Toques, Converse and pearls
I have a secret. I hated cooking school. It was much too rigid and military-like. It was such a shock for me to be in such a precise and scholarly environment, when for me cooking was all about love and experimentation. I suppose you could say that finishing my basic cuisine course at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, was much like taking those piano lessons as a child. You hated them but in hindsight you’re happy you took them. Now, as I am working professionally in the food industry I always look back at my formal training and remember the basics. How to make classic French sauces, roasting techniques and even making your own stock from scratch. Time consuming, but I’m happy to say that I can do it. In fact, my consommé received high praise, but in true French style my chef said: “Mais vos legumes ne sont pas assez petites!” (“Your vegetables are not small enough!”) Darn those little cubed carrots… My consommé was good, though!
After my training, I actually cooked only spaghetti and instant noodles for one month. And as far as on-the-job training experience before starting my catering company, I had done two stints at Elbert Cuenca’s restaurant 12 and that’s about it. This is why I’m hesitant to be called “chef.” I’m always afraid that people will point the finger at me.
This doesn’t mean that I never cooked. Despite being a student at the Sorbonne, my six years in Paris were spent exploring my taste buds, scouring the markets for the best seasonal ingredients, building a relationship with my local butcher (who was quite cute!) so that I always had the best cuts, and traveling the different regions of France through its wine bottles with my caviste. When I was eating out in foodie hole-in-the-walls, I would go home and cook. Experimenting until I got each dish and sauce perfect. Once I was obsessed with moussaka; I made it every day for one week till it was divine. My apartment was a restaurant, a bar, the local canteen for all my friends. We would do cook-offs with my favorite chef in the world, Aaron — he with his fancy-pants molecular food and me with my hearty home cooking. Food was a personal affair.
Now that I’m working in the industry I have kept my passion and bohemian flair. Someone I worked with during a guest chef stint in Nuvo called me “The malambing chef,” supposedly because I like to be nice and happy in the kitchen and feel everyone should be the same. I love cooking with music playing and I always remember chef Guy from Cordon Bleu saying “Stephanie, la cuisine n’est pas un lieu de chant et de danse!” (“Stephanie, the kitchen is not a place for singing and dancing!”) Pooh-pooh to you! I find that my chefs are more efficient with a little music and joy surrounding them.
You see, for me, the kitchen is not like a military regiment where things need to be delivered with exactness and precision, and the chef acts as the general. This works extremely well for many, just not for me. I am definitely not authoritarian. The kitchen for me is like an orchestra. I’m like the maestro conducting music out of sizzling garlic, simmering stews and sweet confections. The diners are like people in a ballroom and this symphony that arrives on their plate is meant to feed their soul. Not surprising that I love the book Como Agua por Chocolate (Like Water for Chocolate). I feel that my emotions and memories are transmitted to those who eat my food.
Every time I’m invited as a guest chef, it is always a bit daunting. I’m always afraid of how things will go and I’m always afraid to overstep my boundaries or step on anybody’s toes. I was recently invited to create a special Filipiniana menu for the Dusit Thani’s Basix Buffet in honor of Philippine Independence Day. This was my first time ever to set foot in a hotel kitchen. It was massive! One whole room just for the butchers and the chiller was as large as my guestroom at home. I’m always a bit shy, like a little girl, in my typical cooking outfit: my lucky Converse sneakers and pearls. To me, being a woman means still being feminine in the kitchen; as for my Converse shoes, I’ve always cooked in them and don’t feel comfortable without them. That first day at Dusit, I was warmly welcomed by the chefs, immediately handed a toque and went on working merrily. For the press dinner, even the head chef of Basix, chef Joel, was helping me chop the final garnishes and plate the food. Everyone was so kind and curious about my business. The whole experience was just wonderful! Can’t wait to work with them again next week for the event.
I will be cooking some interesting dishes like a slow-cooked balsamic beef adobo and Bicol Express-marinated broiled chicken. Come check it out from June 7 to 12 at Basix Buffet, ground floor, Dusit Thani Hotel, Ayala Center, Makati City. And you might just catch a glimpse of me in my unfashionable yet proudly worn outfit: toque, Converse sneakers and pearls.
Bicol Express Broiled Thigh Chicken Fillet
Ingredients:
2k thigh chicken fillets
60g bagoong
4 pcs red chilis (labuyo), minced
5 pcs green chilis (siling espada), chopped
5 pcs dried red chilis
30g Jalapeños in can
6 cloves garlic, pounded
1 pc large red onion
1 can coconut milk
salt and pepper
cilantro and lemongrass for garnish
Procedure:
• Combine all the ingredients in a food processor. Use this as a marinade for the chicken in a zip bag and transfer immediately to the refrigerator. Marinate it overnight or for at least four hours.
• Arrange it in a roasting pan and sprinkle with a little bit of salt and pepper.
• Roast it in the oven under medium heat (375oF) for 20 minutes or until cooked thoroughly.
• Remove from pan, and strain all the excess oil. Before serving, torch the skin with a blowtorch to make it crispy if not crispy enough already. Garnish with cilantro leaves and some finely chopped lemongrass.
• To make the Bicol Express sauce use the same amount of ingredients except chicken: Purée the chilis in a blender. Sauté onions and garlic with some oil in a saucepan, sauté chilis as well. Add coconut milk and bagoong. Let it simmer for 10 minutes stirring constantly to avoid burning. Serve it on the side with the chicken.
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