Food goes digital as long-running seasonal TV food show “Home Foodie” now offers their easy-to-prepare “Madalicious Meals” through a Mobile App!

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GMA continues to strengthen it’s daytime lifestyle shows; in particular - food shows! They are cooking-up a new show for foodies hosted by kapuso celebrity Drew Arellano. It’s called Home Foodie and features San Miguel Pure Foods products!

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SM Master Chefs @ SM Hypermarket

From the success of last year’s SM Master Chefs, SM Hypermarket launches SM Master Chefs 2012 in a festive gathering of top brands, media, and bloggers at SM Hypermarket Cubao last August 16, 2012.

The grand launch in SM Hypermarket was participated in by SM Master Chefs brands namely Unilever, San Miguel, Nestle, Bounty Fresh, and CDO.

Of course, there were cooking demonstrations as well by the aforementioned brands led by their top chefs namely:

• Chef RJ Garcia (San Miguel)
• Chef Pau Sia (Unilever Food Solutions)
• Chef Arnold Bernardo (Bounty Fresh)
• Chef Tess Sulito (Nestle)
• Chef Menoy Gimenez (CDO)

Chef RJ Garcia of San Miguel

Chef Pau Sia of Unilever – Knorr

Chef Arnold Bernardo of Bounty Fresh

Chef Menoy Gimenez of CDO

Chef Tess Sulito of Nestle

SM Master Chefs 2012

This year’s SM Master Chefs has three (3) main components: the Recipe Contest, the Cooking Marathon, and the Carinderia Makeover.

SM Master Chefs 2012

Recipe Contest

SM Master Chefs recipe contest was conceptualized with the SM Hypermarket customer in mind and it is easy to participate in.

Just buy your ingredients at SM Hypermarket and whip up a great tasting and, if possible, a unique recipe using any of the SM Master brands. You are then now eligible to join and get the chance to win and be hailed as one of the thirty three SM Master Chefs for 2012. Just bring your finished product to any SM Hypermarket store on judging day.

Cooking Marathon

A big hit from last year’s SM Master Chefs was the cooking marathon, it is included again in this year’s program to the delight of the grocery shoppers who witness these beneficial and knowledge-enriching cooking demonstrations by the master brand chefs.

It is brought back this year with new recipes from master brands Bounty Fresh, CDO, Nestle, Purefoods, Magnolia and Unilever Food Solutions – Knorr. Each will have a featured chef who will go around the 34 branches of SM Hypermarket every week in three months (which started August 21) for cooking demonstrations. The best thing about this is that they are for free!

Please see the Cooking Marathon schedule below:

SM Master Chefs Cooking Marathon Schedule

Carinderia Makeover

Small businesses and entrepreneurs in the food service business are in for a treat from SM Hypermakret!

If you run a karinderia, catering, or small restaurant business, then you can own a brand new kitchen and dining area furnished by SM Hypermarket with SM Master Chefs Free Carinderia Makeover!

SM Hypermarket is giving away a free makeover of their kitchen and dining area to five lucky and deserving food business operators in order to help them sustain their operations. With a minimum P500 worth of groceries inclusive of two sponsor brands or a fully stamped loyalty card, food business owners get a chance to win a makeover.

SM Master Chefs Master Brand Booths @ the Launch

What can you say about the SM Master Chefs program? I’m surely sharing all these great news from SM Hypermarket and about the SM Master Chefs 2012 with my mom.

It was humid and sunny on the day I visited Mercato Centrale for the first time. I kept saying it didn’t feel like Christmas because of the weather. And so before I go on ranting about the obvious effects of global warming, I decided to just enjoy the company of new found friends. Soon enough I found myself again just marvelling on what a wonderful new day the good Lord has given me.

Flavors of Christmas

So what brings me to Mercato on a Saturday morning of November 19, 2011? Not only am I excited to visit Mercato for the first time but I also wanted to check out The Flavors of Christmas: A Grand Member’s Treat presented by San Miguel Great Food Club (Living the Good Life).

On this warm sunny day, there are four presentations prepared by San Miguel Food Club for its members. Everyone stayed on their seats anticipating what Flavors of Christmas San Miguel has prepared for us.

Danny Dela Cuesta set up an actual dining table within the demo area to show the audience how to create a festive Christmas Table

Before that, different samples of San Miguel products are available for Mercato visitors to partake. It is no joke when I said that San Miguel Great Food Club members are really anticipating the Flavors of Christmas event because I find it a challenge for anyone to stay under that heat for hours.

CHEF ED QUIMSON ensures that frehsness and quality of ingredients are preserved when using San Miguel Purefood Products

But the number of audience did not waiver. In fact, it seemed to even grow especially when Chef Ed Quimson demonstrated how to prepare a Christmas ham using Purefoods Fiesta Ham.

