Category: Comfort Food

Magnum White Chocolate Almond ‪- Let’s #CelebrateWhite‬!

Imagine this: thick white Belgian chocolate coating with bits and pieces of almond that beautifully cracks as you bite into it, revealing a rich, creamy vanilla ice cream inside. Mmmm.. mouth-watering. We’re describing the newest indulgence that we just discovered: Magnum White Chocolate Almond.

Magnum White Chocolate Almond - with white Belgian chocolate coating with almond pieces, and vanilla ice cream inside

We already fell in love with all the flavors of Magnum. Ken and I can’t get enough of Magnum Almond. I was speechless on my first taste of the Magnum Gold. Our nanay’s favorite would have to be the Magnum Classic. See, there’s a Magnum flavor for everyone. 🙂

Now, white chocolate lovers would definitely revel in this newest Belgian chocolate creation from Magnum. They revealed this flavor last September 30, and if you’re like us who can’t wait to get a first taste of this indulgent Magnum White Chocolate Almond, you’ll be delighted to know that they’re taking over the malls around the metro on Sunday, October 4. #CelebrateWhite as you take a bite into this new Magnum ice cream flavor, along with your favorite Magnum ambassadors and dance to the beats of the hottest DJs in town. Follow @MagnumCelebrateWhite on Instagram to know more about this party!

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Clara Ole Baby Back Ribs with Beef Steak Rice and Caesar Salad Recipe

A few weeks ago, I reached a major milestone in my life – I have successfully survived a challenging year at my new office job and living independently in my Makati condo. When I moved in here, I promised myself to cook more and not resort to food delivery. In celebration of this important milestone, Ken decided to whip up a fancy meal for the two us despite the limited kitchen space and equipment at my place. With the help of Clara Ole products, he showed me you don’t have to spend a lot to come up with a restaurant-quality dish that you can make any time, starting with these mouth-watering Barbecue Baby Back Ribs. 🙂

BBQ Baby Back Ribs using Clara Ole products

If you’ve been following our blog, you know we are meat lovers. It was easy to decide which dish we want him to cook for this night. He made our meal extra special by also preparing Beef Steak Rice, with Caesar salad on the side. This recipe is easy to cook and budget-friendly, but the flavors and texture are on point; smoky, sweet with that subtle tangy taste. The meat? Falls off the bone. To fully enjoy the meal, we suggest you eat the ribs with your hands so you can lick off the sauce from your fingers afterwards. 😉

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Champorado and Bibingka with Toblerone & Cadbury – A Sweet Twist to Your Favorite Pinoy Merienda

Whenever the clock hits 3 o’clock in the afternoon, it’s like our bodies are programmed to want to have merienda. We grew up like this, and I still remember our nanay knocking on our doors at 3pm, announcing it’s merienda time. When we follow her to the kitchen, we’ll be delighted by the spread of different snacks she bought or prepared for us. You’d usually find pansit luglog or Pansit Malabon, lugaw with tokwa’t baboy, turon (we call it valencia), sopas, ginataan, ensaymada, bibingka and, my favorite, champorado.

Champorado recipe made with Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate and Eden Cheese

Yes, champorado. Some may think that it’s better enjoyed for breakfast, but I beg to disagree. 😀 I love champorado for merienda because it gives me a much-needed boost in the middle of the afternoon that’ll last until the end of the day. 🙂 I also love turon, ginataan, peachy-peachy, and, of course, Pansit Malabon.

Ken’s merienda favorites are lugaw, Pansit Malabon and bibingka. The latter, you’d think you can only find people selling them during the holidays, but in Malabon, it’s a regular snack choice because it’s readily available all year round (that’s why we LOVE our home town 😀 ).

If you’ve seen our past recipes, you already know how we enjoy adding our own twists to usual dishes. This time, Ken came up with 2 Pinoy merienda recipes with a sweet twist that we’re sure you’ll both love. He used products from Mondelez Philippines.

Mondelez Philippines, formerly named Kraft Foods, has been around for over 5 decades. They’re the authority when it comes to snacks. Don’t believe us? Under their belt, they have Oreo, Toblerone, Cadbury, and Tiger Enery Biscuits. Their Eden Cheese is a regular when we prepare spaghetti. We also add cheesiness to our ‘flying saucer’ sandwiches with Cheez Whiz. Merienda won’t be complete, especially for our nanay, without a pitcher of her favorite Tang.

Mondelez has been constantly innovating, coming up with new flavors that us Filipinos love. Have you tried their Oreo Coconut Delight? You must! How about the Tang Dalandan, Honey Lemon and Calamansi? 🙂

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Our #ClaraOlePotluck Fiesta, Boodle Fight Style!

