DIAMOND Hotel Philippines celebrates the rich, colorful and delicious cuisine of Mexico come September 15 to 17 (2017), as it stages Mexican Fiesta at the hotel’s Corniche Restaurant.
It will be a grand buffet of earthy, zesty and spicy Mexican dishes that features such delightful gastronomic traditions as Guacamole (a dip made from a healthy mix of avocado, tomato, chipotle, white onion and spices with a squeeze of lemon juice), Ceviche Costeño (a kinilaw-type appetizer that combines shrimps and tanigue fillet), and Cochinita Pibil (a delicately prepared, slow-roasted pork dish served with a savory sauce, which guarantees to satisfy the craving of meat lovers).
Tacos are truly Mexican, and during Diamond Hotel’s Mexican Fiesta, it will come in different forms, including Taco Al Pastor (a flavor-packed taco shell loaded with seasoned pork fillets, garnished with coriander, onion, lime wedges and pineapple) and Taco De Canasta Con Frijol Y Chorizo (a crunchy corn tortilla stuffed with chorizo, white onion, garlic and black beans).
And if you think Mexican cuisine has no decent dessert to speak of, Mexican Fiesta makes you think again by ending each meal with Helado De Tequila (Tequila ice cream). Yes, Tequila ice cream!
The Mexican Fiesta lunch and dinner buffets are priced at Php2,680 nett per person.
Diners partaking of Mexican Fiesta may also wish to jazz up their evenings with an All-Out-Mexican Mix at the Diamond Hotel’s Bar 27, where they get to explore the spirit of Tequila crafted from 100% agave. Enjoy it straight, as a margarita or as other cocktail drinks. Those who like their Tequila with a twist can try the mixtos (with 51% agave).
As a special treat, Mexican nationals and Mexican Embassy employees are entitled to a discount at the dinner buffet.
(Diamond Hotel Philippines is located at Roxas Blvd. corner Dr. J. Quintos St., Manila. For restaurant reservations, call 528-3000 extension 1121.)
Oliviers&Co. items on display at the Central Square boutique
ONE of the world’s best olive oil brands and one of Manila’s top artisan Italian restaurants meet in a special collaboration that had Va Bene Pasta Deli’s executive chef and owner Massimo Veronesi personally curate a special menu of dishes created using different Oliviers&Co. (O&Co.) products.
Both the Oliviers&Co. boutique and the top-rated Va Bene restaurant are located at Central Square, located at the corner of 30th St. and 5th Ave., Bonifacio Global City. On their own, both are well-known and highly respected brands—Oliviers&Co. is famous for its flavored gourmet olive oils, which are sourced from different countries; and Va Bene is critically acclaimed for the high-quality food it serves.
Oliviers&Co. specializes in gourmet olive oils, condiments and seasongs
A sample of the Oliviers&Co. items at the Central Square boutique
France-based olive oil company Oliviers&Co. sources its olive oils from the best places in the world, including France, Spain, Italy, Greece, Croatia and Portugal. At a certain time of the year annually, olive oil producing companies using hand-picked olives from their own farms submit samples to Oliviers&Co. and only the best are selected “by taste, by nose and by luminescence” and retailed under the O&C brand. The boutique also sells specialty condiments and seasonings, such as Blueberry Balsamic Condiment and Fig Condiment.
Top artisan Italian restaurant Va Bene Pasta Deli
Va Bene Pasta Deli executive chef and owner Massimo Veronesi
Va Bene offers a plethora of culinary delights with its decadent menu that gives diners a taste of true Italian food. It serves fresh pastas, such as fettuccine, tagliolini and pappardelle in different flavors, served with a choice of pasta sauces prepared a la minute. Each dish is prepared in such a way that the diner would feel like being transported to the lovely streets of Italy under the Tuscan sun.
For the special collaboration between O&Co. and Va Bene, Chef Massimo created dishes using O&Co. products as main ingredient, thus giving the dishes an extra special burst of flavor.
Tuna Carpaccio with O&Co. Lemon Specialty Olive Oil
Tuna Carpaccio with straciatella cheese, celery, dill and capers, finished with O&Co. Lemon Specialty Olive Oil. It served as the perfect appetizer to prepare the taste buds for the bold flavors to come.
Aglio E Olio with O&Co. Lemon Specialty Olive Oil
Aglio E Olio. Homemade linguine pasta with sautéed “aglio e olio” clams, plus zucchini, and finished with O&Co. Lemon Specialty Olive Oil. It is simple but is astonishingly full-flavored.
Tomato Risotto with O&Co. 2017 Affiorato Oil
Tomato Risotto. Chef Massimo made Carnaroli risotto and cooked it with sun-dried tomatoes, fresh basil and buffalo straciatella cheese, and finished with O&Co. 2017 Affiorato Oil. It has a creamy texture with a burst of fresh Mediterranean flavors.
Summer Panna Cotta with O&Co. Blueberry Balsamic Condiment
Summer Panna Cotta. The refreshing vanilla orange panna cotta topped with O&Co. Blueberry Balsamic Condiment gives diners a taste of summer, combining tart and sweet flavors to make it a refreshing dessert.
