Almond Biscotti

I was watching Karen Martini last week at Better Homes and Gardens TV and she was making this lovely almond biscotti that really looks soooo yummy and easy to make.  I told myself that I would try doing those biscottis in the next few days or so and I did!

They're crunchy, yummy and really easy to make and best of all the ingredients are not that difficult to get.

You can watch her making the biscotti at http://au.lifestyle.yahoo.com/better-homes-gardens/tv-and-video/video/watch/6928a23d-f5b5-362b-9943-2ca42c16da21/cooking-with-karen-almond-biscotti/aulifestyle-better-homes-and-garden-cooking-with-karen/


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Troman Felizmenio



coutesy of cnn.com

As I was reading an internet article about Troman Felizmenio, a Filipino Pastry Chef in Moscow, I can't help but wonder in awe how this great chef put his heart and soul in making the 2 meter high edible replica of St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow.  A gingerbread cathedral that I think should just be frozen in time and put in an art museum.  I don't think I would eat such a good replica of St. Basil Cathedral.  He began making this replica in September 2009 and it took him almost 3 months to finish it.  He would spent 3 hours each day in making the cathedral. 

He painstakingly gave importance not only with the architectural design and measurements of the cathedral but also gave the respect that St. Basil should receive.  This great chef and his team of bakers also had made mini cathedrals of which price started with 50,000 rubles or $1600 around that time.

I went to St. Basil Cathedral website just to understand how important this cathedral is in Moscow.  I could just have asked my hubby who is a world history savvy about it but he's in the office.  I am quite well sure he had seen this cathedral during his travels abroad.  Oh anyway, the Cathedral of St. Basil or Vasily the Blessed is one famous historical landmark in Moscow you wouldn't miss when you go to the Red Square landmark near the Kremlin.  It is now nearly 450 years now since it was built. 

courtesy of saintbasil.ru

According to the website of St. Vasily, "The Cathedral of the Protecting Veil of the Mother of God upon the Moat was built in fulfillment of a vow made by Czar Ivan the Terrible before his campaign against Kazan in 1552 and with the blessing of Metropolitan Makary. The cathedral was constructed under the supervision of Russian master builders Postnik and Barma in 1555-1561. Uniquely conceived by Metropolitan Makary, the cathedral was to epitomize the image of the Holy City of Jerusalem. As a result, its nine churches, most of which were consecrated in memory of major events of the victorious Kazan campaign, were built on a single foundation."

The mightiness and grandeur of such beautiful architectural product was replicated with respect and honor by our own Filipino Chef.  This is quite a proud moment in the Philippine Culinary history. 

Source: cnn.com;  saintbasil.ru; philstar.com
Photo:  first photo (gingerbread cathedral) courtesy of cnn.com;  thumbnails of the real cathedral courtesy of the saintbasil.ru

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Nigella Lawson

Nigella Lawson -- the well known "Queen of Food Porn."  She is called as such because of the way she presents her food show in a flirtatious manner.  Although she is not a chef nor a trained cook, she is well respected in the culinary industry.  She has a very lucrative career in being a food critic and a book writer and has been awarded the British Author of the Year Award for his book, How to be a Domestic Godess.

She came from a very prominent family.  Her father was a former conservative MP and the Chancellor of Exchequer during the time of PM Margaret Thatcher and her mother was a socialite beauty whose family owns the J. Lyons and Co ( chains of restaurants and catering services etc). 

She had been a wild child following the divorce of her parents.  She never had a happy childhood although money was so easy for her.  She has proven though that despite of dark moments in one's life, one could  always bounce back.    She has created her niche in the culinary world and became one of the most sought after food critic and food show host.  She had her series of Nigella cooking show. 

Although she never had a formal training in cooking, you would really see the passion she has for food -- eating and cooking.   I have learned a lot from this great lady especially when it comes to chocolates. I would always watch her in her show "Nigella's Christmas Kitchen" which was aired in Australia just before Christmas.  I loved the way she would present her show, a way much different from ordinary food shows. I would surely try her churos with chocolate dips.

