Masflex Celebrates 25 Years & Names Nancy Reyes-Lumen As Brand Ambassador

Thereâ€™s a high chance that if you go into your kitchen right now, youâ€™ll find at least one Masflex product. In our kitchen, I actually saw the knife set that my mom won in a Christmas raffle last year and the non-stick pan that I have been using for almost 5 years now. Masflex has easily become a Filipino household kitchen staple because their products are affordable, high-quality, and really durable. Itâ€™s no surprise that they are still number one in the Philippines since the brand was introduced in the country in 1989!

Masflex Cookware and Kitchenware has recently celebrated their 25th year anniversary by introducing their very first brand ambassador, Chef Nancy Reyes-Lumen, or more popularly known as the â€œAdobo Queenâ€ of the Philippines.

A food writer, Filipino food advocate, television host, radio personality, and a musical band singer, Chef Nancy isâ€”no doubtâ€”deserving to be the face of the Masflex brand in the Philippines.

After Chef Nancy was formally introduced, she demonstrated on how to cook four (4) Filipino heirloom recipes that were handed down to her by her grandmothers, including a dish eponymous to the new President â€“ the Rodrigoâ€™s Roast.

Dishes Cooked by Chef Nancy Reyes Lumen at Masflex Cookware and Kitchenware 25th Anniversary — Rodrigo’s Roast, Lola Merengâ€™s Adobo sa Beer, Mommy Nenaâ€™s Kinulob, and Bibingka Ube and Crepe Cake

Continue reading Masflex Celebrates 25 Years & Names Nancy Reyes-Lumen As Brand Ambassador

My US Potato Board (USPB) Potato Safari 3 Experience in Davao City

While everyone was busy with their holiday preparations last December 2015, I, together with other Manila food bloggers, flew to Davao City to join the Potato Safari 3, coordinated by the US Potato Board (USPB), the organization who handles the promotion and marketing for US Potatoes across the globe.

About US Potatoes

The third of the Potato Safari began with the Global Marketing Manager of USPB, Susan Weller, giving us a brief and informative introduction to US Potatoes.

The potato is an integral ingredient used in cuisines all over the world. It is so versatile that it can be used in appetizers, soups, main entrÃ©es, or even desserts. But do you know what the worldâ€™s favorite way to eat potatoes? Of course, as French fries!

The most important thing I learned from Susan was that itâ€™s NOT true that fresh local potatoes are superior over frozen potatoes in terms of quality and nutritional content. Frozen US Potatoes are, in fact, a whole lot better because they meet strict FDA and USDA specificationsâ€”a reason why they have become the top choice of renowned chefs all over the world.

Continue reading My US Potato Board (USPB) Potato Safari 3 Experience in Davao City

McCormick Flavor Nation Festival: Feast for the Senses

If you search your cupboard at home right now, thereâ€™s a big chance youâ€™ll find a McCormick product just lying around. Their products are true Filipino household staples. McCormick has also played a big part in my home-based pastry business since I use their high-quality food colorings, spices, and extracts to whip up my bestselling cupcakes. These are the very reasons why I immediately accepted their invitation to attend this yearâ€™s McCormick Flavor Nation Festival.

McCormick Flavor Nation Festival

Mark your calendars! On May 16, 2015 (Saturday), McCormick Philippines will be hosting their first McCormick Flavor Nation Festival at the Activity Center of Bonifacio High Street in BGC, Taguig.

This summerâ€™s biggest foodie festival will let you experience a one-of-a-kind gustatory adventure with the Flavor Nation Specialty Food Stalls and the Spiced Beverage Bar, where guests can experience a variety of gastronomic dishes and cocktails all infused with McCormick herbs, spices, and meal mixes. There are even stalls that will be pairing their dishes with the 3 variants of McCormick Rice Cookers: Hainanese Chicken Rice, Biryani Rice, and Nasi Lemak Coconut Pandan Rice. Flavored rice? Count us in!

Continue reading McCormick Flavor Nation Festival: Feast for the Senses

Russell Hobbs and Chef JP Anglo Mood-Food Cookbook

It’s a fact: more and more Filipino young adults are moving out of their parents’ nest to start living independently. My sister, Mhel, has become one of those people, when she traded her home-based work for an office job in Makati. She rented a studio unit right across her office, sparing herself from the inevitable stress of daily commutes. The major drawback? She misses our Nanay’s delicious home-cooked meals, and after a hectic day at work, she doesn’t have much time for cooking, so she resorts to ordering fast-food and feasting on unhealthy fare. What she and mostÂ young, independent professionals need are efficient and reliable pieces of equipment that will help them prepare “lutong bahay” quality food in a short time, like Russell Hobbs‘ small kitchen appliances.

