Contadina Holiday Recipe: Healthy Seafood Linguine Arrabbiata + Giveaway

Christmas is fast approaching, and we all know what that means- series of family gatherings, reunions, parties and get together. While the holiday season often calls for festive celebrations and fancy restaurant dining, there seems to be an unparalleled feeling of comfort in dining at home during this time of year. 

Coincidentally, I was sent a gift pack containing a variety of Contadina products last week. Thus, D and I decided to stay at home and cook something instead of our usual Saturdate plans. Contadina is a popular brand of Italian-inspired products such as tomato sauce, pasta, canned tomatoes, olive oil and more.

Contadina endorser, and self-taught domestic goddess, Nigella Lawson, believes that cooking at home begins with sourcing the freshest and quality ingredients, to bring simplicity, authenticity, and passion to every home cook's kitchen.

Thinking that the holidays would bring in the extra calories, I decided to prepare a healthy yet festive holiday recipe. This recipe is very simple and easy to follow even for first timers. Key to perfecting this dish is the use of fresh ingredients and of course, quality products like Contadina.

Mighty Quinn's New York Slow-Smoked Barbecue in Manila- SM Mega Fashion Hall

Mighty Quinn's Slow Smoked Barbecue- What started out as a humble barbecue purveyor in Smorgasburg, an outdoor flea food market in Brooklyn, turned out to be an overnight star that created a buzz in the food industry of New York City.

Not long after its food market debut, with several publications including a feature on the New York Times (which food experts regard as the Academy Awards), Mighty Quinn's founders Hugh Mangum, Micha Magid, and Christos Gourmos, opened its flagship store in the East Village of NYC on December 2012.

Foo'd by Michelin-Star Chef Davide Oldani opens in Shangri-la at the Fort, BGC

Davide Oldani, creator of Cucina Pop, is considered as one of the greatest chefs of contemporary Italian cuisine. He opened his restaurant D'O in his hometown Cornaredo, near Milan back in 2003. Davide Oldani has worked with some of the big names in the culinary industry like Gualtiero Marchesi, Albert Roux and Michel Roux Jr., Alain Ducasse and Pierre Herme.

Chef Davide Oldani, through Foodee Global Concepts, the group who introduced to us Food Hall, Pound and Hook by Todd English, Tim Ho Wan, MESA Filipino Moderne, Llaollao Frozen Yoghurt and Sunnies Cafe, brings to Manila his culinary expertise, with his first concept restaurant Foo'd by Davide Oldani.

Located in Shangri-La at The Fort, BGC, Foo'd by Davide Oldani offers Michelin-star quality dishes at very affordable prices. The three-course menu is priced at P800, while a four-course meal is at P1200, featuring his signature dish Cipolla Caramellata.

Foo'd by Davide Oldani showcases his Cucina Pop-style, which blends together essential ingredients and incredible flavors into simple but surprising dishes. It combines tradition with innovation, promising a whole new experience that will elevate the Filipinos' concept of Italian contemporary dining.

My 3-course meal started with the Cipolla Caramellata that translates to "caramelized onion".

Thai Cooking Class by Chef in Stilettos Cecille Chang for only P2,500!

Are you tired of the usual coffee dates, dinner dates, and movie dates every time you plan a get together with friends or families? Why not look for an interesting activity that will challenge your skills and unleash the inner chefs in you. Join a Thai Cooking Class led by the Chef in Stilettos herself, Chef Cecille Chang. 

Last week, I was lucky enough to join her class together with some blogger friends. Price for each session is P2,500, which includes all the things you will need- cooking tools, equipment, handouts, recipes, apron, and ingredients. Plus, you get to eat or take home all the dishes you cooked.

Since it was a hand-on cooking class, everyone got a chance to cook all recipes in the handouts. We cooked 5 dishes that day, starting with an appetizer of Thai Spring Rolls or Paw Pia That.

Wingstop Launches #CantStopTheCrave Menu for Cravings that Just Won't Stop

Wingstop hits back even bigger by satisfying big cravings with their #CantStopTheCrave. The immense flavor in the wings calls out to your tastebuds and sticks in your memory. But just when you thought you’re completely satisfied, along comes your craving once more- this time, urging you to experience a flavor that seeps through the bones. 

For cravings that just won’t stop, your all-time favorite wings from the Flavor Company now come in bigger, filling servings! 

Score your favorite wings with drinks and sides- hot, signature Chipotle rice, tasty fries, or savory onion rings- in Individual Meals that are definitely big enough to satisfy more than just your curiosity.  

