A night before the grand finals of a culinary contest, 12-year-old Samantha was no different from a bride with pre-wedding jitters.
Before the big day, she picked up her apron and chef’s toque and practiced cooking a secret recipe an aunt had taught her. She was having cold feet.
“She even cried last night because her dish was really bad,” said her father, Paul Mutuc. “But then when I saw her cooking it, from the sidelines [during the contest], I knew it was perfect.”
Samantha Andrea Mutuc, the pride of Cainta, Rizal, and Peniel Academy, was hailed grand champion of Taal Vista Hotel’s Junior Chefs Cup Challenge on Sept. 25 in Tagaytay City. She bested four other young chefs from Calabarzon.
Nicole Mae David, Johanna Mikhaela Bayot, Betina Nicole Sy and Louise Christine Torres completed an all-girl cast of grand finalists, garnering the silver, bronze, first runner-up and second runner-up awards, respectively.
Mutuc’s winning plate was a distinctive Rosemary Lamb with Two Sauces: Pineapple Coulis, Parsley and Mint Pesto. Judges commended the dish for having a flavor that was “from the heart.”
This heart-friendly tang of Mutuc’s entrée perfectly fitted the prime goal of the Junior Chefs Cup Challenge, which was to help cancer-stricken children from Project Brave Kids, the main beneficiary of the event.
Her edge
The panel of chef judges— Heritage Hotel and Resort hospitality consultant Edgar Grajo; Philippine National Culinary Team captain Ariel Manuel; Enderun Colleges culinary head Cheong Yan See; and Asian Food Channel celebrity chef host Bruce Lim—also gave impressive remarks to the saltiness, temperature, color, texture, combination and presentation of Mutuc’s specialty course.
Samantha’s parents said she depended on both skill and prayer.
“Her dependence on God was her edge,” said her proud mother, Trixie. “We always tell her to pray and tell Him ‘God, I am your puppet.’”
The growing popularity of culinary shows on television brought out the passion for cooking of Samantha, who used to join swimming competitions at a very young age.
“When I was younger, I wasn’t really into cooking, but then last December, I watched a show called ‘MasterChef US’ and I saw Whitney Miller. She’s a good cook and she’s my inspiration to continue cooking,” said Samantha.
“I read books, searched the Internet, watched TV and I started to cook. I thought I wouldn’t make it to the next round, but it was God’s will that I actually got in. This contest taught me the lesson never to give up.”
Crème of the crop
Meat and lamb were the mainstays on the kids’ menu for the final leg of the contest, which came after an animal-farm tour in Tagaytay Highlands.
As in the previous rounds, the junior chefs were given 90 seconds to pick their ingredients from the on-site market at the hotel’s terrace, and 90 minutes to cook their dishes.
Silver medallist David, 11, prepared a garlicky Lamb with Pinoy-Style Mixed Vegetables, which the judges praised for its innovation and organized execution.
Bronze awardee Bayot, 12, cooked the nutritious Spicy Beef in Tomato Salsa with Broccoli, and Malunggay Flat Bread, which the judges complimented for its balance and simplicity.
Twelve-year-old Sy clinched the first runner-up award with her Tenderloin Pot Roast with Potato Wedges in Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar.
The youngest contestant, Torres, 10, copped the second runner-up award with her Beef Tenderloin in Pineapple Sauce with Mashed Potatoes and Seared Pineapple.
After acing the competition, Mutuc went home with a trip to Australia for three with airfare and accommodations, along with P20,000 cash; exclusive culinary lessons at Center for Culinary Arts (CCA); 15-day summer short course; personalized CCA apron; cookware courtesy of Masflex Cookware and Kitchenware; gift pack from Scan Asia; and cookbook from chef Nancy Reyes-Lumen.
