The practical chef

Paradigm Chef, a new cooking show featuring world-acclaimed chef Hubertus Cramer, gives local culinary buffs a chance to feast on the knowledge of preparing and presenting gustatory delights from fresh perspectives when served piping hot on Studio 23 starting today at 11.

For half an hour every Sunday morning, first-rate culinary entertainment, information and demonstration by the witty and charming German chef await viewers via three enterprising segments: Look Who’s Cooking, Chef Hubertus’ Pleasure and Chef’s Secret.

Look Who’s Talking is about exchange of recipes, cooking trivia and presentation techniques between Chef Hubertus and guest celebrities (Ian Veneracion, Dr. Vicki Belo, and Rajo Laurel for starters). This is done right in the home kitchen of our superstars and society movers, or at exciting locations that expose a dash of the luxurious food preference and lifestyle of the rich and famous with invitation to join them vicariously at their dining table in the end.

In Chef Hubertus’ Pleasure, trade secrets being taught in esteemed cooking academies are disclosed, thus, transforming mundane home cooking into specially executed food concoctions of arts. Very casually presented, viewers learn that nothing is intimidating when it comes to cooking up seemingly elaborate food ideas.

And as interestingly, Chef’s Secrets discusses the jargons and tools in the cooking industry that shall enlighten and empower even the most uninitiated.

And who better to do all these credibly and compellingly than the tri-lingual and dashing Chef Hubertus. His expertise derived from decade-long experiences and successes has taken him to the most demanding five-star hotel kitchens across the globe. These include Bali Hyatt, Grand Hyatt Melbourne, Park Hyatt Melbourne, Grand Hyatt Singapore, the Royal Palace Hyatt in Brunei, Che de Cuisine of The Regent Hotel Hong Kong, Le Louis XV at Monte Carlo, among others.

Chef Hubertus holds the post of executive chef at the spanking new Hyatt Hotel and Casino Manila where he has set up – and meticulously oversees – the entire culinary operations of the hotel food outlets like Market Café, Lili, Pastry Boutique, The Lounge and The Fireplace.

"Our aim is to show exactly how everything builds up to the perfect dish – from choosing ingredients in the wet market to determining garnish that brings out the visual appeal of food," says Chef Hubertus. "This is how chefs come up with superior work while consistently using practical techniques. Just a few sessions with Paradigm Chef will cure any resistance some viewers have of cooking because they will see how simple and fun preparing a dish can actually be."

A big fan of internationally-renowned chef-turned-TV personality Wolfgang Puck, Chef Hubertus knows that people-skills are as important as being an expert cook when taking on the job of a cooking show host. Fortunately, he doesn’t have to exert effort at all in carrying out even the first order as Chef Hubertus is the easy-going, jeans-and-sneakers-type, anyway – the kind of breezy personality any Filipino will warm up to immediately.

"I don’t have a chip on my shoulder when it comes to my stature as chef because I know how it feels to be a beginner," he says. "I, too, had my embarrassing mistakes when I was starting as filleting fish and tenderizing meat with "disastrous" results. But what kept me going is my desire to learn more everyday and to do things with sense of humor. Indeed, spoonfuls of sugar help any medicine to come down more smoothly and faster."

Based in Manila for sometime now, this chef also has the advantage of keeping a pulse on preferred flavors by Filipinos and local kitchen practices. These he incorporates in his presentations by sourcing ingredients locally as much as possible without compromising the authentic taste of the international dishes he whips up.

"I am practical as a chef – if I could source an ingredient locally, I would do so rather than getting one from abroad and have it shipped here frozen. As a person, I am very approachable; the many Filipinos I have become friends with five minutes into meeting them will tell you that I love interactions sans formalities."

He gets excited as the pilot show produced by Sprezzatura Incorporated nears: "I’m positive that the show will really be helpful to those who want to cook like chefs do. Viewers will be entertained, yes.

"But, above all, the people behind this show would like to leave viewers with a renewed sense of passion about cooking and life itself!"