I am a fair lady
I am a certified trade fair fanatic. Whether it be for jewelry, film, food or wine, one thing is for sure: I will travel near or far to pursue my passions. After all, a little self-indulgence, says the philosophers, can do wonders for the soul.
Belonging to a family of jewelers, I have attended countless jewel fairs in Asia and Europe. Film festivals like the ones in Cannes, Abu Dhabi, Hong Kong, Pusan and Tokyo satisfied the cineaste in me in the last half decade. Lately, I have acquired a penchant for attending fresh produce, agriculture, food and wine fairs and, I dare say, my life has been blessed even more. In fact, I have calendared every major food and wine fair in my travel schedule and look forward to such epicurean feasts with great zeal and ardor.
In retrospect, would you believe my very first orientation into agriculture fairs — as part of my penchant for agri-tourism all over the world — was the International Sprouts Growers Association (ISGA) fair in Opryland Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee? Thoughts of this visit came to mind as floods plagued that area recently. But I am told also that the last time I was there the people of Nashville were resilient and in time they will rise to the occasion again — just like the real farmers who are not daunted by natural challenges because they are prepared for anything that nature brings them.
I will always have beautiful memories of the agricultural fair in Nashville. My dear friend Lyndon Tan, TOYM awardee for agriculture and owner of Basic Necessity in Silang, Cavite, which produces all my favorite “Saladtime” culinary herbs like basil, rosemary, thyme, dill, coriander and produce like wheatgrass, lettuce, garlic, bean sprouts and tomatoes, invited me to this event. It was interesting to find out that the ISGA was founded as a non-profit organization to promote the sprout (i.e. alfalfa, broccoli, radish or Japanese kaiware, onion, mongo sprouts) industry and to encourage the exchange of information among sprout growers.
From San Francisco, we took a four-hour flight to the “Land of Sweet Southern Dreams.” It is truly a magical place. I felt like Alice in Wonderland, as though I was transported to the set of the film Honey, I Shrunk the Kids as I was awed by the spectacular sight of a fully air-conditioned indoor rainforest garden in the Opryland Hotel in Nashville. Nine acres of exquisitely landscaped gardens surrounded lively restaurants, entertainment centers, flower-lined walkways and thousands of tropical and sub-tropical plants. Sparkling glass roofs crowned the Conservatory Garden with its collection of 10,000 plants while the amazing Cascades has three waterfalls ranging from 23 to 25 feet. The 4.5-acre Delta is the third interiorscape with its spectacular glass roof peaks soaring to 150 feet, or 15 stories.
We also visited the Driscolls Berry Farm in Salinas, the Salad Bowl of the world, just a two-hour drive from San Francisco. It is a 15-minute drive from Napa Valley, and just 12 miles from the Pacific Ocean and Monterey Bay. (Tagaytay is now known as the Salinas and Napa Valley of the Philippines.) At Driscolls, a renowned berry farm in Watsonville, one can savor the sweetest cherries, strawberries and blueberries — served with warm dollops of homemade whipped cream. The setting is truly romantic. No wonder they filmed Jennifer Lopez’s movie The Wedding Planner there.
Back in our beloved Philippines, I look forward to being a judge for the annual “Oh, My Gulay” contest of former Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap. I have toured the country from Appari to Jolo in search of the best vegetables, fruits and fish produce. We all know only the freshest ingredients create the most delicious culinary fare. For those who are food and wine aficionados, the privilege to savor your favorite delights is one of the most satisfying pleasures.
It was déjà vu of sorts once again when I visited the Food and Hotel fair in Singapore recently upon the invitation of my dear friends, chefs Buddy Trinidad and James Antolin of Pastry Alliance of the Philippines. I do declare that I will be attending this event every year.
