Can you smell what's cookin'?

Our kitchen is never without a pack or can of tomato sauce.

Through the years, it has been my savior from unexpected visits of friends and relatives or say an instant hunger buster in times I feel like eating just about anything. From afritada to menudo and spaghetti to carbonara, a tomoto sauce is a must to get the taste that I want.

Last August, I was invited to the Great Dole Cook-Off held at the Magsaysay Institute For Hospitality and Culinary Arts (MIHCA) in Makati City.

Not only did I learn new recipes, I was also introduced to a new food product: Dole Tomato sauce.

Poch Zenarosa, Dole Philippines Packaged Foods Division’s Product Manager, explains in her opening remarks, “Dole advocates healthy living through our products and activities. For this event, we like to highlight that being healthy should be part of our love for food, and this event highlights that it is easy to be healthy—Dole Tomato Sauce makes sure of that.”

Chefs-at-heart and food lovers were welcomed by the charming Chef Jeremy Favia, who acted as guest judge and mentor in the culinary battle.

Chef Jeremy is one of the rising young chefs in television today. A product of University of Santo Tomas (HRM Department), Jeremy finished culinary school at the International School for Culinary Arts and Hotel Management. He became an assistant manager for FC Café and worked with Fractured Flowers in Australia. Armed with fresh talent and good looks, Jeremy became part of a hip, cooking show on Q-11
called Ka-Toque Lutong Barkada and Healthy Cravings with the beautiful Iza Calzado.

Chef Jeremy Favia showing to the audience his creation

Guests watched in awe as Chef Jeremy taught and prepared easy-to-cook succulent culinary delights with Dole’s line of tomato sauces with a cooking demo, no doubt arousing their appetites.

After the cooking demo, it was cook-off time among the guests. The tomato sauce was the theme ingredient of the culinary clash, and foodies were able to try first-hand the world-class consistency of Dole’s line of tomato sauces. Enticing aromas filled the air as guests showed off their cooking skills and battled it out to make the most mouth-watering dishes in an exciting competition. There’s no question that Chef Jeremy had a hard time judging whose cuisine reigned supreme, but in the end, there was only one winner.

And the winner is--- Enzo a.k.a Juan Manila. Congrats!

Guests no doubt had the time of their lives learning recipes and sampling delectable dishes during the event. The Great Dole Cook-Off was truly a night of gastronomic delight!