Meet Our Featured Artist and Culinary Cutie, Ambar

No Soup For YOU!

Ambar… You are the butter to our bread and the breathe to our NEXT GEN Thursday. Savor in the sweet kitchen smells of the culinary arts with this talented and inspiring story of a 20-something cook-to-be.

She’s riding high from a recent experience in Switzerland, France, Italy, Netherlands, and Germany where she cooked her way into a UNLV program directed by the one and only Dr. Carl Braunlich.

Have you heard of Experimental Cuisine and Mixology? Ambar will tell you because she’s all about the latest trends and culinary technology. In fact, she had the honor to bring chef Nils Norén of the French Culinary Institute in NYC (ahem, Executive Chef for ten years at Aquavit) to her digs in Puerto Rico. (Man, this girl’s got power.)

While finishing her studies at Universidad del Este, Ambar will manage to get to the states to feed us. In fact, if you’re lucky enough to live in Palm Beach, FL, hit up The Breakers resort this January and say you know the line chef. (That’ll be her.)

But sink your teeth into our interview first to get a taste of her sugary sweetness and the energy to follow your sugarplum dreams this holiday season.

How did you get into the culinary arts? I got into cooking when I was a kid with my grandmothers in their kitchens. Well, it really began with an internship in 2009 while I was studying Food and Beverage Administration but there is a whole back-story to how I got into Food and Beverage Administration. As soon as I graduated in 2006, I had no idea what I wanted to study or what college to go to. So after not applying anywhere, I suddenly received an acceptance letter from the University of Puerto Rico (Mrs. Torres who gave me my academic orientation in school sent an application on my behalf) and soon enough I began studying theater and foreign languages. But I wasn’t as happy as I thought I would be because even though I am very passionate about theater and musical theater I felt a bit out of place. So then, I moved on to political science and pre-law and once again, feeling out of place, I dropped out and started working as a waitress/bartender. That was when I discovered I really liked bar tending and from there I decided to talk to my boss about seeing if I could just run the bar.  After he explained to me that I needed to be certified first, I talked with my mother and began looking into places where I could become certified and that is how I came across the International School for Hospitality and Culinary Arts at the Universidad del Este in Carolina, PR. However, before even starting the bar tending certification, I got persuaded into pursuing a BA in Food and Beverage, and that led me to my first internship at a small hotel boutique in Isla Verda.  Because they didn’t have anything available in F&B, the HR director asked me if I would mind doing a couple of hours in the kitchen first. In my desperation to begin, I overlooked the fact that I had never in my life worked in a kitchen at a restaurant and decided to give it a go. After a brief interview with the Executive Chef he said, “Well even though you have no prior experience, I see potential in you. You start tomorrow… Welcome to our kitchen Chef Betancourt”.  At that moment, I turned into another person and I haven’t looked back since. As for learning to become a chef, I never really even knew that being a chef was an option but as soon as I got into that kitchen and started learning everything from classic cuts to cooking techniques and even a new language it just became addictive—Culinary Arts became my drug of choice and I wanted to learn everything about being, running, cooking, and creating in a kitchen.

What inspires you?

Curiosity and new feelings inspire me. I have become a new person. I suddenly have a lot more confidence; I love what I’m doing. It’s refreshing and inspiring in many aspects.

How old are you?

I am 22 years old.

Who are your mentors right now?

Academic mentors: Dr. Evelyn Lugo, Chef Daina Soto, and Dr. Carl Braunlich.

What amazing peeps have you cooked with so far that have made a positive impact on your life?

Chef Nils Norén from New York. He is so knowledgeable and genuine and I love hearing him talk about anything from his likes to new cooking techniques. Chef Urs Schnieiter from Germany and Switzerland is another one. He is so down to earth and real and he not only knows how to bake an amazing cake with kirsch, but he can talk to you about anything from economics and politics to the arts.  And I can’t forget about Chef Israél Calderón, who was the first person to give me a space in the hot line in the kitchen, an area that is still very male dominated. He always seemed to love challenging me and watching me overcome anything he threw at me jajajaja.

