Cooking is what most Moms love, and like me I like to have a great dish for my family. Just recently I was invited for an afternoon of clashing culinary skills. Not the clash of clans but clash of the Cusina Idols wannabe. The Next Cusina Idol Cook-Off Challenge is Melawares Culinary Clash, unleashing the cooking talent of participants, students and aspirant cook. Armed with their cooking skills and fueled by their passion for food, ten (10) cooking enthusiasts and culinary students joined to battle it out on “The Next Cusina Idol Cook-Off Challenge.” The event is hosted by Melawares, the popular high-quality melamine tableware and Urban Kitchen, the complete restaurant and food service solution.

The Global Culinary and Hospitality Academy in Pasig City served as The Next Cusina Idol’s cooking arena, the finalists vying for the coveted title are divided into two categories: the Culinary Students Division which is composed of students currently enrolled in the present school year and the Cooking Enthusiasts Division which was held open to all genders, 18 years old and above. Of course if I’m going to join this cooking challenge next year I’ll be on the Enthusiasts Division. Moms love to cook very and it so happen that most of the enthusiastic ones who joins are mostly moms.

Aspiring Cusina Idols underwent a rigorous preliminary round, after purchasing Php500.00-worth of Melawares, Bestware, Perfect Dining, and Urban Kitchen products and filling out an online contest registration found at the Melawares Cusina Club Facebook page these competitors are then required to cook one original main entrée dish choosing between fish and chicken. Of course, Melawares, Perfect Dining, Bestware or Urban Kitchen products are used for the final plating. They took shots of their dish entries and posted it to the Melawares Cusina Club Facebook page. Winners were chosen based on the plating, cleanliness and preparation, and number of Facebook shares. Imagine the excitement they’ve felt just right before the finalist are been chosen.

The finalist for the Culinary Students Division were asked to impress the judges with their star dish using chicken, while those in the Cooking Enthusiasts Division were then to stand out with their original fish recipe. What’s more challenging is that they were given a one hour time to finish the dish and present it on the spot. All finalists were judged based on the taste of their dishes with 50%, cleanliness and preparation with 20%, and plating and presentation with 30%.

After all those nerve shaking preparation and grace under time pressure a mom named Mercedita Madrona won in the Cooking Enthusiasts Division with her innovative fish recipe "Adobo Marinated Hito in Sisig Wraps" while on the Culinary Students Division was Kimberly Jane Solejon with her winning dish "Pan-Roasted Chicken Breast with Chinese Sausage Stuffing". Champions of each category took home a total of Php250,00 worth of kitchen showcase from Melawares, Perfect Dining, Bestware or Urban Kitchen, and will be featured in select major publications. While the other finalists will not go home empty-handed, as they will receive Php25,000 worth of kitchen showcase and will also be featured in select major publications.

According to Chriselda Chua, marketing Manager of CDC Manufacturing Corporation, “It is no secret that Filipinos are foodies at heart, with some of our best chefs making waves at the international food industry. However, while the culinary talents of our Filipino cooks are unquestionable, food presentation poses a challenge to most. Fortunately, Melaware and our other lines are now making it easier to serve not only genuinely delicious food, but beautiful and appetizing-looking as well. With the Cusina Idol Cook-Off Challenge, we are excited to see the best and brightest culinary stars in the Philippines.”

For more information about the Cusina Idol Cook-Off Challenge, visit www.melawares.com or their facebook page https://www.facebook.com/MelawaresCusinaClub.