Gourmet Bites' sweet success

 

“Gourmet Bites’ sweet success”

Sun.Star Davao, July 18, 2015

It was indeed a sweet success for Gourmet Bites and Pastry Arts Academy, Philippines as they reaped a cornucopia of awards at the recent Mindanao Culinary Festival held at the SM Lanang Premier.

           

Run by sisters Chiara Samson-Sacdalan and Simone Samson-De Vera with husband Jay De Vera and their sister-in-law Architect Elisha Agdamag-Samson, Gourmet Bites is the culinary arts extension of St. Dominic Savio Business and Technical College, Inc. (SDSBTC). On the other hand, Pastry Arts Academy, Philippines (P.A.A.P.), the 1st pastry school in Mindanao, is the pastry arts department of SDSBTC.

Bagging a total of 3 gold medals, 2 silvers, and 3 bronzes during the three-day event, the Gourmet Bites and Pastry Arts Academy, Philippines family could not be any prouder of their representatives. Their instructors and students all competed in the professional level in the various categories going against challengers from the hotel industry; food catering and restaurants; as well as other schools in Culinary Arts and Hotel and Restaurant Management.

In the Wedding Cake Category, Gourmet Bites’ Pastry Arts instructors Chefs Pia Angela Dalisay Tecson and Christopher Vincent Borja won back-to-back gold while Certificate in Culinary Arts (CCA) Batch 4 student Jennifer Viola Villegas ranked 3rd highest silver in the Pasta Category (Live).

           

Meanwhile, Certificate in Baking and Pastry Arts (CBPA) Batch 7 student Kirsten Kaye Canillo won the 2nd highest bronze medal in the Plated Desserts Category, besting all the other student entries. Another Batch 8 student, Kate Laus, received the bronze medal in the same category.

It was no easy feat as CCA Batch 3 student Jesa Gomez clinched the only gold medal in the Local Seafood Category (Live) and in all of the cooking categories, earning 91 points out of a possible 100.

In addition, the Quick Fire Salad (Live) Category bronze medal went to CCA Batch 2 student Lady Bird Viola.

Gourmet Bites’ Chefs Remelina Cuenca, Janice Faith Ibañez and Gail Rodriguez were awarded the highest silver in the Filipino Cuisine Category (there were no gold medal awardees in this category) which earned all three to an all-expense paid trip to the Philippine Culinary Cup Manila in August 2015.

"With hard work, dedication and commitment to the craft and entrusting everything to the will of God, the participants practiced for days on end, working on their own and with their understudies and coaches to make their original concepts the best they could offer. And we thank each and everyone for proudly and bravely competing in the name of Gourmet Bites and Pastry Arts Academy, Philippines!”, Gourmet Bites’ Chiara Samson-Sacdalan enthuses.

E-mail the author at mom.about.town.dvo@gmail.com. Visit www.momabouttowndavao.blogspot.com.

A step in the right direction with Chimes

“A step in the right direction with Chimes”

Sun.Star Davao, July 16, 2015

Chimes, the city’s specialty store for trendy finds, brings the latest designs from these global footwear brands:

Perk up your outfits with Happy Socks, a high-quality foot accessory spotted on Hollywood celebrities and their fashion-forward children. With their vibrant hues and fun designs, it is no wonder why these whimsical socks have become must-have essentials with the fashionista set.

Happy Socks was founded by two friends, Viktor Tell and Mikael Söderlindh who are Creative Director and CEO, respectively of this company. “Inspired by colorful, playful patterns and designs, Tell is influenced by the daily “everything and nothing” when designing the Happy Socks collection. His motto, “All play, no work”, accurately shows what the label is all about, turning a simple and overlooked product into a creative as well as expres­sive success story”.

Today, Happy Socks are sold in more than 70 countries across every continent and can be found on pretty much anyone –hipsters, businessmen/women, kids, grandparents…you name it!

           

Next on the list is the Spanish footwear brand, Flossy. “Backed by a rich 30-year strong heritage, Flossy originated from the Rioja region of Spain and introduced the original plimsoll that became popular with bohemians, street artists, and sailing enthusiasts in Barcelona”.  

The brand is a sunny invitation to simplicity and comfort with its range of laidback and understatedly stylish footwear. Split into five ranges – Classics, Originals, New Edits, Exclusives, Special Prints, as well as Kids, Flossy focuses on luxe fabrics and plush leathers in core neutral and hot accents throughout, making for a zingy collection.

And, who could ever resist a pair of FitFlops? Gone are the days when looking good goes hand in hand with being subjected to the inevitable discomforts of fashion. Comfy is the new cool and FitFlop leads the pack with its super ergonomic range of footwear.

Turning the fashion world completely upside down, “FitFlop made its breakthrough when it introduced its Microwobbleboard midsole, developed by two visionary biomechanics”. Meant to withstand rigorous usage, FitFlop footwear is the kind of shoes you can wear until they literally fall apart. Reflecting the type of women that it caters to, these shoes are a perfect combination of beauty, brains, and biomechanics!

The designs available this season include “the all-new SuperJelly, Surfa, Lulu Leather, Skinny, Flora, Petra, Cha Cha, Bijoo, Novy, Aztek Chada and the highlight of this season’s collection, FF2, which will not only capture the fancy of many for its casual cool and preppy elegant designs but most importantly, the immense comfort that it will provide its wearer”.

Want you and your family to step in the right direction? Skip, walk or run to your nearest Chimes Specialty Store now!

Chimes Specialty Store is located at Gov. Sales St. and Felcris Centrale, Quimpo Boulevard, Davao City.

E-mail the author at mom.about.town.dvo@gmail.com. Visit www.momabouttowndavao.blogspot.com.