Milan, March 7, 2014 – The Philippine Consulate in Milan held a Philippine food demonstration at the Consulate official residence on Thursday, 20 February 2014 to introduce Filipino cooking and ingredients readily available in Italy. The guests to the event were members of Orientals Abroad, a section of the Benvenuto Club in Milan, the foremost expatriate club for Italians and foreigners who speak English.
Welcome drinks prepared for the guests as they came in were Salabat, Kalamansi juice and Mango juice paired with Nagaraya nuts and Banana chips. Consul General Lourdes S, Tabamo demonstrated how to cook three main dishes and three desserts, namely; Chicken Adobo, Pancit Bihon, Sinigang na Salmon, Mango Panna Cotta, Puto and Mango Squares. The choices of the dishes and desserts were based on the availability of the ingredients from existing Philippine and Asian stores that could be mixed with some ingredients available in Italian supermarkets such as salmon and panna cotta (milk dessert). The Philippine ingredients, which were on display and borrowed from Filipino store were Silver Swan soy sauce and vinegar combo for the adobo, UFC rice noodles (bihon) for the pancit, Mama Sita’s Sinigang mix for sinigang, Gina Mango Nectar for the mango panna cotta, White King Puto mix for the rice cakes and dried mangoes for the mango squares. After the demonstration, the participants were treated to a sampling of the food that was demonstrated.
Copies of recipes of the food were given out with the contact details of a Filipino-owned deli shop, Fuoco, where they can order Philippine food and desserts and a Filipino-owned store, Mabuhay, if they need Philippine products and ingredients. After the demonstration, the guests asked to buy the Philippine products on display since they wanted to try and cook the dishes. A raffle draw of Philippine native products was held to the delight of the guests.The latest brochures of “It’s more Fun in the Philippines” and Philippine maps were also made available to them as reference materials. (PCG – Milan)
