The Stoveless Kitchen: Modern Solutions for Modern Problems

Managing your own space is as fulfilling as it is challenging sometimes. For anyone living in a modern apartment or a condo set-up where every square foot holds its weight in gold, finding the sweet spot between maximizing space and making it conducive for everyday living can be a real struggle.

It's because of this need that so many multi-functional and space-saving household essentials shot in popularity in recent years. But how effective are they for other parts of the home where we usually spend a lot of time doing manual work and prep? Case in point: our kitchens.

Years ago, a regular kitchen was expected to have several appliances to be truly functional. But modern problems require modern solutions, and so a new wave of kitchen partners that can do multiple jobs started taking over households. Think about it: a few years ago, would you have even imagined that you could survive without a stove?

Now you might say, "This isn't even possible at present" Well, the Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer is here to prove you wrong. The latest model from the premium lifestyle brand’s best-selling line of kitchen partners, the Smart Oven Air Fryer is a versatile unit that can do almost anything and everything a home cook needs in their kitchen.

The model’s dedicated air frying setting is just the tip of the iceberg of its note-worthy line of features. With ten cooking functions that include grilling, slow cooking, baking, roasting, and even a pizza-cooking feature, you can skip having a stove–and a dozen other appliances in your kitchen. Make your favorite roast or whip up your favorite crunchy fries in minutes with its dual-speed convection feature that raises hot air and sinks cold air to reduce the cooking time by 30 percent.

The Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer also has an Element IQ System that makes it ideal even for a newbie home cook. The technology is a smart algorithm feature that helps create the perfect cooking environment for different cooking techniques. The advanced sensing and temperature control of this model promises even cooking all the time, eliminating guesswork for its users.

In terms of design, the Smart Oven Air Fryer is crafted for ease of use. It comes with a clear and easy-to-understand LCD Display and an interior oven light that automatically turns on at the end of every cooking cycle. Topping these is its sophisticated and sleek aesthetic which makes it so easy to fit in any modern, classy home.

True enough, the Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer checks all the boxes a smart homeowner needs from a cooking appliance. It is sleek, versatile, user-friendly, and can elevate anyone’s creativity in the kitchen regardless of their cooking level. Small space or not, this model is a definite must-have for anyone looking for a kitchen partner that can meet their modern needs.

Do you want to learn more about the Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer? Check out their website or follow their Facebook and Instagram pages now for more information.

The Goodwill Market Offers New Hot Beverages to Love This Valentine’s Month

There’s no better way to perk up during a long workday than with a comforting cup of coffee or chocolate. The flavour boost from your choice of beverage can help you power through your projects. To make your refreshments even more wholesome and delicious, The Goodwill Market introduces new coffee, tea, and chocolate drink products that are perfect as breakfast or breaktime companions.

Chek Hup Cham Tarik combines the richness of 100% imported Brazilian coffee beans and Kenya Black Tea with the creaminess of condensed milk. No artificial flavors or sweeteners are added, so each cup brings a naturally smooth burst of energy.

Coffee drinkers can elevate their caffeine fix with Check Hup Kopi Tarik. It is a robust and aromatic blend of 100% Brazilian Coffee with creamy and sweet condensed milk that takes you on a perfectly-brewed taste trip.

Chocolate lovers can try something new, with the Chek Hup Chocolate Drink with Peppermint. This intriguing mix combines the super-rich flavors of fermented cocoa beans with the refreshing taste of peppermint. It is sweetened with Check Hup rock sugar with no artificial chocolate flavouring added.

Enjoy these new Check Hup drink variants conveniently delivered to your doorstep with The GoodWill Market’s online shopping hub that also offers more choices of curated wellness products and health essentials. What’s more, you can sign up for the onine newsletter that delivers the latest promos and new product notifications along with interesting content that caters to your healthy lifestyle choices. For more information on The Goodwill Market and to shop securely online, visit www.goodwill.market

Rizal Park Hotel welcomes Lunar New Year prosperity with good fortune menu.

As the luckiest animal in the Chinese Zodiac, the rabbit promises a year of prosperity, hope, and calm.

The historic Rizal Park Hotel invites guests to usher in abundance and success by celebrating the Year of the Water Rabbit with a sumptuous, curated menu of authentic Chinese cuisine, available across the property’s dining outlets from Imperial Court to Cafe Rizal.

