Thursday, August 19, 2004 Magsaysay: What this nut got By Jo Magsaysay Whatever
The second time around was worse than the first when I had my dates mixed up. At least I managed an ambush interview which I wrote about. The second time was maddening: not a soul was in sight, just a security guard who looked at me with pity reserved for cuckoos! I am crazy and relentless and no small thanks to Joanna, a pleasant voice on the telephone, who just as relentlessly called me every single day to remind me about the time and date of the ICAAC dinner.
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So there they were, few familiar faces like Lita Urbina of Café Laguna, Mayen Tan, Raoul Alonso, Chef Nick of Waterfront, Marriot’s Karl Hudson and Dottie Viajar- Wurgler, Polly Wang and, of course, the exquisitely courteous Jeremy Young, not just the chef de cuisine but the chief entrepreneur of the International Culinary Arts Academy Cebu. Off the beaten track, the little-known cooking school has tremendous potential of becoming cordon bleu in the manner of Swiss culinary academies. And why not? Four years of observing and absorbing the skills and arts of cooking at Les Roches culinary academy in Switzerland, Jeremy has imbibed and soaked in enough learning and experience to teach young Cebuano boys and girls the fine art of cooking.
ICAAC has been turning out graduates in the last four years who qualified for high-paying jobs as cooks, waiters, bartenders in several countries abroad and in cruise ships and luxury liners plying the Caribbean and Mediterranean seas. At the recent HRRAC demo and competition, the student team of ICAAC swept the top awards in all categories.
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A revalida of sorts, a revaluation of their know-how after two years training ,…an additional two years plus practicum and apprenticeship completes the course…the students, Gerard Albor, Sherryl Bañas, Michelle Mangubat, Marie Joy Mangubat, Karl John Noel, Carlo Marcelo Sainz, John Paul Siega, Jade Tankiatsy, Elton Uy and Paul Sidney Uy sent out invitations for their final culminating event, an evening of Basic Guéridon Service at the ICAAC Salle a Manger, the training restaurant, a real operational and fully-functional resto for guests to dine and experience different types of classical service.
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The Guéridon Service was chosen that night, where students employed a service table or trolley for the preparation of food in plain sight of the dining guests although space limitations prevented the carving, filleting, flaming of most of the food in the menu. For starters, we had cocktails, Karl H. favoring a margarita- that Mexican concoction of tequila and lime juice served in a salt-rimmed glass. For old times sake, I chose a frozen daiquiri, something with rum and lemon juice shaken, crushed and frozen into crystalline ice which I first enjoyed eons ago at the Manila Hotel with Totong Roces of the Manila Times family, Ike Joaquin of Far Eastern University (FEU), kid brother to the national artist Nick and Nena Macadeag Casals, my once-upon-a-time best friend and top law student of FEU. It was wonderful! The cold hors d’ oeuvres, a Caesar salad featuring a dressing of raw egg yolks, olive oil, garlic salt and pepper prepared a trifle warily by Sidney, the good-looking student waiter at our table under the scrutiny of Karl, Polly, Dottie and me who pronounced it very good after a dribble more vinegar and a dash more of ground pepper. I thought my choice of citrus-cured Norwegian salmon in a passion fruit vinaigrette was perfect! The hot hors d’ oeuvres offered creme de tomate au Basilic which Karl sipped with great relish while Dottie (she’s Food and Beverage manager and Karl’s right-hand woman in Marriot) and Polly (Human Resources head also at Marriot) agreed the quiche Lorraine was infinitely better than the soggy, salty whatchamacallit at the…but let’s not make odious comparisons. While Polly chose the supreme de volaille avec sauce de champignons and Karl savored the beef tenderloin Filet de Beouf Grillee avec sauce de champignons which his cultivated taste buds told him was Angus beef. Dottie and I had Carre d’ Agnear Dialle was mirabille dictu superb! Lamb from New Zealand, tender medium-rare roast soaked in lamb jus…the classic crème brulee with fresh strawberries was the favorite for dessert, although Karl had to make a French leave to dash off to another party, birthday bash of Philip Rodriguez.
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See what I got from being a persistent nut?
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