The Maya Kitchen's Recipe of Love

Scallop and Shrimp Scampi in Fresh Beets Pasta.

Press release:

Surprise that special someone with a delicious meal you made from the heart or bond over the cooking experience together and make even more wonderful memories. This coming Valentine’s Day could be the sweetest one yet as The Maya Kitchen gives you recipes full of love that are sure to impress.

Maya Creamy tomato soup with herbed crackers

One of the most important parts of a romantic date is the menu! You don’t have to be too fancy as long as your meals are all well thought of. So, start with the Creamy Tomato Soup with Herbed Crackers. Homemade crackers are very easy to make and will definitely add a special touch to your spread. With the MAYA All Purpose Flour, some thyme, parsley, garlic powder, and a cookie cutter, you’ll be able to whip up crisp, golden brown crackers perfectly paired with a rich tomato soup topped by a dollop of cream.

For your entrée, try out the Scallop and Shrimp Scampi in Fresh Beets Pasta. Making the pasta yourself shows how much effort you put into the dish and adding in the deep purple-red beets will even transform this simple main course into something eye-catching. Layer it with more flavor by sautéing the shrimps and scallops in butter and garlic plus a sprinkling of lemon zest.

Less trips to the grocery with Concepcion Midea’s French Door refrigerator

French door refrigerator

 Press release: You cannot be too sure about the quality of food on warm sunny days. In homes with small fridges, this means shopping for groceries often to ensure the freshness of produce. Rather than spending quality time to bond with your family, you find yourself burdened with the task of shopping for food regularly.

Shangri-La Mall's Gourmet Strip: A culinary revelry

Shang welcomes foodies into gourmet haven

Shangri-La Plaza Mall's East wing was converted into a foodie haven recently where they had Shang's Gourmet Strip. A slew of participating restaurants gave free samples of their specialty dishes, from American dishes to European to Asian cuisines--name it, they all seem to have it!

Special German sausages from Brotzeit Beir and Bar Restaurant

We were delighted to have tried TWG's earl gray tea that tastes like tea but with a dash of chocolate. It was an opportunity for certified foodies like me to explore the different food offerings and give my palate some exercise. There will surely be something that you'll fancy from the numerous offerings. It's like a little village where you can taste all the exciting dishes that the world has to offer. 

There were a lot of interesting booths to try. You don't even need to make a reservation because it's all given for free. And we're not talking about small sample portions here, but really generous ones. Yes, heaps of samples dear. One will really get full just by simply wandering around and checking out as many food booths as you can accommodate. 

You'll find huge servings of Japanese specialties like maki, sashimi, sushi, sliders, bowl of noodles, something healthy like a bowl of green salad, skewers, pizza slices, pasta like the ones with delicious truffle oil. There's a lot to discover and so much to try. You'll end up really full just by visiting the Shangri-La mall's Gourmet Strip. There are also available foods for sale so that you can bring home its goodness and share with the rest of your family. 

We were able to enjoy P.F. Chang's signature Tamarind Iced Tea (I swear, they are a must-try!), Teddy's Bigger Burgers, Akira's Akira roll, chicken terriyaki, beef teppan, Arya's Koobideh, C2's sumpia, tokwa't baboy and lechon kawali, Happy Cream Puff's salad and of course, cream puffs, Kimono Ken's sushi, Watami's california maki, spicy salmon tempura, Woo Galbi's banchan, Zao Vietnamese's favorite fresh spring roll, papaya salad, satay. And sorry but with due respect to the restaurants, when you're a foodie and had so much information + foodie overload, you're bound to forget some important stuff.So please forgive me for not remembering every single item that I had eaten that night. In fact, I was supposed to write this on my food blog but because I wasn't in my best element, I ended up writing it here on my main lifestyle blog. Anyway, what matters is that I'm able to share with you my experience.

There was a lot to try. Too bad, we were so full and burping that we were not able to try all the food booths during the said Gourmet Strip fair at the Shang. Thank you Shangri-La Mall for the wonderful opportunity. You too, can experience the world-class restaurants by visiting the foodie + shopping destination--you can find everything you'll ever need at the Shang! And it saves you money because one need not travel far to experience the wonders of different cuisine because they're all the Shang. 