At the signature Chinese outlet Imperial Court, families and friends may celebrate the Year of the Rabbit with menu options designed specifically for the occasion. Start with the Good Fortune Menu at P28,888/table (10 persons) featuring 9 curated dishes such as Grilled Wagyu Beef w/ Honey Mustard Salad, Shrimp Baby Abalone Truffle Sauce, Fried Pigeon, and Steamed Garlic Crab. The menu comes with two complimentary bottles of white wine.

Guests craving for Peking Duck, Stir-Fry Scallop Szechuan Style, and Steamed Lapu-Lapu may choose the Prosperity Menu, which features these along with six more dishes. The Prosperity Menu is available for only P29,888/table of 10 persons, inclusive of two bottles of white wine or rose.

Imperial Court’s Lunar New Year menus are available from January 21 to February 5, 2023.

On Lunar New Year’s Day, enjoy a dimsum buffet of Siomai, Tikoy, Dumplings, Buchi and other delicacies at the hotel for only P600 – an irresistible offer that comes with celebrating over a glass of wine and a festivity of lion dance and firecrackers. In addition, guests can also dine at Cafe Rizal for its buffet of Chinese congee and side dishes.

For more information about Rizal Park Hotel’s dining offers for the Lunar New Year, call (02) 8804-8700. Follow facebook https://www.facebook.com/RizalParkHotel and instagram https://www.instagram.com/rizalparkhotel1911/

About Rizal Park Hotel

Opened in 2017, Rizal Park Hotel welcomes travelers to the exclusive property that was once Manila’s social hall, the Army and Navy Club (ANC). Designed by the renowned architect William Parsons and unveiled in 1911, the ANC played host to Filipinos and Americans who relaxed, played sports, and enjoyed the high life within its grounds. Meticulously conserved and restored into a boutique hotel by Oceanville Hotel and Spa Corporation, Rizal Park Hotel features 107 rooms and an array of sumptuous dining options, such as authentic Chinese restaurant Imperial Court and all-day dining Rizal Cafe. The hotel also offers relaxing fitness and spa amenities and indoor and alfresco event spaces. Its proximity to Luneta, Intramuros, and Manila Ocean Park makes it the ideal place to stay and enjoy the city.

New-tritious pasta recipes to start the year right

Every year, we always wish for the good health of our loved ones. One great way to do this is to try out new recipes that are more nutritious and share it with them.

You can offer nutritious meals to your family without compromising on taste. You can also shop for affordable ingredients at your nearby grocery. For more variety, pasta is a quick and easy ingredient you can turn into a filling meal. There are also endless possibilities with pasta or “pastabilities” that you can whip up every day.

Kick off 2023 right with masarap, masustansya, and sulit dishes using a good quality ingredient like El Real Pasta. Here are some recipes that the whole family will enjoy:

Bet na bet na Pinakbet Pasta

Pinakbet is a Filipino ulam with pork and vegetables like squash, ampalaya, and tomatoes, which are all good sources of vitamins and minerals. You can change it up and make Pinakbet Pasta with El Real Healthy Pasta. The combination of crispy pork belly, hearty vegetables, and flavorful bagoong will give you a burst of flavors.

See the full Pinakbet Pasta recipe here.

Spicy and creamy Healthy Laing Pasta

Add a spicy kick to your El Real Healthy Spaghetti by adding laing and chilis to it. The taro leaves used to make laing are known to be rich in vitamins A and C. For the sauce, it’s made with coconut cream to make it thicker and creamier.

See the full Healthy Laing Pasta recipe here.

Go green with Pesto and Parmesan Macaroni

For a nutritious and filling macaroni dish, you can try making Pesto and Parmesan Macaroni. Made from basil, pesto is said to be a good source of vitamins, calcium, and iron, which makes it a great pasta sauce. Give your dish more flavor with some lemon juice and sour cream in the sauce, and top off your El Real Elbow Macaroni with chili flakes and parmesan cheese.

See the full Pesto and Parmesan Macaroni recipe here.

Healthy Sardine Spaghetti for your dose of seafood

Fish like sardines are an excellent source of vitamins B-12 and D, and other nutrients. Sardines can make a great pasta dish when mixed with oil, garlic, and a little lemon juice on top of El Real Healthy Pasta.

See the full Healthy Sardine Spaghetti recipe here.

Creamy Spinach Pasta for all ages

If you want a dose of iron and vitamins, you can try adding spinach to your meals. A delicious way of incorporating this into a pasta dish is by mixing it with cream and ricotta cheese. You’ll get a nice creamy sauce with hints of spinach with every bite of El Real Healthy Spaghetti or any type of El Real pasta.

See the full Creamy Spinach Pasta recipe here.

