Cooking Demonstrations

Televised cooking shows in the 1950s were a perfect medium for food manufacturers to promote their products. Companies including Nestlé and Knorr were joined by Manila Gas (which was then owned by Americans) to sponsor these shows, featuring recognized personalities. Mrs. Virginia Gonzalez (Mrs. Virginia Perez at the time) was recruited by Nora Daza (famous cook, author, and restaurateur) to run the show in the 1960s. She developed hundreds of recipes using products like powdered, evaporated, and condensed milk, bouillon cubes, and powdered coffee. A generation of Filipinos watched these shows avidly, learning how to cook from TV personalities in place of the grandmothers, mothers, and nannies who had traditionally handed down family recipes.