Portugal’s Top TV Chefs By Bruce Joffe & Russ Warren Like them or loathe them, eagerly await their programs or run to switch channels the moment they appear, one can’t help but agree that these are among the most popular presenters of food and recipes on Portuguese television.
of the Panorama Restaurant at the Sheraton Lisboa Spa and Hotel.
Along with other chief cooks (who never are the bottlewashers), Henrique Sá Pessoa, Tía Cátia, Filipa Gomes, Jamie Oliver, and Nigella Lawson all—for one reason or another— host standout programs on the 24Kitchen Portuguese TV channel owned by the Walt Disney Company.
At a time when some chefs spend more time on television than in the kitchen, Henrique Sá Pessoa ironically remains one of the faces most widely recognized by the general public, thanks to his popular TV series. But the reality of his restaurants continues to absorb most of his time.
Henrique Sá Pessoa The Portuguese chef with two Michelin stars continues on 24Kitchen! Like previous seasons of Comtradição, this new adventure through the flavors of traditional gastronomy also aims to challenge the recipes Pessoa has encountered in other countries with small changes in the ingredients and cooking processes, in order to give them a different and modern touch.
From there, he took the step toward television with programs such as Entre Pratos and Ingrediente Secreto.
The best-known and well-liked among Portugal Living Magazine readers, Pessoa is probably the best example of the new generation of Portuguese chefs. He has charted a solid, intelligent course, taking calculated risks and showing a clear desire to communicate to clients why Portuguese cuisine is worthy of much greater attention abroad.
photo: Pinto-Lopes-Viagens
After two seasons dedicated to Portuguese gastronomy, Comtradição is now a more international version. This time, chef Henrique Sá Pessoa proposes to recreate, always with an original touch, some of the most popular recipes from countries where he has lived, visited, or worked. Comtradição Pelo Mundo takes a step forward, expanding the spectrum of recipes beyond borders and exploring the tastiest delicacies of world cuisine. Henrique Sá Pessoa took a cooking course at the Pennsylvania Institute of Culinary Arts in the city of Pittsburgh, USA, between 1996 and 1997. His professional career began in London, at the prestigious Park Lane Hotel in Piccadilly, where he stayed through 1999. He then flew to Australia, where he worked at the Sheraton on the Park in Sydney, involved in several sections of the hotel’s kitchen. He returned to Portugal in 2002, working at Lapa Palace, Restaurante Cirpiani, and Restaurante Xarope in Cascais; La Villa on Tamariz beach; Bairro Alto Hotel, and Restaurante Flores. In 2005, he won the Chef Cook of the Year Competition, the most prestigious cuisine award in Portugal. Until 2008, he was responsible for the cuisine
Tía Cátia (Tía) Cátia Goarmon was born in Lisbon in 1972. As the youngest of four siblings, the kitchen was where she dedicated herself to making a difference within the family, having cooked for everyone since she was little, and learning the most practical tricks, the most original recipes, and a taste for inventing, making, and surprising— photo: 24Kitchen first her brothers, then the Portuguese. Cátia graduated with a degree in Marketing and Communication, working in the pharmaceutical industry in the areas of licensing communication and marketing. She applied to be a contestant on MasterChef Portugal after being unemployed. It was there that she stood out, not in her professional aptitude, but for her natural talent. Her friendliness, joy, and ability did not go unnoticed by the Portuguese who, from day one, felt kinship with her, thus becoming one of the most popular contestants in this contest. Since then, Cátia has presented one of the most-watched cooking television programs by the Portuguese: Os Secretos da Tia Cátia. It is there that she continued to captivate— through the art of the kitchen—her practical spirit and charm, which is reflected in each recipe she invents, in each tip she shares, and in every Portuguese dish that she cooks. Summer 2022 59
