Food is virtually the rockstars of today’s generation. Notice how most of the posts on Instagram revolve around food—preparing the food, devouring the food and even the aftermath?
I am guilty of this haha
In recognition of this digital phenomenon and in appreciation of the Filipino food, culture and heritage, global leader in household appliance, Electrolux launches the Instant Discover-E Photo contest, an avenue for all foodies to share and exchange food pictures, or to simply drool over all delicious pictures.
The photo contest is aimed at encouraging virtually everyone to take a picture and upload scrumptious Filipino food using Instagram and Twitter. Once a week, three entries with the yummiest picture will be awarded free items, gift certificates and Food Passports for Electrolux Discover-E Food Festival!
“We are inviting everyone to discover the Filipino cuisine with us, one post at a time,” says Andrea Pionilla, Group Product Manager, Electrolux Philippines. “We have made this contest as simple as possible—all they have to do is take a photo of any food, post with the hashtag #DiscoverE and tag @ElectroluxPH on Instagram or Twitter and they will get a chance to win.”
Do not forget to tag @aireize on IG and @irispulga on Twitter as well!
Contest period is from between May 15, 2013 and June 30, 2013. Winners will be announced every week.
For more information about Instant Discover-E Photo Contest and the Electrolux Discover-E campaign, visit electrolux.com.ph/discover-e
I, for one, loves to eat when happiness kicks in, when I need to celebrate even the littlest thing, and especially when I am sad. At home, we cook every Sunday to celebrate, uhm, family togetherness every Sunday. That’s how crazy we are with food.
Our typical Sunday lunch at home
Celebrating my friend Mariz’s birthday
Celebrating Elections 2013
Yes, we eat just because…
We, as Filipinos have etched the word FOOD in our hearts and mind. With this in mind, Electrolux is embarking on a journey to re-discover our appreciation of Filipino food, culture, and heritage through its Discover-E kitchen campaign.
As part of our commitment to meet the needs of (Filipino) consumers, Electrolux has carried out a nationwide initiative designed to promote culinary discovery and enjoyment of Filipino cuisine,” “Our Discover-E campaign will let consumers discover and do more culinary exploration in their kitchens with the help of Electrolux kitchen appliances. Andrea Pionilla, Group Product Manager, Electrolux Philippines.
Electrolux’s Discover-E campaign will have a series of activities: the Discover-E Web Series, photo contest, and the Discover-E Food Festival in June.
The Discover-E Web Series will teach avid home cooks easy ways to do Neo-Filipino dishes which they can prepare and enjoy in their own kitchen. Chef Bruce Lim and Chef Rosebud Benitez, Electrolux’s celebrity chefs, will showcase the delicacies of different regions of the Philippines per episode through these instructional 10-minute YouTube videos. The two chefs will be presenting their own recipes and will teach viewers how to turn ordinary and traditional Filipino dishes to 5-star restaurant dishes http://www.youtube.com/ElectroluxPH1.
CONTEST ALERT
Food fanatics, on the other hand, should not miss out on the chance to win amazing prizes every week by joining a food photo contest coming very soon. All they have to do is post and share photos of their favourite Filipino dishes on Instagram or Twitter by tagging @ElectroluxPH and including the hashtag #DiscoverE.
Celebrate and discover Filipino cuisine as Electrolux brings together your favorite Filipino dishes from all over the Philippines. The Electrolux Discover-E Food Festival lets consumers discover Electrolux kitchen appliances through new flavors and tastes Filipinos will surely love. The food festival, scheduled for June 15 – 16 at the NBC Tent, will feature different food vendors selling Filipino food, cooking demos by celebrity chefs, little chef apprentice cooking workshops, cooking challenge for culinary students, live entertainment, raffles, and games.
When was the last time you ate the Amazing Aloha Burger? The last time it was served in Jollibee Stores was in 2009 but I can still vividly remember how juicy and tasty the entire burger was.
But guess what? The Jollibee Amazing Aloha Burger is back, JUICIER and TASTIER!
We were given a chance to have the first taste of the Amazing Aloha burger yesterday during its launch in Jollibee Green Meadows and honestly, it brought back a whole lot of memories (it’s a personal favorite so I frequently order this when it was still available in the market.)
Starting today, May 15, 2013, the Amazing Aloha Burger will be served in all Jollibee stores. Now isn’t that AMAZING?
