Last July 2, I was privileged to be part of Ajinomoto's "Step Up Your Cooking with Pork Savor" event wherein one of the best cooks in the country, Ms. Nancy Reyes-Lumen, together with the newest brand ambassadors of Ajinomoto's Pork Savor All-in-One Seasoning Mix, Enrique and Mommy Bambi Gil, conducted a live cooking demonstration to challenge home-cooks to step up their cooking and bring out the meaty goodness of their prepared meals using Pork Savor.


The event took place at the show kitchen of the Center for Culinary Arts where media and bloggers were present as audience and tasters that will be judging Ms. Nancy, Enrique and Mommy Bambi's "meaty dishes" minus the real meat and instead, incorporated with Pork Savor.


Prior to the cooking demonstration, Ajinomoto's Category Manager - Flavor Seasonings Ms. Daryl Magno, shared how Filipinos love food with a strong meaty flavor and that made them create the Pork Savor which makes any dish taste meaty because it is made up of natural pork meat and bone extract with spices and seasonings that will surely make every dish deliciously meaty.


After a short introduction as to what Pork Savor has to offer to every dish cooked at home, Ms. Nancy began to cook the first dish: the Meatless Pancit:


Ingredients: (4-6 servings)

3 tbsps - cooking oil
4 cloves - garlic, chopped
1/2 pc - small onions, chopped
1 small pc - carrots cut into strips
1 small pc - sayote, sliced thinly
1 1/2 cup - water
3 tbsps - soy sauce
250 grams - pancit bihon, soaked and drained
1/2 pc, small - cabbage, shredded
2 packs (8 grams) - Pork Savor All-in-One Seasoning Mix

Procedure:

1. Heat oil in a pan, saute garlic and onions until wilted.
2. Add carrots and cook for 30 sec, then add sayote and cook for another 1 min.
3. Add water and soy sauce. Bring to a boil.
4. Add soaked, drained pancit bihon and mix well. Continue cooking until tender.
5. Add cabbage, simmer and toss well.
6. Season with Pork Savor All-in-one seasoning mix.
7. Mix well and simmer for another minute
8. Serve hot.


For the next dish, Mrs. Bambi Gil was called to help out Ms. Nancy in cooking the Pork Savor Veggie Soup:


Ingredients: (4-6 servings)

4 cups - water
1 kilo - assorted diced vegetables, as desired (celery stalks & leaves, carrots, potatoes, sayote, kalabasa, malunggay, singkamas, sweet beets)
1 large pc - white onion, very thinly sliced
4 cloves - garlic, crushed
6-8 pcs - tomatoes - over ripe, seeded, chopped, hand crushed and chili, chopped (if heat is desired)
1/4 small pc - cabbage, very thinly shredded. Rock salt and freshly crushed peppercorn to taste
4 packs (8 grams) - Pork Savor All-in-One Seasoning Mix
2 tbsps - cooking oil

Procedure:

1. In a pot, boil water
2. As it boils, blanch vegetables separately; do this for each vegetable
3. When blanched, keep all in a bowl
4. Stock is now flavored with the vegetables. Set aside.
5. In a hot pan, add little oil, saute the onions until thoroughly caramelized.
6. Add the garlic and cook until aromatic but not browned, then add in the tomatoes and cook until the skins curl.
7. Add in the chili, if desired, you can add some of the stock to prevent drying up
8. Combine all the ingredients, including the stock; bring to a boil, then simmer
9. Add Pork Savor All-in-One Seasoning Mix, mix well. Heat through
10. Serve Hot


Lastly, Enrique Gil was called out to help prepare the last dish, the Simple Pastel:


Ingredients: (Crust) (4-6 servings)

4 large pcs - potatoes, peeled, boiled and mashed
2 packs (8 grams) - Pork Savor All-in-One Seasoning Mix.

Procedure:

1. While still hot, mash potatoes then add in the Pork Savor All-in-One Seasoning Mix
2. Mix well. Set aside

Ingredients: (Filling)(4-6 servings)

1/2 can - pimientos, chopped
4 pcs - chorizo, diced
1 can - cream style corn
1 small can - mushrooms, chopped
1 small pc - onion, minced
1 small pack - green peas
2-4 pcs - fresh basil leaves, or fresh oregano or thyme
2 packs (8 grams) - Pork Savor All-in-One Seasoning Mix to dilute in water
2 tbps - cooking oil

Procedure:

1. Heat pan and saute chorizo in its own fat
2. Add all other ingredients
3. Sprinkle Pork Savor All-in-One Seasoning Mix and mix well
4. Arrange in a casserole pan, top with the flavored mashed potatoes
5. Steam, torch or bake until set
6. Serve Hot


All the dishes truly had a hint of meat even though there are no real meat found in the ingredients, except for the chorizo in the Pastel because Ms. Nancy explained that Pastel will never be Pastel without Chorizo. It really lived up to its promise to make a meatless dish taste "Meatyng Meaty"!

