"Chef Jay” Cabatingan defines the American dream

“Chef Jay” Cabatingan defines the American dream

American citizenship comes to Notre Dame Schools ‘Top Chef’

They say that good food comes from good family. The culinary team from AVI Fresh, Inc. that fulfills the food service and hospitality for Notre Dame Elementary School and Notre DameCathedral Latin embedded into the “Lion family” right away. Led by Resident Chef Jay Cabatingan, the AVI team has been part of the school community since 2019. “Chef Jay” was quickly taken by the family feel of campus. “The NDCL students and faculty are so friendly and honest. That means so much to me. One time a student came to our register and said he forgot to pay for his meal. That integrity is so important, and inspiring in young people.” Cabatingan had quite a momentous 2021. In July he and his wife Megan welcomed their second child, Camile. She joined big brother Carlos at the family’s home in Madison. Then in December he passed the citizenship exam with the Oath of Allegiance occurring in January, 2022. To celebrate him and his achievement, the entire NDCL student and faculty gave him a communal blessing during the all-school Mass on the feast day of the United States of America on December 8th—the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. “That was such a special moment for me”, he says. “To see the entire school pray in celebration of my citizenship means so much to me. The opportunity in America is endless. They say ‘America is the land of the free’, and it really is. I tell my son that with a strong work ethic, you can do anything you set out to do.” A native of the Philippines, Cabatingan was inspired by his grandmother to love cooking. A home economics teacher, she always found her grandson by her side at the stove.

“Grandma would be proud of the path I’ve taken and knowing that she inspired me to do this,” he says. “I get to play an important part in these students’ daily lives, and it is their favorite time of the day!”

Chef Jay Cabatingan

AVI Staff inspired each day

Cabatingan is blessed with an incredible staff of men and women who come to campus each day knowing they get to do what they love in a place they’ve all come to call home. The staff of 7 all use the same words to describe “Chef Jay”— dedicated, compassionate, relaxed. Manny Grande convinced Cabatingan to go for the citizenship exam. “He was nervous to take the test, but I told him he could do it,” he says. “Jay takes a lot of pride in both his work and his citizenship. I’ve been a citizen for 10 years now and I wanted Jay to feel that same way about this country.”

From left to right: Cheryl Lane, Dorothy Rus (rear), Beverly Diggins, Nancy Salem, Mark Talley, Sandy Rudyk, and Manny Grande.

Nancy Salem and Cheryl Lane describe themselves as “school moms” as they’ve gotten to know the students over the years. It’s very normal for students to talk with the AVI stuff about music, food, and even how their day is going. “We take care of them”, Nancy says. “We’ll make them ginger tea if they’re not feeling well. At Christmas time 5 recent graduates stopped by and gave us hugs. That means so much to us. It makes us feel part of this school family just like the teachers, the parents, and everyone else.”

The AVI team knows that the food is the star of the show. Each member of the team wanted to share a favorite recipe of theirs with the Notre Dame Schools community: Pineapple Zucchini Bread Recipe from Beverly Diggins Makes 1 loaf or 10 small loafs

Vampi -Recipe from Dorothy Rus Ingredients 5 quarts cold water 2 pounds honeycomb beef tripe 1/2 cup white vinegar 2 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 bay leaf 1 tablespoon olive oil 4 ounces pancetta bacon, diced 1 onion, diced 6 cloves garlic, minced 3 cups marinara sauce 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes 1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained 1 bunch fresh mint leaves, chopped salt and ground black pepper to taste 1/4 cup freshly grated ParmigianoReggiano cheese, or to taste Ingredients: 1 cup sugar 1/2 cup light olive oil 2 large eggs 1.5 cups all purpose flour 1.5t baking soda .5t baking powder .5t salt 2t Vanilla .5t cinnamon .5t ginger or gingerbread spice 1 cup shredded zucchini .5 cup drained crushed pineapple Beat Sugar, oil, add eggs until blended. Combine flour, soda, baking soda, salt cinnamon, ginger, mix well. Add Dry to wet, do not over mix. Stir in zucchini and pinapple, vanilla, pour. Bake 50-60 mins. Test with wooden Skewer or toothpick make sure it comes out dry. Cool on wire rack.

