hail the SOUPERSTAR!

when i eat outdoors, i always ask for a miso soup or a cream soup to make my stomach warm and to enjoy everything at the table. but restaurants are asking for extra chargers for the soups i order unlike from the carinderias where it is served free! i also tried improvising soups from the stuff in the kitchen but nothing has been successful. and it takes so long to prepare.

until the SOUPERSTAR is introduced. she is a domesticated-Carrie as we should put it. Lea is a mom and a wife who is sharing her experiences and, more importantly, her recipes in her blog, http://souperstar.ph. with a woman like her, who could need more tricks in the kitchen. her secret is having packs of Knorr soups at the kitchen cabinet which is easy to prepare. one example is she added a twist to the regular fried chicken staple and called it Chi-Ka-Knorr, a combo of the CHI-cken, KA-nin (rice) and KNORR.

"Remember my best friend Kaye, the girl from Unilever whom I ran into at the grocery last week? I forgot to mention she also helped me out with this little online hobby of mine. She told the people at Knorr about my mention of their product on my blog (the Knorr Cream of Corn soup she enthusiastically endorsed), they saw it and offered to co-sponsor it! Hence the apt website name – SOUPerstar.ph. Yay, thank you Knorr!” says Lea for being chosen as the Knorr Souperstar.

the Souperstar blog also features photos of Lea's experiences with her husband, Paolo and child Gab, who are also enjoying every food feast with Knorr soups. she adds that she is too blessed to be called the Souperstar and now it's her time to give back to her readers.

THE LOOP at ICF@FEU Makati

it was a pleasure to meet Chef Joey Herrera of The Loop which is located at the newest campus of FEU in Makati. the campus is very interesting and my favorite is that they have a demo kitchen looking like one you see on TV. they cozy chairs for the spectators while the enjoy watching the cooking demo in front of them. i got so excited at it and ideas popped from my head that maybe someday, i'd do an event there.

the Loop restaurant also offers entertainment to those who will visit it. you can see the entirety of the kitchen from where you sit. and thus you are guaranteed that what you eat is safe and well-prepared.

the interiors are inviting and doesn't intimidate anyone. as the name of the place suggests, you'll find a lot of loops.

Chef Joey not only did he toured me around the two floors of the culinary school, he even let me try these dishes. they look and taste really good and you'll never expect that these come from a fine dining restaurant.

first we tried an unimaginable dish to appear in the menu clashing with italian, asian, and american cuisine. Miem Kam is a very vegetarian appetizer wherein coconut pieces and a cut of lemon is wrapped by a leaf. in the Philippines, it looks like nganga and the roll will be dipped in a sweet-sour, kind of a marmalade. a pinch of sourness from the lemon compliments the sweetness of the dip.

next on the appetizers list are the Egyptian Dukkah and Kesong Puti Triangle. Egyptian Dukkah tastes very Middle Eastern. you'll dip pita bread on sesame oil then dab it to ground dukkah. very curry but delicious. Kesong Puti Triangle is a variation of our kesong puti, only it's wrapped and fried. it is best to eat warm because the cheese melts.

Egyptian Dukkah and Kesong Puti Triangle.

then we had Green Pea soup. Chef Joey added a little twist by putting dry and crunchy green peas to the soup. so you'll have pieces of peas that's something to bite into.

the Crispy Chicken Pasta very much tasted like Szechuan Pasta Bowl from KFC. no offense to Chef Joey but they both taste really good. i even loved it more since he didn't make it spicy.

when it's time for dessert, he offered us rice pudding first. it's like suman in a wrap then drizzled with milk and caramel. you might think of other variations to this but it's good by itself.

to finish it all, we had scramble for refreshment. like ice cones, the flavor is poured over ice shavings. Chef Joey might have suggested that it's cool to put some gin or vodka perhaps in it. hehe..

notice that we didn't have much meat except for the Crispy Chicken Pasta. the Loop believes in wellness that they use indigenous ingredients. for my visit, almost all dishes only come from plant ingredients. and i had my fill.

