Announcement:
I couldn't be more thrilled! My wife and I made a video to share our news--hope you enjoy! This announcement is also foreshadowing an unexpected culinary shift in perspective. Stay tuned for more exciting posts to come.
4.11.2014
Two Years and a Gold Wedding Cake
I can hardly believe that it's been over two years since my last post--how time flies. A lot has happened since January 2012. Not long after my post two years ago, my culinary adventures continued when I moved to the bustling city of London where I obtained a master's degree in International Development at the prestigious London School of Economics. I remember a handful of people forewarning me concerning the tastelessness of British cuisine; however, they all lost credibility as I found to my surprise that the UK is full of culinary brilliance! A melting pot of ethnic backgrounds and home to so many different people from around the world, London proved to be a culinary hub where my eyes were opened to a variety of different culinary perspectives. It's a shame I never continued my unexpected culinary experiences while I was abroad. Months have come and gone since I returned to the United States. Nestled in the rocky mountains in a quiet city called Highland, I now find myself yearning to return to food, writing, recipes and sharing. So here it is--my return!
I can think of no greater blog-resurrection post than one devoted to the creation of my own wedding cake. Yes, it is true, I am now a married man. My wife, Emilia, and I met in London and were married earlier this year. Of course, my own cake had to be the best one I've ever made! This proved to be a lot more difficult as I began to run out of days and the wedding planning furnished lists upon lists of things to do. There were a few things I knew for sure, my cake had to be large and unique.
The Petals
I started playing around with some ivory fondant and made a ton of rose petals. As they were drying, I decided to make an edible gold paint out of a combination of various gold shades of luster and petal dusts mixed with some almond extract. I painted the outer rims of each petal to add a touch of gold. The effect was greater than I anticipated.
The Cake
I began the construction of the cake months in advance because I was set on making a cake no smaller than 4' tall! When I toured the reception hall I noticed a golden alcove, typically used for picture displays and I knew immediately that it was just the place for the towering cake. Emilia wanted to go with a black and ivory stripe linen for the table decor so I decided to mimic that detail in the actual cake by layering my famous chocolate spice with a new cake recipe, vanilla coconut butter cake. The taste and the combination in general worked very nicely and screamed gourmet! Because neither Emilia or I like a lot of icing, I decided to fix the layers together using a mild fruit jelly instead of layering the cake with extra sugar. The outside of the cake, however, had a sufficient amount of icing so no worries, we had it covered--literally.
The Gold Buttercream Icing
Emilia had previously selected black and ivory as the wedding color scheme and we decided to add gold as an accent color. After some time I decided to make a risky move and paint the entire exterior of the cake in edible gold. I purchased an airbrush machine and a lot of edible gold paint. The day before the wedding, I spent hours airbrushing the cake the correct shade of gold and fixing the handmade petals in a cascading fashion wrapping around the cake in two areas.
The Finished Product
Transportation was a nightmare. Two hours before the ceremony, my little brother/best man, my good friend, my dad and I transported the gargantuan cake in two pieces to the reception hall. Once we made it to the 10th floor of our reception hall I quickly situated the cake in its spot and stepped back to admire the work. It was a gorgeous, one-of-a-kind gold wedding cake. Was it worth the stress? Probably not, but I wouldn't have had it any other way.
Phew, that was easy. A triumphant return to food blogging. I have recently developed a few ideas that will keep me posting so stay in touch as "The Unexpected Culinarian" takes an unexpected culinary move...
I can think of no greater blog-resurrection post than one devoted to the creation of my own wedding cake. Yes, it is true, I am now a married man. My wife, Emilia, and I met in London and were married earlier this year. Of course, my own cake had to be the best one I've ever made! This proved to be a lot more difficult as I began to run out of days and the wedding planning furnished lists upon lists of things to do. There were a few things I knew for sure, my cake had to be large and unique.
 |
| Gold Wedding Cake |
The Petals
I started playing around with some ivory fondant and made a ton of rose petals. As they were drying, I decided to make an edible gold paint out of a combination of various gold shades of luster and petal dusts mixed with some almond extract. I painted the outer rims of each petal to add a touch of gold. The effect was greater than I anticipated.
