My Sunday was spent lazily at home. Being very busy for so long as I can remember, it has been months since the last time I spent the whole day lounging around the house and doing nothing. It was a healthy welcome respite.

I got to catch up with some cooking shows and foodie features on cable TV, and surf the net that’s not part of work. 🙂

Healthy Cravings with Iza Calzado & Chef Jeremy Favia on QTV

What interestingly took my attention was the local ‘Healthy Cravings‘ show with Iza Calzado and Chef Jeremy Favia on QTV yesterday morning. They featured a salad concoction using the regular pechay instead of the usual iceberg lettuce. Pechay turns out to have more nutrition value than its counterpart, more affordable, and readily available.

The cooking shows tickled my long-time fancy as a chef. When the show was over, I hungered for more and checked out the internet which led me to the foodie site Kitchenomics.com. The site provided relevant information for chef wannabes like me or moms looking for affordable and nutritious meals for their families.

I suddenly remembered mom who always made sure weekend family meals are made extra-special because everyone’s at home; the family was complete.

Ok, this is a foodie blog, not a personal blog. 🙂 Enough of the drama, back to Kitchenomics. 🙂

Kitchenomics Tips and Resources

The site also offered membership where benefits include access to Del Monte Kitchenomics’ library of practical and delicious meals. And just like being members of NomNom Club, Kitchenomics members would be the first to know of exclusive events and promos – something I think that really ‘clicks‘ nowadays. 🙂

Kitchenomics.com 'Submit A Recipe'

Further exploring the website reveals features which facilitates interaction with other foodies by sharing recipes, tips, and expert culinary resources. My favorite though is the Kitchen Tools and Equipments section because it can serve as my reference for kitchen equipments whose names I always forget. 🙂

Kitchen Tools and Equipments

Enough of the watching and the reading. Putting these gathered foodie knowledge from Kitchenomics.com into action would be a good agenda for the upcoming long holy weekend where I’ll be stuck at home. 🙂

From a list of almost 500 restaurants endorsed and nominated by Spot.ph readers last year, the judges thereafter shortlisted the nominees. This lead to the announcement  of 13 admired restaurants in each of their categories recently concluded at the Nescafe Gold Spot Awards 2009.

Encore (previous Embassy Superclub) was filled with food industry players, food enthusiasts and the media for an afternoon of foodie glamor and tasty anticipation for the would-be winners of Nescafe Gold Spot Awards 2009.

Nominees, Foodie Enthusiasts and Guests

This year’s judges include Chef Aileen Anastacio, Yummy editor-in-chief Becky Kho, Chef Him Uy de Baron, award-winning blogger Franco of Table for Three Please, food writer and blogger JJ Yulo and actress Cherie Gil.

Ms. Myrza Sison, Editr-in-Chief of Spot.ph with Jonel Uy of NomNomClub.com Food Blog

Mr. Logan O’Brien, Consumer Marketing Manager, Coffee Business Unit, Nestle Philippines

Sponsored by Nescafe, online voting via Spot.ph ended last January 31, 2010. With more than 250,000 votes cast for 55 restaurants in 11 categories (2 categories were purely by the judges), without further adieu,

Manila’s Best Restaurants for 2009 are:

Best Japanese Restaurant – Inagiku
Best Filipino Restaurant – Abe
Best Steakhouse – 22 Prime
Best Delicatessen – Santi’s Delicatessen
Best Bar – Cav Wine Bar and Bistro
Best Chinese Restaurant – Shang Palace
Best Italian Restaurant – Paparazzi
Best Buffet – Spiral
Best Dessert Place – Cupcakes by Sonja

*Best Restaurant Chain – Cibo
*Best Service – Cibo

*New Restaurant of the Year – Lusso
*Restaurant of the Year – Lolo Dad’s

*Best Restaurant Chain and Best Service was solely determined by readers through mobile and online votes while New Restaurant of the Year and Restaurant of the Year were purely from the panel of judges.

