We as a company, have a program called “GlobalChef”. The program is kinda like an exchange program for chefs. GlobalChef selects chefs from Sodexo to travel a specific country for a month and share some of their culture and foods with the host nation. At each site, the local chef will create a program where the visiting chef teaches and exhibits food preparation(s) and cuisine unique to their country. It’s a great program where the exchange of shared ideas and experiences between two countries is a wonderful experience.
We were delighted to host a Sodexo Chef from Chile. His name is Chef Mauricio Arteaga Campos. Chef Mauricio was accompanied by a companion translator. A Sodexo Manager from Chile as well, Patricio Ruiz.
Both of these gentleman were very kind and generous. After meeting with them, myself, our co-managers and staff all became big fans and fast friends. As ambassadors from Chile, they well represented their country with friendship, professionalism and passion for all things food.
Our initial meeting, went over extremely well. We were excited about their stay with us. We discussed what kind of menus we would feature. Some the ingredients were foreign and so using Google helped me resource the various ingredients.
No matter the language barrier, food is an international language. So with a little help from Patricio to translate for us, we all hit it off very well. We all had a sense of humor and appreciated each other’s company. That was obvious right out of the gate. Prior to our meeting, I tried to understand some of the food ideas Chef Mauricio was interested in featuring. I paired up sides to entrees, as well as desserts. I must have impressed him. As he mentioned this is exactly what he would have suggested from pairings to technique in preparations. We had so much in common. We actually think alike when it comes to food. We were each others equal is so many areas. We both were exicted for the opportunity to work together and collaborate on Flavors of Chile. From my end, I was excited learning about the culture of Chile, it’s people and of course Chile’s food cuisine. What an opportunity!
Chef Mauricio’s bio:
For more than 20 years, Chef Mauricio Alejandro Arteaga Campos has delighted thousands of daily Sodexo guests with his culinary specialties. He’s served more than 3,100 guests per day at the historic Banco de Chile in Santiago and more than 7,000 daily meals as Executive Chef at Minera Escondido, the world’s largest copper-producing mine, in the northern Chilean city of Antofagasta.
Chef Arteaga is currently a culinary instructor at eight casinos in Santiago and thrills 600 guests each day at MetLife Casino with lunches and special events. Chef Mauricio has worked in the hotel and restaurant industry prior to joining Sodexo Corporate Food Services.
One of the first things we did upon Chef Mauricio and Patricio’s arrival into our kitchen was to introduce them to our staff. I’m fortunate we have a good number of staff already fluent in Spanish. So, working along with the staff, became even easier. I must say, our staff made our Chilean friends feel right at home. It couldn’t have gone any better.
The first day, we decided we would run several stations with specials from Chile. Our central theme cuisine was a package luncheon, where our patrons would dine on a three course meal. Soup, Entrée and Dessert.
- Crema Zapallo Camote Especiada (Pumpkin Soup)
- Salmon Cancato (Salmon with Chorizo)
- Lasaña de zapallo italiano y berenjenas (Vegetable Lasagne)
- Guiso de Quinoa y Aceituna (Quinoa Pilaf)
- Durazno al jugo con crema chantilly (Peaches and Cream)
A week out we did a small marketing campaign to get the word out about this event. We flooded the campus with posters and digital graphics. Sodexo Marketing did a marvelous job with having already created the various resources we would need to give it a professional and appealing invite. With all that, we anticipated a good turnout from a very large campus population. We would prepare for 200 people each day to our Flavors of Chile theme cuisine.
This was going to be a hard haul for our staff. We still have to take on all the catering we do daily, as well as, all the daily production for our campus wide operation. Then, incorporate the additional Flavors of Chile program into the same hard working staff’s day. We also ran a Grill special and Soup du jour from Chile. The staff was up to the challenge and they didn’t disappoint. They were actually ecstatic and doubled down on their efforts to pull all this off. To commemorate the occasion on the first day, we took a group photo.
Once we opened for lunch, we were not disappointed with the crowd coming down to visit and explore their palates. Our food ambassadors from Chile were gracious and outgoing as they personally greeted all our guests visiting this station in our food court. We were pretty much spot on with our estimate of preparing for 200 people. Well done and well executed!
Later that evening we wined & dined our Chilean friends here in Chicago. After a nice dinner with lots of conversation, we headed out to a local sportsbar to unwind. We took in some games of pool and enjoyed each others company. A good time.
Friday, we devised a menu slightly different. Something more along the lines of comfort food. This went well as we had to balance our overall offerings throughout the food court. Friday’s is our day were we feature Indian Cuisine. So to counter Indian Food (and the crowd that habitually visits this station), we went with BBQ Pork Baby Back Ribs done up in the style of Chile. Chileans don’t do BBQ like we do BBQ here state-side. Mustard is the condiment of choice for applying liberally to the ribs prior to the slow cooking method common to Chilean bbq’ers, as well as folks from the U.S. The real difference here is the use of an herb sauce similar to chimmichurri sauce. Argentina and Chile share many of the same ingredients and techniques. So with slight variations, an herb dipping sauce seems to be the appropriate way to eat ribs down in South America.
- Ensalada Chilena (Salad of Tomatoes, Onion and Coriander)
- Costillar de Cerdo Asado (Mustard Glazed Pork Baby Back Ribs)
- A lo Pobre (Potato Fries with Easy Over Egg and Carmelized Onions)
- Budin Diplomatico (Bread Pudding with Candied Fruit and Coconut)
Again this was a complete three course luncheon. We prepared 150 portions. And again we were not disappointed with the turn-out for a second day of some wonderful food and sharing of Chilean culture. We had folk music from Chile playing. Decorated the spread with all things Chile, including their national flag. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that we had several folks working here that are native Chileans. These good folks had exchanged pleasantries and news from back home with their co-patriots. I think Maurcio and Patricio both truly enjoyed those moments. Being in a foreign country and running into someone from back home, can be uplifting. I know I experienced this when I traveled.
As lunch ended we knew that our time together was drawing to an end. We had one last time to gather everyone together from our staff and say our good-byes. We wished Chef Maurcio and Patricio well on their tour of the midwest. We exchanged some parting gifts and personal contact information. I know I made two friends in this short time together. I look forward to keeping in touch with my new friends from South America. I will no doubt drop a line to say hello. And if I need any expertise regarding Chilean or South American cuisines, I have just the person to ask! And visa versa.
Categories: Lunch
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