What's cooking at AICA?

Yangchow by Chef Ely and Caroleen:) Photo by Ron Ely Dayan of Hanseon Photography

There is such a thing as art in cooking.  For most people, cooking may just sound like one of the normal house routines that wives and daughters do.  However, today’s society does not just regard cooking as a way of turning raw food to a ‘cooked’ meal. Media has played a significant role on this, as home buddies suddenly become inclined to experimenting different cuisine and cooking techniques that would either promote extra-ordinary taste or healthy cooking choices! 
Our one day experience as a student-chef ---"Chef" Caroleen and "Chef" Ely (at yer service eh:) in AICA taught as many techniques we didn't learn in our own kitchen.

A BIG HEARTY THANKS to Academy for International Culinary Arts and eglobalMD for this free culinary arts session. We had fun preparing our Chinese cuisine with Chef Nicki Zamora and pigging out after! 

what we prepared: 
Pinsec Frito
Yang Chow Fried Rice
Sweet and Sour Pork

Almond Jelly by Chef Nicki Zamora 

i had fun cooking at AICA professional Kitchen, my first time to visit and actually work around in one (with all those sophisticated kitchen equipment, indeed i felt like im a culinary student! ) it was a memorable experience to somebody (like me) who is not good at cooking.LOL. really, Ely is a better cook/photog.

AICA or Academy for International Culinary Arts is one of the leading culinary schools in the Philippines.  they have two big campuses in Pasig City and in Cebu City.  

AICA takes pride in the kind of culinary education they provide---the traditional/ classic culinary education with high hands on policy, complete and functional facilities and kitchen and bar equipment and a roster of experienced professors.
   
Cooking is an art, and like art, people can either be born with it or to a better advantage, be armed with it.  To be armed with it, entails the formal training of classic culinary education.  When we say ‘classic’ it pertains to the traditional yet timely form of technique in food preparation.  According to research, classic culinary education is that of which trains culinary arts students of the two important aspects in food preparation: the native ingredients and the classic French technique.  These two are the major factors that distinctly provide the edge in the whole classic culinary education.  

 In classic culinary education, the native ingredients program is taught in a detailed course.  Some schools do not regard this topic as a main course or program compared to those culinary arts institution that highly features classic culinary education above all.  The native ingredient course exposes the students to the use of indigenous ingredients, spices and herbs that make a certain dish ‘classic’ and sumptuous. It encourages culinary arts students to embrace and be familiar with natural ingredients that the world may have not discovered yet. 

Meanwhile,   classic French technique endows students with the basic and sought-after kind of technique in every professional culinary kitchen in the world.  As an art, culinary technique may be done uniquely by individuals; however, one can never perform a unique approach without having grasp any knowledge on the classic French culinary technique.  Knowledge on this gives a student the edge in which he or she would definitely utilize in the demanding world of culinary arts.  

 Technical cooking preparation techniques and an in-depth knowledge on history of native ingredients use as well as the study and practice of traditional trends in culinary arts are likewise encompassed in the broad study of classic culinary education.  

   Food preparation, when done as a profession, would always require some classic schools of thought.  In cooking, perhaps, this classic culinary education may be deemed as the basis or the base ground that guides every chef in creating a world-class dish; a sumptuous feast that doesn’t just delight a stomach, but feeds the creative mind.

Chef Zamora of AICA (left) Academy for International Culinary Arts in Pasig. www.aicaculinary.com