Chefie’s World

[photopress:USA2008_071.jpg,full,centered] your chefie with Alain Sainhac

[photopress:USA2008_028.jpg,full,centered] Jacques Pepin, moving fast I couldnt get a good picture

[photopress:USA2008_002.jpg,full,centered] my idol, James Peterson…

When you are in New York, you can see a lot of things, some you don’t want to see. I got the thrill of my life years ago when I saw Don Johnson hailing a cab in 5th Avenue carrying a Gap bag, I couldn’t even say anything or shout at my mom who was a few yards away from me. Then on the same day, I saw Mariel Hemingway walking her dog in Central Park. This trip I really wanted to see some celebrities so I went on a walking marathon….I just walked and walked and it has been two weeks of walking and no celebrities to catch until………..while visiting Payard Patisserie and Bistro, out from a Jaguar, the beautiful Catherine Deneuve, how regal and graceful and she was just getting out of the car….heheheh….then while I was walking in Madison Avenue in search of a David Yurman Store….guess who was strolling….a Pinay walking a dog but you know what even if I smile at them, they don’t smile back or at least nod the least….most of the Filipinos I saw in New York were not friendly, and I was. Only this Pinoy couple was courteous and I instantly befriended them while I was in the subway, all of us with a big Century 21 shopping bag chatting about how our day was. The eternal question was where to eat good food in Manhattan that’s not expensive…and my answer was Angus Hamburger in Mcdonald’s – it was so good, my underwear fell….( Pinoy translation should be common to you.) When I get home to my hotel and I feel hungry, one piece of my Angus Burger is just right to make me fall asleep.

Yes, I got to see Jacques Pepin, Alain Sailhac and James Peterson, they were very friendly and I could feel so much energy from their presence. They were idols to behold, admire and just stare at, which was what I did most of the time, so Pinoy of me.

While walking in Broadway, Soho area, strolling like a true winner was Fashion Runway’s winner Christian Siriano. I wanted to ask for an autograph but with what I saw, I think it was not one of his good days….

That’s it, my people sights later I write about my food sightings and how I miss Manila while I was in New York and now, how I miss New York now that I am back here………..

I should have done this a week ago, I love to procrastinate… I’ve been back here in Manila for almost 10 days and have hibernated for some time, not letting anyone know that I am once again here, the jet lag has been so bad, only in the last couple of days that it has slowly disappeared. I never really mentioned to you where I was ….I took a trip to New York, New Jersey and Washington DC to renew ties that must be done. My brother and his family stay in Princeton and I decided last year that I would try my best to visit him every year while I still can. During the whole period, I ate, drank and filled my brain with new methods, learning insights to this world I am in.

(more…)

My dear readers,

Right now, I’m off in some distant common country – learning and having a grand vacation time. And of course, eating! hehehe.

I will post more stories, pictures and recipes soon.

Also, I would like to thank you all for the love and support. Because of you, I was mentioned in one of the most influential blogs for 2008.

http://www.influentialblogger.net/2008/07/week-13-top-10-emerging-influential.html

Again, thank you so much!!

[photopress:IMG_0649.jpg,full,pp_image]

