Cooking Up a Champion

     Chefs worth their salt always seek to modernize their dishes. They know its importance in order to stay relevant, hip and most importantly, competitive. Before this sports blog gets confused for a food blog, let me get into it now.

     One of the keys to modernizing a dish is to tweak the cooking method. After braising the adobo, you can choose to fry or even grill the meat. Change up the method and you change up textures and taste to improve the dish. As Coach Luigi Trillo stepped in as the Alaska Aces coach, he made it known the Triangle Offense would be back. What he did, though, was tweak it. Same principles but their offensive plays no longer always started at the post. A double high screen here, a cut there, it was clear this wasn't your dad's triangle. Even triangle pioneer Tim Cone admitted, "They're (Aces) doing things we don't do. He (Trillo) has made it into his own."


     The second key to modernizing a dish is to change, add or subtract ingredients. How much will a pork barbecue be improved if you remove the catsup and add more vinegar to the marinade? The 2013 Aces team, on paper, looked a bit like the Grand Slam team of the 90s, but they were nowhere similar. JVee Casio, was no dynamo like Johnny Abarrientos, but he was still the same heady guard with a better 3 point shot. Cyrus Baguio may not have been the 4th quarter lights out shooter Jojo Lastosa was but he had his share of clutch hits. Tony de la Cruz had very little in common with Jeffrey Cariaso on offense, but Tony could play unrelenting D like him. Sonny Thoss is definitely not Poch Juinio; he's taller with better post moves and an outside shot. Import Rob Dozier was a Sean Chambers clone; only much taller and with better free throw and outside shooting. Then, of course, there was Calvin Abueva. Let's just say he will never be mistaken for Bong Hawkins.

     The most important thing about modernizing a dish, though, one most chefs forget, is to take the true soul and spirit of the dish and make sure the modern version has it too.  With Adobo, Sinigang, Pakbet, the recipes may vary, but in each great version, the Filipino spirit of love and family is imbibed in it.  In this Alaska team, the spirit of "We not Me," the team concept where there are no superstars, only a superstar team is still there. The soul in which what truly matters is what stories of glory you can tell your kids and grandkids; not what you can buy them, is never more evident in the Aces than today. Throughout this most dominant of conferences, the Aces lived out that soul and spirit. Every game they won, there would always be a debate on who was the MVP of the team. Even video clips and posters couldn't decide who to feature, so most had 5-6 Aces on them. Even the coaching staff each had their respective assignments too. This Aces team wasn't just a team; they became a singularity.

     As most great dishes go, this 2013 Alaska Aces team's formulation and eventual revelation, was as delicious as the 13 previous dishes served.  While this new dish features tweaked game plans, personalites and rosters, the taste and the spirit is just as great or possibly greater. 

      My compliments to the chef.

photo credits to pba-online.net and interaksyon.com