Russell Hobbs Small Kitchen Appliances

Russell Hobbs may not be a household name in the Philippines, but it’s considered the number 1 brand in the United Kingdom with its line of innovative and stylish small kitchen appliances. We owe it to its founders, Bill Russell and Peter Hobbs, for revolutionizing the way we enjoy coffee and tea with their invention of the electric kettle and the coffee pot with a keep-warm feature.

Mood-Food Cookbook

Our daily food choices are greatly affected by our mood. When we’re stressed at work or when we’re nursing a broken heart, we always turn to our favorite foods for comfort. With this in mind, Russell Hobbs has decided to collaborate with Chef JP Anglo, who owns the successful Sarsa Kitchen + Bar, in creating a coffee table book with a collection of positively mood-altering recipes that can easily be prepared using Russell Hobbs kitchen appliances. It’s the perfect book for budding cooks, professionals with tight schedules and a tighter kitchen space, or any person who enjoys food!

Note the visible signs of wear and tear on the kitchen appliances.

Russell Hobbs made an excellent choice in choosing Chef JP as their endorser and collaborator for the cookbook because he truly believes in the brand and he uses their kitchen appliances in his restaurant’sÂ every day operation.

Continue reading Russell Hobbs and Chef JP Anglo Mood-Food Cookbook

Japanese Chicken Yakitori (Barbecue) Recipe

Ever since I started eating healthy and hitting the gym, my mind has been overly preoccupied with food. And even in my sleep, all I see is food, just like this one recurring dream I have of me binging on Japanese fare like sushi, katsudon, or yakitori. 😀 I always wake up disoriented, salivating, and craving for anything Japanese. This torture has to stop! And I have always believed that the only way to get rid of temptation is to yield to it. Needless to say, I gave in. So one afternoon, I decided to prepare Japanese Chicken Yakitori for dinner.

I used to have an obsessive addiction with Tokyo Tokyoâ€™s Chicken Yakitori, until they decided to take it off their menu and replace it with Chicken Karaage, which I did NOT find hard to love as well. But it was truly overwhelming when I came across my long lost love, the Chicken Yakitori, once again at my previous work. They had a mean recipe for yakitori, so I made sure I learn it any way I could. So with that recipe at hand, I charged at our kitchen, only to be disappointed to find out that weâ€™re missing most of the ingredients I need. But like any good chef, one must learn how to improvise and be resourceful.

The original recipe calls for mirin (Japanese rice wine) and rice wine vinegar. I boldly substituted the mirin with red wine, and the rice wine vinegar with the regular distilled vinegar. But I suggest that if you plan to substitute the mirin, use white wine instead, since itâ€™s milder and sweeter.

Continue reading Japanese Chicken Yakitori (Barbecue) Recipe

The Maya Kitchen Baking Class with The Burp Society

After our dinner at Van Gogh is Bipolar, we thought it’ll be fun to organize a different kind of activity for the next The Burp Society meet-up. Thankfully, The Maya Kitchen gladly helped us organize a baking class for our group, which turned out to be a completely fun and learning experience for all of us.

The Burp Society and Ms Rory at The Maya Kitchen

Ken’s an excellent pastry chef, which has inspired me to want to learn how to bake. So, I thought it’ll be a great idea to hold a baking class exclusively for The Burp Society. And, almost immediately, I thought about The Maya Kitchen Culinary Arts Center.

Maya Kitchen display of products

I’m sure you’re all familiar with Maya, the brand well-known and trusted for decades by us Filipinos because of the quality of their products. You’ve probably prepared pancakes, brownies, cakes, cookies or even champorado at home with ease because of Maya’s mixes. But, did you know they have been helping out entrepreneurs and home bakers and cooks for years now through the classes they hold at The Maya Kitchen? You can learn more about this through their website: www.themayakitchen.com.

Continue reading The Maya Kitchen Baking Class with The Burp Society

Red Sinigang with Del Monte Tomato Sauce

If there’s one Filipino dish I can bear to eat daily, it’ll have to be Sinigang. Our nanay has tried a variety of Sinigang – with seafood, pork or even chicken and beef (yes, she has tried all sorts of proteins with this dish). She has always cooked it the traditional way, but she was excited and welcomed the idea of adding a tasty twist to a classic dish – Sinigang with Del Monte Tomato Sauce.

