Sorry folks, been MIA lately. It's been a hell of a week at work, and yes I do work full time and my other life at work does not involve food like some people think. I'm a Customer Relations Manager by trade and have been doing that type of work for the last 20+ years. Someone out there is hatin', claiming that I dont really work in a corporate setting and is claiming that I'm a professional caterer and cook for a living. (trying to discredit my win @ the Kulinarya event! ha!)
Ha! Non-believers will always hate. But I say the opposite, if you have it flaunt it, if people get upset because you cook way better, cook some more. Create the extraordinary meals and Feed the deserving! Keep cooking folks! That's what I'm going to do!!!! Keep cooking and keep creating amazing dishes!
01-26-2012 - Dinner
This has been a hell of a week, so tonight I wanted to make sonething fast and easy. I thought about take-out but then decided against it. I ended up going to 99 Ranch and got some shrimp and then decided to go to the deli and got a whole Roast Duck too.So here's what i ended up serving:
Part III - My Kulinarya Experience - FINALS! and the Winner is...............
http://www.kulinaryashowdown.com/index.html
It's Game Day!
One thing you need to know about San Francisco is...................That it's always busy. There is always something that is happening in this great city. On Saturday, January 21, 2012, there was a Farmer's Market in front of the Carnelian By The Bay (venue for Kulinarya), a Walk for Life event somewhere in the city and an Abortion Protest/Occupy SF rally that happened right in front of the Ferry Building..........Plus, the 2nd Kulinarya Final Showdown. So imagine how many people were converged in one area at the same time............Literally, thousands!!!!
So planning my Saturday Logistics was nerve-wracking to say the least. How do i possibly move my whole kitchen from Union City, CA to San Francisco CA???? Transporting it, was an event in itself, we had to take 2 cars! Then there was the problematic issue of parking in downtown SF. As you all know, parking in SF is the most challenging task of all. Street parking at 3.00 and hour versus parking garage at $35.00 flat fee???? Hmmmmm!!!!! for 2 cars!!!!!!! ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, something I didnt need to worry about, that's why I travel with my son and my husband, that's their job.
My daughter Icky, was my sous chef!!! The greatest sous chef, ever!!!! She's driven, also has severe OCD, smart and creative. She knows what she wants to do, needs very little direction and instruction and makes game changing decisions that I trust.
So Team Union City, was ready to rock and roll!!!! So all I needed, was for my opponents to not show up and I could be declared the instant winner! NOT!
So we arrived at 12:15 pm, cooking was scheduled to start at 1:00 pm............So when we got there, we set-up our prep area and our plating area. At exactly 1:00 pm, we were off to the races. It's Game Time!!! It was time to turn this passion of mine into full gear.............Oh, did I mention, we were assigned e newbie culinary student. I got Ruben, nice kid. Only been in culinary school for 2 weeks. He was raw, really had no skills yet, but he had the willingness to help, was engaged at all times and was curious and most expecially, he was confident and collected. Cool!
Downer! At 1:00 pm, we couldnt get the oven to work, as we needed the elctrician who was nowhere to be found.................Ha ha ha!!!! So Pinoy, really!!!! Anyway! I decided to focus my energy somewhere else.
Game Plan................Began cooking the oxtail for the Kare Kare and started making dessserts. Icky was off to making the crepes for the Fresh Lumpia and Ruben was assigned to prep all the veggies. I handed him a smaller knife and not too sharp. Wasnt sure if he was ready for big time tools yet.
With the mixer on full speed, I started with the meringue discs for the Coconut Pandan Sans Rival. I followed that with the Ube chiffon base for the Halo Halo Cake and then followed it with the Brazo de Merceded Cupcake. Desserts were on their way, all lined up to be baked one after the other
On the stove we bagan cooking the Adobo and the Pickling mixture for the Banh Mi veggies. While these were cooking, I was prepping the frosting for the Sans Rival and the Cupcake.
Ruben, is still cutting veggies and watching the Kare Kare pot behind him. Oh, did i forget to mention, the culinary assistants cannot perform any cooking at all.........
Everything was working as planned and at 3:00 pm, all the desserts were done and ready, the Kare Kare was finishing up and the adobo was done. All i had left to do was to cook the Fresh Lumpia filling and finish cooking the Kare Kare sauce.
