Nour Maaffer, a 27-year-old Moroccan-born chef, has been awarded the «Chef Beyond Tradition» prize at the Grande Cucina Talent Prize 2024. The award, sponsored by Casa Marrazzo, recognizes her exceptional work with tomato-based dishes at the prestigious Ceresio 7 restaurant in Milan, where she serves as a junior sous chef. According to Corriere della Sera, Maaffer's journey began in Beni Mellal, a city in north-central Morocco, before moving to Sesto San Giovanni, Italy, at the age of seven. Teresa Marrazzo, representing the Salerno-based Casa Marrazzo company, cited Maaffer's «extraordinary work in enhancing tomato-based dishes» as the key factor in her selection among young chefs. Currently working under chef Elio Sironi at Ceresio 7, Maaffer has risen through the ranks after three years of apprenticeship, including experience at La Madonnina clinic's restaurant. Her signature dish, spaghetti al pomodoro, has become one of the restaurant's most requested items. Looking ahead, Maaffer plans to open her own establishment combining Moroccan and Italian cuisines, drawing on her dual cultural heritage and professional experience in Italian gastronomy.