22 Prime - Best Steakhouse

Inagiku - Best Japanese Restaurant

Cav Wine Bar And Bistro - Best Bar

Santi's Delicatessen - Best Deli

Abe - Best Filipino Restaurant

Cupcakes By Sonja - Best Dessert Place

Best Buffet - Spiral

Best Chinese Restaurant - Shang Palace

Paparazzi - Best Italian Restaurant

Cibo is the only one which brought home the bacon for two categories while Lolo Dad’s got the most coveted title of Restaurant of the Year.

I have tried Lolo Dad’s Brasserie in Makati where I met Chef Ariel Manuel but I haven’t been to their main branch in Malate. I hope to do so soon.

I shared these information earlier online on-the-spot during the event through my twitter, plurk, and facebook network accounts. Among my networks, Shang Palace got the most cheers which tinkled my fancy about the restaurant.

I want to visit Shang Palace very soon! Congratulations to this year’s Nescafe Gold Spot Awardees!

Lead by president Erwin Elechicon, Chowking recently celebrated its 25th year in the foodservice industry with a familiar vibrant color.

Jericho Rosales for Orange Chicken

Chowking President Mr. Erwin Elechicon

Last week, the Fort Bonifacio branch was immediately filled with bloggers, cosplayers, celebrities, and Chowking’s own Managing Director Edward Arandia and Brand Group Manager Chris Monteron.

Chowking Managing Director Edward Arandia

The event’s highlight was famous local actor Jericho Rosales who is also their latest endorser for Chowking’s newest product – the  OH!some OH!range Chicken.

As expected, the presence of Jericho brought the house down with cheers and jeers especially from the female admirers. Also known as “Echo“, Jericho is game with almost everything and readily interacted with the crowd without any of the negative superstar complex. Something rare in the entertainment industry. Hats off to Jericho.:)

Now, for the OH!some OH!range Chicken, Chef Rosebud Benitez introduced it as Chowking’s newest serving of crispy chicken with the orange twist.

OH!some OH!range Chicken

The OH!some OH!range Chicken rice topping meal was served with chunks of the crispy chicken, rice on the side, an orangy and tangy amber-colored glaze syrup, and some real mandarin orange bits.

The Orange Chicken rice chow meal is priced at P69 while the lauriat with crispy noodles, chicharap, and buchi is P99. The Salo-Salo set for sharing is P125.

Orange Chicken Rice Chow Meal

The deal looked enticing and Oh!some with its color and real orange bits. It smelled good too. However, the product can still be improved with lesser breadings on the chicken meat and some more orange syrup just like in the product photos.

They also need to work on the consistency of the ‘tenderness’ of the chicken meat. I’m not too sure though if this was just an effect of the cold dishes served that night.

I would  have to say though that the program was fantastic. The party’s level of energy was always high led by Jericho’s oh!some chicken dance. Crowd participation was more than satisfactory. Surely, the videos of the varied chicken dances are now all over the internet and YouTube. 🙂 If the info I got was correct, it was not surprising that I discovered later on that Robbie Carmona, who was also present at the party, organized the oh!some event.

With over 400 branches, Cheers to Chowking‘s 25th year in the food industry! I’m a lauriat suki and the Chowking halo-halo is always a great heat quencher for me especially now that it’s summer.

Fifty-two photo entries, three weeks, and one engaging photo contest – this is how we describe Red Ribbon’s Chocolate Heaven cake online contest.

After launching their newest uber-chocolatey cake, Red Ribbon immediately announced the start of Chocolate Heaven cake photo contest looking for the photo that “best expresses how chocolatey the cake is.” Check out the mechanics and article.

One week after the end of the online contest last March 10, 2010, 5 judges from Red Ribbon was able to come up with the top 3 best photos. They had a hard time as there were a lot of very good entries!

Red Ribbon would like to thank all those 52 heavenly entries for participating.

Without further adieu, the winners are:

1st – Jenniffer Go’s “Choco Fingers”
2nd – Rose Declaro Obias’ “Heavenly Sinful”
3rd – Camille Zaballa’s “Gusto Ko Pa!“

Congratulations to the winners!

