The Voice4Chefs Podcast

EP90: Part II Chef Maricel Gentil:Celebrating Filipino Heritage from Food Channel to PBS

• ChefMichael • Season 3 • Episode 90

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In Part II of this engaging episode of Voice4Chefs, host Michael welcomes Maricel back for part two of her incredible culinary journey. Maricel shares her fascinating experiences from dazzling appearances on PBS, Hulu, and the Food Channel. She recounts unexpected yet serendipitous connections that led her to star on these platforms, including a humorous story about ignoring a potential PBS opportunity, which turned out to be legitimate. Maricel highlights key moments from cooking competitions and shows, such as 'Recipe Rumble' and a family cooking challenge with Cake Boss Buddy Valastro, and reveals behind-the-scenes experiences of filming and lessons learned. The conversation also delves into her success as a culinary instructor, her popular Asian fusion cookbook, and upcoming projects including live TV cooking classes and expanding her business. Maricel's passion for Filipino cuisine and dedication to sharing her culinary heritage shine throughout, inspiring listeners with her vibrant energy and adventurous spirit.

00:00 Introduction to Maricel's Culinary Journey
00:21 Maricel's PBS Experience
02:23 Adventures on Hulu and Food Network
05:27 Challenges and Learning Moments
08:28 Family Competitions and Traditions
11:52 Korean Seafood Ambassador
14:15 Maricel's Cookbook and Future Plans
20:08 Cooking Classes and Events
21:51 Final Thoughts and Contact Information

Season2

Welcome Chef Steven Leung as our new cohost.

IG: themindfulwok



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Host Michael Dugan:

Welcome back to another exciting episode of Voice4 Chefs. In part two, we dive into Maricel incredible culinary journey. Experience her passion as she navigates the food channel and dazzles on Hulu and shares culinary delights with PBS. Stay tuned to be inspired by Maricel's flavorful adventures. I find interesting is you've been on PBS, you've been on Hulu, and you've been on the Food Channel.

Chef Maricel Gentile:

Oh my God.

Host Michael Dugan:

can you highlight a couple of these things? What was it like and how did you connect to PBS?

Chef Maricel Gentile:

Ow. That was the, that was an interesting question. It's always interesting how I connect with these people, right? So I was driving and somebody called, of which you could answer your phone and there says. The way he said it was, would you like to be on PBS? I said, you're such a scam. Boom. Hang up, call back again. I am really, seriously if you are I'm looking for chefs that could go. I said, I have no time. I'm driving. I said, hang up. And then the third time he called, still on driving. I said, okay if, you are insistent, I said, just send me an email so when I get back to my office, I'll call you.

Host Michael Dugan:

You sure?

Chef Maricel Gentile:

I opened my email, it's the producer for PBS. I said, oh my God, it's the same, it's just it's the real thing.

Host Michael Dugan:

Sure.

Chef Maricel Gentile:

So they interviewed me after that and then we connected

Host Michael Dugan:

Yep.

Chef Maricel Gentile:

and then all of a sudden, oh, okay, I could do this. And then we filmed that in my kitchen here The gentleman. Who hosted it.

Host Michael Dugan:

Oh

Chef Maricel Gentile:

He's an Emmy Award winner of award. That was his first season.

Host Michael Dugan:

Oh my gosh.

Chef Maricel Gentile:

That was his first season. And I just wanna share it to you. What he calls me the Asian Ina Gordon, because he met Paul and he says, the two of you are amazing how you work together, stuff like that. And he says, you're the Asian ina Gordon. And then he end up calling me my godmother. I says, you are my godmother because you always take care of me. He says and from that time on the next, the following year, he invited me again. He only invited two people from his first year. To come back to the show. Hulu is another thing too. It's just oh, what? It's the first episode for the what's that recipe? Rumble for? The Cake Boss. That was also another like call because who does all this? It's my husband,

Host Michael Dugan:

Oh sure.

Chef Maricel Gentile:

entering me to this.

Host Michael Dugan:

you in and you're

Chef Maricel Gentile:

And then I would come home and he would say did you get a call from PBS or. food network, like why would I get a call? Oh nothing, And then all of a sudden they would call me like, oh my gosh. Food network is huge. My God, they flew me to Phoenix, Arizona. So we were there. We were there for five days. It was so cold early in the morning. But

Host Michael Dugan:

cooked with Alex, right?

Chef Maricel Gentile:

yeah. Yeah, Alex was the host. Wonderful. And you're asking me what are those moments?

Host Michael Dugan:

Yeah, just a few to highlight a few.

