Issue 2 : Volume 1 January - February 2008

KUNG HEI FAT CHOI!!!

Chinese culture is very familiar to us Filipinos. We love to eat Chinese food such as siopao, siomai, congee and mami. We see a lot of Chinese Restaurants in all cities. No doubt, Chinese food is one of the most easiest cuisine we could ever cook.


Let's celebrate Chinese New Year with GOOD FOOD! and let's welcome the year of the rat with a big bang.

Fish are delicate so be careful not to overcook it. Fish fillets should not be cooked too long or at too high temperature or it will become rubbery. You will know it’s cooked when it flakes easily at the touch of a fork.

Fish is also a must during Chinese New Year celebrations because it is known to symbol of luck and good fortune.





Soy sauce is considered as one of the most important ingredients in Chinese cuisine. Although named as such, it is not a sauce but is referred to the liquid that is extracted from fermented soya beans. It has a distinct taste referred to as "xiān wèi" by the Chinese.

Top grade soy sauce is made from the finest soy beans, washed and steam-cooked in high pressure cooker. It is fermented in huge tanks under the sun, which is believed to contribute to additional flavour. The entire process has to be meticulously done to achieve a top quality product.

Good quality light soy sauce has a light reddish brown color and is slightly translucent. It is generally used for seafood, white meat and most vegetables, and in soups and stir-frying. On the other hand, dark soy sauce is deep red and can easily stain glasses. It is ideal for roasting, braising and marinating.


Lee Kum Kee Premium Soy Sauce is made from premium soybeans and wheat flour. Used by households as well as professional kitchens around the world, it is brewed according to the traditional and natural method which gives a rich soy flavor and aroma that will delicately enhance the taste of any dish.
It is a must-have for those who love to eat dimsums – a great partner for that siomai!



Sesame oil is an organic oil made from toasted hulled sesame seeds. It is usually added at the end of cooking to highlight the flavor and enhance the aroma. Some use MSG as seasoning while cooking. But in most Chinese and Korean cuisine, a few drops of sesame oil sprinkled over the dish before serving does the trick.

Sesame oil is said to be rich in poly and monounsaturated fats – the type of fat that can lower serum cholesterol. Plus, it contains two powerful natural antioxidants, sesamol and sesamin. Some also use sesame oil to soothe skin irritations and in cosmetics as a softener.

Unlike other oils, sesame smokes and burns easily so it is not suitable for stir-frying. If to be used at home, it is usually bought in small bottles and consumed before its expiry date, as it loses its strong aroma.


Lee Kum Kee Sesame Oil is made from selected roasted sesame seeds, Lee Kum Kee Sesame Oil is carefully blended to retain strong sesame flavor and is indispensable in any dishes.
Adding a few dashes of sesame oil to dishes just before serving or marinating meat will accent the overall taste and help intensify the dish’s fragrance.





Purchase Lee Kum Kee Soy Sauce 500 ml and get limited edition Lee Kum Kee Soy Sauce dispenser for FREE.

* Available in all leading supermarkets Nationwide













PRICE OFF ....

Save P10.00 for every purchase of Lee Kum Kee Panda Oyster Sauce 9 oz

Save P 15.00 for evert purchase of Lee Kum Kee Panda Oyster Sauce 18 oz

* Available in all leading supermarkets Nationwide.

Watch out for great deals this coming February only from Shopwise.

• Kikkoman Standard 500 ml with 3 pcs Clara Ole Tomato Sauce 115g
• Smucker's preserve with free Skyflakes

Add twist to Clara Ole Dips N Dressings with few drops of TABASCO Red Pepper Sauce. Buy TABASCO Red Pepper Sauce 60ml and get free Clara Ole Dips N Dressings 30g. Get to try four variants of Clara Ole Dips N Dressings Caesar, Thousand Island, Wasabi and Asian by buying this promo pack.

Promotions

This coming gift-giving season, why not give your loved ones a special present choosing from our limited edition promotional packs....

Kikkoman Kitchen Essentials

Buy 1 liter Kikkoman Soy Sauce and get lock and seal food keeper for free....