1st – Jenniffer Go’s “Choco Fingers”

Jenniffer Go's "Choco Fingers" : Mama told me to never play with my food, but I guess we can make an exemption with Red Ribbon's Chocolate Heaven Cake...

2nd – Rose Declaro Obias’ “Heavenly Sinful”

Rose Declaro Obias' "Heavenly Sinful" : To an innocent child, this sinful yummy treat from Red Ribbon is heavenly. To him, he is in Chocolate Heaven with his every bite.

3rd – Camille Zaballa’s “Gusto Ko Pa!”

Camille Zaballa's "Gusto Ko Pa!" : I never knew what heaven was until mommy introduced me to Red Ribbon Chocolate Heaven. Ooh baby, do you know what that's worth? Ooh heaven is a place on earth.

The grand winner receives P3000 worth of Red Ribbon gift certificates, the second placer receives P2000 worth of Red Ribbon gift certificates while the third gets P1000 worth of GCs.

They will be contacted/emailed for their addresses where the gift certificates will be couriered anywhere in the Philippines.

For those who wants to join another contest, check out this Havaianas Flip-Flop USB giveaway!

Continue to enjoy the heavenly Red Ribbon Chocolate Heaven cake!

Remember last month’s feature on ‘Food Spots this Valentines‘ with ‘All You Need is Lamb‘ promo? It’s extended until March 31, 2010!

It was actually a follow through of the successful ‘In Love With Lamb‘ campaign by Meat and Livestock Australia.

‘All You Need Is Lamb‘ encourages diners to make every day special with the “celebration meat.” Dishes made with delectable Australian Lamb can bring a festive mood to holidays and any occasion such as Graduation Day.

Lamb is actually versatile in the kitchen, it can be an alternative to the Filipino classics like Caldereta, Adobo and Inihaw.

All You Need Is Lamb

Mechanics:

Visit any Metro Manila branch of Monterey Meat Shop and purchase at least 1 kilo of fresh meat products. Every single receipt entitles you to a limited edition All You Need Is Lamb recipe card and fridge magnet set.

You can also visit partner restaurants and hotels, order two (2) dishes, including existing Lamb offers and specials made with Australian Lamb Shank or Shoulder. As a treat, you’ll receive a limited edition All You Need Is Lamb 2010 planner. Quite late for a planner this time of the year, but still doable. 🙂

Participating Metro Manila restaurants and hotels include: Annabel Lee, Lolo Dad‘s, AzuThai, Ascott Makati (Café On The 6th), Café Mediterranean, Cav Wine Shop & Café, Chateau 1771, Chef Laudico’s Bistro Filipino, Dinelli Gourmet, Gilak By Hossein, Hossein’s Persian Kebab, Shomal by Hossein, Hossein’s, Hotel Rembrandt, Ilustrado, La Régalade, La Tienda, Marriott Hotel, Old Swiss Inn, People’s Palace Thai, Persiana, Purple Feet, Sala Bistro, Sentro 1771, Highlands Steakhouse, and Thai at Silk.

Participating Metro Cebu restaurants and hotels include: The Tinderbox, Bistro Ecila, Don Merto’s, Fine Cuisine, La Tegola, Olio Steak and Seafood Restaurant, and Cebu Country Club.

More on Australian Lamb

The Australian Lamb’s lean meat is obtained from young sheep less than 12 months old. The sheep are raised in ideal conditions with lush, green pastures, clean water, and fresh air. strict quality and hygiene control ensures that the Australian Lamb is safe. It is also rich in protein, zinc, vitamin B12 and iron.

Australian Lamb is imported by Werdenberg International, PTC and Melbourne Prime. Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) is a producer owned organization that carries out marketing, research and development for the Australian meat industry. Through education and promotion, MLA seeks to increase the awareness of Australian Beef and Lamb among consumers, trade, retailers and food service sector.

