I've recently attended a 2-day Food Styling Seminar conducted by Chef Anna Limjap Park of Culinary Productions Inc. The culinary module involves basic food plating philosophy and techniques which are further segmented into 4 parts: a) basic food preparation, b) plating, c) styling and d) practical application. The workshop taught us how to transform a basic commodity into a desirable necessity via the added value of design and visual appeal. I would say it's a perfect training to let the creative juices of Professional Food Servants like us flow abundantly. We were essentially a team of Food Technologists and Chemists; in other words technically equipped people transforming foods into commercial food products to make them readily available and shelf stable for the consuming public. If the Chefs own the kitchen, we have our food laboratory as home base. Do I say this training is relevant and useful for my work? Definitely yes, what more to inspire and stimulate a passionate foodie in me.

In Food, the color, shape, size and texture will play vital roles. It's necessary to think of different accompanying colors and possible cuts in one thousand and one ways. Just bear in mind that meats and poultrys have their own standard cuts, it would be better to play more on hard vegetables. What is key, is to achieve variety and balance. On cooking the food, basic rules must come like a mantra.

Meats - tougher parts (muscled / exercised) must be cooked in moist heat. Less exercised parts are normally cooked in dry heat (e.g. pan-frying).

Poultry - white meat cooks faster than dark meat. Fry skin-down, high heat at first then low on the other side until the juice that comes out is clean.

Seafood - it's cooked as soon as it turns pink. Boiling is a no-no, just simmer.

Vegetables - must be crisp and tender. Cook one at a time. Pre-cooking or blanching is used as a normal technique.

Pasta and other Starches - cook aldente meaning "to the tooth". Wash the cooked starch immediately and oil it a little.

Sauce - use just to enhance not key.

Garnish - anything to enhance the look of the food but should always be edible and tied up with the dish. The size must be just right (not too small not too big) enough to be mixed and eaten with the food.

On Plate Selection, white is the basic and the best available. "It provides a clean and unobstructed canvass for food. The important rule is to not overcrowd it. Again, don't make it too busy!" It should be multidimensional also, add some height etc. The most common technique is to clock it. Usually, the starch is placed at ten o'clock, vegetables at two o'clock and proteins at six o'clock. It will add more drama if a focal point of the meal is created. Moreover, a concept of geometric contrasts will provide a good arrangement and presentation. Slight mess is allowed but must be controlled. Generally, the rule of thumb is to make it simple and realistic. This is where the artist in the cook/chef will play a substantial role.

On Kitchen Tools, the basic must haves are butchers knife (for meats), Chef's Knife (for all kinds of chopping), vegetable knife (for peeling), serrated knife (for bread and some fruits), filleting knife (for fish) and meat fork.

These photos show some examples of garnishes. The first photo above has sugared fruit (strawberry and grapes), scored citrus slices (orange), citrus twists (lemon) and melon or mango balls. These garnishes can be used to dress up cakes or puddings, fish, salads, drinks and desserts. The second photo has strawberry and mango fans. These are commonly used in cakes, pies and milk shakes. The beautiful tomato rose below is perfect for any type of dish either savoury or sweets.


The idea of Food Plating left a very stimulating experience in me. Now, I find it an integral part of the food itself. Who would be enticed to dig into a plate that presents a food in its utter mess look? Of course, we all want that impression of delicate cooking onto our food. Inevitably, the manner it is presented reflects much of how it's cooked and prepared. Thus, at the very least the food presentation must exude all delightful culinary senses to last down to the very end of the bite. The challenge therefore is to create innovatively like a scientist do. Cook, the finest chef way and work like the greatest painter of all times. There will be no reason then for the plate to be left untouched.

I'm getting tired of serving breakfast items such as scrambled eggs, hotdogs and other preserved meats to my kids. Even a macaroni soup, classic spaghetti, or pancit canton (chinese chow mein) sounds too satiating already. So, off, I went to my food magazine rack to seek for some rescue from this culinary dilemma. Fortunately, I found this Creamy Pasta Primavera recipe featured in Jan - Feb 2008 issue of Yummy Magazine. I just tweak the recipe to my own liking. Pasta Primavera is a hearty combination of pasta and vegetables that is too inviting to savour. Like I said in my previous post here, I'm facing the challenge of raising gourmet kids. Luckily, this pasta recipe glued the kids to their seats at the dining table. However, I never realized that I will be too.

Ingredients:

½ of 375g-vegeroni pasta, cooked according to package directions
300 g boneless chicken breast, cut into chunks
4 tbsps canola oil
2 tbsps butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 large carrot, julienne
1 bulb white onion, cut into chunks
1 pc red bell pepper, cut into chunks
1 pc green bell pepper, cut into chunks
1 small zucchini, sliced into chunks
1 tetra pack all purpose cream
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
½ cup pasta water

Procedure:

1. Cook Vegeroni Pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside. Save about ½ cup of pasta water.
2. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Pan-fry in canola oil until slightly brown. Set aside.
3. Melt butter on the same pan and sauté garlic until light brown in color.
4. Add vegetables and cook until tender. Put first the ones longer to cook.
5. While vegetables are cooking, pour all-purpose cream and reserved pasta water in a saucepan. Add parmesan cheese and simmer on low fire until thick. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Add cooked chicken and pasta to the vegetables. Mix well.
7. Pour cream sauce over pasta and vegetable mix and stir well to coat evenly. Serve hot.