Chef Maricel Gentile:

Yeah. So at the end of the show Alex and I were, talking, and then I said I didn't win that day. I was on top, but I did, I know the reason why I, and then, you know what she said to me, just  Maricel, just keep doing what you're doing. You're very good at it. That was like, oh my God, this came from a chef That like, okay. It was just I ran with it. I had the feeling that I was the winner, but. That saying to me is I'm thinking like, maybe I'm doing something right.

Host Michael Dugan:

Sure.

Chef Maricel Gentile:

like before I started my, business, I feel like I'm quitting my corporate job. Would I get the money? Would I, would people even listen to me? And then if years. Now this is what's going on. And I'm, me and my husband have so many goals for  Maricel Kitchen we're, trying to look for another location my new cookbook so excited about that. I'm so happy it's in, oh my God, so many things happening, Michael.

Host Michael Dugan:

I love It.

Chef Maricel Gentile:

I can't even tell you I said to myself, I'm 60, but I have more energy now. When I was 45,

Host Michael Dugan:

the same. I'm pretty close, but I'm very much that way. I have energy that goes beyond

Chef Maricel Gentile:

is just

Host Michael Dugan:

definition.

Chef Maricel Gentile:

keep on going. I said, who wants to retire?

Host Michael Dugan:

Yeah.

Chef Maricel Gentile:

when you're having so much fun?

Host Michael Dugan:

That's so great.

Chef Maricel Gentile:

it, it's a lot of work.

Host Michael Dugan:

Oh, I know.

Chef Maricel Gentile:

Sometimes I stand a 14, 16 hour day in the kitchen,

Host Michael Dugan:

Wow.

Chef Maricel Gentile:

and then you get up in the morning, you do the same thing, but it's just, I'm always ready to meet a lot of people. The

Host Michael Dugan:

So, that's Hulu and that's PBS and, a little bit of the food channel.

Chef Maricel Gentile:

yeah.

Host Michael Dugan:

Do you, was there anything that kind of didn't go right? In other words, I've interviewed a lot of chefs from the food channel, mostly Chopped, and they talk about you're doing a 15 hour day

Chef Maricel Gentile:

Yeah.

Host Michael Dugan:

exhausted and, you make mistakes

Chef Maricel Gentile:

Yeah.

Host Michael Dugan:

and, some of them are interesting. One, one chef. They actually roasted peppers, like roasted dry peppers. I think it was. It smoked out the whole kitchen, including the executives

Chef Maricel Gentile:

Hi.

Host Michael Dugan:

the staff, the judges. They were all coughing and they

Chef Maricel Gentile:

Yeah.

Host Michael Dugan:

get through that whole thing and then

Chef Maricel Gentile:

Oh

Host Michael Dugan:

over or something. And I thought that was so unique. But is there

Chef Maricel Gentile:

yeah. That's, what happened to me in Food Channel with the Food Network. On the third thing, I fell, I tripped on something.

Host Michael Dugan:

was in Arizona, right?

Chef Maricel Gentile:

Yeah, this was in Arizona. We tripped and then of course my eggs flew like And, lemme tell you, Alex was the first one to run and help me. I says, forget about your eggs. She says, forget about your eggs, you'll replace it right away. At that moment I felt geez, then I don't get this anymore, and stuff like that. But. I find that whole experience to be a learning experience and it makes you humble. It is just but all throughout I felt so good though, even though I didn't win that Of course you always say I, should have won because a lot of people when I came back to East Brunswick, can we call Food Network because you should have won blah, blah, blah, blah.

Host Michael Dugan:

Oh, okay.

Chef Maricel Gentile:

I said, no, it's okay. It's okay. it's a Because with what the comments they said during the competition, that's good thing for me already. That already told me that I did a good job.

Host Michael Dugan:

Yep.

Chef Maricel Gentile:

I don't have to prove myself further because I think from what I created in a, small amount of time, not a lot of people could do that. Lemme tell you that because you could do your brain, get yourself ready still, whatever is in that cart, you never know and is. You got to keep on changing, right?

Host Michael Dugan:

Yeah.

Chef Maricel Gentile:

I'm So like, oh my God but I still find that as a wonderful experience. I won't even say that. It's a failure. I learned so much from that. And let me tell you what Alex told me was such a wonderful ending of my day. As I've said, I know where I am. I know who I am. Either people would like me or who I am, I'm not gonna change,

Host Michael Dugan:

Right.

Chef Maricel Gentile:

that's just me it's.

Host Michael Dugan:

No, that's fantastic. And there was another one too, about Buddy and your family. It was like a competition between families.

