Chefie’s World

[photopress:JJ2_051.jpg,full,alignright]This is the third installment to my healthy two weeks of events that I went through. Last March 14, I was invited by the Nutritionists and Dieticians Association of the Philippines to give a lecture on spa cuisine. It was exciting with loads of work since I had to prepare a tasting set of three dishes for 800 participants, this I had to do for three days with the help of my students based in Davao. Sponsored by California Raisin, I had one of the most nutritious and great tasting dried fruit in all 3 of my recipes. All three I am sharing with you.

So what did I talk about, spa cuisine, healthy eating that’s actually common sense cooking since you remove the use of butter and cream in all the cooking. Also methods of cooking are kept to the simplest without the addition of any oil or fat in the process so poaching (again?), grilling, roasting, cooking in papillote – that’s steam kept inside the paper cooks the food inside. Interesting, right? Even the latest trends in ingredients I also discussed with the new set of grains, like quinoa – a grain with tons of protein that originates from the Andes mountains, couscous becoming so popular now with Moroccan type of stew and the blend of Asian ingredients to increase the flavor of food. I also used a lot of fresh herbs to complement the main ingredient of any dish as oppose to the use of too much salt in the dish. Marination was a technique that I discussed since it was done just before some of the cooking for absorption of the marinade which is needed for better eating for everyone. Salsas, vinaigrettes, yoghurt based sauces are the in thing to use in this type of cuisine.

I like doing something as large as this one to promote healthier methods of eating. A lot of us don’t eat right and it is maybe time that more and more people know about this. When I found out I had diabetes I tried my very best to change a lifestyle that was family based and I get to continue doing it since now I cook for myself and I hope that someday people around me will get infected with it. It is really the cooking that will matter, remove the fat all of it as much as possible.

And here is what I served during the talk. Enjoy the recipes! (more…)

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Early part of January, I was approached by a medical executive asking me if I can cook and demonstrate some healthy food for a launch of a new medicine which, combined with exercise will make you lose weight. As you know, one of the courses I took last year in America was Healthy Cooking and later on, here in Manila, on Spa cuisine. I have researched extensively in this area since I know this will be the trend in the next few years. I obliged and in a week I got to submit a menu that I have done also for some friends here in Manila.

Healthy cooking is easy cooking that removes cream, butter and other saturated fats as an ingredient and method is also changed to those that doesn’t involve so much fat in it. Plenty of grilling, roasting, poaching and fast cooking is done. Flavor is intensified by not adding too much salt but more on the use of flavor enhancers like herbs, spices, pepper. Also by using complimentary taste elements that intensifies the qualities of the main ingredient. Marinating the dishes ahead of time was done for better tasting. A lot of fiber is also used which is very good for our body since it makes us full and is good source of cleaning up our insides.

It was a great dinner to do because it was also a different approach in presenting a medicine to doctors who knew what the benefits of the type of cooking I was doing. Enjoy the recipes and cook them with gusto.
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Never got to post this week, there was just an abundance of work for me, teaching, supervising a buffet and more that I am not allowed to say here. I also got to eat in different restaurants this week but forgot to bring my camera so that’s another reason to visit and savor the good food again. But, I got to go to one of my favorite restaurants this time not waiting for so long to get a table. I had dinner a few nights ago at Conti’s with some friends who entertained me in Koronadal. A simple dinner with old comfort food – I really enjoyed the salad which had grapes a bit frozen and a tangy, sweet dressing, textural approach to a dish in the beginning of a meal makes me think of the other dishes to follow. I had my porkchops with rosemary gravy and it was just right and a paella which was correct in taste and was cooked perfectly. My dinner guests had US Black Angus Ribeye Steak, 250 gms for almost 600 pesos. It was good, cooked to medium and cheap. Conti’s is where can you find a steak with this price.

The baked salmon still activates my taste buds with its simple taste with just the right amount of cheese so as not to overpower the salmon’s delicate flavor, it is still as heavenly as the first time I had it.

For desserts, we opted to have the mango bravo which is composed of a thick meringue encrusted with walnuts and had a chocolate filling, mangoes and lots of whipped cream.
Simply divine and gratifying after a good meal. Got some cheese puffs which you should try since it brings together the saltiness of the kesong puti inside and a sweet glaze brushed on its surface of puff pastry. I gave them to my guests to eat when they get home.

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Just got back from Koronadal City where I visited some bakeshops and observed their methods in baking and presenting their products. I was amazed that traditional methods are still being used even when they are no longer that practical and efficient for commercial use. I’ve also been watching “ Brothers and Sisters, “ a series that tackles that intricacies of family ties which includes sibling rivalries, the other woman and more unresolved mysteries of relationships. The lead star, Sally Fields who is Nora, the mom, loves to cook. And guess what? She has a Kitchen Aid standing mixer which I truly am fascinated with. Some of the latest Dianne Keaton movies always have a Kitchen Aid in tow and some scenes now are either done in the kitchen or in the dining room. Such a lovely place to discuss or quarrel! Hahahaha! My topic today is on cooking and baking tips which I have used for the past hundred of years that I want to share with you.

