Pinoy Olympic chef comes home victorious
by LYNDA JUMILLA, ABS-CBN News | 09/01/2008 9:55 PM
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International chef Ryan Jaranilla displays his souvenir pins as though they were gold medals won in the Beijing Olympics. After all, they are badges of excellence in Jaranilla's own area of expertise given by Olympic athletes who were highly satisfied with his work as senior executive chef in the recently concluded sports competition.
"This pin of mine, this was given by the Iranian athlete. He was so happy because he was so afraid he will eat food that was laden with pork...so we had what we called the halal food. All the preparations were done in a separate area," Jaranilla said.
Aside from taking into consideration the religious and cultural sensitivities of the athletes, Jaranilla and his group also gave careful thought about the competitors' nutritional needs.
For instance, in the case of American swimmer Michael Phelps who emerged as the most bemedalled athlete in Olympic history, it's food rich in carbohydrates.
"Michael Phelps burns 11,000 calories a day with his swimming practice. So in order to propel him to Olympic gold, he has to eat a lot of carb-driven food. So basically pasta, potato-based food and a lot of bread."
Among the dishes Jaranilla prepared during the two-week sports extravanganza, the clear winners were his pork adobo, vegetarian pancit salad with tofu, and his creme brulee with a Filipino twist.
"It's the mango. Mango usually is not prepared with creme brulee. It was really really a hit. I think it was the first time for them to have a French food with a Filipino twist," he said.
For all his accomplishments as international chef, the Senate is set to honor the Nuevo Barotac, Iloilo native and UP Los Baños graduate.
Admirers say Jaranilla is proof one need not win a gold medal in the Olympics or any international competition to bring honor to one's country.
