FOOD Kitchen Series: A Culinary Workshop at Enderun Colleges

Early June, the FOOD Magazine posted an invitation for the Kitchen FOOD Series. I wasn’t able to register for the fist batch, I regret - it was a great event I missed. The following week after that event, they open the pre-registration for the second batch. This is my chance now, I said to myself. I registered immediately and luckily was included. I immediately informed Grace, who also writes on this blog to join. Later, I learned that my cousins Jennifer and Jesselyn signed-up too. The event was totally free, but a pre-registration is required and participants must bring the latest issue (July) of FOOD Magazine which only costs a hundred and twenty pesos, available at all bookstores.

Few days before the event (25th of June), it was raining heavily due to typhoon Falcon so it was rescheduled on the 9th of July. Grace and I arrived at McKinley very early, I was really excited I guess. I am expecting to see unique and specialty dishes from top International Chefs in our country. We decided to go to the nearest McDonalds located inside the Venice Piazza and had brewed coffee and pancakes for breakfast. After that, we went to the venue, the Enderun Colleges and signed the registration. Although we were not yet allowed to go upstairs where the culinary theater is located, we were advised to just wait at the lobby. I didn’t waste my time so I started taking photos inside the college and talking to some participants.

 

 

  
Few minutes later we were advised to go upstairs. There, a platter of mini cakes was prepared for us. Brewed coffee and iced tea to drink. I forgot to ask the name of this delicious mini desserts. Initially, I thought it was sweet. I was still full with the two pcs pancakes I had so I didn’t bother to have one. But Grace started to grab a bite and I was just staring at her. You know how I easily got tempted with sweets but I was really holding back myself. I know I can’t finish a piece of it. But when she started to describe the smoothness, softness of the cake and telling me how sweet and delicious the chocolate on top of it..sorry I can’t help myself, so I stand up and get one. It’s layered with white cream an bread crumbs, I think. My guess it might be another version of Tiramisu?

  
Finally, we were ushered to the culinary theater located at the second floor. Inside, you’ll see a large kitchen table and highly sophisticated machines for cooking and food preparation. It’s very clean and well lighted, suitable for learning. I saw fellow bloggers too like Ms. Ruth, Resly and Jayson aside from Jennifer and Jesselyn, my cousins.

  Thanks Grace for this photo!

  
We were welcomed by FOOD Magazine’s Editor-in-Chief, Ms. Nana Ozaeta. Next, the first chef to do the cooking demonstration was introduced. French Chef Marc Chalopin, the ADF and Enderun’s Executive Chef showed us how to make SHRIMP TARTAT BURGERS

. He started making Sundried Tomatoes followed by Tartar sauce. Chef Chalopin joined Alain Ducasse Formation and Enderun in 2008 to supervise the culinary program in Manila. He controls the quality of instructors and curriculum, teach advanced culinary classes, as well as partner with suppliers to get the best produce, materials and equipment available.

The Shrimp Tartar Burger may look small but I tell you, it’s big and packed with flavors. The sundried tomato and the tartar sauce gives a distinct flavor too, it makes the burger more delicious. It’s been a while since I had my favorite shrimp burger, that day even the small serving satisfied my craving for shrimp burger. I just wished I had more.

    The second dish is an elegant one, so if you are thinking of a special main course, try this recipe at home. The small calamari, octopus, cuttlefish and clams gives a burst of flavor to the dish. For me, the taste is simply perfect. I love the black rice, it reminds me of paella negra but definitely this has a different profile. I love chewing the black rice together with the small calamari.

    I’m a seafood lover so I included this recipe to my list. Honestly, it will be difficult to copy the actual taste but I hope that I might be able to serve it at home. Chef Marc name this recipe, Riso Nero alla Fiorentina (Black Rice with cuttlefish).

    When we finished taking photos of dishes cooked by Chef Marc, the next culinary master was introduced. Chef See Cheong Yan, presented two dishes using FLY ACE products, makers of Dona Elena Olive Oils and Catelli Lasagna sheets. First, he prepared Tomato, Basilica Fish Soup  which he also used for making CANNELLONI. But before that, let’s get to know a few information about Chef Yan. He is the Culinary Head at Enderun Colleges and has over 20 years worth of experience in the field of culinary arts worldwide. In the Phil, Chef Yan has led the kitchen operations of EDSA Shangri-la, Hyatt Regency Manila and Tagaytay Highlands. 

    Chef See calls this recipe CANNELLONI and he uses lasagna sheets instead of tubular shape pasta. After boiling the lasagna sheets, it was dried an filled with squid stuffing. The filling has green and black olives, Dona Elena Flat fillet anchovies which are mix all together. It has an unusual taste, I haven’t tasted a dish like this before. It’s not sweet, for me it has a mixture of bitterness and saltiness on the stuffing.

    We finished the morning with three delightful dishes from Chef Marc and Chef See. Of course, like any other cooking demonstration every participant gets the chance to taste the food. That’s the best part of any cooking event. It was lunch time and we were advised to have our lunch at Restaurant 101 (I will have a separate blog post for Restaurant 101)

    After an awesome lunch, we went back at the culinary theater for the last part of the coking series, demonstration with desserts. Executive Pastry Chef Andreas Gillar showed us how to make our all-time favorite Black Forest Cake.

    Chef Andreas started with making of Chocolate Sponge Cake, chocolate mousse dough, Mouse, Black Cherry Jam and Kirsch cream.

    The Kitchen FOOD Series was a successful event, I saw happy faces as we left the theater room. Imagine a whole day of learning great recipes and watching cooking demonstration by world class International Chefs in a world class culinary school given for FREE. Aside from that, all of us was given special gift pack courtesy of Fly Ace. My gift bag consists of a bottle of Dona Elena Pure Olive Oil, 1 Bottle of Oyster sauce and a box of Catelli lasagna. I didn’t expect to receive a gift pack because we already had a wonderful, wonderful lunch at Restaurant 101 and that’s more than enough.

    It was another journey to culinary arts. My eyes and even my tummy was fed with knowledge and delicious treat that not all of us can experience. Thanks to the FOOD Magazine, Enderun Colleges for this memorable experience.