Tuesday, December 23, 2014

There's a New CBTL Drink in Town: The Chocolate Hazelnut Truffle Ice Blended and Latte!

There's a New CBTL Drink in Town: The Chocolate Hazelnut Truffle Ice Blended and Latte!

If you're looking for a new and tasty companion for the holiday season, The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf Philippines recently released a new decadent drink - The Chocolate Hazelnut Truffle Ice Blended and Latte. On paper, the combination of Chocolate + Hazelnut + Truffle just seems so heavenly!


Thursday, December 18, 2014

Try This Simple, Delicious Kangkong (Water Spinach) and Garlic Recipe

Water Spinach (Kangkong) ingredients

Kangkong (or Water Spinach) is a very popular vegetable not only in the Philippines but around the entire Asia-Pacific region. It is one of the cheapest vegetables around because it's a 'pest' that can practically grow anywhere. Asians eventually found out that when you saute Kangkong in garlic, some fish sauce (patis), and oyster sauce, it becomes a really delicious dish that explodes with flavor. I personally love cooking this dish because it's cheap, nutritious, and it's so easy to make.

Before I begin, I just want to say that the picture on top is only for show. You will be cooking around 4 times as much Kangkong if you plan to follow the proportions given in this recipe. So, let's begin.

Nutritional Benefits: 
Back when we were kids, remember how Popeye gets his superhuman strength just by eating a can of spinach? Just like spinach, Kangkong is a low-calorie dish jam-packed with nutrients. A serving of this dish will provide 297.1mg of Potassium, 2g of Fiber, 2.8g of Protein, 110.4% of your daily Vitamin A requirement, 82.7% of Vitamin C, 7.2% of Calcium and 8.8% of Iron at only 41 calories! It's also loaded with antioxidants that help boost your immune system. Not bad for one of the cheapest vegetables in the planet.


Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Speak Up: The New Restaurant Critic Is You


What you say matters. With the advent of social media, it's very easy to share each and every dining experience with everyone you know. If you eat at a new restaurant and you find out that you were served raw chicken, you can easily share this experience on Facebook, Twitter or Zomato. This sends your social circle a signal that the food isn't good and they shouldn't waste their time dining at that restaurant. This might prompt them to tell their friends as well, so it's a domino effect that comes from just one bad review. In today's culinary environment, restaurant perception is everything.


Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Try Out This Easy Recipe for Grilled Pork Chops

Grilled Pork Chops Recipe - ingredients

Pork Chops are often a household staple. It's a dish that's also quite easy to cook. You can grill, pan-fry or oven-bake pork chops and they'd taste quite good no matter how they're cooked. My personal preference is to grill the chops. It's the healthier style of cooking that requires less or even no oil, and they come out delicious each time.

This recipe is fairly simple. It just needs a couple of pork chops marinated in a simple soy sauce marinade. Trust me when I say anyone can make it. It is easy enough that it's actually one of the first recipes I mastered. I also didn't burn it the first time I tried it way back. So here's the recipe


Monday, December 15, 2014

Learn How You Can Mix Flavor Profiles to Create a Perfectly Balanced and Flavorful Dish


When it comes to food, taste is everything. In the past, humans needed to eat because our body requires the energy and nutrition from food to survive. Since then, our experience with food has evolved. We now expect food to be delicious. If not, we complain about it to the restaurant or write bad reviews online in sites such as Zomato or Yelp. We're quick to say "too greasy" or "too bland" if the flavor is out of balance.

Sunday, December 14, 2014

The Ultimate Guide to Flavoring With Fresh Herbs


I recently wrote an article on The Ultimate Guide on Flavoring With Spices here at Chef Jay's Kitchen. I hope it was able to help you create even more flavorful dishes by enhancing your knowledge on spices. 

This time, I want to share how you can enhance the flavor of your dishes using fresh herbs. Both infographics were beautifully done by Cooksmarts.com - a great website that aims to educate and empower home cooks like you and me. They deserve all the credit for coming up with very useful guides. 

Saturday, December 13, 2014

From Around the Web: Our Favorite Articles for November


I'm really sorry for such a late post. When I started Chef Jay's Kitchen, I promised you that I'm going to share the top 5 food articles I've come across each month, and I am way behind schedule. It's been a busy couple of weeks for me, but I understand that shouldn't be an excuse. I know it's late but here are the top food articles for November! Once again, thank you for your patience.

The Most Powerful Food Combinations You Need to Know

The Most Powerful Food Combinations You Need to Know

You should know by now that a daily dose of healthy food such as apples, green tea, and eggs is excellent for your body. By eating the right kind of food (I don't mean that bag of chips or french fries), your body gets all the nutrients it needs to function properly. You will feel amazing and less sickly as a result. 

Friday, December 12, 2014

The Ultimate Infographic Guide to Flavoring With Spices


If you love to eat, then you are probably familiar with spices. We often see them in grocery shelves or in our kitchens just an arm's reach away whenever we need them. Spices have been around for centuries, and they are very important of the history of our world:
Spices have been the inspiration for trade, exploration, war, and poetry since the beginning of civilization. That ground pepper you shake on your salad was once worth its weight in gold; the nutmeg you grate onto holiday eggnog once fueled a war that gained Long Island for England.
It's a good thing we don't have to wage war just to get that bottle of ground pepper, right?