Go with 3-pc chicken Tenders, hand-breaded to perfection. You can also get Boneless Bites. Either way, they both start at P199.

Doña Elena Olive Oil x 49B Heirloom Kitchen Festive Flavors Holiday Menu and Promo

Doña Elena, the proudly homegrown and leading olive oil brand in the country, recently partnered up with loyal client and longtime Doña Elena user, 49-B Heirloom Kitchen, to come up with a festive holiday menu using various Doña Elena products.

Chef Erika Aquino, executive chef of the restaurant, gamely accepted the challenge, and prepared a full menu of exciting dishes fit for the upcoming holidays. 

This special menu will be available at 49-B Heirloom Kitchen from November 20 to January 2017. 

First is a starter of Grilled Shrimp on Patacones (P285)- a South-American inspired appetizer, made with twice-fried plantain slices, pico de gallo, tapenade mayo, and grilled shrimps, served with a chilled cucumber yogurt shooter on the side. Both are made with Doña Elena Extra Virgin Olive Oil, which is ideal as salad dressing, bread dip, and to drizzle cooked food.

13 Ubay St. Comfort Dining- Menu Relaunch and New Heirloom Recipes

Remember the restaurant owned by Yna Macaspac of ABS-CBN's teleserye Pangako Sa'yo? 13 Ubay St. Comfort Dining was actually the film location of the famous "KusYna". The restaurant is just minutes away from our office, but it was only last week that we got to visit the place for their menu relaunch.

While the story of "KusYna" ended, the journey of 13 Ubay St. Comfort Dining continues as they celebrate their 1st year anniversary with a new menu lineup. The mother-daughter tandem, Edna and Zaza Sarmiento, took inspiration from heirloom recipes their family personally enjoys, and adventurous dishes from various trips abroad.

Filipino cuisine takes center stage on the new menu, featuring Pinoy favorites such as Binagoongan, Kaldereta, Lechon Manok, and Kare-Kare, which are all mainstays at every Sarmiento gathering.

During the relaunch, we were served with both 13 Ubay's bestsellers, and new menu items.

Starting off with a healthy and refreshing Cheese and Raspberry Salad (P230)- mixed greens, red onion, cucumber, seasonal fruits, fried herb cheese balls in raspberry vinaigrette.

Served next was 13 Ubay's best-selling Bacon Pizza (P250) that highlights their homemade bacon from scratch. The crust was thin and crunchy, topped with generous chunks of crisp bacon and a sunny side up egg. Care for a slice of breakfast?

Kandle Cafe- Asian Fusion Comfort Food and Coffee in Mother Ignacia, Quezon City

There may be a lot of cafes and coffee shops opening here and there, but only a few really invest on the interior and ambiance- Kandle Cafe is one of them.

Stepping inside the cafe, everything seems to be well-thought-out. From the interiors, decors and furniture, down to their menu, everything looks interesting and worth checking out.

One menu item that caught my attention was the Mr. Egoy and Ms. Eggy Pasta (P240). It is fresh squid ink pasta sauteed in smoked bacon and onion, light cream sauce, 63 degree poached egg, garnished with crispy bacon and toasted pan de mie.

Celebrate Life With May Sparkling Red Grape Juice from Belgium

Who says that celebration takes a lot of work? Not with May Sparkling Juice, a non-alcoholic drink made from selected grapes, that you can always pop open to toast to life’s daily success.

May Sparkling Grape Juice is a high-quality product of Belgium made of freshly pressed grapes. This bubbly treat is low in calories (80 calories per serving), and provides the fun fizz that instantly boosts any celebration. 

And because it's non-alcoholic, it can be enjoyed by everyone in the family regardless of age and dietary restrictions. May Sparkling Grape Juice is available in Red and White Grape variants.

Jolly Cow Fresh Milk Made From Happy and Healthy Cows- Fly Ace Corporation

Jolly Cow offers delicious and creamy UHT Fresh Milk sourced from Germany's biggest dairy farm where the purest and most premium milk are packed. Sourced from healthy and happy cows, Jolly Cow Milk is a great source of calcium and essential vitamins. It is made up of 100% pure cow's milk that's subjected to UHT, a process that heats milk to at least 135ºC to kill off any harmful micro-organisms.

Apart from Jolly Cow Fresh Milk’s creaminess and full-bodied texture, the best part about it is its free-range quality. 

Rita's Italian Ice and Frozen Custard- Ice.Custard.Happiness #EatMoreRitas

I scream, you scream, we all scream for Rita's.. no, it's not ice cream.. This is Rita's Frozen Custard Sundae. A waffle bowl of their signature old fashioned chocolate and vanilla frozen custard topped with crushed oreos (or any two toppings of your choice), whipped cream, and cherry. 

