About two years ago I had the chance to feel like a chef in one of the awesome Culinary schools in Cebu: AICA. Last year (so yeah this is a very very late post), I had the chance to experience it again. Dressed in the green apron of the school, we cooked some pretty cool dishes.

AICA or Academy for International Culinary Arts, is a culinary school located in The Gallery somewhere in Mabolo. They have a gourmet restaurant just below the school called “The Corner Table” where the best skills of the budding chefs are put to the test. Johann has always been so generous as to keep inviting us to enjoy the experience of creating culinary delights. While last year Chef Joe Mike took the lead along with Chef Dominique and Chef Marlene, this year we had the honor of having Chef Vance Borja guide the group.

And so with the little knowledge we bloggers had of cooking, we took over the kitchen and started creating stuff which we hope would pass for food.

For our first dish we had to make some sort of shrimp cocktail. We started off by doing all sanitation procedures consistently practiced in the school kitchen. Then off we went chopping our shrimps or removing that black thing from its dorsal area. After we cleaned up our shrimps Chef Vance started giving a small lecture about blanching shrimps and how delicate it is as it has a tendency to overcooked in the process.

 

So in goes the shrimp into the nice boiling water and when Chef Vance pulls it out, all orange yummy. Since it was dipped into the right temperature you could already take a bite out of it but of course it wasn’t done yet.

After adding a few stuff into glass and some fresh greens… Voila! The delicious starter: Shrimp Cocktail something something (gaah, I knew I should have taken notes of the name of the food).

Once we saw the final outcome everyone was just clamoring and enthusiastic to come up with their finished product. For one day the bloggers became chefs. This batch was even a lot more serious compared to last year’s batch. They were ever so eager to come up with some serious dishes.

 

After the whole entree creation, we then headed to our main course dish: Fettucini with white pasta and meat 😀 (okay I’m sorry but I’m just really making my own names now)

Grabbing from the fresh supply laid out, we then headed to our assigned chopping boards and started chopping away the important stuff needed to make the dish. Best thing was we had so much fun. Cooking isn’t just about making food, it’s about putting your heart into it.

Not only did we get to chop things but we actually go to cook stuff. I’m damn proud to say that the school did not have to pull out any extinguisher that day or call the fire department. All turned out okay with me and the stove.

Pouring in the cream with some pepper, beef, salt.. oh and erhm.. stuff that we were told to add, we came up with the white sauce for the Pasta dish.

This was probably my favorite creation during that cooking party. Even if I can’t remember the name I remember bringing some back home and not sharing at all. Okay, I was being greedy, but it was so damn good. Can you make a name for the dish? Here’s the finished product:

Of course the best part of it all was we got to eat what we cooked. Can you imagine the torture chefs have to have everyday? Cooking something they can only look at and smell, only to be consumed by somebody who didn’t even lift a finger to create it. I admire the discipline of chefs not to devour their creations.

And lastly to end the whole cooking party for the afternoon, Chef Vance taught us the one dessert I was very excited to have a bite for myself. BLUEBERRY CHEESeCAKE (Aha, I remembered the name hehe)

The concoction of cream, butter, vanilla ice cream, cheese, blueberry and graham was delicious! If only if I took notes I probably would know how to make one today.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After everyone had the share of their dishes, the obligatory class picture was taken:

And who could resist having their photos taken with the chefs that made it all possible. 🙂

 

 

If you wish to enroll in this cool school just try to reach them through this number and address:

Awesome time in AICA, hope we can still possibly have a batch 2012 😀