“CHRISTMAS in Poland is not much different from Christmas in the Philippines,” explains Cebu City Marriott Hotel’s executive chef Witold Sczcechura, or Witek (pronounced “Vitek”) for short. He adds, “It is also full of family gatherings.”
That said, food and family became a perfect combination for chef Witek. When he was 12, he helped run his family’s restaurant in his native country of Poland. While he acquired most of his basic cooking skills working for his mother, he still attended culinary college in Poland and interned in Switzerland.
His professional culinary duties have led him to spend the last 10 years in Asia, the last two here in Cebu. Ever the culinaryexplorer, he confesses to a liking for crispy pata, which he says reminds him of roasted pork knuckles, a traditional Polish dish. Besides this, he also likes bulalo and is intent on getting a taste of dugo-dugo and chicharong bulaklak.
“The best way to discover the local taste is to try the street food,” chef Witek says. And according to him, “Working in the kitchen gives a person opportunities to learn more about other cultures.” Expressing a love for the culinary arts, he advises aspiring chefs to “love what you do, otherwise you won’t be successful in this profession.”
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment