By Cesar Cruz Jr.
Culinary Icon and Award-winning Author Tatung Sarthou recently launched his cookbook, Simpol DISH KARTE at The Alley in UP Town Center. What made the product launch event more fascinating was the fact that the cookbook came from the third printing of Simpol DISH KARTE (April 2023) with the first and second printing done in August 2018 and June 2019 respectively.
“The book is not a vanity project. It is an advocacy. For me, the only way you can improve Filipino cooking is when we are able to democratize eating in the Philippines- when the rich and not so rich are able to afford the same food. If everybody has access to the local ingredients, then everybody can cook well, and everybody can eat well,” the restaurateur said.
Chef Tatung brought to life two recipes in his cookbook – Beef with Broccoli and Pancit Canton through a live cooking demonstration. He shared practical tips while cooking the dishes such as using cornstarch to give beef a velvety texture which protects the meat during the cooking process. Another tip he gave was to scoop the noodles from under while mixing it to avoid damaging the long strands of the noodles. The mouthwatering dishes were passed around for the event attendees to sample.
As a show of support to Filipino food manufacturers, Chef Tatung made use of local condiments and ingredients in his cooking demo. Likewise, he wants people who cook Filipino food to use Filipino ingredients to achieve authentic flavors.
The cookbook, written in Filipino, is meant to be a comprehensive guide for the Filipino kitchen. It aims to bridge the gap for those who are not well-versed in the English language to understand the intricacies involved in running a kitchen. In fact, it was written with his household staff in mind.
Simpol DISH KARTE features kitchen basics, kitchen hacks and tricks, easy-to-follow recipes, and step-by-step photos and illustration. The book adopts a light and friendly tone as it guides its readers to cook well-loved Filipino food.
The full color, 232-page book is divided into 3 parts- Part 1: Dish Is It, Part 2: Dishkubre, and Part 3: Dishkarte.
Part 1 talks of way to maximize one’s kitchen (even if it is small). Chef Tatung shares his game plan for a smart and efficient way of running a kitchen. It involves familiarizing oneself with the right kitchen tools- pots, pans, and knives; the proper way of cutting the ingredients, defrosting tips, steps in making/ following a recipe, and others.
Part 2 deals with the different cooking methods, the magic of ‘sangkutsa”, the Chinese and Spanish way of sauteing , the different combinations of ingredients for sauteing, ten master tips to level up one’s cooking, and more.
Part 3 tackles weekly grocery planning, the different types of meat cuts, tips in choosing fresh seafood, common taste enhancers and condiments, herbs and spices, recipes, and more.
The cookbook Simpol DISH KARTE was awarded as one of the top winners of the Filipino Readers Choice Award in 2022. The book is available at Lazada, Shopee, National Bookstore, and Fully Booked. It retails for P390.
Truly, Simpol DISH KARTE is small investment that pays big dividends in the kitchen!
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