TEN aspiring chef-students from the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde School of Hotel, Restaurant and Institution Management were blessed with an opportunity to demonstrate their commitment, adaptability, flexibility and ability to work with a team of experts, as well as satisfy curiosity and prepare for the demands of working in a professional kitchen.
Accompanied by Faculty Chef Jester Arellano, the selected culinary students recently returned from a three-month hands-on training at the Italian Culinary Institute for Foreigners (ICIF) in d’Asti, Italy.
Founded in 1991, the ICIF enhances the image of Italy’s cuisine and products among professionals who work in restaurants abroad. Since its inception, the learning institution has conducted short courses for cuisine and wine, plus master courses on various specialty fields.
Culinary lectures, lessons
THE Filipino students opted for the “Short Course in Italian Cuisine and Oenology” composed of lectures, laboratory discussions, as well as theoretical and practical lessons on the excellence of fresh ingredients; filled, dried pasta and its sauces; plus the different types of pizza. It included training on the traditional and modern menu preparation of freshwater and saltwater fish.
They also had demonstration lessons covering preparation of basic breads, pastry and confectionery art, Italian-style creams, cake design and manual chocolate-tempering methods.
To supplement the trip, the students visited the Grana Padano Cheese Factory in the commune of Piacenza inside the Emilia-Romagna region, where they witnessed the entire process of making cheese. The name Grana was popularly bestowed upon the cheese made from unpasteurized, semi-skimmed cow’s milk because of its grainy consistency, markedly different from the other cheeses known.
Wine education
THE apprentices, likewise, spent some time at the Banfi Winery in the province of Strevi within the Piedmont region, where they studied the different types of wine.
(Banfi Vinters, ranked as North America’s leading wine importer for more than three decades, is the sole importer of the Mariani family’s internationally renowned wine estates in Italy.) In the months that ensued, the learners served as interns at the Da O Vittorio, a hotel with a restaurant that offers Ligurian cuisine, popular for the flavors of fresh produce, pasta and their signature selection of dishes.
During the practicum, the undergraduates learned about different techniques in preparing food and basic kitchen-equipment skills, including proper food sanitation and workplace cleanliness.