MANILA, Philippines ? More than 500 participants trooped to Sunset Pavilion of Sofitel Philippine Plaza last Saturday for the biggest food-styling seminar ever held in the country, conducted by internationally renowned and most-in-demand food stylist Delores Custer.

As far as events went, it went way beyond expectations.

As early as 7 a.m., participants from as far south as Cebu, Aklan, Leyte, Bukidnon, Misamis Oriental, Camarines Sur, and Davao, and as far north as Nueva Ecija, Pangansinan, Benguet, and Baguio City, gathered at the registration desk, two hours before the seminar.

The sponsors, too, were setting up booths: Baguio Oil, Elba Cookers from Italy, Center for Culinary Arts Manila and Oceana (The Center for Culinary Arts Manila Restaurant and Events Place), Glad/Clorox, SM Homeworld, Four Seasons Hotel, Unilever (peanut butter), Tourism Authority of Thailand and Sofitel.

The participants brought their own crackers, potato chips, and Styrofoam bowls for the hands-on segment.

Back by popular demand, Custer was on her third visit here to share with Filipinos food-styling preps and techniques for poultry, cakes, pies, burgers, pizza, and pasta.

Power crowd

The audience was a power crowd?chefs John Cu-Unjieng, Melchor Taylo, Dorothy Ferreria, Jonathan Bautista, Oliver Gascon, Timothy Neil Abejuela, Joanne Limoanco; students and instructors (CCA, Culinary Institute of Aristocrat, Maya Kitchen Culinary Arts Center), art directors, photographers, restaurateurs, caterers, food manufacturers and food enthusiasts.

All believe that behind almost every flawless, picture-perfect plate of food in a magazine, cookbook or TV, is a food stylist.

The food stylist makes food look ?alive? in photographs, Custer said.

Custer discussed the latest trends in food styling?going natural and using real food; how to deal with difficult food, the use of color and texture for maximum effect, and shooting for film and camera. She demonstrated food styling dos and don?ts.

Custer assistant Mary Grapsas was busy at one side of the stage with photographer Mike Cheung and Theo Zaragoza, doing food styling preps.

Before lunch break, Custer challenged the audience to create their own food styling with crackers and potato chips.

Custer had a nice, quiet lunch backstage with good friend and Inquirer Food contributor Norma Chikiamco, who was Custer?s student at the Culinary Institute of America in New York, and a newfound friend, Benedictine monk Dom Martin de Jesus Gomez who came all the way from Bukidnon.

Tricks of the trade

In the afternoon, Custer conducted a Q&A, moderated by Inquirer executive Chito San Mateo.

Custer showed the ways to achieve great results, depending on available resources, to make food look prettier, shinier, juicier, fluffier or just generally more appetizing.

The audience sat in awe as Custer presented some tricks of the trade. She sprayed water with Karo syrup to drinking glasses for that ?chilled? look. A hot skewer was used to add grill marks to grilled meat.

The audience was so impressed with how she did a whipped cream dollop that they broke into applause.

Though the seminar ended at 5 p.m., the socializing went on for at least another hour. Everyone wanted autographs from Custer and Grapsas?and both happily obliged. Cameras, too, clicked endlessly as fan after fan posed for photographs with the American food stylists.

No one went home empty-handed. Aside from the lecture handouts, free lunch and a warm cup of Bukidnon coffee courtesy of Dom Martin Gomez, each participant got a certificate of attendance and loot bags.

What they say

Jacqueline Alleje of Rizal Dairy Farms: ?She?s really, really good. Her expertise is very broad, and it?s an expertise you can tell comes from decades-long professional experience. She can look at an object from different angles. It?s very logical and applicable.?

Dorothy Ferreria, cookbook author and baking instructor: ?I love it when she encouraged everyone not to be stagnant. To always look for new trends; be conscious of what you see around you?the show windows and the color combination.?

Claude Tayag, artist, restaurateur and writer: ?I attended her first seminar in 2006 but totally forgot the lecture. Now, it?s like a refresher course for me. She?s very timely now that we have more people trying their hand at food styling.?

Chef Jonathan Bautista, CCA: ?Her presentation will definitely help me in food presentation. It?s also nice to see how she presented the food the chef?s way and in a home-style way.?

Chef John Cu-Unjieng, food consultant: ?It?s my first time to attend Custer?s seminar. I was surprised to see over 500 people today. I was expecting to find a lot of students, but I also saw a lot of people in the restaurant business and catering companies. It?s well worth it?

Dom Martin Gomez: ?The seminar was absolutely fantastic and helpful. Once a month we have a fund-raising project called brunch with the monks in the garden of the monastery after the 8 a.m. Mass. It started three years ago with 30 people. Now we serve 200 people.
After three years, we?ve gathered a lot of recipes and we hope to put them in a recipe book. When I read Custer?s food styling seminar in the Inquirer Lifestyle last May, I readily told my superior this would really be helpful to us. All of these are useful and applicable to our book project.?