Food

Taken during the launching event at SM North EDSA (from left): Alaine Cheng-Managing Director, Melai Cantiveros-Francisco-Momshie Celebrity Endorser and Meredith Ngo-Managing Director.

Why I like Adobo Connection? Because it is the only fast-food chain that serves the Filipino national dish which is “Adobo.” The dish that use to make homecooking and every taste of it we connect with Pinoys. Adobo Connection has chosen “momshie” and TV host Melai Cantiveros to be its first-ever brand ambassador and the launched event was held at SM North EDSA last January 21, 2020.

Unassuming and cheerful, Melai is the quintessential Filipino mom who endeavors to capture her family’s craving for good, uncomplicated, and hearty Pinoy dishes – with adobo on top of the list. “Adobo is forever – char!  Kasi diba staple food siya, walang Pinoy ang hindi gusto ang adobo. Unlike kasi ng iba na naging usong pagkain, saglit lang naging hype tapos after ilang months lang, wala na. Ang adobo kasi, ‘di pinagsasawaan. Kaya kumuha talaga ako ng franchise. Honestly ito ang pangtawid gutom ko,” said Melai.

According to Ms Meredith Ngo, Adobo Connection’s Managing Director, “We’re really proud to announce the first-ever brand ambassador / franchisee of Adobo Connection, Melai, who embodies what a true Filipino mom is – yung maalaga sa pamilya and may malasakit. Similar to our brand statement, we want our customers to feel at home and remember their mom’s cooking every time they enter our store.”

Recognizing that Adobo Connection is deeply ingrained in Filipinos’ lives, Melai had also taken things one step further and decided to invest in an Adobo Connection franchise. This was to ensure not only her family’s financial stability but also because she loves seeing people enjoy Adobo Connection’s offerings. Every Adobo Connection experience brings back memories of home and celebrates everything fun about being Pinoy, as they serve other Filipino favorites like Bangus Belly Sinigang, Beef Kare Kare and Grilled Liempo. This year, Adobo Connection is adding new dishes to its menu that everyone will surely crave for – Adobong Liston Manok, Lechon Kawali, and Adobosilog.

Admitting she did not know much about running a business, Melai also found Adobo Connection’s support and commitment to its franchisees truly reassuring. “Sa panahon ngayon, ang hirap na makahanap ng business na papatok at higit sa lahat ang hirap makahanap ng katuwang sa negosyo – yung talagang mapagkakatiwalaan at tutulungan ka talaga. Pinadali talaga ng Adobo Connection and pagbubusiness ko. Dahil sa mga maaasahang teams nila, masaya at madali ang naging experience ko,” Melai shared.

Today, Melai owns three Adobo Connection outlets nationwide. She has found that Adobo Connection offers a solid business proposition – a working market concept, sound marketing, and operational systems, and strong franchisor support.

For more information about Adobo Connection visit their website: http://www.adoboconnection.com/ and follow their facebook: https://m.facebook.com/adobocon/

Chocolates are addictive and we love them so much. The basic fact that chocolate tastes good and we enjoy eating it means that the body releases dopamine during chocolate consumption. It makes us happy when we buy them and it makes us feel loved when we receive them from someone. And speaking of receiving, it’s Christmas once again and chocolates can be the perfect gift items you can give just to anyone!

From your nanay to tatays, ates or kuyas, daugthers or sons, and even your friends and colleagues; chocolates never go out of season, and these holidays, Toblerone is once again making gift giving more exciting with its humongous chocolate boxes – with a statement!

In the past years, Toblerone has been successful in its gimmicks as it introduced customizable chocolate boxes during special occasions like Valentine’s and now, the Christmas holidays. We’ve seen size able boxes of the popular chocolate brand but it’s just this time that I’m able to get a 12-inch box for myself.

Attending the launch of Toblerone’s Christmas collection, I enjoyed competing with others in games just to win all those 12 limited edition chocolates. It was fun and it was exciting. They asked us to post photos of the booth in our IG stories, and even if I didn’t get all 12, at least I bagged 10 of these limited editions.