Lamb Menus from Partner Establishments

Annabel Lee
• Braised Lamb Shank

Azuthai
• Gaeh Sauce Prik Thai Daem (P495) -Braised Australian Lamb Shank with Black Pepper Sauce
• Gaeh Kao Lea (P495) -Braised Australian Lamb Shank in Southern Style Red Curry
• Massaman Gaeh (P395) -Massaman Lamb Curry with Shallots, Potatoes, Peanuts

Ascott Makati (Cafe On The 6th)
• Red-Braised Lamb Shanks – Served with crispy fried noodles and roasted peppers and fried shallots
• Lamb Tenderloin – With fruit and mint chutney and pesto mashed potatoes

Cav Wine Shop & Cafe
• 48 hour Lamb Shank – Moroccan Spices. Garlic. Okra. roasted Vegetables. Couscous
• Glazed Lamb Belly – Saffron Parmantier. Roasted Eggplant. Zucchini & Mint.
• Lamb Ragu – Eggplant. Zucchini. Portobello. Saffron Foam
• Baked Lamb Ziti

Chef Laudico’s Bistro Filipino
• Lamb Kaldereta: -Stewed Lamb Shank in Kaldereta Porcini Mushroom, Sauce served with Blue Cheese Sweet Potato Puree and Grilled Vegetables

Ilustrado
• Braised shank of Australian Lamb in Barako-Coffee Cabernet Reduction with chestnut and sweet potato mash.
• Schnitzel of Australian Lamb shoulder with arugula boquet, Fetta cheese and lentil salad in balsamic-pesto dressing.
• “Bombe” of Australian Lamb Shank filled with Duck Liver mousse in Rosemary aujus, gratin potato and roasted garlic

La Regalade
• Roasted Rack of Lamb crusted with dijon and bread crumbs served with ratatouille and whole-grain mustard demiglace

La Tienda
• Caldereta de Cordero (lamb stew)
• Zancarron de Cordero Estofado con Crema De Ajo (Stewed lamb shank w/ Garlic Sauce)
• Lamb Shoulder Casserole Andaluza Style

Lolo Dad’s
• Pizza lamb Shawarma – Rolled roast Lamb Pizza with Cucumber, Tomatoes, Onion serve with Yoghurt and Chili sauce
• Roast Saddle of Lamb- Roquefort cheese Quiche
• Lamb Chops

Meat and Livestock Australia

Marriott Hotel (Marriott Cafe)
• Osso bucco style lamb shanks
• Lamb shanks Provencal with black olives
• Indian style Rogan josh lamb shanks
• Slow baked lamb shoulder with rosemary and garlic
• Harrisa rubbed lamb shoulder with cous cous
• Greek style lamb shoulder with garlic and lemon

Mr. Rockefeller
• Lamb BBQ

People’s Palace Thai
• Mussaman Curry Of Lamb Potatoes + Peanuts + Shallots
• Stir Fried Lamb With Holy Basil And Fried Egg

Persiana
• Roasted Lamb Khouzi
• Lamb Kofta
• Lamb Curry
• Lamb Shawarma
• Lamb Chop Steak

Sala Bistro
• Braised Lamb Shank With Green Beans And Parmesan Mash
• Confit Lamb Shoulder With Potato Gratin And Ratatouille
• Lamb Shoulder Tagine With Couscous
• Shepherd’s Pie
• Lamb Kofta Pita Bread Sandwich

Highlands Steakhouse
• Lamb Cutlet Saint Tropez – Best lamb cutlet with Herb Crust originated in French Riviera

