Dishes my physician highly recommends

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 Or that’s what I believe since this is “A Relaxing Evening of Spa Cuisine”. Actually, last May 25, it was an evening of food and fresh beverages as upcoming chefs prepared their final culminating dinner, as a requirement to graduate from the International Culinary Arts Academy Cebu (in front of USC- Girls High, Email: [email protected], phone 256-0461, 4182988).

Every year, the theme changes and last year, it was “An Evening of A’ la Carte Service” and some of those exceptional dishes have been registered as brain deposits. And when food memories are registered as an input, it is similar to scratches on granite stone. This year, it is spa cuisine. Spa movement began as a pilgrimage to a town in the Ardennes Mountains where mineral waters abound to drink and bathe. 

In Cebu, we have a version of this movement and I remember my grandfather’s trips to Barili, bringing home jars of  curative waters called tubig sa bulok bulok for skin ailments. It had to be applied externally since the waters had a strong sulfur  content.

Today, spa business is big business. Take a look at the names of large hotels and the word “Spa Resort” attached to it. In an environment of restorative health concerns, new dishes have been developed to eliminate unwanted toxins and deposits and rejuvenate the body to its former state (presuming that the previous state was better!). And when new dishes are cooked, your favorite food writer is not really far behind, tasting all that food and rendering a culinary account for my ever-loyal followers.

Welcome drink was a concoction of juices of several fruits, veggies and herbs. The rest of the beverage menu were all health juices. Ahem, that would taste like “medicine” and I can afford a little indulgence after my physician recently gave me a clean bill of health. I needed a bit of alcohol (honest, just a bit!) to cushion all that incoming delicious food! Natural lang, cheat gamay, and a shot of vodka as an equalizer in that health drink. Fellow cuisine mates Mayen Angbetic Tan and Chef Anders of Waterfront Hotel gave a nod to my suggestion.

There were three appetizers: Roasted potato with ricotta & ossietra caviar, then the Seared scallops with refreshing citrus salad and finally the Fresh Crab ravioli with crab bisque sauce and papaya bread. Whew! That was just for openers so I needed my second dose of vodka-spiked fruit and veggie drink.

I have a bit of difficulty describing these dishes, but I do remember the Crab Cakes with micro greens with tomato vinaigrette (that was perfection!) served the last ICAAC dinner. That was incredibly delicious, although it would be like comparing apples with peaches. I would exchange two servings of the Crab cakes for these three dishes.

Soup was Coconut Lemongrass soup with seared prawn and the first sorbet was a guava sorbet. The smell of the latter triggered memories back half a century ago to that Indian guava tree planted in Lolo Uma’s house in A. Bonifacio St. The fruits were twice my fists, the insides had pink flesh and with such a wonderful smell. They were crunchy and very sweet.

The next two dishes were Mushroom Medley on native water spinach & herbed rosti and the Balinese Steamed Salmon in banana leaf with baby bok choy steamed rice and caramelized shallots. I had an affinity with mushrooms for their earthy flavors. Unfortunately, I have no information on how the residents of Bali, Indonesia, cook their fish. However, pork I know a little since I have a copy of the video of their version of the lechon since this segment of Indonesian society is not Muslim.

The next dish was the Poached US Angus beef tenderloin with roasted cherry tomatoes and a sweet corn and cabbage ragout. I have tried poached fish but never an Angus beef but I do remember the US Angus beef, short ribs with vegetable & potato pave and red wine meat reduction served by the student chefs last year. The beef was great and the potato pave exceptional!

The second sorbet, passion fruit, completed its task and finally the dessert came—a trio of sweet delights—the Ricotta cheesecake with fresh berries, Iced Pineapple & aniseed mousse and Strawberry Yoghurt panna cotta. Take a look at the pretty plate and I wish I could share with you these lovely desserts.

It is always my greatest pleasure to join this annual trek to the final culminating dinner event of these student chefs from the ICAA Cebu. Congratulations to Chef Christian Purisima (double congrats, kay mayor elect pod sa San Ildefonso, Ilocos Sur) and the Dean, Chef Jeremy Young.

If these students can cook what they can today, imagine what they can prepare ten or twenty years from now, when they shall have sharpened their culinary arts and mastered the kitchen. I hope and pray that your favorite food columnist would be around to taste all their wonderful creations and be able to report these to my ever-loyal readers.