It isn’t really refreshing to get chocolates during holidays. The world has been doing it for years because who doesn’t love chocolates? All of us do. But Toblerone has made it sure that we can customize the chocolates to truly send our love along with the box of sweets.

So skip the usual gadget and clothes giving and #BeMoreImaginative by coming up with a note of love sent through a giant box of Toblerone.

Ms. Nicole Girvin, Toblerone Brand Manager

The limited edition Toblerone Blank Packs this Christmas 2019 features 12 designs where you can write/draw your feelings for your each of your loved ones this Christmas. Each design represents what can be our idea of a perfect gift like a laptop or a tour to somewhere nice. They even come with short wishes like “More Good Fortune this Season” or just a simple “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.”

But the gift giving doesn’t stop there because Toblerone is going extravagant in rewarding its most loyal eaters!

As mentioned, the boxes represent an ideal gift item this Christmas and Toblerone is giving exactly all those to its lucky competition winners. From November 15 to December 27, Toblerone invites everyone to buy chocolate packs worth P100 and up and fill up raffle stubs that come with it.

You can also follow #BeMoreImaginative and #TobleroneChristmas hashtags and follow @tobleroneph on Instagram and TobleronePilipinas on Facebook to find out how to win the delicious prize.

Prizes include like a trip to Japan, a shopping spree, a new mobile phone, and more! You can also get a chance to win a giant 4.5 kg chocolate bar this Christmas in this promo!

The Toblerone limited edition pieces will come in four flavors including milk chocolate, dark chocolate, white chocolate, and crunchy almond chocolate.

So if you still aren’t sure about what to give away this Christmas, why not go for the 12 Toblerone chocolates. TheLimitedEditionHoliday Black Packsare available in 100g (Php 106), 200g (Php 206) and 360g (Php 400).

The Mega Global, Nutrition Center of the Philippines and Brgy. South Triangle Representatives

Sardines have been around the world for centuries and in the Philippines, for decades. We certainly love those instant, canned sardines. It has been helping a lot of Pinoys make through their hungry times and chefs have been creative in re purposing the sardines, turning it into a classy cuisine.

In fact, I enjoy some recipes using sardines like the Pasta with Chili Sardines recipe or the Gisang Sardines and Beef with Ampalaya for lunch.

It’s always a pleasurable meal when there’s sardines around. And finally, the Philippines is having its very first National Sardines Day to honor everyone who’s been providing sardines in the country.

And of course, at the forefront of this celebration is the leading sardines brand in the Philippines, the Mega Global.

Mega Global is one of the 11 sardine canning factories in Zamboanga City, which is considered as the sardine capital of the Philippines. About one million metric-tons of fish are being caught in the

The company, founded by William Tiu-Lim, started its operations in 1995 and then opened its first canning plant in 1998. Starting from one fishing vessel, the company had expanded to 55 fishing vessels today. Now, it has one canning factory that produces about 300,000 cans per day in Talisayan and another office in Cawit that handles logistics, dry-docking, ship-building, engineering, and allied businesses. It also operates the Tawi-Tawi-based Bongao Hatchery, which is a joint enterprise of the national and provincial government.

Now, it has grown to be a powerful influence in the canned goods industry of the country. And it’s leading the National Sardines Day that was celebrated just recently.

Mega Global launched Mega SardiNation, the first-ever National Sardines Day celebration last November 24, 2019 at the SM Mall of Asia Music Hall headlined by no less than Mega Sardines ambassador Mr. Piolo Pascual with special guests Dimples Romana and Mike Enriquez.

The event highlighted the brand’s best -selling sardines.With its signature 12-hour Catching-to-Canning process, Mega Global ensures that its sardines are of the highest quality to give consumers the needed health benefits in each can.

Families and friends got together during the SardiNation where a fun-packed and interactive event with free health and nutrition consultations, taste tests, a fun claw grabber game, and other activities went down.

Emphasizing Mega Global’s aim to help Pinoys make healthier choices through proper meal planning, the event also featured a discussion on health and nutrition facilitated by Mike Enriquez together with the Nutrition Center of the Philippines. They discussed the nutritional benefits brought about by a can of sardines and the different factors that affect the health and nutrition of Filipino families.

