A “Chef” Grills Saturday Lunch at Home…
Back in Manila, I had planned to cook a birthday lunch for everyone in the house. Our crew at home is brilliant. Many have been with us for years and years and all understand my bizarre penchant for buying, photographing, prepping, cooking and eating food… We all eat very well and our next problem 
is probably how to negotiate a bulk discount from Vicky Belo for a half dozen liposuctions… I jest, of course. Anyway, I had planned to make a special lunch for everyone yesterday, Saturday. In preparation for the lunch, my wife and daughter decided I could open one of my birthday presents early, since I would probably want to use it while preparing lunch… Inside the wrapped box was a chef’s jacket, with “Marketman” embroidered on the upper left of the jacket! Yahoo!!! I have always secretly wanted a chef’s jacket, even though I never attended cooking school nor would I ever call myself a chef. It may be a bit tacky to want this, kinda like someone wearing a fake pilot’s uniform or worse Superman tights (ever wonder why superheroes tend to wear their underwear OUTSIDE their tights???), but I have always wanted one. So here is my custom-made, heavy white twill, black buttoned and black piped chef’s jacket… I am amazed that they got the fit fairly close without measuring me!
Isn’t it cool? Actually it’s really hot! I decided to give it a test run while making a paella and some inasal na manok (grilled chicken) on the barbecue yesterday. I can’t imagine how 
anyone can wear this in a hot kitchen, let alone with tomato and soy sauce splashing all about! I am curious why it has a double breast but maybe this is to protect the wearer from hot spills or the heat from the stove. I like my jacket so much I may have other variations made (and the Marketman embroidery straightened out)… It’s a bit pretentious to wear it at home, but so what, no one else sees me in the kitchen! You want to eat? Don’t criticize what the cook is wearing!!! Heehee. To keep cool, I wore the jacket with some black shorts and slippers, very chic I think. The chef’s jacket must have worked wonders because the chicken inasal (recipe coming up in the days ahead) and the paella turned out perfect!
nice jacket. . . actually you look really young (with those pics) hehe. . . like 30 something or even less. . . then wearing the jacket with the shorts?? Mario Batali? well, Happy Bithday MarketMan. . . i didn’t notice that was one year na!!! i remember your bday post last year. . .
August 20th, 2006Wilson, apparently my wife and daughter resisted the urge to get me orange clogs just like “Mario” wears…heehee. thank goodness, I think that would have been a wee bit much! Thanks!
August 20th, 2006Very thoughtful gift, you are blessed with a wonderful family. Happy birthday Marketman! :)
August 20th, 2006Who says you need lipo? you look great! Happy birthday again!!!!
August 20th, 2006MM, I would say that you do come close to Mario Batali, except that you got better looking knees than he does. lol.
August 20th, 2006Happy Birthday Marketman! God bless You! That Chef’s Jacket looks great on you and I think you have earned the right to wear it, what with all the kitchen testing you have been doing for your readers. Thank you for exerting such a great effort to keep this blog going.
August 20th, 2006Happy Birthday Marketman. I’m sure with good food and cholesterol pill on hand, you will have more birthdays coming your way!
August 20th, 2006Hey happy birthday, MM! Nice jacket! Oh, and you got great legs. :)
August 20th, 2006happy birthday marketman! wearing the chef’s jacket w/ shorts is really something :D
August 20th, 2006happy birthday marketman!
leave the orange clogs for me, i would love to have what mario wears on tv. right now i’m wearing a cheaper knock-off black rubber clogs… sooooo cheap and so comfy.
August 20th, 2006That’s so neat!!!
August 20th, 2006Happy birthday, Mr MM! A Leo, I see…no wonder you have such a flair for drama! It shows in your food presentation and writing.
Happy birthday! cool jacket :-)
August 20th, 2006MM,
As I was reading the article and looking at the second pic, I thought you were all ‘geared’ up as a chef until I scrolled down and saw the third pic…hi hi….now that’s something else. ;o)
What a fashion statement!
