Tuesday, September 30, 2014

From Around the Web: Our Favorite Articles for September


I would like to share some of the most useful links I've come across over the past month. I'll come back to review some of these posts eventually, so this also serves as a personal archive of sorts for future use. I hope you find these links as useful as I do!


Monday, September 29, 2014

Delicious Buko Pandan Recipe

Delicious Buko Pandan Recipe

Buko Pandan has been my favorite dessert since I was a little boy. I'm sure that this Buko Pandan Recipe is a recipe that your kids (or the kid in you) will surely love. I can't help but wonder why Buko Pandan is very expensive when you dine out in restaurants (59 pesos in Max's!) and served in very small servings, when you can easily make it at home. It's easy and cheap!

Sunday, September 28, 2014

An Easy Steamed Okra Recipe

An Easy Steamed Okra Recipe

Okra is one of my all-time favorite vegetables. I'm from Iloilo and we love making Laswa (a delicious vegetable soup) which is usually served with lots of Okra. I'm going to share the recipe for Laswa next time. For now, let's talk about another easy recipe - Steamed Okra

I know there are a lot of ways to cook Okra since you can either steam, fry, or boil the pods. My personal favorite cooking method is steaming. The reason why I like it is that the nutrients get locked in during the cooking process and it doesn't lose any of it's flavor. It's so easy that this might not count as a valid recipe.

Nutritional Benefits:
Okra is a low-calorie meal rich in valuable nutrients such as soluble and insoluble fiber, Vitamin A, Folic Acid, and Vitamin C and minerals such as Calcium, Iron, and Potassium. A cup of Okra will contain 31 calories, 3.2g of Fiber, 2g of Protein, and 35% of your daily Vitamin C requirement. 

Monday, September 22, 2014

Stir Fried Pechay with Tomatoes and Mushrooms Recipe

Stir Fried Pechay with Tomatoes and Mushrooms Recipe Ingredients

Here's a great vegetable dish that anyone can make. This Pechay Stir-Fry Recipe involves just a couple of healthy vegetables. It's best served as a healthy side to go along with some protein and rice. It's a recipe that I got from my mom and it is also one of the first vegetable dishes I ever cooked. 

Sunday, September 21, 2014

Chinese-Style Brown Bacon Fried Rice Recipe

Chinese-Style Brown Bacon Fried Rice Recipe

At home, we're such health buffs so we only eat brown rice. We believe that a healthy diet is very important, so we don't normally have fried rice at home because it's usually cooked using white rice. One time I got a bit curious, why can't we try to make fried rice using brown rice instead? I was already thinking of different ingredients to create delicious brown fried rice when I came across this article. The recipe tasted marvelous! I customized it a bit but the base of the recipe is still there, so please check out my version below. 

Bacon, Cheese, and Mushroom Scrambled Eggs Recipe

Bacon, Cheese, and Mushroom Scrambled Eggs Recipe Ingredients

Here's a recipe for a really good breakfast dish, loaded with plenty of rich ingredients. Presenting a tasty Bacon, Cheese, and Mushroom Scrambled Eggs Recipe.

Difficulty: Beginner
Servings: 5 servings
Total Cost: 97 pesos
Cost Per Serving: 19.4 pesos per serving
*Cost computed using recipe ingredients and prices in Chef Jay's Price Watch

Ingredients: 

4 Eggs
2 Tablespoons Fresh Milk
1/4 Cup Sliced Champignon Mushrooms 
3 Strips Crispy Fried Bacon
1 Teaspoon Unsalted Butter
1/4 Cup Grated Parmesan or Mozzarella (You can even use Quickmelt!)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Saturday, September 20, 2014

Costa Coffee is Finally Coming to the Philippines!


Coffee lovers, rejoice! Costa Coffee, the world's second largest multinational coffeehouse (behind Starbucks), is finally coming to the Philippines. The first store is expected to open in early 2015, and will expand to around 80 stores in the next 5 years. 


