Magalí Cases, "The labor doors that CETT has opened for me have been an important part of the path that has led me to Los Angeles."
Magalí Cases is from Barcelona, although she currently lives in Los Angeles. She studied Bachelor's Degree in Culinary & Gastronomic Sciences at CETT.
Studying at CETT
What led you to study Gastronomic Sciences at CETT UB? What was your formative experience at the University like?
I had always been very interested in cooking and especially in pastry, and I wanted to direct my life to one of these areas. During the education fair in Barcelona, I found the CETT and they told me about the Culinary and Gastronomic Sciences degree and it was as if I had found the perfect career, a mixture of cooking with parts of pastry and tying it all together with management, marketing, and other not so practical subjects. I went home happily, knowing what I would be doing for the next four years of my life.
My experience at CETT was very satisfactory, and although it has been half interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, I can assure you that I am very happy. Whether it was the faculty, the colleagues I met and who are still with me, or the job opportunities that CETT has opened for me, it has been an important part of the path that has brought me here.
How has the knowledge acquired at CETT UB influenced your professional career as a cook in a place as competitive as Los Angeles?
As I said, CETT opens many doors. During my career, I was able to live an experience that made me grow and helped me to want to leave now, which was the Erasmus or exchange. During the last year of my career, I lived six months in Mexico, more specifically in Cancun, and it was one of the best experiences I have had, although at first it was a challenge for me and I thought I could not make it, in the end, I discovered this part of myself that I wanted to travel and see the world.
Professionally, we also left CETT very prepared, having been through several kitchens and bakeries so I can say we ended up with a high technical level and perception of practice. That is to say, I believe that both the practical and theoretical subjects teach us about the reality of the sector and therefore help us to prepare for it. Being here I can notice the difference in terms of preparation and knowledge compared to people from other countries and universities.
CETTWanderlust Los Angeles
How would you describe the gastro scene in Los Angeles, and how is it different from Barcelona or other cities you've worked in?
The Los Angeles gastro scene is based on a mix of cultures and social differences, lots of rich people who can afford any night out, restaurants with an average bill above $100, and people with much lower salaries eating fast food or tacos on the street. (Personally, here I prefer good “street” tacos than a traditional restaurant).
Consequently, the gastronomic offer is adapted to these needs. We can find expensive restaurants of any type of cuisine, Japanese, Spanish, Chinese, Italian, vegan, gluten-free, etc. And we can also find much more affordable restaurants such as the typical American fast foods, in-n-out, McDonald's, chick-fil-A, among others. And, what we can find more frequently are the food trucks of very cheap food, normally Latin American, from Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, etc. This is due to immigration in the country, but more specifically in this city where more than 3% of the population are immigrants.
I think this is one of the main differences to Barcelona and other European cities, the prices and the offers of restaurants as such are focused on people with high incomes, and the people who work in most establishments are not cooks, vocationally speaking, it is simply an easy job to access them by people who need money.
Now that you work at Teleferic Barcelona in Los Angeles, what has it been like to bring the essence of Spanish/Catalan cuisine to an international audience?
I think it is a type of cuisine that adapts very well to this city and in general to California. Teleferic has created an offer with the Spanish essence but adapted to the United States, that is to say, there are things that you could find from Barcelona and you would think that it is not good or that it is not authentic, but you have to take into account that a work of adaptation to the needs and tastes of the Californian population has been done. However, the offer and the service represent well the Spanish cuisine, people like it and they always leave satisfied.
What challenges have you faced in adjusting to life in Los Angeles, both personally and professionally? What has surprised you the most about living in this city
Los Angeles is a very different city from where I used to live, it is a very big city with dangerous areas. On a personal level, I had to create a new routine for myself, because it is difficult to move around on foot. Everything is very separated and there are very marked neighborhoods, there are dangerous streets and you discover that when you live. People here work long hours and live for work, it is a city that is based on the contacts you have and the purchasing power. Everything is very expensive and you must have a car to get around. However, I have met wonderful people with whom we have had spectacular and movie-like experiences.
Professionally, you could say that I have learned to work with all kinds of people and I think this is what I have found most difficult, working in a kitchen with the most colorful characters. What has surprised me the most about Los Angeles is that people don't walk, as a person coming from cities where there are a lot of people who don't have cars, seeing empty sidewalks makes me feel quite repulsed and unsafe.
Thanksgiving Special
We know that Thanksgiving is a deep-rooted tradition in the U.S. Will you now have the opportunity to celebrate it in Los Angeles? If so, could you tell us more about this holiday and its relationship with gastronomy? Is there a typical Thanksgiving dish that has caught your attention or that you like to prepare?
By coincidence of life, last year I had the opportunity to celebrate Thanksgiving in New York City at the home of a friend, Clara Viñas (also a CETT alumni), and it was a very special experience. Thanksgiving Day is very important here, as families and friends get together to give thanks for the things that life has brought them, food, house, work, etc. Typical dishes such as turkey, gravy, mc n cheese, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, green beans, stuffing, etc. are eaten. You could say it's like Christmas lunch with the scud and pot roast. What has always caught my attention is the preparation of the turkey, as it is a very large animal and takes many hours of preparation, what many people do here is order a menu already prepared and pick it up on Thanksgiving Day morning.
Advice for prospective students who dream of working abroad
The most important advice is to do it, to go without thinking too much about it, the experience of living abroad is something that everyone should experience.
Work and save to be able to leave calmly, or work hard when you arrive at your destination, open yourself to people and new experiences, make many friends, participate in all the plans, enjoy every day... I think it all depends on the goal you have, there are people who go to save a lot of money and refrain from making many plans, and others who make many plans and refrain from saving a lot, I recommend finding a balance that allows you to achieve your life goals, but above all that allows you to enjoy the experience.
One last piece of advice is, as far as possible, to do an exchange or Erasmus, as it allows you to see what it's like to live abroad but with the support of the university, which gives you a sense of security that you won't have when you go abroad on your own.