YESTERDAY (October 11, 2013), while Typhoon Santi was wreaking havoc on Metro Manila traffic and raining down on Miss World 2013 Megan Young’s parade in Makati, I was at Café 1771, El Pueblo Real de Manila, Ortigas Center, witnessing a milestone in our efforts towards green living. CDC Manufacturing Corporation was launching an affordable green concept in tableware under its Melawares line called Bambooware.
The Bambooware collection is a complete range of eco-friendly tableware products that include plates, bowls and drinking glasses. Unlike the regular Melawares products which make use of melamine as their main material, Bambooware items use bamboo fibers in combination with other organic compounds to make them 100% biodegradable. Once discarded, they decompose completely in as short as six months’ time and leave no non-biodegradable residues, so they’re really completely biodegradable.
“We thought of coming up with this new line as our contribution to reduce carbon footprint of our products without compromising stylishness, innovation and functionality. Modern dining of today is not just about the pleasures and flavors of food. We need to also think of our surroundings and be aware of the implications of our actions as we go on with our daily lives,” explains CDC Manufacturing Corporation’s marketing manager Chriselda Chua.
Despite their organic nature and biodegradability, however, Bambooware products remain stylish, chic and attractive with their vibrant colors and matte finish. They initially come in off-white, green and yellow shades, and in different shapes and sizes, and they are sold at prices that do not stray too far from the affordable prices of regular Melawares products, starting at Php60 for a regular 8-inch plate.
During the formal launch held at Café 1771 yesterday (October 11, 2013), Chua made a short product presentation and displayed the entire Bambooware line for everyone to see.
The new Bambooware line by Melawares is exclusively available at SM Homeworld at SM Stores nationwide.
CHEF Jill Sandique is one of the Filipino chefs that I truly admire and look up to. She’s not only a great pastry chef and an equally good cook. She’s also a damned good teacher who understands the science behind each dish, especially when it comes to pastry, and can explain it to you on the spot when you ask her. So, when I’m baking at home and something goes wrong, I text only two people – Chef Jill and/or Chef Junjun de Guzman – to ask why my cake didn’t rise or why my cupcake turned out to be so dense.
Chef Jill Sandique
Chef Jill is so good at her craft that I rejoiced when I got her to be a columnist of FLAVORS Magazine and I make it a point to attend her cooking demonstrations. So I was pleasantly surprised when I attended the launch of Glad Non-stick Aluminum Foil at the Arcadia Clubhouse in Ortigas Center, Pasig, Tuesday last week (October 1, 2013), and she turned up at the venue because she was going to conduct a cooking demo for Glad. As I mentioned in my earlier post, Chef Jill prepared two dishes using the new Glad Non-stick Aluminum Foil – Baked Chicken with Basil, Cheese and Tomatoes and Grilled Fish with Potatoes and Chermoula Sauce.
I just had to make this second post and share with you the recipe of the Baked Chicken with Basil, Cheese and Tomatoes.
5 pcs. chicken breast fillets, preferably skinless
lemon juice as needed
paprika to taste
salt and pepper to taste
2 egg whites
1 to 1-1/) cups breadcrumbs*
3/4 cup tomato sauce
10 pcs. fresh basil leaves
shredded Cheddar cheese
shredded mozzarella cheese
grated Parmesan cheese
1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line an aluminum tray with Glad Non-stick Aluminum Foil. Set aside.
2. Season chicken breast fillets with lemon juice, paprika, salt and pepper. Dip in beaten egg whites, then coat with breadcrumbs (*can be substituted with crushed cornflakes).
3. Line a baking tray with Glad Non-stick Aluminum Foil and arrange breaded chicken breast fillets on it. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes.
4. Remove from oven. Top breaded chicken with tomato sauce, then layer with fresh basil leaves and cheese, in that order.
5. Return to oven and bake for 5 more minutes.
6. Transfer to a serving platter. Serve immediately.
DON’T you just hate it when you grill stuffed bangus and the skin gets stuck to the grill and comes off when you try to turn it over to cook the other side? And when you cook Baked Mac and the delicious, slightly toasted cheese topping sticks to the aluminum foil when you remove the foil covering? How about the chicken skin that gets ripped when you remove the foil wrap to let the surface turn lusciously golden in the last few minutes of roasting in the oven?
I do. Especially since I like to bake, roast and grill. So imagine my delight when Glad launched its new product, Glad Non-stick Aluminum Foil, at the Arcadia Clubhouse in Pasig Tuesday last week (October 1, 2013).
