When in Manila, why not try to learn how to cook authentic pinoy dishes? Last August 13, a cooking demo was held at the supermarket area of the Robinson’s Galleria where famed Filipino chefs finally spilled out there secrets in creating the most scrumptious Filipino dishes. I haven’t been to Robinson’s Galleria in years, so going there was like going for the first time. I had to find my way through hoards of people at the shopping mall since it was basically a payday weekend, so I expected a LOT of people. The cooking demo area was situated at the entrance of the grocery store, and the area they occupied was quite small, but nevertheless the venue was probably just the right size, and at the right area, since there were a lot of people passing through.
As I made my way to the second row of seats, I met with some of the moms who eagerly awaited Chef Tristan Encarnacion and who were also excited to learn new recipes from Knorr. The place started to get packed and everyone was quite excited to taste all the food that was going to be prepared and learn small tips and tricks in the kitchen.
First up was Chef Angelo Comsti who taught us how to cook Fried Pork Spareribs with salt and pepper. The nice thing about the cooking demo was that all the recipes can be easily cooked at home and were easy to do, and all the ingredients were familiar to everyone who attended unlike those cooking shows you get to see on television which uses all types of unfamiliar cooking jargon like the “julienne the vegetables” and “I like it al dente” which leaves most of the viewers going, “what the heck?”.
The next chef, who I think is one of the cutest chefs to grace the Filipino kitchen, was Chef Tristan Encarnacion. He exuded this rebellious/bad boy image which many girls go gaga over; him being a chef makes it more awesome. Okay, enough of that, my favorite dishes from Chef Tristan were the Chicharon Rice which was basically fried rice with chicharon (fried pork rind), left over rice, and boiled egg and the Fresh Chicken Rolls. Everyone who attended had to taste all of the dishes which were prepared and were given a chance to give comments about how each dish tasted.
There were a lot of times when I literally wanted to walk out of the event because it was just so HOT in there. Imagine the glare of the grocery lights plus all the heat coming from all that cooking, and don’t forget the huge crowd who attended, it was almost suffocating, but seeing everyone having fun and getting excited because of Chef Tristan and Chef Angelo and all the new things they can learn, I decided to stay and learn things that I could easily whip up at home!
Here are the recipes of the two dishes I loved the most:
CHICHARON RICE
A hearty indulgence that only takes a snap to prepare. A perfect compliment to a meal or a full meal itself?
Serves 4
3 Tbsps cooking oil
4 Cups cooked rice
1 Cup chicharon, coarsely crushed
1 sachet Knorr All-in-One + Meaty Seasoning 8g
1/8 Cup spring onions, chopped
1 piece hardboiled egg, sliced
- 1. In a hot pan, sauté cooked rice and add in the chicharon. Add Knorr All-in-One + Meaty Seasoning.
- Mix well before serving and top with spring onions and hardboiled egg.
FRESH CHICKEN ROLLS
Try this take on the Filipino classic with chicken and cauliflower!
Serves 4
2 Tbsps cooking oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 Tbsp medium sized red onion, chopped
1/2 Cup chicken breast, sliced
2 Tbsps celery, chopped
1/2 piece carrot, medium sized, strips
2 Cups cauliflower (without the stems)
1 Cup singkamas, cut into strips
1 sachet All-in-One + Meaty Seasoning 8g
4 to 6 pieces fresh lumpia wrapper, medium size
4 to 6 pieces fresh, native lettuce
Lumpia Sauce
2 Tbsps cornstarch
2 Tbsps water
2 Tbsps soy sauce
2 Tbsps brown sugar
1/4 Cup peanuts, ground
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1. Sauté garlic and onion. Add chicken, celery, carrots and cauliflower.
2. Mix and simmer for 2 minutes, then add singkamas & Knorr All-in-One + Meaty Seasoning.
3. Remove from pan and drain well.
4. Put the vegetables in a plate to cool.
5. Lay lumpia wrapper in a dry plate and put 1 pc lettuce. Scoop 2-3 tablespoons of the vegetables on top of the lettuce.
6. Fold neatly, making sure all vegetables are intact, and serve.
For the sauce
1. In a small cooking pot, dissolve the cornstarch in water.
2. Add 2 cups of water.
3. Add soy sauce, brown sugar & garlic.
4. Bring to boil until it thickens. Adjust to taste if necessary, then add peanuts.
See how easy that was, so When in Manila, or anywhere else in the world, try to whip up these easy and delicious Filipino dishes with the help of the wonderful recipes you’ll find at Yummy Magazine plus with Knorr All-in-One + Meaty Seasoning, it’s guaranteed that everything you make at home will definitely taste even better.
Thanks to Yummy Magazine and Knorr for putting up such a wonderful event!
