“Comando Salvapapas”: how to get out of a culinary emergency with imagination and humor
Potato Saver Command is a cooking program that mixes fiction and reality and can be seen today for free on the screen of the university channel UN3, which belongs to the National University of Tres de Febrero. We have as protagonists the actor and director Manuel Garcia Migani and to me, Sebastian Flowersas a cook
The series was born from the idea of making a program that was fun and relaxed, in which different situations that people find themselves in the kitchen were solved, such as solving the daily meal, a special occasion or when there is a limitation , either due to time or lack of product. Always with the idea of teaching recipes and tips that were useful and simple and making people want to cook, demystify cooking and show that with a little time and energy one can eat much better and with more variety on a daily basis. The proposal is to take a little time in the middle of the current maelstrom.
In each chapter there is no lack of an introduction in which we, Manu Y sebas, we are in some particular situation when someone calls them to be rescued, and a recipe that is defined once we are already in the house of the person in question. After inspecting the ingredients available, I determine the recipe. While we work I am giving tips on easy, rich and nutritious cooking. We prioritize and propose recipes with local and seasonal products, but giving alternatives to replace them with others that are at hand. During recipe development, both Manu as the rescued person they help in the preparation of the menu, and it is Manu who carries the toolbox that contains essential elements for cooking and the facilitator of such elements whenever I need them.
Several entrepreneurs from Mendoza have supported us for the program (LALALI Cerámica, Ojo Idiota Wines, Aceites Maguay, Bröd BaKery, among others) and from the second season we have the support of the channel Irrigation ditch de Mendoza (also co-producer). Now we have the support of a channel that is a reference in the world for its short series, the channel UN3 from Buenos Aires, which has added us to its screen where anyone can watch seasons 1 and 2 for free. We are very happy and grateful for all the people who trusted. And… right now we are working on the third season, which is loaded with cute things.
During the filming of the first seasons we compiled a series of anecdotes, in one of them, when we were going to film one of the episodes in which sebas Y Manu they rescue themselves, the command van left us in the middle of the road and we had to change location and record in the place where it left us… which was in the middle of nowhere.
Another anecdote that will remain in the memory was when, in the middle of filming outdoors, the sound engineer was attacked by a wasp that stung him in the face. Luckily, and thanks to the fact that our sound engineer took it over, we were able to continue filming!
As a cook I am very used to cooking all kinds of products. My favorites are vegetables, which I prepare mainly roasted, sautéed, boiled, canned and steamed. I think that cooking is very simple, you just have to be encouraged. Maybe it goes wrong the first time, but it’s just a matter of practice.
In the program we seek that with what the person has available, we make a dish to savor and that homemade food is not something monotonous and boring. For example, a dish like a simple omelette can become something new if we seek it out to combine the ingredients well and prepare it with technique. I mean, an omelette can be made with potatoes, but it can also be made with potatoes and chorizo, or replace the potato with sweet potato and put some cheese that we had in the fridge and some beet greens (which we were going to throw away). Or we have some olives and a jar of artichoke hearts in oil and some ham. The variants for each dish can be endless. And to accompany the tortilla, we toasted some slices of bread and spread them with butter or olive oil, and cut some tomatoes that we put oregano, coarse salt, a splash of olive oil and a few drops of vinegar. And that’s it!
Then we can talk about the survival guide. I mean, what things you can’t help but have in your pantry: noodles, rice (of different kinds), legumes (quick-cooking ones like Turkish lentils, mung beans, etc.), polenta, olive oil, spices (the you prefer), vinegar, preserves (these always save your life in emergencies), mustard, mayonnaise, soy sauce, etc.
My cuisine is simple, but I seek to highlight the best of each product. I have been lucky enough to be part of the team of very good restaurants and I have been able to travel thanks to cooking. Now I am dedicating myself to the bakery with sourdough. And well, I ventured into acting, where I pour everything I know into the program, hoping that it will serve as a help and entertainment guide for those who watch it on UN3.