If you look at the description of my blog it states that it will make you go through the life of a chef, his experiences, trials and others….so what have I’ve been doing the past month….tons of work that posting wasn’t a priority or that I didn’t have the inspiration to do any writing since all my time was and is spent on teaching…and other events of the day. The joy of teaching sometimes takes its toll but not in teaching itself but in other areas I love doing, I stopped blogging, exercising and you might say, have a life…since there are so much lives I have to educate, shower and share my learnings and insights while they share their own lives with me. I just started three sections of pastry classes three weeks ago and it has again energized me to do what I truly enjoy the most. Over 50 students with different personalities are slowly sharing a part of themselves and in the process I realize what the real reason for them being a part of the class really is. So much activeness, energy and vitality in all of them, I hope.
I also realize that since cooking is still the main objective of their course, pastry is not a skill they really like and would rather just pass it, but I really ask for something more. They still have to at least to fulfill certain standards and pass it. Some students even realize that pastry is a part of culinary that they enjoy and are thinking of pursuing as a career.
Aside from all these work, I also had a short overnight trip to Davao, to attend my student’s legacy buffet dinner…I had to since they sent me the ticket but most of all they were touched by me…Hahaha…it was a very successful dinner, well planned and organized and beautiful interiors with an ambience just right for good dining. I congratulate them, Batch 5 of our Certificate Program, thanks Allyne for bringing me back to Davao for making me feel that there are people who are true to their word and will do their best in any endeavor.
After seven months, I asked a former friend to return some books and things I wanted back. Happily, he replied but never returned them until the intervention of another friend. I try my best to keep my word, every favor I do as much I can, if I can help, I help but when a person expresses a thought and there must be action done, I usually take that very seriously, and that’s what makes us all professionals…why can’t other people be just like that….that’s why it’s a former…..
I don’t want to waste my time with all these people who have nothing else to pursue but to use other people, I have grown this old not to face them but who I am to judge that’s why real friends never leave you, others come and go.

[photopress:collage.jpg,full,pp_image]
(more…)

[photopress:SALABISTRO_001.jpg,full,centered]Mozzarella Salad

[photopress:SALABISTRO_006.jpg,full,centered]Roast Beef Sandwich

[photopress:SALABISTRO_008.jpg,full,centered]Roasted Fennel and Prawn Pasta

[photopress:SALABISTRO_011.jpg,full,centered]Sticky Date Pudding with Caramel Sauce, Vanilla Ice Cream

[photopress:SALABISTRO_021.jpg,full,centered]Milk Chocolate with Kiwi Fruits

July 24, 2008

I was invited to have lunch today by a friend of a hundred full moons ago, I wanted a new place to go to, something interesting so Sala Bistro was right smack to what fitted my requirements. We were quite early so we had a choice pick of table to seat on so I can get good pictures of what we were going to eat….even had the freedom of photo shooting without the usual stares of the diners.. I was amazed with the modern and masculine interiors, it was also very clean to look at…we had all the attention of the servers. I chose to have the specials of the day which was buffalo mozzarella salad with a simple balsamic vinaigrette and their roasted fennel and shrimp cream bavette pasta. My friend had their roast beef sandwich with horseradish cream and tons of alfafa sprouts. When orders were taken, I enjoyed nibbling on their hot crusty Italian bread smeared with butter, it was just right to the taste….and when the salad came it was just right for one person, my friend and I wanted to split it which was so “Pinoy” of us but the server hesitated since the serving was just for one. It was good but I found it too engrossed with olive oil, the sliding factor involved in the salad gets too dramatic and changes the whole flavor and texture…the mozzarella was something else since it had so much cheesiness into it. Then came my order, where all the taste factors of the ingredients were highly tangible although the prawn factor was bland, might have been my receptors became so overused that when it was time to take it the prawn there was none to taste it….or it simply lacked salt….hehehe….I also found it very slippery or should I say “ oily “. Let’s be happy for having the al dente pasta….my friend’s roast beef sandwich is something to put a smile on your face since it has a big lump of horseradish cream right on the side….good crusty bread and great tasting roast beef. For dessert, we had a sticky date pudding with caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream, I think, I am not too sure since I was getting too full and very sleepy already.. sticky was not the pudding but was more of the sauce….the ice cream fell to the side of the plate, so I had to rearrange it in some form for better picture quality. In the end, I ate more than I was suppose to….walked to Power book and saw the latest issue of Yummy, I look like a big mushroom this month in my column picture but guess what, I am even bigger now after all the “lamon” galore I did in Davao…..
Before I go, ever tasted Kiwi Fruit Chocolate…it was really good, a little tartness in chocolate…………..

