Test your design IQ

Who is the Mexican-American chef who considers himself a culinary ambassador for Mexico through restaurants like Fonda and Rosa Mexicano  that have raised the bar for contemporary Mexican cuisine?

MANILA, Philippines - Born and raised in Mexico City, he grew up under the watchful eye of his abuela who taught him how to make tamales and salsa.  More than that, it was his grandmother, an avid traveler, who inspired him to become a chef, believing that all food should be prepared with a global influence.

Receiving his culinary education at Le Cordon Bleu, he spent two years cooking in England.  He then returned to Mexico City where he grew up, to cook for the Foreign Affairs Ministry.  During this time, he rediscovered the intricacies of Mexican cooking, and went on to open three restaurants in Mexico city, all of which received excellent reviews and helped revive the downtown area.

These are considered to have raised the bar for contemporary Mexican cuisine.  “I want people to known that Mexican cuisine is one of the most incredible in the world.  I have a vision of Mexico where I’m able to focus on a variety of regions and traditions,” he says.

In 1997, he moved to Texas, where he became the executive chef of Fonda San Miguel in Austin.  During his time there, he was named “Best Chef” by the Austin Chronicle and garnered a five star review from the Austin American Statesman.

In 2002, he became the culinary director of Rosa Mexicano, an upscale chain of restaurants on the East Coast, which the Zagat Survey called “the gold standard for upscale Mexican dining.”

He currently owns the Fonda restaurant in Brooklyn New York and is the president of Truly Mexican, a New York based food consulting firm.

On his menu, one can find “something as traditionally made as a mole negro from Oaxaca alongside an innovative appetizer of duck with a cream sauce of habaneros.  If I create a new dish, it’s based on traditional ingredients but in a completely different usage to transform and uplift.”   

Trying to make people see Mexico as Mexicans see it, there are five ingredients he confesses he can’t live without  chipotles, onion, garlic, chiles de arbol, and cinnamon. “Cinnamon sticks from the jar are completely different from the cinnamon we use in Mexico,” he says.  â€œOurs is cinnamon, cassia, which came from Sri Lanka and which Mexico adopted.  It has been part of our flavor palate since colonial times.  I add a little cinnamon to everything, even tomato sauce.”

Last week’s question: Who is the Italian architect best known for his work in the field of light design with Luceplan and works like the 265 lamp collection and the Berenice filigree table lamps?

Answer: Paulo Rizzato

Winner: Elena Dorimon of Pasig City

* * *

Text your answer to 0927-7579807 with your name and address. One winner will be chosen through a raffle of texts with the correct answer. The winner will receive P2,000 worth of SM gift certificates for use at Our Home, SM Department Store, or SM Supermarket. They can claim their prize at Our Home in SM Megamall. Call the store manager at 634-1951.Bring photocopies of two valid IDs and a clipping of the Design Quiz issue in which you appear as winner.