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| My Wedding Cake Station |
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| Rolling the Ivory Fondant |
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| Two Petal Sizes |
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| A Fondant Round |
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| Making the Petal |
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| Homemade Edible Gold Paint |
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| Painting the Rims |
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| One by One |
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| Lots of Petals! |
The Cake
I began the construction of the cake months in advance because I was set on making a cake no smaller than 4' tall! When I toured the reception hall I noticed a golden alcove, typically used for picture displays and I knew immediately that it was just the place for the towering cake. Emilia wanted to go with a black and ivory stripe linen for the table decor so I decided to mimic that detail in the actual cake by layering my famous chocolate spice with a new cake recipe, vanilla coconut butter cake. The taste and the combination in general worked very nicely and screamed gourmet! Because neither Emilia or I like a lot of icing, I decided to fix the layers together using a mild fruit jelly instead of layering the cake with extra sugar. The outside of the cake, however, had a sufficient amount of icing so no worries, we had it covered--literally.
 |
| Black and Ivory Layered Cake |
The Gold Buttercream Icing
Emilia had previously selected black and ivory as the wedding color scheme and we decided to add gold as an accent color. After some time I decided to make a risky move and paint the entire exterior of the cake in edible gold. I purchased an airbrush machine and a lot of edible gold paint. The day before the wedding, I spent hours airbrushing the cake the correct shade of gold and fixing the handmade petals in a cascading fashion wrapping around the cake in two areas.
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| Gold Airbrushed Icing |
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| Cascading Petals |
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| Cascading Petals II |
The Finished Product
Transportation was a nightmare. Two hours before the ceremony, my little brother/best man, my good friend, my dad and I transported the gargantuan cake in two pieces to the reception hall. Once we made it to the 10th floor of our reception hall I quickly situated the cake in its spot and stepped back to admire the work. It was a gorgeous, one-of-a-kind gold wedding cake. Was it worth the stress? Probably not, but I wouldn't have had it any other way.
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| Bride and Groom with the Cake |
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| Gold Wedding Cake |
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| Forking the Cake |
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| Eating the Cake |
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| Cake View |
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| One Very Happy Day! |
Phew, that was easy. A triumphant return to food blogging. I have recently developed a few ideas that will keep me posting so stay in touch as "The Unexpected Culinarian" takes an unexpected culinary move...
1.25.2012
Blue Wedding Cake(s)
How often do you see a blue wedding cake? Or six of them at one wedding, for that matter? I was tickled with excitement when approached by my sister to design the wedding cake for her Las Vegas wedding. The only request: I want a blue wedding cake. With complete artistic license bestowed upon me from a trusting sister, I started to think of ways to make this wedding cake into something unique, unordinary, and unforgettable!
Whenever I'm asked to design a cake, I typically base the original designs off of (1) the wedding dress, (2) the wedding ring, and (3) the wedding flowers/colors. I was stuck with traditional wedding cake ideas streaming through my mind, but it wasn't until I started to look beyond the typical cake that the ideas started to form into something I knew would be perfect for my sister. Firstly, I decided it would be more meaningful to make six cakes--each representing a member of her imminently meshed family. Further delving into this avenue, I figured it would be appropriate to make the six cakes extremely different--utilizing different ingredients, decorations, and techniques--again representing not only six different individuals, but six people who are extremely different from one another.
The shape of wedding cakes are hardly ever experimented with; and for that reason, I was determined to think of a shape for the wedding cake that I had never seen before. I chose to make each cake 6-inches wide and 8-inches tall. After searching on the internet for days, I found the perfect glass pedestals (with differing heights) to further accentuate the column-like feel. I purchased a variety of blue decorating materials and embellishments along with a lot of blue fondant, blue food color gels, and blue decorating dusts--without any definite design plan fully formed. With all the materials in front of me, I was able to create the designs as I worked--which is usually what works best with me.
After a lot of patience and meticulous work, the six cakes were complete and the only thing left to worry about was the six hour trip down to the strip! The following are the final designs I came up with:
For the first design, I made blue fondant tiles, cut freehandedly. I used icing to fasten the tiles to the cake and then additional icing to add a blue icing grout. For some added bling, I used royal icing to attach edible sugar sapphires where the grout lines intersected.
For the second design, I mimicked the design of the bride's wedding dress using blue fondant ripples. This seemed to be everyone's favorite design. It really was stunning and actually turned out to be the cake the bride and groom chose to cut.
The third cake was completely covered in blue edible sparkles. I mean, it was a Vegas wedding, right? I was a little apprehensive about doing an entire cake coated in glitter, but the end product was undeniably spectacular.
The bride's wedding bouquet was a beautiful collection of blue roses. To tie in this element in cake number four, I recreated blue roses using the fondant and used them to embellish the top of a fondant pleated cake.
For the fifth cake, I dyed coconut roasted the flakes to allow the color to set in. The dying process actually took some time, but once I got the flakes to the right shade, it was easy to coat the cake and admire the end product. It actually looked like blue hydrangeas from a distance.
For the last cake, I made a circular lattice design using the extra blue fondant and filled in all of the empty space with blue dragees. Each dragee was individually placed, so yes, it took quite a bit of time to make, but I was so happy with how it looked in the end, the time was well worth it. Everyone thought this cake was a candle it was so detailed.
