I hired a new cook (again)

Hired a new cook (again):

Our previous cook was okay naman. I didn’t scold her and we didn’t complain about her cooking. She was friends with the house cleaner. I hired them at the same time and from the same agency. When the house cleaner left, the cook went with her.
First few hours pa lang, I knew already that the house cleaner would not last. Sabi ni Edmund parang queen na yun sa bahay nila.

I did a phone interview of two possible cooks. One is 31 years old and is categorized as an international cook with asking salary of 8,000. The other one is 45 daw and is a categorized as an ordinary cook with asking salary of 6,000 a month.

Omb——“Hello, hi, paano ka naging international cook? Nag-aral ka ba sa culinary school?
31 yo—-“Sa mga napapa-sukan ko rin, natuto ako. Experience”.
Omb——“Ano’ng mga international dishes ang alam mong lutuin?”
31 yo—-“Pasta, lahat ng klaseng pasta kaya kong lutuin”.
Omb——“Ahh, okay, alam mo yung prawns thermidore?”
31 yo—-“Pro prowwns…ano yun?”
Omb——“Okay, marunong kang magluto ng callos?”
31 yo—-“Callos? Ano yun?”
Omb——“Lugaw, sopas, pansit bihon marunong ka?”
31 yo—–“Oo mam, alam ko yan, lahat ng klaseng pasta alam ko. Yung carbonara. kahit spaghetti kaya kong lutuin”.
Omb——-“Sino itong huli mong naging amo? Pag may bisita ba sila ikaw ang nagluluto, halimbawa good for 10 people or dalawang bisita”.
31 yo—–“Sa Forbes Park mam, foreigner, Italian, ay Swiss, tila German. Hindi mam, hindi sila nagpa-party, sa labas sila kumakain”.
Omb——-“Anu ano ang niluluto mo para sa kanila?”
31 yo—–“Lagi lang sila sa labas kumakain mam”.
Omb——-“marunong kang mag-gawa ng salad? Madali lang yun”.
31 yo—–“Pwede namang tingnan sa cook book”.

She said she was given 8,000 salary plus 2,000 for her food. All of the household staff including drivers and bodyguards were given 2,000 each per month for their meals. Food was not provided for. Kanya-kanya daw silang bili.

The 45 yo said she spent a little over a year in Forbes Park at the household of Monique Villongco, daughter of Armida Siguion-Reyna. I’ve actually had at least 2 maids in the past that also claimed they worked at Monique’s house.

Omb——“Sino ang nagpre-prepare ng table? Nagse-serve pag kumakain sila?”
45 yo—-“Ako mam, alam ko lahat yun pati table setting, ako lahat”.
Omb——“Pag merong party si Monique, ikaw rin ba ang naglu luto?”
45 yo—-“Hindi mam, catering yun, nag-a-assist lang kami sa kitchen”.

I hired the 45 yo ordinary cook instead. According to Edmund we don’t need an international cook. When we want something special, we would just eat out.

So far mabait naman sya. Two of her children are college graduates. The third I think is graduating in a year. magsi-seaman daw. Sabi nya mga US$5,000 a month daw ang starting salary. Based on her stories, parang she didn’t have to work as kasambahay anymore.

My default food, crispy hotdog

She likes to cover our food with the plastic wrap. I fell guilty kasi tingin ko we contribute a lot of garbage to the earth.

Beef caldereta by Cleta

She didn’t know how to set the table. Where to put the glasses and utensils. That’s contrary to what she claimed when I interviewed her. The first two days I taught her how to do it pero on the third day, nalimutan na nya agad. I requested her to please concentrate.
I found out she didn’t know this things because she only worked in the kitchen, preparing dishes for the maids and drivers. Somebody else was assigned to set the table and serve food.
We’ll see, I hope we’ll have synergy.