Culinary Icon at Mobile Kusina Finale
This November, the San Miguel Pure Foods Culinary Center gives food enthusiasts a special pre-Christmas treat. For the second straight year, Ms. Sylvia Reynoso-Gala is guest chef in 2007 final leg of Mobile Kusina Live! to be held on Saturday, November 17, 2007 at San Miguel Corporation, Head Office Cafeteria, Ortigas, Pasig.
Ms. Sylvia has been credited to have taught some of the country’s top chefs, and now through Mobile Kusina Live!, her distinctive brand of culinary instruction will be brought closer to the public via a live cooking demonstration.
One of the things that foodies are probably curious about is how the Reynoso-Gala kitchen is like during the holiday season. “We’re very busy buying ingredients, preparing for the party for our family and staff… We usually throw a party for our staff with games, raffle, and of course, good food. They are like family to us so we make sure that we have a Christmas celebration with them.” After all, according to Ms. Sylvia, Christmas is a time of “thanksgiving for all the good graces that God has given us.”
Christmas in the Philippines is very family-oriented and the Reynoso-Gala holiday table reflects this: “We usually go by our traditional recipes my dad started… pancit molo, paella, callos, pastel de lengua, fruit salad, and quezo de bola.” Her children, successful chefs Ernest and Morella, usually prepare lamb and baby back ribs.
Will the audience of Mobile Kusina Live! event enjoy a gastronomic exhibition close to what the Reynoso-Gala family experiences, holiday after holiday? She prefers to keep it a surprise but she leaves readers with this appetizing hint: “Something different, something traditional with a few surprises. Our promise is not to disappoint them when they come and see the event.”
The kitchen-on-wheels concept of Mobile Kusina Live! aims to educate and entertain audiences in key cities across the country with cooking demonstrations featuring respected regional chefs. Food lovers, cooking enthusiasts and budding entrepreneurs have brought home nuggets of culinary wisdom from these mobile classes. “This event is a great way to say ‘Thank you!’ to all those who have patronized San Miguel Pure Foods products all these years. It is the best way to show them how much the company appreciates their trust and support for the products and of course, for me.”
Followers of the celebrated chef can look forward to a television show in 2008. Producers have offered to create a video with Ms. Sylvia to be shown worldwide, “a show that teaches viewers how to prepare select recipes at home.” A cook book is also in the works, as well as a plan to expand her cooking school, possibly with the participation of foreign partners/chefs. “The classes will be affordable and hands-on, and will reach out to those wanting to earn extra income, become a caterer, or set up a food cart business in the future.”
All that is worth looking forward to but for now, Ms. Sylvia gives this practical advice to harried homemakers who want their families to experience an unforgettable Noche Buena to cap a year full of blessings. “Make a checklist way ahead. Organize everything — like when to hold the feast, what time (dinner or lunch?), and the ingredients (which ones need to be prepared ahead of time?). These things are very important in making your holiday feast memorable and yes, enjoyable!”
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