SMUCKER's Tea Time Partners

BUNDLE 1: SMUCKER'S APPLE JELLY 340g x 12 w/FREE Stassen Tea Engligh Breakfast 2g/25

BUNLDE 2: SMUCKER'S GUAVA JELLY 340g x 12 w/FREE Stassen Tea Engligh Breakfast 2g/25

BUNDLE 3: SMUCKER'S PEACH PRESERVES 340g x 12 w/FREE Stassen Tea Engligh Breakfast 2g/25

Issue 1, Volume 4 - December 2007

HO..HO..HO... MERRY CHRISTMAS !
Christmas is just around the corner, The most festive season where families and friends get together exchanging stories, laughter and gifts. Malls are jam-packed with shoppers doing their christmas shopping. Kids are so excited waiting for Santa's gift, some would even jump at midnight as high as they can thinking that they will grow taller the next coming year. But all these traditions wouldn't be complete if Mommy wouldn't prepare a delicious delectable food on the table for Noche Buena.
To all the moms, don't worry, we made it easier for you to plan out Noche Buena for your family . Here's a line up of mouthwatering recipes that you can prepare that your family will surely love.

The adventure in many flavors continues ! Try these new marinades from Clara Ole and experience the gastronomic adventure you truly deserve.

*available in leading supermarkets.

Want to be a Kitchen Adventure Circle member? Grab any of these items in the stores! Enjoy huge savings and be a member of our Circle. So hurry, what are you waiting for, GRAB IT NOW!!!

This promo is in partnership with Quikcash by 2GO.
Per DOH-BFAD Permit No. 0996 series of 2007.

Featured Product: McCORMICK ORIENTAL SOUP AND CONGEE

Rainy season isn't over! It has been raining again lately and the weather just makes one crave for more comfort food. Now, do you need the added boost to your everyday meals? Here's one that's a must-try -- Oriental Soups and Congee from McCormick!

If you are thinking of ways to increase your kids' appetite and at the same time give them proper nutrition, try new McCormick Oriental Soups, with five appetizing flavors for you and your kids to enjoy: Chicken Mushroom Soup, Crab & Corn Soup, Hongkong Style Hot & Sour Soup, Chicken & Corn Soup, and Xi Hu Beef Soup.

McCormick Oriental Soups are easy to prepare. Just add soup mix to boiling water, then add a beaten egg and mix. Voila! You can now enjoy authentic-style Chinese soup. It also has real meat bits! Each pack is good for four people and is sold at leading supermarkets for only P28.45 (suggested retail price).

Now, if you are craving for comfort food or something to warm your stomach, try new McCormick Congee, with three oriental flavors to choose from: Chicken Congee, Century Egg Mix Congee with Meat Mix, and Beef Congee.

McCormick Congee is instant. Just add hot water and you’ll savor oriental taste congee in just three minutes. Each pack makes two servings (360ml) and is also available in leading supermarkets for only P29.70/ pack (suggested retail price). McCormick is also the first to offer oriental style congee with real meat or century egg that is similar to the ones being offered in dimsum and chinese restaurants!

Try McCormick's NEW offerings today!

Refer-A-Friend!

Want to introduce your friends to The Gourmet loop? Refer them to The Gourmet Blog! You might even win a gift pack from us! Here's how:

1. Pool together 10 (ten) friends; Send us their names and email addresses (ex. Juan Dela Cruz, jdc@email.com).

2. Send the list to thegourmet@sysuinc.com.ph along with your name, email address and contact number.

3. First 50 (fifty) people to send in their list will win a gift pack from SYSU International, Inc.

Hurry! Send those names and email addresses now!

*this online promo will run until 30 September 2007.

Issue 1, Volume 3 - AUGUST 2007

Yes, we missed out on a coupl'a months... been really busy with work. Hehe.

Rainy Days Come and Go...

Have you noticed how terrible the weather has been lately? Well, back in June and July, we hardly had rain. Then towards the end of last month, we'd have really weird weather - scorching hot mid-days, then pouring rain in the afternoons! This makes for very lazy weather, don't you think? :P Makes you want to head to the mall and chill out, huh? Maybe take in a movie or check out some of the new food places...

