Food

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/.

Liquor-filled chocolates are a great idea, but too often they taste like sweet, waxy cough syrup. Thankfully, one of the top chocolatiers in the country is making boozy bonbons that are delicious, based on a template of delicious chocolate with a hit of quality spirit. So up your holiday gift-giving game by choosing Theo & Philo’s new chocolate creation!

Collaborating with 2018’s International Review of Spirits Gold Awardee, Tanduay Asian Rum Gold, Theo & Philo is proud to introduce another chocolate flavor to crave for.

Alcohol-infused chocolates have been a thing long time ago in other countries like Thailand, Malaysia, New Zealand, and most European countries. Now, we have our own version to brag, thanks to Theo & Philo and Tanduay Asian Rum Gold which are both Filipino brands.

The new flavor is made up of 65% dark chocolate from the high quality cacao that Theo & Philo harvests in Davao. This will be filled with house-made caramel and Tanduay Rum which, in turn, is made from the premium sugarcane sourced and harvested in Bacolod.

In introducing the Theo, Philo, & Tanduay, Tanduay Distillers, Inc. chief marketing officer Paul Lim shared the idea behind the new flavor:

“We continue to create innovative ways for people to enjoy rum. The collaboration between two award-winning brands — Tanduay and Theo & Philo – gives us a truly Filipino product we can be proud of.”

Theo & Philo is one of the best home-grown Artisan Chocolates in Manila. They give dark chocolate a new definition and the packaging is too artistic that all of their collections are too adorable to even eat. Starting with just the traditional dark chocolate and milk chocolate, Theo & Philo now has several flavors like Toffee, Pili and Pinipig, Barako as well as the more exotic collections including Ginger, Calamansi, Labuyo, and Green Mango & Salt. All of which can be bought an affordable price of less than P100.

Meanwhile, Tanduay is a known affordable rum brand in the Philippines. Apart from the award it nabbed last year, it also received the Silver award from the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, and another Silver Award from the WSWA Tasting Competition. Prior to that, it received the Gold Medal from the Monde Selection, the 3-Star Superior Taste Ward from the International Taste & Quality Institute, the Gold award from the International Review of Spirits, Beverage Testing Institute—all in 2017.

Theo, Philo & Tanduay is exclusively available at the Tanduay Store at Century Park Hotel in Malate, Manila.

The holidays are just around the corner and it’s time to give yourself a dose of self-love by rewarding yourself to four new, rich, delicious desserts than you can enjoy any time of the day – McDonald’s all-new Dreamy Delights: the Rich Chocolate Pie, Coffee McFlurry with Oreo, Brown Sugar Sundae with Pearls, and Milk Tea McFloat with Brown Sugar Pearls. Dreamy Delights available at McDonald’s stores nationwide starting October 28, 2019. Make sure you don’t leave yourself out.

Enjoy McDonald’s NEW Indulgent Dreamy Delights:

1) Rich Chocolate Pie – Taking the main spotlight and imagine sinking your teeth into a cocoa-flavored pie crust with hot, thick, luscious dark chocolate filling. The filling is especially made from cocoa beans from Ivory Coast, Ecuador, and Ghana, making this a perfect luxurious holiday treat for just P39.

2) Coffee McFlurry with Oreo – Try this equally rich which is sure to keep you feeling fuzzy and happy. Sweet and smooth, this is an indulgent combination of thick vanilla soft serve sundae mixed with mild roast coffee syrup and crushed Oreos. At P49, it’s a well-deserved gift you owe yourself this holiday season.

3) Brown Sugar Sundae with Pearls – If you love brown sugar and pearls, then you absolutely need to try out this cup of thick vanilla soft serve sundae is topped with sweet brown sugar syrup, and chewy delightful brown sugar pearls. It’s amazingly affordable at P49 too.

4) Milk Tea McFloat with Brown Sugar Pearls – For a quick holiday perk-me-up is a perfect choice. Pick from two flavors – a refreshing and sweet classic black-tea base, or a dreamy wintermelon tea base, with chewy brown sugar pearls topped with thick vanilla soft serve sundae. At P75, this milk tea can be enjoyed anytime.

Share with us your experience by using the hashtag #McDoDreamyDelights! For more details you may also visit McDonald’s Facebook page (fb.com/McDo.ph) and Twitter and Instagram page (@McDo_PH).

We’ve just been seeing it on television, on everyone’s favorite kdrama series. They look yummy over the grill and even yummier when dipped in that red hot ssamjang, topped with toasted garlic, onion, sprouts and later wrapped with Korean lettuce. I guess you know now what I’m talking about… Yes…the mouthwatering samgyupsal!

