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15 April 2024, Ottawa - The Philippine Embassy in Canada, in partnership with Le Cordon Bleu Ottawa Culinary Arts Institute, presented a live cooking demonstration of Filipino Adobo conducted by WorldChefs certified Filipino-Canadian Executive Chef David Vinoya on 13 April 2024 held at the institute.
Philippine Ambassador to Canada, Maria Andrelita S. Austria, shared information on the Philippines’ celebration of Filipino Food Month in April and the 3rd Filipino Restaurant Month in Canada (FRMC). Ambassador Austria encouraged the audience to visit the FRMC’s participating restaurants near them to appreciate more of the Philippine culinary treasures and support Filipino food.
Chef David showcased his flavorful version of cooking Filipino chicken adobo and displayed his artistic plating skills. He shared the history of adobo in Philippine cuisine and answered questions from the audience. After the guests savored chicken adobo with rice, Chef David also demonstrated the cooking of maja blanca, a Philippine delicacy and dessert. Portions of maja blanca were also shared with the audience.
The culinary event received positive feedback from the audience. Some of them shared that they will try cooking adobo at home as they realized that most of its ingredients are already in their kitchen. The audience was also entertained with Philippine culinary trivia and those who got correct answers received a copy of the featured book, "Une Bouchée des Philippines” by Ms. Myrani Miranda Pesquet. It is a Filipino cookbook written in French and was considered the Book of the Month for April by Alliance Francaise de Manille.
Prior to the cooking demo, guests were treated with Filipino food samples from well-known Filipino restaurants and catering in Ottawa which supported the event - Tamis Cafe and Restaurant, Grab’n Eat, and Sanduk. Delicious cocktails of Manille Liqueur de Calamansi, Paradise Mango Rum Liqueur, and Ube Cream Liqueur by Destileria Barako were also served. The event was emceed by Ottawa’s Tinig Pinoy host, DJ Regina Sosing.
Le Cordon Bleu Ottawa Culinary Arts Institute is North America’s only campus for Le Cordon Bleu in Canada. The institute has been distinguished as North America’s Best Culinary Training Institution for two consecutive years, 2022-2023, by the World Culinary Award, highlighting its excellence in culinary training.
This culinary event is part of the Embassy’s cultural diplomacy initiatives to promote awareness of Philippine cuisine to the wider Canadian public in celebration of the Filipino Food Month and as one of the activities in commemorating the 75th Anniversary of Philippines-Canada diplomatic relations.
The video of the cooking demonstration can be accessed through the following link: https://youtu.be/HoVvaD6v0Ho