Chefie’s World

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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It’s not my problem! Most of the people I give my recipes to, this is their problem. But I am very sure there are a number of you out there with the same predicament. What’s the best to do?

I wrote about this two years ago in my Manila Bulletin column and I wanted to reissue it again for all of you reading my blog….not the same article; written differently this time.

I used to make tiramisu 12 years ago and I made a killing with it. Everyone who tasted and savored it wanted the recipe but how could I make money? Anyway, to all of you read on….

So what to do when they ask for the recipe of what you just cooked or baked?

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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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 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…)

It is my first free day that I would devout to myself….arrived two days ago from a lovely stay in Davao, teaching. And yesterday was another day of work with students reviewing on certain baked products we have done for the past months.  It has been a day of just sleeping till 10 and then….here comes, my gardener telling me about all the problems in  my storage room roof which has to be changed soon. There goes all the pay from Davao!  I also had to start sorting my dirty clothes and other stuffs since I have to bring them to the laundry, have another short trip next week. 

 I have a cooking demonstration next week and been thinking of what best dishes to cook with a non stick pan….crepes, fish, tofu, it becomes hard as you also have to think of the type of audience that would be watching the show.  Up to now, I haven’t decided yet and when I saw the abundance of pots and pans the maker had, I had more problems to face.

 I like cooking crepes, eggs, omelets, fish and the gooey ones when heated type of food in  a non stick pan.  They have a special coating known as PTFE, stands for something really long and scientific, mixed in with the aluminum through a series of applications this is found somewhere within the pan….don’t ask me where!  This coating enables us to use less oil for frying, sautéing, and easier cleanup.  Remember that no metal utensil can be used since it will scratch the surface and get to your food.  Use a wooden spoon or a heat resistant rubber utensil for cooking with this type of cookware. 

 Finally, after a day I finished the recipes, gathering some from my file.  One of the recipes I share with you, a dish you can cook for the Lenten season.  

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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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I always had two sets of parents – the real one and the fake one, hehehe. That’s not true. As a baby, my uncle and aunt made me part of their family, so as a child, I just had one more set of parents. I lived with mama and papa ( aunt and uncle ) and I would see nanay and tatay every day since mama and papa’s business was home to nanay and tatay. My nanay cooked so well, she was the best cook ever and she had the passion for it. I would remember seeing her cook using wood, slowly blowing the fire to just have the right heat for rice. Rendering pork or beef fat as a base for our vegetable dishes. She was the cook and was she good at it. This was in Navotas and we had certain dishes indigenous to our area only, Batuta, Pinatisan, Toyoba, Mechado, Bopis, some Filipino favorites but when it comes to Navotas there was a difference. Our patis was fermented longer than others and we had a different fish to use and we will still do that today. My nanay would always cook for us. Mama always had her food in our table since she would bring it home from Navotas to Makati and we savoured it.

As I grew up, we always had good food because Papa always wanted the best. I remember when we would go on our quarterly trips to Nepo Mart in Pampanga to buy steaks, Philadelphia cream cheese and other items that can only be bought there, one Hi-Ace full of food. Yes, we were lovers of good food, we always had five to six dishes of different viands every meal and Papa hated repeats. We dined in good restaurants, Chinese food in The Plaza restaurant, Mr. Ho, Sing Ya; Italian Food in Italian Village, Cucina Italiana, French food in Au Bon Vivant, Champagne Room and L’Hirondelle and the best seafoods one can get for Mama and Papa had a fishing business. Exposure to good food was there. Ate Cynthia, my sister cousin took cooking classes and this would further our experience in good food and tremendous eating.

When I was of age, I started cooking every summer, frying should I say since we didn’t have any helps and this lead me to take a few cooking courses with Sylvia Reynoso-Gala. I was getting good at it and it started my undiscovered talent in cooking, later I was the one of the cook in Ate’s catering business even baking 12 chocolate cakes in one evening and the story goes on and on, some to follow later.

I miss my nanay – her cooking which cannot be replicated by anyone – her tochong bangus simple to die for….I miss mama and papa for they really enjoyed dining in the best restaurants in Manila and elsewhere but what is a better legacy than continuing what they left, learning and educating oneself about it and sharing it with all of you.

Let me share with you, my version of my nanay’s mechado which I call Mechadong Navotas. From my home to yours……..
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