Belgian Waffle and Coffee Jelly Frappucino

this is my kind of dessert. i even remember the times when me and my officemates get out of work to have a break and order Belgian Waffles of different flavors from Starbucks. warm waffles topped with whipped cream and drizzled with caramel, strawberry or chocolate syrup. i always have the caramel. and for only Php 70, we enjoy the short happiness.

the Coffee Jelly Frappucino is quite new. i had its first sip in Tomas Morato. when i had my first grande, the staff at Starbucks gave me a card where i can doodle what i think about the frap. then you will detach the coupon which grants you another grande of the same product. quite nice isn't it? then your drawing will be posted on the Starbucks Bulletin Board along with the others.

who says we're in RICE SHORTAGE?!

i was so hungry and since me and flowell are meeting up to see CATS: Now and Forever near DLSU Taft, i decided to go to the nearest Jollibee outlet and ordered a 1-pc Chickenjoy meal. i saw this little announcement by the counter and it says that they have UNLIMITED RICE. they also got a tarp that says: "SARAP TALAGANG KUMAIN KUNG MAY LIBRE KANG KANIN!"

not all stores have this but i was lucky enough to take advantage of it. even the cashier told me that they are offering free unlimited rice for every order of Chickenjoy meal. i had my Chickenjoy meal and i just have to keep my receipt when i want more rice.

i got 2 more packs of rice. approximately 1 cup each. so guess how hungry i am.

kitchenware and restaurant supplies from Wasserstrom

putting up a business is really not that easy. you need the capital, manpower, location of business, type of business, your market and of course, the supplies. good thing that there are cheap suppliers that help you maximize your capital with a lot of equipments. especially when you want to put up a restaurant, restaurant equipments are really needed for bulk cooking.

for one is Wasserstrom gives restaurant supplies in the greatest deal. these utilities are perfect for professional chefs.

Wasserstrom restaurant supplies are a great choice for food and hospitality industry. you are guaranteed the best for it has been the number 1 restaurant supplier in the world since 1902.

JIMM'S 7-IN-1 COFFEE launched

it all started with 3-in-1, then more and more ingredients are added to coffee bringing in more benefits to our body.

Goldshine Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has developed the coffee drink that will give you healthier benefits while having a sip and not just keeping you awake for that active lifestyle. after extensive and long period of Research and Development, they have now launching Jimm's 7-in-1 coffee. on the press launch last July 31 2010, members of the media and spectators at the Market! Market! Activity Center are now informed of the benefits that the product has to offer.


Jimm's 7-in-1 coffee not only has coffee, sugar and creamer but also natural ingredients which have special functions:

Agaricus mushroom - the natural immunity enhancer. it also helps reduce excessive immuno reactions to maintain body balance. and the best thing is, it also prevents cancer and its development.

Ginseng - the famous root of life which is now getting its attention in the marketplace. used as an herbal supplement, natural tonic and health food.

Reishi - sets the body into relaxation but in a safe way. proper rest needed by the body reduces toxins caused by stress and pollution and also promotes peace of mind.

Spirulina - many people who are into weight management are going to like this benefit. internal cleansing has been one of those and it is noted that it has not caused any allergic reaction.

for only Php 138/box, get these benefits for a healthy body by drinking Jimm's 7-in-1 coffee.

according to Dr. Louie Michael Lee, medical consultant of Goldshine Pharmaceuticals, Inc., there are also specially-designed Goldshine products for special needs, like for people with diabetes, they have sugar-free products. for people who might be suffering osteoporotic problems, Jimm's coffee products' cream is a good source of calcium for stronger bones.

it is also good to know that Goldshine Pharmaceuticals, Inc. products are clean and safe since it carries with the Halal seal of approval. Jimm's Coffee is also distributed in Guam, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and New Zealand.