A bite-after-bite delight of two juicy burger patties, crispy bacon bits, cheese and lettuce drizzled with the right amount of honey mustard dressing, topped with a whole fresh slice of pineapple and sandwiched in between two soft buns.
Naglalaway ka na ba?
You can order the Amazing Aloha Burger in two ways:
P99 solo
P135 value meal with regular fries and drink
Wait there’s more! 100 Amazing Aloha Burgers will be given for FREE TODAY in selected stores nationwide! Starting 2:30PM, 100 vouchers for the Amazing Aloha Burger will be given in each participating store. Be there early, okay? Now which stores? Lucky you if you live near one like me! BWAHAHAHA!
Have you been to any Wee Nam Kee branch lately? Well, you should. I am giving this Singaporean restaurant 5 stars for their awesome staff and delectable dishes!
One fine Sunday, my husband and I decided to visit The District, a newly built mall in Imus, Cavite. We then agreed to dine in Wee Nam Kee. It was our first time so we didn’t expect too much, but guess what? One “wow” isn’t enough to explain our experience.
Here are the dishes and beverages we tried:
Cereal Prawns PHP395
While I am no fan of prawns due to my killer allergies, I noticed how my husband adored this dish. It’s very sulit too as you’ll get 4 large prawns in every order.
Sizzling Hot Plate Tofu PHP285
My husband particularly loved this. I loved tofu, fried or not but I am just not the “spicy” food type of person. Pero di ko napigilan sarili ko, I ate the tofu and lots of Shitake mushrooms! It was just too good
Beef Brocolli in Oyster Sauce PHP290
Tender beef, crunchy greens and just the right sauce. This dish was very perfect for me. I am very particular with the No MSG taste and this one passed with flying colors.
Barbecued Pork (Asado) PHP220
This lot for PHP220, yes My daughter ordered this and she said that it was really good! It didn’t have the usual sickeningly sweet asado taste that I do not like.
Honey Crispy Squid PHP350
I could go on and on on how I personally love this seafood dish. Diners of all ages will fall in love with the crunch, the taste, aaaaah. The best!
Marmite Pork Ribs PHP270
You’ll forget your typical sweet and sour pork dish once you get to taste Wee Nam Kee’s Marmite Pork Ribs. I’m a porky, porky type of person and this dish won my heart over!
What I love most about the restaurant was that each order could serve 2-3 persons. We always eat out as a family at sa hirap ng buhay we ALWAYS consider value for money, so getting most from what we’re paying for is a huge plus.
For the beverages, we tried the following:
Mango Mint Smoothie PHP105, Cucumber Lime Fizz PHP120 and Iced Fresh Barley Juice P55
I preferred the Barley Juice because of its unique taste, my eldest daughter loved the Mango Mint Smoothie while my husband and my youngest dared to drink the cucumber lime fizz (I don’t eat cucumber making the drink the least of my favorites but the hubby and the youngest kiddo loved it!
Thank you Wee Nam Kee for the wonderful dining experience! We’ll soon try your very popular Hainanese Chicken on our next visit!
Famous for its superior quality and fresh flavor, The Fireplace introduces Tasmanian Atlantic Salmon with an exquisitely crafted menu by Chef Noel showcasing its fine texture and taste.
Native of the pristine unpolluted waters of Tasmania, this famed Atlantic Salmon makes up only around 1.5% of the world’s salmon production. Enriched with omega-3 and proteins, discover the richness of this Atlantic salmon variety with selections like Roasted Herbs Crusted Salmon with Creamy Spinach , Peppered Salmon Steak with Cognac Pepper Cream Sauce and more.
The perfect sweet conclusion is the luscious Hot Chocolate Soup. A signature dessert at the Fireplace, this rich, velvety and creamy dark chocolate is topped with a scoop of cracked pepper vanilla ice-cream, a unique chocolate creation that has a reputation of its own.
About The Fireplace
The Fireplace is an upscale grill room offering perfectly cooked prime meats and seafood. A perfect spot for wining and dining, the restaurant charms guests with its elegant brass interiors and open kitchen concept. In full view is a large wood-fired oven where chefs prepare their culinary masterpieces. A wine library with a vast collection of European and New World wines is another attraction. With its relaxing atmosphere and excellent cuisine, The Fireplace provides a dining experience like no other. For enquiries, please call +63 2 247 8666 or email cath.mn@hyatt.com.
