How I became chef for a day …without burning the food
February 12, 2003 | 12:00am
The feast of St. Valentine’s is fast approaching, and people are once again dreaming up unique and innovative ways to spend this special day with their loved one… or loved ones. If you find an evening of dinner and a concert to be a cliché, impossible to book or simply overpriced, perhaps an alternative would be to personally prepare a gourmet dinner for you and your special someone.
With the help of the Edsa Shangri-La’s Italian chef Giuliano Ungaro, I spent the afternoon pretending to be the hotel’s chef de cuisine and prepared several epicurean Italian dishes typical of what Giuliano actually serves at the hotel’s Paparazzi Restaurant. Each one is a gastronomic delight that anyone can prepare at home – at least that’s what Giuliano said.
Philippine STAR: Hey, this wasn’t so difficult.
Giuliano Ungaro: No, not at all. I told you, anybody can do this at home.
Except that it is a lot easier when you are working in the kitchen of Paparazzi where everything you need is within reach, and the great chef Giuliano Ungaro is helping you out.
It is easier here because the kitchen is set up and you have everything, but you can do this at home just as well.
Even without the great chef…
Yes, even without the great chef…
I think you just need to be really organized, and I really think you should make the sauces a day ahead. Anyway, they will keep, won’t they?
Yes, absolutely. And if you can, practice a few days before Valentine’s Day, so that when your girlfriend or family comes over, it is not the first time you will be cooking in your life. I think it will help, no?
And if you are already stressed out, then forget the lobster, just do the lamb loin. Forget the sauce. Just salt and pepper and throw it in the pan.
If you haven’t done any of this before, and you are already all stressed out, then that might be a good idea.
If you did everything on the menu – all four courses – how long would it take?
You have to start on the morning of the dinner. If you do the sauces ahead of time, then you save some time.
And I think that’s what many people do not realize about really good cooking: It takes a lot of time. If you have the recipe, it really is not that hard. But it takes time to reduce sauces. It takes time to rinse shellfish. The preparation takes even longer than the actual cooking.
Yes, it does.
And that’s why really fine food costs quite a bit.
But that’s also why, as I told you earlier, I have to give you a garnish.
You come from Michelin-rated restaurants in Europe and some of the best in New York and Asia. How do you compare food in Europe with other parts of the world?
I think – and this is not because I am European – that European cooking is more fine than in America. It’s more delicate. Not that one is really better than the other, but it’s just different.
And in America, I think the plate tends to be more full than in Europe.
Yes. And personally, I don’t like the plate to be so full. I don’t like the client to eat too much and be so full. I would rather that you taste a little bit of everything and taste a lot of flavors.
How about the quality?
Well, you know part of the problem is, let’s say, you have products from Europe, the best ones – like the A-level – that stays in Europe. Only, maybe the B-level can go to Asia and only to Singapore, Hong Kong and Japan. Then for all the other countries, you can only get C- or D-level. This is really part of the problem, and it is part of the challenge.
I noticed that when you were cooking…
You mean when "you" were cooking. Not me…
Oh yes, when I was cooking and trying not to burn the food, you still regularly refer to the recipe even if you know it already. You don’t just cook by feel?
No, you cannot. Even the best chefs need to always follow the recipe. Your eyes are never good enough. If you put too much of this or that, then it is no good. This is especially true with sauces and pastries. It really makes a difference.
How about some general cooking tips?
Sure. You always add the salt and pepper to the meat at the last minute, just before you cook it. This is because the salt will start cooking the meat and all the juices will come out. And we do not want this. Also, when you are cooking with fresh herbs, they also go in at the last minute…
Like the basil, thyme…
Yes. Another tip: When you put a garnish on the dish, you need a reason for the garnish. I do not like having a garnish on the plate and not knowing why it is there. For me, there has to be a reason. For example, in the Eggplant with the Buffalo Mozzarella, we can use a deep-fried eggplant for a garnish, because we used eggplant in the dish. There is a relation. And everything on the plate must be edible. That’s why it’s on the plate.
Also, when you cook meat, the oil must be hot. This is because the hot oil makes the pores in the meat close and that seals the juices in.
If you are making stock, it should be cold, because you want those juices to come out, and then it gets hot and the pores can close.
How much salt and pepper do you use when you say season with salt and pepper?
It is really up to you. It depends on your taste. But just put a pinch and it should be okay. But I don’t usually put salt on seafood. Sometimes, it comes out too salty.
And earlier, you mentioned rinsing shellfish, clams and mussels. No matter where they come from, they must be rinsed for two to three hours under running water. And running water is just dripping water right?
Yes, yes. Just put it in a bowl and let the faucet drip into the bowl. The water doesn’t need to flow too strong. After two to three hours, you lift the clams out of the bowl or scoop them out. Don’t pour them out, otherwise all the impurities and everything else will come out with them. Leave all that in the water. We just want the clams and mussels.
What’s the best oil to use when cooking?
Maybe, it’s because I am Italian but I only use olive oil or extra virgin olive oil. But it is healthier anyway.
And every calorie counts especially when there are enough calories in all the other food and sauces…
Yes, but it is only Valentine’s once a year, no?
And you won’t be doing much eating, because you are doing all the cooking!
Well, you can join them during the main course. After that is cooked and your dessert is in the refrigerator, then you will be okay.
I personally know many people who ask why there is no pizza in Paparazzi?
Because we don’t have the money for a pizza oven. No, I’m just joking. Actually, it is because I don’t want Paparazzi to be your stereotype pizza-pasta restaurant. In Italy, if you want a pizza, you go to a pizzeria, not to a fine dining restaurant. Now, Paparazzi is not a so very expensive fine dining restaurant, but we want it to be different. We want our clients to experience what is Italian food. It is much, much more than pizza and pasta. You have been to Italy and you know Italian food. It is not all pizza and pasta.
I agree. Many people would see what is actually Italian food and probably think it was French. Only because people think automatically of pizza and pasta.
And Italian and French cooking are very different. The techniques are different. Italian uses more oil, French more cream. They are very different. And as you know, if you go to Europe and try the cuisine, you will see they are very different.
Which do you like better: Caviar or truffle?
I like truffle. There is more you can do with it. Caviar is just, well, caviar. And the best way to eat it is just like that. But truffle, there is so much more we can do.
So if I did this all at home – without you around – will it come out the same?
Yes, I think so. Maybe it will be a little worse and maybe it will be a little better. You never know!
Yes, who knows? But maybe to be safe, I should just eat here in Paparazzi. I enjoy cooking, but I don’t think I will ever be a chef.
You never know. I think you still have time. A few years studying in Italy and you will be ready to go.
Until Feb. 12, Paparazzi is having "A Passion for Piedmont" festival which features cuisine from the northern part of Italy. I had the privilege of trying everything on the menu and without reservation, every dish was excellent. My personal favorites were the Ricotta Agnolotti with Pecorino and Estragon Sauce and the Risotto with lettuce, snails and cheese…minus the snails of course…because I don’t eat snails.
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