Thursday, December 11, 2014

Krispy Kreme Offers Day of the Dozens on December 12


On December 12, 2014, Krispy Kreme Philippines will be offering a one day promo where you can purchase a box of Krispy Kreme Original Glazed Doughnuts, and get a second dozen for only P77! Just make sure you present the voucher above to the participating stores! 

It's Time to Know More About What Minerals Do and How To Get A Healthy Dose


We hear about vitamins and minerals all the time. While they are both essential for maintaining a healthy body, minerals are often an afterthought for most people. No one ever says "Get your daily dose of minerals!"

The main difference between the two is that vitamins are organic substances while minerals are inorganic substances found in the periodic table that our body absorbs. They both are essential because without them, we won't even survive. They perform hundreds of roles in our body from repairing cellular damage, healing wounds, convert food to energy, and so much more. 

If you want to know about vitamins and minerals, then check out this guide from Greatist.com, a wonderful health and fitness website.


Wednesday, December 10, 2014

The Ultimate Healthy Grocery List

There are people who say they want to take better care of themselves and live a healthy lifestyle. Now, there are two parts to that equation: a healthy diet and daily exercise. I don't know about you, but in my opinion it's a lot easier to eat healthy than have a 1-hour session in the gym. 

In order to help you eat food that's actually good for you, here's a grocery list from shape.com that shows you a list of ingredients you should pick up the next time you visit the supermarket. I'm hoping this can get you in the habit of buying food that's healthy. 

Tuesday, December 9, 2014

10 Healthy Foods That Should Be Part Of Your Daily Diet


Health and proper nutrition has recently been topic of focus of this blog, and for good reason. I'm passionate about food but I would also like to influence you, my readers, to live a healthier life. I'm not perfect. I eat Crispy Pata, Sisig, Lechon, Cake, and fast food just like everyone else. While I don't always eat clean, I do preach moderation - It's important for you to balance unhealthy meals with healthy ones. 

Monday, December 8, 2014

Coffee and Tea Taste are Addictingly Delicious, and They're Amazing for You Too!

Coffee and Tea are Delicious, But Here are Healthy Reasons Why You Need to Drink More

Coffee and Tea are two of my favorite drinks (add milkshakes and you have my top 3). I usually drink a cup of coffee first thing in the morning to jump-start my day. It wakes me up and helps me stay focused. I also drink coffee or tea right after eating lunch to either give me an energy boost or to help me relax. It really depends on the kind of day i'm having. 

If you are curious on what blend of coffee I drink, I brew the Philippine Barako Blend - a really strong blend that's grown in the Philippines (it belongs to the Liberica family). It's packs a strong punch and tastes quite good. That is, if you want to stay awake throughout the day. 
I do hope popular coffee shops like Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf and Starbucks share Philippine Barako Coffee to the rest of the world soon. You should really try it.

I am also a fan of green tea, more than black or herbal teas. Green tea is said to be more healthy, with less caffeine and is better tasting (in my opinion). My favorite green tea would have to be Genmaicha Green Tea from Japan. Here in the Philippines, I get my green tea from CBTL Philippines since they have a tasty Genmaicha Green Tea blend and their Green Tea Matcha Latte is one of my favorite drinks. You should try them if you like to drink tea.

Try drinking tea after your workouts. I find that it helps sore muscles relax, and it also helps detox the body since we drink a lot of water after a workout. Of course, I also drink tea whenever I'm feeling a bit under the weather to help my immune system. For sweet tooths I suggest you add honey, its a good day way to enhance the health benefits of tea. 

Check out the benefits of both tea and coffee below;
  

Friday, December 5, 2014

What 200 Calories Look Like and Why You Should Care


Obesity is a serious problem. We often eat food that's bad for us, packed with fat and sugar. Even though we eat too much, we still don't get enough of important nutrients that our body needs to function properly. The average person's diet today consist of either canned food or fast food, due to their promise of 'tasty and convenient' food. So we buy this garbage over and over again, even if we know it's no good. But do we really know the extent of damage caused by these bad habits?


Thursday, December 4, 2014

Urban Flavors: Enjoy a Gastronomic Feast at Estancia, Capital Commons


There's a new hub for foodies in town. This December 6, 7, 13 and 14, you can have a mouth-watering gastronomic experience at Estancia, a new mall located at Capital Commons, Pasig City. Tickets will be available at the following establishments at 500 pesos each:
  • Capital Commons Information Center
  • Greenhills Shopping Center Customer Service booth
  • Tiendesitas Customer Service booth

Monday, December 1, 2014

Michal Ansky: The Intimacy of Food on Our Plates



I'm a huge fan of TED talks. I'm one of those that believe a healthy dose of these talks can be good for you because they help you make better decisions in life. I previously shared Jamie Oliver's TED talk on the importance of food education and on better nutrition, and here I am sharing another talk that I hope you will like - this time by Michal Ansky.