With everything that’s happening right now due to the COVID-19 outbreak, Cross Cultures is currently a venue for chefs to share their recipesβ super simple, easy-to-make at home (with ingredients in the pantry and the refrigerator)β that you can prepare in your kitchen, while we are in community quarantine. (*Thank you to our dear friend Recipes for Change/ Bonito Whaleβs Camila Basmagi for her brilliance, kindheartedness and support!)
We present to you #HOMECOOKINGTOGETHER. Please do follow our Instagram account for regular updates/ new recipes!
Mushrooms and Burrata by Santiago Gomez (Cantina La Veinte & Tacology|Miami, Florida, USA)
Santiago Gomez is a pioneer of modern Mexican cuisine in Miami, which can be enjoyed at his restaurants Cantina La Veinte and Tacology. He is also co-founder of Recipes for Change, a non-profit that utilizes food to fight inequality. Here, he shares a recipe you can whip up in literally, a minute!
Oatmeal Pancakes by Karina Rivera (Women Chefs 305, Miami| Florida, USA)
Mexican-born pastry chef Karina Rivera founded Women Chefs 305 to unite and support women working in Miamiβs F&B industry. She was a finalist at Food Networkβs Spring Baking Championship – Season 5, and is the pastry chef at Novikov Miami. Here, she shares with us a beautiful breakfast treat you can do in about 5 minutes! PS Spot her adorable niece!
Spicy Enfrijoladas by Nilvia Guerrero (Los Fuegos by Francis Mallmann, Faena Hotel Miami Beach |Miami Florida, USA)
Born in Mexico, Nilvia Guerrero always saw the love and dedication her mother, grandmother and aunts gave while cooking, and how that made people happy. It prompted her to study culinary arts at the first culinary school in Mexico City, Latin-America Colegio Superior de GastronΓ³mia. She officially moved to the US (Miami) in 2015, and has worked at St. Regis Bal Harbour, 1 Hotel South Beach, and Bachour. She has been cooking with wood fire asados for 3 years at Los Fuegos by Francis Mallmann at Faena Hotel Miami Beach, and always tries to use a Mexican ingredient or technique when she cooks.
Menestra de Verduras (Spanish Vegetable Stew) by Josean Alija (Nerua Guggenheim Bilbao | Bilbao, Spain)
Josean Alija is known as βthe master of minimalist cuisine,β focusing on seasonality and sustainability. Many travel to the Frank Gehry-designed Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao so they can dine at his Michelin-starred Nerua, which also sits on the No. 32 spot on the Worldβs 50 Best Restaurants list. Here, he shares a recipe where you can use the ingredients you have at home.
(*Video in Spanish; Text in English)
Pan Con Tomate by Raymond Li (El Cielo|Miami, Florida, USA)
Raymond Li is of Chinese, Cuban and Colombian descent. Born and raised in Miami, he staged at Corey Leeβs Benu in San Francisco and LβAtelier de Joel Robuchon in Saint Germain, before becoming executive chef at Palmar in Wynwoodβ which under his helm, was named one of Bon AppΓ©tit magazineβs 50 New Restaurants in America in 2018. He is currently the corporate chef for Juan Manuel Barrientosβ El Cielo Hospitality Group, with his home base at El Cielo Miami in Brickell.
Pechugas Empanadas con Bechamel (Breaded Chicken with Bechamel) by Chele Gonzalez (Gallery by Chele | Manila, Philippines)
Originally from Torrelavega, Spain, Chele Gonzalez worked at some of the worldβs most respected restaurants like El Bulli, El Celler de Can Roca, Arzak, Mugaritz and Nerua. His Gallery by Chele in Manila, Philippines (formerly Gallery Vask, ranked No. 39 and No. 35 on Asiaβs 50 Best Restaurants 2016 and 2017 respectively) explores and preserves Filipino ingredients, and is featured on the 50 Best Discovery series. Here, he, accompanied by his wife Teri, shares a simple recipe inspired by his Mom.
