Chefie’s World

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I was in Davao since last Thursday to do a cooking/baking demonstration for Gaisano Mall of Davao. This was requested two months ago and it has finally materialized. You know it usually is before or after Chrismas am I in Davao…I love it…I really like going there except for…………Getting back to the real reason I was there, Friday was just for preparation of the recipe, ingredients and tasting portions to feed at least 250 people who would go and watch. The grocery has been having a display and promotion of Western American products and part of this was my demonstration. I did Rye Pecan Bread, Fruit and Oatmeal Cookies, Fig and Walnut Bars and Honey Corn Muffins, all with products coming from WUSATA which stands for Western United States Agricultural Trade Associations. Although the stage was quite high, I think I was effective in presenting new ingredients to be made in to popular or common baked goodies, variations were also talked about during the events. Since the mall had a midnight sale, we had quite a number of participants and wonderers ( wondering what was going on ) but still wanted a sample of whatever I was presenting. I was helped by four graduates of our Intensive Cooking and Baking Program in Davao who were very efficient, quick and industrious, super sipag, I didn’t have to detail them with the work they had to do. Also, the witches or should I say girls of CACS Davao were there…Tita Butz, Agnes the Witch, Jovie, Yaya Cita came to advertise and market the school. A fulfilling and tiring event just a few days away from the season of plenty. Enjoy the recipes!

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December 20, 2008

I received a text from ironchef jabes if it would be good for him to give my cell number to a kapuso researcher looking for a chef who makes healthy desserts. Of course, during the season of plenty, I obliged and got myself to confirm a shoot without asking permission from the school about it. This was a Sunday and the filming would be the next day. I only had four hours to research – healthy dessert for a talent who wants to eat less this Christmas season. I decided to use the desserts that I taught in a class two dozen full moons ago and it really did give me an idea to be a bit more creative.

It appeared last night and all I can say is I look just like Santa without the white beard but with no neck too. I was so fat on television….I felt blotted but anyway, I enjoyed making the variation para naman hindi siya corny….the main dessert shown was my Mango Fruit Snow but I actually made two more good tasting desserts with less calories, good for you ingredients and very textural so theirs a play in the mouth as they say.

Mango Fruit Snow is a light dessert with a mango gelatine base where meringues was folded in to make it appealing, its like ice cream for people with no teeth. Decorated with strawberries, kiwis and more mango. I am not using too much sugar but a bit of Splenda.

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I am in three food magazines this month, isn’t that a great Xmas gift to have? I am totally elated for these, with all the hard work that I had to do during the whole month of October after arriving from America, all the results are finally showing up. In Food Magazine, my USDA class was featured since it was a poultry class, a new take on what to serve this Christmas season is seen. I didn’t like my picture since it showed a very ugly profile, one with my bald spot together with my triple chin but the food looked great. Also, only one of the recipes is yours truly, all the others were part of my training from foreign chefs which is part of being a USDA chef-trainer. Chef Richard Reuben’s Turkey roll, Chef Andy Gold’s Duck Pate and Chef Pang’s Stuffed Turkey plus my Barbecue Cornish Hen were what I did. My most exciting magazine spread was the Potluck Party section in Yummy magazine, this was a very tiring shoot since had to do the food and take care of the photo session in Ate Cynthia’s house but all disappears when I saw the article, it had great looking pictures, appetizing dishes and gorgeous students. Enjoyed all the emotions showing in the picture especially my shot on the desserts, were you not craving for that mango meringue….Lastly, this one I haven’t seen yet but have a whole post about it….Flavors’ December issue has my Strawberry – Pistachio Cream Cake on the cover and 5 other cakes inside….one of my best dessert compilation is here. It made my week to be featured in three magazines this month. It has really enforced the beauty of what I love to do….Try to get the magazines, it has all of my best recipes compiled during the last 15 years….you know what made me feel so bad? On a visit to a bookstore, I saw an interesting book made by a school and when opened it I saw my Foccacia bread recipe on it, complete as original, no changes in amounts, ingredients nor procedure and the author stated that the recipe belongs to their family. It’s just so devastating that it happened while I was feeling the effects of the three magazine features. Har, har, it’s fine just goes to show how small the world really is….. Enjoy!

Was in the Gavino’s, just loitering at the family room, watching TV when I saw on a cooking show, a chef making his bechamel sauce on a non stick pan with a stainless whisk ….there goes your chemically flavored white sauce… I can’t understand how a teaching chef who owns a cooking school can do this without taking into consideration the teflon that can be part of his salt and pepper.
Yes, I know how it could be a stress filled and tension mounting a TV show can be but you have a staff that can take care of that and you must have someone who is very detailed in stuffs like this.
Training under pastry chef makes you look at all the important minute steps involved in the whole cooking process that becomes part of you. Pastry or baking actually trains a person to become more organized and patient in the whole process of cooking. This has trained me as a chef and it has made me a better cook, thanks to Jill, Mark and Maryanne….as humble as I should be I still call myself a cook because the continuing education is still there and I guess, a chef can never be called a chef because of education or a statement of experience or should I say garnishing. A chef for me, hard to define, has influenced the cuisine of a country and how the people eat….