Sinigang is a savory sour soup that we Filipinos love. The acidity may come from green mangoes, guava and, more widely used, tamarind (sampaloc). Pork, bangus or shrimps are the usual main ingredients, along with vegetables like kangkong (water spinach), okra, chili (siling haba/pang-sinigang), and onions. Our nanay also add slices of tomatoes to it, but we both haven’t encountered or tasted this dish with actual tomato sauce.

That’s until we found out about Del Monte’s Red Movement where they take classic Filipino dishes and add their famous, Filipino favorite tomato sauce into the mix. Some combinations may sound weird, but knowing the brand and the recipes they share through Del Monte Kitchenomics, we know they wouldn’t just come up with concoctions like the Red Bulalo or Red Pesang Bangus without actually testing and proving that adding tomato sauce to these dishes actually works. If you want the recipes for these other dishes, visit www.delmonte.ph.

If you’re aching to know how our nanay made her Del Monte Red Sinigang, read on.

Continue reading Red Sinigang with Del Monte Tomato Sauce

Asia Food Expo, Food and Drinks Asia 2012 : Win FREE Tickets Here!

This September is looking like a very eventful month for foodies, food businesses and new entrepreneurs alike. I guess everyone is getting ready for the coming holidays, and we’re as excited as you are. Among the many events, the Asia Food Expo 2012 and the Food and Drinks Asia 2012Â are the food expos we’re looking forward to the most. And, together with Breakfast Magazine, we’re giving away TEN (10) tickets to these 2 events, so read on. 🙂

If you are planning on opening up a business or you’re thinking about expanding a current one, then, you’d be glad to know that these 2 events are specially focused on different sectors of the food industry.

Continue reading Asia Food Expo, Food and Drinks Asia 2012 : Win FREE Tickets Here!

6th Manila Foods and Beverages Expo : Back to Basics (Win Tickets Here!)

On June 13 to 17, at the World Trade Center Metro Manila and WTCMM East Wing, the biggest and most anticipated food event of the year is set to satisfy every food enthusiast with yet another impressive line-up of activities in this 5-day expo – it’s the 6th Manila Foods and Beverages Expo or MAFBEX 2012.Â You’ll bear witness to the skils of culinary experts in the scheduled cook-offs, learn from the seminars led by the food and beverage industry experts, and sample a wide variety of international cuisines from renowned local and international chefs.

With the gaining popularity and enthusiasm of Filipinos towards discovering new dishes inspired by flavors from around the world, it’s no wonder businesses in the F&B industry continue to grow and we see more and more people delving into the world of food. And through MAFBEX, this potential is maximized. It’s exclusively dedicated to food suppliers, distributors, manufacturers and retailers that cater to food service and hospitality industries.

This year, the theme for MAFBEX is “Back to Basics“. Since the demand for organic food and healthier choices are increasing and becoming more popular all around the world, it’s important to showcase the organic and healthier food products that are out there and are available for us to consume.

MAFBEX is organized by the leading exhibition and trade show organizer Worldbex Services International (WSI), in cooperation with the De La Salle – College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) and for the benefit of ABS-CBN Foundation. This year, there’ll be over 500 booths that should keep all expo-goers busy. Last year’s turnout was at 50,000 visitors, and this year’s MAFBEX is bigger with the addition of the World Trade Center East Wing as an extension venue for the seminars and competitions.

Continue reading 6th Manila Foods and Beverages Expo : Back to Basics (Win Tickets Here!)

Tupperware Speedy Chopper : A Kitchen Must-Have

When Ken and I decided to feature some of our top favorite restaurants and products we wrote about here on our blog over the past year for our anniversary giveaway, the very first thing that came to mind was the Tupperware Speedy Chopper. I swear, it’s one of the niftiest kitchen tools ever. 🙂

Among everyone in my family, I’m the one who’s most ecstatic about the Speedy Chopper because I don’t like the hassle of finely chopping ingredients for anything I’m planning on cooking at home. I mentioned on our first post about it that I do love to cook, but because of my very busy schedule, preparing ingredients has been one of the reasons why I spend less time in the kitchen actually cooking. This lightweight chopper has changed that. 🙂

The one ingredient I HATE chopping the most is garlic, and I bet a lot of you can relate to this. I don’t like its pungent smell on my fingers. But, it’s one of the best ingredients there is that can give dishes a kick of flavor. Thankfully, with the Tupperware Speedy Chopper, I won’t have to worry about its strong smell staying on me.

Hand model is our nanay 🙂

Continue reading Tupperware Speedy Chopper : A Kitchen Must-Have