At 4pm, we all headed out to the showroom from the prep kitchen. This whole time, as I was going back and forth from the kitchen into the showroom, i was oblivious of the people around me as my focus was on trying to get all my dishes made. As we moved our way into the showroom, it finally hit me, as i looked up and saw the over 400 people standing in front of me..........Holy Crap! Then I saw the kids, Aisa, Ella, DJ, FJ, Mom,, my husband, Kenton, and Joey, Shannon and Leah, Alan, Gloria and Brian, Auntie Inya and some folks who I didnt even know, waving and cheering for me. OMG! FJ came over and gave me a big hug, I needed that son, Thanks!!!!!!
Then I got really panicky!!!! OMG! Is this really happening! OMG!!! Again and again and again. My knees are shaking, Im panicking. I dont even know what I looked like, as the last time I looked in the mirror was in the car on our way to the event, that was more than 5 hours ago..........Then there were lights and cameras everywhere. Again, Holy Crap!!!!!!
Here comes Franco Finn! Now, if you are from the Bay Area, you would know Franco Finn. Franco is the Golden State Warriors Hype Man. What he does, is engages the audience and gets them going to cheer on their favorite competitors. Of course, my entire cheering squad was in the front of the room, cheering me on! I love my kids and my family! They have no shame!!!!!! Ha ha ha ha!
So as we couunt down to the 1st plating, Icky is preparing the drink that we had prepared for the event, Its a Calamansi-Ginger Green Tea Cooler to be served with the 2nd dish, Kare Kare. As you all know, Kare Kare is a very rich and nutty dish, I planned to serve the drink with this dish to provide the judges with something cool and fresh to wash down their taste buds as they taste each competitors entree.
At 5:10, we served the 2nd dish, KARE KARE. I presented this dish in a covered clay pot, warmed up in the oven, and a chinese spoon filled with bagoong, topped with fried garlic. Ok, let me tell you my feelings about Kare Kare.
This is one dish that had to stay traditional and authentic. To capture your eating audience, this dish has to stay true to form and needs to be served the traditional way. This is a dish that when you first smell it and taste it, should play withyour senses and bring back memories of your childhood. This is not a dish that you can play with and fusionize or de-construct. Doing that, in my opinion ruins the greatness of this dish. It is a stew, that takes hours to cook and the flavors of this dish need to melt together as one, bringing the peanut and the rosted rice together into one nutty taste, combined with the tender meat and the crisp vegetables atop, freshly cooked white or brown rice served with a side serving of cooked bagoong, it's Heaven in a pot! Got It? As i spoke passionately about this dish to the judges, I got all of them to nod and agree with me!
That's all I have to say about Kare Kare. Next Dish!
At 5:30, I served my 3rd dish, ADOBO BANH MI. Honestly, i strongly felt that this dish is what would take this competition over the top. Adobo, regarded as the National Dish of the Philippines is the best vehicle to introduce the Filipino cusine to the Western Palate. If there is a perfect Filipino dish to fusionize, it is this dish!!! I decided to present an adobo dish that my Lola Paz taught all of us to make, a unique adobo dish stewed in the normal, vinegar, soy sauce and garlic combination combined with chopped ripe tomatoes and finely chopped onion. This dish had to be slowly simmered in this combination, then deep fried to a crisp covering while the inside remains juicy and tender. Now, I served this adobo filling in a crusty warm french baguette with the traditional banh mi accompaniments, thinly sliced english cucumbers, jalapeno, fresh cilantro and a mixture of pickled carrots and daikon radish. On the top side of the bread, I spread an equal mixture of softened french butter and mayonaisse and on the under side of the bread I spread the reduced adobo sauce including the tenderly cooked bits of tomatoes and onions. Ahhhh! Heaven in a bun!
As I spoke to the judges, I told them about my memories as a child vacationing with my grandparents. My Lolo used to come home after a visit to the market, with a bag of Hot Pandesal in his hand and my Lola, pulling out leflover adobo from the pantry and filling the pan de sal with this great filling, meat, sauce and all the goodness in a bun............I got a little emotional telling the judges about this story as my inspiration for this dish was my Lola Paz
At 5:45 pm, i presented my last dish, TASTE of the PHILIPPINES SAMPLER: Brazo de Mercedes Cupcake, Coconut-Pandan Sans Rical and Halo Halo Cake. For those who know me well, you know that baking is my passion.
When I thought about my menu for this competition, I didnt want to present the normal, ordinary Filipino desserts. I wanted to present desserts that will give the judges the flavor of what i was talking about but presented in a more westernized dessert. So of course, I had to make cupcakes, since I've been on a cupcake kick for a few years. So here's what I decided to make:
Brazo de Mercedes Mini-Cupcake: A tender Vanilla Chiffon Cupcake, filled with a lemony Yema Filling, topped with torched Swiss Meringue Frosting.