Combine water, tripe, vinegar, salt, vanilla, and bay leaf in a large stockpot over high heat. Bring to a boil and skim off any foam that accumulates. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover pot, and simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Transfer tripe to a plate and set aside to cool. Reserve 1 to 2 cups of the cooking liquid. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add pancetta and onion; cook and stir until pancetta is browned and onion is translucent, 6 to 7 minutes. Stir garlic into pancetta mixture; cook and stir until aromatic, about 2 minutes. Stir marinara sauce, 1 cup reserved tripe liquid, and red pepper flakes into the pancetta mixture. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes. Cut tripe into 1-inch cubes and add to marinara-pancetta sauce; stir to combine. If needed, add 1 cup of the reserved tripe liquid. Simmer for 30 minutes.Mix garbanzo beans and mint into the sauce. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Sprinkle with Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and serve.

Parmesan Ranch Chicken Recipe from Cheryl Lane Ingredients: 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 1 /2 cup Ranch dressing 1 cup panko bread crumbs 1 /3 cup parmesan cheese, grated 1 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp seasoned salt 1 /4 tsp pepper cooking spray 1. Preheat oven to 425°F. 2. Pound chicken breasts to an even thickness. Combine bread crumbs, parmesan, garlic powder, seasoned salt and pepper on plate. 3. Dip chicken in ranch (or marinate over night) and then coat in bread crumbs. Place on baking sheet. Sprinkle with additional parmesan cheese (if desired) and spray with cooking spray.

Paella Recipe Recipe from Jay Cabatingan

Ingredients: 1/4 cup Extra virgin olive Oil 1 Onion , diced 1 bell pepper , diced 4 cloves Garlic 3 roma tomatoes , very finely diced Bay leaf 1 teaspoon paprika , sweet or smoked 1 pinch saffron threads* Salt and pepper ¼ cup white wine 4 boneless , skinless chicken thighs , cut into pieces* ¼ cup flat leaf Parsley chopped, divided 2 cups Spanish Rice* 5 cups Chicken Broth* 1/2 cup frozen peas ½ lb Jumbo Shrimp 1/2 lb Mussels 8 oz calamari rings Lemons , for garnish

Add olive oil to a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, bell peppers and garlic and cook until onion is translucent. Add chopped tomato, bay leaf, paprika, saffron salt and pepper. Add white wine and cook for 10 minutes. Add chicken pieces, 2 tablespoons chopped parsley and rice to the pot. Pour the broth slowly all around the pan and jiggle the pan to get the rice into an even layer. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low. Give the pan a gentle shake back and forth just once or twice during cooking. (We don't ever stir the rice, so that a crispy crust forms at the bottom, called a socarrat). Cook for about 15-18 minutes (uncovered), then nestle the shrimp, mussels and calamari into the mixture, sprinkle peas on top and continue to cook (without stirring) for about 5 more minutes. Watch for most of the liquid to be absorbed and the rice at the top nearly tender. Remove pan from heat and cover pan with a lid or tinfoil. Place a kitchen towel over the lid and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Garnish with fresh parsley and lemon slices. Serve.

Buffalo Chicken Dip Recipe from Mark Talley

Ingredients: 2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, cut into chunks 4 cups shredded cooked chicken 1 cup Frank's RedHot® Original Cayenne Pepper Hot Sauce 1 cup ranch dressing 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese, divided 2 tablespoons chopped green onions Blue cheese crumbles (optional) Place cream cheese in slow cooker. Top with chicken, Frank’s RedHot, ranch dressing and 1/2 cup of the Cheddar cheese. Cover. COOK on HIGH 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until heated through. Stir until well-mixed; top with remaining 1/2 cup cheese and sprinkle with green onions. Cover. Cook 15 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Serve sprinkled with blue cheese crumbles, if desired.