Just some thoughts….last night got to watch an American show where an artisan chocolatier is now procuring his cocoa beans from the Philippines, this excited me tremendously, finally a company has given proper stature to the good tasting, in-depth flavor and cocoa butter content of our beans. I have been researching from where but I doubt if I will ever be able to find out. Things like this take awhile….remember that we only recently found out that the vanilla bean we have been purchasing from specialty food store that we import from other countries actually is grown and dried in Bukidnon.
Work is coming up this Friday and it won’t stop till the middle of December, a new batch to teach and another 27 personalities to take care of….give me luck and pray for me………..LALA! By the way, I don’t feel Christmas at all, do you?

I am home tonight not doing anything but watching my TV series that I get every week, Grey’s Anatomy, Private Practice, Brothers and Sisters and Dirty Sexy Money ( the modern Falcon Crest ). Yes, I am a mini series junkie, I used to watch and get the betamax episodes of Dallas, Knots Landing and Falcon Crest and I am doing it again. It seems that my life is going on a rewind with these new series just like what is happening to fashion and I guess, to all our lives. I don’t know. I just enjoy digesting all these series because it talks so much about life or should I say because it’s something to talk about when I’m in a gathering. Hahaha….I’m also reading a great book about wine, “ The Billionaire’s Vinegar” which I started reading when I was on the plane going home to Manila but never got to finish it and now, restarting it again. Before this I read a book about designer stuffs entitled “Deluxe”, it goes through the insides of companies, the whole set up system. It was a joy to read, exciting…..

It has been hell of a week, after Baguio, Apple, my driver didn’t go to work due to a false sore eyes problem, he said that it was so red so I was the scared one, I told him not to go to work for around 5 days because if I got sick they would have a bigger problem. Then Shiny got sick, well Shiny is my car, he is kinda old already 7 years and that’s old for car age, have to sell him soon but he moves just fine….had him fixed and he was well, gets me everywhere I have to go and not as flashy as others…hehehe….and I was back to driving for myself which was awesome since I had a feeling a forgot that certain skill.

What I loved the most was staying in the Gavino’s house…you know that this house always has food around and I was welcome to be there. I can do whatever I wanted and it has the biggest kitchen ever….haha…just like our old place, there was food for everyone at anytime of the day, Mama can feed 50 people. We had food in the freezer and sometimes I would ask friends to come over just to finish it.

Anyway, great finds this week…..there are tons of good books in the second hand store – Book Sale, even they had Cook’s Illustrated at 30 pesos which is really really cheap. If you got the cash or the plastic, Fully Booked has over a dozen new books worth looking into, Shirley Corriher’s Bakewise ( the sequel to the Cookwise ), Jacques Torres’ new book on Chocolates and a lot more. I purchased too much that I don’t have time to even read them but good when I have to do research….Ate in Zuni with Liane, food is really good and reasonable but come to think of it we were both hungry so have to eat there again…no pictures, forgot as Dina would say, I’m in denial….Had dessert in Pia Y Damaso, her Passion Fruit Pie was heavenly although the crust was a bit tough but enjoyed the orange chocolate mousse….My dinner by the way is comfort food, Savory Chicken with the fried saba and yang chow fried rice with guava juice….sarap..

So the chef is human too just like all of you….while watching Private Practice, a discussion made me think and it was on what we dream to be or to have, sometimes it doesn’t really seem to happen, so the best thing to do is just to let it go and dream something else…I have a feeling it’s true for some….let’s learn from that…..

PS. To my readers who leave messages with aliases, I would really appreciate if you could mention your real names….

To Bertie…thanks…yes, I always treasure the wonderful childhood we have….our eating binges in Baguio…there was a reason for that…maybe for you to eat more egg or just to have a break away from your mom. The blog keeps us together….I don’t have to make you realize how important you are to me…..

To Biena ……..continue the baking….make mistakes since you do better with the mistakes….joke….but try to read the recipe twice…..and continue fulfilling your dreams…

To all my readers…………friends, cousins, students, love ones, whoever you are….my heart is with you…..a good writer once told me that my blog contained so much of myself, she felt like I was talking while she was reading it, that’s the way it is suppose to be …….with a double chin…..hehhehhe…look at the new Yummy November edition, I look Jaba, the hunt (don’t know if this is right ) in a colorful Paul Smith shirt……harharhar……, as usual…yaya…..

