Masayang-masaya si Chef Rosebud Benitez, host ng Q Channel 11 cooking show na Quickfire, dahil sa buwan ng Mayo ay magse-celebrate na ang Quickfire ng first anniversary nito. At the same time, papasok na rin ang fifth season nito simula sa May 6. Dahil anniversary ng Quickfire, tampok nga sa season 5 ang iba't ibang putahe sa mga selebrasyon at pagdiriwang ng mga Pilipino gaya na lamang tuwing fiesta, birthdays at iba pang salu-salong Pinoy.
"I'm really very happy, I'm very grateful talaga na tumagal yung show. Supposed to be nga one season lang yan and now we are on our second year, so maganda yung reception ng mga tao and I'm very grateful. It only goes to show na lahat ng hirap ng buong production, merong kapalit talaga. And we really get to help a lot of people dito sa aming cooking show. Parang I get to reach out sa aming audience na gusto talagang matutong magluto o kaya gusto lang talaga nilang manood ng cooking show," pahayag ni Rosebud nang ma-interview siya ng PEP sa presscon na ginanap last April 28 sa Oceana Restaurant and Events Place sa SM Mall of Asia.
Ano pa ang mae-expect ng mga tao sa bagong season at pangalawang taon ng Quickfire?
"Well, for the fifth season, our first anniversary season, all of our recipes will be for celebration. Lahat yun pag may fiesta, pag may birthday, lahat yun even yung kapag nakapasa ang anak mo sa exam, we have recipes to make it celebratory."
Ano sa tingin niya ang strength ng Quickfire kaya tumagal ito sa ere?
"Well, aside from all the recipes are done in ten minutes or even less, every season we have to think of new themes talaga. It's hard pero that what makes Quickfire different. That I think is the strength talaga plus our harworking staff."
Mabuti hindi kayo nauubusan ng themes and concepts?
"That's why I'm part of the production meeting talaga. Meron kaming creative meeting. Hindi kami pwedeng mag-absent dun. Of course the recipe should come from me, but ideas I get from other people. Like, ‘Chef, pwede ba tong ganito? Pwede bang gamitin ito?' Oo nga no. So, I get ideas from them also. You have to be innovative. We have to put our creative juices together para we can come up with a good quick-to-cook food."
Can you claim na all the dishes na featured sa show are all-original by Quickfire?
"This is one thing, no chef can claim na a recipe is their original because lahat is may pinanggalingan na lahat yan. So, you just add a sweet tweek or twist, para malagay yung name mo. Pero meron na talaga silang pinanggalingan na idea. So, I can not really claim that. I don't want to claim that baka maraming magalit sa akin. Pero I make it different by using a different ingredient or use a different method or execution, di ba? Yun ang galing talaga sa akin. What I can guarantee sa recipes ng Quickfire, lahat ito ten minutes lang talaga. That what makes it different from other recipes."
Since ten minutes lang ang pagluluto na ginagawa sa Quickfire, may mga viewers na nabibilisan sa pagluluto at hindi makasunod. Meron ding naka-miss ng episode. Paano n'yo sinusolusyunan ito?
"Quickfire naman airs four times a day. And I get to tape 65 episodes in a season, so it gets replayed. Kasi naman hindi mo naman mapapanood lahat ng niluto ko sa four episodes in a day, so it gets replayed. Kung halimbawa na-miss out mo yan, mapapanood mo ulit yan sa replay."
Ano ang mahalagang lesson na natutunan niya while hosting Quickfire?
"So far, well, there's always room for learning and improvement. I should be open to criticisms and suggestions. You can't know it all. Hindi ka pwedeng you know it all kasi you don't know it all. At saka you can't please averybody din. Kasi meron akong nakukuhang okay na feedback, meron ding nega [negative], like yung inclusion daw ng sponsors ko sa recipes ko. That's how it is, di ba, sponsors ko yun, e. The show would not survive without them na tumutulong sa amin. Pero mas marami naman yung viewers na nakakaintindi, so no problem."
Ano ba ang ultimate goal niya dito sa Quickfire?
"I would really want the show to last. Eto, mommy-mommy ako. Sabi ko kahit mommy-lola, pwede. Kahit lola na ako pwede pa," biro ni Rosebud. "I really want the show to last kasi I want more people to learn from the show. As long as the people want me, mag-ho-host pa rin ako ng Quickfire."
Ayon pa kay Rosebud, may communication rin siya sa mga viewers ng Quickfire through her blog na ginawa niya. Pero aniya, magkakaroon na rin ng sariling website or blog page ang Quickfire soon, aside from the show's e-mail address.
"Inisip ko kasi na gawin yun, kasi I don't want the public na mahirapan to get the recipes. Maganda rin yung I can get feedback from the viewers para alam ko kung ano yung gusto nila. Marami rin kaming natatanggap na e-mails. Tapos yun ginagawan namin ng solusyon yung problems nila sa cooking."
Samantala, plano rin ni Rosebud na maglabas ng sarili niyang cookbook na tampok ang mga recipes niya pati na rin ang kanyang mga Quickfire recipes.
"Nasa plan ko talaga yun. Meron na ngang willing na magsulat for me. Ang hinahanap ko na lang yung tutulong sa akin para mag-publish nito. Well, you know if people love what you're cooking sa TV, might as well come out with a cookbook, di ba?"
Balak rin ni Rosebud this year na magtayo ng sarili niyang cooking school na magtuturo ng short courses para sa sinumang gustong matutong magluto.
Isa sa mga kaabang-abang sa fifth season ng Quickfire ay ang reunion ni Rosebud sa mga kaibigan niya at dating kasama sa Q-11's former cooking show na Katoque. Makakasama nga ni Rosebud sa ilang episodes sina Chefs Jonah Trinidad, Mitchie Sison, Jeremy Fabia at Niño Logarta (na host din ng another cooking show ng Q-11, ang Daddylicious), para mag-prepare ng barkada foods at thirst quenchers na perfect for summer.
Ang iba pang celebrity guests na itatampok sa season 5 ay sina Christine Jacob Sandejas, Lani Mercado, Jackie Lou Blanco, Katrina Halili, Julia Clarete, John Lapus, Stef Prescott, Brent Javier, Arci Muñoz at marami pang iba.
Celebrate with Quickfire and learn more ten-minute kitchen wonders on its new season at these times: Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays (10:35-10:45am, 11:50am-12:00nn, 6:00-6:10pm, and 7:15-7:25pm); Wednesdays and Thursdays (10:35-10:45am, 11:50am-12:00nn, 5:50-6:00pm, 7:00-7:10pm); Saturdays (8:00-8:10pm); and Sundays (11:50am-12:00nn, 9:00-9:10pm) only on Q Channel 11.
PEP Live