Apicius Culinary School...Savor the Flavors

dashing hubby being instructed on the judging mechanics

photo courtesy of Apicius Culinary School Bicol

This is the best gastronomic weekend I ever had so far, and one spent with my most precious. We got a call from tita Connie and tito Dick Condeno, pillars of Apicius Culinary School Bicol branch, inviting us to judge their Basic Culinary Arts students for their finals. What an honor it would be, of course! Who would pass this up, BabyClyde and I? No way, gourmands that we are!

photo courtesy of Apicius Culinary School Bicol

photo courtesy of Apicius Culinary School Bicol

And so this Saturday October 20, 2012 we arrived at the school at 11:50 am. We were welcomed warmly by Chef Dick and secretary Cristy and ushered into the demo-lecture room cum judging chamber. It was already precisely prepared, the room spic and span and cool. A dining table set for two was awaiting us, folders with several sheets of evaluation forms and pens were provided and Ms. Cristy gave us the mechanics of the dish-judging. What a treat for an epicure!

hard at work...photo courtesy of
Apicius Culinary School Bicol

We were to evaluate the concluding cookery of four students [they were supposed to be six] and each would serve us a four-course meal: first with soup, then a starter of an appetizer or salad, followed by pasta and then the main course of fish, chicken, pork or beef. Vegetable sidings were perennial and yes, they impressed us with the garnishing. Now there are sixteen dishes to be had! What a tummy-filling episode. I’d call this chapter in my book the happy-bursting-belly occurrence.

exquisite...photo courtesy of Apicius Culinary School Bicol

the master executive chef in black...that's Mr. Diosdado Condeno; tito Dick for us!! and we're so proud of him

BabyClyde was a perfect evaluator; asking lots of questions every time and noting down valuable info. I was more of the writing partner, while he the speaking other. About the dishes they cooked for us, I couldn’t remember the entire recipe names. As I could recall, there were butternut squash creamed soup, green pea and ham soup, minestrone [of Italian origin] and New England chowder. Salads I could recall were Kani Salad, mixed greens with balsamic vinaigrette and a host of other lettuce-y concoctions. Their pastas were almost identical: creamy, not using tomato-based sauces, opting for fresh tomatoes, and with crispy bacon or non-greasy ground beef and pork. The remarkable ones were their main courses.

photo courtesy of Apicius Culinary School Bicol

I particularly hunkered over a fish dish called nut-crusted salmon fillets while BabyClyde went gaga over the roasted chicken that’s fall-off-the-bone tender. You can guess by now that our stomachs are bulging with fullness already, no matter how apportioned we took the food in. Their servings were just right; it’s just that having sixteen dishes to taste is no joke. Our tongues weren’t the only ones satisfied; our spirits got nurtured too. We would always think of world hunger, of those under-privileged ones and BabyClyde and I would be on a roll of altruistic deeds. Every time we’re honored, we always follow up with giving back. Karmic laws, anyone?

photo courtesy of Apicius Culinary School Bicol

Wondering why we were picked up by tita Connie and tito Dick Condeno, we thought “Perhaps because we’re presumed to be gastronomes, food lovers from starters to desserts or global foodies,” that being good judges would be assured. Yes, BabyClyde and I are culinary aficionados as we had some international and wide-local eating adventures already. Since we’re neither alcoholics nor smokers, what we are fond of instead is good chow. Tita and tito also know we’re fond of restaurant-discoveries and so we were chosen. But perchance, the real reason why, aside from us being connoisseurs of some sort…is because our camaraderie was so palpable. This fine couple knew judgments could be trusted, with the amity and honesty and all things plausible.

tita Connie's expertise...photo courtesy of Apicius Culinary
School Bicol

about to go home...happy-bellied!

What’s best about my Saturday is witnessing first-hand how excellent first-rate mentors are the Condeno couple that surely makes Balay Senauna and Apicius unfaltering for a long long time, if not in perpetuity. Paramount to that is making my husband blissful with the perks I’m giving him out of having precious friendships with valued people in the culinary world.