Coconut-Pandan Mini Sans Rival: Thin layers of Almond-Meringue Wafers, filled and topped with a Coconut-Pandan Italian Buttercream and rolled in unsweetened Toasted Coconut Flakes
Halo Halo Custard Cake: Combining Leche Flan and Ube Chiffon Cake as a base, topped off with Leche Flan Caramel with sweetened Macapuno (Young Coconut) strings, baked in a bain marie. Finishing it off with a melty scoop of Ciao Bella Coconut Gelato, topped with sweetened Japanese Azuki Beans.
Of all the dishes, in my opinion, my dessert entree sealed the competition. Imagine making all 3 of the above dishes in 3 hours! In all the 3 desserts, I wanted to give the judges the familiar Filipino dessert flavors of Buko-Pandan, Brazo de Mercedes and Halo Halo, but overall I wanted to give them the feeling that you can still re-create those tastes in your mouth presenting those tastes in non-familiar settings. Halo Halo as a cake instead of in a glass. Buko-Pandan in a crispy frozen dessert instead of a bowl and Brazo de Mercedes in a mini-cupcake package instead of a slice of that famous dessert.
Whew! A little over the top, you can say, but it turned out perfectly!!!!
So after the amateur bit was over, my family decided to take me next door to Sinbad's and relax and chill at the bar..................30 minutes later and a few shots of tequila, we were back in the competition floor watching the Professional Chefs do their thing and awaiting nervously the tabulation of the judges votes.
..............Minutes later, all the competitors where asked to come to the front where we were presented with our Gift baskets and Gift Bags. As I stand there nervousl;y awaiting the verdict, i see my entire group of family and friends also nervously awaiting the decision. In my mind, I wasnt quite sure that I did the best that I could. I thought that there were a few areas where I could have done better, but that's me, always so competitive and so hard on myself. So here it comes, Franco Finn was supposed to announce the 3rd place winner and then announce the 2nd and the 1st but somehow he went straight to announcing the Winner of the Amateur competition.............An the Winner is:
Me! :)))
Here's a recap of the event, courtesy of TFC's Balitang America: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUDlJVCdF7M
It's Game Day!
One thing you need to know about San Francisco is...................That it's always busy. There is always something that is happening in this great city. On Saturday, January 21, 2012, there was a Farmer's Market in front of the Carnelian By The Bay (venue for Kulinarya), a Walk for Life event somewhere in the city and an Abortion Protest/Occupy SF rally that happened right in front of the Ferry Building..........Plus, the 2nd Kulinarya Final Showdown. So imagine how many people were converged in one area at the same time............Literally, thousands!!!!
So planning my Saturday Logistics was nerve-wracking to say the least. How do i possibly move my whole kitchen from Union City, CA to San Francisco CA???? Transporting it, was an event in itself, we had to take 2 cars! Then there was the problematic issue of parking in downtown SF. As you all know, parking in SF is the most challenging task of all. Street parking at 3.00 and hour versus parking garage at $35.00 flat fee???? Hmmmmm!!!!! for 2 cars!!!!!!! ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, something I didnt need to worry about, that's why I travel with my son and my husband, that's their job.
My daughter Icky, was my sous chef!!! The greatest sous chef, ever!!!! She's driven, also has severe OCD, smart and creative. She knows what she wants to do, needs very little direction and instruction and makes game changing decisions that I trust.
So Team Union City, was ready to rock and roll!!!! So all I needed, was for my opponents to not show up and I could be declared the instant winner! NOT!
So we arrived at 12:15 pm, cooking was scheduled to start at 1:00 pm............So when we got there, we set-up our prep area and our plating area. At exactly 1:00 pm, we were off to the races. It's Game Time!!! It was time to turn this passion of mine into full gear.............Oh, did I mention, we were assigned e newbie culinary student. I got Ruben, nice kid. Only been in culinary school for 2 weeks. He was raw, really had no skills yet, but he had the willingness to help, was engaged at all times and was curious and most expecially, he was confident and collected. Cool!
Downer! At 1:00 pm, we couldnt get the oven to work, as we needed the elctrician who was nowhere to be found.................Ha ha ha!!!! So Pinoy, really!!!! Anyway! I decided to focus my energy somewhere else.
Game Plan................Began cooking the oxtail for the Kare Kare and started making dessserts. Icky was off to making the crepes for the Fresh Lumpia and Ruben was assigned to prep all the veggies. I handed him a smaller knife and not too sharp. Wasnt sure if he was ready for big time tools yet.
With the mixer on full speed, I started with the meringue discs for the Coconut Pandan Sans Rival. I followed that with the Ube chiffon base for the Halo Halo Cake and then followed it with the Brazo de Merceded Cupcake. Desserts were on their way, all lined up to be baked one after the other
On the stove we bagan cooking the Adobo and the Pickling mixture for the Banh Mi veggies. While these were cooking, I was prepping the frosting for the Sans Rival and the Cupcake.
Ruben, is still cutting veggies and watching the Kare Kare pot behind him. Oh, did i forget to mention, the culinary assistants cannot perform any cooking at all.........
Everything was working as planned and at 3:00 pm, all the desserts were done and ready, the Kare Kare was finishing up and the adobo was done. All i had left to do was to cook the Fresh Lumpia filling and finish cooking the Kare Kare sauce.
At 4pm, we all headed out to the showroom from the prep kitchen. This whole time, as I was going back and forth from the kitchen into the showroom, i was oblivious of the people around me as my focus was on trying to get all my dishes made. As we moved our way into the showroom, it finally hit me, as i looked up and saw the over 400 people standing in front of me..........Holy Crap! Then I saw the kids, Aisa, Ella, DJ, FJ, Mom,, my husband, Kenton, and Joey, Shannon and Leah, Alan, Gloria and Brian, Auntie Inya and some folks who I didnt even know, waving and cheering for me. OMG! FJ came over and gave me a big hug, I needed that son, Thanks!!!!!!
Then I got really panicky!!!! OMG! Is this really happening! OMG!!! Again and again and again. My knees are shaking, Im panicking. I dont even know what I looked like, as the last time I looked in the mirror was in the car on our way to the event, that was more than 5 hours ago..........Then there were lights and cameras everywhere. Again, Holy Crap!!!!!!
Here comes Franco Finn! Now, if you are from the Bay Area, you would know Franco Finn. Franco is the Golden State Warriors Hype Man. What he does, is engages the audience and gets them going to cheer on their favorite competitors. Of course, my entire cheering squad was in the front of the room, cheering me on! I love my kids and my family! They have no shame!!!!!! Ha ha ha ha!
So as we couunt down to the 1st plating, Icky is preparing the drink that we had prepared for the event, Its a Calamansi-Ginger Green Tea Cooler to be served with the 2nd dish, Kare Kare. As you all know, Kare Kare is a very rich and nutty dish, I planned to serve the drink with this dish to provide the judges with something cool and fresh to wash down their taste buds as they taste each competitors entree.
Exactly at 4:50 pm, we served our 1st dish, VEGETARIAN FRESH LUMPIA I created 2 mini bite sized versions of this dish, on a bed of soy-sugar sauce and then drizzled with ground peanuts, turbinado sugar and a tsp of raw garlic on the side. As i presented the dish to the judges, i spoke to them about the special crepe recipe I have developed throughout the years for this dish as I have been making this for the longest time. Throughout the years I have found that the secret to a great Fresh Lumpia is not in the filling but is in the sauce and the wrap. To make excellent Fresh Lumpia, you need to start with a great wrapper and finish with a great tasting sauce. Killed It!~!
At 5:10, we served the 2nd dish, KARE KARE. I presented this dish in a covered clay pot, warmed up in the oven, and a chinese spoon filled with bagoong, topped with fried garlic. Ok, let me tell you my feelings about Kare Kare.
This is one dish that had to stay traditional and authentic. To capture your eating audience, this dish has to stay true to form and needs to be served the traditional way. This is a dish that when you first smell it and taste it, should play withyour senses and bring back memories of your childhood. This is not a dish that you can play with and fusionize or de-construct. Doing that, in my opinion ruins the greatness of this dish. It is a stew, that takes hours to cook and the flavors of this dish need to melt together as one, bringing the peanut and the rosted rice together into one nutty taste, combined with the tender meat and the crisp vegetables atop, freshly cooked white or brown rice served with a side serving of cooked bagoong, it's Heaven in a pot! Got It? As i spoke passionately about this dish to the judges, I got all of them to nod and agree with me!
That's all I have to say about Kare Kare. Next Dish!
At 5:30, I served my 3rd dish, ADOBO BANH MI. Honestly, i strongly felt that this dish is what would take this competition over the top. Adobo, regarded as the National Dish of the Philippines is the best vehicle to introduce the Filipino cusine to the Western Palate. If there is a perfect Filipino dish to fusionize, it is this dish!!! I decided to present an adobo dish that my Lola Paz taught all of us to make, a unique adobo dish stewed in the normal, vinegar, soy sauce and garlic combination combined with chopped ripe tomatoes and finely chopped onion. This dish had to be slowly simmered in this combination, then deep fried to a crisp covering while the inside remains juicy and tender. Now, I served this adobo filling in a crusty warm french baguette with the traditional banh mi accompaniments, thinly sliced english cucumbers, jalapeno, fresh cilantro and a mixture of pickled carrots and daikon radish. On the top side of the bread, I spread an equal mixture of softened french butter and mayonaisse and on the under side of the bread I spread the reduced adobo sauce including the tenderly cooked bits of tomatoes and onions. Ahhhh! Heaven in a bun!
As I spoke to the judges, I told them about my memories as a child vacationing with my grandparents. My Lolo used to come home after a visit to the market, with a bag of Hot Pandesal in his hand and my Lola, pulling out leflover adobo from the pantry and filling the pan de sal with this great filling, meat, sauce and all the goodness in a bun............I got a little emotional telling the judges about this story as my inspiration for this dish was my Lola Paz
At 5:45 pm, i presented my last dish, TASTE of the PHILIPPINES SAMPLER: Brazo de Mercedes Cupcake, Coconut-Pandan Sans Rical and Halo Halo Cake. For those who know me well, you know that baking is my passion.
When I thought about my menu for this competition, I didnt want to present the normal, ordinary Filipino desserts. I wanted to present desserts that will give the judges the flavor of what i was talking about but presented in a more westernized dessert. So of course, I had to make cupcakes, since I've been on a cupcake kick for a few years. So here's what I decided to make:
Brazo de Mercedes Mini-Cupcake: A tender Vanilla Chiffon Cupcake, filled with a lemony Yema Filling, topped with torched Swiss Meringue Frosting.
Coconut-Pandan Mini Sans Rival: Thin layers of Almond-Meringue Wafers, filled and topped with a Coconut-Pandan Italian Buttercream and rolled in unsweetened Toasted Coconut Flakes
Halo Halo Custard Cake: Combining Leche Flan and Ube Chiffon Cake as a base, topped off with Leche Flan Caramel with sweetened Macapuno (Young Coconut) strings, baked in a bain marie. Finishing it off with a melty scoop of Ciao Bella Coconut Gelato, topped with sweetened Japanese Azuki Beans.
Of all the dishes, in my opinion, my dessert entree sealed the competition. Imagine making all 3 of the above dishes in 3 hours! In all the 3 desserts, I wanted to give the judges the familiar Filipino dessert flavors of Buko-Pandan, Brazo de Mercedes and Halo Halo, but overall I wanted to give them the feeling that you can still re-create those tastes in your mouth presenting those tastes in non-familiar settings. Halo Halo as a cake instead of in a glass. Buko-Pandan in a crispy frozen dessert instead of a bowl and Brazo de Mercedes in a mini-cupcake package instead of a slice of that famous dessert.
Whew! A little over the top, you can say, but it turned out perfectly!!!!
So after the amateur bit was over, my family decided to take me next door to Sinbad's and relax and chill at the bar..................30 minutes later and a few shots of tequila, we were back in the competition floor watching the Professional Chefs do their thing and awaiting nervously the tabulation of the judges votes.
..............Minutes later, all the competitors where asked to come to the front where we were presented with our Gift baskets and Gift Bags. As I stand there nervousl;y awaiting the verdict, i see my entire group of family and friends also nervously awaiting the decision. In my mind, I wasnt quite sure that I did the best that I could. I thought that there were a few areas where I could have done better, but that's me, always so competitive and so hard on myself. So here it comes, Franco Finn was supposed to announce the 3rd place winner and then announce the 2nd and the 1st but somehow he went straight to announcing the Winner of the Amateur competition.............An the Winner is:
Me! :)))
Here's a recap of the event, courtesy of TFC's Balitang America: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUDlJVCdF7M
Part II - My Kulinarya Experience - The Road to the Finals!
http://www.kulinaryashowdown.com/contestants.html
................................It's January 11, 2012 and in 10 days, I will be competing at the 2nd Kulinarya Final Round......................What am I going to do????? Hell if I know! Ha Ha Ha Ha! Today, I was asked to submit my recipes for the Final Round. Are you kidding me????? How am I supposed to decide what I want to cook, without knowing, where Im going to cook it and not knowing how long, I have to cook it. But really??? if you know me well enough, you would know that no matter what environment I'm in, I can "Iron Chef" it and make it work. So of course, i was shooting for the stars and I submitted my recipes.........The hardest part of this entire process is typing up the recipies that I had locked away in my head! How do i convert what I can naturally do, into tablespoons and cups of measurements? Another obstacle? Not!