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| Blue Wedding Cakes |
The shape of wedding cakes are hardly ever experimented with; and for that reason, I was determined to think of a shape for the wedding cake that I had never seen before. I chose to make each cake 6-inches wide and 8-inches tall. After searching on the internet for days, I found the perfect glass pedestals (with differing heights) to further accentuate the column-like feel. I purchased a variety of blue decorating materials and embellishments along with a lot of blue fondant, blue food color gels, and blue decorating dusts--without any definite design plan fully formed. With all the materials in front of me, I was able to create the designs as I worked--which is usually what works best with me.
 |
| Using a steady hand to decorate |
After a lot of patience and meticulous work, the six cakes were complete and the only thing left to worry about was the six hour trip down to the strip! The following are the final designs I came up with:
For the first design, I made blue fondant tiles, cut freehandedly. I used icing to fasten the tiles to the cake and then additional icing to add a blue icing grout. For some added bling, I used royal icing to attach edible sugar sapphires where the grout lines intersected.
For the second design, I mimicked the design of the bride's wedding dress using blue fondant ripples. This seemed to be everyone's favorite design. It really was stunning and actually turned out to be the cake the bride and groom chose to cut.
The third cake was completely covered in blue edible sparkles. I mean, it was a Vegas wedding, right? I was a little apprehensive about doing an entire cake coated in glitter, but the end product was undeniably spectacular.
The bride's wedding bouquet was a beautiful collection of blue roses. To tie in this element in cake number four, I recreated blue roses using the fondant and used them to embellish the top of a fondant pleated cake.
For the fifth cake, I dyed coconut roasted the flakes to allow the color to set in. The dying process actually took some time, but once I got the flakes to the right shade, it was easy to coat the cake and admire the end product. It actually looked like blue hydrangeas from a distance.
For the last cake, I made a circular lattice design using the extra blue fondant and filled in all of the empty space with blue dragees. Each dragee was individually placed, so yes, it took quite a bit of time to make, but I was so happy with how it looked in the end, the time was well worth it. Everyone thought this cake was a candle it was so detailed.
Needless to say, the cake(s) was(were) a success and most importantly, the bride and groom were so pleased with the design and taste. The cake was a double chocolate fudge recipe with an addition of my secret spices that enhance the flavor and my personal buttercream recipe. It was delicious!
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| Blue Wedding Cake Bite |
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| Posing with my Blue Wedding Cakes |
9.06.2011
Perfect Baking Digital Kitchen Scale
If you asked four people to measure one cup of flour, you would end up with four different weights. Measuring by weight over volume gives you an accurate measurement every time resulting in a more consistent end product. It eliminates the need for multiple measuring instruments and is the standard in professional baking.
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Perfect Baking
Life has been incredibly busy since graduating from Le Cordon Bleu! Aside from the instructional baking show--which I cannot wait for you all to see--I established a new business PERFECT BAKING. We've launched our new website so come take a look!
5.24.2011
Graduation
After the cuts and burns, countless dirtied towels and aprons, flooded sinks, months of ironing that uniform, hours learning just how to tie that neckerchief, and—of course—after all the added pounds acquired during nine months of study—my time at Le Cordon Bleu is officially over. Yes, classes concluded in December, but graduation ceremony was this past weekend so my family and I made the trek back to Pasadena; and for the last time, I wore my uniform, but this time to accept my diploma.
I could never have achieved what I have without the support of the Le Cordon Bleu chef instructors and Le Cordon Bleu staff. I look to them with gratitude for their shared knowledge and mentorship. I could never have achieved what I have without the support of my family and friends. Again, I look to them with gratitude for that support and for helping share the burden of eating everything created in class and brought home to them.
I once learned in a literature course during my university days that the French are not only known for their impeccable culinary expertise. The classical techniques for cooking and baking have survived the centuries, but so have the wonderful literary works of many French writers including Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables, Antoine de Saint Exupéry’s Le Petit Prince, and Voltaire’s Candide—to name a few. There is one quote from the humanist writer and philosopher Voltaire that is particularly appropriate as I look back on my experience at Le Cordon Bleu.
“Appreciation is a wonderful thing; it makes what is excellent
in others belong to us as well” (Voltaire).
Because of the excellence of those who have come before, I feel so honored to take part in the Le Cordon Bleu heritage; and I hope, as an alumnus of the school, to show appropriate appreciation by accepting the challenge and responsibility to uphold that standard of excellence that came with the diploma we graduates earned and received this past weekend.
