How do you like to sample 14 kinds of specially concocted recipes in one sitting for free? Does this sound like someone’s fantastic buffet fantasy? Not always, especially if all these are made of just one “secret” ingredient (doubts are raised if that ingredient happens to come from a can). In this case it’s tuna (and I just had 4 days of this barely a week before).

I do like tuna in can. As a matter of fact, I had this just the other day, cooked in garlic, white onion and its oil, with a dash of soy (toyo), calamansi and ground black pepper. It’s my choice of “fast food” when I want something quick but still consider “healthy”. But form regardless — paired with crisp wonton wrapper, tossed into salad greens, passing off as burger patty, or in brown sauce like it was just poured straight from the tin container (adobo, mechado, afritada-style), tuna from a can still tastes like it is.

In judging competitions (oftentimes encountered with the younger/inexperienced set), creativity translates to overzealousness and originality turns to horror, resulting in mismatched flavor profiles. Ex. Chef Jill Sandique’s disastrous bout with talakitok panna cotta — yep, that flat, silvery sea creature fashioned into a creamy dessert, or my traumatic encounter with bile at this regional cook-off. One major lesson learned from the competition expert: bring wet wipes in case you (in)voluntarily spit the thing out. (An acceptable act when you’re a judge, or a paying guest, but very impolite in an invited restaurant visit).

Beyond mere taste, a judge has a host of other things to consider:  organization & hygiene, working position/technique, work clothes, punctuality, presentation, composition, nutrition & balance, flavor & color quality and (in the case of my category at the recent National Food Showdown,Century Tuna Lean Cuisine), practicality. Is it easy to eat and  light in the belly? With just 30 minutes to prepare, cook and plate all 14 dishes, taking all these factors at once puts pressure on the evaluator, too.

Your senses are assaulted by a (con)fusion of flavors, but thankfully, at least one dish always stands out.  The initial encounter perks up your worn out brain, and when you find yourself taking a second or third bite, you know you have a winner.

In this live cooking event, the winning dish was created by a male student from St. Therese-MTC Colleges (Iloilo) so organized his station looked empty. Never mind the long, forgettable foreign name (try Tartuffo Tonno e Verdure Mista con Pasta Tripolina* in one breath), the dish of al dente pasta twists, prettified by specks of herbs and slivers of red and yellow capsicum, was redolent with olive oil, hot chili pepper (and was that truffle oil?), was a welcome relief. At the end of the day, judge or just a normal eater, we look for what makes sense, simple and most of all, tasty.

The National Food Showdown 2009 held at A. Venue Events Hall in Makati was spearheaded by FOOD and foodie, ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corp’s culinary magazines. Now on its third run, this year’s theme calls for “The Making of World Class Chefs.” The NFS aims to continue striving for excellence in the Philippine hospitality industry.

* (Sorry camera batt ran out so no winning dish pic )
Photos taken by Jem Calungcaguin

For more competition details, click:

In The Garden Of Eating

National Food Showdown Kicks Off In Manila