To add to the fun in the event, Mega Global used virtual reality to make guests experience the company’s trademark 12-hour Catching-to-Canning process on board its Mega Barko. And to entertain everyone, daddy hunk and Mega Sardines’ brand ambassador Piolo Pascual was also present and talked about the meticulous 12-hour catching to canning process and his personal experiences with Mega Sardines.

Other special guest included Dimples Romana,who shared personal insights on how she appreciates the nutritional benefits and quality found in each can of Mega Sardines making it an ideal meal for the whole family.

William Tiu Lim, President and CEO, Mega Global

Mega Global Corporation, Mr. William Tiu Lim, President and CEO, thanked the attendees and special guests for making the first ever National Sardines Day a success. He shared about their commitment to improving Filipino lives and communities by partnering with the Nutrition Center of the Philippines (NCP) and the local government of Barangay South Triangle, Quezon City for a community health and nutrition program. This 40-day feeding program for undernourished children aged 3 to 6 years old received 2 full well-curated meals from NCP, with one meal using sardines. This initiative will conclude on November 30, 2019

Meanwhile, Mr. Marvin Tiu Lim, VP for Sales and Marketing of Mega Global, said during the event:

“Filipinos love sardines. As the top sardines brand in the country, we decided to hold the first National Sardines Day celebrations to showcase not only Mega Global’s various initiatives but to also make everyone aware of the myriad health benefits of sardines.”

He added:

“Our CSR program with the NCP also helped us push for increased awareness of the importance of nutrition in every Filipino’s diet. We believe that with initiatives like this, we can truly make an impact and create sustainable change in the health and nutrition sector.”

Photo shows (from left): Marvin Tiu Lim, Piolo Pascual, William Tiu Lim, Dimples Romana, Michelle Tiu Lim Chan 

The National Sardines Day truly showed how this well-loved Filipino staple can improve the lives of families and communities through each can. It served as Mega Global’s way to make families realize the impact of better choices in meal planning to proper nutrition.

Childhood for many kids has been happier and that’s because of McDonald’s Happy Meal Toys. From the Retro Mcdo toys to cartoon-inspired treats, we’ve been seeing so many cute stuff from the fast food chain for 40 years now! Yes, 40 years and it seems just like yesterday when the first Happy Meal Toy was introduced to the world.

And just recently, McDonald’s revealed fourteen (14) Happy Meal toys that are making a comeback in its much awaited Surprise Happy Meal! Started last November 21, Pinoys were able to reunite with some of the most loved Happy Meal Toys form the past 4 decades that it’s been spreading happiness to the world.

Filipino kids and their parents were able to participate in the surprise of guessing which throwback Happy Meal toy they’d receive when purchasing a Surprise Happy Meal as each one is packed in a blind bag, building up excitement that comes with unboxing a Happy Meal.

Steve Easterbrook, McDonald’s CEO said in a statement about the anniversary:

“Since the Happy Meal was introduced on the menu, it quickly became synonymous with our brand.

Today, this iconic red box creates delicious, lasting memories for billions of families annually across the world.”

Here’s a fun fact…The first Happy Meal Toy was introduced in the U.S. in 1979. Today, McDonald’s has grown into one of the biggest fast food chains in the world with over 38,000 restaurants in more than 100 countries around the globe. Just imagine the volume of Happy Meal Toys produced for all those stores.

In the Philippines, the iconic toy debuted in 1997. Since then, it has been bringing happiness to Pinoy children and still serves as a symbol of surprise, playfulness, and fun up to this day. I remember the puzzle burger I got back in the 90s which was very interesting to play with even for adults. Although it wasn’t one of the comeback toys, the 14 toys they released are still thrilling.

The 40th Anniversary Happy Meal Toys included the 1988 McNugget buddies; the 1989 and 1991 McDonald’s Hamburger and Dino Happy Meal Box Changeables; 1993’s McDonald’s Hot Wheels Thunderbird;1995 McDonald land Toys Hamburglar; 1996 Space Jam Bugs Bunny; 1997 Patti the Platypus;  1998 Tamagotchi; 1999 Furby; and 2013 Hello Kitty!