Stephen Tan, chief executive of Singapore Exhibition Services said, “FHA 2010 is the largest trade exhibition of its kind in Asia and has surpassed all expectations to register its best ever performance in its 32 year history.” Over 63 countries and regions have come together, in a space spanning 16 football pitches put together or 82,000 square meters. This year’s Wine & Spirits Asia featured a myriad of events including the Asia Sommelier’s Forum. There was also a competition for the best barista in Asia, the Asian Pastry Cup, the Culinary Challenge Program and many more.
My childhood friend Rita Trinidad and I felt like precocious kids lost in Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory as we trooped from one booth to another sampling all the pecan, almond, dark chocolate and strawberry ice cream, salted caramel yogurt and dessert wine from all regions. We checked out new food and wine products. We reveled at the impressive robot wok, the industrial-sized dim sum and samosa maker, the special plates created only for halal food. We cheered on at the different food exhibitions and presentations. It was truly interesting, satisfying and educational.
The greatest highlight was of course the sweet victory of the Pastry Alliance of the Philippines (PAP). Reaping six medals in four categories, the colorful and highly energetic team drew smiles and earned respect at the largest and most anticipated Food and Hotel Asia Culinary Challenge last April 20-23. Showing exemplary performance at the most awaited culinary event in the region alongside teams from Australia, China, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Taiwan, is a gratifying experience like no other.
Peachy Juban of Shortcrust/DLS-CSB won a Gold for A-Flutter, a fresh and modern take on classic Wedding Cakes. A stand-out crowd favorite was her “labor of love” with paper-thin sugar paste butterflies that mimicked the Philippine Monarch, Danaus Chrysippus, painstakingly hand-painted and attached wingtip to wingtip.
In the same category, Penk Ching of Pastry Bin garnered a bronze for “Spring Blossoms,” topped by an exquisite cherry blossom tree and miniature Chinese lanterns. This intricately designed work of art was a sight to behold. Jackie Ang-Po of Fleur-de-Lys/True Confections’ was awarded a bronze medal for her ingeniously movie-inspired Plated Desserts. Jacqueline Laudico of Bistro Filipino was said to have the best flavor combinations in the hotly contested Chocolate Pralines for which she took a bronze prize.
Working to decorate in front of a live audience within two hours, two PAP delegates shone with bronzes in the Dress The Cake contest. Carol Lavin of Le Cafaye/CCA skillfully pulled sugar for her chocolate cake’s glass-like “Reflections.” Celina David of Sugar Monster/MIHCA successfully executed the molding and stenciling required by her Year of the Tiger’s “Sweet Abundance.” PAP officers Buddy Trinidad, James Antolin and Penk Ching also attended a World Association of Chefs Societies (WACS)-certifying Judging Course to better equip the Alliance with well-rounded knowledge of such high-standard competitions.
The future is not only bright, but sweet, too: major projects with which the PAP will be assisting are the First Chocolate and Ice Cream Show in July in the World Trade Center in Pasay City and the 10th anniversary of World Food Expo in SMX in August. These exciting events will be hosting several competitions from which members of the next PAP training teams may emerge.
We also had the chance to check out the ubiquitous Singapore landmark the Esplanade and the world-famous Hawker’s food center in Chinatown where we met renowned chef Ferran Adria. We also got to check out the city’s newest attraction, Universal Studios in Resort World Sentosa, bringing together the best of Universal Studios Theme parks in Hollywood, California, Orlando, Florida, and Osaka Japan. The Universal Studios in Singapore has seven themed zones, namely Hollywood, New York, Sci-fi City, Ancient Egypt, The Lost World, Far, Far Away and Madagascar.
We celebrated our last night in the Lion City downtown in a cozy haven called 2am Dessert Bar. With the reverence afforded to gems, we savored butter popcorn flavored mousse, chocolate truffle confections laced with passion fruit sorbet and overflowing champagne.
Congratulations, Pastry Alliance of the Philippines for your sweet success. The fair lady will see you at the next fair.
For more info on Basic Necessity, please call 02-529-8378 to 79 or e-mail saladtime@hotmail.com. The PAP can be reached at 834-6636.
E-mail the author at miladay.star@gmail.com.
