The White Falcon - 07.10.1983, Síða 2

2 THE WHITE FALCON/October 7. 1983
Even an ordinary potato can become beautiful.
In short time* MSI Ed Arcilla has turned fruits and veeatables into creative works of art.
MSI Arcilla on 'culinary adornment’
Article by Capt. Roberto G. Frondozo, USAF
and Photos by PH3 Jeff Wood
Art is expressed in a variety of ways.
Painters use oil, color and canvas to pro-
duce an artistic design. Sculptors have
wood, stone and marble as materials to cre-
ate three-dimensional images. Even bakers
fashion bread and cakes into mouth-watering
objects of art to add color to a festive
occasion. These creative works are common
and have gained recognition throughout the
ages.
But, there is one form of art left with
little recognition in spite of its appeal
to a great majority of on-lookers. It is
called, for lack of a proper name, "culin-
ary adornment" -- a special way of trans-
forming ordinary vegetables and fruit into
shapes of flowers and animals. These uni-
que decorations are arranged to present an
appetizing look to any dish.
The individual possessing such a remark-
able talent happens to be assigned to Kef-
1 avi. He is MSI Eduardo P. Arcilla, per-
sonal mess specialist to the Commander Ice-
land Defense Force. On several occasions,
MSI Arcilla designed marvelous centerpieces
adorned with flowers and animal-like repli-
cas made of apples, lemons, pineapples,
carrots, beets, radishes, potatoes, water-
melons, etc. Through his imaginative mind,
he can look at these ordinary kitchen dwel-
lers and transform them into fine works of
art, ready to stand the test of the criti-
cal eyes of dignitaries and special guests.
At every reception, formal dinner, banquet
and wedding, his creations always become
the talk of the gathering--a masterpiece
that presents a scenic party atmosphere.
Ed, as many of his friends call him, is
a native of the Philippines. His artistic
inclinations have been influenced by his
job as a professional screen actor and sing-
er prior to joining the Navy in 1966. More-
over cooking gourmet dishes as a hobby
provided the impetus to these ingenious
decorations on the table.
Preparing food for high-ranking offici-
als of the government, mil itary and civilian
alike, has become an integral part of his
job. While assigned to the Joint Chiefs of
Staff in the Pentagon, he provided the same
quality service to four different chairmen
-- General Earle G. Wheeler, U.S. Army;
Admiral Thomas H. Moorer, U.S. Navy; Gener-
al George S. Brown, U.S. Air Force; and
General David C. Jones, U.S. Air Force.
There, he also served visiting dignitaries
such as Vice Presidents Spiro Agnew and
Nelson Rockefeller. Today, more VIPs who
come to the "Land of Ice and Fire" add to
his list -- Vice President George Bush,
Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger,
General John Pickett; and U.S. Ambassador
Marshall Brement.
His skill and expertise in food creativ-
ity has been the product of his ever-curious
mind; he has not had formal training in
this area.
The ve£atable centerpiece nears completion.