This cup promise you the richest, smoothest, and creamiest treat you've ever tasted. 

#ControlYourFrizz With TRESemmé Keratin Smooth Salon-To-Home Expert Selection

It is one thing to walk out of a salon with gorgeous, straight hair, and another to step out of the house every day with the same salon-gorgeous look. Thanks to TRESemmé Keratin Smooth, you can now #ControlYourFrizz with the same salon results, in the comforts of your own home.  

Rebisco Choco Mucho Cookie Sandwich with Chocolate and White Chocolate Filling

The leading biscuit brand Rebisco, comes out with their newest Choco Mucho variant- the Choco Mucho Cookie Sandwich. It brings the same heavenly pleasure as their Choco Mucho Bar, but with a different kind of experience that is truly a slice of heaven!

Tra Vinh Australia- Authentic Vietnamese Noodles in NS Amoranto, Banawe

Tra Vinh is this unassuming Vietnamese restaurant in NS Amoranto (Retiro) corner D. Tuazon. Although it is just a few blocks away from our office, D and I never had the chance to drop by and check the place out.

Last week, I had a fun lunch out at Tra Vinh with fellow bloggers and friends.

Starters

We started with an appetizer of Fresh Prawn Spring Roll (P160) served with Tra Vinh's special peanut sauce. While it may look just like your usual fresh spring rolls, Tra Vinh's version is exceptionally chunkier with fresh veggies, vermicelli, and plump prawns.

Another refreshing starter was this Prawn Pomelo Salad (P240) featuring chopped vegetables w/ fresh prawns, pomelo chunks, peanuts, herbs and spices, in Tra Vinh's special dressing.

Taiwan's Best Brands at Taiwan Excellence Experiencing Zone in Market! Market!

Save The Date!

What: Taiwan Excellence Experiencing Zone

Where: Market!Market!Activity Center, Taguig

When: October 21-23, 2016 (Friday-Sunday)

Led by the Bureau of Foreign Trade, under the Taiwanese government, Taiwan’s best brands will once again be highlighted in the fourth Taiwan Excellence Experiencing Zone, happening at Market! Market! Taguig City on October 21 to 23. 

The Best Spots in India (That Nobody Knows About)

Considering India’s expansive size, it’s no surprise that the country is home to a diverse bouquet of traveler’s delights – bustling cities, exotic rainforests, searing deserts, lofty mountains, shimmering beaches and snowy peaks are just part of the rich diversity of India’s geographical makeup. Yet its many attractions can make finding a truly authentic Indian experience a struggle. For the return visitor, the offbeat traveler, the solitude seeker and the peaceful nature lover, we’ve compiled this list of off-the-beaten-path destinations to help you experience a unique holiday which is truly yours.

1. Palolem Beach, Goa

Image from: tourism-of-india.com

Goa’s known as one of India’s must-visit travel destinations due to its pristine sandy beaches, chilled out vibe, fantastic beach parties and international flair. It’s also easily accessible from abroad, with regular flights from Miami to Goa, If you’re looking for a lesser known spot where you can enjoy the best of Goa, Palolem Beach is an hour and a half’s drive from Goa Airport and boy, is it worth the journey – known as ‘Paradise Beach’, Palolem’s got everything, including its own accommodation. 

2. Bhitarkanika, Odisha

Image from: bhitarkanika.org

Oishi Great Lakes Pure Pressed Apple and Just Right Red Grape for a Great Day!

Want to hear something great? Oishi Great Lakes, brings us two new flavors, in addition to their  a line of natural fruit and vegetable juices.  Just like the original flavors, the new Pure Pressed Apple and Just Right Red Grape, are made with pure and wholesome goodness. Great Lakes is all about natural- that means no artificial coloring, flavors, and sweeteners are added.

Hotel 101 Manila- Experience Comfort and Covenience in the Heart of Pasay

Business and leisure travelers seeking for affordable room stay, can now enjoy a comfortable and convenient experience in the heart of Manila. Strategically located within the Mall of Asia compound, Hotel 101 Manila is the ultimate destination for a relaxing staycation and afternoon rendezvous.

The newly built Hotel 101 in Pasay City, boasts a spacious lobby where guests can unwind, relax, and meet with friends. 

Taiwan Excellence Sports and Leisure Products Promotes Work Life Balance

The Taiwan Excellence Award was established by the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) in 1992. It is a common symbol and prestigious award that honors Taiwan’s most innovative and quality products. All products having this symbol have been selected based on their excellence in design, quality, marketing, Taiwanese R&D and manufacturing.

Taiwan Excellence is proud to introduce some of their newest products, that promote work-life balance. Especially now, when it seems to be a great challenge to achieve this goal, with all the demands from work in this fast-paced life. 

Maybelline New York Inspires Us to Explore the World and #MakeConfidenceHappen

Confidence is Key. This is what most people say when faced with personal challenges that test their self-esteem. Not everyone is blessed with confidence, and while some women are born a natural, most struggle with it every single day. From waking up every morning, to achieving daily work goals, confidence is key to bring out your best and succeed in whatever goals you have in life.

In my case, I was never the girl who exuded extreme confidence. As a child, I often play alone and stay in one corner, while others play together. I was shy to talk with other kids unless someone approaches me and invites me to play with them. Maybe because I was just naturally born shy, or because I didn't have much self-confidence with my social abilities.

Lucky Rainbow Seafood Restaurant- 40% Off Dimsum Promo in Z Square, Banawe

We have a new favorite dimsum place in Banawe!! Now, we don't have to wait until 9pm for Causeway's or King Chef's dimsum promo. Lucky Rainbow Seafood Restaurant in Z Square Mall offers 40% off on their dimsum selections as early as 6:00pm! 

We learned about Lucky Rainbow's dimsum promo while waiting for our number to be called at Causeway. Those who frequent the place know how crazy the waiting list at Causeway is during promo time (9pm onwards). Since we were number 15 in line, we decided to walk around Z Square Mall to pass the time. There, we saw Lucky Rainbow at the second floor and chanced upon their dimsum promo. Their promo ends 10:30pm, and since it was already late, we promised to go back earlier next time. 

Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® #MondaysMadeBetter With P100 Featured Tea Lattes

The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf®, the country's authority on premium coffee and tea, seeks to make Mondays better, by inspiring its customers, and sharing snippets and stories of today's most admired achievers.

The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, introduces its #MondaysMadeBetter campaign, with an extra incentive from the brand.  To provide customers with another reason to look forward to Mondays, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® is offering Featured Teas and Tea Lattes at a discounted price of Php 100 for all SMALL size (hot drinks) and REGULAR size (cold drinks) from now until October 3, 2016.

Places to Visit in Davao- Eden Nature Park and Resort Day Tour Package and Lunch

I've always wanted to visit Davao and explore "one of the safest cities in the world". Fortunately, I had the opportunity to travel for the first time to Davao for the US Potato Safari event last year.  I got to dine in some of the best places and restaurants like Claude's Le Cafe De Ville, Vinta Bar and Cafe Uno of Waterfront Insular Hotel, and Polo Bistro of Marco Polo, but I was not able to go around the city due to our tight schedule. 

Three months after, the family decided to spend the Holy Week in Davao. Planning our visit was easy and hassle-free, especially now, that there are quite a number of hotels in Davao with affordable rates per night. While preparing our itinerary, I made sure I included a visit to Eden Nature Park and Resort.

Eden Nature Park is one of the most famous attractions in Davao. It is an 80-hectare land filled with pine trees and other botanical plants.

Tickles Flagship Store Welcomes You to Your Happy Place in SM Megamall

Come One, Come All! The all-time favorite toy store and gift shop Tickles, recently opened its flagship store in SM Megamall. The store re-branded from the funky yellow and black theme, to a carnival-inspired look with fun and playful colors of red and yellow. I personally like the new look which draws more attraction to both the kids and kids at heart.

I dropped by Tickles flagship store in SM Megamall last week to check out some cool finds and quirky gifts perfect for the upcoming holiday season.

Unilever Gastropark- Knorr Golden Salted Egg Powder and Rock Sugar Honey Sauce

Knorr had me on Golden Salted Egg and Rock Sugar Honey, as I braved the traffic and travel from Quezon City to BGC, to attend Unilever Food Solutions' Gastropark and launching of Knorr's newest kitchen innovations- Knorr Golden Salted Egg Powder and Knorr Rock Sugar Honey Sauce.

Cozy Up With The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf's New Honey Apple Chai Tea Latte

The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® introduces a new sweet and spiced beverage in addition to their comforting line up of tea lattes. The new Honey Apple Chai Tea Latte is the perfect drink to warm you up during this cold and rainy weather.

Organique Acai Berry Premium Blend- Keep it Simple, Drink Healthy Purple!

Organique Acai Premium Blend is the flagship product of Organique California- a concept started by husband and wife tandem, Elton and Cathy Salimbangon. Acai, the king of berries, and a superfood high in antioxidants, is believed to have a lot of health benefits, hence the couple decided to have acai berry as their premier product. 