What’s your fave meal?

Oh wow, I do love Creole cooking; a nice plate of rice and beans with roasted chicken and tostones (friend plantains) or amarillos (sweet friend plantains), but I also love a nice medium or medium rare petite filet mignon with sautéed mushrooms and a side of creamy Parmesan risotto. (Aw man, now I’m hungry jajajaja.)

Do you watch cooking shows on TV? If so which ones and why?

Oh yes, pretty much most of my TV time has been dedicated to cooking shows or competitions, jajajaja, but some of my favorites right now are Iron Chef, The Next Iron Chef, Top Chef Just Desserts and I still watch re-runs of The French Chef, Chef’s Story, Dinner Impossible, Restaurant Wars, and Good Eat. I’ve really gotten into Hell’s Kitchen lately and recently I even saw a post to audition for the next season and I’m really tempted to try that. Oh, and I absolutely adore Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservation. It’s definitely my favorite!

Where you grew up?

I grew up between Puerto Rico and New York

Where do you see yourself in five years?

I see myself working a kitchen in NYC. It has been in my plans for some time and while doing that I’d like to finish my plans to open my own restaurant in the city.

Awesome, you can cook for us at NEXT GEN. Ambar, do you think that luck has played any part in your cooking career success so far?

Actually, I don’t think luck has been there more than hard work. It’s definitely been uphill so far. There has been no such thing as “smooth sailings” but I have learned a lot about myself in the process, which I think it is of very high value to know who you are and what you want. But I do consider myself lucky to have the family and friends I have.

What has a fan said to you about your cooking that stands out in your mind?

Jajajaja. I’m not sure if I have any fans yet, but people that I have cooked for and worked with have really touched my heart with wonderful kind words regarding the work I have done and what I’m doing.

What is your proudest moment in culinary arts so far?

Getting to travel, study and work while still being part of the Dean’s List and the Honor’s program in my university. It’s a lot of hard work and honestly a place I never thought I would be in, but there is so much satisfaction in achievement no matter how small it may seem to some people.

What is “it” about doing what you do that inspires you?

I can’t identify a specific “it” factor but if I could sum it up, I would say its passion. To me Culinary Arts is so much more than cooking food and eating it; I consider it a sensorial and unique experience where you use your senses, your memory, your feelings and put them in a dish and make someone either really happy because they loved it, reminded them of their childhood, or an important event in their lives, or angry because they simply disliked it or it made them feel pain with the level of heat and spices in the dish- or even fear because they have never tried or dared to try a dish.

Wow, that’s seriously so deep. Way to be. So tell us, who is your biggest fan?

Jjajaja. I’m going to go ahead and bet that it’s my mother. But yeah, family and friends have been my biggest fans so far. By doing something that I love while at the same time making them proud is one of the best feelings in the world.

What do you have to say to aspiring individuals that are looking to be like you?

I don’t know I’m not sure. Jajajaja.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

I love watching movies, listening to music, dancing, reading, writing and of course spending time with family and friends in which I usually end up cooking.

Do you ever want to write a cook book?

I’ve never essentially given it much thought but I’ve always wanted to write. So maybe in 15 years or so I’ll have a cookbook, who knows?

Wow, 15 years is a long time. We’ll be rooting for you the entire way, Ambar. Cook book or none, we’re already craving your creole. And no, it’s not because we can’t cook (Shh, don’t tell anyone) but it’s because we think Amy Adams should move on over. Sorry Julie & Julia, we indulge in your movie every time it’s on, but we’re switching the channel to Ambar & Ambara or whatever you’d like to call yourself. Let the culinary gods sprinkle their good luck flavouring and spices on your passionate hard work to become a chef. Follow your dreams. You make our oven hot with love…

Buen Provecho.