Christina Lao, Marketing Director of McDonald’s Philippines, said about the McDonald’s 40th Anniversary toy collection:

“McDonald’s Happy Meal has been surprising kids and families with shared moments of happiness, and it promises to do so once again by bringing in a touch of nostalgia with the Surprise Happy Meal.”

There’s indeed a limited edition surprise in every box. The promo ran only from Nov. 21-24 in the participating branches in the Philippines.Hopefully, there’ll be another run of this promo to give chance to those who want to feel the excitement that comes with unboxing a surprise Happy Meal Toy box but weren’t able to.

Turn your ordinary carbonara, soup, chopseuy, pancit, beef creamy stew, and so much more into special dishes by adding some mushroom from Jolly Mushroom. In fact, I have a thing for mushroom and would always add it to recipes where its taste blends. And instead of picking them on my own where they breed, I’d rather get them from the grocery!

Jolly is still the leading preserved mushroom brand in the Philippines. And now that it’s almost Christmas, moms will once again storm through supermarkets to get a can or two of this canned mushroom. But it’s not just during the holidays that Jolly Mushroom can be enjoyed as it can make every day dishes a more delightful one.

Like Jolly describes their product, their mushrooms are actually “kitchen hacks that can come in handy for meal preparation daily.”

With the regular 1 can of 400 grams Jolly Whole Mushroom, moms can play with recipes like Stir-fry beef with mushroom, Creamy Lengua with Mushroom, Mushroom Adobo, Chicken and Mushroom Salpicao, Burger Steak, and so much more! With Jolly any moms can now make more variations of their go-to recipes.

Marilou Acuña, Fly Ace Corporation group product manager for Jolly Food Line, shared about their interesting kitchen discovery which she’s confident can elevate any dish. She said:

“Jolly Mushroom can add depth and flavor to one’s cooking. It can be a hearty addition to your favorite ‘ulam,’ giving it an exciting twist for the whole family to enjoy.”

And to help mommies in solving their problem of finding what dishes to cook 3 times a day in a whole year, Jolly is sharing how recipes can be upped using their mushroom. Among their recommendations are the classic Pork Adobo, Chicken Afritada, Giniling, and Chicken Teriyaki among many others. All of these will be posted on Jolly’s Youtube channel so moms can have a guide in cooking these dishes.

Jolly Mushroom cans come in whole mushrooms and pieces and stems variants. They are available in leading supermarkets nationwide. For more information about the brand, visit Jolly Eats on Facebook and YouTube, and get access to tips and ideas on how to use Jolly Mushroom in your everyday cooking. Learn more at www.flyacecorp.com.

Daily “ulam” recipes with Jolly Mushroom

MUSH CHICKEN AFRITADA

Ingredients

1 can (400g)               JOLLY Whole Mushrooms 400g, drained

1 tablespoon                    oil

½ kilogram                     chicken, cut into 8 pieces

1 piece                               onion, chopped

4-5 gloves                         garlic, minced

2-3 pieces                         bay leaves

1 piece                                carrots, cut into cubes

1 piece                                 green bell pepper, sliced diagonally

1 cup                                     tomato sauce

1 cup                                      water

1 teaspoon                             ground pepper

1 teaspoon                             fish sauce

2 teaspoons                            Jolly Tomato Paste

Procedure

1. Heat oil in a pan. Pan-fry chicken for 10-15 minutes or until brown. Remove excess oil.
2. Add onion, garlic and bay leaves. Sauté until fragrant.
3. Add JOLLY WHOLE MUSHROOMS, carrots, green bell pepper, tomato paste, tomato sauce, water, ground pepper and fish sauce. Stir well.
4. Let it simmer for about 15-20 minutes or until chicken is tender. Add water if the sauce becomes too thick.Number of servings: 7-8 servings

    

MUSH PORK ADOBO

Ingredients

1 can (400g)               JOLLY Whole Mushrooms, drained

½ kilogram                     pork belly, adobo cut (about 2 inches thick)