[photopress:JULY2008_2_022.jpg,full,centered]Eggs Benedict

[photopress:JULY2008_2_024.jpg,full,centered]Steak & Eggs

[photopress:JULY2008_2_025.jpg,full,centered]Scrambled Egg White with Vegetables

[photopress:IMG_3729.JPG,full,centered]Dinner @ Binggoy’s Gourmet with Charina, Jojo, Tita Baby and Kit

My last post said, I will be writing my blog from Davao but I never wrote. I again will apologize since when I am there, I teach which I enjoy and I try to relax with people who mean very much to me. I have learned with the little time that I have spent in Davao, my students and friends have always been there wanting to see and treat me out for a meal, to spend some time just talking about what’s happening in my side of the world. Going back to the subject of the post, before I left for Davao, I had a tremendous brunch with Liane in Apartment 1-B, this must have been my third time to eat here but never this meal time. Guess what? We ordered almost everything in the menu, all I wanted was to taste, their phenomenal scrambled egg white with roasted vegetables which was quite good since it had the right mixture of bland taste and flavor from the veggies, there was a bit of flavor I guess either from the oil they used or from the egg whites, sometimes they store it near food so it can absorb its flavor….also had the steak, which needed a little more salt and that beef savoriness. Of course, had my eggs benedict, this is my comfort food – two poached eggs on top of crusted and soft muffins with just the right amount of hollandaise sauce, ang sarap….I remember when I was 12 years old, I attended my brother’s best friend’s wedding in Mandarin ballroom and this was the main course of their breakfast with Canadian bacon…I was so happy because it was so good and it was the very first time I had it.
Liane and I had a wonderful chat, talking about her grand daughter and new events in her life….talking about my redundant, boring but enriching life….then we browse through the books in Fully Booked and got myself the legendary Italian notebook, Moleskine…sarap sulatan….hehehe…mahal din…..
Having a great meal with good friends are the best things in life, enjoying the food with thoughts and ideas being expressed makes the meal more interesting with laughter and sometimes tears…. I had tons of great meals in Davao, just like the one I had with Liane…dinner in Binggoy’s Gourmet with Charina, Kit, Jojo and Tita Baby; a drinking and calamares spree with Mariel in Music Oone and another in her Banok’s outlet in Torres, having consecutive dinners with the Chef Booboo’s family in Tom Yang and again in Binggoy’s Gourmet to celebrate Dra. Chacha’s birthday….and one of my favorites, pigging out with Catet in Cecil’s eating fresh lumpia, molo soup, cakes and more….enormous food and lots of heart and love expressed….I am getting bigger in size than expected but with a tremendous shower of friends who should complain….

Today was again a no work day but decided to go to school since my good good friend, Betina Kahn Legarda was going to teach Spanish cuisine in one of our classes. I would make it a point not to miss her class since her food is delicious and authetic, really Spanish from the olive oil to the tons of butter that is added to the dish. I have grown to love Betina since we became so close some 7 years ago. I first saw her in a baking class I use to attend in another school, all to herself in one corner of the room, never realizing that she was who she was. She was part of the group I had when I started taking classes again after I got back from the States, which maybe was one of the reasons that I returned to the culinary field. I remember that she would reserve seats for us since we were jumping from one school to another and it would bother her for the other students were looking at her badly for doing such. I was very fond of her and when I got back into teaching, she even invited me to teach in her school in Alabang. Sometimes, I call her mom since she has the same birthday as mom and she made me feel very special whenever I am with her. Today, she took care of her students the way a Spanish mother would treat her kids and I chatted with her about what has been happening everywhere with everyone, it has been quite some time since we last saw each other. I also brought her the Legarda’s favorite Tinapang Boneless Bangus ( Smoked Milkfish ) which I surprised her with.

Also today, students started consulting me on their buffet desserts so tried my very best to make them think and be creative about their choices, it was fun that they get to think and conceptualize a menu from the best desserts they ever tasted.