Chef Maricel Gentile:

Yeah.

Host Michael Dugan:

Can you tell us a little bit about that show?

Chef Maricel Gentile:

That is amazing. I, think with that show, it came out to be, I was like a little or authoritative mom or something.

Host Michael Dugan:

my gosh.

Chef Maricel Gentile:

My, my son's friends were like. Oh my God, your mom is so mean to you. Because I said, oh, just do it. Just do it. Of course I want to win. Of course we want to win and stuff like that. But that was good because it felt as a family, we did something great, and we didn't practice with it. It, those are the things that we do every holiday.

Host Michael Dugan:

Okay.

Chef Maricel Gentile:

Those are the recipes that we do every Christmas.

Host Michael Dugan:

Love it.

Chef Maricel Gentile:

You know, we do half and half, half Filipino, half Italian. paul's Italian it. Oh my gosh, I love it. what we put in that show. like showing my Filipino traditions as well as showing my Italian traditions for my husband, because both kids, I have two sons. I want them to learn. Both have both traditions. So we, I'm. I'm always, every Christmas that's what we do. So that's what we shared in that show. And thankfully we won. Even Buddy says oh my God, this is now my new way of cooking hot chocolate.

Host Michael Dugan:

Yeah.

Chef Maricel Gentile:

Ham, is to die for.

Host Michael Dugan:

So can you tell us just, so that people may not know what, did you make? I know hot chocolate was in there.

Chef Maricel Gentile:

I made the traditional ham. I, then I did candy dms, and then I have my Filipino egg rolls, right? And then I did the bahala, the Italian bahala salad and the fruit salad. Yes, the Filipino fruit salad, the de fruit salad out the Filipinos. So in two hours we made five dishes. And then you have to decorate the, table setting,

Host Michael Dugan:

but you're competing with one other family.

Chef Maricel Gentile:

Yeah, they own resturants Restaurants too. They own two restaurants.

Host Michael Dugan:

Okay.

Chef Maricel Gentile:

I think they're Spanish or something. A lot of things didn't work out on their part because the flan didn't work out.

Host Michael Dugan:

Sure.

Chef Maricel Gentile:

I just enjoyed that show and buddy a good Italian guy is so friendly. PBS, you get to be friendly like Bookie. To this day, he came to visit for my book signing.

Host Michael Dugan:

He sounds like an incredible person.

Chef Maricel Gentile:

He is my godson now.

Host Michael Dugan:

I just, I was so impressed. I was just so impressed with the connection between you and him. I could sense this beyond just professional, it was like family kind of feeling.

Chef Maricel Gentile:

It became like a family. I could really sense it. Treat him like a son to me. I know. I just like to, entertain. I like to care for people. To take care of people. Especially feeding I like, because it's a Filipino hospitality. When you go to the Philippines. You enter someone's home, Did you eat? Come eat. It's more about eating right away, not like, how do you do we don't do that. Come on let's eat, let's go eat that, that, that's what they eat. Eating. It's very important in Philippines.

Host Michael Dugan:

I love that. And you've been called korean Seafood Ambassador.

Chef Maricel Gentile:

That's another story. Did you know that we're doing this for the 6th already with the food? every year they come to me they, want me to teach introduce Korean seafood to non Koreans. All right? So it was amazing when the president called me. And they asked me if I could come up with a recipe. And I said sure. But they said to me before we do that, we would like to go to your place and we wanna taste how you cook. Oh my God. I felt what would I make? with Korean Seafood

Host Michael Dugan:

So, now we're dying to know what did you make?

Chef Maricel Gentile:

I did scallion pancake, seafood pancakes,

Host Michael Dugan:

I love that.

Chef Maricel Gentile:

The fishcakes that we have, the broth, I made the broth with that. They love radish and stuff so I did that. So it's really five dishes. And when they were like tasting it, I'm like, oh my God please. And Mr. Who is the, sidekick of the president. It's just like you cook better than the Korean people we know in Palisades. They said to me.

Host Michael Dugan:

Oh my gosh.

Chef Maricel Gentile:

So that started the deal. So the very first one was we did invite 30 people to do to this cooking class. In fact it's always in our in my film when we do this when they introduced me and stuff like that. What an amazing production.

Host Michael Dugan:

Oh my God. We rented

Chef Maricel Gentile:

one of the studios in Upper North Jersey and Wow. Incredible. And we're having one coming up in September. I'm gonna be making fresh abalone.

