Chef credits good training for success
YOUNG, smart and talented, chef Elsa Sabellano-Jenstad is well on the road to success in the culinary field. But the journey has not been easy.
However, Jenstad is proud to have overcome the hardships as she moves toward a bright culinary future, armed with natural leadership abilities, a passion for cooking and solid academic credentials from the Philippines’ pioneer culinary institution, the Center for Culinary Arts (CCA), Manila.
Jenstad said her mother did not have the resources to send her to culinary school. So the aspiring chef went to Ateneo de Davao University on a scholarship, earning a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, major in Marketing, degree.
Jenstad continued to nurture her dream of becoming a pro- fessional chef. She said her love for cooking started when she was a child assisting her grandmother in the kitchen. She watched cooking shows on television and clipped recipes from magazines and newspapers.
Jenstad finally enrolled at CCA, Manila-Oceana campus and finished the six-month fast track for Professional Chef Program. Graduating in 2010, Jenstad went to the United States and got a job at the Atlantis Steakhouse of Atlantis Casino Resort Spa in Reno, Nevada. She headed the pantry station for three years.
In 2014, Jenstad enrolled at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Las Vegas, Nevada.
She was a top contender in many school-organized competitions and was the grand prize winner in the Chase Sapphire Preferred Grill Challenge 2015 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Jenstad said she entered the contest not only for the prize but to show that she could cook excellent food and “that Filipinos are fabulous cooks.”
Being paired with one of America’s celebrity chefs, Emeril Lagasse, was a dream come true. Jenstad said it was a great opportunity and a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Lagasse, she said, was so nice and down-to-earth.
Jenstad said she used
lemongrass to give her entry a Filipino taste and okra for the New Orleans flavor, doing a French bouillabaisse with an Asian and New Orleans twist.
Jenstad received a $20,000 scholarship. She said the money would help pay for her tuition. The victory showed that she could cook, she said. With her victory, Jenstad hoped to inspire other Filipinos to achieve their dreams through discipline, determination and hard work.
Meeting some famous chefs, she said she hoped the competition would help advance her career.
Jenstad credited CCA for deepening her passion for cooking and giving her kitchen skills, as well as a high regard for Filipino cuisine. The six-month program adequately prepared her for the next level of her training.
Jenstad said CCA mentors instilled in her valuable lessons like professionalism, discipline and hard work.
Jenstad said she had a 4 grade point average at Le Cordon Bleu and was a consistent “A” student, who was on the President’s Honor Roll. She also said she had a perfect attendance record.
Jenstad said the skills and practices she learned at CCA, Manila prepared her for Le Cordon Bleu. The discipline, ethical work practices and on-the-job training prepared her for the real world.
Jenstad said a solid academic foundation is very important for students to make the most of their passion for cooking and interest in lifelong learning.
Call CCA, Manila at 2188566 or e-mail marketing@cca-manila.com. Visit www.cca-manila.edu.ph.
CCA, Manila is at 287 Katipunan Ave., Loyola Heights, Quezon City. Application is ongoing.