Buwan ng Wika: Filipino chefs share recipes to let you travel by the tongue
MANILA, Philippines — Can't travel due to quarantine restrictions?
Then, starting this Buwan ng Wika, why not travel through your taste buds?
Have a food trip right at the comforts of your home. Explore different cultures through the sundry of flavors presented by the following world-class Filipino chefs:
Chef JP Anglo’s Oyster Omelette
When it comes to Singaporean food, Hainanese chicken, chili crab and laksa immediately come to mind. There's one dish that's also a favorite in many hawker centers and Sarsa owner and chef JP Anglo is so in-love with it that he spends extra bucks whenever he is in Singapore.
Oyster omelette is a simple dish that is made primarily with batter, egg and oysters, served with the signature Singaporean condiment, chili sauce and lime. It is deep-fried to crispy goodness and has Chef JP salivating over it in his many trips to the city-state. His good friend and popular Singaporean chef and owner of hip restaurant Artichoke, Chef Bjorn Shen, shared how his friend goes crazy about it.
"This guy's nuts. I think he can eat like five oyster omelettes. One day he ate it in three or four places. Crazy," the "MasterChef Singapore" judge said.
"I guess what makes it is the lard," answered JP when asked what makes a good oyster omelette. "It's the pork lard that you cook the batter with and the egg. There's two batters, the starchy batter, almost like a pancake, and then there's the egg. When you cook that with lard, that gives it the flavor because fat is flavor, fat is good. The oysters are the ones that gives it finesse."
Chef Bjorn added that what really makes the Oyster Omelette puffy and fluffy is it being cooked in a lot of oil.
The long-time friends are set to share more secrets to making the hawker favorite from the comforts of one's home via the "Boyster Omelette" masterclass on Sunday, August 29, at 6 p.m. on the VisitSingaporePH Facebook page. They will feature their own renditions of the Oyster Omelette.
The masterclass is just among the many activities in store for the 28th edition of the Singapore Food Festival (SFF) happening from August 27 to September 12.
Presented by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), this year's edition is twice more bigger than last year with over 50 physical and online gastronomic activities.
Those who are craving for their favorite Singaporean dishes can pick up their phones and order via the online food delivery app Pick.A.Roo. They can order from any of its 11 partner merchants — Putien, Hawker Chan, Babu, Marriott Cafe, Shang at Home, James & Daughter, Banana Leaf, Your Local, Char Express, Nanyang, and Wee Nam Kee. They can also get a discount voucher worth P150 for a minimum purchase of P1,000, using the code PICKSFF.
Curious foodies can take a deep dive into the plant-growing business of Kok Fah Farm. Through a docu-feature, the SFF will take viewers on a virtual tour of the family-owned soil and hydroponics farm, where they can learn about the technologies behind high-quality local produce.
They can also watch "Kitchen Insider: Sustenir," which gives information on modern farming and incorporating one’s own produce into everyday dishes.
Walk through Singapore's popular neighborhoods as renowned food host Nikki Muller takes viewers on a virtual tour of foodie destinations, Little India and Tiong Bahru.
Beet & Feta Dip by Chef Waya Araos
Breville Philippines recently lent some color to everyone’s kitchens with its virtual event which also launched its newest product, the Fresh and Furious Blender. The gathering, which was simultaneously broadcast live from Manila and Baguio, gathered some of the biggest personalities in the restaurant, film, music and theater industry to share their favorite recipes using the brand’s latest addition to their collection of premium home appliances.
With the theme “Celebrate Your Colors,” the event had the Breville Bunch teach viewers how to create exciting and healthy recipes from appetizers down to healthy drinks. Chef Waya Araos of Gourmet Gypsy Cafe and Gypsy Baguio led the pack by sharing her Beet and Feta dip recipe which is the perfect, nutritious snack for both kids and adults.
Ingredients
400g beets
2T olive oil
1T salt
1t pepper
1 head of garlic, unpeeled, slice in half crosswise
Juice from 1 lemon
300g yogurt
50g feta cheese
Procedure
1) Peel and slice beets. Sprinkle with olive oil, salt and pepper on the beets and garlic. Wrap the garlic in foil. Roast beets and garlic in the breville.oven at 180C for 25-30 mins until tender.
