Top NY cake designer is a fan of crispy pata

MANILA, Philippines - The crispy pata has earned a fan in no less than New York's top cake designer, Chef Toba Garrett.

"To me that is the most exquisite piece of food I have ever, ever eaten," Chef Toba said of the popular Filipino dish.

Chef Toba is currently in the country to conduct cupcake baking and design courses at the American Hospitality Academy (AHA) in Makati City. She held an interactive cupcake decorating class with members of the media on Monday.

This is the third time that the "Vera Wang of cake design" has lectured at the academy, which she calls her "home away from home."

Of her Filipino students, Chef Tobas said, "What I find here in the Philippines is that everyone is willing to work hard. I don't find that in other countries. I find that students get a little bit more relaxed in other countries. Here, students are open to anything I have to share."

Chef Toba has travelled around the world to share her knowledge on cake design. She is a master-chef instructor of cake decorating and design at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City, which she started more than 14 years ago.

Chef Toba has more than a dozen international gold and silver medals and countless diplomas and felicitations. These include the trophy of Les Commandarie des Cordons Bleus de France and the 14-karat gold medal of honor from the Le Societe Culinaire Philantropique de New York.

She is also the author of five books: Wedding Cake Art & Design - A Professional Approach, Professional Cake Decorating, The Well-Decorated Cake and Creative Cookies - Delicious Decorating for any occasion. Her fifth book, A Master Class with Toba Garrett, will be released in January 2013.

Chef Toba's lectures in the Philippines is part of the AHA Master Chef Series. The academy has previously hosted master chefs Michael Ty and Christopher Neary last August.

"We instituted the AHA Philippines Master Chef series in 2006 to expose our students to a more global perspective in the study of the culinary arts. The wealth of experience that these master chefs bring to the AHA classroom is immeasurable. We cannot think of any other way to inspire and train our students to be world-class chefs but through these great chefs from all over the world," said Chef Gene Cordova, president and managing partner of AHA Philippines.

For more information on AHA, please visit www.ahaphil.com.