We’re from Malabon, and if you know anyone from there or you’ve attended at least one fiesta or party hosted by someone who lives in our hometown, you know how festive our celebrations could be. And if you’ve been to one of our parties at home, you’ve seen how lavish we are when it comes to preparing food for our guests. We did just that when we hosted our own Clara Ole Potluck Fiesta party a couple of weeks ago.

Our Clara Ole Potluck Fiesta Boodle Fight spread!

The party took almost a month to prepare. The Clara Ole team gave us one task – to prepare a menu showcasing the wide variety of dishes you can make using their products, and how convenient and easy it is for anyone to serve delicious dishes, whatever level your cooking skills are and however small your kitchen is. We personally use Clara Ole products in my little kitchen in my Makati condo, and I tell you, everything I cook with their products come out perfect. 🙂 My favorites would be their pasta sauces and marinades.

Going back to our party, Ken and I thought of hosting a boodle fight, and we all agreed on the Pinoy Fiesta theme for our friends. Since it’ll be a boodle fight, Ken knew serving a couple of dishes won’t be enough. So, he came up with a menu composed of 14 dishes + the punch, which serves as my only contribution. 😀 All of the dishes were made using Clara Ole products, as listed below.

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Baon Ideas with Oreo and Tiger Energy Biscuits

I remember when we were still kids, our nanay wakes up really early in the morning to prepare our baon for school. Ken and I usually didn’t know what she prepared for us, and we’ll just be pleasantly surprised come recess time. I guess that’s why we always look forward to opening our lunchboxes during our breaks. She always makes sure we have something to eat that’s not just delicious, but will also energize us for the rest of our school day.

Oreo Rice Krispie Bars recipe

I’m sure many moms would agree that a good baon is vital during school days. I’m seeing a lot of moms getting creative with their kids’ baon nowadays. If you’re one of them, and you need a little inspiration, we’ve got a few ideas for you. We used 2 well-known products from Mondelez Philippines for these recipes.

If this is your first time hearing about Mondelez (pronounced ‘mohn-dah-leez’, meaning ‘delicious world’), their company was formerly named Kraft Foods. The company has been around for decades and they’re behind familiar brands like Oreo cookies, Tiger Energy biscuits, Tang, Eden Cheese, Cheez Whiz, Cadbury, and Toblerone. If you check their website, you’ll find delightful recipes for fun baon ideas for your kids.

Ken and I love putting a twist on our favorite dishes, and we did exactly that with the recipes below using Tiger Energy Biscuits and Oreo cookies, which are already good baon as is, but we thought of other creative treats you can make with them. These snacks / baon bites will surely give you a boost of energy, so it’s not just great for kids, but also fun snacks to take with you to the office or as merienda at home. Let us know once you’ve tried these recipes, okay? Enjoy! 🙂

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Highlands Prime Steakhouse Now Grilling at Estancia Mall, Capitol Commons

Ribeye Steak 14-Ounce from Highlands Prime Steakhouse at Estancia Mall Capitol Commons

“Is this the same Highlands as the one in MOA?” asked one of the four undecided women who walked into the restaurant while I was busy taking pictures for the blog. After the server who opened the door said yes, the ladies promptly requested for a table for four. – Well, that’s the kind of marketing no money could ever buy!

Highlands Prime Steakhoust at Estancia Mall in Capitol Commons

Highlands Prime Steakhouse at SM Mall of Asia has already established its name as one of the best steakhouses in the Metro, so it’s no surprise that expectations were ridiculously high when they decided to put up a second branch. Fortunately, their newest branch at Estancia Mall in Capitol Commons, Pasig City did NOT disappoint.

 

Highlands Prime Steakhouse at Estancia Mall, Capitol Commons

The new place is not as spacious as their MOA branch, but they both sport a laidback country house vibe. It has no direct entrance from inside the mall, so you have to brave the heat outside to get to their restaurant – a minor inconvenience easily compensated by their great food and service.

Interior of Highlands Prime Steakhouse at Estancia Mall Capitol Commons

Their dining area is divided into 4 sections. Coming in from the main entrance, you will be welcomed by tables with cushioned seats on the left and a big display of imported wines on the right. At the far end of the room, stands a fireplace that adds to the modern cabin theme of the restaurant. If you take a left turn from the main entrance, you’ll find a small dining area where the restroom and the kitchen are located. The wall leading to the kitchen is made of glass, which gives you a good view to leisurely watch the chefs in action.

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My Unforgettable McCormick Flavor Nation Festival Experience

McCormick has proved once again that they know the perfect recipe for an epic party – food, music, arts, and booze – at the first (hopefully, not the last) McCormick Flavor Nation Festival, held at the Activity Center of Bonifacio High Street in Taguig City last May 16, 2015.

