ruthdelacruz

travel & lifestyle blog by ruth dela cruz

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Nigella Lawson in Manila + Contadina by Del Monte Philippines

September 9, 2016
nigella lawson contadina manila
She must be everyone’s kitchen heroine. Nigella Lawson, British culinary icon visited Manila to share her passion in cooking (and eating!) and to introduce the Contadina line by Del Monte Foods. 


That’s the closest I could get to Nigella Lawson. Everyone wanted to have a picture close to her, while I chose to adore her from the side and had a quick snap of her. 
Nigella who has sold over 10 million copies of her cookbooks around the world (I know friends who are fans!), learned her ways in the kitchen through experiencing the world around her. She shared that she’s not a chef nor a professional cook. “My qualification is as an eater”. 
She graced the event held in Enderun Tent clad in a beautiful emerald green dress.  I witnessed a kitchen goddess walked in the room full of equally passionate food enthusiasts. She shared how she loved Filipino dishes like adobo, sinigang and sisig. She also confessed that she loves calamansi and planning to recreate Sinigang. 
nigella lawson contadina manila
Nigella learned how to cook when she worked as a chambermaid in Florence, Italy. The country awakened and nurtured her love for food with the abundance of fresh and quality produce that shape her food philosophy using only the best ingredients because it makes a big difference in the taste of the final dish.  This is consistent with Contadina’s philosophy. 
As Filipino’s become global citizens, Del Monte Philippines brings in Contadina, a brand of authentic ingredients that feeds every foodie’s passion of recreating flavors from their travel and food adventures. 
nigella lawson contadina manila

How many times have we told ourselves that we would try and cook the food that we had during our travels? 
The introduction of the Contadina in the Philippines would help us recreate the dishes and beautiful memories back in our kitchen. Contadina, originally owned by Del Monte Foods, Inc were only distributed in the United States ad Latin America. When Del Monte Pacific Limited, bought the US business in 2014, they fell in love with Contadina brand and decided to bring it to the Philippines while extending its product portfolio. I love that more and more international brands are being made available in the Philippines. 
The Contadina line consists of an array of Mediterranean cuisine essentials – olive oil, canned tomatoes, pasta and pasta sauces, all made of the finest quality, sourced from the world’s best producing regions to deliver truly, authentic flavors. 
We got to experience cooking with Contadina products with celebrity chefs and personalities. I was assigned to #TeamDaphne and she recreated one of Nigella’s recipes. 
nigella lawson contadina manila
nigella lawson contadina manila
nigella lawson contadina manila
nigella lawson contadina manila
nigella lawson contadina manila
nigella lawson contadina manila
I have to share that cooking with Contadina made me feel legit. Seeing the rich, fresh and flavorful Roma Tomatoes is a different cooking experience – it is as if we are cooking with the fresh ingredients. I cannot wait to cook with the other Contadina products!
Contadina Products available in the Philippines

nigella lawson contadina manila


Olive Oils (Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Pure Olive Oil)
Made from the fine olives grown in Andalusia Spain. The aroma is very distinct, once can really smell the notes of freshly cut greens and fruits. 

Pasta (spaghetti, penne)
Made from 100% Canadian Durum Wheat Semolina known for its fine texture and ability to create firm pasta with the right bounciness and golden, creamy color. 

nigella lawson contadina manila
nigella lawson contadina manila
nigella lawson contadina manila

Pasta Sauces (Fomaggio, Napoletana, Arrabiata, Aglio Arrostito, Pesto Alla Genevese)
From Italy, very fresh and flavourful, like they were bottled yesterday uses authentic Grana Padano cheese and fresh Italian herbs. 

Canned Tomatoes (diced tomatoes,, crush tomatoes, diced tomatoes with Italian herbs, stewed tomatoes Italian recipe)
The cuts are very clean and the shape is preserved even after cooking. 


Contadina is perfect for those who understand that the rich and authentic medley of flavours can only come from the finest ingredients. It is truly like a call for me to start my own garden at home 🙂 Read my inspirations here about Organic Farming and Gardening

nigella lawson contadina manila


Have you guys tried cooking with Contadina products?

Follow me @ruthilicious on instagram to see how I will cook with Contadina 🙂
Thank you so much Contadina and Bridges PR for having me!


Check out more VIP events here. 




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