Glad Non-stick Aluminum Foil, which has been designed for grilling, roasting and baking, has a special non-stick coating on one side, the dull side, which prevents food from sticking without added fat or oil. It can withstand temperatures of up to 340°C, so it’s ideal for high temperature cooking and baking, even when done on an extended duration. It won’t burn or char. So you can use it to roast chicken in the oven and not worry that the skin would get ripped off when you remove the foil covering. You can also prepare your usual Baked Mac without fear that the beautifully golden and bubbling cheese on top would stick to the foil afterwards. You can also just lay a sheet of Glad Non-stick Aluminum Foil over an open grill before placing your chicken barbecue or seafood skewers to cook over hot charcoal. You can even save the drippings and turn them into a good dip for your barbecue afterwards.
Celebrity chef Jill Sandique conducting a cooking demo to show off the nonstick features of the new Glad Non-stick Aluminum Foil
Fresh from the oven, it’s Baked Chicken with Basil, Cheese and Tomatoes cooked in a baking pan lined with Glad Non-stick Aluminum Foil
Lapu-Lapu Fillets grilling on a charcoal grill lined with Glad Non-stick Aluminum Foil
To show how versatile the new product is, Glad had celebrity chef Jill Sandique conduct a cooking demonstration during the media launch of Glad Non-stick Aluminum Foil. Chef Jill made Baked Chicken with Basil, Cheese and Tomatoes and Grilled Fish with Potatoes and Chermoula Sauce at the Arcadia Clubhouse.
For the Baked Chicken with Basil, Cheese and Tomatoes, Chef Jill lined her baking tray with Glad Non-stick Aluminum Foil before placing chicken breast fillets, seasoned and coated with breadcrumbs, on the foil-lined tray and layered the chicken breast fillets with tomato sauce, fresh basil leaves and grated cheese.
Baked Chicken with Basil, Cheese and Tomatoes
Grilled Fish with Potatoes and Chermoula Sauce
For the Grilled Fish with Potatoes and Chermoula Sauce, she lined the charcoal grill with Glad Non-stick Aluminum Foil before seasoning her lapu-lapu fillets and grilling them. She then made the Chermoula Sauce while the fish fillets cooked on the grill.
True enough, as Glad officials led by Tisha de Veyra promised, the golden melted cheese stayed on top of the Baked Chicken with Basil, Cheese and Tomatoes and the skin of the fish fillets in the Grilled Fish with Potatoes and Chermoula Sauce did not get torn off. The fish fillets even moved freely around the foil-lined grill and lifted off with ease when scooped up with a turner. No resistance, not even the slightest.
The new non-stick aluminum foil is now available in leading supermarkets nationwide.
TRUST Chef Jessie Sincioco to give you a most unique and enchanting dining experience. This has been proven in Chef Jessie’s at Rockwell Club in Rockwell Center, Makati, as well as in Top of the Citi. Now she’s proving it a third time over at 100 Revolving Restaurant, a rooftop restaurant located at MDC Building at the corner of Eastwood Drive and C5 in Libis, Quezon City. And, as its name suggests, the restaurant is indeed revolving.
Chef Jessie Sincioco
The restaurant, which occupies the top floor of the MDC Building, takes on a circular shape. It adopts the same revolving concept as the other revolving restaurants that can be found in other countries such as Singapore – only the perimeter of the circular restaurant stands on a revolving mechanism, with the center part of the restaurant constant and unmoving while the carpeted perimeter, lined with dining tables and chairs, revolves at a very slow pace. The pace is so slow that diners would hardly feel that they’re moving, except if you’re seated facing the glass windows and you see your view changing a little bit at a time. The idea of the revolving restaurant is to provide diners with a 360 degree view of the Eastwood, Green Meadows, Blue Ridge and White Plains communities, the whole stretch of C5 from Blue Ridge to Ortigas, the Sierra Madre mountain ranges framing Rizal province and scenic Laguna de Bay while enjoying their lunch or dinner.
The carpeted revolving perimeter of the restaurant gives diners a 360º view of the surrounding areas
The middle part of the restaurant remains constant and unmoving
The bar area
In case you’re worried that you might get dizzy as the restaurant revolves, the pace has been consciously slowed down so that it takes two to two-and-a-half hours to make a full revolution. Besides, there are tables in the unmoving inner circle of the restaurant which you can occupy should you prefer standard dining.
