Behind-the-scenes of Carl Co Catering
Carl Boumerhi presents mouth-watering Lebanese and Italian flavours like you’ve never tried before!
When Carl Boumerhi was a young child, he’d sit with his mum and grandmother playing with dough and asking questions as they cooked.
The eldest grandchild growing up in a traditional Lebanese household, he was surrounded by knowledge, flavours, and family members happy to entertain his cooking curiosities.
It’s no wonder then, that after dipping his toes in the corporate world as an adult, Carl decided to instead turn to his true passion and pursue a career in food.
“My passion for food comes from my mum and my grandfather,” Carl says. “It’s about connecting my roots with flavours – the different flavours remind me of different parts of Lebanon.”
Having owned two cafes and a restaurant, Carl is now the mastermind behind Carl Co Catering – where he wears two equally impressive hats.
“I’m Carl Co when I’m doing Lebanese catering and I’m Carlo Cocino when I’m doing Italian food,” Carl laughs.
He was first introduced to Italian flavours through his university friends. Little did they know that Carl would go on to perfect Italian cuisine as if he were of Italian descent.
“I’ve gotten some really good feedback from my Italian friends,” he says. “People have asked me, “Are you sure there’s no Italian in you?”. Maybe in my past life, I don’t know. I have a big soft spot for making pasta and especially making sauces from scratch.”
On the Italian front, Carlo’s go-to dish is a creamy sauce boscaiola, as well as arancini’s. Though, he says the biggest hit among Minifarms Members is the beef lasagne.
“It’s all about the layering. The pasta sheets, the mince meat, the mozzarella, the parmesan, and the béchamel sauce. I think I ate two containers of it myself!”, he says.
Carl, on the other hand, can’t go past the Lebanese kofta and potato dish, which is done in the oven with a red tomato sauce, infused with Lebanese herbs and spices and enjoyed with a side of Lebanese rice with egg noodles.
“It’s my favourite thing to make. It’s simple and easy but the flavours are amazing. It reminds me of my grandmother in Lebanon,” he says.
Minifarms Members have been loving his Lebanese chicken and rice, which is infused with chargrilled chicken breast stock that’s boiled with cinnamon, cumin, and cardamon, and complete with roasted pine nuts and almonds.
Whether or not you’ve already tried Carl Co Catering’s Lebanese or Italian delights, you need to stay tuned for more.
“I try not to repeat things, there’s always more to come,” Carl says. “I don’t get bored of cooking new things!”
His tip to anybody curious about trying one of his dishes is to not be afraid to try give it a go, even if it’s not your go-to. You’ll be beyond pleasantly surprised!