Alexandra Schulze

A Day in the Life of a New York-based chef: Pilar Valdes

Article (news)

ABS-CBN Lifestyle

<p>In this series by ABS-CBN Lifestyle, readers get a glimpse into the everyday lives of the country&#x27;s most fascinating creatives from multiple industries. Much as they&#x27;re often put on pedestals and applauded for their mind-blowing work that sets them apart, it&#x27;s just as interesting to see how they go about their workaday worlds without the rose-colored glasses. Because really, in the end, these talented individuals are regular humans too...just like us.  </p><div><br/></div><div><strong>A Day in the Life of a New York-based chef: Pilar Valdes</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>3:30AM</p><p>I am decidedly a morning person. The birds in my head start to sing and I bound out of bed full of energy and possibility. I am not light-footed. A groan from the other side of the bed reminds me that my husband is decidedly not a morning person and probably wants to smother me with a pillowcase. I tiptoe a quick exit. </p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1766766824267330 AM.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner">Straight to the coffee nook at 3:30AM. <em>Image courtesy of Pilar Valdes</em></span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>I make myself some instant coffee with a splash of whole milk, since I don’t want to wake Gabe up by grinding beans. I grew up on instant coffee (hello, Nescafe!) so it really doesn’t bother me.</p><p>I grab the green juice and hard boiled egg from the fridge made by Gabe the night before. I set the egg on the counter to give it a few minutes to work off its chill and dutifully down the green juice. I hate green juice, but I’m trying to keep up with Gabe who makes better health choices than me. </p><p>When I’m on vacation in Manila, breakfast is always garlic rice, fried egg, and either tinapa or tapa doused in spicy suka. And a cornucopia of tropical fruit in season—mangoes, atis, magosteen. As I stir my green juice I dream about the next time I get to eat that. But alas, not today. </p><div><br/></div><p>4:00AM</p><p>I sit at my laptop and go over my to-do’s for the day. As a freelancer, no two days look the same, and this little bit of time allows me to center on the tasks at hand. I do a quick scan of the news and balance the impending feeling of doom by reading my horoscope. </p><p>This is also the perfect time for me to fire off any emails that need responding. I’ve recently learned that it stresses people out to see emails sent with a time stamp of 4:17AM, so I’ve been trying to remember to do scheduled send instead. But I usually forget and just hit send. Old dog not learning new tricks.</p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:535px;display:block" width="535"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1766406367380400 AM.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:535px" width="535"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:center">Ethel Roo the cookbook editor. <em>Image courtesy of Pilar Valdes </em></span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>4:30AM</p><p>I am working on my first solo cookbook and take advantage of the quiet time to get an hour or so of writing in before the rest of my workday begins. At this point our cat, Ethel Roo, will saunter in. She likes to make sure my work is up to snuff, and that I am heating up her breakfast properly. She is my most demanding client.</p><div><br/></div><p>6:45AM</p><p>Switching gears. I pull up my chat areas for my segment on The Drew Barrymore Show. I’ve been a regular, on-air culinary contributor since Season 1 (we’re at Season 6 now!), and I still get the jitters. I look through my notes and the general shape of how they want the segment to go. I like to be prepared and on the fly responses are not my strong suit. Before I leave for the studio, Gabe, bless him, will run lines with me to help calm the nerves. He suggests we try to take improv classes next year so I can relax and have fun in the moment 🙂</p><p>Today I’m shooting my regular segment called Pro Tips with Pilar. I get sent out &#x27;into the field&#x27; to interview chefs, hear about their story, and then take one cooking &#x27;pro tip&#x27; to take back to the studio and apply to other recipes. We’ve been doing this segment for a few seasons now and they are some of my favorite ones to do—not only do I get to hang with some of the most talented chefs in the business (and work with the show’s great field crew), I also get to be in the studio as well and share a recipe adaptation. It&#x27;s the best of both worlds.</p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:861px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1766406240260600 AM.png" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner">&#x27;Pro Tips with Pilar&#x27; segment script for the Drew Barrymore Show. <em>Image courtesy of Pilar Valdes</em></span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>9:30AM</p><p>The car picks me up from Brooklyn and I head to the studio in midtown. I try and calm my nerves by scrolling through instagram to look at animal memes and tennis videos.</p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:520px;display:block" width="520"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17664086875221015 AM.jpg" style="width:520px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="520"/><span class="fr-inner">Made it to the &#x27;office&#x27;. <em>Image courtesy of Pilar Valdes</em></span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>10:15AM</p><p>Arrival at the studio! I drop off my stuff in my greenroom and then head to hair and make up. Most days, I’m tied to the kitchen and walk around in a baseball hat, busted sneakers, and probably smell like onions and garlic. But studio days are so fun because I get to dress up and get shellacked. Toni and Joanna are the best hair and makeup team. So grateful for them as I can do neither on my own.