Since this is my final Le Cordon Bleu post, I wanted to do something really special. I have always loved to express the way I feel through music. I've been playing the piano ever since I was six-years-old and have always loved to write songs on the 88 keys. Well, since I no longer have a piano in my home, I've been "forced" to learn how to play the guitar and write for the six-stringed instrument. So, along with this graduation picture slideshow I have included the first song I have ever composed and recorded for the guitar. It's a little rough because (a) I'm not good at playing the guitar, (b) I had to play the different parts and mesh them together, and (c) I've never used the Garage Band software before; but for the first song, it will do. It is dedicated it to my family, friends, and chef instructors who have been there for me during the last year as I embarked on this new and exciting path. So please, sit back, relax, and enjoy!
3.29.2011
Want to Know How to Make French Bread?
Jonathan's French Bread
1 pound 9 1/2 ounces BREAD FLOUR
1/2 ounce SEA SALT
17 ounces WATER
3/8 ounce DRY ACTIVE YEAST
Fermentation: approximately one hour, Proofing: approximately 30 minutes
Baking: 28 minutes at 425°F
Baking: 28 minutes at 425°F
A special thanks to Shauna Yarbrough (it was so fun to teach you!), Cameron Robins, Cody Owens, and Hunter Sebresos
3.24.2011
Grapefruit Dessert
As I was researching fresh fruit desserts this morning, I was surprised to find that the grapefruit is highly neglected. We grew up having grapefruit halves for breakfast all the time and now that I'm temporarily spending time at my sister's apartment I see that the breakfast tradition has passed on to the next generation. Consequently, there are many many grapefruits here--partially thanks to the season and partially thanks to Costco bulk buying. Having somewhat of a soft-spot for these dessert worthy fruits I spent all morning thinking of numerous ways to include grapefruit in a dessert. The winner--for today at least--was a light and refreshing spooned dessert with such a unique flavor it almost danced in my mouth the moment I tried it.
Looks delicious does it not? This is what I did. Since grapefruit is a citrus, I decided to make a grapefruit curd. It didn't take much sugar to off-set the tartness of the fruit. The pale ruby color of the grapefruit juice was lost when mixed with the yolks but the curd, in the end, had a slight pinkish hue--a stark difference from the vibrant color of traditional lemon curd. I added some ginger and extra citrus to enhance the flavor. I also included a little bit of butter in the formula to add to the silkiness of the curd which created a very smooth mouth-feel. I dished the curd into little glasses and allowed the curd to set in the fridge. While the curd-filled glasses chilled, I made a Tahitian vanilla Chantilly cream (Penny and Sam brought home some pretty incredible vanilla from their honeymoon to Tahiti). I topped the curd with the cream and garnished the dessert with some plums. I know it seems like an odd pairing, but I must say that combination is quite divine--the plum adding a hint of tart back into the overall experience. Well, needless to say it was a fun morning of experimentation; and now I can boast that I've created a fine dessert using none other than the underestimated grapefruit. Contact me if you want the recipe.
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| Grapefruit Curd |
3.19.2011
3.16.2011
Yigit Pura and Gourmet Ice Cream
The reason I'm even writing about this is because this past weekend I was visiting my sister in Salt Lake City and she casually mentioned that "the winner of that Top Chef Just Desserts show [would be] presenting at the local home and garden festival." Well, I definitely could not pass up the opportunity to learn from the man himself! That night at the South Towne Expo Center Yigit gave a demonstration on sorbets and gourmet ice creams--strawberry sorbet, chocolate ganache ice cream, and salted caramel ice cream. Utterly delicious. I have to admit, I've never felt so entirely star-struck. After his demonstration, Yigit was taking pictures with fans so naturally, I joined the queue. There were so many things I wanted to say and ask; but instead, all that came out of me was:
Jonathan: "Uh, hi. Can I take a picture?"
Yigit: "Yes. What's your name?"
Jonathan: "Um, uh, (awkward pause), J . . . Jonathan."
Yigit: "Nice to meet you, I'm Yigit."
I don't know what was wrong with me. I really don't get nervous in these types of situations, but I suppose it's almost comical that I don't even remember what else I really said at that point. All I know is a bunch of gibberish came out of my mouth instead of all of the things I actually wanted to say and ask. What a shame, eh? Ha! You know, if I had a good hour with Yigit, this is what I would want to ask him and discuss:
"What is your source of inspiration in creating original desserts (taste, ingredient use and pairing, design)?"
"What do you do to keep "current" with new culinary techniques and methods, and how do you keep learning, in general?"
"If you had to pick one experience throughout your culinary career that helped you develop the most as a pastry chef which would it be, and why?"
"What is a day in the life of Yigit like?"
"How has your life changed since TCJD?"