Start the year right with sarap, sulit, at sustansya meals courtesy of El Real Pasta. You can now share nutritious pasta dishes that are also delicious with your loved ones, be it daily or on special occasions.

For more recipes, visit the www.realpastabilities.com/. For more information, follow www.facebook.com/iloveelreal/.

Hotel Sogo shines at Asian Business Excellence Awards

Congratulations, Hotel Sogo!

The country’s largest Filipino-owned hotel chain company has been awarded as Asia’s Most Outstanding Hotel Chain of the Year and Philippines Most Leading Hotel Chain of the Year.

Meanwhile, Hotel Sogo’s CEO, Mr. Reynaldo M. Malaca was recognized as the Philippines Most Outstanding CEO of The Year at the recent Asian Business Excellence Awards 2022 held in Quezon City.

Hotel Sogo Marketing Director, Ms. Sue Geminiano shares her gratitude to the award-winning organization for recognizing the hotel’s goal in providing a clean, safe, and top-notch service to its patrons and guests.

“On behalf of Hotel Sogo, thank you Asian Business Excellence Awards 2022 for giving us these recognitions. These awards are nothing if not because of the management and the hardworking staff of our operations. We will continue to give our all in providing our guests a safe and clean stay. Hotel Sogo will not be here without your love and support” she shared.

The Asian Business Excellence Awards (ABEA) is a prestigious International Citation in recognizing Asian excellence in corporate, products, services features and trademarks and/or brands founded by Young Asian Consumers Welfare Advocate.

Currently, Hotel Sogo has 46 branches nationwide located in key areas around the metro and provinces. The hotel anticipates expanding in more areas of the country and looks forward to many more recognition in the future.

For more details, visit www.hotelsogo.com or like and follow Hotel Sogo on Facebook (facebook.com/hotelsogo), Twitter (@hotelsogo), and Instagram (@hotelsogo).

Hotel Sogo lands two accolades at 10th Netizens Best Choice Awards

Hotel Sogo, the country’s largest Filipino-owned hotel chain company with over 45 branches nationwide, has been crowned as the “Best Choice Philippines Leading Hotel Chain” and won the “Philippines Guest Choice Awards” by the acclaimed Netizens Best Choice Awards 2022. 

The Netizens Best Choice Awards for Business Excellence play a vital role in promoting responsible use of the internet since it conducts online research and surveys for promoting the best brands, products and services that distinguished itself among its competitors by earning the Netizen’s Trust Seal. 

Awardees are chosen through an online nomination and multi-criteria evaluation in a variety of category such as Product/Brand/Service Quality & Innovativeness, Image/Value Proposition & Pricing, Strong Brand Online Market Influence, and Proper & Responsible means of using the internet. 

Remarking on the impressive win, Ms. Sue Geminiano, Marketing Director of Hotel Sogo, says, “This award is for the management, (as well as) the operations people [who are also considered as frontliners]. They worked so hard for this in a good and very respectful way. If not for them, Hotel Sogo will not be this big, well known, and will have many branches nationwide”. 

As of writing, Hotel Sogo has 46 branches nationwide located in key cities in the metro and provinces. Further plans for expansion in other areas are still expected and the hotel looks forward to many more wins in the future. 

For more details, visit www.hotelsogo.com or like and follow Hotel Sogo on Facebook (facebook.com/hotelsogo), Twitter (@hotelsogo), and Instagram (@hotelsogo).

The Smart and Easy Way of Cooking Your Noche Buena This Christmas

The holidays are always such a big eating season for everyone. It’s that one time of the year when we feel extra carefree about what we eat because seriously, have you really enjoyed Christmas without jumping from one banquet to another? 

But what if we tell you that you do not need to sacrifice healthy eating to enjoy the season? Even more, what if you find out that you can whip up your flavorful recipe in minutes in your own kitchen? 

Breville’s Smart Oven Air Fryer should be on every Christmas wishlist of all home cooks out there. Versatile, easy to use, and very durable, this oven from the premium home brand can give you the best of both worlds in terms of flavor and ease of cooking as you cruise through the holidays. 

One of the beauties of the Smart Oven Air Fryer is its ten cooking functions that can let you make to-die-for crispy treats and scrumptious slow-cooked meals. Toast, bake, roast, grill, and of course air fry without any fuss while shortening your cooking time. Equipped with Dual Speed Convection, this kitchen partner speeds up the cooking process by raising hotter air while sinking colder one. The result: 30 percent reduced cooking time as compared to regular ovens and air fryers! 