Speaking of Movies and Food... (what a segue!) We were able to catch the advanced screening of the new Disney Pixar Movie, Ratatouille (pronounced as Ra-Ta-Tu-Wee). And we must say we LOVED the movie. Hmmm... not really sure about the Kikkoman Brand Manager though, she winced each time she saw all those rats onscreen (who could forget the scene where the ceiling falls and the colony is exposed? hahaha!) but the rest of us sure loved the movie! So much so that we got so curious about the real Ratatouille - the dish and not the... uh... Rat (whose name's Remy, by the way). So right after, we searched the net for the easiest Ratatouille recipe there is, only to be disappointed because all the recipes called for baking (and we didn't have an oven on hand... *sigh*). But one 5-star recipe we did find had dozens of comments, and we poured over each one, curious to see if anyone tried making the dish stove-top style. And there was this one college girl who got so interested in the dish because of the movie. Like us, she didn't have an oven, so she decided to toss everything in a saucepan instead. The end result turned out great or in her exact words - fabuloso! Ha! We decided to do the same thing. We headed over to the nearest supermarket, bought the ingredients available in the Philippines and went home to make our own version of Ratatouille. And boy, we were in for a treat because the dish we made already smelled delicioso right when we were making it. and it tasted great too (we actually zipped through the whole pan)! And yes, it didn't exactly look like the Ratatouille masterpiece Remy made in the movie... uh... ours looked a bit like mush. but hey, if mush tasted this good, we'll have mush everyday! :)

Ratatouille
Ratatouille is a mediterranean peasant dish. Apparently, this is one cheap dish in places where all the ingredients come cheap (read: not in the Philippines, haha), but we tweaked the recipe a bit and came up with an affordable yet hearty (can we say delicioso again?) version.

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp La Espanola Extra Virgin Olive Oil
5 large cloves Garlic, minced (you can add more if you LOVE garlic)
1 large White Onion, sliced
1 large Eggplant, thinly sliced
1 large Zucchini, thinly sliced
1/8 Squash, peeled and thinly sliced (yes, take out the hard skin, of course!)
1 Green Bell Pepper, cut into strips
1 Red Bell Pepper, cut into strips (optional)
1/2 Cup Mushrooms, cut into strips (we used oyster mushrooms)
2 large Tomatoes, chopped
Salt to taste
pinch of McCormick Rosemary
1/2 Cup Clara Ole Three Cheese Spaghetti Sauce
1/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese (divide into 5 parts)
1/4 Cup shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Procedure:
1. In a large saucepan, saute Garlic in La Espanola Extra Virgin Olive Oil until light brown in color. Add half of the sliced Onions until Onions are coated in oil.
2. Add Eggplant. Sprinkle a pinch of salt and some of your Parmesan Cheese. Mix well. When Eggplant is half-cooked, add the Squash. Sprinkle a pinch of Salt and some Parmesan Cheese. Mix well. Add the Zucchini, sprinkle again with a bit of Salt and some Parmesan Cheese. Mix well. Add the rest of the vegetables (Mushrooms, Bell Pepper, Tomatoes and remaining Onions). Sprinkle with a bit of Salt and some Parmesan Cheese. Mix well.
3. Add Clara Ole Three Cheese Spaghetti Sauce, small pinch of McCormick Rosemary and the remaining Parmesan Cheese. Mix well.
4. Put on medium heat until the sauce comes to a boil.
5. Transfer to a foil pan or microwaveable container. Sprinkle Mozzarella Cheese on top. Serve over pasta, rice or as is.

You may opt to put the dish in the Toaster Oven for about 3 minutes (or 30 seconds in the Microwave) to melt the cheese, if y0u wish. The good thing about Ratatouille is that you can freeze leftovers and the vegetables still come out crunchy when reheated. It actually tastes a lot like lasagna. Difference is, this is made entirely without meat, and the ingredients are good for you. What more, you can try making this dish for your kids while the movie's such a hit. Don't say we didn't warn you if they start asking for more.

Now for your favorite part... RECIPES!!!

Whenever it rains, don't you just want to curl up on the couch with a good book and a bowl of comfort food? Here are some recipes from our recipe vault that will surely have you asking for more. Yes, good food and snuggly weather = perfect combination! Click on the images to save your favorite recipes!