So anyway................I did submit my recipes and some of them, ive never actually tried before, they were just recipes I made up in my head that I imagined would work and taste good! So ambitious of me, you would say? But that's me! Pretty competitive and ambitious, always!!!!
So here's what I submitted:
Appetizer: VEGETARIAN FRESH LUMPIA
Main Entree: TRADITIONAL KARE KARE
Adobo Dish: ADOBO BANH MI
Dessert: TASTE Of The PHILIPPINES SAMPLER - Brazo de Mercedes Cupcake, Coconut-Pandan Mini Sans Rival and a Halo-Halo Cake
The first 2, appetizer and entree, I can cook with my eyes closed. The last 2, I made all that up in my head! Pretty Ambitious, huh?
So a week before the actual Final competition, I decide to have a tasting at my house. I called family and friends to try it out, not really knowing what they would say or how they would accept, the dishes that I concocted! As I expected, I received some great ideas and criticisms from them all. Did that sway my decision and made me change my final menu? Nope!!! I took their ideas and I said, i'd incorporate it and apply it to my recipes............except for the Coconut-Pandan Sans Rival idea. They all tried to talk me to change that recipe and just scrap it and i persisted and said no. I am determined to make that dessert in the final round. At the tasting, the week before, the sans rival base came out too thick, not crunchy enough and the pandan buttercream was just so-so, nothing spectacular...................Challenging!! to say the least.
I also had them taste the Halo Halo cake, which got a mixed review, some liked it and some didnt. But hard headed as I am, I continued on with that idea.
So, to make a long story short......................In my head, I knew what I needed to change to make my menu work......................
On January 18, 2012 (Wednesday), 3 days before the Final Round of Competition, all the competitors were asked to meet at the venue at 4 pm to go over Rules and Regulations for the competition. Mind you, at this time, I was panicking inside as we were only being given 3 hours to prepare and cook. and another 40 minutes to plate our dishes. How do I make Kare Kare, the traditional way and make the sans rival in just 3 short hours?????? Panic Mode!!!!!!
So for the next 2 days, i racked my brain and I just came up with a game plan on how I would get this all done. I was pretty confident but at the same time, I was scared as hell.
I packed up all my equipment, separated all my ingredients in boxses and went to bed...........Tomorrow, I wake up and I head to SFO to cook my ass off! Time to get some well deserved sleep!
................................It's January 11, 2012 and in 10 days, I will be competing at the 2nd Kulinarya Final Round......................What am I going to do????? Hell if I know! Ha Ha Ha Ha! Today, I was asked to submit my recipes for the Final Round. Are you kidding me????? How am I supposed to decide what I want to cook, without knowing, where Im going to cook it and not knowing how long, I have to cook it. But really??? if you know me well enough, you would know that no matter what environment I'm in, I can "Iron Chef" it and make it work. So of course, i was shooting for the stars and I submitted my recipes.........The hardest part of this entire process is typing up the recipies that I had locked away in my head! How do i convert what I can naturally do, into tablespoons and cups of measurements? Another obstacle? Not!
So anyway................I did submit my recipes and some of them, ive never actually tried before, they were just recipes I made up in my head that I imagined would work and taste good! So ambitious of me, you would say? But that's me! Pretty competitive and ambitious, always!!!!
So here's what I submitted:
Appetizer: VEGETARIAN FRESH LUMPIA
Main Entree: TRADITIONAL KARE KARE
Adobo Dish: ADOBO BANH MI
Dessert: TASTE Of The PHILIPPINES SAMPLER - Brazo de Mercedes Cupcake, Coconut-Pandan Mini Sans Rival and a Halo-Halo Cake
The first 2, appetizer and entree, I can cook with my eyes closed. The last 2, I made all that up in my head! Pretty Ambitious, huh?
