Food recipes. It’s without doubt the Filipinos’ most beloved topic. Food preparation and enjoying a meal has long been the core of any household get together. Be it in a posh restaurant or at our own grandma’s house, we enjoy our food with passion. Our preferred dishes are usually the ones made by our parents and grandparents, without any other food able to rival it. Nevertheless, an often repeated subject is, “Exactly why no Filipino food built its recognition inside the international scene?”

Stephanie Zubiri, head chef of The (MEK) Modern Epicurean Kitchen, thinks how the uniqueness of Filipino recipes, which lies in the informal and communal feel, may also be its Waterloo. “Filipino delicacies is not focused on serving courses, everything is taken to the dining table at the same time. It’s served without fresh herb choices to flush the palate or maybe to top the dish as a garnish.”

Traditional Filipino food additionally lacks in elaborate delivery. “The trouble in promoting is a result of the fact that our meals seems to be basic. Keep in mind, you eat with your eyes!” This particular feature may be due to our country’s lack of royal history, says Stephanie, a History and Geography graduate from the Universite de Paris-Sorbonne. “Right before the Spaniards came, what we had were small kingdoms. When you have royal families, your meals grow to delight the king and queen.” To illustrate, Thai cuisine always has fancy designs and carvings in their dishes of animals and flowers. Japanese food is renowned for exceptional display with fanned cuts, sculptured fruit and vegetables, using the plate to be a frame of a marvelous picture.

Skillfully educated at Le Cordon Bleu Paris in oenological and culinary arts, Stephanie treats this as a test in her enterprise, the MPK or Modern Epicurean Kitchen. “We need to open our cuisine to become more appealing and stimulating. This allows us to become innovative and deconstruct the traditional recipes and blend it with different flavors to complement its classic taste.”

In the Modern Epicurean Kitchen Active demonstration class titled Updating Filipino Classics, she cooked chicken thighs marinated from the ingredients of the Southern Tagalog classic, the amazing Bicol Express.

Home cooks can begin doing so by simply adding fresh herbs to brighten the flavor. “I really encourage all of you to have fun in your cooking area. Serve these fresh meals as inspired fresh variations of the Filipino classics.”