Soup!

Nothing like soup to warm you up during cold, rainy days. Try this one from San Remo!

and Salad!
Try this twist-of-a-salad from San Remo and Clara Ole!

Rice Topping... yum!
Do you notice how rice meals seem more appealing to the appetite on rainy days? This rice dish from Lee Kum Kee will surely make you come asking for seconds, or maybe thirds or fourths...

Or how about Noodles?
If you're not much of a rice-eater, how about a great stir-fry noodle dish from Kikkoman and San Remo?

Plus...
Do you ever wake up on the wrong side of the bed on rainy days? Or do your kids give you a hard time when getting out of bed on school days? Try serving this delightful, quick and easy-to-make JIF breakfast to start those mornings right... don't forget to top your french toast with Maple Syrup from Clara Ole!

Issue 1, Volume 2 - MAY 2007

The Merry Month of May!

It has been pretty humid lately, especially in the afternoons. These past days, we've had late afternoon drizzles and as the rain comes often, you just know that summer is almost over. The heat, however, does not stop Filipinos from celebrating the events that signal the end of the summer season. Yes, even with the weird weather, you will still see neighborhood streets lined with banderitas, signifying a fiesta is soon to happen... the manangs would also be seen preparing the grand fiesta feasts in groups (Filipinos sure love to cook together!)... Barangays are seen planning their annual Santacruzans, and some families rush off to catch the last waves of summer by hitting the nearby beaches. Ahh yes! the merry month of May!

Choose Your Adventure!

An adventure of many flavors begin only from Clara Ole Spaghetti Sauces! Treat your family to a new adventure with these six delicious Clara Ole Spaghetti Sauces — Three Cheese, Bacon & Cheese, Onion & Garlic, Italian Style, Sweet Style and Mushroom. Get your pasta pots out and try these exciting flavors now! Available at all leading supermarkets and grocery stores nationwide!

Also catch Clara Ole's new commercial airing over ETC 2nd Avenue! Let the adventure begin!

Exciting New Picks @ Burgoo

Try these new menu offerings at Burgoo - American Bar and Restaurant, brought to you in cooperation with your favorite SYSU brands (but of course!):

Grilled Steak and Shrimps Kebabs
Combination of USDA meat, cubed and seasoned with special blend of herbs and spices, and skewered freshest jumbo shrimps, grilled to perfection. Comes with mashed potato and stir-fried fresh button mushrooms, red and green bell peppers; served with TABASCO® Chipotle sauce.

Poached Chilean Seabass
250g. of fresh Chilean Seabass seasoned and poached, served with fresh mixed lettuce, red cabbage and carrots in rasberry vinaigrette and a scoop of mashed potato; best seasoned with TABASCO® Chipotle sauce.

Finish up your meal with this exciting dessert from Smucker's...



Or try these exciting new Iced Tea flavors made from Stassen Teas!

Let's not forget this month's serving of Fiesta Fare Recipes!

For food-lovers everywhere, a Fiesta is a terrific excuse for a party featuring your favorite appetizers, dishes, desserts, drinks and more. Try this month's featured recipes and celebrate! Click on the images to save your favorite recipes!

Breakfast/ Starter
This zingy breakfast dish is the perfect starter to a busy Fiesta day!

Fiesta Paella with a Twist!
Tired of having the usual paella? Try substituting your rice with pasta instead and come up with this exciting new version to the old Fiesta favorite!

I See Seafood!
Surprise your guests with this delightful seafood pasta dish!

Or go traditional and whip up this "westernized" noodle dish.

Dessert
Try these easy-to-make fruity muffins. Perfect also as an afternoon or evening tummy-filler, for those unexpected Fiesta visitors.

Thirst-quenchers
Beat the heat with these cool drink from Stassen Tea!



Exclusive Online Promo!!!

Join The Gourmet Blog's exclusive online contest and get to win a special gift pack from Clara Ole!


(click to see larger image)

Don't forget to send your Name, Address, Contact Numbers, Email Addresses, Age and Birthday when you email your entries. Promo ends on June 14, 2007. Good luck!