About Hyatt Hotel and Casino Manila
Hyatt Hotel and Casino Manila is a five-star hotel surrounded by Manila’s culturally-rich and well-preserved historical points of interest. This 33-storey mixed-use complex offers 376 elegantly designed guestrooms and accommodates the largest number of suites in the bay area, including 58 specialty suites and four presidential suites. The hotel features three innovative and authentic restaurants, a pastry shop, an entertainment outlet, four floors of Regency Club accommodation, as well as the most stylish and advanced event spaces in town. Fully-equipped recreational and premier gaming facilities are also on the premises. The hotel is only a few minutes from the international airport, convention centre, top tourist attractions and the city’s business district. For more information, call +63 2 245 1234 or visit manila.casino.hyatt.com. LIKE us on Facebook – facebook.com/hyatthotelandcasinomanila.
I rarely attend events nowadays but this one came as a surprise, AND because it was about cakes, I gladly went. Good thing my blogger friends Peachy and Levy were there, I didn’t look like a confused, lost child during the ceremony LOL
The Cake Deco Expo Last February 24, 2013, the 4th Goldilocks Cake Expo was held at the Hall 4 of SMX Mall of Asia. Like the previous Cake Deco Expo, this one was a huge success too.
It was so nice of the management to allow the public to experience what they have prepared that day. So for P50, kids and kids-at-heart alike enjoyed activities such as the Avoset Whipped Cream Workshop, and the Cake Deco Hands-on Workshop. Bakers and homebakers also got the chance to shop from various cake suppliers from the metro.
For a minimal fee of P 50.00 per person, the public was given the chance to experience the many offerings of Goldilocks placed under one roof. There was the Avoset Whipped Cream Workshop and the Cake Deco Hands-on Workshop.
Goldilocks products used with Avoset Whipped Cream
The Fly for Hope Activity Area allowed participants to design their own cake balloon for a donation of P 20.00 while the DYC Booth gave an opportunity for budding cake designers to try their skill for the cost of P 60.00 which included one fluffy mamon and cake decorating materials. Donation proceeds will go to the Goldilocks Foundation F.E.E.D. Program.
Fly for Hope Workshop
As always, the event culminates in the annual Intercollegiate Cake Decorating Challenge (ICDC), which is now on its eighth installment. Ten schools from all over the Philippines will compete live on a kitchen stage, decorating different cakes under a time limit, all without prior knowledge of the cake themes and/or decorating parameters. “This is the perfect opportunity to highlight future pastry chefs, and provide support to Hotel and Restaurant and Culinary Arts training at the school level,” Yee emphasized. Indeed, the Overall Champion will receive a baking showcase for their school worth over P250,000, apart from individual prizes.
The finalists this year are Centro Escolar University Manila, La Consolacion College Bacolod, Lipa City Colleges, Lyceum of the Philippines Batangas, Lyceum of the Philippines Laguna, St. Anne Lucena Inc., St Louis College Valenzuela, STI Fairview, University of the East Manila, and Western Institute of Technology Iloilo. Thanks to the format of the competition and the talent of these up-and-coming culinary professionals, the audience is given the opportunity to witness the actual process of cake decorating first-hand. The distinguished panel of judges include noted chefs Penk Ching and Heny Sison, Ms. Nina Daza Puyat of Appetite Magazine, Mr. Richard Hsu of Rich’s Products, and Ms Pinky Yee.
Grilling is undoubtedly the best way to cook a fish. Whether you are dealing with a whole fish or a fillet, cooking it on a grill helps bring out the natural flavour of a fish. Here are 5 top tips to help you grill a fish to perfection.
Prep your hands to handle the fish
Don’t you just hate it when you have to keep running back to the sink to wash your hands while prepping food? When preparing a fish for grilling, you will have to do that numerous times. However, there is a way to prevent you from rushing to the sink every couple of minutes or so – the ‘dry hand – wet hand’ technique. Keep one hand dry to deal with ingredients and seasonings and keep the other hand oiled up to handle the fish.
