'Out of the kitchen and closer to the guests!’ was the Chefs Trophy motto when Anika won Junior Show Cook of 2017. She has continued to delight guests at the Lufthansa Seeheim, where she is Chef de Partie. She is a trainer at the ICA Frontcooking Academy in Hadama, Germany, and appears regularly at the WÜSTHOF Knife Skills Academy.
Whenever she can, she packs her bags and sets off to try out new waters for a few hours of wild swimming. "Where do I get my energy? When I see a satisfied face of someone who relishes my food. I know my efforts have been worthwhile."
"As a show cook, I'm performing in a number of ways at once. It's not enough just to cook well – preparation and plating must be staged in an exciting and appetising manner. I have to be able to rely blindly on my knives."
"The Performer Santoku is my absolute favourite. It has a captivating appearance. It sits very comfortably in my hand and it glides effortlessly through food. Nothing sticks, all the ingredients just slide right off my blade. Extremely useful when I'm working fast. And also a beautiful effect for my show."
"That delicate sound when my blade glides through an ingredient is a the best moment for me, creating total relaxation while I am working. I especially love this when I'm working with chives, because an additional effect comes into play: first, I hear how the blade dives into the green stems and then I see small, perfectly cut green rings bounce off the blade, a performance that always puts a smile on my face."
"My cooking style is quite straightforward and healthy: I like to charm people with great ingredients. For me, cooking is a pleasure, my passion and what I do best. When I'm cooking, I discover endless possibilities. Whether I'm show cooking, or training others, or cooking as Chef de Partie, in the kitchen I feel free. I have the best of all worlds."
