By Samantha Flores |Staff Writer|
Chef Ronald Minezes shares with CSUSB chefs how to cook a different selection of food on campus, Indian cuisines, at the commonsall day Tuesday and Wednesday.
This is the second year that the Global Chef Program has been implemented here on campus. The event was sponsored and presented by Sodexo dining services at the Commons.
“I want to do the best of my job and train the cooks here, so that they can incorporate all the international cuisines in their menu regularly,” said Chef Ronald Minezes.
By teaching the chefs the Indian cuisines, it would provide the students the experience of the Indian culture.
Some students enjoy the new types of foods that are going to be implemented.
“New food makes me happy, it is something different than your usual foods you have every single day,” said student Raquel Bojorquez.
His devotion lies in teaching those interested how to make international dishes, in addition to exposing different cultural foods.
“I wish they would do this every year because it’s such an interesting experience this program provides and its simple to learn the unqiue dishes,” said Executive Chef Tito Calderon.
The different dishes Minezes showed the chefs at the Commons was: Kadhai paneer (a curry dish), Gajar ka halwa (a dessert), Tava fried fish, Patra Ni Macchi (also a type of fish dish), Chop Masala (a rice dish), makhani gravy, and Murgh Malai (a chicken dish).
Most of the main ingredients from India contain a variety of spices and herbs, which according to Minezes are beneficial for one’s health.
In fact, many believe Indian food is spicy or hot because of the spices. Instead, the spices elevate the aroma and taste.
The ingredients used to make these dishes are not found at the local stores, but only at specific stores or order them online where these different spices and herbs would be available.
The inspiration that helped start his career as a chef was his mother.
“She made the best chicken biryani. It’s a combination of meat, spices, herbs, and yogurt/curd, dish,” Minezes said.
His past work includes cruise lines, which have provided him with cultural exposure as well as the opportunity to travel to different countries.
This has allowed him to share his Indian cuisines throughout his travel time on the cruises.
Ten years ago he joined Sodexo, with this year being his eleventh.
Minezes works for the Sodexo in India and is the head of the culinary services there which lead him to work with the CSUSB campus.
He is from the city of Mumbai, India, working in five star restaurants around the city.
Minezes started cooking when he was seven years old. Later on, he went to culinary school in India for three years. His specialty is in Indian cuisine.
During the fall and spring, this program has chefs from other countries come to America as well.
Students have the opportunity to taste different dishes from India, Vietnamese, Malaysian foods, and other countries as well.
“I’d like to go visit other countries and do these types of programs across the Sodexo services, on campuses,” said Minezes.
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