Mother and son endorsers, Mommy Bambi and Enrique Gil also shared how happy they were to be chosen as the newest brand ambassadors of Ajinomoto Pork Savor as it can definitely turn their food at home more delicious and meaty. 

Here are some of the photos after the cooking demo. I'm super happy that I got the chance to have a selfie with Enrique Gil!


Thanks to Ms Joycelyn of Ajinomoto for having me once again. I'm very excited to use the products you've given us especially the Pork Savor! For those who want to try out the Ajinomoto Pork Savor, it is available in all leading supermarkets and sari-sari stores nationwide for P2.00 (8 grams) and P54.00 (250 grams). Grab yours now to experience a meaty dish without the real meat!

Our country lies along the "Pacific Typhoon Belt" and is also within the Pacific Ring of Fire" so it is not a surprise that we experience an average of 20 typhoon/storms per year and frequent seismic and volcanic activity which may cause earthquakes. Because of these facts, all the countries located at these disaster-prone areas are doing their best to lessen, if not prevent, these calamities and strengthen their disaster preparedness, recovery and develop social work innovation. 

As a solution to this ongoing problem, the Asian & Pacific Islander Social Work Educators Association (APISWEA) from the US has collaborated with the Philippine Social Work Consortium (PSWC) chaired by the National Association for Social Work Education Inc. (NASWEI) in the Philippines and the Consuelo Foundation to bring the 6th International Social Work Conference in our country.



Sponsored by the United Nations' Population Fund (UNFPA) and United Nations' International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), APISWEA's 6th Annual Conference with the theme: “Social Innovation-Technology and Disaster Recovery: Creating Opportunities for Global Exchange” took place on July 5-6, 2016 at the Manila Hotel.  

Dr. Qingwen Xu, President of APISWEA and Co-Chairperson ICSW 2016 graced the event and explained to 100 foreign (US and Asian) and 200 Filipino delegates that the annual conference aims to raise wide-ranging, substantial and meaningful discussions on issues related to disaster recovery highlighting evidence-based social work practices, theory development, innovative methods in service delivery and education geared at improving disaster resilience, social innovation, community development, livelihood restoration, and the promotion of social justice.

Secretary Judy Taguiwalo - photo grabbed from http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/

 Also present during the event are newly appointed Social Work Secretary Judy Taguiwalo, former DSWD Secretary Dinky Soliman and PSWC Chair Dr. Lolita Pablo.

I can still remember how me and my sister would fight over the microphone during our karaoke family bonding time at home when a Whitney Houston song is next on the list. I love to sing her songs even when I was just 4-5 years old and doesn't really understand their meaning. I also watch her concert videos and try imitating her emotions and styles in singing. She was one of my idols besides the other 3 international and local singers.

photo grabbed from www.jawbreaker.nyc

So when the tragic news came about her sudden death, I was very surprised and shocked knowing that a very talented and beautiful person could die in such a bad way. But despite her passing, the legacy she left will always be treasured by her family, friends and fans all over the world, that includes me.

Good news is that a tribute show dedicated to Whitney Houston has been visiting different countries. Entitled "The Greatest Love Of All: The Whitney Houston Show", this 2 1/2 hour special concert will feature hits that she made famous during her 30 year career such as "How will I know", "I wanna dance with somebody", "Where do broken hearts go", "Didn't we almost have it all", "I'm every woman", "One moment in time", "I have nothing", "I will always love you" and a whole lot more. 

photo grabbed from www.renz15.wordpress.com

Having the honor and privilege to star on this tribute concert is Belinda Davids who had to go through a series of auditions that Showtime Management had conducted. The management actually conducted over 15,000 auditions in 12 countries and finally picked the accomplished South African vocalist, Belinda Davids, to be the star of the show. Together with the full production show from the US, a full band, dancers and amazing theatrical effects, this show will surely bring a spectacular concert experience to all attendees.

This coming August 2016, the cast will be here in the Philippines to entertain Whitney Houston fans as they perform their tribute show at IEC Pavilion, Cebu City on August 26 (Friday, 8:00pm) and at the PICC Plenary Hall, Pasay City, Manila on August 27 (Saturday).



Presented by DMC Philippines, in cooperation with Gotesco Group Of Companies, and Gruppo Group Of Companies. This event is also brought to you by Hotel Jen, the official residence and Novu hair. Special thanks to our media partners: NET 25, Eagle Broadcasting, RMN, 558 DZXL, 774 DWWW, Radyo Agila,  90.7 Love Radio, 95.5 Pinas FM, 96.3 Easy Rock, 97.9 Home Radio, 101.1 YES FM, 107.5 Wish FM, Business Mirror, Peoples Tonight, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Philippine Star, Manila Concert Scene, Philippine Concerts, and  When In Manila. 

