Written by: Gabrielle Borromeo
Pictures by: Cheyenne Jao
Published in the Daily Tribune (Life Style section) on
Sunday, 24 November 2013
Because potatoes can be served in many different ways—boiled,
mashed, baked, deep-fried, crisped and many more—it has found its way into the
hearts of many. It may be “calorific,” but undeniably terrific!
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| Deep-fried Potatoes |
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| Crisped Potatoes |
This is why the United States Potato Board (USPB), the
United States Embassy Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) and the United States
Department of Agriculture (USDA) have brought US Tablestock Potatoes closer to
the Filipino by making it increasingly available in the market. Now restaurants
and households may easily get a hold of russets, long whites, round whites,
waxy reds, nutty flavored blues, purples and fingerlings in their most natural
state. The potatoes are grown in the ideal growing temperatures, rich soil,
state-of-the-art processing facilities and generations of expertise required by
the US Frozen Potatoes. Consumers can be assured of a steady supply because US
potato growers offer a plentiful year-round delivery of the finest potatoes
that meet stringent FDA and USDA specifications.
To further encourage the trade of US Frozen Potatoes in the
Philippines, the USPB provides several support programs for establishments that
use 100 percent US frozen potato products. One of them is the Best Practices
Seminars and Training Programs where restaurant staffs is trained on proper
storage, handling and preparation of US frozen potatoes to create the best
tasting dishes.
Seminars about menu development are also practiced to
help food service partners be aware of global trends and practices. Co-Op
Promotions is also another support program wherein the USPB supports part of
the promotional costs of the new menu using US Frozen Potatoes. Lastly, the
USPB does ongoing research into trends and consumer attitudes to further help
the establishments maximize their sales by capturing market trends, consumer
attitudes and eating habits of their customers.
In gratitude to the Filipinos who have learned to love the
spud and now welcome it in the Philippines with arms wide open, USPB held
several events in celebration.
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| Cheyenne and I, all dressed up for the USPB event at Discovery Country Suites Tagaytay. Matchy matchy! ;) |
The first event was held at Discovery Country Suites,
Tagaytay City where renowned innovative and in-demand Chef Sau del Rosario
joined forces with USPB to launch their compilation of recipes called Tasteful Taters.
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This recipe book, produced and currently available through the USPB, stars US
Frozen Potato products in a number of popular dishes from the Philippines and
all around the world, with each one tried, tested and given Chef Sau’s
five-star treatment.
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| Chef Sau del Rosario preparing the demonstration. |
During the event, Chef Sau prepared a demonstration of
selected dishes to showcase the mastery and skill needed to emphasize the
luxurious qualities of the US Potato just as featured in Tasteful Taters. He
showed the audience the process he undergoes when coming up with exciting
twists to existing favorites. It is no surprise that his gastronomic wizardry
has found its perfect match in the adaptable ingredient. The event was also a
rare chance to see recipes come to life by the famous Chef Sau himself.
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| Of course I had to ask Chef Sau for an autograph and a picture! |
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| Cheyenne and Chef Sau |
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| If I didn't know any better, I would have thought this picture was a hair advertisement. ;) |
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Cheyenne and I were ready for our potato-rific lunch!
But first, let us take a selfie. ;)
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Cheyenne wasn't just the photographer for the Daily Tribune during this event,
she was also my make-up artist. She's really talented when it comes to make-up and anything artistic! Sometimes I swear I wouldn't know what to do without her. ;)
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| Since we were already in Tagaytay, of course we took advantage of the Pasalubong stores and bought some souvenirs. While I was buying stuff for my family, Cheyenne was all hearts buying stuff for her boyfriend, Jake. |
The next event was a two-day seminar at the Makati
Shangri-La Hotel. The first day was all about getting to know the US Tablestock
Potatoes. It demonstrated also how to use the spud as both light fare and all
sorts of meal courses from appetizers to desserts. The event was graced by
Sarah Reece, the USPB international marketing manager to voice out the
importance of the spud to the attendees.
A buffet spread featured the culinary possibilities of US
potatoes, which remain endless, given their flexibility in elevating the
flavor, texture and appearance of food.
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Since potatoes have become a classic ingredient of some of
the world’s best cuisines including dishes from the Philippines, USPB has
promised a steady supply of US potatoes in order for the Filipinos to continue
their work and talent in the food industry.
For more information about US Tablestock Potatoes, please
visit www.potatoesusa.com or www.potatoesusa-philippines.com;
or call Ms. Reji Retugal-Onal at 534-8534 or 534-8223.
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