2-3  tablespoons             oil

1 piece                                onion, chopped

1 head                                garlic, minced

1/2 cup                              soy sauce

1/4 cup                             vinegar

1 cup                                  water

1 teaspoon                        peppercorns

2 pieces                             bay leaf or laurel leaf

Procedure

1. Heat oil in a pan. Pan-fry pork for 10-15 minutes or until pork is light brown on all sides. Remove excess oil.
2. Add onion and garlic, sauté until fragrant.
3. Add JOLLY WHOLE MUSHROOMS, soy sauce, vinegar, water, peppercorns and bay leaves; let it simmer for 30-45 minutes.
4. Add water if it becomes too dry.Add. Continue simmering until pork is tender and sauce is reduced. Adjust seasoning if needed.Number of servings: 6-8 servings

    

Photo shows from (L-R): Fly Ace Corporation President Mr Jun Cochanco, Langnese Head of Sales and Marketing for Southeast Asia Mark Baumgartner, Mr. Ramon Daez, Fly Ace General Manager, and Fly Ace Marketing Head Ms Abbie Ng Reyes.

My idea of heaven is an evening cup of green tea with LangnesePure Honey! Who knew that a specific brand of honey would so impact my life?

Honey isn’t just delightful to the taste. More than that, honey has several qualities that make it a super food. High quality honey has so much use from consumption to beauty regimens. While it has always been so difficult to find pure honey here in the Philippines (with most of those sold in the market mixed with so much water), Langnese has brought good quality honey to the shelves of supermarkets.

Mark Baumgartner of Langnese Southeast Asia giving an insightful talk about the colorful 90-year history of the brand.

Langnese is a German brand that remains unrivaled when it comes to producing honey. It is a family owned business that started in the 1920s, and has since gained the bragging rights for its honey’s unadulterated quality. That means, Langnese has a honey that’s raw, unfiltered, and residue-free.

Langnese Honey in the Philippines is currently available in these 5 variants:

1) Acacia – Feel optimistic with this breakfast stable. Its sweetness isn’t the taste you’ll get tired of and would be a delicious partner to your pancakes, waffles, and cereals.

2) Golden Clear – This variant tastes raw. It has been around since 1927 serves to be Langnese’s signature honey. Perfect for your tea but can also blend well with your coffee.

3) Wild Flower – Feel delighted with this citrus-y and mildly sweet honey flavor. Langnese prefers to use it on salads so why don’t you try too, the next time you make your Caesar’s.

4) Lavender – Feel light with this honey that has no strong flavors. It’s a perfect sweetener for teas and cakes that won’t devour their taste.

5) Black Forest – is Langnese’spremium honey – it only comes from the Black Forest area of Germany. Its taste can be compared to dates or prunes. And if I didn’t know it was honey, I would have thought that it was a dates syrup. It is very flavorful, but very hard to cook with for traditional European recipes because of its strong flavor. But chefs recommend it for Asian stir-fries. Blend it with your food and feel strong with it!

Senior Product Manager of Fly Ace Corporation Emie San Beda shared about their honey products:

Ms Emie San Beda

“Langnese Honey enhances one’s mood when one knows the right variant that perfectly complements the food. It is known for its purity and versatility, which makes it a kitchen staple that can warm the hearts of Filipino consumers,Whatever your lifestyle needs are, there is a Langnese Honey for you.”

Currently, Langnese Honey products are in 45 countries including the Philippines. In fact, our country is one of the first Asian markets Langnese has selected to bring its topnotch harvested honeyto.

Meanwhile, Ramon Daez, General Manager of Fly Ace Corporation said about their commitment to distribute Langnese Honey in the whole Philippines:

“Fly Ace Corporation is committed to bringing the best of the world’s food and beverages to every Filipino home. We are proud for being the chosen partner of Langnese, which gives us even more opportunity to providea variety of top-quality products that Filipino consumers can easily avail and enjoy.”

Find Your Honey,” empowers consumers to choose the honey that matches their mood. Whether they are feeling relaxed (Golden Clear), optimistic (Acacia), delighted (Wild Flower), Light (Wild Lavender) or strong (Black Forest) there is a Langnese Honey for them.

Langnese Honey variants are available in supermarkets nationwide. For more information, visit their website at https://langnese-honey.com/about-us/. Follow Langnese Honey Philippines on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LangnesePH/ and Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/langneseph/.