Olive Oil Ice Cream with O&Co. 2017 Affiorato Oil
Olive Oil Ice Cream. Another interesting dessert, it is vanilla ice cream made more delectable with a drizzling of O&Co. 2017 Affiorato Oil, topped with honey and chopped almonds and lemon zest.
Strawberry an Fig with O&Co. Fig Condiment
Strawberry & Fig happens to be the third sweet treat. This time, the vanilla ice cream is on a bed of sliced fresh strawberries, then finished with a drizzling of O&Co. Fig Condiment.
“The use of premium extra virgin oil balances and complements the taste of the food. For each dish, I chose the oil with the right characteristics to give it an unexpected, delectable flavor,” says Chef Massimo.
Exclusively distributed by Specialty Food Retailers Inc. (SFRI), a member of the SSI Group Inc., Oliviers&Co. has boutiques at Central Square, Bonifacio High Street and Greenbelt 5.
ACCORDING to the National Kidney and Transplant Institute, kidney failure is the seventh leading cause of death among Filipinos and some 30,000 to 40,000 patients undergo dialysis every year. This is probably due to the fact that Filipinos, in general, love salty food and have excessive salt in the body.
It’s most unfortunate, considering that the kidneys, which are two bean-shaped multi-functional powerhouse organs of the urinary system, are very important. They expel waste from the body, balance body fluids, release hormones that regular blood pressure, and control the production of red blood cells.
It is therefore important to take good care of the kidneys, in particular, and the urinary tract, in general. To do so, Old Orchard’s resident U.S. based nutritionist Amy Bragagini, MS, RD, CSO, offers the following tips:
1. Eat healthy and exercise regularly.
Diabetes and high blood pressure cause most of the kidney problems. When blood pressure is high, blood vessels stretch to allow blood to flow more easily. The stretching eventually injures and weakens the blood vessels, impairing their ability to clean blood properly, including those in the kidneys. That’s why it is always best to follow healthy eating habits such as limiting intake of sodium (2,500mg) and sugar, and controlling weight and blood pressure through exercise. Also consider adding calcium-filled food (milk, yogurt, calcium fortified cereals, etc.) to your diet. Do not, however, take calcium supplements as an alternative to natural food sources, as it can result in the formation of kidney stones when taken in excess, and that’s another problem to deal with.
2. Do not smoke.
Smoking slows down the flow of blood to the kidneys, impairing its proper function and increasing the risk of kidney cancer by 50%.
3. Limit your over-the-counter medications.
The kidneys can only take so much, so do not over-medicate. Overmedicating can create high toxin levels in the body, posing great burden on the kidneys. Best to follow prescriptions and doctors’ instructions.
4. Have regular checkups.
If diabetes or high blood pressure runs in your genes, it is always advisable to have your kidneys checked regularly. A creatinine level higher than 1.2 for women and 1.4 for men is a sure sign of kidney problem.
5. Stay properly hydrated.
“Fluid intake is another important step to help lower risk of kidney stone formation and urinary tract infection,” says Bragagini. So, while still healthy and not suffering from any form of kidney disease, you should make it a habit to consume enough water and other fluids. At least two liters of fluid per day should be enough. Fluids in the body help dilute the urine and flush out toxins.
Aside from water, Bragagini prescribes pairing meals with cranberry juice to help reduce instances of irritation in the urinary tract. After all, cranberries are packed with Vitamin C and is a source of Flavonoid and Phytonutrient contents called Hippuric Acid and Proanthocyanidin. The latter are power-packed components that prevent UTI-causing bacteria from sticking to the walls of the bladder and urinary tract, thus preventing damage to the kidneys.
“The most important thing that you can do to keep your kidneys safe is to take care of your body to reduce your chances of developing diseases that put a strain on your kidneys. Prevention is the best, so consult your physician or dietitian regularly,” says Bragagini.
Old Orchard Cranberry Juice comes in three variants: Cranberry, Apple Cranberry, and Cranberry Raspberry. There are also diabetic-friendly variants that contain 75% less sugar and contains only 20 calories—Healthy Balance Cranberry and Healthy Balance Apple Cranberry. For more tips on the health benefits of cranberry juice and more information on kidney problems and solutions, visit oldorchard.com.
Old Orchard is exclusively distributed by Fly Ace Corporation and is available in leading supermarkets and drugstores nationwide.
BEEN experimenting with recipes, particularly sauces, since my husband Raff and I finally came home to Cainta after staying with my sister in Mandaluyong City for a year following Raff’s stroke. I cook, yes, but our lifestyle as members of media in the food and travel beat took us out on lunches and dinners most of the time, so that I did not have to cook too often in the house. It was mostly relegated to weekends. But now, as Raff recovers and undergoes therapy at home, I have to prepare every meal. My old menu repertoire was not enough, and I could not delve much into the gourmet dishes and recipes I learned from culinary school (Center for Asian Culinary Studies or CACS) because we came home with a househelp and she has a simple palate.
