Baked to perfection
July 4, 2004 | 12:00am
I don’t know of any girl who does not have a dream wedding. It is a girl thing to plan a whole wedding scenario – it matters not if it will be an affair witnessed by hundreds or even just 10. A woman will always delight in putting in the littlest details to make this most important day truly her own.
Because I have a sweet tooth, I had always known that I would be very particular about my wedding cake. I had already pretty much figured out who would make my wedding cake long before I had a groom or a set wedding date. This particular chef was part of my wedding wish list. What got me hooked on the chef was a beautiful, delicate-looking fondant cake featured in a bridal magazine about a year before I got engaged. I checked the credits to see who was responsible for that dream of a creation. Heny Sison. I remembered the name because I wasn’t sure whether she was male or female.
True enough I got my wish. When the time came, Richard and I went to see her to discuss our wedding cake. It was one of the breeziest meetings we ever had as far as wedding preparations were concerned. She asked what our motif and preference were in terms of style and flavor and we told her we wanted a fondant cake with stacked layers in powder blue and accents of silver, something chic but grandiose.
She sketched a cake in several layers, with both fresh and edible flowers cascading down, suggesting that it be done in apple walnut instead of chocolate. She even had cake ready for us to taste. Needless to say, it was delicious. And on the day itself, we were blessed with a cake that not only looked good enough to eat, it also tasted great enough to induce a desire for second servings. I do not quite remember what I ate for dinner that night but yes, I remember how good the cake was.
Prior to our wedding, Richard celebrated his birthday. I went to Heny for assistance. I got him a present that I wanted her to hide inside the cake. She concocted a three-tiered blue and yellow creation – the topmost layer of which was the gift in a box, wrapped in protective plastic and then covered completely with fondant.
For Juliana’s baptism, I again turned to Heny’s expertise for the giveaways. I had clipped from an issue of In Style magazine a photo of cookies cut in shapes like booties, rattles, pins – all the darling things a baby needs – and decorated in candy-colored frosting. It was adorable. And I was so happy with what Heny came up with because not only did she deliver a batch that looked even better than the peg, she took it one step further. Heny had wisely anchored the cookies in sticks and had individually wrapped and tucked them in lavander basket containers with five large cookies per basket. She also prepared a baptismal cake with a topping of a crib complete with a little baby.
I lost track of Heny through the years, only reading about her and her work every so often in the papers. It wasn’t until a friend of ours invited us to his graduation from cooking school that I saw her again. Jay Wambangco was going to graduate with five others from the Essential Cooking series of the Heny Sison Cooking School and their culminating activity was a full-course formal spread that they were going to prepare for their selected guests. Of course, being the foodie that I am, I was only too happy to go. Never mind if I was nursing a low fever, good food always makes me happy and I knew I was in for a fun evening. Richard was tied up at work so in his place, I brought one of my brothers.
Once there (the dinner was held at the cooking school), I was pleasantly surprised to see Glenn Remorca who was responsible for my beautiful bridal bouquet and those of my bridal entourage’s. Glenn was part of the graduating class. One look at how the dinner table was decorated and I knew it was Glenn’s touch. The blooms were so beautifully arranged. While waiting for dinner to be served, the guests were drawn to a lush appetizer buffet that had assorted breads (lavoush, sesame bread sticks, dinner rolls, melba toast, rye bread, tapenade, feagtini, cheese torta, assorted fruits and cheeses). This was then followed by soup (carrot with bay scallops and corn salsa), salad (warm potato salad with jamon Serrano in parmesan tuile) and fresh dalandan sherbet. For the main course we enjoyed two kinds: Almond crusted seabass with sautéed wild mushrooms, asparagus spears and asparagus foam and beef tenderloin steak with foie gras and truffle scented brown sauce and white beans. Dessert was chocolate duo and we also had a selection of wine and drinks.
What amazed me was that the students prepared everything from scratch! My favorites that night were the lavoush, the salad, the dessert. I still cannot decide which of the two main courses I liked better. At the end of the meal my plate was completely clean.
It is on my wish list to take the cooking classes Heny offers. If I could cook half as well as her students did, I’d be happy.
I am still bugging Jay to make some more of that yummy lavoush. Their batch (the eighth since the school started) is an interesting mix – there was Aileen Keng who was visiting from Canada and who already had a background in pastry and baking; Marie Lagda, a biologist and professor; Kathy Pagunsan, a stock broker; Henry Tiama, a theater enthusiast; Glenn Remorca, a full time florist and gardener; and Jay Wambangco, an avid athlete who just loves to cook.
One day there will be a graduate from Batch I-don’t-know-what Lucy Gomez, mother and wife. The day that happens will be the day I will be brave enough to ask my friends to eat something I prepared.
Meanwhile, for those who want to work their way towards becoming a professional chef, the Essential Cooking Series of the Heny Sison Culinary School is a 20-day hands-on class that is innovatively designed to teach the basics of cooking and baking. The classes are held on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays for two months. At the helm are chef Jill Sandique (food consultant and stylist, Blue Ribbon Graduate of Peter Kump’s New York Cooking School), chef Jane Paredes (co-owner of Simply Desserts, trained at the Culinary institute of America, Hyde Park, New York, and Peter Kump’s New York Cooking School) and of course, Heny Sison (owner of Heny Sison Cooking School, TV Host of Taste of Life cooking show on IBC 13, cake maker to many celebrated weddings, trained at Culinary Institute of America, Greystone Napa Valley, and Professional Food Styling and Baking, California Culinary Academy.
For inquiries call 4127792. God bless the wonderful chefs for many a time, wonderful moments and happy smiles are woven in between spoonfuls of good food.
Because I have a sweet tooth, I had always known that I would be very particular about my wedding cake. I had already pretty much figured out who would make my wedding cake long before I had a groom or a set wedding date. This particular chef was part of my wedding wish list. What got me hooked on the chef was a beautiful, delicate-looking fondant cake featured in a bridal magazine about a year before I got engaged. I checked the credits to see who was responsible for that dream of a creation. Heny Sison. I remembered the name because I wasn’t sure whether she was male or female.
True enough I got my wish. When the time came, Richard and I went to see her to discuss our wedding cake. It was one of the breeziest meetings we ever had as far as wedding preparations were concerned. She asked what our motif and preference were in terms of style and flavor and we told her we wanted a fondant cake with stacked layers in powder blue and accents of silver, something chic but grandiose.
She sketched a cake in several layers, with both fresh and edible flowers cascading down, suggesting that it be done in apple walnut instead of chocolate. She even had cake ready for us to taste. Needless to say, it was delicious. And on the day itself, we were blessed with a cake that not only looked good enough to eat, it also tasted great enough to induce a desire for second servings. I do not quite remember what I ate for dinner that night but yes, I remember how good the cake was.
Prior to our wedding, Richard celebrated his birthday. I went to Heny for assistance. I got him a present that I wanted her to hide inside the cake. She concocted a three-tiered blue and yellow creation – the topmost layer of which was the gift in a box, wrapped in protective plastic and then covered completely with fondant.
For Juliana’s baptism, I again turned to Heny’s expertise for the giveaways. I had clipped from an issue of In Style magazine a photo of cookies cut in shapes like booties, rattles, pins – all the darling things a baby needs – and decorated in candy-colored frosting. It was adorable. And I was so happy with what Heny came up with because not only did she deliver a batch that looked even better than the peg, she took it one step further. Heny had wisely anchored the cookies in sticks and had individually wrapped and tucked them in lavander basket containers with five large cookies per basket. She also prepared a baptismal cake with a topping of a crib complete with a little baby.
I lost track of Heny through the years, only reading about her and her work every so often in the papers. It wasn’t until a friend of ours invited us to his graduation from cooking school that I saw her again. Jay Wambangco was going to graduate with five others from the Essential Cooking series of the Heny Sison Cooking School and their culminating activity was a full-course formal spread that they were going to prepare for their selected guests. Of course, being the foodie that I am, I was only too happy to go. Never mind if I was nursing a low fever, good food always makes me happy and I knew I was in for a fun evening. Richard was tied up at work so in his place, I brought one of my brothers.
Once there (the dinner was held at the cooking school), I was pleasantly surprised to see Glenn Remorca who was responsible for my beautiful bridal bouquet and those of my bridal entourage’s. Glenn was part of the graduating class. One look at how the dinner table was decorated and I knew it was Glenn’s touch. The blooms were so beautifully arranged. While waiting for dinner to be served, the guests were drawn to a lush appetizer buffet that had assorted breads (lavoush, sesame bread sticks, dinner rolls, melba toast, rye bread, tapenade, feagtini, cheese torta, assorted fruits and cheeses). This was then followed by soup (carrot with bay scallops and corn salsa), salad (warm potato salad with jamon Serrano in parmesan tuile) and fresh dalandan sherbet. For the main course we enjoyed two kinds: Almond crusted seabass with sautéed wild mushrooms, asparagus spears and asparagus foam and beef tenderloin steak with foie gras and truffle scented brown sauce and white beans. Dessert was chocolate duo and we also had a selection of wine and drinks.
What amazed me was that the students prepared everything from scratch! My favorites that night were the lavoush, the salad, the dessert. I still cannot decide which of the two main courses I liked better. At the end of the meal my plate was completely clean.
It is on my wish list to take the cooking classes Heny offers. If I could cook half as well as her students did, I’d be happy.
I am still bugging Jay to make some more of that yummy lavoush. Their batch (the eighth since the school started) is an interesting mix – there was Aileen Keng who was visiting from Canada and who already had a background in pastry and baking; Marie Lagda, a biologist and professor; Kathy Pagunsan, a stock broker; Henry Tiama, a theater enthusiast; Glenn Remorca, a full time florist and gardener; and Jay Wambangco, an avid athlete who just loves to cook.
One day there will be a graduate from Batch I-don’t-know-what Lucy Gomez, mother and wife. The day that happens will be the day I will be brave enough to ask my friends to eat something I prepared.
Meanwhile, for those who want to work their way towards becoming a professional chef, the Essential Cooking Series of the Heny Sison Culinary School is a 20-day hands-on class that is innovatively designed to teach the basics of cooking and baking. The classes are held on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays for two months. At the helm are chef Jill Sandique (food consultant and stylist, Blue Ribbon Graduate of Peter Kump’s New York Cooking School), chef Jane Paredes (co-owner of Simply Desserts, trained at the Culinary institute of America, Hyde Park, New York, and Peter Kump’s New York Cooking School) and of course, Heny Sison (owner of Heny Sison Cooking School, TV Host of Taste of Life cooking show on IBC 13, cake maker to many celebrated weddings, trained at Culinary Institute of America, Greystone Napa Valley, and Professional Food Styling and Baking, California Culinary Academy.
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