Chef Brendan Mahoney’s Pink of Health cuisine

OCTOBER is Breast Cancer Awareness month celebrated all over the world. Since the 90s, the pink ribbon has become the international symbol of breast cancer awareness.

The Cebu City Marriott Hotel joins the campaign for breast cancer awareness with the Pink of Health creations of Executive Chef and F & B Director Brendan Mahoney who prides himself with 22 years

of experience with Marriott Hotels, a good number of which were in various resort hotels in Hawaii. Before assuming his post in Cebu, he was Executive Chef of Renaissance Seoul Hotel.

The business hotel’s Garden Café was aglow with pink hues. General Manager Bruce Winton was on hand to welcome the guests. A flute of Cranberry-Watermelon was served as we took our seats, arranged so that we’d have a good view of the

cooking demonstration of Executive Chef

Brendan. His healthy and aromatic

creations started with an appetizer, Vine Ripe Tomato and Pumpkin Tarts on Puff Pastry on a Bed of Arugula with beet cubes and jicama strips and flavored with calamansi oil. Chef Brendan put together ingredients that had to be prepared ahead of time. The Salcetta Rosa or Cold Tomato needed 12 hours just to drain the excess water. The jicama (turnips) strips were marinated in black tea blended with fruits, blossoms and spices. This was followed by Cured Tanguige Martini, with bite-sized cubes of the fresh fish subtly flavored with sugar and salt tossed in beet–basil vinaigrette, which Chef Brendan skillfully

prepared. Fine trips of squash and radish and sweet potato crisps completed the dainty appetizer served in a fancy martini glass. Calamansi and fresh herbs added zing to his appetizers.

After enjoying the delicious and healthy appetizers, Chef Brenan showed how to cook the Cocout Cream and Lemon Grass Soup with Ginger Marinated Chicken. The refreshing soup was an aromatic brew

using fresh coconut milk simmered with lemon grass, kefir lime leaves, fresh ginger, red onions, calamansi juice, sugar, fish sauce (patis) and bird’s eye chili, simmered to draw out the exotic flavors. Sliced

tomatoes and mushrooms were added

last to keep the tomatoes firm.

The soup was served with ginger marinated chicken cubes and a sprig of cilantro. (See recipe courtesy of Chef Brendan)

The entrée was a breathtakingly delicious Mushroom Eggplant Crusted Dory Fish with Barley, Lentils, Pink Pickled Onions with Achuete Dressing. The freshness of the fish was bursting in the mouth with every bite. While enjoying lunch, served was Cebu Jungle Tea, a refreshing concoction

of tea, mango and passion fruit juice.

Dessert was an irresistibly beautiful

creation, a delightful twist of our native version, Cranberry Basil Halo-Halo with Mint Marinated Pineapple, Sago Pearls and Sweet Potato Cubes. Pink Petit Fours, fancy cake made with marzipan, sealed

a healthy experience at the Marriott’s

Garden Café.

Chicken, Coconut, Ginger Soup

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups coconut milk

2 pieces lemon grass stalks, bruised

5 cm. piece of ginger peeled and cut

into pieces

½ piece red Onion, peeled and cut into pieces

1 tbsp fish sauce

½ tbsp dark sugar

1 ½ tbsp lime juice

½ tsp lime zest

1 piece bird’s eye chili

75 grams re-hydrated mushroom

100 grams tomatoes cut into bite sized pieces

Ginger and herb marinated chicken

(optional)

Cilantro sprig for garnish

Procedure:

Put the coconut milk, lemon grass,

ginger, red onion in a small pot and bring to boil.

Add sugar, fish sauce and simmer

stirring constantly for 5 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, mushrooms and

simmer for 2 minutes. Add lime juice, lime zest, chili, taking care not to damage tomatoes. Taste and balance the seasoning.