Chef Jessie Sincioco and four priests who recently dined at her new 100 Revolving Restaurant
As for the food, Chef Jessie isn’t a celebrity chef for nothing. The food in her restaurants is consistently good, and 100 Revolving Restaurant is no exception. The menu consists of delicious comfort foods ranging from Japanese to French , Italian, Continental to Filipino. Diners will find a number of the best-selling items from the menus of Chef Jessie’s and Top of the Citi, including her famous Ciabatta bread with her signature Special Dip (olive oil with bell pepper, Parmesan cheese and secret herbs and spices) for appetizers.
As she has mastered the art of preparing and serving steaks, 100 Revolving Restaurant specializes in steaks, which are served with a choice of sauces (Morel, Goose Liver, Creamy Whole Pink Peppercorn, Bearnaise, Bourgignonne, Pommery Mustard, Bordelaise and Creamy Pepper), as well as other high-end dishes like Chilean Sea Bass with Goose Liver and U.S. Black Angus Burger with Foie Gras. For dessert, diners can order Chef Jessie’s famous Souffle, whose variants include White Chocolate, Dark Chocolate, Vanilla, Strawberry, Pistachio, Coffee, Orange, Mango, Banana, Caramel and Grand Marnier.
“100” Pork Ramen
Grilled Lamb Chops with Vegetable Roulade
Charcoal Grilled Baby Back Ribs in Barbeque Sauce
A lot of the dishes offered at 100 Revolving Restaurant, however, are unique to the restaurant. These include Ubod Salad (with alugbati, peanut and shrimps in garlic soy sauce), “100” Pork Ramen (flavorful ramen noodle soup with pork), Charcoal Grilled Lamb Kebab (in tomato herb sauce, capsicum, olives, shallots and eggplant), and Chicken Adobo in Creamy Coconut Sauce (with pickled raw papaya). The restaurant also carries several makis on its menu, such as California Maki (lettuce, mango, cucumber, tobiko and crabstick), Dragon Maki (shrimp tempura, cucumber, kampyo and black sesame seeds), Spicy Tuna Maki (tuna, togarashi and tanuki) and Vegetable Maki (lettuce, kampyo, cucumber, Japanese pickles, sesame seeds and tofu).
Owing to its location and target clientele, 100 Revolving Restaurant likewise offers Solo Pizzas – Pinoy Pizza (sisig, longganisa, adobo, tomato and kesong puti), Capricciosa (pepperoni, Parma ham, olives, artichokes and mushrooms), Mediterranean (grilled capsicum, onion, mushrooms, aubergine, courgette and olives), Quattro Formaggi (blue cheese, Parmesan and mozzarella), Classic Pepperoni (pepperoni, mozzarella and tomato concasse), Ai Frutti di Mare (shrimps, baby clams, calamari, fish, onion, tomatoes and roasted garlic), and Smoked Salmon & Organic Arugula (smoked salmon, arugula and cream cheese) – as well as sandwiches – Surf and Turf (grilled beef patties and seafood cake, cucumber, horseradish, homemade mayonnaise, mustard, lettuce, tomatoes and onion), Chicken Teriyaki (grilled chicken, tomatoes, onion and cheese sauce), Tuna Melt (lettuce, tomatoes, onion, pickled gherkins and cheese), 100% Beef Burger and 100% Mushroom Burger (with homemade mayonnaise, lettuce, tomatoes and onion, and which can be had with either bacon or cheese).
“It’s everything you want to eat, anything you crave for,” says Chef Jessie, when my husband Raff and I had lunch at 100 Revolving Restaurant about two weeks ago.
Smoked Salmon Caviar Pie
Dragon Maki
Grilled Salmon with Berlinoisse Sauce
Lapu-Lapu Cordon Bleu
Chef Jessie served her signature Ciabatta bread with Special Dip on the table. I have always loved her bread and dip, so I enjoyed quite a few slices. Then came Smoked Salmon Caviar Pie (layers of grated egg white, cream cheese, smoked salmon and caviar with shallots) for me and Ubod Salad for Raff, with Dragon Maki for sharing.
A salmon monster, I had Grilled Salmon for my main course, and it was served with Berlinoisse Sauce, Black Wild Rice and Brown Rice combi, asparagus and vegetables. The salmon was very fresh, and I like the fact that it was served with a combination of black rice and brown rice because I do that in the house on weekends – combine black rice and brown rice, that is. Chef Jessie does it better, though, as she cooks them separately before combining them and mixing in some greens. Raff had Lapu-Lapu Cordon Bleu (in lemon butter sauce, served with mesclun greens and French fries) for his main course. I forked a bite and it was just as fresh and good. Consistently Chef Jessie’s!