Fire Lake Grill sits on the now popular Tagaytay Dining Haven, Cliffhouse. From what we've savored and experienced, yes, the resto is worth a try in the food compound. First, the ambiance is superb especially at dinner time. Private and romantic. Service is cordial although a little slow. When it comes to food, some were worth the wait while some were overly rated. The Panseared Foie Gras is great! Succulent, tasty and rich. Hmmm..., that delicious gustatory feel truly left a wonderful memory in my palate. I won't forget to order it again the next time. The Pumpkin Soup with Cinnamon Froth is real comforting. It provides the much needed warming companion in a chilin', cool breeze of Tagaytay.

The Rib Eye Steak is cooked just right. It boasts of the exact juiciness and tenderness of the meat. It's perfectly matched with sauted vegetables and mashed potato, presenting an utterly complete meal.

Being a Seafood fanatic, I'm more than satisfied to have tried this Grilled Jumbo Prawns on Angel hair Pasta, Wilted Arugula, Shitake Mushrooms and White Butter Sauce. It's creamy but not overwhelming. For those who want to leave some room in their stomach and plan to take a complete menu, this is a safe choice.
Unfortunately, my Fire Lake Grill Dining Experience did not end well with this Darne of Norwegian Salmon with Tagaytay Greens and Dalandan Buerre Blanc. This is actually my choice for the night that's why I've expected something "extraordinary" out of it. Other than it was served too late, it's the same grilled salmon I've tasted in other restaurants. It's also too heavy for the stomach which is surprising for a seafood dish. Maybe the serving is too big for single consumption. However, it can't be shared since there's a corresponding splitting charge.

All in all, dining at Fire Lake Grill is a flavorsome, grilling experience matched with a dreamy, relaxing atmosphere.

Taipei being an industrialized city is fast becoming a favorite host to International Trade Fairs. One of the most popular and largely attended by locals is the one held last Nov 23 - 26, 2007 at the World Trade Center. The 4-day Food Event was divided into three categories: 1) Taiwan International Chain Stores Fair, 2) Taipei Tea, Coffee & Wine Expo and 3) Taiwan International Food & Equipment Show. The Food Show presented the vastness and richness of the competitive Taiwan Market. As exemplified by the massive groups of consumers that flocked the event, Food is indeed one of Taiwanese's most prolific industries. Consequently, the event did not fail its local consumers with the enormous food choices and experiences it offered. But for foreigners like us, there are really not much to appreciate (or perhaps it just didn't meet some of our objectives for visiting the fair). Generally, it's all about imported goods intended for the end-consumers of Taiwan. What's more, languange is a limitation since very few can understand and speak english. Essentially though, a peek of what's inside the Taiwan Food Market is still an inspiring know-what and know-how.

Health and wellness is the name of the competition. A lot of products promoting health and vitality are very visible and popular. Replenish.., refresh.., restore.., re-young! These are becoming the mantra in this country.

In the Tea, Coffee and Wine Hall, you will feast on the delightful taste and aroma of warming beverages. Most Teas present in the trade fair were produced in Taiwan, Japan and China. Coffee products on the other hand, were made from Europe (Italy, Germany), America(Columbia, Honduras, etc.) and Asia (Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia). Green Tea is largely seen as more popular than Black or Oolong Tea. By the way, Tea here is elevated into a higher level. Promoting it doesn't stop from merely providing an appealing taste and aroma. From the finest tea cups to the right choice of concoctions, everything must be delicately taken cared of. From a visitor's point of view, it's like being transported to a homey tea house with the ambiance of natural tea landscapes. It's having a "complete tea experience" that exhibitors are trying to communicate. It is a culture that is worthy to share. Suffice it to say, most tea products came in natural, dried leaves form. Instant, powdered type is hardly visible. Likewise, it's more for end-user consumption rather than for further commercial processing. On Coffee trends, increasingly being well liked is the one with "no raw sugar" claim (2 in 1). Taste is strong and bold. It's under the brand name CAFE 21 made in Malaysia.

Among the few that offered commercial tea products for instant consumption is the KING KUNG HEALTH FOOD CO., LTD. They claim to have nutritional at the same time good tasting tea drinks. Some of the products we sampled which we found true to their claims were smoked plum soup, brown rice tea, ginger tea, burdock tea, taro coconut milk, maple syrup milk tea and ten grain nutritional tea.

Other products we also found promising when made available in an up and coming health and wellness driven market like the Philippines, are these Herbal Crackers and Vital Balance Biscuits. We noticed their high acceptability among Taiwanese. It only proved then that taste and health can complement each other in a finished product.

It's also interesting to find a drink that is made to be consumed at a "specified" time. Don't you find this 3:15 PM Milk Tea very intriguing (photo above)? I wonder what's in the 3:15 PM that you'll feel the need for a cup of milk tea? To ease some accumulated stress perhaps? At any rate, what is important to note is that products are becoming very specific and tailored-fit nowadays. Food manufacturers are getting into the "lifestyle" of the consumers and providing solutions to their needs.

Generally, the notable food items in Taiwan International Food and Equipment show are dried fruits (like plum and berries), dried seaweeds (which Taiwanese normally use as side dish in every meal occasion), dried shrimps, herbal teas for cooking, dimsum products, ice cream with innovative flavors (e.g. tiramisu), biscuits and bakery products, chocolate and confectioneries and some food cart favorites (such as fried corn on the cob, fried dumplings, etc.). Food processing equipment on the other hand, is largely on coffee and tea making, fruit extracts making and dimsum manufacturing. All in all, it was a visit worth of interesting Taiwanese food trends. Taiwan left a legitimate mark of being that Asian Neighbor who owns a booming vessel of consumer goods. A country of foodies willing to spend more for good food. Thus, Food is a money-spinning business to penetrate here. The considerable number of exhibitors in the trade show is a good proof of this claim. By and large, it's for the same reason that competition among manufacturers is getting more and more stiff and challenging.