"When is your new San Fransisco dessert store 'Tout Sweet' opening?"
Well, I may never get that chance; but at least I had the opportunity to attend the demonstration, learn, and snag a picture with a brilliant pastry chef. I did decided to make my own gourmet ice cream by using one of my mother's favorite ingredients--avocado. It really had nice flavor and a beautiful silky mouth feel. Above all, my mother loved it--especially the fact that I used the skins of the avocado as vessels to hold the ice cream (she's so practical). If you want the recipe, just email me. Cheers!
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| Avocado Ice Cream |
3.15.2011
Up Close and Personal
Many apologies! I haven't given up on posting, it has just been a busy two weeks in meetings and planning for my upcoming television show. Stay posted for the next few days and you'll be counted among the first who may have a chance to appear on the show! Follow and you won't miss it.
This post is written specifically for all of you who have taken the time to read my blog and share this unexpected culinary journey with me. Thank you for your encouragement and support! It is exciting to be moving forward with an imminent instructional baking television show. I truly feel blessed to have the opportunity and such great family and friends to support me along the way. So many of you have reached out to me and have asked specific questions about “my story.” Well, I think it’s about time I answer all of your questions, eh?
Where are you from?
Niagara Falls, Canada
What is your ethnicity?
Half-Filipino, Quarter-Dutch, Eighth-Chinese, Sixteenth-German, Sixteenth-Irish (and yes, that equals 100%). Even though I was born a Canadian, I am currently a citizen of The United States of America (two years this month, actually). Oh, even though I have no ethnic connections to France or Haiti—I also speak French and Haitian Creole.
How old are you?
Ha! I ALWAYS get asked this question and the majority of people say fifteen—I’m not even joking! Despite the youthful appearance, I am turning a quarter of a century mid-May.
Are you single?
Ha! Yes, I am. :( A lot of people have a hard time believing this, but I have never been in a serious relationship. Surprised? Well, it’ll happen someday!
Other than baking, what other things do you love?
There are SO MANY things I love! Where to start?
Hobbies: I’ve played the piano ever since I was six-years-old. I don’t play professionally or compete anymore but I do love to sit and play for hours just to escape life—it’s a stress reliever. My favorite composers to play are Rachmaninoff, Liszt, Debussy, and Chopin. I really enjoy writing music and singing! I love home projects—interior design, painting, tiling, and decorating. I’m super artsy—I like to oil paint, take photographs, and do graphic design. Sports? My warm weather sport is tennis and winter, skiing.
Interests: I am and will forever be a student of learning—I love to study. I also love to have so much fun spending good quality time with family and friend trying new restaurants, going to concerts, broadways, and the movies, going out dancing, or even just sitting around talking. I really love listening to music. I grew up listening to classical music, The Cranberries, and Bjork; but my tastes for good music are not bound by any type of genre. Rule of thumb, if it’s good music then it’s good music. My favorite playlist right now includes artists such as: MIKA, Edward Maya, Alex Lloyd, Coldplay, A Fine Frenzy, Imogen Heap, Marina and the Diamonds, and many, many more.
Guilty Pleasures: I’m a sucker for back massages, Martinelli’s sparkling cider, and good style.
Travel: I absolutely LOVE to travel and have serious withdrawals when I don’t. Places I’ve been outside of North America include: Israel, Egypt, Jordan, France, Switzerland, Ireland, England, Austria, China (Hong Kong), Japan, and Haiti. I love learning about different cultures and, of course, trying different kinds of foods!
If you could change one thing about you, what would it be?
Other than my relationship status—not a thing! Ha! That said, however, I’m constantly trying to improve myself day-to-day.
What was the last thing you ate today?
Well, before I left my apartment this morning I made a delicious Panini with my homemade focaccia (an incredible blend of rosemary, garlic, basil, and olive oil) and aged cheddar (it was the only cheese I had left in the fridge). Anyway, it was simple, fast, and easy; and with a few sips of my Canada Dry, it was perfect. Oh, I also had some chocolate cake iced with a dark chocolate ganache.
How do you stay so skinny?
Okay, this question isn’t a fair question to ask! I have a hard time putting on weight. I do, however, try to eat very healthful foods and control my portion sizes when it comes to desserts. Luckily, I mostly bake for other people—ahem.
What is your favorite dessert?
I’ll never turn down an authentic French macaroon (I’m rather picky when it comes to these delectable treats and know that the best ones can only be found in France—prove me wrong!).
I also LOVE chocolate! So anything chocolate always brings a smile to my face.
What is your favorite thing to bake?
My favorite thing to do is bake so anything I make I thoroughly enjoy; but I guess I can answer this by saying I most frequently make bread. It’s practical.
Did you always know you wanted to pursue a culinary career? What’s your story?
This is a difficult question to answer simply because I really didn’t know that I wanted to pursue a culinary career until just recently—hence the “unexpected culinarian.” I’ll attempt to answer this pair of questions by starting from the very beginning (a very good place to start) and using excerpts from my Los Angeles Times blog article. I can rarely think back to my childhood without remembering the countless hours spent in the kitchen with my family. With a mother from the Philippines and father from the Netherlands, I think we were probably pretty spoiled with a variety of different kinds of meals growing up. My mom assigned one day a week for each of her six children to make dinner with her in the kitchen. I was Wednesday.
My favorite part was making dessert.
I can remember one time—oh, I must have been six- or seven-years-old—when my mom wouldn’t let me bake a cake because I was too young to use the oven on my own. I snuck a jar of store-bought icing out of the cupboard and iced a glass bowl that I flipped over. I tried to hide it, but I can’t keep any secrets from my mom.
I think it was shortly after we moved to the States when my dad purchased our first video camera. I used to set it up in the kitchen and record myself baking cakes and just about anything—teaching my pretend audience.
I guess you can say I really did love baking at a very young age, but no matter what I did, my parents taught me to always work hard and do my personal best and that pursuit for perfection crept into all areas of my life. After graduating valedictorian of my high school class I continued my education, but with interests and skills in many different fields, I found myself changing my major every semester. In the end, I decided on business management were I studied marketing and global management.
While studying abroad, I was on a bus leaving Geneva en route to Paris when a friend asked me, “Jonathan, what are you truly passionate about?” That question never left me. During my last year in college I set out on a quest to discover what I am truly passionate about. It didn’t take long for me to realize that the answer to that question was and has always been baking.
I had a hard time giving up the seemingly successful opportunities that awaited following graduation, but I knew I would be happier following my passion. I also knew it was essential for me to pursue a culinary education—I really wanted to be taught the correct methods and techniques. After a short interview over the phone with a representative at Le Cordon Bleu in Los Angeles, I was invited to visit the campus. I booked my flight and flew to L.A. the day after I took my last semester final. I remember driving by the Le Cordon Bleu campus at two o’clock in the morning shortly after arriving at LAX. I knew that was where I was supposed to be.
Culinary school was an incredible experience! Every day was something new—a new method, a new technique, a new baked good. During my time at school, I also decided what I want to do with my new found education. My mind kept returning to my childhood when I would make home videos teaching people how to bake. I finally realized, I want to pursue a career in food television. During my time at school, I worked on creating a one-of-a-kind instructional baking show. I also kept this blog where written experiences, baking tips, and photography of the gourmet creations I made in school rose in popularity and have been featured by various other food websites. Through this blog, I was discovered by various food stylists and was requested as help to style for Betty Crocker, featured on CBS’s The Talk. I finished my formal culinary education interning at The Los Angeles Times where I developed and test recipes, styled food for weekly prints and online photography, and prepped for television spots on KTLA Channel 5’s Eat Beat, and much more.
Ever since I finished at The Times, I’ve been actively pushing to produce my television show. Right now, we’re in the final stages of the proposal process and filming should begin mid-year. So, that’s my story folks. You know, each of us has gifts and talents, but in the end what matters most is what kind of good in the world we end up doing with them!
Questions?
If you read all of this, my heart goes out to you for spending a good chunk of time getting to know me a little bit better. I do love to hear from all of you! Please feel free to email me questions or comments: theunexpectedculinarian@gmail.com. Again, thank you for the interest, the support, and the love! I’ll be sure to keep you all posted on the television show news as it progresses!
Best,
Jonathan
This post is written specifically for all of you who have taken the time to read my blog and share this unexpected culinary journey with me. Thank you for your encouragement and support! It is exciting to be moving forward with an imminent instructional baking television show. I truly feel blessed to have the opportunity and such great family and friends to support me along the way. So many of you have reached out to me and have asked specific questions about “my story.” Well, I think it’s about time I answer all of your questions, eh?
Where are you from?
Niagara Falls, Canada
What is your ethnicity?
Half-Filipino, Quarter-Dutch, Eighth-Chinese, Sixteenth-German, Sixteenth-Irish (and yes, that equals 100%). Even though I was born a Canadian, I am currently a citizen of The United States of America (two years this month, actually). Oh, even though I have no ethnic connections to France or Haiti—I also speak French and Haitian Creole.
How old are you?
Ha! I ALWAYS get asked this question and the majority of people say fifteen—I’m not even joking! Despite the youthful appearance, I am turning a quarter of a century mid-May.
Are you single?
Ha! Yes, I am. :( A lot of people have a hard time believing this, but I have never been in a serious relationship. Surprised? Well, it’ll happen someday!
