Zoren hurdles his own kitchen challenge

MANILA, Philippines - Kitchen challenges have always intrigued Zoren Legaspi. It was something he wanted to try, even before showbiz came along.

“I figured it was a way to attract lots of girls,” he chuckles. Zoren had the scenario at the back of his mind. He’d invite his dream girl to his home and offer to cook for her.

But movies came one after another, even before Zoren could lure the girls into his kitchen. Zoren had to eventually give up his kitchen dreams.

Now that he has settled down with Carmina Villaroel and their twins (Maverick and Cassandra, both nine) Zoren thinks it’s about time he revives his kitchen ambition.

It‘s been almost a month since Zoren enrolled in a basic cooking course at the Center for Culinary Arts along Katipunan Ave., Quezon City.

And he’s applying what he has learned so far in the cooking show Kitchen Battles, which he has been hosting and judging every week.

The show, aired Sundays, 7:45 p.m. on Q-11, features 12 chefs tagged as Chef Warriors. Every week, two of them face each other in the kitchen battlefield, where they aim to outdo each other in a cook off. Using star ingredients only revealed to them during actual competition, the chefs whip up recipes on the spot and cook them under time pressure.

Issa Litton gives a blow-by-blow account of what’s going on, while Zoren, chef Sau and a guest judge pronounce a verdict based on taste (five knives), creative use of star ingredients (three knives), originality (one knife), plating and presentation (one knife).

Zoren, the only non-chef in the panel of judges, gives a layman’s verdict while the others stick to the technical side (e.g. uneven cooking, too much salt, too little spices, etc.).

“That’s good because we compliment each other,” Chef Sau, who usually sits beside Zoren, observes.

He’s not just sitting there and nodding passively as the kitchen experts pass judgment on a Chef Warrior’s dish.

Like a sponge that absorbs everything, Zoren is thinking of how he can apply what he learned at home.

“The show is an eye-opener,” he says. Thanks to his weekly stint and cooking classes, Zoren now knows his way around the kitchen.

“I want everything to be in order,” he explains. “Often, the yaya cooks dishes swimming in oil and she uses the oil over and over. When she tells me she doesn’t want to waste oil, I ask her if she wants us to suffer from cancer.”

He also replaced all the kitchen utensils at home since “a dented frying pan will lead to uneven cooking.”

Does the doting father plan to have another child?

Zoren shakes his head.

“We’re already happy with the twins. It’s hard to raise kids, you know. You have to look after them until they reach college age,” Zoren explains.

As it is, his and Carmina’s hands are full just watching over their twins like a hawk. Carmina’s focus is on Cassandra or Cassy, who is taking up voice lessons.

“Carmina is the better singer,” Zoren relates.

Enrolling her in voice will spare Cassy the agony of intrigues if she decides to join showbiz, he adds.

“I don’t want to hear comments that Cassy was able to enter showbiz just because her parents are actors. I don’t want them to say that my daughter is lacking in talent needed to make it in the business.”

This early, the proud dad says Kris Aquino offered her a role in a movie the First Sister is doing for Star Cinema. But Zoren and Carmina said no, thank you.

“It’s too abrupt,” observes Zoren. “Cassy must first brush up on her Tagalog.”

He is just as proud of his son, who stands out in tennis tournaments. Maverick, Zoren announces, is already in the Top 20 in his tennis batch. And it is he who coaches him in the sport.

“That’s why having another baby is out of the question,” says Zoren. “We’ll just end up neglecting him or her.”

Besides, Zoren will add another show to his schedule.

“Carmina and I will have a talk show on GMA 7 soon,” he reveals.

But he’s mum about the details. Till then, Zoren would rather focus on Kitchen Battles and Showbiz Central, which he also hosts.

Showbiz Central, he says, is a tightrope act.

“I have to be careful here since a guy is not supposed to be labeled chismoso when it comes to intrigues. I have to strike a balance.”

It’s hard, but he gets by.

And Zoren doesn’t mind the extra effort. After all, life has never been this good. He won’t dare rock the boat.