Flavors of Chrsitmas

So what exactly were the activities witnessed by San Miguel Great Food Club members during the Flavors of Christmas event? It started with Mr. Danny Dela Cuesta talking about “Setting the Mood: The Festive Christmas Table“.

Lori Baltazar of Desserts Comes First charms the crowd with her wit and humor while demonstrating her Chocnut Queso Recipe

It was then followed by Chef Ed Quimson’s cooking demo. The dishes he prepared were the Christmas ham, Roast Jumbo Chicken with Green Grapes and Cranberry Jelly and lastly Pork Pata with Lentils (Top Photo).

One of the distinguished food bloggers in the country, Ms. Lori Baltazar also demonstrated three yummy desserts namely Brownie in a cookie-cookie and Chocnut-queso de bola cheesecake. Lastly, Chef Dennis Edillon talked about “Planning a Menu: Serving the Right Proportion“.

Favorite Activity

Among the activities, what I enjoyed the most is the table setting lecture of Mr. Danny dela Cuesta. His Flavors of Christmas table setting tips can give any table a festive air which is timely this coming holiday season. While listening to Mr. dela Cuesta, I felt like Julia Child while taking notes on her French cooking class. There are so many new things I learned about table setting in general that I really felt the Flavors of Christmas starting to set in the air.

Lori Baltazar's CHOCNUT-QUESO DE BOLA CHEESECAKE

Lori Baltazar's BROWNIE-IN-A-COOKIE COOKIE

Wanda Chicken of Magnolia Chicken Station and Ropig of Monterey entertain the audience with their awesome dance moves

With the growing festive mood inside me, I found myself hungry. Fortunately, food was served to the media who attended the event. I ate heartily (which I only do when I am happy).

For me the important thing to bring home when attending food events such as this is to sample the products being showcased during the event – it doesn’t matter if you’re a blogger, a photographer or just a plain housewife. Maybe something that you have observed, tasted or heard can inspire you on your next home project.

And this is what I took home when I left the Flavors of Christmas event of San Miguel. I enjoyed munching on Edam cheese so much I told myself from now on I’m eating spaghetti with Edam cheese.

Chef Ed Quimson's Roast Jumbo Chicken With Grapes and Cranberry Jelly

I loved the corned beef on top of crackers that I went to the grocery the next day to buy one and reminisce the experience I had when I ate it at Mercato. And my final inspiration was to challenge myself to cook a whole herbed chicken for my family to enjoy this holiday season. Just like Julie Powell was inspired by her mentor, there were lots of inspirations one can bring home after attending the Flavors of Christmas.

Chef Ed Quimson's Christmas Ham

SMPFC's Culinary Services Manager Maricel Manalo opens the event by welcoming the attendees of The Flavors of Christmas

*Story by Ia Adam-Lim; photo from San Miguel Great Food Club

I wonder when will be the next flavour San Miguel will have its members take and I truly hope to be part of that event.

Have you been to any San Miguel Great Food Club event? Or are you interested to join one just like the Flavors of Christmas? We would love to hear from you by commenting below. Merry Christmas to all!

iParty maybe new to your ears but truth is, you’ve been throwing iParties for ages! iParty is a term coined by the Ginebra San Miguel peeps which pertains to the gathering you shared with your friends and relatives – be it a celebration of life, a graduation party or just a Friday night jamming at your favourite tambayan.

A few nights ago, I joined fellow party-ready bloggers in an iParty, celebrating the creation of new Ginebra  Flavors.

Ginebra Apple Flavors

The Ginebra Flavor Mixes are sinfully sweet and surprisingly light. But mind your intake because the gin could jump right at you after a few drinks.  I’ll be the first to admit that I didn’t savor the initial taste as I thought it would be similar to many of the less-premium gin brands out there. Boy, was I wrong!

The burn going down was minimal or none at all and there was no need to chase the shot with a lime or a chaser. I caught the hint of green apple and lychee too!

Ginebra Lychee Flavors

There are 2 main flavours- Ginebra Apple Flavor and Ginebra Lychee Flavor.  We have tried the following Ginebra Flavors mixes and went home happy!

Ginebra Lychee Kiss and Applerita

Ginebra San Miguel Flavors

Ginebra Flavors is affordable, a  700mL bottle will only cost you P60! It’s currently available at Puregold, Ministop, 7-11, Andoks , South Supermarket and some areas on Ortigas. However, Ginebra Flavors will not be sold on bars. It’s supposed to be enjoyed on the comforts of your own tambayan with family and friends.

Being an inexpensive drink,  Ginebra Flavor is also one of the most refreshing, vibrant, and enjoyable drink I have ever come across. I bet it goes well with many different pulutans as it helps to clean the palate. I am getting all of my friends ‘hooked‘ on it and you  and your friends could try it too!

*Author: Renz Alcantara

** Drink Moderately