McCormick Flavor Nation Festival at Active Fun in Bonifacio High Street Taguig City

 

McCormick Flavor Nation Festival

Dubbed as the biggest foodie event of this summer, McCormick Flavor Nation Festival was a celebration of more than a decade of the Filipinos’ patronization of the reliable line of products by McCormick. It was obvious: brand recognition was not the target of this this event. McCormick is already a household name, and we’re all familiar with their herbs and spices. In fact, there are usually sections in supermarkets dedicated solely to displaying McCormick products. This gastronomic festivity was actually geared to introducing loyal customers to unique and surprising ways of using McCormick products to elevate the flavors of food and (who knew?) even drinks!

For PHP 150, attendees were each given an Event Passport and a complimentary McCormick Starter Pack loot bag, containing select McCormick products worth PHP 100 and a copy of the February 2015 issue of Appetite Magazine.

Event Passport for McCormick Flavor Nation Festival in Bonifacio High Street Taguig

Photo grabbed from Jill of @TheFoodScout

The Event Passport gave us access to savor sample size dishes from all 10 participating concessionaires, taste drinks prepared by the resident mixologist, watch live musical performances, and get a chance to win amazing prizes from their on-site raffles and contests.

 

McCormick Infused Dishes

The first purveyor that I visited was Fived Rice by Chef John Reyes, featuring the chef’s interpretation of the three variants of McCormick Rice Cookers – Biryani Rice, Nasi Lemak Rice, and Hainanese Rice.

McCormick Rice Cookers Recipe Mix at McCormick Flavor Nation Festival

My favorite among the three was the Biryani Rice for its appetizing color and bold flavor. Plus, it was topped with raisins and cashew nuts, giving the rice dish an interesting texture.

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Finally, the McRib! We’re Loving It!

Seeing all the hype online about McDo’s McRib sandwich only made Ken and I salivate with anticipation to finally taste it. Only select stores had them available when we first heard that it’s finally here in the Philippines, so we had to control our craving for it. 😀

McRib giveaway!!

Fast forward to over a week ago, McDo sent us McRib sandwiches, and I invited my office friends after work to taste it with me. We had a McRib party! 😀

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Gourmet Strip: The Best of Shangri-La Plaza Restaurants

There’s no contest; Shangri-La Plaza remains one of the top foodie destinations in the Metro with its impeccable line-up of food choices and cuisines that you will not find anywhere else.

Gourmet Strip Event at Shangri-La Plaza Mandaluyong

Now they are inviting you to the biggest foodie event of the summer to taste and experience the best of Shangri-La restaurants in one gastronomic stage at this year’s Gourmet Strip event.

 

Gourmet Strip at Shangri-La Plaza

Gourmet Strip is a food sampling and selling fair that will highlight the bestselling dishes from the mall’s most popular restaurants for two weekends – May 15 to 17 (Asian cuisine) and May 22 to 24 (American and European) – at the East Atrium of Shangri-La Plaza. And the best part yet: admission is absolutely FREE!

Gourmet Strip at Shangri-La Plaza Event Poster

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Experience Japan’s Sakura Season at Tokyo Bubble Tea

For hundreds of years, the Japanese people have been observing their “Hanami” tradition, where they enjoy picnics under the blooming cherry blossom trees during Japan’s spring season. Travelers all over the world are packing their bags to join in on the celebration. But like the most of us, we don’t have the free time and—let’s admit—the financial capacity to splurge on a trip just to witness Japan’s iconic Sakura Season. But don’t fret; Tokyo Bubble Tea has finally brought the Sakura Season right to the Philippines with their newest offerings—the Sakura Bento Trays and Sakura JCC Milk Teas.

Facade of Tokyo Bubble Tea in SM North EDSA The Block Quezon City

 

Tokyo Bubble Tea at SM North EDSA The Block

I dragged my good friend, Rose Ann, with me since she’s more familiar with the Japanese culture. She’s an online English tutor and it’s her amazing job to talk with Japanese people all day. We visited the Tokyo Bubble Tea at SM North EDSA The Block in Quezon City for it’s the branch nearest to us.

Interior of Tokyo Bubble Tea SM North EDSA The Block Quezon City

Upon entering their store, we were greeted by their very accommodating staff. One was even game enough to strike a pose for a picture. This branch has limited seating capacity. I remember my family deciding to have dinner here one time, but we had to wait 15 minutes to get seated because the place was jam-packed with customers. I was also quite surprised with their cake display, since the last time we were here, they only had a handful of cakes to choose from. Now they’re selling more than 10 varieties of cakes, and they all look so sweet and delicious!

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