How to spot a future chef

"You can always replace a broken egg, but never a child’s broken heart."—Architect Jose L. Reynoso (Lolo Pepe)



 

Mario Batali, Wolfgang Puck, and John Nocita are some of the countless chefs that have two things in common: They are great, and they learned how to cook from their moms and grandmas. Their passion began at home, and the basic skills they acquired helped develop them to be future chefs.

I was already in the kitchen at the age of three, two inches shorter than the kitchen table, barely able to see the delectable delights. I would sit beside my mom while she conducted her classes, and would listen and watch everything that was happening. (Many students would come up to me today and say, "You were so small when I saw you before, and now you are my teacher!") Soon, I was eager to participate with the older students in measuring, mixing, cooking, and baking, among other things. Occasionally, I would sneak into the back kitchen and eat away at the chocolate bars in the chocolate candy making class while the students searched for them. Chocolate smudges on my face were all the evidence needed to show that I was the guilty culprit. (With a smile on my face, everyone found me cute, so I was forgiven.) Mom was so thrilled that I was always around the kitchen that she forgot to enroll me in preschool.

During special occasions, relatives would give kitchen utensils as gifts, and mom built our very own kitchen for our fun time — just like what Lolo Pepe did for them — complete with long low benches, a table, all the kitchen gadgets, and a stove with oven.

Another step to my culinary education was to eat in the best restaurants here and abroad to sample culinary masterpieces. Smelling (a very important skill), tasting, observing, and analyzing the best will only expand your culinary creativity.

I was exposed to the culinary world at an early age and loved every moment of it. Mom saw that I would naturally go to the kitchen and would see my curious eyes absorb everything like a sponge. Mimicking her every movement, I would follow her actions like smelling the various ingredients, washing hands before touching food, checking if the pan was hot, and learning how to chop properly. She knew I had interest because I kept asking questions like "Mom, how would I know if the cake is baked properly?", "Mom, when is the bread double in size?" or, "Why do they call it drunken shrimps?" She would patiently explain her answers teaching the fundamentals of cooking and baking with enthusiasm and fun, which is important. Even today when she sees a child volunteering to chop the onions, she knows it’s a 100 percent guarantee that child will be a future chef. Having a strong foundation while young enhances the basic skills and knowledge needed.

If you see a child eager in the kitchen, encourage him/her to participate in your culinary endeavors. Allow him to chop with a dull knife first (so they will not cut themselves); measure using measuring cups; mix with a wooden spoon, which ensures heatproof cooking; clean as you go; and wash before and after entering the kitchen. Now, you have a future chef in the family. Bon appetit at masaganang pagsasalo sa hapag-kainan!

Choco Peanut Brownies

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/4 cup peanut butter

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated white sugar

3 eggs

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup nuts (peanuts, cashew, or walnuts)



Ask an older person to turn on the oven at 350°F or 175°C. Line a 7"x11" pan or 13"x9" foil pan with wax paper.

In a big bowl, mix well with a wooden spoon or hand mixer butter, peanut butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Then, add eggs. Mix well. When there are no more traces of the eggs, add baking powder and all-purpose flour. Mix well until you no longer see the flour.

Spread half of the batter on the pan. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup each of chocolate chips and nuts. Top with the remaining mixture. Sprinkle again the remaining 1/4 cup each of chocolate chips and nuts.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Ask an older person to remove pan from oven. Lightly tap center of cake with a metal spoon. If center is not wet, then it is ready. Cool well, then loosen from pan. Invert on to a chopping board. Cut into two-inch squares.

Tip:

The brownies will be chewier if you do not overbake them. Buy an oven thermometer in the kitchen section of the supermarket for accurate reading.

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