Saab Magalona-Bacarro and La Germania share the secret to making the perfect steak din

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

There’s nothing like enjoying a delicious steak dinner to mark special occasions. While it may not be advisable to dine out and have this juicy classic in your favorite restaurant just yet, the good news is that you can cook this dish right in the comfort and safety of your home!

Actress and musician Saab Magalona-Bacarro, alongside her husband, businessman and Cheats frontman Jim Bacarro, make it a point to still hold romantic date nights with some good ol’ steak and mashed potatoes. “We enjoy preparing steak and potatoes because it's delicious, hearty, and fancier than our usual meals, but also really easy to prepare,” Saab shared. Aside from having steak on date nights, they even repurpose them into steak fried rice for their kids.

In the first episode of La Germania’s recent Masterclass Series, the famous couple shared their secrets to making this dish at home. While you can watch the full episode on La Germania’s Facebook page to see how they prepare this classic dish, here’s the recipe you can try at home:



Ingredients:


Steak

● 500g rib eye steak

● Salt

● Pepper

● Butter

● Garlic

● Thyme



Mashed Potatoes

● Potatoes (5 large potatoes)

● 250ml Cream

● Beef cube

● Butter

● Parmesan Cheese

● Parsley

● Olive oil

● Stevia

● Cayenne pepper

● Paprika



Procedure:
Make sure your steak is at room temperature for at least 10 minutes.

 
Season the tray or cutting board first. 30% of the seasoning disappears when you cook beef, so make sure you season liberally.

Then, rub both sides of the beef on the tray.
Season the beef again until it looks encrusted in seasoning.

 
Put the stove at a low temperature before putting the meat. The meat must be cooked in piping hot heat, so you have to be ready.
Meanwhile, you cut the potatoes, and boil them for about 12 minutes. Use a fork to check how soft the potatoes are. Then, you mash the potatoes.

 
Deglaze the pan with some red wine if you want some sauce alongside your steak.
Put butter gradually on your potatoes. Taste test the potatoes so you can gauge how much seasoning you need to after.

 
Once you season the potatoes to your preference, you can add some garlic.

 
Fry some garlic with half a tablespoon of olive oil on low heat. Then add the cream, beef cube, and herbs of your choice.

 
Put the sauce on the potatoes using a strainer. Add the garlic chunks if you would like. Then, put it back on the stove. Mix it around, and taste test if it’s seasoned according to your liking.

 
If you like your steak medium, you should cook your steak for 4 minutes on each side. Leave it to cool down for about ten minutes, and enjoy immediately.



For Saab and Jim, it’s not just about the way you cook your steak and potatoes. The secret is to use the best ingredients and invest in good quality kitchen equipment like La Germania. “With our La Germania stove, we can speed up the process of cooking our favorite dishes because it has multiple burners. It’s easy to control, and child-friendly too since it’s an induction stove,” Saab mused. “If you’re raising a small family like us, having a reliable kitchen partner like La Germania makes everything easier to manage. From everyday dishes to more elaborate recipes, we can have fun and experiment in the kitchen.”

Built according to the highest European standards in terms of construction and design, La Germania appliances allow you to prepare restaurant-worthy dishes in an efficient and easy way. With guaranteed durability and superior quality, they’re a good investment for you to channel your inner chef, and unleash your kitchen genius.

La Germania products are available online through La Germania’s official e-commerce website www.lagermaniaph.com and e-commerce platforms on Shopee and Lazada. For more information on La Germania and its products, you may follow the official Facebook and Instagram accounts of the trusted kitchen and appliance brand.

Pinoy teen inventors feted at 4th imake.wemake competition

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

 

A hands-free computer interface with a built-in medical scanner, a living computer-monitored wastewater filtering and management system, and a smart assistant for the visually impaired—all invented by Filipino teenagers. These are just the highlights of dozens of inventions submitted from schools all across the country to the recently-concluded fourth annual imake.wemake: create. innovate. collaborate competition.  

 

Organized by the Department of Science and Technology – Science Education Institute (DOST-SEI) with support from the Gokongwei Brothers Foundation (GBF), the contest was overseen by a rigorous team of judges comprised of veteran engineers from the country’s top universities. 

 

“This year’s entries highlight the brilliance and creativity of our young students,” said DOST-SEI Director Josette Biyo. “It’s a feat made all the more impressive by the fact that they were able to create, innovate, and collaborate despite the pandemic.” 

 

“We hope that these initiatives help ensure a pool of quality STEM professionals who can contribute to the Philippines’ national development in the future,” said GBF Executive Director Grace Colet. 

