Fearless in the kitchen
The passion for cooking is fraught with danger. The possibility for mishaps, spills and slips is always present. This is because, while fiery stoves or ovens, sharp knives and hot oils are customary implements in preparing a good meal, these kitchen essentials also pose potential and considerable peril for the unwary. Despite the hazards, however, the kitchen remains a key zone for food aficionados. It is where a cook’s creativity and skill transforms ordinary ingredients into superlative meals.
To give food and lifestyle writers a day for indulging their interest in food and cooking, Unilever Foodsolutions (UFS) recently held a “Fearless Kitchen Challenge” at the company head office’s Cilantro Kitchen. The activity was in partnership with Crocs, the manufacturer of comfortable and superior-grip shoes. The footwear line endorsed by internationally famous Iron Chef Mario Batali is designed so that, aside from first-rate comfort, a Crocs Lock Tread on the soles of the footwear ensures superior grip on floors. This feature effectively lessens the danger of accidentally slipping on wet or greasy surfaces.
“The benefits of Crocs Bistro have already been lauded by UFS Culinary Chefs who swear by the combination of great food made in great comfort,” says UFS managing director Zafer Unver. “It is a partnership that is very much in line with the convenience and precision that our products offer.”
Among the indispensable and trusted brands that chefs rely on locally are Knorr, Lady’s Choice, Best Foods, Lipton, Selecta and Carte D’Or. UFS is an important partner for members of the local food industry — be it chefs and caterers or hotels and restaurants. In addition, UFS maintains a team of dedicated chefs who help in providing innovative food solutions relevant to the customers’ actual needs.
So there we were, media people clad in our pristine chef’s jackets and shod in extremely comfortable Crocs Bistro footwear. Don’t believe the balderdash that chefs need slip-on clogs because their considerable girth prevents them from bending over to tie their shoelaces. The talented UFS chefs were exceedingly trim and fit, while the participants were of all shapes and sizes. The goal of the activity was to indulge in friendly competition using lamb as a main ingredient.
Inspired by Zafer Unver’s statement, “Chefmanship is the ability to create and deliver great dishes every time,” and attentive to the program hosted by chef Joanne Limoanco, participants were vividly reminded of the importance of safety. Especially after being shown a graphic video of an employee who lost a limb due to carelessness. The show of gore was effective and the intent to stay safe was firmly planted in our minds.
Three teams were supervised by UFS chefs Martin Kabigting, Datu Pendatun and Ryan Lastra and set out to work. Chef Paolo Sia roamed around the kitchen interviewing participants and trying to figure out what dishes we would prepare, similar to what is done on the Iron Chef shows. Our goal was to tempt Center for Culinary Arts chefs Mike Yap, James Antolin and Brando Santos to choose our respective teams as the winner.
However, after two hours of work over steaming pots and smoky grills, one team eventually edged out the other two. But no matter, the UFS Fearless Kitchen Challenge was a good way to rediscover that with Unilever Foodsolutions’ products, cooking great-tasting dishes can be a breeze.
“As chefs, we know that the right ingredients can make all the difference,” said Chef Mike Yap. “With Unilever Foodsolutions’ simple base ingredients, we are able to come up with outstanding and unique creations that are flavorful yet affordable, and won’t consume all of our time. It is the combination of these elements that make very efficient kitchens.” We couldn’t agree more. With UFS and Crocs, the living is easier for hardworking chefs who are on their feet all day.
