Treasure Jar

Ilustrado, the home of heritage Filipino-Spanish cuisine shares well loved dishes from our heroes’ hometowns at The Maya Kitchen, 9am-1pm on October 26, Saturday with Boni Pimentel, Ilustrado president and his chefs taking center stage.

Recipes include

• Umbuyan, tinapa flakes sautéed in olive oil and wrapped in pechay leaves has its origins in Manila where Andres Bonifacio was born.
• Bagnet with KBL Sauce is an Ilocano version of lechon kawali with kamatis, bagoong and lasuna as sauce where Juan Luna and Antonio Luna are the proud sons of Ilocos Norte.
• Manok ng mga Bayani, chicken simmered in bold textures of dill, kamias, ground peanuts and toasted rice is inspired by no less than President Manuel Luis Quezon who hailed from Baler, Aurora.
• National hero Jose Rizal from Biñan, Laguna inspired Jaleang Bayabas, very ripe guavas peeled and mashed in milk and sugar.
• Rounding off the recipe line-up is Paella Ilustrado, Spanish rice dish with pork, chicken, seafood, chorizo bilbao, peppers and peas which is a consistent bestseller in the restaurant menu.

Ilustrado is located at 744 General Luna Street, Intramuros, Manila opened its doors in 1989. Through the years it has expanded all over the metro and has also made a name in catering for clients such as Malacañang Palace and other government agencies, foreign embassies, multinational corporations, local businesses and prominent personalities. It is also a favorite wedding reception venue due in part to its proximity to some of Manila’s historic churches.

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For more information on other course offerings, log on to www.themayakitchen.com  or e-mail contactus@themayakitchen.com  or visit The Maya Kitchen Culinary Center every Tuesday to Saturday at 8F  Liberty Building, 835 A. Arnaiz Avenue (Pasay Road), Makati City or call 8921185 / 892-5011 local 108 / Mobile No. +63947 835 2290.

Tags: Boni Pimentel Ilustrado president, Ilustrado the home of heritage Filipino-Spanish cuisine, The Maya Kitchen Culinary Center

FEATURE:

Did you know that surprises make people remarkably happier?

Surprises have, indeed, powerful effects. Psychologist Norbert Schwarz conducted a classic study where it was found that a small but pleasant surprise, such as finding 10 cents, uplifts a person’s mood. Schwarz repeatedly placed a coin near a copy machine where it can be easily seen. When the subjects who found the coin were surveyed shortly thereafter, their overall satisfaction with life was significantly higher than those who did not find the coin.

While the study was conducted at a time when a coin can buy more than it does today, the basic conclusion is that even a tiny, pleasant surprise can improve one’s disposition.

“It’s not the value of what you find. It’s that something positive happened to you,” stressed Schwarz.

Whether you’re a kid or a grown up, you will not be able to resist the joy and pleasure of discovering something new. Bent on providing this kind of joy, a unique chocolate treat, Kinder Joy is finally arriving in the Philippines to spread delightful surprises.

Feel good and experience a huge surprise happening on October 19 & 20, 2013, from 10am to 10pm at the SM Mall of Asia (MOA) Activity Center.

Expect fun-filled activities and awesome surprises on top of yet another big reveal—a special guest who will surely charm Filipino kids and their families.

Come and explore the amazing world of surprises!

Tags: Big Surprise, Big Surprise MOA October 19-20 2013

We attended a Skylanders-theme Party organized by Let’s Paint D Town Red.

The venue was packed. The food was great. The entertainment, game corners and music were great. What made the party more festive and fun are the decorations and the way that the lights played on these (this made me think of artemide lighting fixtures, lol)

As usual, Kim didn’t disappoint her guests. Here are some posts I wrote for themed parties by Let’s Paint D Town Red.

Toucan Balloon

Balloons

Twisted Body

Tags: balloon decor, Let's Paint D Town Red Party Planner, party planner

The Maya Kitchen presents the ‘No Borders Cuisine’ of guest chef Vicky Pacheco, Chateau 1771 Group of Restaurants’ Executive Chef and Chief Operating Officer on August 31, Saturday, 9am-1pm.

Chateau 1771 Group of Restaurants is composed of Chateau, Café, Sentro, WineBar, SideBar and 1771 El Pueblo.

Chef Vicky will demonstrate a signature dish from each of the restaurant concept in the group.