Other than baking, what other things do you love?
There are SO MANY things I love! Where to start?
Hobbies: I’ve played the piano ever since I was six-years-old. I don’t play professionally or compete anymore but I do love to sit and play for hours just to escape life—it’s a stress reliever. My favorite composers to play are Rachmaninoff, Liszt, Debussy, and Chopin. I really enjoy writing music and singing! I love home projects—interior design, painting, tiling, and decorating. I’m super artsy—I like to oil paint, take photographs, and do graphic design. Sports? My warm weather sport is tennis and winter, skiing.
Interests: I am and will forever be a student of learning—I love to study. I also love to have so much fun spending good quality time with family and friend trying new restaurants, going to concerts, broadways, and the movies, going out dancing, or even just sitting around talking. I really love listening to music. I grew up listening to classical music, The Cranberries, and Bjork; but my tastes for good music are not bound by any type of genre. Rule of thumb, if it’s good music then it’s good music. My favorite playlist right now includes artists such as: MIKA, Edward Maya, Alex Lloyd, Coldplay, A Fine Frenzy, Imogen Heap, Marina and the Diamonds, and many, many more.
Guilty Pleasures: I’m a sucker for back massages, Martinelli’s sparkling cider, and good style.
Travel: I absolutely LOVE to travel and have serious withdrawals when I don’t. Places I’ve been outside of North America include: Israel, Egypt, Jordan, France, Switzerland, Ireland, England, Austria, China (Hong Kong), Japan, and Haiti. I love learning about different cultures and, of course, trying different kinds of foods!
If you could change one thing about you, what would it be?
Other than my relationship status—not a thing! Ha! That said, however, I’m constantly trying to improve myself day-to-day.
What was the last thing you ate today?
Well, before I left my apartment this morning I made a delicious Panini with my homemade focaccia (an incredible blend of rosemary, garlic, basil, and olive oil) and aged cheddar (it was the only cheese I had left in the fridge). Anyway, it was simple, fast, and easy; and with a few sips of my Canada Dry, it was perfect. Oh, I also had some chocolate cake iced with a dark chocolate ganache.
How do you stay so skinny?
Okay, this question isn’t a fair question to ask! I have a hard time putting on weight. I do, however, try to eat very healthful foods and control my portion sizes when it comes to desserts. Luckily, I mostly bake for other people—ahem.
What is your favorite dessert?
I’ll never turn down an authentic French macaroon (I’m rather picky when it comes to these delectable treats and know that the best ones can only be found in France—prove me wrong!).
I also LOVE chocolate! So anything chocolate always brings a smile to my face.
What is your favorite thing to bake?
My favorite thing to do is bake so anything I make I thoroughly enjoy; but I guess I can answer this by saying I most frequently make bread. It’s practical.
Did you always know you wanted to pursue a culinary career? What’s your story?
This is a difficult question to answer simply because I really didn’t know that I wanted to pursue a culinary career until just recently—hence the “unexpected culinarian.” I’ll attempt to answer this pair of questions by starting from the very beginning (a very good place to start) and using excerpts from my Los Angeles Times blog article. I can rarely think back to my childhood without remembering the countless hours spent in the kitchen with my family. With a mother from the Philippines and father from the Netherlands, I think we were probably pretty spoiled with a variety of different kinds of meals growing up. My mom assigned one day a week for each of her six children to make dinner with her in the kitchen. I was Wednesday.
My favorite part was making dessert.
I can remember one time—oh, I must have been six- or seven-years-old—when my mom wouldn’t let me bake a cake because I was too young to use the oven on my own. I snuck a jar of store-bought icing out of the cupboard and iced a glass bowl that I flipped over. I tried to hide it, but I can’t keep any secrets from my mom.
I think it was shortly after we moved to the States when my dad purchased our first video camera. I used to set it up in the kitchen and record myself baking cakes and just about anything—teaching my pretend audience.
I guess you can say I really did love baking at a very young age, but no matter what I did, my parents taught me to always work hard and do my personal best and that pursuit for perfection crept into all areas of my life. After graduating valedictorian of my high school class I continued my education, but with interests and skills in many different fields, I found myself changing my major every semester. In the end, I decided on business management were I studied marketing and global management.
While studying abroad, I was on a bus leaving Geneva en route to Paris when a friend asked me, “Jonathan, what are you truly passionate about?” That question never left me. During my last year in college I set out on a quest to discover what I am truly passionate about. It didn’t take long for me to realize that the answer to that question was and has always been baking.
