I was told years ago by one of my chefs to be a leader instead of a manager. She said that anyone can manage but it takes a lot more character and strength to be a leader. I don’t know if I’ve accomplished that, what I know is that on any given decision-making moment at work my objective is always leadership. Every so often I hit the mark and certainly there are times when I probably miss by a mile. She also told me to groom people to become leaders as opposed to managers. She said that in leadership, expectations are higher, overall vision has more clarity, and the big picture is bigger.
Last night was a big night for us in the kitchen. We had a scheduled event for 250 VIP guests, seated served, three-course dinner. We prepared for this event for weeks. The kitchen was right on schedule and the FOH team had the beautiful outdoor dining set up on the plaza like it was nobody’s business. Things were going according to plan, everyone was calm and pumped at the same time. Then the rain came without warning. Part of the kitchen set up was soaked with L.A. rain water, but the dining area was destroyed and couldn’t be recovered in time even with all the hands we had. We had to come up with a plan B on the spot all the while being showered with rain that wasn’t predicted by the Siri, Alexa, or any weather channels in Los Angeles. As this was happening, I looked at my iPhone to check the weather and it still showed sunny, 88 degrees, no sign of rain. I couldn’t get upset as it was something out of my control. The plan B was established. The dining area and food set up was moved to a different location. The team refocused calmly, followed directions and got busy. Communication happened between all team members all night. Leadership and teamwork manifested itself in all the efforts and by every single person on the team.
The chef team, half of the wonderful whole
As the plan was orchestrated and executed, I was caught in an emotional moment. I looked at the team I now belong and felt fortunate. This is us. And we are beautiful and flawed, but mostly beautiful and resilient. We are good and will always be good no matter what. Although the forces of nature altered last night’s blueprint without warning, I was in awe that the level of professionalism and quality of work didn’t change. I am proud and grateful to work alongside these beautiful and wonderful folks.
I loved family traditions ever since I was a kid. I loved the annual birthday trips to the favorite department store, when the birthday girl could buy two toys and the non-birthday girl got to buy one toy. I loved the lunches at Hong Ning Chinese Restaurant or Tom Sawyer’s Fried Chicken during our day trips to Manila with Mommy and Daddy. I loved hitting all the food vendors with friends and cousins after the midnight mass during the Holiday season. And I loved how my grandmother would always have roasted chestnuts handy in December.
I’ve always known but more so now that I’m forty-four that growing up with a big family was something special. It had many advantages like having your cousins as your friends and protectors from anything harmful or anyone villainous. Learning to share everything made me less selfish and more generous with any little fortune I may have. The memories of those times also make me nostalgic, and longing the comfort and chaos of a big family. The fuzzes of growing up in a big family are the same things as the upsides by the way. Two things I knew for certain were that I was loved and I loved in return. I have one child and he has four cousins from my side of the family and no cousins his age on my husband’s side. Sometimes I worry that Max might be missing out on some things other kids experience with siblings and other relatives his own age. So, we do our best to bring him close to his cousins and also start our own little fun routines at home. The number one objective though is to let him know that he is loved.
We have started a couple of small family rituals in our tiny family. Friday nights are game nights and Tuesdays are now known as Taco Tuesday. I just love when my son comes home from school and says, “Hey Mom, it’s taco Tuesday!” He and my husband have also composed a Taco Tuesday song, which honestly, will not hurt my feelings if the song just simply goes away. The genius songwriting goes like this:
“Taco night, taco night, taco night, taco, taco, taco night. I like tacos! I like tacos, too! Taco night, taco night, taco, taco, taco night!” ♪♬♩
Last night we had steak tacos with homemade guacamole.
Simply Guacamole
Serves 2 or 4
2 ripe avocado, halved, seed removed and meat taken out using a spoon
1/3 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
1 stalk green onions, finely chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
Juice of ½ lime
Salt to taste
Mash all ingredients together in a medium bowl and eat. I used the authentic molcajete made from volcanic rock that my husband brought back from Mexico a few years back, where he witnessed an old man carve a huge stone out into this beautiful piece of kitchen tool. It would take this old man three days to make one molcajete, which he sold for $8 each. Bobby paid $25, which was still a steal, considering all the work and love put into it.
Mondays are typically busy for me. My Mondays are packed with meetings, checking in with the chefs, making a task list for the week, revisiting unfinished project from the previous week, going over the week’s menus of all the cafes, looking at food cost numbers, and many more unexciting stuff. Nonetheless, these are things that need to get done. I left the office today feeling drained, tired, and uninspired.
When I got home I felt the need to do something a little more creative than drafting action plans and safety memos. As I consider getting up from my very comfy recliner to get some creative juices going, I was reminded of my conversation with my Mother this morning on my way to work. She said that my nephew is visiting Stockton for the weekend and that she will cook dinner for my sisters and the kids tonight. I commented that my older sister must be very happy to have Markus home even just for a couple of nights. I know she misses him very much. He is 22 and has been very busy with his life. My Mom told me that she gets excited to see me every time we visit and I am already 44 years old. I get it. Moms never stop being moms no matter how old their kids get. I already worry about how much I would miss Max when he moves away from home and he is only six years old. Although he tells me that he is never moving out. My Mom was planning on making her chicken and pork adobo tonight for her grandson. She always makes adobo whenever I visit too. Apropos to my mood to create and in honor of my Mom’s upcoming birthday, I made pork spare ribs adobo tonight. A feel good food for any occasion especially if Mommy makes it.
