Tuesday, September 16, 2008 Top chefs spice up Davao's cooking demo By Ianne Monforte From my kitchen
THE local culinary scene has certainly been richer, more vibrant with the visit of several outstanding chefs who generously shared their expertise to Davao's food enthusiasts.
There never was a dull moment in our culinary scene. Almost always, there is a festival going on or launching a new menu at a hotel and restaurant.
Even in festivals organized by trade organizations, one of the crowd-drawers is usually the food area as evidenced in the recent event initiated by Unilever Foodsolutions and SunriseFoods Corporation (operator of the famous local food chain Banoks Ihaw-Ihaw).
The 1st open Cooking Demo and Showdown entitled "Tayo na at Magluto sa Banoks" at one of Banoks outlet on August 16-17, 2008 was a concrete proof that food is truly a major consideration.
During the demo, everybody had a good time food tripping from the new concocted flavors of Mindanao's freshest catch.
Visiting top chefs enhanced the wisdom, expertise and let's say, basic love for good food.
Cooking demonstrations conducted by these young chefs are getting to a regular affair in Davao and 2008 is definitely a good year for us.
Here are the two guest chefs who came and conquered local palates with Victoria Plaza's Food Department chef Fernando Martin who stands out during the showdown because of his very own recipe "Beef Durian in Madayaw Sauce" which really a must try.
Those who participated in the event were chef Paolo Sia, sous chef of Unilever Food Solutions, Manila. He handles recipe development, menu development, manages the operations of the Culinary Kitchen. He also conducts culinary and HACCP trainings.
Chef Datu Pendatun, a Mindanaoan, embraced vegetarianism while studying Anthropolgy at the University of the Philippines in Baguio.
His gastronomic interests took a complete turn when he entered the Center for Asian Culinary Studies where he received a Diploma for Culinary and Pastry Arts with honors.
He apprenticed in Caf‚ Ysabel, Ziggurat Cuisine, and in the Indian Kitchen of Spices Restaurant of the Peninsula Manila.
Datu started to work for Unilever Foodsolutions as a chef-consultant in Mindanao in 2005.
In 2006, Datu became the sales chef handling both Visayas and Mindanao areas where he is heavily involved with cooking demonstrations, recipe engineering, and account development.
Beef Durian N' Madayaw Sauce
(Davao's Original Recipe)
* Marinate Beef with Oyster Sauce, set aside.
* Saute‚ Garlic, Onion, until golden brown, add cumin seed.
* Add Beef and Durian Meat together with demi-glace (diluted), then simmer on very low. Heat for about 10 minutes or until meat is tender.
* Add Seasoning and Chicken Powder, 'til cook, remove from heat.
* Top the Fresh Durian meat, green peas and shredded carrots and serve.
