As one of the celebrity judges in the Kapamilya Channel’s new cooking and singing competition Kalderoke, comedian Tuesday Vargas said she can relate to the contestants because of her own love for doing things in the kitchen.

“Ako lagi ang kusinera sa lahat pag family gathering, pag may parties so kaya siguro I trained for it and I wanted to go into the food business. So talagang inaral ko siya. If I was going to rate myself, I’m an 8.5 hoping for 9. Parang gusto ko nga maging 11 kahit lagpas lagpas pa (laughs),” she shared during the Phoenix SUPER LPG’s Kalderoke: The Singing and Cooking Showdown mediacon last November 10.

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During the lockdown, Tuesday said she spent her time productively while at home with her family.

“I’m very happy because ang tawag ko dito sa opportunity na ito na na-force tayo to be inside our homes, is sheltering in. So I look at it in a positive light, I don’t think of it as anything na detrimental sa personal development ng mga tao kasi only boring people are bored. Kaya kapag bored ka, hindi ka creative. So dapat gawin mo lahat ng puwede mo gawin. Yung second floor ilipat mo sa first floor, i-drain mo yung pool tapos punuin mo ulit, ganun. Magpaka-busy ka,” she advised.

One of her new discoveries about herself during the Enhanced Community Quarantine was learning new things, including experimenting with new recipes.

“Lahat ng niluluto ko dati dineconstruct ko nung new normal, yung sinigang walang sabaw, yung adobo walang toyo. Basta maging exciting ulit yung pagluluto. And on the other end of the spectrum, people who did not know how to cook before, wala silang choice. Sabi ng anak ko, ‘Wala silang no choice’ so parang double yung wala silang choice. Kaya kailangan nila magluto and so na-discover mo yung sarili mo during the quarantine period na puwede pala, kaya ko pala. So it boosts our self-confidence, our morale as a person talagang it made you survive those seemingly lonely hours na mag-isa ka lang. Kasi talagang sobrang nakaka-happy ang pagkain. Kaya kahit ano man yan, kahit mac and cheese na napaka simple, three ingredients, go for it. Because cooking feeds not just your gut but your soul,” she shared.

The dish Tuesday said she is most proud of is her version of homemade sizzling sinigang. “All Filipinos love cooking sinigang but we cook it the same way all the time. So isa sa na-deconstruct ko nung nag-start yung quarantine was to make sizzling sinigang. So I made the sauce richer and turned it into a gravy consistency . And then I used the shank instead of the regular pork cut or beef cut na meaty with a little bit of fat para pag linagay mo siya sa sizzling plate, parang bulalo steak pero the sauce is maasim and then I used French beans. I actually used inspiration from one of the restaurants I frequent too. Alam niya na yun pumunta kayo. Nasa MOA yung isang branch,” she added.

Watch the Phoenix SUPER LPG’s Kalderoke: The Singing and Cooking Showdown starting November 14, 2020 at 8:30 am, on the Kapamilya Channel. Hosted by comedian Wacky Kiray and the “Crystal Voice of Asia” singer Sheryn Regis along with celebrity judges chef Rolando "Chef Lau" Laudico; actress, comedian, and singer, Tuesday Vargas; Star Music composer and songwriter, Jonathan Manalo; and Phoenix SUPER LPG’s Category Marketing Manager, Marc Salboro.

For more information, on Kalderoke: The Singing and Cooking Showdown, visit
www.pnxsuperlpgkalderoke.ph