FLAVOURS OF ILOILO

With seven entries making a total of 1862 cups of La Paz batchoy, it was indeed a cook off of big and gastronomic proportions as Ilonggos witnessed a culinary event like no other. A culinary competition searching for the Best Tasting La Paz batchoy and Largest Serving “batchoyan” was held last Friday aiming to score a spot for Iloilo on the culinary map. SM Hypermarket Iloilo, on its first anniversary, sets it sight on creating a milestone by creating a new record for Iloilo’s most famous delicacy. The retail giant gathered several snack shops, carinderias and caterers among others to concoct their own recipe for La Paz batchoy sand serve the most number of cups ever to be served from a single place at any one time in the province. From the familiar to almost unknown, teams from all across Iloilo converged that afternoon to showcase not only their best recipes but also their determination to outdo each other in making the most number of servings. Tasked to select the Best Tasting batch...

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 worl d’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, Sa n Remo, McCormick, Bounty Fresh Chicken, CDO, Purefoods Tender Juicy Hotdog, Purefoods Star Hotdog, M agnolia Cheezee spread, Magnolia Purefresh, Magnolia All Purpose Cream and Magnolia Dari Crème – each a f amiliar staple in today’s Filipino kitchen, have participated in these cooking demos held throughout the country. And Ilonggos have witnessed (and tasted) three ...

A few days ago SM Hypermarket Iloilo hosted the third leg of its cooking demos and this time it brought in an Ilonggo chef who’s making waves in the big city. Speaking fluently in Ilonggo during his stint 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. He also takes charge at the kitchen of Casa Roces - a heritage restaurant in a converted family home near Malacañan Palace and has a heritage menu," "The menu is inspired by the family’s published cookbook, recipes from the 1940s and ’50s of relatives living here or abroad. That’s where it started." Celebrations, a Culinary Feast from the Roces-Reyes Table was published in 2010 and is filled with the family’s recipes handed down from generation to generation. (from Business World Online ) The recipes shared by Chef Menoy had a sort of international flair as it ranged from Japanese and Chinese speci...

Today I was at SM Hypermarket in Jaro to be part the marathon cooking demos happening simultaneously around the country in celebration of the supermarket’s 10th year anniversary . It was the inaugural event for the Iloilo branch and excitement was all around the place. The program started with the introduction of the master chef - Mr. Jose Ricky Paborada . He’s currently the house chef and instructor at Colegio del Sagrado Corazon de Jesus but prior to this, he has served quite a few notable places and had some share of accomplishments. He has worked at the former Hotel Nikko Manila Garden (now Dusit Hotel Manila) for ten years (2 years in the main kitchen, 2 years in the international coffee shop and 6 years cold kitchen). During these years he joined the Chefs on Parade and got silver medals in the Seafood Cocktail category for two straight years (1995-96). He then transferred to Riviera Golf and Country Club in Silang, Cavite owned by former pres. Fidel V Ramos. Then in 2000, he acc...

It used to be that we only ate to live. Today, however, the role of food and cooking has changed and expanded. What used to be just ‘a tummy filler’ has become a way of entertainment, a fitting celebration, a form of self expression, a lifestyle, even a new culture! Just look at the television shows, online fora, blogs and newspaper articles – it’s all food, food, food, and more food. Food is as basic as it is. Yet in that realm, today’s generation is hungry for new preparations, innovations, creativity, new experiences, adventure, and something to talk about. That’s why on its 10th anniversary, SM Hypermarket sets its sights on creating milestones with its SM Master Chefs program .First off, nineteen master 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 Cheeze spread, Magnolia Purefr...