Slash on both sides
The biggest mistake people make when grilling a fish, whole or fillet, is to not slash the fish on both sides. Fish tends to cook very quickly and if not slashed, the outside of the fish will get charred as you wait for the inside of the fish to cook. Use a knife to make slashes on the surface at even lengths. Be careful that you don’t cut the fish too deep or else you will find the fillet crumbling when you try to handle it on the grill.
Oil the fish inside-out
The traditional way to grill a fish involves applying oil on both sides of the fish with a brush. However, simply using a brush to apply a layer of oil does not do justice to a good piece of fish. Instead of depending on a brush, use your hands to oil the fish. Make sure the fish is oiled inside-out, including the slashes you have made previously. Use your hands to rub the oil into the fish, so that it absorbs the oil rather than only having a layer of oil clinging onto the surface.
Salt and season generously
A piece of grilled fish can taste amazing by itself, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t season it. Make sure you salt the fish generously before grilling; many people may find a grilled fish too bland for their taste, so don’t hesitate to get heavy-handed with the salt. Use different kinds of seasoning to get the perfect balance in terms of flavour. Just like seasoning a steak, do not simply sprinkle the ingredients onto the fish; use your fingers to massage them into the fillet. If you have a preferred seasoning for steaks or burgers, so not hesitate to sue it with fish; chances are it will complement the fish a lot better than it does a steak.
Grill on medium and flip only once
As mentioned before, fish cook pretty quickly and you could get caught out by leaving the fish on the grill for two long. Always grill the fish on medium heat only. If the heat is too high, the outside of the fish will get charred while the inside remains uncooked. If you are grilling a whole fish, keep the tail end of the fish away from the centre, since it will cook a lot more quickly than the head. Make sure you don’t get too fidgety with the spatula or else the fish will start crumbling. Ideally, you will want to flip the fish just once; the less you poke and prod the fillet, the better it will grill.
Follow these 5 simple tips and you will find yourself grilling up the most amazing fish your friends and family have ever eaten.
Luke Casey is a social worker who volunteers in war-torn countries 8 months each year. He lives alone and likes using a recipe search engine when he has time to cook.
Any memorable occasion, be it a wedding, a birthday party, anniversary, or a baby shower, any such big life-changing event is incomplete without the most important ingredient of any party – a cake. Over the years, cakes have come to be known as clichéd delicacies that are to be savored only on such selected occasions. Yes we all love cake, yes we all know that there’s going to be plenty of cake on any such occasion, and yes there’s nothing new, extraordinary or interesting about this fact. But, you know what? It does get interesting and innovative when you celebrate with cake on some unique, wacky and bizarre occasions! Confused? Read on to see when and how!
Bachelor Party – the last party before life imprisonment
You’ve just got the news that one of your closest friends is on the last straw of his/her bachelorhood and is doomed to get married soon. So what are you waiting for? It’s time for you to show how good a friend you are and throw your friend a smashing bachelor party. For such a party, you can get to the core of your creativity to come up with some amazingly cheesy, kinky and funny cake designs/ideas. Being a bachelor party, it gives you full rights and the advantage to embarrass your friend as much as you want and still not be hated for it! So unleash the devil’s workshop and get baking!
Got fired from work? Didn’t crack an important interview? No problem, keep calm and eat cake!
Your friend’s boss decided to play the perfect baddie and just fired your friend from office, or maybe the company is going through a bad phase of recession and decided to relieve your friend from work, or for that matter another friend of yours just failed to crack a crucial interview he/she had been preparing for, since months. Make sure your friend wastes no time in brooding or being depressed over it! Plan a small dinner outing and get your friend a cake. You can choose a unique cake design with some motivating, encouraging or funny messages written on it. This will not only lighten up your friend’s mood but will also help him/her believe there’s something better in store lying ahead.
Had a break-up? Time to celebrate singlehood!
Just broke with your boyfriend? Well pull up your socks, let your hair lose and get ready to party! It’s time to celebrate your new-found independence that you have missed out on all this while. Throw a break-up party at your apartment and make sure all your close friends are in. Arrange for a funny break-up themed cake, food from your favorite take-away, drinks, dance, some empowering music and lots of entertaining games and be assured of unlimited fun. Breakups are bad, but hell yeah, you are free, single and ready to move on.
Celebrating such unique moments of life can be interesting, fun and a truly extraordinary and memorable experience altogether. So be different, celebrate when you shouldn’t be celebrating, and see how much fun you can have when you least expect it.
