It took them only less than three weeks to create dishes that would win international awards and recognition for their culinary school and their country.
Interestingly, it was how Philippine representative Maria Arneli Flores gave a modern twist to the traditional Vietnamese spring roll.
A student of the Center for Culinary Arts-Manila, Flores, instead of using lettuce and aromatic leaves in the roll, stirred up the aromatic leaves of mint and basil into a thick pesto sauce and used it as dipping sauce for the spring rolls. She left the spring rolls unwrapped, but filled with pork, prawns, crab meat, wood ear mushrooms and vermicelli noodles.
Flores won silver for her Vietnamese spring roll and other dishes. CCA chef-instructor May Martinez won bronze for her pralines.
Both won in the display category at the 35th World Association of Chef Societies (WACS) World Congress held in Daejeon, South Korea, last May 1-5.
This global culinary competition, endorsed by WACS for the first time in Korea, drew chefs from all over to show off their skills and techniques.
Flores, 25, presented three courses in the Ethnic Asian Meal/Contemporary Korean-Senior Category.
Aside from her appetizer Vietnamese Spring Rolls, Flores presented an entrée (Stuffed Spicy Duck in Orange Sauce with Stir-fried Rice in an Omelette Crepe with Broccoli Fan); and a dessert (Rice Cake stuffed with Purple Yam Filling topped with Sesame Tuile, Vanilla-flavored Red Pearls with Coconut Pandan Sauce).
For main course, she stuffed the duck with sautéed banana blossoms and marinated the meat in ginger, red chili, fish sauce and orange juice. She then seared the duck until golden brown, baked it in the oven and finally braised it in orange marinade.
Instead of serving the stuffed duck with stir-fried rice and omelette on the side, Flores ingeniously whipped up an omelette crepe crammed with stir-fried rice and placed the meat on top.
For dessert, Flores simply highlighted the ube (purple yam) filling in the molded rice cake, instead of the familiar monggo (mung bean) filling.
First time
“It’s my first time to compete in an international culinary competition,” said an ecstatic Flores, who was assisted by CCA scholars Michael Cheng and David Sabouri, both based in Korea. Flores finished Food Technology at the University of Santo Tomas before pursuing culinary arts in CCA-Manila. She is set to graduate in August.
Flores held practices a dozen times before the competition.
“In fact, we had overnight practices,” she added. “I had only three weeks to come up with my entry.”
Flores prepared her dishes on the eve of the competition at the Daejeon Convention Center. She started plating at 6 a.m. till 7:45 a.m., glazing the cooked dishes with aspic, a clear savory jelly used to create a shiny finish for molded dishes.
Still, something went wrong.
“When I was plating, I couldn’t mix the pesto with aspic,” recalled Flores. “It didn’t blend well. It ate so much of my time. I panicked. Good thing, chefs Guia Angkaw and Mira Cruz pushed me and cheered me on. It merged well in the end. I also made sure my plating and presentation were clean and presentable.”
Flores won silver, the highest award in the category. She bested entries from Korea and Taiwan.
Entries were judged according to presentation and innovation, composition, harmony in color and flavor, practical, digestible, clean arrangement with no artificial decorations.
Pralines
In the Petit Fours/Pralines-Senior Category, chef-instructor Martinez impressed the judges with her fabulous pralines—Kona Coffee Caramel Teardrop, Macadamia Curacao Pot, Almond Malibu Globule and Pineapple Kiwi Jelly Bonbons.
The judges apparently liked their appetizing, tasteful and elegant appearance with modern-style preparation.
“It’s a Hawaiian theme,” said Martinez, who was assisted by Christian Vergara. “I chose it because it’s easier to mix and match the ingredients, like nuts and fruits, nuts and chocolates, and nuts and liqueur.”
Martinez got the dishes’ names from their shapes—teardrop, globe and bonbons. She conceptualized her food only two weeks before the event.
She found it a challenge to prop up the globule and teardrop. She also had to color the sweets with edible spray. She filled the white chocolate base with curacao and Malibu almonds. She made pulled sugar to add elegance to the look.
This was Martinez’s first time to join the pralines category.
“I used to work at Sofitel Hotel and was assigned to the chocolate room,” said Martinez, who’s been teaching baking for five years at CCA. “That gave me an inspiration to at least try in the praline category.”
Martinez bested chefs from Korea, Turkey and Thailand.
Moral support
Annie Guerrero, president of Cravings Group of Companies, was delighted to see how the hard work and efforts of CCA chefs and students had paid off. Guerrero was in Korea to give moral support for the competing team.
“I am so happy they won,” she said. “For me, it’s an inspiration to all our chefs and students. We should work hand-in-hand to achieve our goals.”
Badjie Guerrero-Trinidad, chief executive officer of Cravings Group of Companies, sent her message to her winning group.
“We intend to actively participate in international competitions,” Trinidad said. “The motivation we give them is that, win or lose, we are able to fulfill our mission to globalize Filipino cuisine.”
Other competing members of CCA in Korea were chef-instructors Guia Angkaw and Mira Cruz and students John Angeles, Marvin Catalan and Ronald Ico. Also seen giving encouragement to the team were Pilar Herbolario, team manager and CCA registrar; Dr. Veritas Luna, CCA managing director; Anne Palmares, corporate public relations manager; and Angie Blanco, director of Asian School for Hospitality and the Arts. They partnered with CDO, Foodsphere Inc., Tupperware Brands Philippines and Ideal Pasta.