Thai At Silk
• Kae Mutsaman – Boneless Lamb Mutsaman Curry

Somal By Hossein // Gilak By Hossein // Hossein’sPersian Kebab // Hossein’s
• Lamb Kebab – Two juicy strips of charbroiled seasoned ground lamb
• Lamb Shish Torsh Kebab – Charbroiled lamb tenderloin marinated in a special pomegranate sauce with a hint of Persian spices
• Lamb Shish Kebab – Two sticks of lamb back strap cubes marinated in Hossein’s special blend
• Chelou Lamb Shish – Two sticks of lamb shish topped with saffron rice & tomatoes
• Chelou Lamb Kebab – Two sticks of ground lamb charbroiled served with saffron rice & tomatoes
• Pakadmaswi- One whole leg of lamb seasoned in Hossein’s special sauce charbroiled into perfection *Good for 4 to 6 persons
• Roasted Ribs -Ribs of lamb marinated in Hossein’s signature blend of Persian, Arabian and Indian spices *Good for 4 to 6 persons
• Shishlik Kebab- Lamb chop kebab marinated in a Persian sauce
• Lamb Steak-Lamb marinated in a Persian sauce, grilled into perfection and served with mushroom sauce
• Lamb Kheema-Ground lamb sautéed in tomatoes and onions
• Lamb Kheema with vegetables-Ground lamb sautéed in a medley of vegetables
• Lamb Palak-Lamb cooked in a special spinach sauce with a hint of Persian spices
• Lamb Bamia-Lamb with okra cooked in a creamy curry sauce mixed with Indian spices
• Lamb alo korma-Lamb cooked with potatoes in a light yet creamy curry sauce
• Lamb Curry-Lamb cooked in a rich curry sauce with a blend of Indian herbs and spices
• Raan Masala-Lamb cooked in Hossein’s signature creamy and thick curry sauce mixed in a mélange of special herbs and spices
• Mache Polo-Shank of the lamb cooked in a saffron and tomato sauce with a hint of Persian spices
• Lamb Kopta Curry-Meatballs cooked in a rich curry sauce
• Lamb Rojanjost-Lamb in a medley of bell peppers cooked in a thick and creamy yet savory curry sauce
• Malaysian Lamb Curry-Lamb cooked in a rich curry sauce with both Malaysian and Indian spices
• Thai Lamb Curry-A sweet curry of lamb cooked delicately in Thai spices and herbs
• Lamb Bhouna-Lamb with tomatoes cooked in a light curry sauce with a medley of Indian spices
• Lamb Vindaloo-Lamb cooked in a sour and tangy sauce with a hint of vinegar
• Lamb Dopiaza-Lamb with pepper and onions cooked in a rich yet thick curry sauce with a mélange of Indian herbs
• Lamb with yoghurt-Lamb cooked with homemade yoghurt and curry sauce with a hint of Indian spices
• Lamb with masala-Lamb cooked in masala with a miscellany of Indian Spices

Hurry, catch the ‘All You Need is Lamb‘ promo until the end of March!

California Berry is teasing its customers this summer season with its one-day offering of a Free Yogurt serving of their newest seasonal yogurt on March 5, 2010.

The flavor remains to be a secret as this is probably part of the word-of-mouth marketing campaign. So far, it seems to be working and news have reached NomNom Club. 🙂

Known for it’s low calorie fat-free frozen yogurt (“Fro-Yo“), regular price starts at Php60 ($1.30) for the small cup.

Can you guess what the mystery flavor is? The only clue we have is that the new fruit flavor is rich in antioxidant content and health benefits.

You have to note however that the free yogurts are good only for the first 50 customers starting from 2pm to 4pm of each branch on a first-come, first-serve basis (one cup per customer). So if you didn’t make the cut, rush to try the next branch. (LOL) 🙂

* Photo & info source: California Berry Facebook Profile

You can find California Berry outlets at Silver City Ortigas, Greenhills, Robinson’s Galleria, The Fort Strip, Tomas Morato, Paseo Center Makati, SM Megamall, SM North Edsa, SM Southmall, and SM Manila.

The sweetness of Valentine isn’t over just yet! Red Ribbon recently launched its newest and chocolate-full cake – the Chocolate Heaven. In connection to this, Red Ribbon has formed an online photo contest where would-be participants can take a photo of themselves, family, or others showing a ‘heavenly‘ expression while eating the new Red Ribbon Chocolate Heaven.

Chocolate Heaven Cake Slice

Those who best expresses how chocolatey the cake is can win thousands worth of Red Ribbon gift certificates.