Host Michael Dugan:

Oh

Chef Maricel Gentile:

So those are the things I'm gonna, and I make it congee

Host Michael Dugan:

Okay. Okay.

Chef Maricel Gentile:

congee with that. And then it is. I could taste it right now because I, love Abolone. This is our sixth year with the K Seafood. It's the Bureau of Fisheries in South Korea.

Host Michael Dugan:

Got it.

Chef Maricel Gentile:

interesting.

Host Michael Dugan:

Yeah, I was reading a little bit about that that's pretty incredible. We haven't even had a chance, and we have to get this in. Tell me please, about your cookbook, the idea of it, happened? Just let's hear.

Chef Maricel Gentile:

At first I said, when my husband tells let's, do a book, I said what? Who would buy my book? I said, who am I? I'm just like a little.

Host Michael Dugan:

Yeah.

Chef Maricel Gentile:

I even have a copy for you like this, right?

Host Michael Dugan:

I love it. Oh my gosh, I love it.

Chef Maricel Gentile:

of course a portion of the book is Filipino cuisine. In fact we're, thinking of writing the second cookbook, which is just all Filipino food because this one has Filipino, Cantonese, Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese, and Korea. I love all those food so I did at least twelve dishes per cuisine, and just give you a good picture of what a pantry would look like. For an Asian thing. And what's best is we did a QR code on the recipe so that if you want a detailed explanation. I got such good reviews too about the book

Host Michael Dugan:

Oh my gosh

Chef Maricel Gentile:

And, it's, you could have really actually buy from Amazon,

Host Michael Dugan:

We'll have a link in the show notes.

Chef Maricel Gentile:

Yeah, we got into Amazon and the purpose of this book is. I, can't say I'm the best or the perfect cook right there, or chef, whatever you wanna say, but I just wanna share that you can't, you don't have to be intimidated to, to cook Asian food. It's simple. It's simple, basic ingredients that you need to know and that you could follow the recipes easily. And then I've seen so many re you know, reviews saying wow, this is my BFF in my kitchen. Now the cookbook is my BFF. Asian cooking. I made it simple.

Host Michael Dugan:

Wow.

Chef Maricel Gentile:

Easy to read, easy to follow. The pictures are right there so that you know what you're expecting what would it look like when you're done cooking?'cause I've seen a lot of cookbook that it's all words, right? No picture.

Host Michael Dugan:

Sure.

Chef Maricel Gentile:

Sometimes if that's your first time cooking it, you have no idea how it looks like. But with my cookbook, you actually would see, oh, that's how it should be.

Host Michael Dugan:

Mm-hmm. When

Chef Maricel Gentile:

you're done with it. I'm so excited. It's almost a year we took this. I was so tired doing this because we flew in. Our photographer, he was from Seattle,

Host Michael Dugan:

Oh my gosh thats where im from.

Chef Maricel Gentile:

He was here for five days. We did 16 hours. What happened is I have to cook it fresh and then they do the foot photo shoot, right? And then I'm looking at the at, the camera, and I like, it doesn't look nice. I have to cook it again till I say, wow, that is the right picture. This is what I wanna capture. So that's the story. And then we got it. got it printed. Wow. A lot of work,

Host Michael Dugan:

What's next for you on the horizon?

Chef Maricel Gentile:

Wow.

Host Michael Dugan:

Second cookbook perhaps.

Chef Maricel Gentile:

Yes. It's on the plan, right? I'm trying to do live TV cooking class. Yes. My husband introduced that and I love the idea. I think we will do that then. People could see and it's like a talk show.

Host Michael Dugan:

Okay,

Chef Maricel Gentile:

Like it, it's more like five people in front of me. We are, we're gonna be cooking together questions but it's live. A lot of people could really see us cook.

Host Michael Dugan:

sure. Wow.

Chef Maricel Gentile:

then I hope sometimes when you say all the time, it would happen, right? So we're looking for another location. Closer to New York. Same concept as what we have in East Brunswick.

Host Michael Dugan:

Okay.

Chef Maricel Gentile:

We're, really getting we're blessed that it's doing very well. We wanna do it some other time, like some other place I should say.

Host Michael Dugan:

Wow.

Chef Maricel Gentile:

I'm loving it. I don't wanna stop. I, just wanna keep doing what I'm doing. It's interesting.

Host Michael Dugan:

feel it. I feel when you think about it, the work that you're doing is recognized by people and appreciated by them. And you're connecting to all these people. You're making these amazing friends probably from around the world and you know that's true joy, right? Why would you want to stop?

Chef Maricel Gentile:

Yeah, I think it makes me feel younger more than because your mind is constantly like full of ideas.