Pumpkin Puree by Elena Arzak (Arzak | San Sebastian, Spain)
Elena Arzak and her father Juan Mari run 3-Michelin-starred Arzak in San SebΓ‘stian, Spainβ a culinary landmark founded by Elenaβs great-grandparents in 1897 in the Basque Countryβ which is a regular on the Worldβs 50 Best Restaurants. One of the worldβs best (female) chefs, Elena shares a recipe she often prepares for her children at home.
Thai Beef Salad by Oliver Lustado (Novikov | Miami, Florida)
Novikov Miami head chef Oliver Lustado was born in Naga City in the Philippines. He started cooking at a very young age at his familyβs cantina, where he fell in love with trying out different dishes from his relatives, cities, cultures and countries. He has since lived and worked in London, New York, Istanbul and Miamiβ where he has been for the last 4 years. Passion, respect and love for food are his favorite recipes.
No-Bake Lemon Slice by Andrew Zarzosa (The Betsy Hotel | Miami, Florida)
Miami native Andrew Zarzosa worked extensively in Southeast Asiaβ he was executive chef at Fairmont Jakarta in Indonesia; F&B manager at Makati Shangri-La in the Philippines; executive sous chef at Shangri-La Kota Kinabalu in Malaysiaβ before coming back to Miami and putting up Yuzu at the Design District. Today, he has taken on a new role as executive chef of The Betsy Hotel in South Beach, handling The Alley and LT Steak and Seafood. Above all, he is a big family man, devoted to his three kids and loving wife, Angela. He shares a no-bake dessert recipe (with son Andreu and daughter Angel) you can make with the kids at home.
Korean Pancakes (Pajeon) by Xavier Torres (Bae Korean Grill, Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino | Hollywood, Florida)
Growing up in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Xavier Torres found his love for food through family. His mother taught him traditional Latin plates and American classics, and Xavier cooked for his younger brother and himself while she went to work. Xavier moved to Miami to pursue a culinary education at Johnson and Wales. Since, he has worked at Martin Berasategui in Spainβs Basque region, and with Matt Orlando at Amass in Copenhagen. In 2014, Xavier was appointed executive chef of then-newly opened Drunken Dragon in Miami Beach. Today, he is executive chef at Bae Korean Grill at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino aka the βGuitar Hotelβ in Hollywood, Florida.
Maggi Goreng Pattaya by Han Liguang (Labyrinth | Singapore)
Han Liguang of Michelin-starred Labyrinth β also part of the the Worldβs 50 Best Restaurants Discovery seriesβ is pushing boundaries by creating progressive Singaporean cuisine that remains faithful to the countryβs heritage and flavorsβhis βNew Expression of Singaporean Cuisine.β The former banker sources 70-80% of his produce locally, and if youβll notice, thereβs no beef in his tasting menu as there are no cows in Singapore!
Empanada Kaliskis (Flaky Empanada) by Christina Sunae (Cantina Sunae & Apu Nena | Buenos Aires, Argentina)
If you Google βSoutheast Asian food Argentina,β Christina Sunaeβs Cantina Sunae in Buenos Aires comes out on top. Apart from serving plates from the region, the American-born, Philippine-raised chef and cookbook author has been credited for putting Filipino cuisine on the Argentine map. Last March, she opened her first restaurant in Manila, Philippines, Sunae Asian Cantina. She shares a Filipino recipe that she serves at her 25-seater Apu Nena (also in Buenos Aires), named after her grandmother.
Chocolate Chip Cookies by Will Goldfarb (Room 4 Dessert | Bali, Indonesia)
We were incredibly inspired and moved by Will Goldfarbβs story on a Netflixβs βChefβs Table.β Originally from Long Island, New York, Will worked at top restaurants including El Bulli, Tetsuya Wakuda and Morimoto. In 2008, he and his family moved to Bali where he has since been making even more magic at his now much-larger Room 4 Dessert which has both a lab and a garden. This year, they launched Hindsight 20/20, a cultural and gastronomic exploration of Bali with guest chefs, artists, and food producers.