</p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/176640678567810_30 AM.jpg" style="width:960px;display:block;height:auto" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner">Hair and makeup before the show! <em>Image courtesy of Pilar Valdes </em></span></span></span></div><p>Usually the segment producer will come and check in with me while I’m in the chair and give any last minute changes they need for the segment. Sometimes they’re adding another person, or switching rundown order around—but today, no changes!</p><div><br/></div><p>11:15AM</p><p>I head downstairs to the studio and check in with the amazing Culinary Team led by Lauren. There’s actually very little continuous cooking that happens on these shows, and the culinary team basically takes the full recipes and breaks it down into major pieces of action so that the segment can flow quickly and reveal a beautiful end dish (TV Magic!). We’ve been told so many times by all the chefs and cookbook authors who come to the show that we’ve got the best culinary team and I couldn’t agree more.</p><p>Lauren and I have worked together since Season 1 and I continue to be in awe of what she does. We walk onto set to make sure I have all the tools and ingredients I need, and make any last minute changes. </p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17664070496161115 AM.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner">Culinary team check-in for today&#x27;s segment. <em>Image courtesy of Pilar Valdes</em> </span></span></span></div><p>Then back upstairs I go to get changed and mic’d up. I usually hang out in my greenroom until right before my segment. I eye the fun snacks they have and try and decide which one will do the least amount of damage to my lipstick. </p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:575px;display:block" width="575"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/176676678036911_45 AM.jpg" style="width:575px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="575"/><span class="fr-inner">Snack stack in the greenroom. <em>Image courtesy of Pilar Valdes </em></span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>12:00PM</p><p>The building begins to shake. Even one floor up, I can hear the music from the studio and the audience cheering to welcome Drew to the set downstairs. Everyone on the show works so hard to put on a great show every day—and there are so so many moving parts. The energy is truly something else.</p><div><br/></div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/176640772773712 PM B.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/></div><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/176640781305512 PM.jpg" style="width:960px;display:block;height:auto" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner">On the electric set of The Drew Barrymore Show. <em>Images courtesy of Pilar Valdes</em></span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>1:15PM</p><p>Segment wrapped and headed back home! (Haha! The segment hasn’t aired yet so no spoilers—so here’s a recent photo of Drew and I wrapping up another segment instead.)</p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17664079290981 15 PM.photo by Ash Bean.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner">Cookbook co-authors sharing our recipe of the day! <em>Image courtesy of Ash Bean</em></span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1766408447983115 PM.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner">Headed home! <em>Image courtesy of Pilar Valdes </em></span></span></span></div><p>2:15PM</p><p>Pit stop at H MART. I have to pick up a few ingredients for sinigang for a project that shoots tomorrow. This was my first time at their Northern Boulevard location and it’s massive compared to the Manhattan ones. I am thrilled—hog heaven. Trying to keep to a tight schedule, but I keep getting distracted by all the different ingredients and options!! I am praying that H MART opens in Brooklyn soon.</p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1766408982604215 PM.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner">Never crying in H Mart.<em> Image courtesy of Pilar Valdes</em></span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>These two photos remind me of my dad—he loves durian and the first sinigang I ever made was a sinigang na panga for him. I get to see my whole family very soon, so I am super excited.</p><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1766762092552230 PM (1).jpg" style="width:326px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:323px;display:block" width="323"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1766762217029230 PM.jpg" style="width:323px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="323"/><span class="fr-inner">Reminders of home. <em>Images courtesy of Pilar Valdes</em></span></span></span></div><p>3:30PM</p><p>Finally home! Gabe has a late lunch on the table. During the week, he handles most of the cooking; I handle the weekend and entertaining. </p><p>I am starving and withholding from having a meltdown. Save for a handful of potato chips shoved into my mouth at the studio, I haven’t eaten since my egg and green juice at 4:30AM. </p><p>He’s made salmon, potatoes and a salad. We always have a discussion about how he cuts his carrots but his potatoes are the best!</p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:552px;display:block" width="552"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1766766504766330 PM.jpg" style="width:552px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="552"/><span class="fr-inner">Kudos to the husband for lunches at home! <em>Image courtesy of Pilar Valdes</em></span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>4:10PM</p><p>Post lunch, we divide and conquer. He’s on dish duty and I receive and put away our grocery order from Farm to People. They’re an online grocer that is sustainability-focused and sourced; most items they carry are made or grown  within 300 miles from NY. Also, the quality is really great. At home, we try to do a combination of Farm to People and our local weekend Farmer’s Market. New York has gotten increasingly expensive and so we’ve been really trying to cook at home more in the last year.