November 9, 2008

We ate dinner as a family today….the Gavino and Javier Family – all complete, the 12 of us. Remember the picture in Japan with nephews and nieces plus a set of two couples, that’s Kuya Titong and Ate Cynthia, Kuya Teboy and Ate Althea….we all met in Choi’s Garden, the former Country Waffle in Annapolis. The restaurant looks like a studio right out of the movie, Get Smart with James Bond sidings as well as modern Chinese and super baduy chandelier that sparkles to the max, even the stair railings were glass, what can you say? The food was generally good, my Chinese students told me that the pigeon was good but be careful with the msg which I didn’t feel the effects of after having a 10 course dinner. I enjoyed the shrimp roll which was wrapped in bihon and then fried – hard to eat but great for presentation, the squid and mushroom stir fry was different but excellent in taste and texture, their yang chow had lots of “sahog” and tasty but a bit oily for my tongue and for my face….the second way for the Peking duck, the minced duck meat with lettuce wrap was awesome, never had anything as good as this, had smoky, burnt flavor. Other dishes we had are tried and tested ones that are also offered in some Chinese places like steamed prawns and lapulapu …Food is always the best when you share it with the people you love…I was just happy sharing a Coke with Ate and having my nephew, JL having fun with my Yaya jokes, seeing my eldest niece, Karla who I don’t see as often as I should….This was one of those nights I would not trade for anything other.

Asianong Pastel

I made this dish for a leading condiments company but I have modified it a bit for better flavor and flair….

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I just took a four day vacation with the Gavino family to Baguio City. It was a peaceful, restful and no stress weekend with family and friends, Vlad and Teresa Reyes. JL, Joey and myself left early Friday morning at 3 am and got to the Pine City at 7 am, that was fast since there was no traffic and we took the new Tarlac-Subic Expressway. Got there just in time for breakfast with Kuya Titong, Ate Cynthia and Sarah who got their four days before us. After breakfast, took a long nap since there was very little sleep for us before the trip. After which, picked up Vlad and Teresa in the Victory Liner Stop, they took the premium airconditioned bus that I took last year when I did a demo in Baguio with the whole USDA team. I noticed that the city is really getting polluted with such a big number of jeeps, tricycles and buses going around the city, it was just normal to have a city that smells this way. That’s the reason I love staying in Baguio Country Club since I do feel the old Baguio here with all the pine trees, blooming flowers – they have milflores all over the driveway and all the good comfort stuffs that make it our vacation destination years ago. I realized there is not that much good restaurants to eat here or I was just too lazy to go around….What’s new that I got to see there….here’s a list:

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[photopress:USA_AprMayJune2007_142.jpg,full,pp_image]the night before my birthday, after having a feast at Jean-Georges’ in the Trump Plaza at Columbus Circle

[photopress:USA_AprMayJune2007_026.jpg,full,centered]Patrick, Thad and myself during my birthday last year in Prune Bistro in Manhattan.

A friend passed away, a close friend I haven’t talked to for some time because I was away and I have been busy. It’s like a dream again. It’s like eight years ago when I lost my mama and papa. My friend was good at his job, so magnificent, organized and ready to face any new project given him. I didn’t know what happened I just lost him…..
But in sadness there is happiness at the end, he is without pain and the beauty of his being is now everlasting….

Thank you, Patrick for sharing with me a part of yourself….for taking care of me and Thad while we were in the States last year, for giving me the courage to do all that you offered me because you believed so much in my ability. I know you are smiling at me right now.

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It was only mentioned to me a few days before Sunday, but I would be in school anyway since I had my fifth baking session with my skills class. No one could find out so I kept my mouth shut. I only told very close people to me, that’s my Ate, JL, Joey and Sarah, they responded with, “ Who is he anyway?” that’s what I get from people who just love to eat….I also gave a hint to my class that there was going to be a special guest in the restaurant today but never said who it would be, so much drama and secrecy over one person who up till now I am not revealing to all of you. Well, the school was visited by Mr. Kitchen Confidential himself, Anthony Bourdain. Through the kindness of Judai Santos, she wanted the feature done on her to include Chef Gene Gonzales and of course, the school. Even as a bystander during this whole event, it was glorious, they were all preparing for the food for the shoot as well as for a light dinner..

When he arrived, I was briefly introduced to him and all I can say was, heheh…funny but Chef Gene was doing all the talking, it was his moment and I didn’t want to get it from him. The shoot was for his show “ No Reservations” , their episode would talk about different Filipino dishes with some flair and grace on it so some Spanish influenced food were presented and eaten during the more than 40 minutes of eating and talking. Judai was beautiful and charming, thin and just right….no one could hear what they were talking about but what was most important is that we, Filipinos and our food will surely be recognized because of this show. After the long shoot, we had some book signing with all my artista students Beth, Janice and China, I’m enclosing what he signed in my books and had a light dinner with good premium San Miguel Beer. I hear Tony doesn’t stay and eat after a shoot but he did linger and eat with gusto the Cocido that Simon and Vince prepared together with Tarta de Madrid, Tocino del Cielo and Leche Flan using Carabao’s milk. I got to say good bye too and shake his hand again, and his last words were,

“ Thank you, chef!” …..Bobby Chin is next but I can’t make it to this one….have a big dinner to prepare for…

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I am so loaded with work the past few days, I have class everyday and tons of meeting with people wanting more information about the food business. I have also been savouring good wine the past three days since I have been dining out, the other night at Le Regalade with old chef friends, then with Gino and the students, and last night with my Ate Cynthia andsome great friends who just want to hang around. Forget about the present and let’s talk about the food I ate in New York, it wasn’t as eventful as that of last year but I had a share of worthy to write about food eating….

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