 

Youth Innovation Prize 

 

The Youth Innovation Prizes (YIP) went to Cavite Science Integrated School’s Jimuel Clarence Z. Malimban, John Kenneth V. Sanchez, and Aira Gayle Pugeda; Ramon Teves Pastor Memorial-Dumaguete Science High School’s Ericka Elaine Diputado, Anjeli L. Merecido, and Shauna E. Tifora; and the Science and Technology Education Center of Basak, Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu Senior High School’s Johann Emir G. Margallo, Kate Ashley P. Liao, and Ron Marc L. Cañete. 

 

Cavite Science Integrated School’s winning entry is a hands-free computer interface that also doubles as a warning device that monitors the health of its users. It helps to minimize the risk of infection from contact with infected surfaces by using 

a computer-enabled camera to interpret users’ movements to potentially control everything from house appliances to ATMs. It also monitors users’ vital signs and is capable of sending an alert to authorities if it senses anything out of the ordinary. The winning project was submitted under the title, “ABSCISSA: An Arduino-Based Smart Contactless Interface Integrated with Syndromic Surveillance and Alert System for Fomite-Mediated Transmission Mitigation.” 

 

Ramon Teves Pastor Memorial-Dumaguete Science High School came up with a unique wastewater management system that uses live plants to filter out harmful chemicals in water that would otherewise be flushed down the drain. The water passes through a biofilter of Tangan-tangan (Ricinus communis) plants, which naturally absorb toxic chemicals, before it goes through a standard filter setup. The whole process is carefully overseen via computer-enabled sensors that constantly monitor the water quality. The entry was entitled, “Project WWW: A Multifunctional Waste-Water Web for Agrobotics.” 

 

The Science and Technology Education Center – Cebu Senior High School’s winning entry was a smart assistant that helps visually impaired users to know what’s around them and even to read nearby signs and text. The head-mounted device not only alerts of the presence of nearby obstacles but also indicates the distance of these objects. The system can also identify and read aloud text in the environment, such as on street signs and billboards. The project was called “Project BlindSpot: Arduino-Based Object Distance Measurement, Identification and Optical Character Recognition Using YOLO Algorithm.” 

 

The YIP Awardees each bagged a Php 200,000 cash prize and a trophy. 

 

Young Scientist Awardees and Scholars 

 

Imake.Wemake also conferred the GBF Young Scientist Award to Jimuel Clarence Z. Malimban and John Kenneth V. Sanchez, both from Cavite Science Integrated School; and Anjeli L. Merecido of Ramon Teves Pastor Memorial – Dumaguete Science High School.  

 

The award is bestowed by the GBF to the finalists who demonstrated global competence through their innovation. ​ The awardees also received the GBF STEM Scholarship for Excellence—a conditional scholarship amounting to Php 85,000 per academic year—which allows them to pursue a STEM course of their choice at any of the country’s colleges or universities.  

Gear Up to 2022: Quick Guide to Find the Right Cloud Solution

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

Choosing the right cloud solution is a challenging task. Various options are available in the market. At first glance, all their features seem to be the same. But in reality, they are not.

When you decide to pick one that fits you, you have to understand some factors. The in-depth analysis for a particular business requirement is one. Security and reputation are other features to check out.

To lighten your options, here is a quick guide for the right cloud solution.

Check Cloud and Data Security

Cloud and Data Security is a primary concern of any business. It encompasses data backup if ever any hardware or software failure occurs. Also, it protects the information stored from unauthorized third-party access. Therefore, it keeps your files safe from viewing, copying, and even modifying from others.

A cloud service means you store data somewhere else. That’s why it is your right as a consumer to demand high data security from the provider. NTT DATA is a provider of SAP with Microsoft Azure. They serve both growing and established businesses and are known for their regard for data security.

When choosing the right cloud solution, check if they have strict security standards. Make sure security is their utmost priority. Also, verify if the provider complies with measures like the ISO 27000 series. Finally, assess if the presented certifications are valid.

Furthermore, look into the server location. Take note that local laws vary. Ensure that you have control over your data where it is stored, processed, and managed, with proper consideration of its jurisdiction.

Assess Cloud Compliance

A remarkable cloud architecture helps meet compliance standards. Without it, your organization will have difficulty standing long on this platform. Or possible chaos in the long run.

It is a must that you have at least a few understanding about the whatnots to achieve compliance. Remember, it is not strict on a specific kind of framework. So whether it beholds GDPR, PCI DSS, SOC 2, HIPAA, or others, learn how to comply.

Assessing the cloud agreement helps you feel safe and secure once your data is up in the public cloud infrastructure. Nevertheless, be responsible enough to know where your responsibilities lie. Also, point out which aspect your provider will significantly help you check off. 

Review Reliability and Performance

In any kind of cloud solution, downtimes are inevitable. It is such a headache nobody wants to have, but it unexpectedly occurs. We have no choice about it.