I got my first taste of Costa was last year when a friend brought home a bag of Costa coffee beans when she came home from her UK trip. Costa coffee tastes fantastic! Based on that brew alone, I can honestly say it's better than Starbucks Coffee. I'm not quite sure if I can say that it's better than my favorite non-specialty coffee shop - The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf. That's my personal opinion, but what do most people think of Costa Coffee?


New Selecta Ice Cream Flavors: Mais Con Quezo, Choco Almond Fudge, and Fruit Salad

New Selecta Ice Cream Flavors: Mais Con Quezo, Choco Almond Fudge, and Fruit Salad


Just this September, Selecta Ice Cream Philippines added three new flavors to their arsenal of delicious ice cream flavors with the release of Mais Con Quezo, Choco Almond Fudge, and Fruit Salad. Selecta has been the leading player in the Philippine ice cream market with 46.4% Market Share in 2010 which is more than Nestle (33%) and Magnolia (8.5%) combined. According to a Rappler article, they grew their market share to 76% in 2013, and are now a dominant force in the industry. 

One reason why they stay on top is that they continue to roll out new flavors to keep themselves ahead of the pack. I am a huge ice cream fanatic, so I went to get all three tubs right away. Can these flavors possibly beat my favorite Selecta ice cream flavors; Mrs. Fields Chocolate Chip Cookie or Coffee Crumble? Find out with my review below. 

Friday, September 19, 2014

Wish List: Nestea Thai Milk Tea

Wish List: Nestea Thai Milk Tea

The last time I was in Thailand, I hoarded packs of Nestea's Thai Milk Tea. A friend told me it was good. I tried it and I totally agree with her. It was a bit sweet, but Thai Milk Tea is naturally like that. Nestle, if you are reading this please bring this drink to the Philippines! 

We bought a 13-piece pack at around 90 Thai Baht at the time, which means that each piece would cost around 9.5 pesos when converted using the current exchange rate. Not bad! 

Starbucks Philippines: French Vanilla Latte and Dark Caramel Latte


Starbucks Philippines recently added two exciting new flavors to their repertoire of artisan espresso drinks: French Vanilla Latte and Dark Caramel Latte. If the photo above is any indication, then coffee lovers (like myself) are certainly in for a treat. Keep reading to see my review of each drink.

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

2014 Ultimate Taste Test @ Power Plant Mall


The 2014 Ultimate Taste Test, one of the most awaited food-tasting events of the year, will be held on September 27, 2014 at the Rockwell Tent. For those of you who aren't familiar with the event, it's an opportunity for food lovers to be a critic for a day (rating dished from 1 to 5) after sampling Food Taste portions from over 50+ home-based businesses. The event was conceptualized by food blogger Anton Diaz of Our Awesome Planet in partnership with Rockwell Corporation. 

Monday, September 15, 2014

New Gelatissimo Flavor: Introducing the Creme Brulee!


Gelatissimo Philippines has just released another awesome flavor. They started scooping earlier today on September 15, 2014. I immediately got myself a scoop and I must say it tastes amazing! One of my favorite desserts made into ice cream. Now that's heaven! I find that the caramelized sugar compliments the vanilla custard base very well. That combination makes you want to savor every bite.


Sunday, September 14, 2014

Hello Food-Loving World!

Chef Jay's Kitchen
Hello Everyone, 

Chef Jay here. Welcome to Chef Jay's Kitchen!

To be honest, I am not a 'chef' by any means. I don't own a restaurant or have a fancy degree in culinary arts. I'm not entirely new at cooking and I am hoping to get really good at it over time. You see, food is my passion. I started this blog to share my adventures with food- from great restaurants to delicious recipes - with anyone who would bother to read it. Yeah, that's you. Thank you for dropping by!

I plan to make this website a bit different from other food blogs out there. You see I live in the Philippines and we Filipinos absolutely LOVE to eat (I mean who doesn't?). I visit Filipino food blogs quite often and I find that they usually are usually centered on restaurant reviews. Now, there's nothing wrong with that (I write my own restaurant reviews as well) but there are a lot more topics out there to write about, including: