LEARN, COOK, PLAY AT THE KITCHEN PLAYGROUND MANILA

All my life as an urban gardener, I believed in one theory shared to me by good friend.  That plants have feelings. That is why, I thrive as a gardener, because the plants in my garden are not threatened by me. Why? Because I CANNOT cook. Nakakahiya man aminin...  when it comes to cooking, I am a complete failure. All I can do is prepare sushi rolls, make salads and heat leftovers in the microwave hahaha!

Because the veggies, the herbs, the fruit trees know that I am not capable of killing them (cooking), they consider me a BFF. Thus, everything I plant, even gathered seeds from kitchen scraps, thrive and mature till harvest.  And they are making me happy every single day!

And guess what! I have proven, that somehow this theory is not at all true.  Because I have met a chef, who grows his own vegetable garden. Meet Chef Rhon Aguilar.

MICROFARMING AND COOK WHAT YOU GROW WORKSHOP

Chef Rhon introduced to us, during the first part of the workshop, the herbs and plants that he will be using for cooking. Majority of these, came from his own garden!  While some of the herbs I am familiary with, like the rosemary (I tried growing)  and basil (I still have lots in my garden)  -- I was very happy to have met for the very first time, some interesting herbs and plants!

GOTU KOLA: which is believed to enhance memory and cognitive skills. It is 
also known to reduce stress and anxiety.

CURRY:  good for the heart and in fighting infections

KAFFIR LIME 

HOLY BASIL: an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory herb

GALANGAL  (replanted and so far its thriving. Had to make sure I plant it near 
my ginger because they look alike)

COOKING TIME

After we were given a little background on micro-farming, it's time to do some cooking!  I browsed the recipes that were given, and I decided right away, what recipe I will do. Any guess?  Hehehe... told Mr.Wise that I will do the Spring Roll!  And the rest -- siya na ang in charge!  Lol!

SERYOSO SA PAGLULUTO. WANTED TO PROVE HE IS NOT A BEGINNER ANYMORE :)

All four recipes are Asian Inspired Dishes.   

THAI FISH CURRY

The secret to this tasty dish is in the Curry Paste. Chef Rhon combined all these ingredients in a blender until smooth >> Siling labuyo, turmeric powder, curry powder, garlic, onion, cilantro, lemongrass, ginger root, galangal root, water and bagoong.

CUBAN PORK WITH CHIMICHURRI SAUCE

This recipe needs ample time to prepare. The pork needs to be marinated for at least 3 hours or preferably overnight in the chiller. The marinade includes > garlic, shallots, chili, lemon, liquid seasoning, sage leaves, rosemary herbs, cuban variegated oregano, fresh thyme leaves, salt and pepper.  

And because I love the flavor of pesto sauce, I liked Chef Rhon's Chimichurri sauce made from parsley, cuban Oregano, basil, garlic, chili, shallots, olive oil, lemon, salt and pepper. 

VIETNAMESE SPRING ROLL

This one is a staple in our dinner table. We sometimes prepare a couple of spring rolls, put it in the fridge and enjoy it until the following day. But was happy to learn that when you put some herbs inside the roll, it adds up to its Asian flavor. Kindda fun when you try to pinpoint what particular herb is giving that certain taste, while munching on it!  And before I knew it, I have already eaten three whole rolls hahaha!

The herbs we included in the roll were > kuchay, mint, thai basil, Vietnamese coriander, Cilantro and Gotukola.

LEMONGRASS CHICKEN

THE KITCHEN PLAYGROUND EXPERIENCE

It was awesomely fun!  For someone who can't cook, I enjoyed it. I wasn't intimidated by Chef Ron, and the owners, as well as the chef assistants were very gracious and helpful. I got some new information on micro-farming, the hubby learned a lot from the cooking experience -- so it was the PERFECT workshop for us. Workshop na, couple bonding activity pa! 

The Kitchen Playground Manila is serving a buffet of services sure to delight the chef, foodie and food entrepreneur in everyone. And hey... the urban gardener in you (just like me!)

SERVICES INCLUDE:

• Cooking Workshops
• Kitchen Studio Rental for Personal Events and Personal Use
• Mid to High-End Catering, Food Party Trays, Party Packs, Dessert Giveaways
• Private Chef Services
• Food and Beverage Consultancy

(L-R)  CHRISTINE DE GUZMAN, Head of Marketing and Co-Founder
MARGA ESPINO, Head CHef and Co-Founder
CHEF RHON AGUILAR

I think it would be a nice idea to gather your BFF's this Christmas, and celebrate your get together at the Kitchen Playground Manila. You can have fun learning to cook pulutan for your hubbies, or you can bring your hubbies and request a wine and cheese pairing session. The learning and fun never stops at the Kitchen Playground Manila!