Chefs on Parade 2013: Modern Contemporary Filipino Cuisine 3-course set menu entry of St Therese MTC College Iloilo City

Can I tempt you with this roulade of beef caldereta with embutido stuffing? Chef Miner del Mundo actually did that to me two Saturdays ago when I showed up at La Fiesta Hotel for a culminating activity of his culinary team from St. Therese MTC College. They were preparing for the biennial Chefs on Parade competition which will took place a week (from then) and I had the gastronomic pleasure of having to sample three sets of their contest "pieces" totalling 11 dishes.

This Modern Contemporary Filipino Cuisine set is described as A modern family style presentation of contemporary Filipino cuisine that combines the chosen main ingredient with other local ingredients. Live cooking of a three-course set menu of three (3) portions each consisting of one (1) appetizer, one (1) main dish and one (1) dessert served family style. (Read More).

For this the team's appetizer was Seafood longganiza with Visayan Adobado sauce (atchuete-coocnut cream and native vinegar) with turnip and cucumber salad on bago-ong dressing. Prawns, pan grilled squid inasal, kalkag grouper and green mango kinilaw, coconut creme

Ilonggo cooking and ingredients have greatly influenced this entry as seen with the use of adobado sauce, kalkag and inasal cooking technique - which are very common anywhere in the region. But I almost have totally forgot everything the moment I had the seafood longganisa.

It was freshly made (the mixing, seasoning, and finally cooking) right then and there as they were also practicing the live cooking demo which is among the contests they entered. The aroma was so appetizing that I never wasted time tasting it. It was very delicious! I could have eaten 10 pcs if there were that many serve then. The spices and seasoning gave it the familiar longganiza aroma and taste at first bite.Then the texture of chunky shrimps and fish becomes evident and you know its not the usual longganisa you've had.

That set up my mood for more food and the the main dish which is a roulade of beef embracing an embotido (filling) then smothered with tick caldereta sauce. For presentation purposes only a minimal amount of the sauce was placed but there was a big extra bowl that I took delight on.

I also loved the side dish it came with, a sort of mashed sweet potato. It was light that it balanced the heavy caldereta making it just a balanced meal. But on its own (sweet potato timbale) it was very good that I finished one serving (and would have asked for more LOL.)

Finally a trio of dessert. Glutinous Rice Skewer on Muscovado Caramel Sauce and Ensaymada Leche Flan Pudding with marinated fruits. While the first two desserts are on teh sweet side the fruits balance the taste buds with some hints of sourness that makes everything tastes sweeter the next bite.

And saving the best for last, I still can't get over the ensaymada leche flan pudding which has "sort of" leche flan base and ensaimada top OR maybe like ensaymada with leche flan "sauce". It's a heavenly yet sinful dessert that even just looking at the photo, you know how sweet and delicious it really is. Its one dessert that would make you confess after eating it but no matter how sinful it maybe, you'd find it a gastronomic pleasure to repeat committing it again.

Note: This set menu of St. Therese MTC College shared the Gold Distinction (with ISCAHM) in the 2013 Chefs on Parade competition held at SMX at the SM Mall of Asia.

Ultimate Ilonggo Favorite: KBL Kadyos, Baboy, Langka

K.B.L. or Kadyos, Baboy, Langka is the ultimate favorite dish of most Ilonggos. It is also one of the most missed native dishes as kadyos and the souring ingredient, batwan , are hard to find when outside of the Ilonggo region. Basically, it is boiled/stewed pork dish owing its "deliciousness" to the combination of the soft and tender pork, the tamed sourness of batwan and the malinamnam na sabaw . One of the "secrets" of the malinamnamn na sabaw , is the fact that the pork, whether just the plain meat or pata (hocks) are first grilled or broiled. This gives the broth a rather smoky taste that makes it more appetizing.. Learn how to make the Ilonggo dish KBL (Kadyos, Baboy, at Langka) with the recipe below. Ingredients 1 kilo Pata (pork hocks) or pork cubes, GRILLED and sliced into bite size pieces 1 unripe Jack fruit, cubed 2 cups pigeon pea (kadyos) 6-8 pieces batwan fruit (or tamarind powder) 1 piece pork broth cube (

An Ilonggo favorite - Valenciana

Found in almost all occasions like fiesta, birthdays, reunions and others, Ilonggos really love valenciana because most if not all have grown accustomed of having it in special gatherings at home. A complete " go, grow and glow " dish because it has the carbohydrates, protein and vitamins and minerals in just one spoonful, Valenciana is really an " occasional dish ". Here's the recipe for Valenciana

Takway

The gabi (taro) is just one of those plants which is edible from "roots to tops". The most popular of which is the tuber part which is used in a variety of dishes and mostly in combination with coconut milk. Its leaves, of course, is the main ingredient of a Bicol specialty, laing . It is dried then chopped and sauteed with other ingredients including, again, coconut milk. Then there is takway . The local term for its tendrils/runner, that part which is torn between being a stem or a root for it neither grows upwards nor downwards - it grows sideways . Scraped off of its outer skin, takway is often a key ingredient in vegetable dishes like laswa and the gabi tuber with coconut milk and local snails know as bago-ngon . It is also popular when cooked adobo style with guinamos , the local bago-ong . It is very popular in the region that even big supermarkets sell takway in style - cleaned and plastic wrapped in styro with some additions to make it easier to prepare.

Batwan

Ilonggos know batwan or batuan by heart as the fruit is almost endemic to the Western Visayas. Its scientific name is Garcinia binucao, derived from the Tagalog name for the fruit, binukaw. It is a large green fruit with large seeds and its a favorite souring ingredient in most Ilonggo dishes especially KBL or kadyos, baboy, langka and the Ilonggo-style paksiw known as "pinamalhan". It is characterized by a tamed sourness compared to tamarind and kamias . The fruit is sold by pieces or kilo in wet markets and even big grocery stores. Batwan is the preferred souring ingredients for the Ilonggo favorite- KBL. The photo shows boiled batwan with skin and without skin (right) A favorite riddle when we were young - "Among the many fruits in the forest, but one (batuan) is the best. What is it?"

A native (foods) welcome in Guimaras

Even after having breakfast less than an hour that time, we couldn't say no to this lot of native delciacies that welcomed us in Guimaras. First and foremost, Guimaras best known produce is their sweet mango famous almost worldwide. And it comes with it's best partner, ibos. This brown baye-baye variety is made from toasted rice thus giving it a more disctinct flavour compared to it's more "caucasian" cousin. I like the one wrapped in banana leaves compared with the one in plastic for it gives it a more native feel. So when you're in Guimaras, be sure to check out the markets for these native delicacies that can make your trip more gastronomically satisfying.

FLAVOURS OF ILOILO

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