This Was Jettee's Kitchen (2010-2013)

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Baking was a hobby when I was a teenager and my fondness for anything dough-like and fluffy was a joy to witness and experience. A good thought even crossed my mind that maybe I wanted to study culinary at Le Roche back in the early 90’s. But business is my family’s core so there I went. After college and back in Manila, I never thought that a casual baking day at my Ma’s house in the early 2000's would turn my life around. Jhon encouraged me to start baking as a business. Taking money for pastries that I baked seemed silly and out-of-this-world. Who would buy the goods that I make? Jhon simply said, you are really good, believe it! 

I considered the idea and started using anything that I could utilize in my Ma’s kitchen. I was fortunate that her kitchen was conveniently equipped with trays, bowls, spatulas, baking pans and appliances. Still, I was not completely convinced that I could do this for a living, therefore, I couldn’t muster the courage to formally voice out my chosen path to my Papa. I was about to lead a life independent of my family’s legacy—and I was scared. But I pushed on and forward. On my own with only my chutzpah in tow.

I set forth with my passion project. It started as Gone Bananas! Pastries and Cakes in 2004. It evolved into Jettee's Kitchen Divine Handmade Pastries in 2010 after my journey with our son, Marcus. However, my confidence as a baker was half-baked, pun intended. I needed more arsenal to better my craft, and the right set of circumstances to study classical patisserie at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris in 2014 couldn’t have come at a better time. Formally studying pastry does not automatically make you a pastry chef, but it teaches you how to be a professional. Armed with professional technique, the discipline, knowledge and expertise in classical pastry—and the creativity that opened up after formally learning the craft—was what I needed to reaffirm my chosen path. It is not easy to veer away from the herd and choose a path of your own. I am fortunate that I have Jhon, who encouraged me along the way. 

Looking back, how did you get to the path you are now leading?

“You had to take risks, follow some paths and abandon others. No one can make a choice without feeling afraid.” - Paulo Coelho

Posted originally on my Instagram, 1 May 2019.