Chuck Hughes: Rock & roll chef
MANILA, Philippines - Metro Manila foodies and rockers were treated to celebrity splendor on their day off recently, thanks to the Asian Food Channel, Greenbelt and Indesit/Ariston appliances.
The evening started off with a special cooking demonstration hosted by new chef on the block, Dino Ferrari, the Filipino winner of E&O’s Search for the Next Asian Food Channel Celebrity Chef, using electronic kitchen modules provided by Indesit/Ariston and red Aeternum cookware from Bialetti.
Razorback got on stage and wowed Greenbelt with their classic gritty vocals and impossibly epic guitar riffs, and the host welcomed on stage chef Chuck Hughes, the only Canadian chef to beat out Iron Chef Bobby Flay in the US Iron Chef competition and a lover of rock, who stole the spotlight by shamelessly belting out Whole Lotta Love with the band — then laughing at himself and introducing himself to his Filipino fans with a lighthearted, “I’m gonna stick to cooking I think!”
He prepared three dishes for the audience’s enjoyment, each one reminiscent of Chuck’s personality: fresh, fun and original. Completely free styling his recipe, adding ingredients here and there with the natural instincts of a born chef.
The pan-grilled scallops on green gazpacho came first. The initial impression left a tart and bright impression, somehow changing in your mouth to leave behind cleanliness and a flavorful healthy impact. Second was the crispy sockeye salmon fillet, the taste was simple at first, clean and pure, but exploding with an unpredictable and paradoxical sweet sourness in the last few chews. To round up the cooking demonstration, Chuck prepared a chocolate tapioca arancini, sticky little balls filled with a happy little chocolate surprise in the middle, leaving you licking your fingers in pleasure.
Chuck has definite passion for his art, but being able to rock to the classic tunes of Razorback, the country’s consummate rock ‘n’ roll band lent him the experience of the Filipinos: the effortless passionate mixture of music and food that so defines our culture.