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Doing a demo is really hard work from recipe conceptualization, preparation and the actual appearance itself. I limited the recipes to healthy dishes since this was what my column in Yummy was all about. It had to be simple for mall goers to understand and ingredients were kept to a minimum. This was essential so that I wouldn’t have a hard time in the buying, measuring and packing them. I also had to showcase the cookware I was using which were non stick pans and stainless pots. I decided on three dishes for the Lenten season and one that was fast to do with pork tenderloin, my meat of choice after the ever reliable chicken.
Well prepared and all, we rushed to Trinoma on one of the busiest days of the year, Valentine’s. Got there just in time to have a quick bite for lunch and to fix everything. I was using an electric range which I had to be accustomed to just before the actual presentation. Greetings and pleasantries were a must for our sponsors and all the people that were part of this. Never a dull moment is my goal, you have to keep the audience or whatever you are doing at the peak of hyperactivity to keep everyones attention. Quiet periods are not allowed because they become a time for your audience to chat or leave.
I always have fun doing demos because of the tons of people I meet as well as the questions they toss which me make me think and make me fully understand that I really love my work. People come to this type of presentation for a number of reasons; to learn a new technique or skill, to eat the food that was just cooked or get freebies, these we were ready for. For an hour and half, I got connected with people from all walks of life who were passionate on cooking food for their family and to ask the most common question on what to substitute what for what….hehehe. I have learned to keep my composure, become more patient and to relax with questions like these. It’s part of the game.
Enjoy the recipes this Lenten season as we sacrifice which should be done….and the ingredients that are now in season…..

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[photopress:IMG_2159.JPG,thumb,pp_image][photopress:IMG_2162.JPG,thumb,pp_image][photopress:IMG_2213.JPG,thumb,pp_image][photopress:IMG_2214.JPG,thumb,pp_image][photopress:IMG_2219.JPG,thumb,pp_image] One of the reasons I was in Davao is because of the chocolate class that only I can teach. You know your chefie is only one of the three recognized Callebaut chocolate instructors here in the Philippines…proud…bow….. have to teach this course almost every three months….and just in the span of two weeks, I have taught it for four times….I am dreaming and sleeping with, on and holding chocolates….But I am still amazed on how a simple cacao bean can have such a distinct, unique and should I say, exquisite flavor that is not synonymous with anything else in the world. It goes through so many processes before it reaches our tongue. Did you know that it must be the couverture type which is a must try, it’s the one with the cocoa butter as fat that melts in the mouth and appears on the hips and thighs. Sorry about that.The class is a basic on chocolate where I do a lecture on the processes that happens from cacao bean to chocolate. Tempering which is the most important stage is then explained well. Chocolate moulding or should I say praline making no nuts involved, goes through a lot of temperature changes. You always get a tempered chocolate then you melt it so it will give you the following; shine or gloss, snap and retraction which is the ability to be removed from it molds. It must then be caught at good and favorable temperatures (depending on the kind of chocolate) where cocoa butter crystals are more stable to have those characteristics then it must be cooled down and reheated again to a certain temperature which is termed “ working temperature “ at this point chocolate can be placed in any moulds or it can be used and will always have the good outcome and physical characteristics. This is the simplest way I can describe it to you my readers. See the pictures. But if you don’t like this part, you can always make truffles which is one of the easiest yet looks expensive chocolate treats I love to make.Just thought of writing about chocolate now and I never thought that Valentine’s Day is next week, and they are related in some way. …..hope to see you somewhere you are not suppose to be in… Enjoy the truffles… (more…)

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The first cookbook I got from Mama was an Italian Classic Cookbook authored by Bugialli, I can not remember the whole name – early onset I guess. In its pages I was swept with the food that everyone is truly enjoying up until now. Yesterday, I had 8 ladies in my class “Classic Pasta Sauces” where one learns the basics of making and cooking Aglio e Olio, Pomodoro, Carbonara, Alfredo, Puttanesca and Pesto. Using good quality and the freshest ingredients are what makes Italian cooking really the best tasting.

With the sauces, comes the true and honest way to cook pasta and for first instructions, one has to read the box and find out how long a certain type of noodles ( 450 gms ) would get cooked. Whatever time is given is only a guideline, you may go over that time or not. Next is the amount of water it will be cooked in, it must be plenty like 4 liters or 16 cups so that the noodles can swim and get cooked faster, there’s about a 100 pasta sticks inside that bag. When the water starts boiling, add a handful of salt, this makes your pasta more porous as it cooks to accept the sauce you will introduce it in. Add the pasta, let it boil again, stir, stir and cook till “ al dente “ – with a little bite, some texture left on the noodle, not soggy and limp like most children enjoy. How do you know this? Get a piece and bite it…in time you will know…..

Good pasta dishes always come best when freshly cooked. Sauces can wait for the noodles but never the other way around since it will dry up and is not worthy of being smothered with a good delicious sauce.

The class lasted for only two hours, done so fast since Italian cooking is very simple. As long as it is done with passion and with good company….where did that come from. Enjoy the recipe for Aglio e Olio!

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