Pork Spare Ribs Adobo
Serves 4
1 pound pork spare ribs, cut to 1-inch
1 medium yellow onion, julienned
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoon sugar
1 cup soy sauce
½ cup cane vinegar
salt and cracked black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon of grape seed or canola oil
In a medium pot, combine pork, ½ of the julienned onions, garlic, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, salt and pepper.
Place the pot on the stove over medium heat, bring to a boil, simmer low and covered for 25 minutes until the pork is tender.
Using a strainer or colander placed over a bowl, drain the braising liquid as much as possible from the pork. Pat the pork pieces dry with a paper towel.
Place the same pot on the stove over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of canola or grape seed oil. Add the pork and brown on all sides. Add the rest of the julienned onions and sauté until lightly cooked. Pour the braising liquid back in the pot and bring to a simmer for two minutes.
Serve over hot steamed rice. True Pinoys dip their adobo in fish sauce. As weird as it sounds, fish sauce actually adds a good balance to the sweet and sour flavor of adobo.
I should have known from how I felt over the weekend that my Monday at work was going to start all wrong. I was sick with sinus infection since Friday and have been battling bronchitis for six weeks now. I wanted so much to stay home but I scheduled to roll out a new food program for six outlets today. I just couldn’t miss it. However, at 5:30 a.m. this morning the chef in charge of the biggest café called in sick. I rushed to work early to ensure that all goes well with the introduction of this project only to find out that the team at this café wasn’t prepared for the launch of the food program. There were ingredients missing from the shopping list as well. In addition, the cook in charge of the station was just not open to the change. The chef obviously didn’t explain to him the new items we’ve been working on. It was a challenging morning and it took so much restraint to not yell at people, show my disappointment, and let them know my fear that we just might fail on this project. I was focused, though, and determined to roll out the new menu the way I had planned.
Monday jams are the worst. It’s the beginning of our week and everyone has to start from scratch. It’s even worse when one of the chefs doesn’t show up. But just like anything in life, the show must go on. All went well today, and the menu items were well received by our guests. In the heart of this chaos I was grateful that I was able to spend several hours in the kitchen, which I have missed a lot. It all comes back easily. I made quick decisions, stayed calm, and orchestrated the course of the morning prep effortlessly…things no culinary school can teach and can be learned only through time and experience. I am thankful to the chefs who taught me how to be a chef and to the many days and hours spent learning the trade.
One of the items I made today in a flash was a nectarine and tomato fattoush with quinoa.
Nectarine/Peach and Tomato Fattoush with Quinoa
6 nectarines or peaches, pitted and cut into thick wedges
3 beefsteak tomatoes cut into thick wedges
2 cups cooked quinoa or barley
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
½ cup crumbled feta cheese
Chopped mint leaves
Chopped parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup crumbled seasoned pita chips (store bought is fine too)
Lightly toss all the ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Eat.
It’s hard to believe that summer is almost behind us, and that the new school year begun three weeks ago. I feel as if I was just planning Max’s first year of summer out of daycare, researching summer camps in our area, and planning part of his vacation with my family in Stockton and his grandparents in Ventura. It was a pretty good summer though in spite of the closing of our restaurant business. We spent a few weekends at the beach, had some quality time with family and each other, and had a couple of long weekends at our favorite spot in Carlsbad. And just like the last few summers my husband and I saw some pretty terrific concerts this year at the Greek Theater and Hollywood Bowl.
I love summer for many reasons. I love the beach. I love getting a good tan that lasts until the winter. I love concert season in Los Angeles. I love tomatoes, melons, corn, eggplant and stone fruit. I love the simplicity of summer food. Simply dressed salads and vegetables, grilled meats and fish, fresh fruit seasoned with lime and salt.
Every year I make my Grandmother’s corn soup while corn is still in season. Corn soup is one of my favorite summer dishes. I just love corn anyway, but her corn soup is something special to me. I used to help my grandmother in the kitchen when I was little. I remember helping her prep for her corn soup. As a matter of fact my first injury in the kitchen was during one of these times, I scraped my right knuckles grating fresh corn ears using a box grater. She didn’t have an electric blender back then so, part of the prep was grating the fresh corn kernel off the cob using a metal box grater. She would sauté onions and garlic in a little oil and add the raw grated corn and the broth. She would garnish the soup with spinach. It was the simplest thing but it was absolutely divine to me. This soup pairs perfectly with grilled fish or pork chops although perfect on its own. Tonight, I paired the soup with broiled Hamachi collar.
