Stewed Out

One is sick, the other on a diet. Raining outside plus some last minute paperwork to do for deliveries....what to cook?

It was supposed to be vegetables, Pinakbet to be exact...but its not fit to serve the above given data. We need home cooked, rich soup...

Brought out a pack of my Italian Sausages and chunked them. All in low heat....Sauted some garlic in Olive Oil. Added the chunked sausages and let it simmer a while. Next went in a lot of chopped tomatoes and a handful of Basil. That was allowed to simmer...small soft bubbles, gurgling a little. Seasoned with a little salt. It was done when I realized there was no rice. Grabbed two handfuls of elbow macaroni and threw it in. Stirring for the next 10mins, turned off heat and covered...waiting for the table to be set.

I was starving at this point and reached for a large chunk of the sausage before I covered my skillet...it was so goooood! Our sausages are no doubt dry, because there is no fat, but stewing it rendered and blended the flavors and it made it juicy :) Excellent for a blast of an idea just before getting dinner ready.

Won't say that this was a recipe to die for....but it is very good, comforting and healthy food. Stewed out....or rather, stood out for our rained out heads.

Learn & Know

After rounds of taste testing for our Sunshine Chicken Sausages, we have come out with the right blending that we suited for the Asian taste buds.

Soft introduction to our regular clients, and we got reorders the week after :) During IFEX 2010, we launched it and got new clients who reordered after their initial purchase at WTC. The stocks we thought will last us for about 3weeks, went in those 3days.

We are done with our new batch of Sunshine Chicken Sausages (garlic, sweet, herbs and spicy) today and have already scheduled the June processing date. Now, new recipes are playing in my mind. After the safe taste buds...I now want to do my artisan sausages :)

Meantime, I have signed up for a meat processing course and have scouted for our equipments for a kitchen we will dedicate for the sausages.

Why study meat processing? Only way I can explain and detail better this new product line. You can't sell something you don't know. You can't give away what you don't have.

Chickens Have Wings

Wings are part of a chicken and they are not easy to throw away :)

In our new line of No Chemicals, No Preservatives Sunshine Sausages, we had to debone the chickens. We had this mound of chicken wings that wasn't even attempted to be deboned anymore as it will take a lot of time and effort.

It was originally packed to go to the freezer for giving away etc...then the person who was doing the product development thought of marinated Chicken Wings!

That story got to the interview last Saturday during Radyo Negosyo. They asked about our roasted chicken that was brought for stylized food presentation and the talk went to the tray of sausages. Next to it, lay the wings. I actually had it there because it was a filler as the tray was kindda big. I was open about the story of the wings, how it was brought about and the original throw away state it was in...but then, people who are used to developing and creating, finds ways to use things.

Now, the wings might bring us to higher plains :)

No Preservatives, No Chemicals - Free Ranged Sunshine Chicken Sausages

We had been testing several groups' taste buds....it really varies! Much like a Villar, Gibo, Erap and Noynoy stuff.

What I and my friends wanted, was what the APDC group didn't like. Taste has really something to do with food you grew up with. The common Filipino taste buds don't like herbs blah blah....we met all. We came up with four (4) variants: garlicky (patterned after the Vigan Longanisa), sweetish (skinless), spicey and the herbed.

Now we have produced and will introduce it during IFEX Philippines 2010.

For the past two weeks we had been asking our customers to taste test and some of our dealers/wholesalers. When they found out that our freezers had it already, they started ordering! We hope to leave some for the IFEX in May 6-8.

These sausages are at PHP500/kg and will be included in our home delivery route. You may order it in assorted variants :)

2nd Round

of taste testing :)

The 1st round had 2 age groups. My age and the older and experienced ones. The older ones liked the garlicky Vigan type and the spicey Italian and the sweetish skinless. My age group wanted the spicey Italian, found the Vigan and herby type bland, but they want that developed as the interesting taste is there, but you know...masarap but may kulang? Doc Rey liked the skinless and the patties...same as the APDC taste panel.

I think it was the mass pinoy taste buds. They didn't like the herby type. But then, I am targetting a niche market. The ones that have higher notch in taste buds and want to eat healthy.

2nd round was last Friday...my age group again but diverse as we invited two (2) discriminating men hahahhahaha. One was involved in a company for layers and pig production.

I brought out the 1st batch of herby that APDC and Doc Rey didn't really want as the herbs were strong on their taste. THIS IS IT my friends now say, strong taste not bland. I knew it, that was why I kept the unwanted batch as it suited me. The Adobo was really appreciated too. The Blue Eagle men liked all, and discussion was focused on the health benefits, since one of them is all too knowing of how commercial animals are raised :(

No help. I prepared it myself. Brought out my electric grill and just set it to cook a few minutes before they arrived. Thank you for cellphones. Having guests is less stressful as you are prepared at the right time. Wine flutes, several chilled Reds, cheeses

Thank you to my friends who washed up after. I don't get jumpy when they come over.

Now we are preparing to go into production of our Sunshine Sausages.

Sunshine Surprise

I was just on the phone today w/ the schedules for our sausages, when I decided to surf and read online newspapers.

SURPRISE! I was motivated to act more :)