</p><p>My kitchen is an explosion at the moment; I have a speed rack shoved in the back for all my recipe development and testing and too much equipment and tools :/ Someday I will have a full kitchen!!</p><div><br/></div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1766766414927430 PM B.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/></div><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1766766727306430 PM.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner">Putting away food haul from sustainable online grocer Farm to People. <em>Images courtesy of Pilar Valdes </em></span></span></span></div><p>Ethel Roo, who we’ve nicknamed Inspector General, is on the prowl again. She checks out the empty grocery bags and makes sure they’re all ready to be put away. </p><p>We are just rounding out our first year with her. To be honest, I didn’t think having a cat was on our bingo card—I’m allergic and I prefer dogs. But this lovely creature has absolutely stolen our hearts. One of the best things about 2025 for sure.</p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:365px;display:block" width="365"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1766762935369430 PM (1).jpg" style="width:365px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="365"/><span class="fr-inner">Inspector General. <em>Image courtesy of Pilar Valdes</em></span></span></span></div><p>6:00PM</p><p>Quick shower and it’s back into the kitchen for me. Our dear friend is coming over for dinner so I’m hustling to put out some pica-pica, and honestly it’s a lot of leftover cheese and charcuterie from a party we had over the weekend. I’m trying to be less conscious and focus on the fact that gathering is the important thing.</p><p>For dinner, I make two quick dishes I’m re-testing from my upcoming cookbook. I find that it’s always good to give the recipes a bit of space and then return to them and cook with fresh eyes (or tastebuds). I breathe a sigh of relief after triple-confirmimg that my recipes still hold up. Delicious. I take notes in my Moleskine notebook. I would rather lose my phone than those notebooks. Quick recipes and ideas scrawled in ink and set in oil; there are so many spices hanging out in the inner spines.</p><p>I am slightly cross-eyed at this point but the best things about having close friends over is that you can pass out on the couch and they will not mind.</p><div><br/></div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17667635518546 PM.jpg" style="width:500px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/></div><div><br/></div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1766763278614700 PM.png" style="width:497px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/></div><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:500px;display:block" width="500"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1766763598915700 PM B.jpg" style="width:500px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="500"/><span class="fr-inner">Cheese, charcuterie, and two revisited recipes for dinner with a dear friend in our home. <em>Images courtesy of Pilar Valdes</em></span></span></span></div><p>6:30PM</p><p>Gabe and I do a quick catch-up on the couch before our friend arrives. He’s in the middle of pre-production for his second feature film, and I’m juggling writing my cookbook so we try and steal little moments wherever we can. We’ve been together for 19 years (!!!) and I am forever grateful for him.</p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1766763984163630 PM.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner">Quality time matters. Cheers to 19 years of togetherness. <em>Image courtesy of Pilar Valdes </em></span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>10:00PM</p><p>Dinner is done and I am definitely passed out on the couch. They wake me up to say goodbye. We take a quick polaroid and add it to our pile. We’ve been doing polaroids for the last few years and it&#x27;s a tactile way to remember the night.</p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:498px;display:block" width="498"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/176676451960710 PM (1).jpg" style="width:498px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="498"/><span class="fr-inner">Polaroids of dinner night through the years. <em>Image courtesy of Pilar Valdes</em></span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>Holiday hugs all around and I blearily make my way upstairs while Gabe walks him out. I find Ethel Roo at the top of the stairs for her final belly rub of the day before I drift off to sleep.</p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:490px;display:block" width="490"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/176676462826510 PM.jpg" style="width:490px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="490"/><span class="fr-inner">Goodnight Cat...and World! <em>Image courtesy of Pilar Valdes</em> </span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>ABOUT THE AUTHOR</p><div><em>Pilar Valdes is a New York-based chef and senior Culinary Contributor on The Drew Barrymore Show, where she regularly shares recipes and cooking expertise. She is the co-founder of catering company Kickshaw Cookery and is currently working on her first solo cookbook.</em></div>

<p>New York-based Filipino chef and author Pilar Valdes shares her packed day of shuttling between being culinary contributor of The Drew Barrymore Show to developing recipes for both her catering company and upcoming solo cookbook. </p>

New York-based Filipino chef and author Pilar Valdes shares her packed day of shuttling between being culinary contributor of The Drew Barrymore Show to developing recipes for both her catering company and upcoming solo cookbook.

Creative Space: A day in the life of chef and author Pilar Valdes

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Creative Space: A day in the life of chef and author Pilar Valdes

ABS-CBN Lifestyle,

Pilar Valdes

Published Dec 27, 2025 09:00 AM PHT

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Updated Dec 27, 2025 09:15 AM PHT

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