Clean, bold and vibrant, hearty flavors are on today's table highlighted by garden fresh produce. Long-time advocates and pioneers in the slow food movement, sustainability and support for local farming communities, Chefs JayJay and Rhea Castro-Sycip of The Fatted Calf and Flour Pot Manila recently shared their fresh take on sustainable dining for The Culinary Elite Series of The Maya Kitchen...
More and more, food provenance is increasingly becoming part of the decision-making process in our daily food choices. No longer just another passing trend, choosing fresh, natural and sustainable produce goes a long way in providing real flavors while supporting local farmers. Culinary icon Nora Daza's enduring legacy continues as renowned food writer and youngest daughter Nina Daza-Puyat brings The Culinary Elite series to The Maya Kitchen with a renewed purpose and mission. Established way back in 1964, The Maya Kitchen preserves a timeless culinary tradition of inspiring chefs with its regular line-up of classes featuring some of the country's best and brightest. In its latest edition, The Culinary Elite series showcased sustainable dining with Chefs JayJay and Rhea Castro-Sycip with their sumptuous renditions in Farm Gastronomy. Read on for a taste of farm-fresh flavors...
Everyone has fond childhood memories with hotcakes, long a household staple associated with the Maya brand. A pioneer and leading authority in culinary education, The Maya Kitchen Culinary Arts Center was originally envisioned as a test kitchen for Liberty Flour Mills back in 1964 whose brands include the popular line led by Maya Hotcake Mix and a wide range of variants. It has since evolved as the institution that shaped culinary leaders like Chef Jessie Sincioco, the Go sisters of Goldilocks and Luningning Go of Joni's Bakeshop and countless other successful restaurateurs and food entrepreneurs including one of the featured guests for the latest edition of The Culinary Elite series, Chef Rhea Castro-Sycip of Flour Pot Manila. It's a testament to the brand's passionate commitment to elevating and pushing the local culinary scene forward, with its brand not only becoming a part of every household but an incubator and source of inspiration for aspiring chefs, home cooks and bakers.
Recognizing food provenance as an emerging and growing movement in the local food scene, The Culinary Elite series of The Maya Kitchen offered participants a deeper and much closer appreciation of sustainable produce with Farm Gastronomy featuring comforting dishes by Chefs JayJay and Rhea Castro-Sycip.
Inside The Maya Kitchen, the tables were set for the sumptuous feast by Chefs JayJay and Rhea Castro-Sycip. A test kitchen, cooking school and research and customer assistance center in one location, The Maya Kitchen Culinary Arts Center remains committed to continuous innovation through product development and impactful community engagements through its line-up of courses supplemented by its innovative and long-running The Culinary Elite series, cookbooks and publications.
Enduring legacies are a recurring theme at The Maya Kitchen as Nina Daza Puyat resumes the role of Nora Daza at the beloved institution. With Nina Daza Puyat at the helm, The Maya Kitchen embarks on a new culinary chapter in its storied journey starting with the The Culinary Elite series...
...this time, shedding some light on a timely and relevant movement slowly gaining momentum in the local food scene. And there's just no better duo than Chefs JayJay and Rhea Castro-Sycip, pioneering advocates of the slow food movement and farm-to-table dining experience served daily at their Tagaytay restaurant, The Fatted Calf (for more on The Fatted Calf, see my posts Feast And Celebrate Once More, The Fatted Calf Farmhouse Kitchen Re-Opens At Its New Location In Tagaytay from 2023 and Tagaytay Food Festival Day 2: Unveiling The Food That Binds At The Fatted Calf x Restaurant Fiz Singapore Dinner Collaboration from two months back).
The culinary couple's advocacy for all-natural and sustainable produce is reflected in the menus of both The Fatted Calf and Flour Pot Manila where only the freshest and finest ingredients make the cut. For Chef Rhea Castro-Sycip, coming back to The Maya Kitchen also marks a full circle milestone. Chef Rhea began her culinary journey at The Maya Kitchen, shaping her culinary philosophy and lavish cake creations at Flour Pot Manila. Together, Chefs JayJay and Rhea brings their own exquisite culinary style adding to Tagaytay's rich tapestry of flavors.
Chef JayJay kicks off the Farm Gastronomy feast at The Maya Kitchen with his Vegan Glow Salad, a garden fresh medley with mixed greens, zuchini and asparagus ribbons, roasted kabocha squash, pumpkin seeds, raisins, orange segments, grapes and adlai tossed in a vibrant maple vinaigrette made with olive oil, Chinese black vinegar, sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper. The flavors are clean and distinct followed by a subtle yet lingering natural sweetness enhanced by the maple vinaigrette. The addition of fruits brings multiple layers of flavors while the adlai brings texture coming together in a balanced finish with each bite. It's the perfect start to the Farm Gastronomy feast...
