Experience motivates ‘Kulinarya’ 2018 winner, not the prize

Aside from luck, Pimentel believes that his edge for winning is his genuine love for food, and understanding and knowing everything about it, including the combination of flavors “and a lot of heart.” (PNA photo)

GENERAL TRIAS, Cavite –A chef, teacher, foodie and photo hobbyist who describes himself as “an average” Caviteño guy Nicole G. Pimentel says the cash part of winning the “Kulninarya 2018″ is “mere bonus and treasures more than experience.”

Pimentel bagged the top spot in the ‘Kulinarya Caviteña 2018’ cook-off challenge held at the Culinary Laboratory of Lyceum of the Philippines (LPU) here on Wednesday.

“Sumali ako kasi, (ksi) I’ve been competing my whole life, hindi para sa parangal kungdi para sa experience,” (I joined, and I’ve been competing my whole life, not for the title but for the experience,” quips Pimentel when asked for his reaction after bagging the first prize.

Joining competition is also Pimentel’s way to further challenge himself, and keep his passion for food, “it is my first love,” thus he always give his 100% best in all that he do.

He garnered the highest weighted average after summing up the scores for each of the competitors’ entries, from appetizer, main dish and dessert.

His entries, shrimp and oyster cake with ‘tinapa’ (smoked fish) cream sauce for appetizer, adobong dilaw with ‘kamote’ (sweet potato) and ‘kalabasa’ (pumpkin) puree for main dish, mango shirt cake with quesillo cheese for dessert; bested 15 other professional chefs, culinary professors and teachers residing in Cavite.

Aside from luck, Pimentel believes that his edge for winning is his genuine love for food, and understanding and knowing everything about it, including the combination of flavors “and a lot of heart.”

The culinary competition, dubbed “Kalye Kulinarya,” organized by the Provincial Government of Cavite, through its Provincial Tourism and Cultural Affairs Office (PTCAO) and in collaboration with LPU-Cavite, is aimed at revolutionizing traditional Cavite dishes and delicacies.

The cook-off was just one of the series of activities, from workshop to cooking demo of ‘A Taste of Cavite: An appreciation of Cavite’s Old Cuisines’ to make professional chefs, and culinary teachers, including students aware, appreciate and come up with innovative approaches on how to promote, showcase Cavite’s cultural history of local cuisines ‘but without losing its authenticity,’ quips Razor Philippines Executive Chef and ‘Punong Heneral’ of Cavite’s Culinary Generals Chef Christopher G. Carangian who chaired the board of judges during the contest.

Carangian, with co-judges Lorelie Torres (officer-in-charge, Provincial Government of Bulacan Public Affairs Office) and La Consolacion College Chef/Professor Edilberto Tawagon, judged the entries, from appetizer, main course and dessert, based on execution, artistry and taste.

Like Pimentel, second placer Chef Armand Joseph S. Senido, head Chef of Olivia ‘s Coffee Estate, shared that the title and cash prize are mere bonus, and gets motivated by the opportunity to promote Cavite’s gatronomical treasures, “especially from my town, Tanza.”

He says that his entries: Lumpiang Estacion (Estacion roll made of noodle dish which originated in Tanza wrapped, completed with Estacion sauce) for appetizer, Valenciana con morcon as main course and puto de oro as dessert, from Tanza and its nearby town of Rosario and General Trias city, are his humble way “to help promote my town, and the province of Cavite.”

Both winners are most thankful, to Cavite Governor Jesus Crispin Remulla, PTCAO officer-in-charge Elinia Imelda Rozelle S. Sangalang, LPU President Atty. Roberto Laurel and LPU Vice President Maria Teresa Pilapil, Dean of LPU College of International Tourism and Hospitality Management (CITHM) Dr. Mark Irvin Selis, and judges for the opportunity to be part of this noble cause, to relive and re-introduce Caviteño cuisines as they share their title to fellow cooks, chefs who participated in the competition, “we all did great in promoting how rich the culinary treasures Cavite is,” said Pimentel.

Aside from the plaque and trophies, Pimentel and Senido received a cash prize of PHP25,000 and PHP15,000 respectively.

On the other hand, Dean and Professor of Cavite City’s Saint Gregory College of Science and Technology Marvin Carandang received PHP10,000 for finishing third.