So a week before the actual Final competition, I decide to have a tasting at my house. I called family and friends to try it out, not really knowing what they would say or how they would accept, the dishes that I concocted! As I expected, I received some great ideas and criticisms from them all. Did that sway my decision and made me change my final menu? Nope!!! I took their ideas and I said, i'd incorporate it and apply it to my recipes............except for the Coconut-Pandan Sans Rival idea. They all tried to talk me to change that recipe and just scrap it and i persisted and said no. I am determined to make that dessert in the final round. At the tasting, the week before, the sans rival base came out too thick, not crunchy enough and the pandan buttercream was just so-so, nothing spectacular...................Challenging!! to say the least.
I also had them taste the Halo Halo cake, which got a mixed review, some liked it and some didnt. But hard headed as I am, I continued on with that idea.
So, to make a long story short......................In my head, I knew what I needed to change to make my menu work......................
On January 18, 2012 (Wednesday), 3 days before the Final Round of Competition, all the competitors were asked to meet at the venue at 4 pm to go over Rules and Regulations for the competition. Mind you, at this time, I was panicking inside as we were only being given 3 hours to prepare and cook. and another 40 minutes to plate our dishes. How do I make Kare Kare, the traditional way and make the sans rival in just 3 short hours?????? Panic Mode!!!!!!
So for the next 2 days, i racked my brain and I just came up with a game plan on how I would get this all done. I was pretty confident but at the same time, I was scared as hell.
I packed up all my equipment, separated all my ingredients in boxses and went to bed...........Tomorrow, I wake up and I head to SFO to cook my ass off! Time to get some well deserved sleep!
Part I - My Kulinarya Experience - The Semi Final Round
http://www.kulinaryashowdown.com/
On Saturday, January 21, 2012, I competed in the Amateur Division of the 2nd Philippine Kulinarya Showdown, held at the Carnelian by the Bay Lounge in San Francisco, CA.
The experience was "Out of this World"! It was nerve-wracking, but fun and exciting at the same time. At the end of the day, I was soooooo exhausted that i felt pain from the tip of my fingers all the way to my toes. When the cooking and plating portion of the Amateur Division was over, the first thing I asked for was 2 shots of Tequila and a cigarette!!!
LETS'S TALK ABOUT THIS JOURNEY..................from Beginning to end...........................
This journey started in October of 2011. I received an email asking if I was interested in joining an walk on, cooking competition to help promote Filipino cuisine. The competition was scheduled to be held on Saturday, October 22, 2011. Whoever was interested in joining the competition was asked to cook, one of the following Filipino dishes: Kare-Kare, Escabeche, Caldereta, Menudo, Sisig, Afritada and Pochero.
Now, if you know me well enough, you would know that I love to cook and I love entertaining at my house, just because, I get bored when I'm not doing anything. When I get bored, I cook!!!! So, when I was asked to join this competition (Semi-Finals), naturally, I picked the hardest of all the 7 dishes to make, which is Kare-Kare. Ha ha ha ha ha! It is so me to pick the hardest of all the choices. At the same time, I make a pretty mean Kare-Kare. Here's my biggest thing about food, never settle for just good!!! When I eat out or scope up places to eat, I will never settle for food just being good, or OK! It always has to be great. I am willing to drive to Oakland to get really great Steak over Chow Fun or even drive to SFO, to get Ice cream at Mitchell's, or to the Taco truck on Industrial Blvd., in Hayward, standing out in the rain, just to get 1 taco from the Taco truck.
So when the opportunity came for me to showcase and to tell people about what I cooked, I grabbed that opportunity so I can finally tell someone about what I think about Filipino food in the United States. Here's my thing about Filipino food...............................There are certain Filipino dishes that have to remain true to tradition, it cannot be fusionized (if that's a word) or de-constructed or adapted to the western taste, and there are certain Filipino dishes that are perfect to be introduced in a fusion state......Get It?????
Oooops! Hey, its my opinion and thats really how I feel about Filipino food! Ok, so I chose to cook Kare-Kare..........Of course, i prepared it and presented it the Traditional, Authentic, Filipino way......with freshy cooked steam rice, in a clay pot..............The only way, in my opinion to eat kare-kare!!!!
There were 6 amateur contestants, and only 4 showed up on 10/22/11. 3 were going to be chosen to go on to the finals. I was one of the chosen ones! Ahhhhhhhhh! Trust me, that did not help me validate what I wanted to in this semi-final round. Honestly, I wanted to validate by competing in this round, what people who have tasted my cooking, have been telling me all this time, that I can cook. Picking 3 competitors from a pool of 4????? Really????
