The SEACAST Menu

CEBU, Philippines - Cooking away from the books was what could have toppled 16 competitors of the Team SEACAST during the recent Visayas leg of the Umami Cooking Challenge sponsored by Ajinomoto Philippines Corporation.

Mr. Cristian "Xian" Repunte, director of the Seafarer Catering and Stewarding Course (SEACAST) of the University of Cebu-Maritime Education Training Center, herded the students to the culinary tilt with such a scrumptious motivation that "discovery cooking" wins overall!

Repunte shared that he mentors his students to conduct broader research to be able to come up with a better dish, every time, out of existing dishes. "I always encourage them not to give me just plating, and not to give me stuff I've already tasted, because there is always something new out of the 10 to 15 recipes available," he said prior to a food-tasting activity. This was to experience and appreciate the savory dishes that proclaimed Team SEACAST as "Overall Champion" in the said cooking competition.

As always, the students came up with food that's very good!

Best example is the Squash Me Baby creation of student Jose Martin Acha. Plain sampling would be “one motion to squash” because the dish does not only perk the palate, it entices you to engage!

It's a very healthy dish - broccoli, button mushrooms, mashed squash, with malunggay leaves as garnishing. It has the right amount of salt in it.

Meanwhile, student Jessie Elwin Ty served Fish de Frutta. The presentation alone is very delectable. Blended mango fruit in three tablespoons of mayonnaise did the magic to upgrade the taste of cream dory fillet with aubergine, topped with basil leaves.

Another interesting SEACAST menu is Beef Hot Pot with Lemon-Rosemary Sauce. It is not the usual topping placed on steamed rice. The rice was cooked along with the beef and fried asparagus so the natural taste seeped all the way down to the bottom of the pot and to the last grain of rice.

Amazingly, fried rice took a detour when served with finely sliced carrots.

The students also concocted Tequila Sunrise to demonstrate their versatility through bartending. (FREEMAN)