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Cheese whiz Avelino Miranda started cooking as one of the middle children among 15, in a home with no refrigerator.
Chef shows his winning ways
in a national competitionBy Betty Shimabukuro
bshimabukuro@starbulletin.comNow, cold things are his life. Miranda is garde manger -- which means he handles chilled foods and beverages -- for the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas. He supervises a staff of 120 in 17 restaurants. And a whole lot of refrigerators.
Miranda left his home in the Philippines in the late 1970s, when he was 18, moving with his family to Hawaii and a home in Kalihi. There followed many restaurant jobs, from dishwasher to supervisor in the kitchen, here, in California, back here, then in Vegas.
But Miranda was home in Hawaii last week for a national cooking competition -- and he took first place.
The Chef of the Year finals sponsored by Boursin Cheese were held at the Renaissance Ilikai Hotel in connection with the annual meeting of Honolulu Chefs de Cuisine, an organization of food-industry professionals. Six chefs from across the country competed to create the best dish using Boursin's distinctive French-style soft cheese. Hawaii actually had two favorite sons in the competition -- Miranda and Shane Sutton of Le Guignol.
Miranda's "Triology" of appetizers -- Salmon Canelone, Prosciutto Ravioli and Baked Stuffed Figs, all filled with cheese -- won him the grand prize of $5,000.
The medium of a chilled appetizer is something familiar to Miranda, given his current job, but he learned to cook as a child in the Philippines under different circumstances.
When an older sister got married and moved out of the house, a teenage Miranda took over the kitchen. He had 11 brothers and four sisters. "I think I'm No. 6. No, actually, I'm No. 7," he said.
Whatever, the family lived comfortably, he says. "We had a big house. The only thing that was missing was a refrigerator."
Not a big problem, though, it just meant he had to shop for food fresh daily. Mostly, he learned by experimenting, with traditional dishes and sometimes with Spanish and French cuisine.
In Hawaii, his first job was washing dishes at Jolly Roger drive-in. Then, "I told myself I wanted to be somebody." He began working with chefs, putting in extra time to learn the trade. "If I have an eight-hour schedule I put in 16 hours to be sure I learn."
He was working at the Dole Cannery Ballroom when the call came offering work in Las Vegas -- he says he doesn't know how his name came up. "One day I had a phone call, it was the Bellagio Hotel and they offered me a job."
That was 18 months ago. He, his wife and two children are settled in Vegas now, living within sight of the Strip, four miles from work. "When I go out on my balcony I can see the Bellagio."
He's found it cheaper to live there -- less traffic, too -- and he's been able to resist the call of the casinos. "Only thing you're missing is water. And I see the Bellagio water fountain, so I have no problem."
Boursin is a creamy, spreadable cheese that comes in a pepper flavor, as well as garlic and herbs.Most of the competing chefs created dishes using salmon, explaining that the pairing is natural, similar to smoked salmon and cream cheese. Balsamic vinegar as a final swirl around the plate was also popular.
Miranda's winning recipe was for a trio of bite-sized treats; a sampling follows.
This recipe originally called for fresh figs, but at this time of year you'll probably have to settle for dried. Miranda obtained his fresh figs in season and preserved them in port wine so he'd have them for the competition. "It's like eating cheese and drinking wine at the same time."
Set aside 6 prosciutto slices and dice the remaining to equal 1/2 cup. Combine prosciutto, cheese, fig and sour cream.Prosciutto Ravioli
8 pieces thinly sliced prosciutto
1 package (5.2 ounces) Boursin Cheese, garlic/herb or pepper flavor
1 dried or fresh fig, finely chopped
2 tablespoons sour cream
Basil-flavored oil and balsamic vinegar, for garnishCut remaining prosciutto slices in half. Place 1 tablespoon filling into the center of a half slice of prosciutto. Cover with the other half and fold the edges to make a round ravioli. Repeat to make 6 ravioli. Dot plate with oil and vinegar.
Approximate nutritional analysis, per ravioli (with 1/3 teaspoon basil-flavored oil): 265 calories, 21 g total fat, 11 g saturated fat, 80 mg cholesterol, 200 mg sodium, 4 g carbohydrate, 17 g protein.*
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