Kitchen tips from chef Francis Tolentino

MANILA, Philippines - If there’s one thing busy homemakers just can’t get enough of, it’s time-saving tips. And if there’s one task that homemakers have to face every single day, it’s food preparation.

Today, most of us know chef Francis from TV 5’s Sapul sa Singko, where he has a cooking segment called “Rapido.” 

Chef Francis shares tips on how we can whip up our own dishes in 10 minutes or less:

1. Use leftovers. The biggest secret of quick cooking is to avoid cooking as much as possible. The best way to do that is by using leftovers.

Chef Francis suggested, “Saucy dishes can be used to top pasta.” Just sprinkle some chopped herbs on top and give the classic spaghetti a new twist. Or tear up your fried meats; add peas, carrots and scrambled eggs; then stir-fry them with last night’s rice for yang chow rice. Or try sandwiches. Take two pieces of toast, add mayonnaise, a leaf of lettuce, maybe a slice of cheese and some pickles, then fill it up with last night’s meat dish to make a tasty meat sandwich. Different kinds of bread — French loaf, wheat bread, and pan de sal — add even more variety.

2. Cook veggies and fish. These are the quickest things to cook. Vegetables often just need to be blanched. Fish only needs to be cooked until the flesh turns opaque; it never needs tenderizing. Vegetable cream soups can be prepared easily with some chicken stock, a blender, and spices.

Chef Francis explained, “Steam cooks food faster because it is hotter than boiling water.” Although he does not use a microwave oven, he agrees that if you use a microwave steamer, you’ll finish the job in even less time.

3. Use the right tools. They don’t need to be hi-tech, fancy gadgets. “A pepper mill lets you grind peppercorns more quickly and easily than using a mortar and pestle,” chef Francis said. “You want to grind pepper yourself because pepper tends to lose its aroma as soon as it is ground. If you buy the pre-ground variety, you’ll need to use more pepper to get a good aroma, so it’s not economical.”

For high-quality and affordable cookware with original DuPont Teflon coatings, chef Francis recommends cookware from Chef’s Classics by Sunnex Products Limited Hong Kong.

 Chef’s Classics products are available in at all other major department stores nationwide.

For inquiries, visit www.facebook.com/ChefsClassics.