Richie Zamora, the vlogger behind The Pickiest Eater in the World makes a perfect case for this when he prepared a full spread of TV chow snacks for his family to enjoy in minutes. He shares, "All these amazing snacks were cooked in the air fryer with absolutely no oil. Everything was cooked to a beautiful crisp, but you don't even realize that they aren't deep fried." 

Let’s Eat Pare also showed how fast and easy it is to make restaurant-level fried crispy wings with Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer. In just 20 minutes, they were able to make a big batch of chicken wings in sour cream flavor! You can check out their recipe here if you want to try their version.

Of course, preparing healthier versions of dishes is another thing that makes this kitchen must-have from Breville essential. Air frying significantly reduces—if not totally removes—the use of oil in cooking, which means that you consume fewer calories and prevent weight gain and obesity when you air-fried food. Fortunately, for the Smart Oven Air Fryer, you don’t need to worry about sacrificing flavors just to go the healthier route. Chef Beng proves this when she made a Pinoy-style whole fried chicken using it. 

“Normally, I will have this deep fried, but using an air fryer is apparently so much better as the chicken is amazingly crispy, juicy, and full of flavor. Not to mention, this is a way healthier process than deep frying.”

She also shares that she loves the precision with time and temperature that this Air Fryer provides. “Just press a function and it automatically shows how long and high the cooking process will be.” This is made possible by Breville’s patented Element IQ System which is a smart algorithm that decides the ideal cooking environment for a range of different cooking techniques. 

The Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer is definitely the kitchen partner to have this holiday season if you want to enjoy healthy, delicious meals minus the fuss. As Richie, Chef Beng, and Let’s Eat Pare say, respectively: 

"The Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer proves that cooking doesn't need to be greasy to be delicious, and preparing food with less guilt doesn't mean less flavors either." 

“It has 10 cooking functions which makes it a value-for-money purchase. I totally love it and I highly recommend this smart kitchen appliance.”

“It’s the ultimate kitchen tool you need to put on your Christmas shopping list, pare!” 

What are you waiting for? Add the Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer to your holiday wishlist now. To know more about the product, visit the Breville website and follow their Facebook and Instagram pages. 

Roasters for all: Magnolia Chicken Timplados Roasters

Special salu-salo and need mo ba ng easy to whip up dish? Ihain na ang timplang bongga with Magnolia Chicken Timplados Ready-to-Cook Roasters Lemon Herb or Smoked Pepper Roast! Kahit anong occasion, swak na swak sya kasi no need to marinate. #Madalicious ihain each time na may craving for roast chicken ang pamilya. Plus, it’s a great food offering too sa mga upcoming get togethers and handa this holiday season.

Other than eating it as is, ang Magnolia Chicken Timplados Roasters ay perfect din for rice and pasta-based dishes, mga casseroles, filling ng pot pies, pang soups, salads and sandwiches. Daming recipe ideas!

Magnolia Chicken Timplados Roasters is juicy #PambansangManok infused with herbs and fresh flavors, para sa homestyle celebrations ng buong family. Each Magnolia Chicken Timplados Roasters is made from fresh chicken, raised in stress-free environments and packed at its peak of freshness in Selyado Sigurado packs. 'Yan ang Alagang Magnolia!

Kaya ano pa hinihintay niyo? I-level up na ang roast chicken handa with Magnolia Chicken Timplados Roasters. Make it a special salu-salo.

Cooking Instructions:

Thaw chicken overnight. Preheat oven or turbo broiler at 220◦C for 15 minutes. Place chicken breast-side up in a baking tray and cook for 1 hour and 20 minutes or until fully cooked. Remove from heat and let it rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Available in Magnolia Chicken Stations or shop online via San Miguel Mart.

World winning Laguna Liberica Coffee soon to be available at The Giving Café: UPLB!

Residents of Laguna along with tourists will soon get to taste Sta. Maria town’s Liberica Coffee that recently won the Silver award in Signature Coffee Award: Latte at the Global Coffee Championship in Korea. The global winning coffee of farmers from Santa Maria, Laguna will be available at The Giving Café (TGC) in UPLB that opened yesterday. The store is located at the UPLB’s Student Union’s Soda Fountain.

“The Giving Cafe, a Social Enterprise by Henry & Sons, aims to build a beautiful coffee future by helping coffee farmers through its advocacy arm, The Foundation for sustainable coffee excellence (FSCE),” shares Michael Harris Conlin, 2019 PH Barista Champion and President and CEO of Henry and Sons.

