I wanted my audience to have a visual recipe hub, where they can come to the channel and get recipes that are soulful, easy to make and can be created in the comfort of their kitchens without a hassle.
I would describe my cooking style as soul food because I always aim to touch souls with my cooking, I want people to feel the love put into every dish with every bite they take. Because not only do I cook with love, I also use quality spices and herbs, in fact quality fresh ingredients.
My biggest responsibility as a chef in a kitchen is ensuring food safety and quality. A chef has to maintain a clean and hygienic environment. Ensure proper food handling, storage, preparation techniques, developing and implementing of recipes, kitchen policies, procedures and menus that meet quality standards.
Not forget managing inventory and ordering supplies to maintain freshness and quality. Ensuring consistent flavor, texture, and presentation of dishes. When it comes to kitchen staff conflicts, constant communication is important in making certain that, everyone knows their responsibility and does what is required at the right time it is required, so the kitchen can operate smoothly.
A lot of people think, because one is a chef they are automatically a caterer which is far from the truth. There are so many fields to venture into as a chef. You can become a food stylist, content creator, a product developer, food critic or private chef amongst others. The opportunities are endless.
What is the difference between a professional cook and a chef?
While both professionals work in the culinary industry, there is a distinction between a professional cook and a chef:
Professional Cook:
Typically has training or experience in a specific type of cuisine or cooking technique. May work in a specific role, such as a line cook, prep cook, or pastry cook. Focuses on executing recipes and cooking tasks. May not have the same level of creativity or menu planning responsibilities as a chef.
Chef:
Typically has advanced training, such as a culinary qualification or apprenticeship. Has a broad range of culinary knowledge and skills, including menu planning, kitchen management, and food safety. Often has creative control over menu development and dish design.
The biggest lesson I have learnt thus far would be that team work and communication make the dream work and that when people work together as a team they are able to produce great service and beautiful food.
When I started in the culinary world my goal was to advance the skills I had while, expanding my knowledge which through the years of hard work and patience I believe I have accomplished, and am more inspired than I was in the beginning.
My aspirations for the future not only include growing in the digital space, but also developing recipes, content creation and training of catering staff. I want to spread my knowledge and skills as much as I possibly can and maybe a recipe book or 2. And to the young people interested in going into the culinary world go for it, learn as much as possible and remember if you have passion for food then the sky is the limit.
You can follow me on the following social platforms :
Tiktok, Youtube, Instagram and Facebook : “Food According to Lroca”
I can be contacted via DM, I will gladly respond.