I had a hard time giving up the seemingly successful opportunities that awaited following graduation, but I knew I would be happier following my passion. I also knew it was essential for me to pursue a culinary education—I really wanted to be taught the correct methods and techniques. After a short interview over the phone with a representative at Le Cordon Bleu in Los Angeles, I was invited to visit the campus. I booked my flight and flew to L.A. the day after I took my last semester final. I remember driving by the Le Cordon Bleu campus at two o’clock in the morning shortly after arriving at LAX. I knew that was where I was supposed to be.
Culinary school was an incredible experience! Every day was something new—a new method, a new technique, a new baked good. During my time at school, I also decided what I want to do with my new found education. My mind kept returning to my childhood when I would make home videos teaching people how to bake. I finally realized, I want to pursue a career in food television. During my time at school, I worked on creating a one-of-a-kind instructional baking show. I also kept this blog where written experiences, baking tips, and photography of the gourmet creations I made in school rose in popularity and have been featured by various other food websites. Through this blog, I was discovered by various food stylists and was requested as help to style for Betty Crocker, featured on CBS’s The Talk. I finished my formal culinary education interning at The Los Angeles Times where I developed and test recipes, styled food for weekly prints and online photography, and prepped for television spots on KTLA Channel 5’s Eat Beat, and much more.
Ever since I finished at The Times, I’ve been actively pushing to produce my television show. Right now, we’re in the final stages of the proposal process and filming should begin mid-year. So, that’s my story folks. You know, each of us has gifts and talents, but in the end what matters most is what kind of good in the world we end up doing with them!
Questions?
If you read all of this, my heart goes out to you for spending a good chunk of time getting to know me a little bit better. I do love to hear from all of you! Please feel free to email me questions or comments: theunexpectedculinarian@gmail.com. Again, thank you for the interest, the support, and the love! I’ll be sure to keep you all posted on the television show news as it progresses!
Best,
Jonathan
3.04.2011
Homemade Pop-Tarts
Here it is--the long-awaited post on homemade pop-tarts. These are so incredibly easy to make and you can fill them with just about anything you want. We used our homemade frangipane, nutella, strawberry preserves, and blueberry preserves for our fillings. This was one of the last projects I worked on at The Los Angeles Times test kitchen and definitely one of my favorites. Can you recognize the hands below? Anne Cusack, our photographer needed a hand model for the beauty shot and for the step-by-step.
3.03.2011
Brussels Sprouts from Heaven
You've probably never craved Brussels sprouts, right? Well, wait until you try this recipe! I had never even had Brussels sprouts until we had to test this recipe at the LA Times test kitchen. It's a keeper.
2.22.2011
Want Some Gourmet Mac n Cheese?
This Mac n Cheese recipe is so incredibly rich I think it's terrible to even call it Mac n Cheese. It is definitely not lacking in flavor. If there's one thing I would change it would be the cheese content. Add some extra cheese--mozerella, perhaps so the pasta strings with cheese. YUM!
2.16.2011
Borscht
Do you know what borscht is? Have you ever had it? Well, I must confess that before we tested these four different borscht recipes at the test kitchen, I really didn't know what borscht was. I'm not one for beets so I guess it's no surprise at all that I've never had it. Needless to say, I fancy the Polish white borscht (which is unfortunately the least attractive picture of the group). This set of recipes is just one example of how the test kitchen has opened my eyes to a seemingly limitless culinary world.
2.15.2011
Whole Wheat Apple Butter Cake
This was one interesting recipe to test. We used almond meal, cornmeal, whole wheat, and all-purpose flours in this highly dense cake. The smell was absolutely incredible and the taste divine. Noelle hugged me after taking one bite and the writers from the health section came back for seconds. If that doesn't say something about this cake, then I don't know what else will.
2.04.2011
Soon to "Pop" into The Times
A heads-up to all of you LA Times readers out there. Homemade poptarts are soon to grace the covers of the food section. It's a very simple recipe and you can fill them with almost anything your creative minds can think of. In this picture, we are photographing a step-by-step and our wonderful photographer is capturing the nutella as it falls from the mini scoop. Delicious! My boss, Noelle, blogged about them, check it out by clicking the link below.
2.02.2011
Olive Oil Recipes
In this week's Editorial Food print, the main article features a woman who grows her own olives and bottles her own olive oil. I must say that her olive oil is quite fragrant and unique. She sent us some of her dessert recipes from her soon to be published cookbook to test and print alongside the article. The two recipes included: Greek Walnut Cake and Pecan Pie. Making desserts with the amounts of olive oil used in these recipes is, in my opinion, scary. In my eyes just because you can use olive oil, doesn't mean you should. Not only is it expensive, but it doesn't result in the most superior texture and flavor you really want in a dessert. Nevertheless, we made the desserts and styled them for the print. Here they are.
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