The Hotel Management (HM) students launched the first-ever digital kitchen webinar to learn innovative techniques and to be updated on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the foodservice industry last March 19, 2021.
The Digi-kitchen aims to teach students how to adapt to the changing environment in the restaurant industry especially during the pandemic.
BSHM program chair, Jaramie Gonzales said this webinar is in pursuit of Holy Cross College’s core value Libertas or liberty that despite the turmoil in the service sector they are still learning new ways to innovate and improve their skills.
“It is a great opportunity to learn for students who have kitchen laboratory. It is more fun to experience this virtual webinar, where you can watch your favorite recipe that transforms into your eyes before your kitchen. Instead of reading how to use the knife, you can see it happen in real-time,” Manalaysay said.
She added that the pandemic is not forever, thus they are preparing students so they will be ready if the economy will be back on operations.
The said webinar aims to develop the knowledge, skills, and ability in cooking and the application of proper handling of food safety in the kitchen, as well as to discover more sustainable food options and gain knowledge on how to substitute ingredients in the recipe.
To learn to innovate techniques that will transform amateur cooking skills set into more polished expertise, the department invited Pampanga’s best chefs and well-known professionals in the Philippines’ cooking industry.
Chef Bong Sagmit opened the virtual cooking presentation by showing the students how to prepare Tanigue with preserved lemon and pickle dashi.
Pampanga is known to be the Culinary Capital of the Philippines which is also a home of different cuisine with preserved history and recipes.
Chef Don Edward Quito taught students how to cook Kapampangan Humba, a staple food in the province of Pampanga. Chef Quito emphasized that knowing how to cook native or hometown cuisine should be the first and foremost goal of future professionals in the industry.
“Try to study at home and explore Filipino dishes na puwede niyong tanungin si nanay, tatay, si lolo at lola na noong panahon nila ang mga recipe at dishes na niluluto niyo. You know that you need to be passionate in everything that we do. You can be an expert of French, Italian, American or different western dishes but you don’t know how to cook a Filipino dish, hindi ba? So para sa akin lang hindi kumpleto ang pagiging chef mo, hindi kumpleto ang pagiging kusinero mo kung hindi ka marunong magluto ng Pinoy dishes,” Chef Quito said.
“As a Kapampangan it doesn’t limit na kung marunong ka magluto ng sisig, Kapampangan cuisine doesn’t end with Sisig. Napakdami pa like Pork Humba, Morcon, Betuteng Tugak, at iba pa,” he added.
Preserving our hometown’s culinary should be the goal of future Chefs because food is also a part of history.
In addition, Chef Jonas Almariz presented to students cake decoration and pastry making.