August 20th, 2006Maligayang bati sa iyong kaarawan Marketman :)
August 20th, 2006The jacket looks good on you marketman, of course we just have to picture your head on the cropped out portion, hehe. The heat really takes some getting used to. Imagine standing in front of a hot stove all day wearing that thick jacket! And you have to wear an undershirt too otherwise you’d be dripping wet from sweat. Some say chef’s jackets are double breasted so you always have a clean jacket front conveniently tucked underneath.
August 20th, 2006Happy Birthday Chef MM! Perhaps when you have variations made you can consider one with a built-in exhaust fan. Hehe. (Joke lang po.) Here’s to all the best, to another great year…and perhaps to the katerno parts of your chef suit. Hehe. (Although the shorts were alright. Perhaps they should be embroidered with Marketman using white thread naman? Hmmm.)
August 20th, 2006Happy Birthday MM. I read your blog almost everyday.
August 21st, 2006Guess I’m tacky too then. I’ve wanted a chef’s top just like that for ages! Good thing my twin won a gift certificate to have 2 made–one for her and one for me. :-) We’re getting them in denim. I can totally relate MM. Happy, happy birthday! :-)
August 21st, 2006Happy Birthday, MM!
The chef’s jacket looks great!
August 21st, 2006Whooo hooo! We get to see MM’s legs! Verrrrry nice! LOL, just kidding.
Hapi hapi hapi bersday!
Sa iyo ang inuman, sa iyo ang pulutan
Hapi hapi hapi bersday!
Sana malasing mo kamiiiiiii!
Bow!
August 21st, 2006sweet!!! :) now where’s that chef’s hat?
August 21st, 2006Belated birthday greetings! Great gift from Mrs. MM and the Kid. Clogs next year!
August 21st, 2006Happy Birthday Marketman!!
All you need is a chef’s hat to go with the cool chef’s top and you can be the real deal!! :-)
August 21st, 2006Happy Birthday MarketMan and thanks for sharing this post to us. It must be a very, very good birthday!!!!!
August 22nd, 2006funny pic: chef’s jacket, shorts & tsinelas!
August 22nd, 2006Belated Happy Birthday, Marketman!!! Cool Jacket! :)
August 22nd, 2006try orange crocs with purple or green straps instead of clogs..
August 22nd, 2006belated happy birthday MM! great jacket :)
August 22nd, 2006thanks for all the food posts. i am one of the “more-than-once-a-day” visitors…
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MM! neat jacket! i envy you. i wish my hubby would give me a jacket too on my birthday.. and i’d also wear it with (pink) tsinelas. hehe.
August 22nd, 2006Belated birthday greetings Marketman! May you have lots more.
August 22nd, 2006Belated birthday greetings, MM. It seems you had a really grat one. Cheers!
August 22nd, 2006I can see that you are fit and lean. Nice jacket!!!
August 23rd, 2006belated happy birthday marketman, my idol of all time! may you have many many more. God bless you!
August 23rd, 2006Happy birthday MM!
August 24th, 2006hi MM,
April 9th, 2007i stumble upon your website recently, and i was very impressed on how much love and dedication you put into it, very well done i must say! i was browsing this particular post and i can’t help but wonder if you have the recipe for the paella somewhere in your website? it’s looks soo yummy and i bet it taste just as good! thanks a lot and more power!
well it didn’t take me very long to find your paella recipe MM :)
April 9th, 2007thanks!
hahaha! i have a chef’s uniform myself and boy, does it feel good to cook wearing one. katawa lang kasi parang napaka-ambisyosa ko pero, who cares? my kids think i’m a pro, a professional crazzie, that is! hahaha!
October 1st, 2007Hi MM…Belated Happy Birthday!!!
The purpose for double breast chef jacket is to protect you from:
1) the direct heat while cooking
2) act as buffer in case of spill
3) flip over when you meet with your guest, so you have a clean jacket.
The black piping also means that you are the executive chef.
There are now new designs were air vents are located under the armpits and along the sides
November 3rd, 2007