Revolving Torta with Jackfruit Topping
Peanut Butter Cheesecake
We then shared a Revolving Torta, which came highly recommended by Chef Jessie, for dessert. It came in Mango, Macapuno, Banana, Pineapple and Jackfruit variants, and we went for the Jackfruit topping.
Other interesting dessert choices were Chocolate Caramel Fudge Cake, Chocolate Cream Pie, Peanut Butter Cheesecake, Dulce de Leche Loaf, Coffee Panna Cotta, Orange Crème Brulee, Mango Crepe and the Souffle selections. The soufflés are available in three sizes: Regular, Medium and Demitasse.
(100 Revolving Restaurant occupies the entire 33rd floor of MDC Bldg., owned by Mercury Drug Corporation, located at the corner of Eastwood Drive and C5, Libis, Quezon City.)
Mocha Praline Cake whipped up by The Cravings Group president Badjie Guerrero-Trinidad
YES, Cravings Restaurant is 25 years old. The restaurant, which was born out of the love for cooking of mother-and-daughter team Susana ‘Annie’ Guerrero and Marinela ‘Badjie’ Guerrero-Trinidad, now celebrates its milestone silver anniversary – and there is every cause for a celebration.
From a simple home-based food business that began in the Guerreros’ home in La Vista Subdivision, Quezon City, in the mid-1980s, Cravings has now grown into not just a chain of restaurants but a group of successful establishments, which includes Cravings Restaurant, C2 Classic Cuisine, The Coffee Beanery (TCB), Lombardi’s Authentic Italian Restaurant, Wicked by Cravings, the Center for Culinary Arts (CCA Manila), the Asian School of Hospitality Arts (ASHA), C3 Events Place, Oceana, The Orange Place hostel chain and Seven Suites Hotel Observatory.
The mother-and-daughter team of Susana ‘Annie’ Guerrero and Marinela ‘Badjie’ Guerrero-Trinidad behind The Cravings Group
From simply taking orders at home for hot dishes, cheesecakes, French bread, croissant and packed lunches, Cravings Restaurant was born in 1988 with its first store along Katipunan Ave. in Quezon City. Initially, it served meals to students and workers along the student hub, which includes Ateneo de Manila University, Miriam College and the University of the Philippines and the gated community of Loyola Heights. Through the hardwork and perseverance of the mother-and-daughter team, which had Mrs. Guerrero focusing her energies on cooked food and Badjie taking charge of the baking side of the business, Cravings grew by leaps and bounds and became The Cravings Group.
THE GREEN LIFESTYLE
Not content in being just prime movers in the local restaurant and food service industries plus being a pioneer in culinary education in the Philippines, The Cravings Group conscientiously took the Green Road, building an organic garden of its own, from where the restaurant sources its fresh herbs and greens and developing renewable energy sources (such as biogas, solar and biomass production). For this, The Cravings Group recently received the prestigious ISO 14001:2004 + Cor. 1:2009 Certifications in recognition of its green practices and sustainable operations. It is the first and only company in the Philippines to be accorded such honor, thus making it officially the greenest in the food service and hospitality industry.
Part of the organic garden at the eco center on the rooftop of Cravings-Katipunan
A pocket garden within the Green Roof at the rooftop of Cravings-Katipunan
Items made from recycled materials on display at the Zero Waste Model at the rooftop
The recognition couldn’t have come at a better time, coming, as it is, at a time when The Cravings Group is marking its 25th anniversary.
“It is a dream come true for The Cravings Group. At first, it seemed almost impossible to receive the ISO 14001 Certification when we started many years ago. But with the support, hardwork, cooperation, persistence, team spirit and everyone’s prayers, it was finally awarded to us,” says Mrs. Guerrero.
Members of media, especially those who belong to the food media who has witnessed the growth of The Cravings Group through the years, got to catch a glimpse of the green lifestyle that it now espouses when the mother-and-daughter team of Annie and Badjie hosted a special luncheon in their new home in La Vista Subdivision today (October 2, 2013). The group met up at Cravings-Katipunan and toured the Green Roof (which consists of a small organic garden, herb garden, bee apiary, butterfly sanctuary, and recycling of metal, paper and plastics) on the rooftop of the flagship branch.