Proceeds of TGC: UPLB will support its adopted coffee community, Barangay Juan Santiago, Santa Maria in Laguna. Barangay Juan Santiago coffee farming community is home to 38 families with 85,000 Liberica and Excelsa trees, the largest concentration of Liberica and Excelsa in Laguna and possibly in the entire Calabarzon. The funds raised by TGC: UPLB will be used towards bio-dynamic farming practices, improving harvesting, processing, and the communities much needed coffee drying solutions.

Henry & Sons, in partnership with UPLB leadership, makes what's old new again by bringing back the Student Union's Soda Fountain cafeteria to life with mouthwatering home-cooked meals, ice cream, and coffee. Flank by TGC's iconic cozy antique furniture, lighting, and books, the space is designed to encourage students, faculty, and visitors to strengthen the community around them and encourage to indulge in giving.

The Giving Café, with over 80 food and beverage offerings, is a hybrid restaurant and coffee shop that aims to contribute to the betterment of the local coffee industry and be part of something beyond the business. A place for comfort, The Giving Café is designed to be a safe haven for people looking to indulge in coffee experiences served with both excellence and compassion. The Giving Cafe focuses on bridging the community around it with the farming communities it adopts.

Beyond the advocacy, The Giving Café also offers guests multi-sensory experiences highlighting Henry& Sons' F&B expertise. “We want to everyone to enjoy, eat well and indulge in giving by supporting laguna coffee farmers with every cup of coffee you purchase,” Conlin, adds.

TGC will also be featuring its popular Bloom Coffee collection, which is a unique line of coffees created by Henry & Sons to generate funds that will support the following purposes:

BEANS FOR THE LITTLE ONES – access to basic health necessities

BEANS WITHIN REACH – access to programs promoting traceability and accessibility

COFFEE FOR GREAT MINDS – access to education

CUP TO SEED – access to livelihood and harvest implements

THE GIVING WELL – access to clean and potable water.

For more information, visit www.henryandsons and www.thevault.ph

Greenfield District holds Celebrity ‘Car Boot Sale’

Since Christmas is just around the corner, Greenfield Development Corp. (GDC) will hold a “Car Boot Sale” featuring celebrities and influencers from November 18 to 20 at the Mayflower Parking Area of Greenfield District.

Atty. Duane A.X. Santos, GDC executive vice president, said the event is in celebration of the Food Truck Fest’s first anniversary. It is the biggest gathering of food trucks parked regularly in one venue in Metro Manila.

“We added the Car Boot Sale to complement the Food Truck Fest, which offers a unique and safe al fresco dining experience to the public with 18 food trucks set up at the heart of Mandaluyong’s Greenfield District,” he said, adding strict health protocols are in place to ensure the safety of the public.

This year, Santos said GDC invited celebrities and influencers, including Maxine Medina, Kim Baranda, Jome Silayan, Louise delos Reyes, Chris Tan, Karel Marquez and Kevin Ty, to sell pre-loved items, plants, food, and other products.

“We wanted to have a shopping component that would go well with the Food Truck Fest, especially during the ‘Ber months’ so we came up with the concept where vehicles will serve as merchants’ stores,” he explained.

Santos also encouraged entrepreneurs, including startups, to sell their products and test the market.

He said the event also aims to raise awareness among the public on supporting local sellers and protecting the environment by using reusable bags.

“Soon, we intend to come up with more interesting and fun activities and offer a possible venue for outdoor corporate events like product launches, especially since it already has a captured market,” Santos added.

The Car Boot Sale: Celebrity Edition will operate from 4 pm until 12 midnight, while the Food Truck Fest runs daily from Monday to Thursday, 12 noon until 10 pm, and Friday to Sunday, from 12 noon until 12 midnight.

Greenfield District is a cutting-edge development that redefines the future of Mandaluyong. Its green spaces and pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods are just some features worth mentioning about this innovative cityscape.

GDC’s 15-hectare urban development has become an emerging destination in Metro Manila for outdoor activities that promote holistic health. It is home to future-ready condominiums, Twin Oaks Place and Zitan, which showcase GDC’s commitment towards providing quality living spaces while promoting wellness among its residents.

With GDC’s food park, condominium residents of Greenfield District can enjoy a fun night out with their friends and family. With the Food Truck Fest situated conveniently near them, this area is accessible from major business districts around Metro Manila.

For more information, visit www.greenfield.com.ph, www.facebook.com/greenfielddistrict, www.instagram.com/greenfielddistrictretail