Good news for home cooks out there! As an aspiring or recreational chef stuck at home, you can recreate fine-dining in the kitchen as renowned chefs Rob Pengson and Sau Del Rosario partner with Ajinomoto Philippines Corporation (APC) to share restaurant-style cooking through online recipe videos. The initiative is part of Ajinomoto’s How to Cook by Cookmunity campaign, featuring new and easy-to-follow tutorial videos weekly. Chef Sau and Chef Rob are among the first culinary masters to be featured in the video series.
“Ajinomoto teamed up with prominent local chefs to share mouth-watering but easy-to-make delicacies. With our Ajinomoto products making meals even more flavorful, this will leave everyone’s meals unforgettable and crave-worthy.” shares Roann Co, Ajinomoto Philippines Corporation Group (APC Group) General Manager of Marketing and Public Relations.
Behind these appetizing innovations are two of the country’s esteemed chefs. Chef Rob is the founder and owner of Aleanza Institute of Arts. He has grabbed multiple prestigious awards in the culinary scene. Meanwhile, Chef Sau, a native of the culinary capital Pampanga who now runs Café Fleur, is a passionate cook bringing in the Filipino-International cuisine concept which drew inspiration from his cooking ventures overseas.
Here are four delicious restaurant-style but easy-to-cook recipes that home cooks and kitchen newbies can learn:
Eggplant Katsudon. With Chef Rob’s exploration in the kitchen, he introduces the Eggplant Katsudon, which is a good source of antioxidants that aid in keeping our immune system healthy. Instead of using pork, Chef Rob used eggplant that is seasoned with Aji-Ginisa Flavor Seasoning Mix to bring out its gisa taste and aroma. This dish is paired with a sauce that is made with vegetable broth, onion, sugar, and Sarsaya Liquid Seasoning instead of soy sauce.
Scallion & Shrimp Chow Mein. For Chef Rob’s second recipe, he developed Shrimp & Scallion Chow Mein, a protein-rich noodle dish packed with the flavors of shrimp—perfect for seafood lovers. It might look complicated with its variety of ingredients, but this recipe only has seven ingredients that can be easily bought in the supermarket. With three easy steps, parboil, sauté and season, using Ajinomoto Umami Seasoning and Sarsaya Oyster Sauce. This combination will surely enrich the flavor of this dish, balancing its sweet and salty taste while enhancing the natural flavors of the dish. Garnished with scallions or chopped onions, the stir-fried noodle is the perfect comfort food for everyone.
Asian Style Chicken BBQ. Craving for a grilled and smoky dish? Try Chef Sau’s Asian-Style BBQ Chicken. With tender chicken thighs marinated with the Sarsaya Oyster Sauce plus a wide variety of spices, this will truly awaken one’s taste buds for its aroma, as it gives a great balance of the sweet-salty-umami taste. Chef Sau’s recommendation is to baste the chicken at the latter half of cooking to avoid the marinade from burning.
Prawn Rebosado. Chef Sau’s second cuisine is the Prawn Rebosado, a Spanish-inspired Filipino dish that means ‘battered prawns.’ Although usually partnered with a sweet & sour sauce, the Ajinomoto Umami Seasoning completes and enhances its spices, and goes extraordinary with Filipino’s ultimate staple, white rice. Prawns are rich in selenium which is an effective antioxidant to maintain healthy cells and has high levels of nutrients good for the body.
“Amid these challenging times, we’d like to continue providing recipe ideas to inspire Filipinos in their kitchen exploration. With Chef Rob’s and Chef Sau’s recipes online, hope it will stir up and satisfy their appetites without the need to dine outside to please their cravings,” Co added.
For more recipes, check out Cookmunity by Ajinomoto Philippines on Facebook or visit https://www.cookmunitybyajinomoto.com/