I was thankful to receive a bottle of Organique Acai Premium Blend last month, mainly because my mom was planning on buying one for my dad. He underwent angioplasty late last year and has been cautious with his food intake ever since. Being someone who loves to eat anything and everything, the drastic change in diet was a struggle for him especially during the first 6 months.

Organique Acai is perfect for him as it helps in reducing bad cholesterol and prevents causes of heart disease. It is considered to be the most potent Açaí Juice Concentrate with over 12,000mg of Acai per 30ml serving. You just have to take a 30ml dose daily before breakfast.

Each bottle of Organíque™ Açaí Premium Blend is 946mL (P2500) in size good for 30 servings.

The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf #SolarSaturdays Paves Way for a Brighter Philippines

The country’s authority on premium coffee and tea invites everyone to build solar powered lamps at their stores every Saturday. The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf hopes to provide solar powered lights to underprivileged communities- which their customers will be building as part of this initiative.

Accenture Kicks Off Languages Talent Community in Fusion Night- Hole In The Wall

你好! Bonjour! Ola! Ciao! Kon'nichiwa! Annyeonghaseyo! These are just some ways to say Hello in different languages. Have you ever had that thought of learning a new language especially when traveling in different countries? Did you ever wished you can talk to a local and be able to understand or communicate to him/her without using sign languages? I bet we all did at one point, to communicate easier with foreigners and express clearly what we wanted to say.

While I consider myself a multilingual ( being able to speak English, Chinese and Filipino), I still want to learn a new language for extra knowledge and skill such as Spanish, Korean, French or Japanese. Good thing Accenture recently kicked off their Languages Talent Community through Fusion Night- a gathering of multilingual professionals who want to either learn a new language, or share their skills and talents to like-minded individuals.

SM Hypermarket Street Food Festival 2016- Shop, Dine and Win Amazing Prizes!

SM Hypermarket recently launched its annual Street Food Festival last August 31 at SM City Fairview. The event kick starts a series of road shows that will gather our favorite street food vendors, new and upcoming food business concepts, and SM Hypermarket's famous Market Eats.

9 Huawei P9 Food Shots That Make You Want To Travel and Try Different Cuisines

I’ve been team IOS ever since I had my first smartphone, due to its simple and user friendly interface. But, I must admit, I do get jealous when my friends take out their android phones, with design and interface customized to their personality and style. Plus, they get more access to free mobile applications. My mobile phone is basically for personal messaging, calls, group chats and social media postings, but photos and videos eat a huge chunk of my storage capacity.

Being a food blogger, my album is generally filled with food shots of our daily food trips and adventures. I have always wanted to get another mobile phone for social media postings since my current mobile phone is already low in storage. But I want to make sure that my new phone will have a really nice camera that can take beautiful and high quality food shots.

Fortunately, I got my hands on the new Huawei P9 Smartphone equipped with Leica dual-lens camera. This is every food blogger’s dream- to have a camera that can capture food photos, minus the bulkiness of SLRs and digital cameras. 

I took my new Huawei P9 to the test and used it to take food shots of our daily food adventures last week.

Here, I’ll be sharing 9 Huawei P9 food shots that will make you want to travel and explore different cuisines from around the world. 

American

The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf Kiddie Enterprise Fair- Brewing Future Entrepreneurs

The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf is inviting everyone to the Kiddie Enterprise Fair this coming Saturday!

An initiative of Brew Your Best Year, the brand has put together a Business Bootcamp for Kids, designed to teach kids the basics of business in an interactive and experiential way. It is a two-part activity that aspires to mold the youth into becoming the next generation of entrepreneurs who will continue to pave the way for a stronger economy.

What: The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® Kiddie Enterprise Fair

When: September 3, 2016 (Saturday)

Where: CBTL Garden Area Bonifacio High Street

Time: 11:00am-6:00pm

Battle of the Best Salted Egg Potato Chips in Manila

By now, I'm pretty sure people are still looking for the best salted egg potato chips in Manila. The addicting snack from Singapore has taken over facebook and instagram feeds of foodies from around the metro, with the quest to find the best in town.

Last week, my salted egg-loving friends joined me for a fun and exciting taste test of the newest snack trend in the country. I found more than 10 brands around, but was only able to get a hold of 7 due to unavailability and inaccessibility of the other brands.

This review is based on a blind test by 5 participants. It was nice to hear different and contrasting comments from everyone, setting aside favoritism and bias. We placed the chips on small cups, with only 2 people knowing what the brands were. Although some were dead giveaways due to the color, we still enjoyed the guessing game.