Nakaikot na sa iba't ibang bahagi ng mundo si Glaiza Victor-Calderon bilang isang chef.
"I worked in the US as a commis chef for Marriott; but I had a hard time working in the city. I worked in the Great Barrier Reef and Maldives before that - both remote island resorts. I missed working remote so I went back to it after trying to work in the city."
Ang kagustuhan niyang magtrabaho muli sa malayong lugar ang nagdala sa kanya sa Western Australian mines kung saan din niya natagpuan ang oportunidad na maging Head Chef ng Karijini Eco Retreat na matatagpuan sa Karijini National Park.
"I missed working remote so I went back to it after trying to work in the city." Source: Glaiza Victor-Calderon
Karijini National Park Source: Paul Pichugin Photography / Karijini Eco Retreat
Pagkaing Bush Tucker
"I found out about Karijini through a Bush Tucker chef who I met at the mines and used to work in the retreat. Bush Tucker cooking is native and traditional cooking in Australia practised by the Aboriginal people. They use native ingredients and meats in their dishes, based on availability and season."
Kabilang sa mga sangkap sa Bush Tucker food ay bush tomatoes, lemon myrtle, quandong, buwaya, barramundi, kangaroo at emu.
Ayon kay Glaiza, natutunan niya ang Bush Tucker cooking sa mga Aboriginal elders.
Wild Rosella [left] and barramundi [right] are bush food. Source: Karijini Eco Retreat
"As a chef, I'm always interested in the cuisine of whatever place I am in. When I first came to Australia, I really wanted to learn the cuisine of the country. For you to able to extend your reach to the ingredients of the Aboriginal people, you have to be granted permission. They're the ones who teach you what's safe to eat, where and how to prep. Being one of the chosen chefs and being Filipino, it's such a privilege for me to be allowed to learn this and to be welcomed as a Bush Tucker chef."
The restaurant at the Karijini Eco Retreat serves emu steak, a bush delicacy. Source: Karijini Eco Retreat
Pagkaing Pilipino sa bush
Habang malaking pribliheyo ang pagiging Bush Tucker Chef para kay Glaiza, hangad din niyang isulong ang pagkaing Pilipino sa Australya.
"Karijini is owned by the Banjima people and because of this, the menu I create for the restaurant has to be approved by them. Due to the demand and limited supply of ingredients, as well as my love for Filipino cuisine, I gave our dishes a Filipino and Asian twist. When I came to Australia, it was really my goal to blend Filipino and Australian cooking."
Ang ilan sa mga Filipino-inspired Bush Tucker na lutuing ginawa ni Glaiza para sa restawran ay ang kangaroo mechado, daing na barramundi, crocodile adobo sa gata, Filipino-style barbecue at buko pandan.
The restaurant at Karijini Eco Retreat Source: Karijini Eco Retreat
"Of course majority of our dishes we serve with rice. Our guests like the food - they get surprised because they don't expect Asian-inspired dishes. They ask me how I came up with them and I tell them that these are dishes I grew up eating," aniya.
Para kay Glaiza, may mga pagkakapareho ang mga pagkaing kinalikahan niya at ang Bush Tucker na pagkaing ngayo'y napamahal na sa kanya.
"It's really rewarding and surprising when you try to incorporate local ingredients to Filipino cuisine." Source: Destination WA
"It's really rewarding and surprising when you try to incorporate local ingredients into Filipino cuisine, and you discover how similar our traditional ways of cooking are. The Filipino way of cooking and getting together with family, they also practice that. You cook a feast and everyone gets together and celebrates. Being outside the Philippines and still being able to cook Filipino food - it reminds me of home."
BASAHIN / PAKINGGAN DIN
