MANILA, Philippines - A PLEASANT SURPRISE WAS in store for couch potatoes who watch Bobby Chinn?s foodie show, ?World Café Asia,? on Discovery Travel and Living.

In the episode on Philippine cuisine, chef Gene Gonzalez and his culinary school were featured and among the students caught on cam was TV host Janice de Belen.

A self-confessed fan of cooking shows, De Belen unabashedly asked for autographs from Chinn, and snapshots with him.

?He was nice to everyone and very friendly. He wrote a beautiful dedication when he signed my copy of his book,? she recounted. ?Chef Gene told him that I had a cooking show, too.?

Gourmet groupie
She also met Chinn?s fellow Discovery host, Anthony Bourdain, when he visited Café Ysabel, site of Gonzalez?s cooking school (Center for Asian Culinary Studies), late last year. ?I got a photo and an autograph, too!?

Seems she?s a bona fide gourmet groupie.

De Belen related that she?s al most done with her course under chef Gene. ?We?ll just have our repertoire, which is sort of our final exam, and then our internship and externship. I graduate in October,? she said.

The busy mother of five has always been a tireless cook, who can whip up a mean callos and kaldereta. Since taking up a professional course, she has picked up more tricks in the kitchen.

?I get to cook more dishes with better technique,? she related. ?Before, there were recipes that I was scared to try.?

She had put off going to school for the longest time. ?I took lifestyle and short-term classes, but never seriously pursued it.?

Last year, the timing was just perfect. ?Instead of just planning and planning, I jumped into it. My teachers?chef Gene, chef Gino Gonzalez and chef Junjun de Guzman?were very understanding.?

Plus, the classes fit snugly with her schedule as part-time TV host and full-time mom. ?My classes are in the evening, so I can still attend to other things prior to school.?

She admitted that hosting the GMA 7 women?s show ?Sis? and, more crucially, the Net 25 cooking show ?Spoon? was instrumental in her decision to take up culinary arts.

Autopilot
?I love watching cooking shows,? she said. ?I want whatever information I impart in my own shows to be accurate and factual. I knew I needed to be credible.?

On ?Spoon,? she said, ?I get to show off my newly learned skills. I enjoy doing the show because viewers get to see a different side of me and the guests as well.?

?Sis,? on the other hand, is almost on autopilot after eight years on the air.

The trick, she said, is keeping it fresh, ?by going with the times. We just have fun and people see the genuineness of the fun we have.?

As a host, she explained, she tries ?to keep her hosting style on ?Sis? different from that on ?Spoon.??

Next stop for the TV host is a restaurant. ?(Sister) Gelli and I have been talking about opening our own resto for years. I hope to put my new skills to good use. I?m excited and nervous. My biggest problem is taming my excitement because I want to do a lot of things.?

E-mail: bayanisandiego@hotmail.com