Small bites, big flavors
Any well-meaning party host will agree that canapés, starters or hors d’oeuvres play an integral part in any formal food gathering. These little bites stimulate the taste buds, palanggas. They set the pace for what to expect — a culinary foreplay, if you will — for exciting flavors to come. Plus, they’re a great opportunity to feed a big party.
Don’t get us wrong. There’s still a significant amount of effort in preparation and cooking involved in making canapés. But this is where you can get your creative juices flowing, especially when you decide to make it on your own.
“You know, you can replace the tuna with salmon for the tartare — just make sure its sushi-grade,” shared seasoned chef-instructor Lorrie V. Reynoso. Cooking class was in session at the chic Manila House and we were all ears, attending to the lady chef.
With a five-year stint at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris specializing in pastries, chef Lorrie was chef-instructor at the prestigious New York Restaurant School in New York. She was chosen to go to Russia to teach at St. Petersburg and got an invitation to be the brand chef for Mandarin Square, a new Pan-Asian restaurant at the heart of St. Petersburg.
During the cooking demo at Manila House, chef Lorrie taught participants how to prepare the caviar-topped deviled eggs, which was the highlight.
For her version, chef Lorrie uses Japanese mayonnaise rather than the regular one for umami. On the other side of the room were the students, a mix of eager housewives, cooking hobbyists, and kitchen cooks sent by their employers, listening tentatively while jotting down the techniques and substitutions Lorrie would throw in between procedures. The most exciting part of any cooking demo, of course, is the tasting of the finished product. Needless to say, the deviled eggs were gone in seconds.
The international chef, who also taught at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York, shared some of her favorite recipes, adapting them for the home cook. Chef Lorrie and her team prepared eight starters: Spicy Crab Meat with Tobiko on Cucumber Cups; Shanghai-style Tinapa Lumpia; Fresh Tuna Tartare on Wonton Crisp; Smoked Salmon with Mustard Dill Sauce and Capers; Melon Soup with Prosciutto Crumble; Baked Camembert with Rosemary & Garlic served with dried fruits, nuts, honey and slices of baguette; Caviar-Topped Deviled Eggs; and Curried Chicken Canapé topped with toasted cashew and sliced apple.
And like any perfect host, Manila House also served G&Ts courtesy of Arc Gin to pair with Lorrie’s collection of canapés.
Some of the invitees who brought along their well-loved cooks that have prepared excellent meals for sit-down dinners in their homes were Tata Poblador, Vicky Panlilio, Nina Halley, Wito Quimson, Lulette Moran-Monbiot, Kathy de Guzman’s ever-faithful Marina and Rita, who for 15 years prepared her famous dinners in Singapore; Tess Marina, Josephine Gaston and Ca Lozano, among others.
“As for me, I’m a Grand Diplôme graduate of Le Cordon Bleu, Paris. I also attended continuing-ed courses for professional chefs in Thailand, Bologna, Calabria, Sacramento, Denver and Hyde Park, New York. I taught culinary arts in St. Petersburg, Russia from 2013-2016,” explained chef Lorrie, adding: “Several months ago, I was asked to be the brand chef for Mandarin Square, a new Pan-Asian restaurant at the heart of St. Petersburg. The former chefs of the world-renowned Buddha Bar and the Four Seasons Hotel in St. Petersburg worked alongside me in training the kitchen team; I designed the menu.”
For your next catering or cocktails, call chef Lorrie Reynos at 0927-1394330 or email lvreynoso@aol.com. Photos by Alex Van Hagenpowered by MAC Center
