Category: Kitchen Tools / Appliances

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

There’s a high chance that if you go into your kitchen right now, you’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. It’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 - For the love of cooking

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 “Adobo Queen” of the Philippines.

Chef Nancy Reyes Lumen Brand Ambassador for Masflex Cookware and Kitchenware

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

Chef Nancy Reyes-Lumen Brand Ambassador for Masflex Cookware and Kitchenware

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 – the Rodrigo’s Roast.

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

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5 Quick Tips for Cooking For One

I’ve been living away from my family for over a year now. I got used to our nanay and Ken cooking our meals at home, so I had to go through a big adjustment when I decided to move out. I’m now staying in a studio condo unit that has a small kitchen with not much wiggle room. In this tiny kitchen, I surprised myself when I realized I can do a lot even with such a tight space.

My tiny kitchen, a place I can call my own hehe

As much as I hate to admit it, when I first started living solo, most days, I relied on food delivery and frozen / processed food. I realized, after a few weeks, that I need to change this because 1) it’s not healthy for me, and 2) it’s been causing a big dent on my expenses. I’ve been wanting to learn more about cooking, but I never took it seriously. I have bookmarks upon bookmarks of different recipes, and yet I’ve only tried making around 10 of them in the past 5 years. Last July, I decided I needed to do something about that, so I’ve been cooking more and enjoying the goodness of home-cooked meals ever since.

Creamy pasta I made for me

I decided to share with you some quick tips for foodies who are like me, living solo, with this desire to cook and eat good food in their own homes. And, maybe soon, I’ll start sharing my own Mhelinamnam recipes. 😀

TIP #1: Invest in quality kitchen tools.

For me, this is vital. You’ll be using your kitchen tools for a long time, so better invest in quality products. Also, look for kitchen tools that will help you come prep time and washing up afterwards.

In my opinion, a non-stick pan is crucial. It doesn’t matter what your cooking skill level is, you must own a non-stick pan. It not only beautifully cooks dishes like fish, meats, eggs (oh my goodness, eggs!) and sauces, but you also minimize your use of oil, making your meals healthier. 🙂

Cooking omelet with my Lock & Lock Hard & Light Black & Silver non-stick pan

Thankfully, I found a non-stick pan that works on my induction stove – the newly-launched Lock & Lock Hard & Light Black & Silver non-stick pan. It’s lightweight, and it promises improved resistance to scratch and corrosion with its 3-coating Dupont Teflon. You can find this in Lock & Lock boutique stores and in leading stores nationwide. Trust me, this is a lifesaver! I am #LockedInLove with it. 🙂

I can now pan-fry meats and seafood without worrying about food sticking to the bottom of the pan. Cleaning up is also easier with this non-stick pan.

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Discover Adventure at Farmers Market Day Tour

For over 40 years, Farmers Market, a landmark at the Araneta Center, has been distinguished as an unparalleled source of fresh meat, seafood, and produce in Metro Manila.  Now they’re setting the bar even higher as they officially launch the Farmers Market Day Tour, a major first in the history of the Philippine market.

Farmers Market Facade at the Araneta Center Cubao

 

Farmers Market Day Tour 

Farmers Market holds its first Farmers Market Day Tour, in participation to the gastronomic feast, “Flavors of the Philippines,” by the Department of Tourism for the whole month of April. This project aims to transform our old and boring market day into a fun and interactive adventure, where you get to discover new things and experience Farmers Market anew.

Farmers Market Day Tour Map

 

Farmers Market for Madrid Fusion

On April 23, Farmers Market will be welcoming the elite chefs featured on Madrid Fusion Manila 2015 - the most anticipated event of the year that will bring together renowned chefs from Spain and the Philippines in a single culinary stage.

Madrid Fusion Manila 2015

I consider myself fortunate for being invited, together with some select local bloggers, to be the very first people to experience the Farmers Market Day Tour before the arrival of the participating chefs and international press for Madrid Fusion. And as an avid fan of local beauty pageants, I was even more delighted to find out that our tour guides will be none other than Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach (Binibining Pilipinas Universe 2015) and Hannah Ruth Sison (Binibining Pilipinas First Runner-Up).

Binibining Pilipinas 2015 Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach and Hannah Ruth Sison for Araneta Center

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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 most 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 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 by Russell Hobbs and Chef JP Anglo

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!

Chef JP Anglo Introducing Russell Hobbs Kitchen Appliance

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’s every day operation.

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Gift Ideas for the Self Confessed Foodie

Self confessed foodies can be very easy to buy for, if you know them well enough. But when it comes to birthday cakes, party nibbles and other edible goodies, they’re likely to have their hawk eye out for perfection. Foodies generally love food but they also have naturally high standards in both presentation and taste so shopping for them can sometimes be a little challenging.

But be patient. Here we have some great ideas for gifts for the foodie in your life. Here are our top 6 pressies for food lovers everywhere:

1. Dinner at a top-rated restaurant – for a food lover, nothing beats the experience of eating out at a world renowned and critically acclaimed culinary hangout. Make a special night of it, dress up, splash out and enjoy the exciting high quality food served to you.

Top rated restaurant in Manila

2. Homemade chocolates – if you want to impress a loved one, what better way of showing that you care than slaving away in the kitchen for hours cooking up everyone’s favorite sweet treat, chocolate? Homemade chocolates are a very rare and luxurious treat so box them up nicely and make them look pretty.

Ken's homemade truffles
Ken’s homemade truffles

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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. 🙂

Tupperware Speedy Chopper

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. 🙂

Tupperware Speedy Chopper - let's chop some garlic!

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.