Tomorrow marks my grandmother’s 32nd death anniversary. I still miss her to this day. She was on my mind as I cooked and ate my dinner tonight. She was a remarkable woman with a heart of gold and superhuman strength. She took care of every single member of her family up until the last moments she died. She was my first hero and tonight I honor her.
Corn Soup with Spinach and Mushroom
Nanay’s Corn Soup
Serves 6
5 fresh ears of corn, off the husk, silk removed
4 cups of water
1 tbsp. grape seed oil or canola oil
¼ cup chopped yellow onions
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
Salt and pepper to taste
1/3 bunch fresh spinach
¼ cup sliced, lightly sautéed button mushrooms, optional
Grate the corn kernels off the cob using a box cheese grater; place the grater on a mixing bowl to catch the grated corn. Reserve the cobs for stock.
To make the stock: place the grated corn cobs in a 2-quart stock pot, add 4 cups of water and let it simmer for 20 minutes. Remove the cobs and set aside the stock.
Heat up the oil in a 2-quart stockpot on medium heat. Add the onions and cook until soft and translucent but not brown. Add the garlic to the pot and cook just until fragrant. Pour the grated corn to the stockpot and stir. Add the corn stock and simmer for 10 minutes. Season the soup with salt and pepper. Turn off the heat, and add the spinach. Serve while hot.
Ten months ago I was faced with a change in my career. I was to leave the workplace that had been my sanctuary for over fourteen years. It simply was time for a change, a change I was so anxious to take. Many emotions came over me, from sadness to bitterness to regretful to hopeful. I eventually chose the positive side of things because it was the easier for me. I knew my strengths as well as my shortcomings. I knew too that I was ready for change.
My new job was to begin just a couple of days after the beginning of the year. I took two weeks off to spend with my family, to mourn the ending of the last job, and to prepare for the new position. I took inventory of my life the last fourteen years at the last job and felt good at the tools that place had given me. It has prepared me to do bigger things. Nonetheless, leaving was still heartbreaking and starting new at a different kitchen was a bit scary. I had this feeling of loss no matter how positive I looked at things.
During these two weeks of reflection, one of the things I decided I would do in 2016 is start a blog. I didn’t know and still don’t know what about. I just wanted to write, mostly for me but hope that eventually I would have something informative to impart to anyone who might be interested in my posts. This is my first entry…
The first couple of months of the new job were hectic. It only took a couple of weeks for me to realize how much bigger is my new role. It was a bit overwhelming in the beginning although the overall vibe was positive from day one. I’ve had days when I didn’t have enough hours to finish my task. Building trust with a new team was a bit challenging too.
I missed the old team. I heard they’ve missed me more, which I admit made me feel great, but it saddens me that they were coping with the change a bit harder than me. They dealt with more changes…new boss, different ways of doing things, drastic reorganization, and more transitions. Other chefs have left too after me and I heard that a well-known chef with all the industry badges is about to become their new boss. I am excited for them, as this new guy is probably a badass chef. But I also hope that he is good people.
I’ve been lucky. Even my worst times at any job weren’t anything I couldn’t handle. I’ve never worked for an asshole. Most of them were pretty great actually. Some of my past bosses were tough, some were micromanagers, and even some of them detached, but no assholes. I’m not just talking about chef bosses. I’m referring to all of them since my first job at seventeen.
When I landed a bank job in Alaska in the 90’s, where I took my oath of citizenship, the CEO, VP, COO, CFO, and my direct manager all came to witness the naturalization ceremony. They also had a surprise party for me at the bank’s employee break room where they presented me a flag of the United States. I was in the bottom of the totem pole in that company and never imagined any of those people would care about me.
My big bosses at AK Federal Bank, 1999
My first job in Los Angeles when I moved here in 2000 was in customer service for a toy company named Applause. I answered phone calls about toys. The team was awesome but my boss was terrific. It was a job perfect for what I needed at the time even though my real purpose for moving to Los Angeles was to get into professional cooking. One day I told her that I had to resign because I was starting culinary school with a schedule that would need me to be in school by 3 p.m. I knew that the school hours would be in conflict with the hours at Applause. My boss told me later on that she convinced her manager to approve a part time position in our department so I could stay. I stayed with the company throughout my culinary schooling.
My district manager facilitated the opportunity at this new job ten months ago. Somehow she just knew that it would be the right fit and the right change for all parties involved. It also feels great to be trusted to manage 17 food service outlets at one of the biggest companies in the world.
And just this morning, after an unsteady few hours of sleep worrying about how behind I am at work, I received a text from my new boss wishing me a relaxing long weekend. He also texted, “You have been doing a great job, Mayet…get some well-deserved rest.” I’ve been trying to read this man for ten months now and just as I doubted myself before a long weekend I received his text.
I’ve been lucky, and just as my first chef boss used to say, “always good.” To this boss I owed my first chance in the kitchen, my beautiful wedding in Palos Verdes, and countless open doors of opportunities in the culinary industry.
I wish my old team some good luck on the new boss. May the food be outstanding and the love for all people abundant.
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