So anyway, I walked away from the semi-final round, not feeling anything special about moving on to the final round. Big Deal! So, a couple of months later, not really thinking much about the final round of Kulinarya, I received an email from the organizing committee about the venue and the date of the final competition................................January 21, 2012 in a venue in San Francisco. So, i put all the information aside, and I went on with my daily grind......................................Until about 2 weeks ago!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I was told, i have to prepare 4 dishes! Holy Crap! An Appetizer, Adobo Dish, The Winning Entree from the Semi-Final round, and a Filipino Inspired Dessert........................You should have seen the look on my face, when I read the details of the final round! I'm like, cool!!!! I got this! But then, reality hit me! I have to cook all 4 dishes onsite, a-la Iron Chef in the time allotted, in a strange kitchen in front of a lot of people! Again, Holy Crap!
So, with OCD, in full gear, my mind went straight to work, planning my meal, picturing what the final product is going to look like and planning, the tasting adventure I wanted to present from beginning to end!
On Saturday, January 21, 2012, I competed in the Amateur Division of the 2nd Philippine Kulinarya Showdown, held at the Carnelian by the Bay Lounge in San Francisco, CA.
The experience was "Out of this World"! It was nerve-wracking, but fun and exciting at the same time. At the end of the day, I was soooooo exhausted that i felt pain from the tip of my fingers all the way to my toes. When the cooking and plating portion of the Amateur Division was over, the first thing I asked for was 2 shots of Tequila and a cigarette!!!
LETS'S TALK ABOUT THIS JOURNEY..................from Beginning to end...........................
This journey started in October of 2011. I received an email asking if I was interested in joining an walk on, cooking competition to help promote Filipino cuisine. The competition was scheduled to be held on Saturday, October 22, 2011. Whoever was interested in joining the competition was asked to cook, one of the following Filipino dishes: Kare-Kare, Escabeche, Caldereta, Menudo, Sisig, Afritada and Pochero.
Now, if you know me well enough, you would know that I love to cook and I love entertaining at my house, just because, I get bored when I'm not doing anything. When I get bored, I cook!!!! So, when I was asked to join this competition (Semi-Finals), naturally, I picked the hardest of all the 7 dishes to make, which is Kare-Kare. Ha ha ha ha ha! It is so me to pick the hardest of all the choices. At the same time, I make a pretty mean Kare-Kare. Here's my biggest thing about food, never settle for just good!!! When I eat out or scope up places to eat, I will never settle for food just being good, or OK! It always has to be great. I am willing to drive to Oakland to get really great Steak over Chow Fun or even drive to SFO, to get Ice cream at Mitchell's, or to the Taco truck on Industrial Blvd., in Hayward, standing out in the rain, just to get 1 taco from the Taco truck.
So when the opportunity came for me to showcase and to tell people about what I cooked, I grabbed that opportunity so I can finally tell someone about what I think about Filipino food in the United States. Here's my thing about Filipino food...............................There are certain Filipino dishes that have to remain true to tradition, it cannot be fusionized (if that's a word) or de-constructed or adapted to the western taste, and there are certain Filipino dishes that are perfect to be introduced in a fusion state......Get It?????
There were 6 amateur contestants, and only 4 showed up on 10/22/11. 3 were going to be chosen to go on to the finals. I was one of the chosen ones! Ahhhhhhhhh! Trust me, that did not help me validate what I wanted to in this semi-final round. Honestly, I wanted to validate by competing in this round, what people who have tasted my cooking, have been telling me all this time, that I can cook. Picking 3 competitors from a pool of 4????? Really????
So anyway, I walked away from the semi-final round, not feeling anything special about moving on to the final round. Big Deal! So, a couple of months later, not really thinking much about the final round of Kulinarya, I received an email from the organizing committee about the venue and the date of the final competition................................January 21, 2012 in a venue in San Francisco. So, i put all the information aside, and I went on with my daily grind......................................Until about 2 weeks ago!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I was told, i have to prepare 4 dishes! Holy Crap! An Appetizer, Adobo Dish, The Winning Entree from the Semi-Final round, and a Filipino Inspired Dessert........................You should have seen the look on my face, when I read the details of the final round! I'm like, cool!!!! I got this! But then, reality hit me! I have to cook all 4 dishes onsite, a-la Iron Chef in the time allotted, in a strange kitchen in front of a lot of people! Again, Holy Crap!
So, with OCD, in full gear, my mind went straight to work, planning my meal, picturing what the final product is going to look like and planning, the tasting adventure I wanted to present from beginning to end!
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