She has her own food website www.nigella.com
(source: wikipedia, nigella.com, nigella fresh, abc channel in Australia)

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Cristeta Comerford

Do you know that the first woman and first Asian ever appointed as the chief executive chef  at the US White House is a Filipina?  Her name is Cristeta Comerford and she has been in the White House since 2005.  This means that she has also served  both President Clinton administration and President Bush  administration and now the Obama administration.   

Her maiden name is Pasia, a native of Sampaloc, Manila and a graduate of Manila Science High School (which means that this lady is really a smart one).  He enrolled in Food Tech in UP (University of the Philippines) but she was not able to graduate since she has to move to the US.

Her not finishing her degree did not stop her from achieving her dreams of becoming a chef though.  She  worked with great chefs at famous restaurants and hotels.  This was the time when  Walter Scheib III, the then White House Executive Chef, recruited her to work with him during the Clinton Administration.

Apparently, she was appointed by  First Lady Laura Bush to become the first woman executive chef of the White House after Scheib resigned in 2005 due to her great handling of a large dinner made in honor of the Indian Prime Minister.  When the Obama took his office as the President of the US, Michelle Obama also made her hold her current position.

For further info about her please read her interview at Makati Shangrila.

Credits:  http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/08/20050814-1.html; The Washington Post August, 2005; 
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Matt Golinski

Matt Golinski had been a regular at the Australian cooking show, Ready Steady Cook which I never failed to watch.  He is known for his great cooking skill and good humour.  He was born in Sunshine Coast in Queensland.  He became an apprentice in Brisbane and has worked in some of the top resto.  He is also known for his catering business --The Rolling Dolmade.
His life has proven how things can change in a second.  With his beautiful family, booming business, and great celebrity chef career, what more could he ask for? Everything changed in that one very tragic housefire last December 6,2011 where he lost everything including his wife, Rachael, and his three children - Sage, Willow and Starlia.  He suffered severe burns and was put in induced comma at the Royal Brisbane Hospital. 

He is able to talk a bit and walk now...but how would a father forget the tragedy that took away his loved ones?  That scar is I guess more severe than the burn scars that he has.  Please pray for him.


For more info please click --->Matt Golinski

Credits:  Ready Stead Cook, The Courier
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Manu Feildel

My mother would hate me if I don't feature Manu Feildel in my series on famous chefs.  You see, she's a great fan of him right from the start of the My Kitchen Rules Australia. 
I remember we would often get glued to the television when it's MKR time and most  especially when Manu joined the Australia's Dancing with the Stars.  And ooh boy, the French chef could really dance! In fact he won that contest.  So there, he's not only a good chef but also a good dancer.

From what I've read from different articles on mags and net and saw from his interviews, I've learned that he originally wanted to be a circus performer and in fact he even had trainings on being a circus clown performer with the goal of joining a travelling carnival.  His call for cooking hit him though and made him pick up an apron and cook. 

He came from a family who loves to cook good food.  Both his father and grandfather are chefs and his mother is a great cook.  No wonder he has the same passion for cooking.  Anyway, he became apprentice at his father's bistro and later finished his training in fine dining.

His itchy feet started to nag him though that he decided to go to London.  I can't imagine how this French guy fared in an English speaking country when he spoke no English.  I guess his food talked and broke all the communication barrier.  He worked at The Cafe Royal then later on rose in ranks in Les Associes, Café des Amis du Vin and Livebait. 

It was at Livebait he progressed from Chef de Partie to Sous-Chef and finally Head Chef, earning the seafood establishment a nomination for best seafood restaurant in the UK in 1998.

In 1999, he moved to Melbourne and started working at Toofey's.  Later on he worked with Pete Evans, another young and famous chef at Hugos at Sydney.  He also worked at Restaurant VII and Bilson's.

In 2009, he open his own restaurant named  L'etoile in Sydney.

He is by the way, a single father to his son, Jonti.

credits: MKR Australia, Who Magazine, Australian Good Food Magazine

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