A Taste of the Philippines in a Day: Unilever Food Solutions launches Food Trends that helps promote Philippine Dining Landscape

A trusted brand in every Filipino kitchen, Unilever Food Solutions recently launched its series of online videos called "Food Trends" set to heighten food innovation. These bite-sized but informative videos feature six Southeast Asian food trends--namely: Food Tourism, Serving Portions, Dish Innovation, Creating Memorable Experiences, Smarter Kitchens and Rise of the Chef--these are worth watching for especially for Filipino chefs and restaurateurs. The said videos are free and downloadable at Unilever Food Solutions' official website

www.UFS.com/foodtrends.

In 2013, the food service industry had seen the emergence of new restaurants and concepts together with the evolution of the Filipino palate seeking for more adventurous and sophisticated food. Philippine tourism also contributed to this growth as there were about 4.7 million tourist arrivals in the country. Local Filipino cuisine is now taking the spotlight this 2014 as more people both local and international tourists plan their destination and itineraries around food. Tourists are looking forward towards trying a wider variety of cuisines and sample the most daring dish innovations they can find. 

Selected members of the media and bloggers were lucky to have been invited by Unilever Food Solutions to the Food Trends launch where we were able to sample an array of Filipino Kapampangan foods from traditional ones to exotic. It's a way to promote original Kapampangan dishes. The said event was held at Abe's Farm in Pampanga.  Food tourism in Pampanga had also been consistent as it is said to be the culinary capital of the country--home of the best chefs in town! We were able to sample cultured frogs cooked Deep Fried Stuffed Betute. It was my first time to eat something as exotic and I realized it tasted just like chicken--only with a twist! The frog was stuffed with ground pork and frog meat with loads of garlic and pepper that it actually tasted like longganisa. The deep fried frog was served alongside crispy chicharon bulaklak and fiddlehead fern salad. Both complement the frog's taste. 

Binukadkad na Plapla with Burong Hipon

Rice Cooked in bamboo

Grilled Pork Liempo with Atchara

We were also served Bulanglang Bangus Belly Sinigang in Guava. It was truly a comfort food as upon sipping the hot soup, you'll know it wasn't done using any short-cuts! It was honest-to-goodness soup that tasted the richness of guava. Of course, not to be missed was the Binukadkad na Plapla (served looking like a butterfly)with fermented shrimp (burong hipon). The fermented shrimp did not smell good but it goes perfectly well with the fried fish. No wonder this dish is a favorite among Abe's restaurant goers.

Crispy Pata

Kare-kare made of veggies, peanut sauce and Ox tail

Vegetable version of Bicol Express

There's an all-vegetable Bicol Express in a creamy white coconut based sauce, another Bicolano favorite Laing, sinfully Crispy Pata and to die-for Kare-kare in sumptuous peanut sauce! The brown rice cooked in bamboo is also worth mentioning. It's a viand on itself, reminds one of chow fan or yang chow rice. As if that wasn't enough, Sikreto ni Maria perfectly ends our hearty meal. Composed of homemade macapuno ice cream with sticky suman with ripe mango slices and panocha syrup (muscovado syrup)--it's the best way to cap off our meal.

Laing

Bulanglang Bangus Belly in Sinigang sa Bayabas

Sikreto ni Maria Dessert

"As the food service arm of Unilever, we at Unilever Food Solutions believe in its mission to keep chefs and restaurant operators equipped with the knowledge and skills to run their food business successfully," shared Seanta Reyes, UFS Philippine Marketing Manager. "The Food Trends videos at www.UFS.com are made so that our partners, business owners and operators would keep abreast the latest food innovations, to be in sync with their clients' needs--that's hat Food Trends aims to provide." 

"Nowadays, traveling isn't simply just about seeing new sights but it is also about trying authentic local eats," says UFS Philippines Sous Chef Pippo Aluning on Food Tourism. With the demand and competition on the rise, operating a successful commercial kitchen isn't an easy task. But with food trends online videos, Unilever Food Solutions provide the much-needed resources to keep up with the quickly evolving industry. For more information and to watch Food Trends online series, log on to www.UFS.com/foodtrends.