Although, the number of times how often it occurs matters. It is not the sole factor you have to consider when choosing the right cloud solution. What’s foremost essential is the capability of the provider to solve the situation in time. Immediate action for any issues shows how reliable a company is.

Excellent performance is not only during the uptime. Instead, it highly reflects its capability to move forward and cope up when a problem occurs.

Check information about this. You must review the provider’s processes, responsibilities, and roles. Also, you have to look into their tools and disaster recovery provisions.

Consider The Architecture

The cloud architecture helps in the overall workflow. Also, it creates a significant impact in the future. So, it must have excellent integration.

As an example, an organization under a Microsoft universe has a sense of proceeding to Azure. All because Microsoft provides customers free credits and licenses. Meanwhile, if the investment relies more on Google services, it is best to look for company profiles that ease integration and consolidation.

In addition, considering cloud storage architectures are beneficial. Although most of the major providers have similar structures, they offer different types of storage. Each of these fits ideally based on the client’s needs.

Find out the similarities and differences of every available cloud solution. Understand how it works. Some services offer storing data and retrieving data options frequently (hot storage) and infrequently (cool storage). Most of the time, the latter costs less but with several restrictions.

Identify Manageability

Just like any storage, the software requires maintenance and updates, too. The Web tends to change. When this happens, conflicting issues might occur with the current software. That’s how necessary having regular compliance with the update.

Once you get a cloud solution, it’s the provider’s responsibility to check all the new updates. Also, it is a must that each upgrade is fresh and compatible.

Furthermore, identifying the manageability of the right cloud solution is from the uptime. So guarantee that your chosen provider has a high uptime - as much as possible 99%. Or else, you’ll face the consequences like losing access to your website. Or you’ll have no access to essential software and applications. Remember, the longer the downtime lasts, the higher risk it poses to your data.

To avoid these, read reviews about the web hosting providers. Check out forums related to SaaS Cloud providers. Nobody else can tell you these but the previous and current clients of the provider you’re eyeing.

Keep in mind that getting a cloud partner is a serious and long-term investment. So make your money worth with reliable ones.

Learn The Service Levels

Trust is a must when choosing the right cloud solution. If something wrong happens, a legal agreement must be available to back it up. That’s why before you dive into a provider, learn the different service levels.

Businesses highly consider this factor. It reflects the capability of the platform in terms of availability and capacity. Don’t forget to add the response time and support.

Cloud Service Level Agreements or Cloud SLAs are vital. It bridges and establishes a clear contractual relationship between the cloud service provider and the cloud service client.

Although it is a must to understand every detail, pay attention to the legal requirements needed for the security of the data. Specifically, it must be in line with GDPR.

Look For Technologies and Support

Cloud services are available to provide an easy and convenient life for all. That’s why it is essential to have excellent tech support for it. So when the time comes that specific trouble occurs, you can resolve it without too much fuss.

When choosing the right cloud solution, make sure that it is always available 24/7. The quick resolution is at least accessible in email form. Better yet, it has a contact support team via phone call. It provides safer and secure communication.

In this manner, it only requires a minimum effort. If a more complicated issue arises, you have direct contact with competent assistance.

Furthermore, the best cloud platform must have alignment with the current technical environment. Therefore, the service, standards, and architecture must be compatible with the workload and management preferences.

So before finalizing your decision, assess the re-coding and other necessary adjustments. Take note that the whole process of migration support and assistance must fit well with what you currently need.

See The Company Profile

Reputation indeed plays a crucial role when choosing the right cloud solution. As always, working with a legitimate company is strongly recommended.

Look into the company profile. Make it a habit to check the history of stability of the provider. Ensure that it has no record of legal issues like a data breach.

Moreover, it is a must to see the current financial positions of the company. See to it that it is healthy and free from any economic problems.

In addition, know who runs the whole institution. All information placed in your account is critical. So it is best if experienced managers oversee the overall performance of the cloud company.

Calculate The Costs

Above all else, the cost is essential when choosing the right cloud solution. Although it is not the single nor the most important consideration, it impacts your final decision.

To ease your dilemma, check both the sticker price and associated fees. Preferably, it must include the staff hired to manage your needs.

Various ways affect the expenses. Nevertheless, you have the means to choose which one you prefer. Every provider indicates how payment works. It can be Pay-as-you-go, Reserved, or Volume Discounts.

Other companies charge bills through instances per second. Or bills customers based on the demand. Whichever you prefer, make sure you have the financial capacity to pay it off.

Cloud services offer great assistance to every individual and businesses needs. It provides collaborative working and data storage capacity with security features. So when choosing the right cloud solution, make sure it is reliable, flexible, and suits your needs.