Tupperware Speedy Chopper - it's easy to use

Hand model is our nanay 🙂

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Uratex Ready-Wrap Containers : More than just Microwave-safe

Uratex is a known manufacturer of high quality foam and plastic products in the country. Our family has been loyal to their brand for years. In fact, I use their Orthocare mattress for my bed. Ken’s sleeping on their Siesta portable Mattress every night. And I have a dozen of their Casablanca Arm chairs in my computer shop. That’s how much we trust Uratex. So, when we found out they have these microwave-safe containers they call Ready-Wrap, I knew we can only expect the same durability and quality. 🙂

Uratex Orthocare mattress and Siesta portable mattress

We were sent over these containers to be featured here, and just with their look and feel when I opened the package, I knew they weren’t made with cheap plastic. Since we own a microwave at home and we use it everyday for reheating leftovers, we’ve tried different affordable microwave-safe containers and have been consistently disappointed. With these Ready-Wrap containers, we have high hopes. I mean, c’mon. They’re from Uratex, the same manufacturer who made those chairs the kids and adult customers at my shop now stand on, and other times, even jump on when they’re all pumped up while playing games like DoTA or Crossfire. 😀

Uratex Ready-Wrap containers 5-piece set (rectangular)

“Get ready for keeps” – this is the tagline of the Ready-wrap line of containers. Why? Because they aren’t just for use in the microwave, but they have many more functions:

  • You can use them to freeze, refrigerate and reheat food or ingredients.
  • They’re perfect for organizing dry ingredients like flour, baking powder, powdered milk, etc. You can even use them to store fillings for your sandwich so it’ll be easier to prepare them next time, e.g., lettuce, ham, tomatoes, etc. (exactly what I’m planning to do 😉 )
  • You can use them to pack your food and bring them anywhere you go like in the office, for picnics, or even to a party somewhere else.
  • You can use them to display food or garnishes at your own parties. They offer these containers in different colors. Cups come in clear, red, blue, green and purple. The round and rectangular containers come in clear body, but with various colored lids.
  • For home businesses, you can use these containers for your food products.

 

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Mixtures Made Easier through the Blender Bottle

One of my favorite breakfast meals is a stack of pancakes. I used to make them like two to three times a week. But, because of my very busy schedule the past months, I stopped because it was too time-consuming making a lump-free pancake mixture. Thank goodness for the Blender Bottle.

Blender Bottle, a portable shaker

The Blender Bottle is a patented, best-selling portable shaker in the US. From what I’ve read, it’s a popular kitchen tool that has been used and featured in renowned magazines, TV shows, and has been used by celebrities like Hugh Jackman and Jessica Biel.

When this was sent to us for a feature here, I honestly had doubts it’ll work. I gave it plus points for the container is made of thick, durable plastic. The StayOpen flip cap also was one of the first things I liked about the Blender Bottle because I don’t want to mess our kitchen with spills when I start shaking this bottle.

BlenderBall wire whisk included with the Blender bottle

How does the Blender Bottle actually work? It’s not complicated to understand, but it was surprisingly very effective. There’s a Blender Ball included with it that’s doing most of the work. It’s a polished 316 Stainless steel wire whisk that’s responsible for blending ingredients into a smooth consistency.

You blend the ingredients by shaking the bottle vigorously with the wire whisk in it. You’d be surprised how quickly the Blender Bottle will give you a lump-free mixture.

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Chocolate Lover : A Baking and Confectionery Store

There are many things I’m currently enjoying about Ken being in culinary school. First, of course, is everything he bakes or cooks at home so he can practice or prepare for an upcoming test or lab activity in school. I especially loved these cream puffs and éclairs he made for our birthday celebration weeks ago. Everyone loved them! 🙂

Eclairs and Cream Puffs Ken baked for our birthday party

Secondly is shopping with him for ingredients and tools he’ll need at home. One of our favorite stores now is Chocolate Lover in P. Tuazon in Cubao, Quezon City.

Chocolate Lover - a store for your baking, confectionery and packaging needs

If you’ve passed through their area in QC, we bet you saw the eye-catching design of their building. I mean, seriously. How can you miss this castle?

The Chocolate Lover castle store in Cubao, Quezon City

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Tupperware Speedy Chopper : Making Home-Cooked Meals Less of a Hassle

I love cooking. Ever since I was 10 years old, I’ve loved staying in the kitchen, whether it’s to enjoy a meal or prepare something for myself or my family and friends. But, because of my very hectic schedules online and offline, I’ve left all the cooking to my bro Ken and our nanay. Thank goodness I found out about the all-new Tupperware Speedy Chopper.

Tupperware Speedy Chopper

Over a week ago, Ken and I were invited by Tupperware to take a Kitchen Discovery Class at Center for Culinary Arts Oceana at SM Mall of Asia. Of course, we gladly accepted mainly because Tupperware is a brand we believe in. We have Tupperware dinnerware and containers that have been with us for over 2 decades now. They make reliable and durable products that are made to last. 🙂

So, when we learned that they’re launching a new kitchen tool that should help prepping be less time-consuming, we knew we had to get our hands on it to try how it works.

Melody Yap, the brand manager of Tupperware Philippines, first showed us how it works. It’s so easy to use. Put in the ingredients you want to grind or chop finely in the container. Then, close it with the very sharp blades and start pulling on the cord to spin the three (3) blades inside. These blades, they claim, can equal 288 knife strokes in just 15 seconds. So we were all very excited to give it a try.

These very sharp blades can give you 288 knife strokes in 15 seconds

Tupperware enrolled us in the Kitchen Discovery Class in CCA and it started with 3 renowned female chefs (Yayyy! Girl power!) showing us how great the Speedy Chopper is in making your life easier in the kitchen.  They were all very delightful so we enjoyed watching them prepare these delicious dishes, Oh, and they used other Tupperware kitchen tools during the whole demo. 🙂

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