Cooking with love

Cooking shows have long been easy options for people aiming to perfect their culinary skills or pick up new recipes. But as life speeds up, the need to whip up a dish as fast as one consumes it without losing its palatability is a welcome treat for everyone especially for busy people. That’s why, Q-11 has come up with another cooking show titled Quickfire that displays how its host Chef Rosebud Benitez prepares delectable meals only in 10 minutes.

“Since everyone is busy these days, Quickfire is all about quick, delicious and easy-to-cook meals done only in 10 minutes. It will show how we can cook fast yet not just something ordinarily fried but a real treat for the taste buds,” Chef Rosebud says.

Each 10-minute cooking demonstration which airs before Balitanghali, before Moms and before The Sweet Life from Mondays to Fridays; before Sabado Showdown Saturdays and before Sunday Super Sine on Sundays, will see the lady chef in a step-by-step preparation of the ingredients to be used and how to cook a certain dish within the time frame. A practical alternative to some ingredients will also be given to make the dish more affordable to budget-conscious televiewers.

It may be hard to come up with one tasty meal in a short time but to see is to believe and Chef Rosebud lives up to the challenge of having a dish cooked quickly with a timer set on the table. She believes anything can be done easily with skill, some creativity and of course, the availability of the ingredients.  

Chef Rosebud also shares kitchen tips many are not familiar with. Do you know, for instance, that you can crush garlic without the smell lingering on your hands? She will also correct wrong notions about using ingredients that are deemed to be health hazards. Some solutions to handling leftovers can also be learned on the show.

 “I will be doing this solo and cannot blame anybody else unlike before when  I have with me other chefs responsible  for the show,” Chef Rosebud states.

The lady chef was one of the Ka-Toque hosts before the irresistible offer to host Quickfire landed on her lap. The new solo task came as a pleasant surprise for Chef Rosebud who always hopes that her skills be recognized. It was program manager Lisa Ruivivar who thought of getting her instead of a celebrity mom  for the new show.

“Before I actually accepted it, I consulted everyone because I’m the one in our group who kept on saying walang iwanan because we are already like a family. And all are excited and supportive of my new project,” Chef Rosebud, a graduate of Center for Culinary Arts, says.

And this time, Chef Rosebud won’t be in her usual chef’s attire. The chef/host and mom to Katrina and Kyle will be in casual smart get up so she could connect to viewers not just as a chef but as a mom as well.

“Like most moms, I bond with my kids through cooking or baking at home,” the lady chef talent of GMA Artist Center says.   

It is in baking where Chef Rosebud started trying her hand in coming up with something delectable. She relates how her classmates loved the cookies and brownies she used to sell to them when she started baking at age nine.  Chef Rosebud will now share to televiewers her original recipes like Swift Salpicado Squid, Curried Lumpiang Gulay, Fab Asparagus and pasta dishes that are real feasts for the tongue.   

How different is Quickfire from Chef to Go and Ka-Toque?

“This is aired 17 times a week so televiewers can get more recipes that are affordable and easy to cook from simple breakfast, lunch or merienda to party meals. I could also concoct something for a romantic dinner. The show will always offer cheap alternatives for some ingredients,” she replies.

Adding spice to the show are celebrity guests who seek advice on what to prepare for their families or request Chef Rosebud to come up with anything that would fit in their diet plan.

What tips she can give to come up with delicious meals?

“Never cook in a bad mood as it will affect the taste of whatever you’re cooking. You should always cook with love.”