So I often consult chef friends on what else I can do with simple fish, such as bangus, tilapia, galunggong and bisugo; and I also google a lot as well as flip the pages of my cookbooks at home. I stumbled upon this really nice teriyaki sauce recipe, which was used on tofu. I experimented with it, adjusted its sweetness level to suit my preference, and poured it over fried bangus belly, then sprinkled sesame seeds over it.
Perfect!
Try this.
For the fish:
6 pcs. boneless bangus belly
salt to taste
cornstarch or all-purpose flour for dredging
oil for frying
sesame seeds
1. Season fish with salt. Allow to marinate for a few minutes.
2. Dredge with cornstarch or all-purpose flour. Then fry in hot oil.
3. Drain off excess oil on paper towel. Set aside.
For the teriyaki sauce:
1-1/2 tsps. minced garlic
1 cup water
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/4 cup water
1. Combine garlic, 1 cup water, soy sauce and sugar in a saucepan. Mix until sugar is dissolved. Cook.
2. Dissolve cornstarch in 1/4 cup water. Use to thicken sauce.
3. Cook sauce over low heat until sauce thickens.
4. To assemble: Arrange fish on serving platter. Pour or ladle sauce over the bangus bellies. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, and serve with freshly cooked rice.
Mama Sita’s Heirloom Rice Champorado Rice makes delicious bowls of dark chocolate rice porridge
WHEN my husband Raff and I got back home to Cainta after staying with my sister in Mandaluyong for a year following Raff’s stroke and hospitalization, among the stuff that I found at home was a box of Mama Sita’s Heirloom Rice Champorado (Balatinaw). I opened the box and found two packets—one, a vacuum-packed plastic bag filled with Balatinaw rice; and the other an aluminum foil-like packet that contains pure dark cacao cubes and sugar. The instruction card says to mix everything in a stockpot with 5 cups of water, bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat and cook until thick and done.
I have always loved heirloom rice, and it makes me happy to know that there is a strong movement in recent years to encourage farmers to continue planting heirloom rice so that it does not fade into oblivion. A number of restaurants have made it their advocacy to use certain varieties of heirloom rice, and quite a few celebrity chefs, both local and foreign, have now made it their personal quest to promote heirloom rice. Even food companies are now actively involved in the promotion of heirloom rice and other uniquely Pinoy ingredients. Marigold Corporation, the manufacturer and distributor of Mama Sita’s mixes and sauces, happens to be one of them. I do believe that Mama Sita’s Heirloom Rice Champorado is a serious and strong effort to encourage farmers to keep planting heirloom rice, since they no longer have to worry about marketing their products and pricing has been kept competitive.
I cooked the Mama Sita’s Heirloom Rice Champorado the next morning, and though it took a bit of time to prepare the concoction, the result was quite encouraging. It was a delicious dark chocolate rice porridge. The Balatinaw rice gave it a good bite and the roasted pure cacao gave it an intense dark chocolate flavor—not too sweet, just right. You can tell that the Mama Sita’s kitchen team gave the product much thought and kitchen tests to perfect the mix before marketing it.
Balatinaw rice, which is sourced from Bauko, Mt. Province, is perfect for Champorado not only because of the bite but also because it gives the Champorado an appetizing deep brown color. Balatinaw is a deep purple to black medium, whole grain and semi-sticky rice variety with a hint of fruity and chocolatey flavor and aroma.
Raff loved the Champorado! But since Mama Sita’s Heirloom Rice Champorado was packed eclectically in a brown corrugated box, I doubted if it was commercially available, so I got in touch with Mama Sita’s Ces Nepomuceno-Gamad, who told me that it is only available at the Mama Sita’s pop-up kiosk at the tiangge section of Greenhills Shopping Center in San Juan.
Balatinaw rice, dark cacao cubes and sugar
I am told that Mama Sita’s Heirloom Rice Champorado comes in different heirloom rice variants: Balatinaw, Ominio, Minaangan and Kalinga Jekot.
Ominio, which is often confused with Balatinaw, has deep purple to black medium, semi-polished grains. It is a type of sticky or glutinous rice that is sourced in semi-polished state from Barlig, Mt. Province.
Minaangan rice comes from Banaue, Ifugao. It has reddish brown, thin whole grains, and is a semi-sticky rice variety.
Kalinga Jekot has beautiful , oblong and reddish grains that exude a full-bodied aroma. A type of sticky or glutinous rice, it is perfect for delicious local desserts or kakanins.
If you notice, all four heirloom rice varieties come from the Cordilleras. This is because Mama Sita Foundation supports the Department of Agriculture’s Philippine Heirloom Rice Project by using Cordillera heirloom rice for making Mama Sita’s Champorado Rice + Cacao Porridge.
One pack of Mama Sita’s Heirloom Rice Champorado kit costs Php180, which is worth it because it yields two to three servings and is absolutely delicious. Personally, my hands-down choice is the Balatinaw.
DIAMOND Hotel Philippines celebrates the rich, colorful and delicious cuisine of Mexico come September 15 to 17 (2017), as it stages Mexican Fiesta at the hotel’s Corniche Restaurant.
