Making Fiesta Extra Special with Clara Ole!

Sunday, July 19, 2015 Alexis Mendoza 0 Comments

Fiesta aside from the holiday season is one of those occasion every year that every family prepares so much in advance and of course the star of the celebration are the food! But sometimes, you're left with the question on what to prepare, this is where Clara Ole comes in.

If you're not familiar with Clara Ole, they produce some amazing products that makes cooking more fun, quick, and delicious. From instant pasta sauces, salad dressings, fruit jams, to marinades and more, they have it. They recently did a series of Clara Ole Potluck parties and I was invited to the final leg with a fiesta theme by my friends Ken and Mhel, the duo behind Certified Foodies.

It was a Sunday just after a few days of non-stop rain that caused work and class suspension throughout the metro and we're glad to see the sun back just in time for our awaited Clara Ole Fiesta. Before entering the venue, attendees were given colorful paper plates and markers where we were asked to put our best Fiesta food tip where the best one gets a prize.

When we entered the venue, the smell of the food is definitely divine! It's not a fiesta if you're not using your hands and we definitely need to use it because it's a boodle fight. Ken and his Mom actually prepared more than 10 dishes for the party and they all used different Clara Ole products which made the food more special.

Before digging in to the delicious look feast, our hosts welcomed us and did a quick tour on how they prepared the food. Chef Kat from Wicked Kitchen (which I by the way love, especially their desserts) gave a quick demo on the anatomy of a delicious boodle feast and how make it look instagram-ready.

Clara Ole also gave an awesome idea on our favorite putok-batok snack, Chicharon. They let us try dipping it in their new Vinaigrette that comes in different uniquely named variants. For the chicharon they recommend their My, My Parmesan!, Sesame Mucho, and Orange You Glad!. Out of the 3, I personally like the Orange You Glad as it gave that special sour but refreshing kick to my chicharon.

After digging in to the delicious boodle feast, we proceeded to the fun part of any fiesta, the games! First game of the day is Pinoy Henyo with two teams playing - Ken versus Ms. Amy Perez-Castillo's team. I'm with Ms. Amy's team and we lost to the word lechon. Other games of the day includes an exciting game of Agawang Dahon and Going to the Market.

The fiesta ended with some awesome Clara Ole party favors for everyone to use at home. I already started using mine and they are definitely easy to incorporate in different dishes, I especially love their line of Salad dressings and pasta sauces!

I love cooking and experimenting in the kitchen, I normally do it for my family but on special occasions I'll gladly cook for a bigger number of people. From Pinoy, Korean, to desserts, I explore my passion for cooking more by experimenting with new dishes. Check out some of the treats that came out of my kitchen;

For now I think my dream potluck party is for my upcoming birthday on September. I'm already planning on what to cook on my special day like what I always do every year and with the help of Clara Ole, I think I'll come up with new dishes to try.

Some of the dishes on my list are Seafood Paella using Clara Ole's Ora Mix Mo Paella Mix, Mango Cake with Cherries using Clara Ole's Mango Jam & Maraschino Cherries, and maybe experiment on new salad ideas using Clara Ole's Vinaigrette and dressings, lastly some Chicken Inasal which I haven't tried yet. I'll definitely finalize my birthday menu soon and update you! ;)