Easy French Cuisine in the Filipino home with Chef Xavier Btesh

It is my dream to learn about French Cuisine and thinking about it is like going to a luxurious bistro with fancy wine, cheeses, and other ingredients you can hardly pronounce. Contemplating about the exceptional French and Mediterranean cuisine, how to prepare and cook makes me wonder if I could really do it. Good news, because Chef Xavier Bteh proved that it can be simple as long as we know the basics.

In the Maya Kitchen Culinary Elite Series, Chef Xavier breaks down the basics of French cooking and divulge how easy it can be done in Filipino home.  It proved me wrong when he started sharing tips and how to cook French. Now, I agree with chef and it's true that it is simple and easy. One more information I learned is Carbonara ‒ the authentic Carbonara is not made of very thick sauce. I'll share his very simple and easy to cook way.

Authentic Pasta Carbonara

Half of a handful of linguini (about 80 to 120 grams)

1 peice                    egg yolk

1 espresso cup        Parmesan cheese, grated

1 teaspoon              ground black pepper

1/2 espresso cup     boiling pasta water

1 pinch                    salt

1 dash                     olive oil

Cook your linguini. Set aside some pasta water and strain. Pour a dash of olive oil on your noodles and toss. Place pasta water, egg yolk, cheese and the pepper in a bowl and quickly whisk with an eggbeater. Pour sauce on hot pasta, toss, and serve immediately.

Chef Xavier was born and raised in Paris, and spent the earlier part of his career training under renowned chefs before he went on to become a consultant chef for various businesses and eventually publish his own cookbook Les Petits Diners de Xavier which sold more than 40,000 copies across Europe.

For someone who has traveled the world and has caught the attention of clientele from high-end lifestyle brands in Europe's royalty, chef Xavier's philosophy on food and cooking remains constant. It should be uncomplicated.

"When you're a French chef, people come to you and they tell you about a 3-star, 4-star Michelin chefs, truffles, and foie gras. But I keep telling people, this is not the food we daily," he says.  "I know that Filipinos love their family-style and were the same in France, we have family-style as well. I want to show the way we eat at home."

He also shares that many of us don't realize that French dishes have a lot of similarities with Filipino food. In the same way that we have "adobo," the French have their own version as well. Just switch the vinegar with wine there you'll have a French chicken stew.

He's been here in the Philippines for five years now and to pay tribute the this country that he has fallen in love with and the people who welcomed him with open arms, he is sharing his valuable knowledge and cooking legacy through his newest cookbook, French Kusina. chef Xavier teaches you how to infuse French techniques and styles into dishes that you can easily create at home using local ingredients.

For the Culinary elite Series, Chef Xavier demonstrates various French-style dishes from his cookbook. He started with the traditional Marselle Seafood Soup, and the hearty Salad Nicoise. Beef Bourguinon. Milanese Risotto, San Remo Pasta Carbonara make the main dishes and a dessert of Chocolate Mousse completed the menu.

Marselle Seafood Soup

hearty Salad Nicoise 

Beef Bourguinon

Milanese Risotto

Chocolate Mousse

There are many recipes which also allow you to add your own personal flavors to each dish. "I think recipes should be whatever floats your boat," he says. "Food is cratwork that you share and pass-on; and each of us can do it his own way"

Here are some more motivational tips from Chef Xavier whether you're a chef, a foodiw, or a home cook:
⬩ Cook with your heart
⬩ Think about the people you are cooking for
⬩ Don't mix too much stuff to begin with, because the more you mix, the trickier it gets to
    play with flavors and ingredients.
⬩ Keep it simple
⬩ Don't be scared. 
⬩ There is no bad chef

Given the chance of attending the Maya Kitchen Culinary elite Series, I am so proud to say now that I can cook French with confidence - French cuisine may sound difficult but it's not. It inspired me to cook more and try out recipes that's available in my kitchen.

For more information on this and other course offerings, log on to www.themayakitchen.com, 

or visit: 
The Maya Kitchen Culinary Center
every Tuesday to Saturday
8/F Liberty Building, 
835 A. Arnaiz Avenue (Pasay Road),
Makati City
Tel. Nos: 892-1185 / 892-5011 loc. 108 
Mobile No: (+63) (0929) 679-6102

Like and follow on:
Facebook @MayaKitchen 
Instagram @TheMayaKitchen1 
Twitter @TheMayaKitchen.twitter.com/themayakitchen