Receiving room in Mrs. Guerrero’s La Vista residence
One of the adjacent dining rooms
Then members of media were shuttled to the new home of Annie and Badjie in La Vista Subdivision. The Guerreros have actually lived in La Vista for 40 years, but they moved into their new home, also in La Vista, only two years ago. It’s actually a big property with an extended house, with one side belonging to Mrs. Guerrero and the other side being the home of Badjie and her husband and kids. It’s a unique residential setup, very modern in its interiors, even with hidden toilet/baths and stairs and ingeniously designed multilevel bedrooms for Badjie’s kids. The two households have their own kitchens and dining rooms, with a spacious living room at the center of it all.
This – the living room and the two dining rooms – was where mother and daughter hosted today’s special 25th anniversary luncheon.
SUMPTUOUS FOOD
The festive treat actually began as soon as members of media set foot on Mrs. Guerrero’s side of the house. Platters of toasts with patê and welcome drinks of Tropical Juice were served, after which everyone proceeded to the dining rooms (yes, dining rooms!) for a sumptuous meal that began with a Garden Fresh Salad with Grilled Pineapple that was just freshly tossed in citrus honey dressing by Mrs. Guerrero and an appetizer platter of Chicken and Almond Fingers and Shrimp Patties served individually. The Chicken and Almond Fingers form part of the new menu item of Cravings called Mommy and Me. The other part of the new dish, Chicken Lollipops, was also served on the table for everyone to taste.
Tropical Juice as welcome drink
Patê with toasts for appetizer
Garden Fresh Salad with Grilled Pineapple
Shrimp and Salmon Skewers
Steak Fried Rice
Baked Fish in Olive Oil
Roast Beef
Chicken Lollipops
Chicken ala Pobre
Chafing dishes for the main course teemed with generous servings of Shrimp and Salmon Skewers, Steak Fried Rice, Baked Fish in Olive Oil, Roast Beef and vegetable sides. Served on the table were generous amounts of Steak ala Pobre, Chicken ala Pobre and Chicken Wings with Garlic Aioli.
Then it was time for dessert – of which Cravings is really strong at. The dessert buffet was an awesome display of what Cravings had to offer in terms of dessert. There was a whole Mocha Praline Cake, which, according to Badjie, was one of the very first cakes that she baked for Cravings, plus a whole Peach Chiffon Cake. Also laid out appetizingly on the dessert table were Choco Banana Muffins and assorted cupcakes and mini cakes. I got a Choco Banana Muffin, a small cut of Mocha Praline Cake and just a mouthful of the Mini Cheesecake. The Choco Banana Muffin was very interesting, because it looked every bit like a simple Banana Muffin on the outside, and yet on the inside it was loaded with chocolate chips. The banana and the chocolate went beautifully together. A combination made in heaven.
Choco Banana Muffins
Peach Chiffon Cake
Assorted Cupcakes
Mini Crumble Pies
Cravings’ Mini Cakes
Over cups of Cappuccino and Hot Tea, the mother-and-daughter team behind the successful Cravings Group had a tête-à-tête with members of media, recalling their journey from the time Cravings was just starting out, with only seven employees (already including Mrs. Guerrero and Badjie), to what it is today.
They also talked about the special commemorative menu that Cravings is offerings diners this whole anniversary month of October as it celebrates its 25th year in the business. One is Throwback Cravings, which will have Cravings Group stores dressed in ‘80s vibe and offering commemorative treats, including dishes that will be sold at their original 1980s prices. From October 16 to November 16, 2013, there will be a special Silver Cravings promotion which will feature 250-peso silver plate dinners including an assortment of Cravings classics and a commemorative Cravings-branded Keepcup to be given to diners with single receipts of Php2,500 and up.
Choco Caramel Cake, one of Cravings’ Restaurant’s signature cakes
And – what do you know? – after today’s special 25th anniversary lunch, everyone went home with one of Cravings’ signature cakes, Choco Caramel Cake. Delish!
YESTERDAY (October 11, 2013), while Typhoon Santi was wreaking havoc on Metro Manila traffic and raining down on Miss World 2013 Megan Young’s parade in Makati, I was at Café 1771, El Pueblo Real de Manila, Ortigas Center, witnessing a milestone in our efforts towards green living. CDC Manufacturing Corporation was launching an affordable green concept in tableware under its Melawares line called Bambooware.
