"For almost 10 years, CCA has established itself as one of the best culinary school in the Philippines. We are known for our formal and diploma courses. And as we celebrate our anniversary this November, we know that this is the best time to pioneer something new — a culinary school inside a market," said JB Bolanos, marketing manager of CCA.

Indeed, the CCA satellite school is located at the Farmer’s Market in Araneta Center, Q. C.

"We put up our school inside a market so we can buy all the ingredients fresh. The school’s location suits our new concept which aims to teach the students not only how to cook but also how to shop for the right ingredients," enthused Marinela "Badjie" Trinidad, VP/ CEO of CCA.

Farmer’s Market will be the school’s commissary.

"Participants will not just buy ingredients. They will master where and how to get the best buys. They will learn how to choose the freshest meat, fishes, vegetables, etc. They will meticulously select the ingredients. After the class, they will know all the things one needs to know about buying fresh goods," Badjie added.

Likewise, Badjie expects the students to learn how to budget their money, monitor market prices, and appreciate local produce.

"We also want them to establish a good seller-buyer relationship with the market vendors. These market vendors can provide us with the freshest ingredients we need to make a sumptuous meal. At the same time, our students become the main customers of these vendors. It is a beneficial relationship for both sides," said Badjie.

Meanwhile, CCA has come up with new short courses for culinary enthusiats.

"We have different courses that caters to different people with different taste and preference. Each course follows the ‘Shop, Cook & Learn’ concept. Here, one will learn and do everything — from marketing, preparation, slicing, cooking to serving," said Anne Palmares, PR manager of CCA.

"Schedules are flexible. We have a 10-day program for the basics of baking and pastry arts, or a 12-day program on fundamentals in culinary arts, specializing in Asian cuisines. If you don’t have much time, we have a one-day short courses which last for only four hours a day," Anne added.

These short courses include:

"American Idol," which focuses on American country dishes; "Barbecue Galore," a course on African, Argentinean, Brazilian and other Latin variations of barbecue; "Extra Soup Po," bisques, chowders, cream, puree and potage; "Fish tayo!," a term they adopted from GMA 7’s show "Marinara," on fish dishes; "Gutomako," on sushi making; "Hamon ng Kampeon" on ham making; "I Feel Desserted…" on quick and easy desserts, "Temptation Island," chocolate treats, among others.

CCA also has a four-day young chef’s program every summer. At CCA, children discover the world of culinary arts, baking and pastry arts. They learn basic cooking skills to help mommies in the kitchen.

Chef instructors are chefs Christopher Bautista, Carmela Agoloos, Carol Acosta and Enrique Yoingco.

Recently, CCA invited us to a cooking class, dubbed as "ImPRESS me!", to give us a glimpse of what their new course is all about.

Following their "Shop, Cook and Learn" concept, we bought fresh seafoods at Farmer’s Market. Chef Brandon Santos assisted us in choosing the right ingredients.

"It is important for a chef to have a "shopping" skill. He should know what is a good, fresh buy. For example in buying fish, he should look for clear eyes, not cloudy and reddish. When he presses the fish, the skin should spring back to its original form," chef Brandon shared.

"When I buy fish, I always smell the fish. If it smells like sea but not from the sea, then the fish is fresh. Or when you fillet it, it is firm and not flaky," he added.

Chef Brandon noted that the freshest ingredients give a longer ‘shelf life’ to the dish.

"The more fresh the ingredients, the tastier the dish is. As a chef, you have to have an eye for fresh buy. It makes you a reliable cook. When shopping and cooking, your reputation and the company’s reputation is at stake. Plus, buying spoiled goods is a waste of money," chef Brandon enthused.

After buying all the ingredients we needed, we headed back to CCA to cook.

One group cooked the herb-crusted grouper fillets with tomato and black olive relish. Another group: risotto with sauteed seafood and crab fat (artery-clogging dish, as described by chef Brandon).

We were assigned to cook arroz con pollo, a simpler version of paella.

Chef Brandon shared some tidbits:

"Cooking is not about following a recipe. It’s like jazz… smooth flowing, free style, and you just have to go with the beat. Cooking is like that. With cooking, you have to go with your taste. Prepare food as you prefer it," said chef Brandon.

"You can’t please everyone so it’s best to please yourself," he quipped.

He suggested that we substitute Japanese rice instead of Calrose for the arroz con pollo. If one wants a soupy paella, sinadomeng or dinorado rice is the best substitute.

Tilapia or any white fillet fish can be used instead of grouper (lapu lapu) for the grouper fillet with tomato and olive relish.

He also shared: "When cooking paella, the pan should be big enough to hold all the ingredients but small enough to fit the burner. The flame should be distributed evenly on the pan, so that paella will cook equally. Also, it is better to use chicken stock instead of plain hot water. It gives flavor to the dish. The secret to a tasty dish, especially in noodles, is the stock."