TAWILIS: A Good Breakfast Treat

If there's one thing that this pandemic has done, it's that the entrepreneurial spirit of the Filipino actually surfaced. Tons of businesses left and right, to survive, we had to resort of many ways to earn a living. This includes services, products, even food, which all remind us of our humble beginnings.

 Now I loved staying in Tagaytay city. Whenever we stay there, our relatives remind us how welcome we are each time we visit. In the morning, I always wait eagerly for breakfast which includes toast, rice, ham, bacon and eggs, plus my favorite the super crispy fried Tawilis. The pandemic had us all confined in the city and think twice about going out of Metro Manila. While I wanted a taste of good breakfast in Tagaytay, it was a bit impossible as Tawilis was pretty much sourced only in Taal Lake.

Lo and behold, our friends heard our wishes. There actually exists DRIED TAWILIS. I was so ecstatic that something like this is available in Metro Manila. During breakfast the next day, I lightly toasted this over hot canola oil and I was overly careful not to do it too long as it might burn. I also sprinkled a little sugar just like how I cook my dilis. And voila! You now have your own Crispy Dried Tawilis at home. Since this is Tawilis, it's not overly salty because it comes from fresh water. 

What's good is that one packet of these actually can feed a bout 3 or 4 people. It looked quite small with the packaging but when you fry and take it out, it's enough to feed a small family. Now imagine having this with fresh sliced tomatoes, onions and salted egg... ugh... I know right? Well don't fret because it's actually easy to order from them. Just call Kuya Nic's via 0995 3336670. He's doing this also to help a business in Tagaytay that was heavily hit during Taal Volcano's eruption a few months ago and of course they typhoon.

 You'll love this good breakfast treat, I'm sharing it so you too can help businesses thrive during the pandemic. 

Cheers!

An Oriental Journey with Kikkoman Soy Sauce

I was invited to a cooking class a few weeks ago by the good people of Kikkoman Soy Sauce. I'm sure just like me, you've got your fair share of Kikkoman Soy Sauce stories you're raring to talk about. It's my family's go to brand if we're eating something Japanese but that afternoon during the cooking demo, I learned there's a lot of things you can do with it. 

I'm a purist kind of guy when it comes to Kikkoman Soy Sauce so when it's Sushi, Maki or Sashimi, I only use it plainly or put in a bit of wasabi to give it a little kick. The Chef's however at 25 Mushroom Kitchen showed us how we can use the lovely premium brew for different dishes without losing it's flavor. I can cook, but I don't delve that much into Japanese cooking because it tends to have a lot of preparation involved in it. Good thing they prepared most of the mise en place before we even got there as they knew that would actually take some time to chop, julienne and peel things for this short course.

The task was a bit difficult because it entails us to make California Roll from scratch, of which I know I've actually done so miserably in the past. I just did what I had to do and since most of the guys and gals there were also doing it for the first time, I think I did quite good for what it's worth and yes, I even ate my California Roll, it was edible haha!

California Roll can be actually modified by putting in different fruits or vegetable in the center. We were advised to wet our hands as putting in the rice will be a very sticky situation. Of course after everything's done, we NEED to use Kikkoman Soy Sauce as it's dip. I feel the most difficult part of this is the cutting wherein you need a very sharp knife to do it. Make sure you only put a thin layer of rice as it is going to be heavy on the belly. They also have Teriyaki Sauce now which we'll use later on in the class.

I like a LOT of Japanese mayonnaise on my California Roll so I didn't hold back in that department. My version was absolutely good! If you say otherwise, friendship over!

They also taught us a new skill, this is how to debone a whole chicken leg!

We used grated ginger, sweet sake, a little sugar and the all important Kikkoman Teriyaki Sauce as marinade!

We dredged it in flour, fried it until golden brown. We set it aside then we made the sauce.

We didn't have to thicken it anymore because the chicken already contained flour. So more Kikkoman Soy Sauce and Kikkoman Teriyaki Sauce, sugar and spices was all we need to finish the dish.

Can you see how yummy this looks like? Because it is. I loved this so much I didn't have to take it home anymore because I finished it all during the class haha!

This is the lovely Japanese Fried Rice. Amped up by Kikkoman Soy Sauce too of course!

I made a mistake (okay I admit haha) of putting a whole egg on this Beef dish. I should have only put in the egg yolk instead of the whole egg LOL but what's important is that I had fun and I learned a lot of things that we could do with Kikkoman Soy Sauce. Now if you want to experience what we did in 25 Mushrooms Kitchen, all you have to do is tell us why in an Instagram post with a photo of your favorite Kikkoman dish (just tag me). Or you can just comment on the Instagram post I'll be doing in just a bit. Convince me why you think Kikkoman Soy Sauce is the best and if you win you'll get Php 1,500 worth of Kitchen pass for a class in 25 Mushrooms Kitchen.

If you want to know more about what happened in the class we had, here's some videos to get you going!

I'll wait for your comments here and on my Instagram posts and I'll announce the winner next weekend (March 12, 2016). Who knows, it might be you!

For more information about their products:

Kikkoman Philippines

Like them on Facebook


Visit their official website

http://www.kikkoman.com.sg/

Post on Instagram and Win a Wingstop Flavor Revolution Party!

The ATOMIC, my personal favorite!

What? You haven't been in a Wingstop branch yet? Well, you my boy (or girl) are missing a lot! They've got legendary wings, pretty tasty too and available in different flavors. My ideal wing, is the one above called ATOMIC. Let's just say it's a very intense, very peppery hot, a thing that might linger on your tongue a few minutes even if you douse it down with your favorite softdrink brand. For me, the best meal is something that makes me cry, something that makes me perspire, and this was exactly it. I didn't even had a rice that afternoon!

Mango Habanero, sweet, spicy and fruity!

This is Cajun

We had Onion Rings in between those scrumptious wings!

Doesn't that make your mouth water? It's Hickory Smoked Barbecue, you'll lick your fingers off!

Well okay, I know some of you might not been able to visit Wingstop yet to bring your friends and family... but here's the thing, Wingstop is actually holding an Instagram contest called Wingstop Flavor Revolution. If you go to their stores now, or take out some of it then post it on Instagram, you could win for yourself Php 2000 worth of Wingstop GC's every week, or if you stand out and have the best photo for the 2 month period, they'll throw you a real deal Wingstop Flavor Revolution Party for you and 9 of your friends! Now isn't that big party a deal breaker? 

Well that's not all, you can actually do this on a regular basis. Just make sure you follow the mechanics indicated on their announcement here http://on.fb.me/1NKBQ3A. You have until the end of August to win those awesome gift certificates every week and perhaps the huge party they can throw for you! The more Instagram posts you do, the more chances of winning! Make sure it looks great on photos okay?! Otherwise, they might pick the others who are joining too!

For more information about their contest:

Wingstop Philippines

Like them on Facebook


Visit their official website

http://www.wingstop.com.ph/