By Jorge Luis Peix Agüero / Pictures: Otilio Rivero Delgado

Camagüey City, - The Culinary Association of Camagüey has just achieved its 29th anniversary. Through all these years, the constant effort to contribute to enhance the quality of food making has been its main purpose.

Only during the last 12 months, the organization, made of more than 1400 associates, imparted several courses for cooks laboring in different kinds of businesses: gastronomic centers, hospitals, schools –mainly kindergartens- military units and the sugar industry. As a result, 830 students graduated.

A fructiferous meeting was held at Complejo Cultural Casino -as part of the celebrations for the anniversary- in which founders and young members gathered to share experiences about the functioning of the association.

Martín Urdelino López, who leaded the organization for 17 years, remembered they did not have even their own room to teach lessons in the beginnings.

Such situation definitely belongs to the past since now they have a specialized classroom that includes the appropriate furniture, a laboratory and a library, the last one is used either by associates or the population in general.

Many of the founders insisted on eliminating negative trends in the restaurants, which means to elaborate better menus, which broader options for the clients.

The meeting also served to award the winners of the traditional contest Young Cook of the Year, won by Sandra Brizuela Santiesteban.

This 20 years old girl elaborated a succulent candy and a beef fillet in malt gravy.

Carlos Otero Pérez, Vice-president of the National Federation that congregates all provincial associations, rated as very positive the work in the territory, especially the rescue of traditional dishes.

“There is a magnificent work here that has yielded a team-work, lots of enthusiasm and commitment.”

He also announced that, as recognition to the territory, the annual meeting of the vice-presidency will be held at this capital on June the 5th and 6th.

Last year one of the main contributions of the association was the generalization in most of the restaurants of Fried and Tossed Rice dishes as part of the menus; this year they are working in the preparation and assembling of buffets in all the municipalities.

Translated by Luis Viamontes
Adelante Online