Philippine culinary team takes on another challenge

The Les Toques Blanches Philippines Culinary Team will be off to Singapore tomorrow to compete in the Food and Hotel Asia Culinary Challenge on April 22-25.  Managing the team are chefs J Gamboa of Cirkulo Restaurant and Fernando Aracama of Embassy Cuisine, while chef Ariel Manuel of Lolo Dad’s Café will be at the helm as team captain. The team includes Virgilio Timola and Anatolio Bleza of Makati Shangri-La Hotel, Arnold Guevarra of Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Amador Mendoza of Manila Pavilion Hotel, and Reno de la Victoria of Waterfront Hotel Cebu. Giving them the much needed helping hand are apprentices Marge Villena of Lolo Dad’s Café, Andy Tabotabo of CCA Manila, Janet Lazaga and Ryan Otmana of Malacañang Palace.

Representing the team for the Valhrona Asian Pastry Cup are James Antolin of CCA Manila, Buddy Trinidad of Park Avenue Desserts and Pauline Diaz-Lagdameo of ISCAHM. Pampango artist Mike Aguas of  MCCA, a multi-awarded metal craft manufacturer, designed and executed the plate elevations and sugar and chocolate molds. To document  their sojourn will be PR and events consultant Nana Nadal.They are backed by the generous support of the Office of the President, Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Werdenberg International Corp, PTC, Sweetlink, Yocera Knives, Chocolate World, Siliconezone, MIDA Foods, Meat and Livestock Australia, PAL, Unilever Food Solutions, Alternatives Foods Corp, Brother’s Burger, San Miguel Pure Foods Great Foods Solutions, Fonterra, Royal Country Marketing, Gourdo’s, Happy Living Fine Wines, Technolux, and Chef Republic Workwear.

Although the same team bagged the Gold and “Best of the Best” trophies in the Hong Kong International Culinary Classic last year, they will go head to head with stiff competition from around the region. Let us all hope they’ll make us proud again this year. Here’s wishing them God speed and all the best.

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‘Anak ng Putschists’

Anvil Publishing, Inc. recently released Pulutan: From the Soldiers’ Kitchen by two Magdalo soldiers Elmer D. Cruz and Emerson R. Rosales. The cookbook is the product of years of collecting various pulutan from fellow Magdalo officers as well as their guards. They gathered these during their Navy duty and learned new recipes from family and friends during their detention for the Oakwood Mutiny in 2003. From these soldiers’ galleys come unusual pulutan made from ordinary and peculiar ingredients. Strange ingredients include woodworms, rice bugs, field mice, beetles, stingrays and sea urchins. Sauces concocted from pig bile and cow and goat intestinal juice are also included in the book.

The authors emphasize the purpose of the book in its introduction: “This book is not a blanket encouragement to get drunk and wasted. Rather, it is a nudge toward gastronomic experiment – to try out some probably heretofore unknown delights while you enjoy your favorite bottle of suds, or your stronger liquor variety.” 

Elmer D. Cruz is a member of the Philippine Military Academy Class 2000 and was the damage control officer of the BRP Datu Marikudo, Patrol Ship 23, in Cavite when the Oakwood incident took place in July 2003. Emerson R. Rosales, also a member of PMA Class 2000, was the damage control officer of the BRP Sultan Kudarat, Patrol Ship 22, in General Santos in July 2003.

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Pulutan: From the Soldiers’ Kitchen is available at all National Book Store and Powerbooks at P225 for book print and P125 for newsprint.