2) Put garlic (peel first), beets, lemon juice and yogurt in the blender and puree until smooth. Place in a serving bowl and top with crumbled feta cheese. Serve with pita, toast, crackers and Crudités
Dirty Ube Latte by Margo Flores
Ingredients
Ube Puree:
1. 2 cups Ube halaya
2. 1 cup coconut milk
3. 1 cup condensed milk
4. 1 tbsps of Ube extract
Iced Dirty Ube Latte:
1. 1 tbsp Ube Halaya
2. 2 tbsp Ube Puree
3. Ice Cubes
4. 1/4 cup milk of your choice
5. 2 shots of espresso
Procedure
1. Prepare your Ube Puree. Combine Ube Halaya, Coconut Milk, Condensed Milk and Ube Extract by using Puree function of the Breville Fresh and Furious Blender. Set aside.
2. Place 1 tbsp of Ube Halaya in your glass
3. Pour 2 tbsps of the prepared Ube Puree
4. Add 60-80g of ice
5. Pour 1/4 cup of milk of your choice
6. Lastly, add the 2 shots of espresso on top of your drink
Chef Boy Logro’s Omurice
While dining in your favorite restos is out of the question with the current lockdown, sought after Pinoy chefs Boy Logro and Aileen Conde are sharing a variety of easy-to-recreate recipes in cooking show Solane Kitchen Moments. Discover recipes for the healthy eater, the sweet tooth, and even the kids, together with a handful of tips and tricks from these professional chefs.
If you’re over frying things and want to opt for something healthier, try Logro’s Pinaisang Isda. This recipe makes use of fresh ingredients that can easily be found in your nearest palengke or supermarket – a fish and a colorful selection of vegetables. The renowned chef, who hails from the beautiful island of Biliran in Leyte, opts for Maya Maya as his fish of choice, although you can definitely go for any fish you prefer. Either way, this homey dish made sour by kamias is bound to be a staple in your dining table.
Meawhile, if you have kids at home and are looking for a palate-friendly recipe, have a go at Logro’s Omurice. Kids can be picky, but this recipe is tried and tested by Logro’s eight grand kids. It’s also a fun way to make the young ones eat their greens and proteins.
Pastry Chef Aileen Conde’s Dulce de Leche Cheesecake
Another hit among kids (and adults, too) is dessert. And Conde, pastry chef and cake shop Honey Glaze Cakes owner, shares mouthwatering desserts baked to perfection. A successful baker, Conde has served the likes of Sam Pinto and Ruffa Gutierrez.
Chef Sau Del Rosario's Vuco Fye
Le Petit Café Fleur owner Chef Sau Del Rosario and Mesa ni Misis founder Juana Yupangco reveal the recipes and secret ingredients behind some of their most sought-after dishes on Solane Kitchen Moments, Solane's unique cooking-slash-talk show that anchors on fond memories relived through great food, hosted on their Youtube page.
Del Rosario’s legacy dishes lie in Le Petit Café Fleur, one of the latest gems in the bright streets of Poblacion, Makati. To most, the name Café Fleur is not new – the restaurant first stood in Pampanga where people would go all the way to try Chef Sau’s dishes. While the Makati branch makes it easier for Manileños and Southies to get their fill, Solane Kitchen Moments shares the actual recipes to the bestsellers: the Crispy Pork Belly Kare-Kare, Boneless Pollo a la Plancha, and of course, the famous Vuco Fye.
Juana Yupangco’s Upo Lasagna
“Plant-based cooking is slowly becoming more mainstream, and being supported by iconic brands really shows that they believe in what I do, and that plant-based cooking can be taken to a larger audience,” Yupangco expressed. One of her first original plant-based dishes is the famous, cheesy Upo Lasagna, a big hit among family and friends during potlucks.
“I think that making food is my love language,” plant-based advocate Yupangco shared in an interview. “When I want to reach out to a friend or loved one, I often cook something for them, as I really take time to make something that will bring them comfort and joy when eating it.”
Meanwhile, Yupangco has a couple of healthy, plant-based tricks up her sleeve: her famous Upo Lasagna and her favorite travel find, Chiang Mai Salad.
Yupangco began her plant-based journey as an attempt to be more healthy when her husband had a health scare from having high cholesterol. Now, with a non-profit organization that advocates for plant-based nutrition and a cookbook published last year, Yupangco is doing her best to share the magic of healthy eating through her recipes – which is very much appreciated in the middle of a persistent pandemic.
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