For those who would like to see this must-watch concert, you may now purchase your tickets in all SM Tickets and Ticket World outlets nationwide or reserve your ticket online at SM Ticket and Ticket World websites. See you there!

Years ago, when I was trying to lose weight, I'd grab every discounted class or membership I see online. I've tried boxing sessions, dance classes, monthly trial at different gyms and eventually I picked a gym that I feel like I can dedicate myself into doing for a certain period of time. But then again, there's that moment when I tend to feel bored because of the repetitiveness of activities in the gym to a point that I just wanted to explore something different to boost my dedication to lose weight once more. Finally, I discovered a website that will suit my needs when it comes to finding the right gym/activity.

I'm not really a good cook, but I try to create great dishes using recipes I get online or on magazines. I usually cook food only during Christmas and New Year just to have something new served at home. Yes, I'm a newbie at cooking and I really love to watch cooking shows on TV and even those cooking competitions that showcase professional and home cooks and I truly envy the cookwares they use. Who wouldn't want an amazing set of cookware to be used to create delicious dishes at your own home, right? Then I discovered a brand of cookware that has been creating stylish and durable products yet affordable for a newbie like me.



Actually, Masflex has been in the industry for 25 years since they brought their products in the Philippines in 1989. Back then, cookwares and kitchenwares were very limited in the country that caused users to buy very expensive global brands or utilize low-quality recycled scrap materials that can be a risk to a one's health. To provide a solution to this nationwide problem, Masflex was created (Mas - Mass Market and Flex - Flexible) to reach out and help consumers through creating good quality products at very affordable prices.



At present, Masflex is the leading cookware and kitchenware brand trusted by Filipinos. For 25 years, they've continuously provided basic products and successfully created new and innovative technological solutions in the cookware industry for both home-cooks and professional chefs. 

Their products have been patronized by the masses because of its Non-Stick Collection, both basic and high-end aluminum, with coatings imported from Daikin Japan such as Ceramic, Marble and Stone. Their latest offering, the Diamond Coating series, that came all the way from Korea are the hottest products as of the moment.


Other kitchenware and houseware products from Masflex are also in demand, again due to the durable and innovative items that can be bought at very reasonable prices. 


To celebrate their success and continuous growth as a leading brand in the cookware industry, Masflex organized a thanksgiving party and a launching party to introduce their newest Ambassadress, the "Adobo Queen", Ms. Nancy Reyes-Lumen.


Held at the Le Pavillion Metropolitan Park last June 16, 2016, Masflex' collections were displayed at the venue so the media can appreciate every Masflex products up close. A cooking demo also took place as brand ambassadress, Ms. Nancy Reyes-Lumen share her recipes through the use of Masflex cookware.



Masflex wanted an endorser who has been in the culinary industry for a very long time, has a genuine passion for food and cooking, and someone who can easily relate with the wide demographic base of consumers which was all possessed by Ms. Nancy. She is a home-maker, a grandmother, mother, daughter, sister, aunt, multi-media personality, singer, band member, home cook, restaurateur, commissary operator, food writer, editor, food stylist, food show host, lecturer, Filipino food advocate, healthy food advocate, food researcher and a true blue cook. She is also from the Reyes clan, a renowned family when it comes to Filipino food in the country and the fact that she is a loyal user of Masflex products so she is very familiar with the products that she will be endorsing.

That day, she was tasked to prepare 4 of her popular dishes, the Mommy Nena's Kinulob, Lola Mereng's Adobo sa Beer, Rodrigo's Roast and Bibingka Ube Crepe Cake. All of these amazing dishes were prepared using Masflex products:


During the event, guests were also given the chance to show their cooking skills through the pancake art contest. An area was setup with crepe makers and different colored pancake mix and everyone who wanted to try was asked to wear an apron and was assisted on what to do during the process. I was able to try it, unfortunately I am not really very artistic and the end product wasn't pleasing to the eye. haha


Here's a video while I was doing my star turned "starfish" pancake:



Raffle prizes were given away during the event but the major prize was something that everyone was wishing to get their hands on. It was a huge box full of Masflex products! The winner will be so lucky to get all these:


It was indeed a great event and I get to appreciate Masflex products even more not only because I was able to see the wide range of products they offer but also, I witnessed how some of the cookwares were used during the demo and I was even able to cook a pancake on one of their crepe maker. Masflex is definitely a brand that cooks would surely enjoy using at home/work that will pump up their passion and love for cooking!

To know more about Masflex products, you may visit their Website and follow them on their Social Media accounts: Facebook and Instagram.