My 51st blog

Competent, TESDA-Certified and Creative Cooks of MCHA

 

Yesterday was our long-awaited assessment day for the Cookery course—a culmination of flour-dusted mornings, sizzling pans, and whispered prayers over plating. We were handed our temporary certificates, each one declaring us “competent cooks.”

 

Our assessor was fair, methodical, and mostly kind. But then came a moment that threw me off balance. He looked at me and asked, “Ilan taon ka na?” I answered truthfully, of course. And then—without missing a beat—he followed up with, “Kaya mo pa bang mag-perform?”

Excuse me?

 

I chuckled quietly, making sure he didn’t catch it. “Insulted” might be too strong a word, but let’s just say I was momentarily… bemused. I mean, I wasn’t auditioning for a dance troupe—I was plating food, not pirouetting. Sure, I was the eldest in our batch, but last time I checked, age doesn’t disqualify you from knowing the difference between a béchamel and a velouté.  lol

 

It was a curious little moment. Not exactly offensive, just oddly out of place—like asking a seasoned chef if they still remember how to hold a knife. I let it slide. That awkward remark was quickly eclipsed by the joy of our group’s performance and the thrill of passing the assessment. Honestly, I barely gave it another thought.

 

To celebrate, we headed to a well-loved spot near our place—The Good Pastry Café, where the pastries live up to the name. And because one round of celebration clearly wasn’t enough, most of our groupmates came over afterward. I played host with pizza and Coca-Cola, and the laughter flowed as easily as the soda.

 

It was a beautiful, unforgettable day. I’m grateful to God for the gift of learning—and for the unexpected blessing of new friendships forged over chopping boards and mixing bowls.

 

Cheers to all of us—competent cooks and joyful souls! 🥂🍕🎉