George Bennett is a family guys who can do anything to make his beautiful wife smile. He has two kids who are sent to this world to teach him how to be more patient and because god wanted to some fun at his expense. Just the other day he visited more then ten cake shops before his son could select the one which he liked.
Decided to hold your child’s party at home is a fabulous idea as it saves on cost but also allows you to do the things you want to do. So depending on the age of your child this guide is usually from 1st-5th Birthday party ideas.
The first thing to do is decide on a theme this could be anything from Animals, pirates, trains, fireman sam, Hello kitty or just a basic colour scheme. Once this is decided, say you choose trains then order your thomas the tank engine party supplies and Invitations. The party stuff should include plates, cups, napkins, cutlery, banners, balloons and table covers. Table ware is items that are put on the table ready for the food, other decoration items like banners and balloons will decorate the venue, you can also use a centre piece in the middle of the table and use scene setters and add ons to stick on the wall.
The next thing to do is decide on the food, many places like Iceland sell party platter type food that can be cooked in around 20 minutes so as long as you have a warm oven, start around 9:30am with your cooking, once an item is cooked put on a tray and wrap in cling film and place on the buffet table, that way when the kids arrive the buffet is already done and ready to eat. Most kids parties have pizza fingers, chicken goujons, chips, chicken balls as well as finger foods. If you wanted to take the healthy option then go for sandwiches and crisps.
Thirdly is the entertainment – Are you going to entertain the kids yourself? Pick a selection of activities the kids can do – Treasure hunt for a pirate theme, dressing up for the princess style party, bubbles and balloons for the 1st birthday party. There are many different types of entertainment available from party buses that come and park outside your house with entertainment to magician, puppet shows, balloon modelling is a great idea as they can take the balloon home as a favour. If the weather is nice outdoor races an activities can be great for a boy party.
The fourth item on the agenda is party games and there are the normal every party type of games such as musical statues, pass the parcel, musical chairs and then other games such as the colour in a corner game where each corner is a colour and the kids run to 1 when the music stops and one corner is picked at random to be out. Then there are other games like charades for kids using nursery rhymes and passing the balloon between legs.
Last but not least is the cake being lit with candles, singing happy birthday and then putting a piece of cake in each party bag for your guests. However it does seem a little daft putting just 1 piece of cake in a party bag so it is a good idea to look for other fillers such as little toys, jokes, novelty items or maybe sweets or a book or fruit depending on what suits the feel of the party.
The post apocalyptic world may be a scary place. With zombies or other threats roaming outside your door, you may struggle to maintain good vibes and sanity on the inside. Luckily, there are several things that you can do to reduce your stress in a post emergency situation.
You can help your family to stay focused and calm through meditation and yoga, but even healthy moves like these are insignificant in the face of hunger. The most important way to reduce your stress in a post emergency situation is by having enough food on hand for you and your loved ones.
When people are excessively hungry, their bodies release stress hormones. Stress hormones create a fight or flight response in most people. Arguably, hunter-gather people may have benefited from these stress hormones. While stress hormones were high, these people would have been able to aggressively track and kill animals for dinner. However, these stress hormones could be incredibly damaging if they are released in a small room with a family in it.
If your body is telling you that the only way to survive is by fight or flight, your natural inclination is to respond to those urges. The best way to keep these potentially dangerous urges away is by avoiding excessive hunger, and in a post emergency situation, the best way to avoid excessive hunger is by having lots of food on hand.
To prepare for an emergency, you should can as much food as you can. If you garden, you should devote a percentage of your yearly yield to canning. This will help to ensure that you have enough food on hand when you need it. If you do not have a garden, you may want to turn to store bought alternatives. Most grocery stores have a huge range of canned foods. The only drawback about many of these foods is that they require additional water for preparation, or they simply do not taste that good.
Luckily, there are companies that focus on tasty alternatives to the standard canned fare. For instance, if you research food storage from foodinsurance.com, you will find a plethora of healthy options to assist you as you prepare for an emergency. You will also be able to find the other essential that you need in a post emergency situation.
Kari Ann is a freelance writer and a homeschooling mother of three. She loves canning and growing. For more tips on reducing stress in a post emergency situation, you can visit our Facebook page.
