For the past few weeks, I‘ve been intently following a series of cooking demos held at SM Hypermarket Iloilo. On its 10th year anniversary nationwide, it is set in creating milestones with its SM Master Chefs program. A composite event made up of three components – marathon cooking demos, a kitchen make over raffle and a grand cook-off event.
Teaming up with super brands in the food business, it aims to feed the culinary world’s insatiable hunger for innovation. Nineteen familiar brands - Knorr, Nestle All Purpose Cream, Unilever Food Solutions, Tabasco, Lee Kum Kee, Lady’s Choice, Maggi, Clara Ole, Kikkoman Soy Sauce, San Remo, McCormick, Bounty Fresh Chicken, CDO, Purefoods Tender Juicy Hotdog, Purefoods Star Hotdog, Magnolia Cheezee spread, Magnolia Purefresh, Magnolia All Purpose Cream and Magnolia Dari Crème – each a familiar staple in today’s Filipino kitchen, have participated in these cooking demos held throughout the country.
And Ilonggos have witnessed (and tasted) three cooking demos during the past weeks with the inaugural event having Chef Jose Ricky Paborada dishing out mouth watering Filipino dishes – Beef Adobo, Menudo ala Tapas and Beef Steak, with Knorr products to give a new flavour dimension.
Chef Ricky currently is the house chef and instructor at Colegio del Sagrado Corazon de Jesus but prior to this, he has worked at the former Hotel Nikko Manila Garden (now Dusit Hotel Manila) for ten years and during these years he joined the Chefs on Parade and got silver medals in the Seafood Cocktail category for two straight years (1995-96).Chef Ricky first prepared Beef Adobo using Knorr tamarind soup base instead of vinegar and Knorr Liquid Seasoning instead of soy sauce. His Menudo ala Tapas (recipe follows) also utilized the same products but with the addition of Knorr Rostip for more flavour.
For the Beef Steak, instead of concocting from scratch Chef Jose, made a short cut and used Knorr Demi Glace sauce mix. It’s a ready mix powder that creates the flavour and consistency of a sauce usually used for roast beef, steaks and others. No need to concoct it from scratch, just add warm water and mix to desired consistency. On top of this Chef Jose added Clara Ole’s Cheesy Pesto sauce giving it more aroma and a kick to the already savoury mix.In the weeks that followed, it was Chef Kai Verdadero who shared her expertise. She obtained her diploma in Professional Culinary Arts from the Center for Asian Culinary Studies. At present she is the retail chef for San Miguel Purefoods Culinary Center concocting recipes and handling Magnolia Poultry, Purefoods Hormel and San Mig Coffee.
The lady chef concocted a recipe called Star Ranchero Rice somewhat similar to our very own valenciana. A mix of rice, vegetables and Purefoods Star Hotdog embraced in a sweet style pizza sauce. She also created a quick snack, Cheesy Hotdog and Fries Sandwich Overload plus a quick-fix meal, Chicken and Mushroom Baked Rice making use of fried Magnolia Chicken Fingers and Quickmelt Cheese on top of cream of mushroom sauce mix and rice. And the Peaches and Cream Caramel Trifle recipe she concocted ended her cooking stint on a sweet note.
Just last week, another master chef was in town to share recipes using CDO products. Speaking fluently in Ilonggo, as he is one, was Chef Menoy Gimenez, the executive chef of the Cravings group – which includes Cravings Restaurant and Bakeshop, The Coffee Beanery and C2 Classic Cuisine, among others.
The recipes shared by Chef Menoy had a sort of international flair as it ranged from Japanese and Chinese specialties to Mexican and Italian dishes– yet all having the familiar ingredients.
He used San Marino Chili Corned Tuna for the Italian Summer Maki Roll (recipe follows) plus Tuna Pasta Puttanesca and San Marino Tuna Paella for the Grilled Seafood Burrito. While he used the popular CDO meat products like the Ulam Burger in making Fajitas, Young Pork Tocino for Chao Fan rice, and Tapa for Teriyaki Pizza.
It used to be that we only eat to live. Today, however, the role of food and cooking has changed and expanded. What was just a “tummy-filler” has become a way of entertainment, a fitting celebration, a form of self expression, a lifestyle and even a new culture!The next cooking demo is scheduled on Sept. 22, 2011 at 4pm. For more information, you can call SM Hypermarket at 329-2299.
As published in my column FLAVORS on The News Today dated Sept. 9, 2011.