What’s on chef Jessie’s Christmas table?
TBy LAI S. REYES
he holiday season could wreak havoc even in the most wellorganized chef’s kitchen. Suddenly, there are not enough flat surfaces to put the pots and pans, as well as all the ingredients needed to whip up the dishes your clients requested for noche buena. Life, even for the most meticulous chef, can get messy.
“Christmastime is the busiest time of the year for chefs. Hindi na kami halos
natutulog sa dami ng bookings,” shares chef Jessie Sincioco. “And yes, there’s chaos in the kitchen.”
But no matter how hectic her schedule is, chef Jessie always finds time to share her creativity and passion for creating a sumptuous and elegant Filipino Christmas spread with budding restaurateurs, home cooks and homemakers — especially if the invite comes from The Maya Kitchen.
The Maya Kitchen is one of the ingredients that make up the perfect recipe that is chef Jessie.
“It was my passport to the culinary world. Kung wala ang Maya Kitchen,
walang chef Jessie,” she adds. Back in 1983, chef Jessie bagged the grand prize in the baking category of the Great Maya Cookfest. The accidental chef has, indeed, come a long way.
Chef Jessie is the president/CEO of her own company, JCS Gastronomies Inc., and runs the finest restaurants in the metro — Top of the Citi by Chef Jessie and Chef Jessie Rockwell Club.
A HOMECOMING
Chef Jessie returns to the Maya Kitchen — as part of its Culinary Elite Series — in time for the holidays to share with aspiring cooks her very own Christmas menu.
“The dishes are inspired by Filipino flavors,” says the chef, who makes use of local ingredients, from the appetizers to desserts. “With the right presentation, Filipino food can be elegant, too!”
So what’s on chef Jessie’s Christmas table?
There’s Smoked Milkfish & Bihod Pie with Croutons and Mesclun of Local Greens with Marigold & Crispy Coconut Flakes in Coco-Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing, for starters.
For the mains, she prepared a Cochinillo stuffed with Atchara Rice, Kinulob Na Chicken, and Tiger Prawns with Laing.
With the help of her niece Noreen de Guzman, chef Jessie baked a Dark Chocolate Fudge Orange Cupcake for dessert. She did all of these in under two hours.
“For us Filipinos, the dining table is the most utilized part of the house,” enthuses the amiable chef. “It’s where we share food and personal stories. The food reflects our love for those whom we serve these dishes to.”
NOTHING BEATS A HOMECOOKED MEAL
Chef Jessie was exposed to the kitchen at a young age by her aunt Lita SinciocoDy. “She would bring me to the wet market during weekends so I know if the meat is fresh or not. She also taught me to rub rock salt on fresh chicken and fish to get rid of the lansa.”
Even with so many dining establishments to choose from, there are still those who appreciate the taste — and heart, lots of it — that goes into a home-cooked Pinoy meal.
And that’s the idea behind The Maya Kitchen cooking demonstrations.
“We want to encourage these home cooks to nurture their passion for cooking,” asserts Eric Fajardo, business development manager, Liberty Flour Mills.
All the recipes featured in the “Flavors of an Elegant Filipino Christmas by Chef Jessie” cooking demo were created with regular home cooks in mind.
“The dishes I want them to learn are familiar Filipino flavors with a special twist that anyone can cook and everyone will enjoy,” chef Jessie says.
Through the Maya Kitchen Culinary Elite Series, chef Jessie wants to encourage moms and homemakers to spread the love through delicious food.