Host Michael Dugan:

yeah.

Chef Maricel Gentile:

If you would go into my studio, like when people first come in, they would say, wow. This is such a nice venue. And before I became a chef, I was an interior designer.

Host Michael Dugan:

Makes sense.

Chef Maricel Gentile:

so when I decorated the whole place, it

Host Michael Dugan:

Okay. That really makes sense.

Chef Maricel Gentile:

field that we want.

Host Michael Dugan:

yeah,

Chef Maricel Gentile:

We, have this barn door that we got it from a salvage place. But it's such a good patina with the decoration and stuff. That's what we have at the back of my, cooking studio. It's, gorgeous. We just have to find the right piece for, that place.

Host Michael Dugan:

yeah,

Chef Maricel Gentile:

getting to be small now. When we first moved in, we thought it is huge. Now I feel like people are like, can you take 50 people? I have to turn it down. I can't take 50 people, but we've been doing a lot of, team building corporate events catering.

Host Michael Dugan:

Just so people know. Before we wrap up, Tell me about a couple of the cooking classes that are coming up just, off the top of your head.

Chef Maricel Gentile:

Oh, so of course we do a lot of empanada class.

Host Michael Dugan:

Okay.

Chef Maricel Gentile:

Seven fillings that you're gonna learn. Two kinds of dough. A Thai glass. We just had the Filipino. And then on the coming weeks, we are featuring, as I've said, chef's table. We, created a new menu for the chef's table and we're adding Hawaiian feast. A Kamayan feast, I should say. And we're, adding dim sum classes. A lot of people like dim sum, shalong, ba it's the soup dumpling. A lot of people like to learn how to do that. so we're in the process of creating more menus, more recipes for the cooking classes. meanwhile it's August, so we have bookings now till November, but. The corporate accounts are coming in again for their parties and stuff, and a lot of private events, bridal showers, maybe showers because they have the option to recreate the room. Like I have one couple they're gonna be married in their honeymoon is in Japan. So for their bridal shower, they turned the whole room into a Japanese, experience. It was so beautiful. I tell you the things that people come and bring, that even makes the whole dining room so, nice.

Host Michael Dugan:

Wow. Do you have any final message? First of all, how do we reach out to you? Because I think people are hungry right now. I think they're interested.

Chef Maricel Gentile:

So we're gonna be in East Brunswick

Host Michael Dugan:

east Brunswick. Okay.

Chef Maricel Gentile:

Street, east Brunswick. You could go to my website,  Maricel at Maricel's kitchen.com. We have an Instagram account. All right, so you could go for  Maricel's too. We have TikTok account, we have Facebook account, Maricel's Kitchen, USA. We're, very quick in answering emails and stuff like that yeah. So that's how you could connect with me.

Host Michael Dugan:

And then the last thing is, I always love to ask this, is there any final message that you wanna share with the world? Because we're a global podcast. And is there anything you wanna share about  Philippine cuisine, inspiring chefs? Any, message?

Chef Maricel Gentile:

Yeah, so of course I want the Philippine cuisine to be up in the bold stage, right? It's being known now. I love the hustle and buzzle about Filipino food, which is so good. for the people who like to cook or would like to try something, try the Filipino try to cook Filipino food. It's easy. Simple, basic ingredients. I know you would love it. I've never introduced our egg roll or our rice noodle to someone that didn't love it. So you are gonna love it. And of course, if you try to buy my book

Host Michael Dugan:

Oh yeah.

Chef Maricel Gentile:

you could actually learn a lot of things you could finally also read a portion of who I am and where I came from, and in fact, one of the person who was trying to review my book is after reading the book, I feel like I, I met a chatty friend of mine, you know that.

Host Michael Dugan:

love it.

Chef Maricel Gentile:

So I love that. I like to really connect with people. Don't hesitate to call, don't hesitate to email us. We'd love you to talk with you, share with you whatever we could. Share with you, like Philippine cuisine, tradition, so that's it.

Host Michael Dugan:

I just wanna say  Maricel, thank you so much for coming on the show today.

Chef Maricel Gentile:

Oh, thank you so much.

Host Michael Dugan:

It is very special to me. I have a lot of emotion going on in this episode. connected me to an amazing culture and, food, and I just, I really think that you are truly a Voice4Chefs and

Chef Maricel Gentile:

oh.

Host Michael Dugan:

grateful to know

Chef Maricel Gentile:

Oh, thank you. Thank you so much, Michael. It's amazing. Had a great time.

Host Michael Dugan:

Me, as well.