Samgyupsal or grilled pork belly or what we call in the Philippines barbeque has now become one of the biggest food trends in the Metro. Well, actually, it’s popular in other parts of the country too. Major cities have at least 5 restaurants serving this Korean cuisine. And for the first time in my life, I’m trying it!

I was invited recently to experience the unlisamgyupsal of SamgyupKing at the Fisher Mall in Quezon City. I was thrilled since it was my first time and I had a lot of expectations as I’ve seen Koreans on television eating grilled pork very enthusiastically. I’ve also heard a couple of colleagues talk about how it tastes so good so I really skipped the afternoon snack to prepare for this big feast.

Samgyupsal King – Price, Menu and Experience

Samgyupsal King is one of many restaurants that have jumped into the Samgyupsal trend.Just like their contemporaries in the business, they, too serve unlimited Korean BBQ.

They have the edge over other Korean restaurants though as their unli offer comes with a little more free treats that are not available on other restos’ packages.

For one, Samgyup King don’t serve pork and beef alone. Most of the Korean restaurants I heard about serve only pork and beef for their samgyupsal buffets. But Samgyup King went a bit further in experimenting variants of this popular dish by adding chicken in the menu.

Actually, I never thought that chicken would be a good meat alternative. It doesn’t blend well with the lettuce but having something unique to offer to the customers is what I am impressed with.

Second, their unli meal only costs P499 per head. It is a common rate for unlisamgyupsal restaurants but like I mentioned, Samgyup King has more treats that comes with the rate.

SamgyupKing unlisamgyupsal comes with a 1 time milk tea and 1 time ramen servings. Others would only offer free tofu soup as a complementary treat.

When it comes to side dishes, SamgyupKing is also a winner. They serve the usual partners of samgyupsal like kimchi, sweet potatoes, ssamjang, radish and carrots, egg roll, and unli Korean lettuce wraps.

My friends who are regulars on Korean restaurants told me that the kimchi is the most important side dish. So they told me that a good kimchi shouldn’t have a bitter after taste, shouldn’t be too sour, shouldn’t be too sweet and it would be nice if the leaves are still a bit crunchy (meaning it’s fresh). Kimchi, they said, is what makes for a good appetizer when eating a samgyupsal wrap and being a good judge of good food, I have to say, Samgyup King served a good batch of kimchi when we visited.

One more unique feature of the restaurant is their grill. Instead of the regular round grill placed on top of portable stoves, they have a custom-made grill where skewers can be positioned easily so cooking won’t be a hassle and for the meat to cook evenly too.

We had a chance to have a little chat with Operations manager and son of the owner Raymond Yuloque. He shared a bit of the restaurant’s history, saying they just started on food parks and later decided to expand hence opening their first restaurant just last October 5.

He assured us that they only use top quality meat which are actually still imported from Australia. He also told us that their kitchen staffs are meticulous in their preparing all of their ingredients.

Apart from their unlisamgyupsal, SamgyupKing also has ala carte offerings like beef, pork, and chicken bulgogi. They have grilled salmon too for all of you who love fish. An like their unli meal, all of these dishes come with side dishes too.

Finally, it’s time to taste this samgyupsal that’s much craved by many Pinoys. , The meat was finely seasoned but they were very thinly sliced so I had to place two or three in a wrap so I can taste it. The wrap was bulgy so it’s a bit awkward to fill it all in my mouth so I prefer eating the meat separate from anything else.

The beef was especially delicious. It’s a given since red meat is really juicy. As for the chicken, it tends to get dry so I didn’t really appreciate it.

Overall, my first samgyupsal experience was wonderful. The meat is the most important ingredient of any samgyupsal buffet and Samgyup King has one of the best seasoned pork and beef for grilling that I’ve tasted! I wasn’t a kimchi lover until I tasted their recipe. The food is definitely worth more than the price! Anyone in the Metro should try dining in here!

With the Owner of SamgyupKing, Mr. Willie Yulo Que,, Operations Manager of SamgyupKing, Mr. Raymond Yuloque and the members of the Bloggers Association of the Philipines led by Mr. Ver Garcia.

For those who want to try “the next generation samgyupsal experience,” Samgyup King is located at the 4th floor of Fishermall, Quezon Avenue, Quezon City.

Octoberfest Na! And you know what that means! A long parade of international craft and local beers will be everywhere again and resorts will be filled with lively music and energetic audiences. But for people in the Metro who aren’t able to take a leave and join in the fun, Tiendesitas treated them to another kind of beer fest that went down at the shopping center.

