"I have been dreaming for a long time of opening a typical Canarian restaurant." This is how Luna Zacharias, the Lanzarote contestant of MasterChef, expresses herself, who affirms that being part of the eighth edition of the program is being an "incredible and magical" experience.
"It is something that I am enjoying very much, as if it were a candy, and savoring it slowly because I know that at some point it will end," says the conejera, who recognizes that reaching the final is going to be "very complicated." "I am going to enjoy the road as far as I have to go," she says.
In an interview she has given to La Voz de Lanzarote, Luna Zacharias reveals what her star dish is, what her favorite corners of Lanzarote are and how she is currently experiencing the confinement due to the coronavirus pandemic, which even forced the recording of the program to stop, when the final was yet to be filmed.
"When we are allowed to record, we will resume the recordings normally, following, of course, all the recommendations of the health authorities," they have indicated in this regard from the production company.
- Why did you decide to apply for the casting to become a contestant on MasterChef 8?
- I didn't even have time to think about it. It was from one moment to another. I was with in Lanzarote recording a project, which I still can't talk about. I was there recording when my mother had to go to Almería to visit my grandmother, who was ill. I stayed with my father and, to reassure my mother, I recorded videos of what I cooked for my father. One day my aunts started encouraging me to apply. I went to the casting website to make a joke and send my aunts a screenshot via whatsapp. The casting was open and, like crazy, I signed up. I never imagined they would contact me. One thing led to another and, suddenly... I'm here. I hadn't thought about it. I was never a follower of the program, it's bad to say. I had seen it in passing, especially MasterChef Junior, which my mother liked very much. But that's it, I didn't know anything else.
- How did your passion for cooking arise and what other hobbies do you have besides cooking?
- My passion for cooking arose when I became aware that we are what we eat. That's when I realized the positive impact that food has on my body. It was a way to connect even with myself. Getting into the kitchen was almost a way to meditate. Healthy cooking and yoga helped me a lot. When I go to Lanzarote I love to take my van and my surfboard to escape to the beach with my brother. I play volleyball with him, which I love. In Madrid I usually go to the Retiro to do sports. Yoga, which is fundamental in my life, and reading.
- How is your experience on the program going and what are you going to contribute to it?
- My experience is being incredible and magical. It is something that I am enjoying very much, as if it were a candy, and savoring it slowly because I know that at some point it will end. I am enjoying it in every sense. The adrenaline, the nerves, the tension, the happiness... This program is like a roller coaster and I am enjoying every sensation. I will try to contribute courage, desire, passion, effort, positivity, affection and support. I want to give everything and more.
- What do you think of the fact that most of the media are talking about a possible romance between you and Alberto after the first broadcast of the program? Are you worried that this is what has given the most to talk about your participation, when it is not usual in a program like MasterChef?
- When I saw Alberto for the first time in one of the castings I thought he was very cute, but that's it. It turns out that the universe put him in front of me in the last selection test and there was feeling. We are friends and we get along very well.
- In the first program, you opted for a dish with Canarian flavors, a banana burger with fried sweet potato and goat cheese, with which you got the white apron becoming an aspirant of MasterChef 8 but what is your star dish?
- Old fish baked with potatoes and onions (from the Lanzarote countryside).
- Do you see yourself as the winner of MasterChef 8?
- No way! This year I see a lot of talent in the kitchens and a lot of level among my colleagues. Either I get my act together or I get my act together. I am going to try to grow and evolve, because nothing would make me more excited than to be in the final, but the truth is that it is very complicated. I am going to enjoy the road as far as I have to go.
- Would you like to be able to open your own restaurant in the future?
I would love to, it's something I've been dreaming of for a long time. I already have it planned and I hope it will be soon. It would be something typical Canarian, which I am passionate about, with elaborate cuisine and a lot of flavor. I would set it up in Madrid. It's my dream. I also dream of having a book. When I had my Youtube channel of yoga and healthy cooking, which no one watched, I got motivated with the recipes. At that moment I started dreaming of writing a book with healthy and easy recipes for everyone, which will be called something like: 'Foods rich in good humor'. It would be another of my dreams.
- In your MasterChef profile it is highlighted that you have made your first steps as an actress. What work have you done in this world? Do you prefer the world of acting, the world of cooking or would you like to be able to combine both?
- Now I am madly in love with cooking, I love it. MasterChef is making me believe that this can be a beautiful future for me. I would be happy and that is the important thing, that in the work you do not look at the clock to see how much you have left to run out. I see myself setting up something, as I said, but I do not close the door to the world of acting. If an opportunity arises in the future to work as an actress I would not say no. I am in that tune in which I say yes to everything. I would try to combine it.
- You currently live in Madrid but do you still maintain a relationship with Lanzarote? What do you like most about the island?
Yes, I live in Madrid and I love this city madly. I love the center and I am passionate about the madness of people in the center, how it is lived and the energy of the city. It is true that there are times when I need to go to Lanzarote. I try to go frequently because I love it. It is true that I am pure nerve and there are times when I need the madness of Madrid. What I like most about Lanzarote is Famara and that straight road and see the landscape. It is an image that I always have present.
- And now, how are you living the confinement and the current situation due to the coronavirus pandemic?
I am fine and it is helping me to reconnect with myself. I am cooking a lot these days and every morning I do yoga. The truth is that it is being easy for me, although there are times when I am aware of the magnitude of this pandemic and it is very sad. I am looking forward to the world healing, evolving, growing and that after this we will be more human. With my mother we have done meditation to send light to the whole planet, which needs it at this time.