The Roasted Pepper & Cashew Pasta in a rich roasted bell pepper sauce is an elegant rendition with a flavorful richness without the usual proteins. And it works. Red and yellow bell peppers, fresh and tart tomatoes, raw cashews, fresh basil and Parmesan brings all the flavors in a hearty pasta dish.
The deceptively simple dish packs all the flavors from the smoky sweetness of roasted bell peppers, the sharp tartness of tomatoes and nutty, earthy hints of cashews perfectly rounded out by the Parmesan for a comforting meal in itself. They say freshness is flavor, and the distinct notes of each ingredient comes through with a flavorful burst.
The concept of Farm Gastronomy is lavishly executed by Chefs JayJay and Rhea with the main course of Chicken Putanesca Casserole, a savory dish of chicken leg quarters simmered in a rich Pomodoro sauce with minced garlic, olive oil, diced white onion, anchovies, olives, capers, oregano, thyme and parsley.
The Pomodoro sauce in itself shares top billing with the chicken to complete the dish. The delicate notes of the tender chicken are perfectly complemented and enhanced by the fresh ensemble of vegetables in the Pomodoro for a satisfying and comforting feast. The freshness and vibrant flavors of the farm fresh ingredients makes the dish...
...coming together in a balanced and harmonious blend. And yes, this dish will have you going for extra rice.
The savory dishes showcased Chef JayJay's mastery of classic cuisine elevated by the pure and rich flavors of fresh ingredients. The difference in flavor with farm fresh produce isn't the only benefit, your choice goes a long way in supporting local farming communities.
Chef Rhea then prepared one of her many signature desserts with the Mixed Berries Tres Leches to cap a sumptuous Farm Gastronomy feast at The Maya Kitchen. Known for her indulgent creations like the "naked" cake, Chef Rhea will soon be opening the much-awaited Flour Pot flagship bistro in BGC by late October. For countless fans of her specialty cakes and baked treats, this is great news (for more on Flour Pot Manila, see my posts Let's Roll With The Cheddar & Danish Bleu Cheese Rolls By Flour Pot Manila from 2023, Celebrating A Local Harvest With The Ubi Kinampay Cake By Flour Pot Manila from three years ago, ECQ Eats: Up, Down, Sideways With The Classic Pineapple Upside Down Cake By Flour Pot Manila from 2021 and Indulgence Comes Humming Your Way With The Hummingbird Cake From Flour Pot Manila from six years back).
As Chef Rhea prepared her Mixed Berries Tres Leches, nostalgic memories warms The Maya Kitchen taking her back to the day when she first set out to follow her culinary dreams. Like so many successful chefs, home bakers and restaurateurs, The Maya Kitchen was her stage in a memorable journey from years back.
And that day, Chef Rhea returned to where it all began celebrated with her signature and indulgent culinary style at The Maya Kitchen. It's moments like this where one can truly appreciate the lasting impact of the sixty-one year old institution with still so many more inspiring stories to share. And this is just one of many editions in the pipeline from The Culinary Elite series at The Maya Kitchen.
Light and moist and lavishly soaked in evaporated milk, condensed milk, strawberry milk, heavy cream and vanilla extract topped with fresh whole strawberries, strawberry jam, wild blueberries and mint, the Mixed Berries Tres Leches was the decadent sweet ending to a memorable Farm Gastronomy feast at The Maya Kitchen.
From the salad and mains to dessert, Chefs JayJay and Rhea presented countless creative possibilities to jumpstart your own personal journey with farm-fresh produce at The Maya Kitchen. And you can expect even more engaging activities as The Maya Kitchen continues its mission...
...with Nina Daza Puyat taking over the reins of the enduring institution. Enriched by its storied past bolstered by an impressive and still growing alumni base, The Maya Kitchen enters a new chapter in its long history. And the future looks good...
The Maya Kitchen is located at the 8th Floor, Liberty Building, 835 Antonio Arnaiz Avenue, Legazpi Village, Makati City, 1229 Metro Manila. You can also visit their website and social media feeds at https://themayakitchen.com/, https://www.facebook.com/themayakitchencac and https://www.instagram.com/themayakitchencac/ for more updates or call 8892 1185 for inquiries.
Dude for Food is now on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube, check out these social media accounts for regular updates on good eats. Better yet, click "Like" and "Follow" and enjoy the ride...just look for the FB and IG widgets on the right sidebar.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Got something to share? I'd love to hear from you...