Maja Blanca con Mais (Filipino Coconut Pudding with Corn) by Nina Daza Puyat (Manila, Philippines)
Nina Daza Puyat is a happy and proud home cook based in Manila, Philippines, who dabbles in recipe development, food styling and writing. The food columnist at Manila Bulletin and former editor in chief of Appetite Magazine recently updated the original “Let’s Cook with Nora” cookbook (1969) by her mother, the late culinary icon, Nora Dazaβ published in 2019. In 2018, Nina wrote an original prayer for the kitchen, with the intention of starting a new devotion to Mahal na Ina ng Kusina (The Kitchen Madonna). This was given an imprimatur by Archbishop Antonio Tobias. This video was produced by Nina’s husband Louie (gaffer), sons Joe (camera 1/ sound) & Mario (camera 2/ editor).
Red Red and Crab Bucatini by Cleophus “Chef Ophus” Hethington (ΔbΓ Chop Bar | Miami, Florida, USA)
Miami native Cleophus βChef Ophusβ Hethington served in the US Navy for 5 years as a Hospital Corpsman before entering into the healthcare field. His passion for food and cooking led him to train at Lazy Betty ATL, Yardbird Southern Table & Bar Miami, The Cypress Room, Alter Miami, Matador Room by Jean George, aThe Optimist. He has been named Zagat 8 Under the Radar Miami Chefs, and Miami Herald Indulge Magazineβs 25: People, Places, Dishes and Drinks that are Firing Up Miamiβs Food Scene.
EΜ¨biΜ Chop Bar is a pop-up dinner series created by Chef Ophus, recently voted one of Atlantaβs Best Pop-Upβs in Atlanta Magazineβs Best of 2019. It was created to highlight the African Diasporic foodways from across the globe. This rich history is more than the well-known and celebrated soul food and Southern cuisines created by innovative black American ancestors. It incorporates cultures from the Caribbean islands, Central and South America, and continental Africa where cooking and ingenuity has always been a gift to the people.
“Red Red is hearty tasty and no fuss vegetarian black-eyed peas stewed,” shares Chef Ophus. “It is enjoyed widely throughout Ghana. Here is my interpretation of this classic Ghanaian dish. I replaced the Black Eyed Peas with Bucatini Pasta.β
CΓ TΓm NΖ°α»ng (Vietnamese Eggplant and Crab Salad) by Peter Cuong Franklin (Anan Saigon | Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam)
Peter Cuong Franklin, a Vietnamese-American Yale graduate, is the chef owner of modern Vietnamese restaurant, Anan Saigon, and pho bar Nhau Nhau Bar located in ChoΜΜ£ CuΜ, the oldest wet market in the center of bustling Saigon. Peterβs cuisine reflects his vision of a new Vietnam that is deeply respectful of its history and traditions yet progressive and international in outlook.
After attaining the Grand DiplΓ΄me de Cuisine & Patisserie from Le Cordon Bleu, Chef Peter trained in Hong Kong (Caprice at Four Seasons Hotel), Chicago (Alinea & Next), Bangkok (Nahm) and Vietnam (La Vertical & Madame Hien)– but the true inspiration for cooking comes from his mother, who runs a small noodle shop in Dalat, Central Vietnam. The Harper Bazaar Vietnam 2019 Chef of the Year also works with local charities such as STREETS International, helping disadvantaged youths to gain a future F&B.
“Grilled eggplant is a classic Saigon street food dish, often served with fish sauce, spring onion oil and peanuts as part of a family meal or as a side with grilled food. After grilling on charcoal, the eggplant develops a silky texture and delicate smoky flavor,” Peter shares. “This dish can be made more substantial by adding sautΓ©ed ground pork or ground beef. I prefer the lighter taste of crab meat and serve this dish at Anan Saigon as a chilled refreshing salad. The eggplant is great paired with a glass of fresh and fruity New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.”