Capitol holds first cook fest

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO — The Pampanga Provincial Government recently held the first “Ligligang Kalutung Kapampangan” (Kapampangan Cook Fest) participated in by various colleges in the province.

Provincial Administrator Andres Pangilinan said the event, which was held as part of the province’s 439th founding anniversary, aimed to promote public appreciation and preservation of our culinary heritage as Kapampangans.

“We are distinctly known for our culinary expertise,” he said, adding that Pampango dishes are constant best-sellers in malls and restaurants in Metro Manila.

Pampanga has established its benchmark for being the culinary capital of the Philippines, in addition to its earlier title as the Christmas capital of the country, said Arwin Paul Lingat, focal person of the Arts, Culture and Tourism Office of Pampanga (Actop).

Lingat said Governor Lilia Pineda envisions the promotion of the best of Kapampangan cuisine and has given her all-out support and commitment to ensure that the first cook fest will be successful.

With Provincial Board Member Tarcicio Halili as the chair of this year’s event, the cook fest was a joint collaboration of the Angeles University Foundation (AUF), Holy Angel University (HAU), University of the Assumption (UA) and Lord Francis Musni of the Center for Kapampangan Studies.

Officers and staff of Actop provided technical and secretariat services.

Lingat said that hotel and restaurant management (HRM) students from four participating colleges in the province vied in the event, which had three main categories – amuse bouche or appetizer, main course and dessert.

The participants prepared and presented innovative appetizers, dishes and desserts with distinguished features and characteristics particular to Kapampangan cuisine.

For the amuse bouche category, Mabalacat Colleges won the first place; St. Mary’s Angels of Pampanga, second place; and Systems Plus College Foundation, third place.

Prepared dishes for the main course were rellenong manok, chicken with ginataang labong, piniñahang manok with togue and ubod and lenguang binalut quing pandasal with creamy mushroom sauce.

The Systems Plus College Foundation won the first place in this category, with St. Mary’s Angels of Pampanga as second and Mabalacat Colleges as third placer.

The winners were adjudged based on the flavor, texture and cooking method, product quality and composition, correct preparation, professional serving and food presentation, team organization, culinary knowledge and sanitation and safety.

In the dessert category, Mabalacat Colleges emerged as first placer, with St. Mary’s Angels of Pampanga, second; and STI San Fernando, third.

Among the dessert items prepared were “makabalot na buko pandan, tibok-tibok ating saguing, minayumung duman na ating mangga, ale ube de sorbetes, biko bale and biko sushi, rosas de pastilles, chocolate stuffed pepalto and halo-halo.”

Winners in both amuse bouche and dessert categories received cash prizes of P5,000, first place; P3,000, second place; and P2,000 for third place.

For the main course category, the winners got P7,000, P5,000 and P3,000 for first, second and third place, respectively.

Lingat said the one-day cook fest was facilitated by Dr. Cecilia Park, HRM department chair of AUF, Bernadette Aguas of HAU with the technical expertise of the board of judges composed of Chef Heinz Pelayo, Harold Aquino, both from AUF; the provincial administrator and Provincial Librarian Bessie Makabali.

“We hope that the cook fest would find its niche in the history of our Pampanga Day celebration even as we look forward to the holding of an even bigger related activity in the coming years,” Lingat said. (PR)

source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/pampanga/local-news/capitol-holds-first-cook-fest

Clark Wine Center was built in 2003 by Hong Kong-based Yats International Leisure Philippines to become the largest wine shop in Philippines supplying Asia’s wine lovers with fine vintage wines at attractive prices.  Today, this wine shop in Clark Philippines offers over 2000 selections of fine wines from all major wine regions in the world.  As a leading wine supplier in Philippines, Pampanga’s Clark Wine Center offers an incomparable breadth of vintages, wines from back vintages spanning over 50 years.  Clark Wine Center is located in Pampanga Clark Freeport Zone adjacent to Angeles City, just 25 minutes from Subic and 45 minutes from Manila.

Wines from Burgundy, Bordeaux, Rhone, Loire, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Austria, Alsace, USA, Australia, New Zealand, Italy, South Africa, Chile and Argentina etc. are well represented in this Clark Wine Shop.

For more information, email Wine@Yats-International.com or visit http://www.ClarkWineCenter.com

Getting to this wine shop in Pampanga Angeles City Clark Freeport Zone Philippines from Manila

Getting to the Clark Wine Center wine shop from Manila is quite simple:  after entering Clark Freeport from Dau and Angeles City, proceed straight along the main highway M A Roxas. Clark Wine Center is the stand-along white building on the right, at the corner A Bonifacio Ave.  From the Clark International Airport DMIA, ask the taxi to drive towards the entrance of Clark going to Angeles City.  From Mimosa, just proceed towards the exit of Clark and this wine shop is on the opposite side of the main road M A Roxas.