Chef Ylyt Manaig on importance of upgrading skill set
Chef Ylyt Manaig may be busy juggling her time with content creation and hosting the daily show Lutong Bahay, but she still manages to squeeze in some time for learning.
The celebrity chef is in the final stretch of her culinary course at the International School for Culinary Arts and Hotel Management (ISCAHM).
Chef Ylyt said she believes in investing in herself to advance her career.
“For me kasi, hindi enough na nanonood lang ako sa social media to learn,” she told GMANetwork.com in an interview during the launch of KitchenAid's heavy-duty 6QT commercial stand mixer held recently.
(For me, watching on social media to learn is not enough)
She continued, “Ako kasi, when I earn something, ini-invest ko siya sa skill set para 'yung mga ituturo ko sa mga tao sa social media ay tama at accurate.
“Ayaw ko naman na… Kasi, when I posted something sa social media, they tend to copy it right away. So, gusto ko na 'yung tinuturo ko sa social media ay totoo rin, maka-copy nila.”
(When I earn something, I invest it in the skill set so that what I teach people on social media is correct and accurate. I don't want that... Because, when I post something on social media, they tend to copy it right away. So, I want what I teach on social media to be true, so they can copy it.)
In her recent Instagram posts, Chef Ylyt related the struggles she had to go through in the culinary school, especially during her final exam.
She wrote, “What an intense journey of training with top-notch chefs and relearning all the culinary foundations. Juggling my schedule balancing for work, school, and business meant countless sleepless nights. Pagod talaga but [of course] time management, workout, diet and my healthy juices.
“With constant guidance from our amazing instructors, we're not just cooking talaga, we're learning and improving with each dish! It's challenging, but incredibly rewarding!”
Chef Ylyt also noted that despite all the struggles, she remained focused on her main goal: to share her learnings to others.
She said, “Through it all, my goal remains clear. To share easy, home-cooked recipes, give my best to the brands I work with, continue all the live cooking demos and provide more culinary information.
“I know not everyone has the chance to attend culinary school, so I want to use my platform to share what I've learned, hoping it helps others in their own cooking journey, especially to all the young adults or aspiring chefs out there.”
Invest in quality kitchen equipment
Meanwhile, besides learning from her professors and mentors, Chef Ylyt highlighted the importance of investing in durable kitchenware and equipment, especially when starting as a chef.
“Gamit ko si KitchenAid in my final exams. It's worth it and beginner-friendly,” when asked about the newly-launched KitchenAid's heavy-duty 6QT commercial stand mixer.
(I used KitchenAid in my final exams. It's worth it and beginner-friendly.)
Chef Ylyt said its new ½ speed feature helped her in baking, which was part of her course.
She described, “Maganda talaga siya kasi mayroon siyang ½ speed. One thing na nagustuhan ko talaga is walang splatter. Tapos, siyempre, slow start muna, meron din kasi siyang soft launch. When it comes to beginners talaga, sa mga gustong maging pastry chef, it's really accurate.”
(It's really good because it has ½ speed. One thing I really liked is that there's no splatter. Then, of course, slow start first, because it also has a soft launch. When it comes to beginners, to those who want to be pastry chefs, it's really accurate.)
The Status by Sparkle celebrity also mentioned, “Marami siyang attachments na magagamit mo. And 'yung mixer niya is malaki. Mahirap kasi sa pastry 'yung maghuhugas ka nang maghuhugas. 'Yun iba kaya ayaw mag-bake kasi hugas daw sila nang hugas. Ito, ang dami mong magagawa. And 'yung speed niya talaga, marami kang magagawa.”
(It has a lot of attachments that you can use. And its mixer is big. It's hard to make pastry when you have to wash it over and over. That's why some people don't want to bake because they say they have to wash it over and over. With this, you can do a lot. And its speed really, you can do a lot.)
Compared to tilt-head mixers, the new 6QT Commercial Stand Mixer Collection delivers more power, capacity, and control, making it the ultimate tool for everyday creations and ambitious culinary projects. The increased power comes from the mixer's robust motor, which delivers consistent torque even when handling stiff doughs or thick batters, ensuring thorough and even mixing every time.
It also has greater capacity, thanks to its 5.6L (6QT) bowl that can hold up to 14 cups of flour and produce up to 13 dozen cookies in a single batch -- significantly more than the five-quart model, which holds only seven cups of flour (about 500g of dough) and yields approximately nine dozen cookies. This means you can save time by preparing larger batches while still achieving professional-quality results -- ideal for busy home bakers or small business owners looking to increase efficiency.
More importantly, Chef Ylyt said, “Tumatagal siya nang 20 years or more. Although maraming mura sa market, 'yung durability is brand talaga ng KitchenAid.”
(It lasts 20 years or more. Although there are many cheap ones on the market, durability is really a KitchenAid brand.)
Chef Ylyt creates a new recipe during her pre-finals week. On content creation
Meanwhile, after finishing her culinary course, Chef Ylyt vows to continue creating food content, especially since it changed her life a lot.
She recalled, “I started renting an old place sa tapat lang ng bahay to start content creation. Ano talaga, parang na-humble ako. Totoo talaga 'yung humble beginnings.
“Kasi, when I look back sa mga time na 'yon, naiisip ko na before nag-start ako sa isa o dalawang brands. Minsan, aminin na natin, 'yung iba walang bayad or ex-deal.
“Pero for me kasi, it's not about the money. It's also about the passion and the love ko sa paggawa ng contents and recipes.”
(I started renting an old place right across the street from my house to start content creation. I really feel humble. Humble beginnings are true. Because, when I look back at those times, I think about when I started with one or two brands. Sometimes, let's face it, some were free or had ex-deals. But for me, it's not about the money. It's also about the passion and the love I have for creating content and recipes.)
Get to know more about Chef Ylyt in this gallery:
