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Last Friday, March 4, I got an invitation from Pinoy Eats World, an organization that specializes in food culture. They do food tours, adventurous little dinners and many other culinary-related endeavors. They liken their passion to art, which probably explains the artsy-fartsy approach in giving out invitations. (Love it!)

The funny thing is, most of us bloggers — there were only 10 of us invited — were instructed to look for a masked man and we expected him to look like this.

So there we stood, at the entrance of Rustan’s in Forbes Park, waiting for this man’s grand appearance.

Turns out, the man in a mask was not a man. It was this lovely girl that greeted us. Haha!

She led us into an unidentified residence in Forbes Park, where we met the rest of the Pinoy Eats World crew, headed by Chef JJ Yulo.

It was so funny how Chef JJ reacted to having us bloggers around. He said he had never had that many cameras pointed at him. He invited us to partake of the fruits and various cheeses but instead of immediately eating, we took photos of the food…

…as well as the gorgeous dining arrangements.

This wonderful feast was laid out on the counter. The spreads were made of Romano and Parmesan cheese.

We were also given white wine, as these perfectly go with cheese that were provided by Perfect Italiano.

The chef asked everyone to “please mingle!” because all of us bloggers swooped down on the counter — not to eat, but to take pictures. Haha!

Chef JJ told us to try putting honey and olive oil on the spreads to add an extra layer of flavor to our bread. The combination of textures was simply divine.

The ubiquitous mask manning the counter top. I should have asked if I could take this fluffy thing home, hee!

When everyone had settled into each seat, we were told that we were about to have an eight-course meal. I held my breath. I am afraid of dinners that have more than five courses. They usually end badly for me. Yipes. Good thing the menu was all about cheese. I love cheese. I’d put it on anything. Even sinigang.

First course was Strawberry Fields. It was a green salad topped with strawberries and cheese and dressed with balsamic vinegar. It was deliciously crunchy, and the strawberries gave it a sweet kick.

Second course was Sweetart, which was some sort of a cross between a pastry and a pizza. It has the texture of a croissant.

Third course was Chiz Soup. I kept thinking of the political figure who goes by the same name. Hehe. This was actually made of potatoes,  truffles and grated cheese.

The fourth course, Please Rise, was an absolute delight. I’m one of those few people who actually eat bell peppers (particularly Dole’s) as if they were fruit, so biting into this was most definitely fun.

Fifth course was Clam Up, which was characterized by cream, grated cheese and bacon bits. This had a particularly strong flavor, so the bread served as a way to break its richness.

Pasta M was not in the menu as Chef JJ intended for it to be a surprise.  He said that he named this pesto dish after his grandma.

The seventh course, Baa Baa Baa, was obviously lamb. It wasn’t too photogenic but it was very soft and tasty. The only reason I wasn’t able to finish this was that I was already full…and I don’t eat rare meat. Not even carpaccio.

The eighth course was a dessert made from bananas and Nutella. Unlike many people who have professed their undying adoration for Nutella, I am one of those who’d take Vegemite over it. Goodness, what a whole load of difference cheese makes!!! I enjoyed this dessert so much, I felt sorry that my stomach couldn’t handle any more food. That was certainly filling!

Thanks, Perfect Italiano and Pinoy Eats World! I never would have imagined the many other creative ways of cooking with cheese if it weren’t for this dinner. Arrivederci!