In collaboration with Ortigas Malls and the Philippine Craft Beer Community, the first ever Tiendesitas Beerfest MNL happened last October 18-19, displaying the widest assortment of imported and local craft beers to join in the international celebration of beer-drinking and merriment called Octoberfest.

The beer fest featured unique beers from 50 different breweries, giving emphasis to the Philippines’ best local craft beers that only a few people know about. A total of 250 kinds of beers from the local and international brewers were sampled by the festival goers. From pale ale to wheat, stout, butter, artisanal craft and commercial, almost all kinds of beer were there and they were sold for only P100 per 330 ml bottle.

What heightened the hype, though, were the satisfying promos like the buy one, take one beer promo. Special packages were also available where people got to taste 2 beer samples and take home a limited edition Pilsner souvenir glass for only P300. Three beer samples, 1 limited edition Pilsner glass, and beer tasting package was also given for only P700. And for the strong drinkers, they were able to get 10 beer samples for only P1,000 plus they got to have the souvenir glass too.

VP for Ortigas Malls Arch. Renee Bacani expressed their delight on hosting the biggest gathering of beer brewers in Metro Manila, saying:

“Ortigas Malls is very excited to host the country’s grandest convergence of breweries and beer concepts at Tiendesitas. As the known hub for unique local finds in the Metro, the opportunity to showcase what Filipino breweries can offer to the world stage is an honor and we hope to hold more beer festivals here.”

And of course, a beer festival wouldn’t be complete without a pulutan. A wide array of food choices by food outlets of Tiendesitas was also laid down at the open spaces of the mall. From grilled items to seafoods all of the Pinoy favorite appetizers were there to satisfy the fest-goers. A non-stop entertainment from talented performers at the mall also went down to liven up the spirit of all guests.

Now, people have a new place to hang out every time the month of October checks in.

For more info, visit Tiendesitas’ and Craft Beer’s Facebook pages through www.facebook.com/tiendesitas and www.facebook.com/craftbeer.ph , or subscribe to Ortigas Malls’ newsletter at www.ortigasmalls.com .

Blushing Cookie? Why not! Oreo makes every playful imagination become a reality with its latest gimmick “Compliment an Oreo and Make it Turn Red.”

For a limited time, our favorite breakfast and afternoon snack staple is turning red through Oreo Red Velvet cookie. Recently launched at the Glorietta Activity Grounds, Makati City, cookie lovers got to taste the new variant first hand in an exciting way. Running a regular cookie through the “Complement Machine,” you can really make it blush and get the red velvet cookie in return.

The Compliment Machine serves as the world’s first compliment-powered treat giver. The machine is a special music box that records music and activates on all the nice things you’d say to an Oreo cookie. You can buy it on Lazada and send it as an amazing Christmas gift for your loved ones.

Kristine Enriquez, Brand Manager of Mondelez Philippines, maker of Oreo cookies said that the Compliment Machine is the first of its kind in the Philippines. Talking about the unique experience, she said:

“We’re more than excited for Oreo fans to try the new experience.

We all deserve a little ‘kilig’ sometimes, and we think the new Oreo Red Velvet is the perfect way to express your compliments.”

To make Oreo cookie lovers in the land more feeling kilig, singer and “KadenangGinto” star Kyle Echarri was present also present. Additionally, various games went down and there was a styling booth too that attendees enjoyed to their heart’s content.

Kyle John Echarri of Kadenang Ginto with the host Ms. Issa Litton

Kyle Echarri with Oreo Compliment Music Box

The company really knows how to thrill people while filling their tummy and it’s also the perfect treat you can give for your Oreo-loving friends and family.

Enriquez continued:

“Express your compliments with the new Oreo Red Velvet while you can, available until January 2020.It’s reminiscent of the delicious cream cheese flavor we have all come to love, blended with everyone’s favorite Oreo Cookie.”  

The Oreo Velvet cookie is a limited-edition treat. It is already available in supermarkets nationwide, and retails at Php 76.50 (multipack) and Php 41.50 (slug).

Phto shows from left: JV Lubat, Peachy Ladringan, Kristine Enriquez, Criselle Villafuerte, Kyle Echarri, Nicole Rodriguez, Luigi Natanauan, Ramon De Leon

The Oreo Compliment machine was in Robinsons Galleria from October 12 to 13, then at the Glorietta Activity Grounds last October 16 only. It will be making its last stop at UP Town Center on October 19 to 20.