Inquirer Newspaper also came out with their 20 best home baked dessert specialties, and I am glad to let you know that my mentor and good friend, Jill had two desserts there – Pistachios Sansrival and Concorde. Other friends that are part of the list are Buddy Trinidad’s Mango Madness and Chocolate something, Pixie Sevilla’s Dulce de Leche Cheesecake ( she was one of my first dessert suppliers in Caffe Ago-go ), Dimpy Camara’s Frozen Brazo and I attest that they are all quite good, however, I beg to disagree with some. The classics – Yulo’s Strawberry Cake, Estrel’s Caramel Cake, Juda Yu’s Pandan and Mocha Cake, and Doren Tayag’s cake are a must. They should have added Tita Polly’s Chocolate Cake, Bambi Gobio’s Brazo de Mercedes but it has to be home based so I guess not….anyway, will have to try the others….

I am off to Davao again to teach but will still be writing the blog from there….

June 28, 2008 – Got a call yesterday from a friend and student, Trish asking me if I wanted to go to the Salcedo Weekend Market and I readily said yes….I have been tinkering with these idea for weeks but didn’t have the time due to my weekend classes. Dreaming of having my suman, Budbud Kabog (Visayan Suman, made from millet seeds) which is the best one I ever tasted. I was there before 10 and was surprised that it was also the weekend that Yummy was sponsoring some type of event. [photopress:under_the_sun.JPG,full,pp_image]

(more…)

[photopress:new_size.jpg,full,pp_image]

After two weeks of teaching, today was a no work day, but a day still full of activities. I got to sleep till late but had a meeting with the PR firm for my demo this Saturday, had it in Sentro….the food was good, as Dessa would say it is still my comfort dishes, sinigang na corned beef, fried bangus sisig, rated gg and the Sentro chicken. Had such a good time with Mrs Virtusio and Zsa-Zsa, chatting and conversing about the food world even got to relish our past projects together. Right after lunch, had my much needed trip to the barber shop, everyone knows how important my hair is to me since it’s not that much anymore so stayed and slept there for two hours. Every time I start hearing myself snore, I wake up, embarrassing and you just can imagine how loud it could be. Forgot to tell you that during the Japan trip, no one wanted to sleep in the same room with me due to this….hahaahaa. Then to the bookstore to get my Yummy, Food, Foodie and F&B magazines to be up to date with what is happening in the culinary world. Of course, had a peek of the cute writer chef of the Healthy Way, that’s me….I am getting too selfish of myself….I also took a trip to the grocery to get all my necessities and to partly shop for the demo on Saturday…on the way there, I saw a used book store …wo!…they had Feast by Nigella, two Saveur cookbooks and Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Herme, all cheaper than a thousand pesos…that’s a steal…but instead got another cookbook I will not discuss now since it’s a classic and I’m greedy…found new stuffs in the grocery….I always do a bi-weekly visit to different groceries just to find out what’s new in ingredients. I love going to Landmark since its so complete, it even has a Korean and Japanese counter but its not complete when it comes spices…….no fennel, coriander essentials in Mediterranean cooking….will let them know….there’s this new fruit in the market, Golden Kiwi Fruit, ah, taste like the regular green kiwi but a bit sweeter, it has a funny shape, since it has two nipples to one side right beside each other. It’s loaded with healthful benefits just eat it and be merry. Went to gym for a much needed exercise, I realized I was getting fat since my third chin suddenly appeared the other day and all my pants are tight, so did a 45 minute walk and some abdominal crunches. Need to get back to exercising, my trainer has beautiful and encouraging words to say…ang taba mo, Chef….even I was guilty about it. But before that had my energy booster, Venti, non fat, two Splenda iced latte. I ended the day by visiting my sister who was not home but my princess was there, ready to joke and make fun of me but that’s the way she makes “lambing”. She so tired from school, commuting from Manila to Pasig. Thought that this day was so exciting and special, felt that it was something to share with you, my friends…readers and whoever…..

Filipino Inspired Dishes for you to cook and enjoy……………..

(more…)