• Lemon Chicken is crisp fried organic chicken leg nuggets coated with honey-lemon sauce from Chateau;
• Salbacho Pizza, a Sidebar staple, is topped with salami, bacon and chorizo;
• Fresh Smoked Fish Spring Rolls from Sentro is a fresh lumpia of tinapang bangus, salted egg, mustasa, onions and tomato;
• WineBar’s Lacquered Salmon is grilled salmon steak with soy sauce and honey reduction, mashed potatoes with parmesan cheese
• Café’s Bread & Butter Pudding is brioche type bread baked in a luscious custard with butter and real vanilla bean.

The first Chateau 1771 opened its doors in Malate in 1988 and has since relocated to its present location in Greenbelt 5. Its patented “No Borders  Cuisine” is a blend of well-loved Swiss, Italian and French creations.

Café 1771 in Ortigas is a beautiful dining destination serving truly unique sandwiches, breakfast, lasagna, stews, pizza and dessert.

WB 1771 is the group’s Wine Bar concept with a wine selection from 11 countries and 48 regions while SideBar is the perfect place to unwind with great food and wine.

The group has not entirely left behind the Filipino palate with its trailblazing Sentro 1771 restaurant concept. It made famous sinigang na corned beef, rated GG and more.  The people behind it describe themselves as ‘living, breathing and dreaming’ Filipino food.

Chef Vicky first joined Chateau 1771 as Assistant Restaurant Manager in December 1988 and has since occupied several positions as Restaurant Manager, Executive Chef and Food and Beverage Manager.

She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Hotel and Restaurant Administration from the University of the Philippines then got a Food and Beverage Diploma at the Les Roches, in Bluche-Montana, Switzerland.

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For more information on other course offerings, log on to www.themayakitchen.com  or e-mailcontactus@themayakitchen.com  or visit The Maya Kitchen Culinary Center every Tuesday to Saturday at 8F  Liberty Building, 835 A. Arnaiz Avenue (Pasay Road), Makati City or call 8921185 / 892-5011 local 108 / Mobile No. +63947 835 2290.

Tags: Chateau 1771 Group of Restaurants, chef Vicky Pacheco Chateau 1771 Group of Restaurants’ Executive Chef and Chief Operating Officer, No Borders Cuisine, The Maya Kitchen, The Maya Kitchen cooking classes, The Maya Kitchen Culinary Center

The Maya Kitchen presents the chefs of Manila Hotel’s Mabuhay Palace on July 27, 2013.

Executive Chinese Chef Sun Bing and Chinese Operations Manager/Executive Chinese Sous Chef Josephine Yu Tanganco-Candelaria will demonstrate the following recipes:

• Vegetarian ‘Peking Duck
• Shrimp Laced with Almonds
• Anchovies with Water Chestnuts Fried Rice
• Stir Fried Chicken Glazed with Soya Sauce
• West Lake Fish Soup
• Chinese Red Bean Pancake

Chef Sun Bing graduated from Beijing Culinary School and joined the Beijing Hotel after graduation.  He came to the Philippines in 1988 and for over 20 years has been delighting local diners at the Aloha Hotel, Mandarin Oriental Hotel and The Manila Hotel.

Chef Tanganco-Candelaria has been with Manila Hotel since 2009. She was previously with Mandarin Oriental Hotel and intercontinental Manila.

For more information on other courses offerings, log on to www.themayakitchen.com  or e-mailcontactus@themayakitchen.com  or visit The Maya Kitchen Culinary Center every Tuesday to Saturday at 8F  Liberty Building, 835 A. Arnaiz Avenue (Pasay Road), Makati City or call 8921185 / 892-5011 local 108 / Mobile No. +63947 835 2290

Tags: Chef Sun Bing, cooking lessons Tha Maya Kitchen, Executive Chinese Chef Sun Bing, Executive Chinese Sous Chef Josephine Yu Tanganco-Candelaria, Mabuhay Palace Chinese Feast, Mabuhay Palace Manila Hotel, new recipes The Maya Kitchen, The Maya Kitchen Culinary Center

On May 25, Saturday, 10am-1pm  renowned Chef J. Gamboa of Cirkulo Restaurant takes on Thai cuisine as guest chef of The Maya Kitchen.

Tags: Chef J. Gamboa, Chef Malichat of Azuthai Restaurant, The Maya Kitchen, The Maya Kitchen cooking classes, The Maya Kitchen Culinary Center