Be creative and imaginative in your entries as this comprise a major part of the criteria. The photo should include the Chocolate Heaven cake – in whole or even just a slice.

How To Join

Submit and upload this entry at

http://NomNomClub.com/red-ribbon-chocolate-heaven-photo-contest/submit/

anytime until March 10, 2010.
Include a 130-character photo caption in the submission form. The caption should include the words “Red Ribbon” and “Chocolate Heaven“. Filipinos above 18yrs old with a valid Philippine address is qualified to join.

See Full Mechanics Here

Winners will be announced in this blog on March 17, 2010.

Submit Now! It’s that simple! 🙂

Chocolate Heaven Layers

Criteria for Judging:

View Photo Entries Here

Prizes:

Grand Winner – Php 3000 worth of Red Ribbon Gift Certificates

2nd Place Winner – Php 2000 worth of Red Ribbon Gift Certificates

3rd Place Winner – Php 1000 worth of Red Ribbon Gift Certificates

Photo Requirements:

1. Photo should not exceed 2MB in size.
2. Only basic editing of the photo is allowed including cropping, brightness, and contrast.
3. The photo should not have any watermarks on it to avoid bias during judging.
4. As Red Ribbon honors proper copyright procedures, submitted photos are assumed and should be owned by the one who submitted the entry.
5. No exclusivity clause involved. Contestant retains ownership of the photo and can post it in their blogs or other social network photo albums

Red Ribbon Chocolate Heaven

Make sure though that you hold the copyright of the photos you submit. Submitted photos will not be sold or used by this blog or the contest sponsor in any other ways except for general promotional purposes of the contest.

So capture your heavenly expressions while nomnoming the divine Red Ribbon Chocolate Heaven cake and join this contest! 🙂

With summer fast approaching, travel plans and summer getaways are coming up. It’s nice to know that when you use your Metrobank Credit Card to book flights or shop for your summer essentials, you’ll also get free treats from Greenwich!

As early as February, you can enjoy a Greenwich Beefy Baked Macaroni for a minimum spend of P2,000 and Greenwich Solo Pizza for a minimum spend of P3,000. Plus, for an accumulated spend of P10,000 get a Greenwich Family Thin Crust Pizza, perfect for takeout on the way to your summer outing!

Check out the details here!

PROMO MECHANICS

Per DTI-NCR Permit No. 0833, Series of 2010. ASC Ref No. M058P020110M

For the latest promos, visit www.metrobankcard.com

1. This promotion is open to Metrobank Visa/MasterCard Credit Card, Go! MasterCard, Femme Visa, World MasterCard, and PSBank MasterCard cardholders.
2. Cardholders must surrender their charge slips to get FREE Greenwich Products.

For a single charge slip with a minimum valid spend of at least P2,000, get ONE of the following:

•    Free 1 order of Beefy Baked Macaroni
•    Free 1 order of Meaty Spaghetti

For a single charge slip with a minimum valid spend of at least P3,000,     get ONE of the following:

•    Free 1 order of Solo Pizza
•    (Available variants: Greenwich Special, Hawaiian, Ham & Cheese)
•    Free 1 order of Lasagna Supreme

For accumulated charge slips worth a total valid spend of P10,000 get ONE Family Thin Crust Pizza. Available variants:

•    Ultimate Hawaiian Overload
•    Greenwich Special Overload
•    Triple Ham & Cheese Overload
•    Philly Cheesesteak Overload
•    Extreme Cheese & Sausage Overload
•    Hawaiian Classic
•    Ham & Cheese Classic

3. Valid spend includes all retail transactions (examples of retail transactions are purchases at groceries, department stores, gasoline stations, restaurants, etc.), and merchant installment transactions (examples of merchant installment transactions are installment purchase of appliances, jewelry, etc). Online or internet credit card transactions are excluded from this promotion.
4. To redeem the free Greenwich products, cardholders must surrender their original valid charge slips, and present their Metrobank Visa/MasterCard Credit Card, Go! MasterCard, Femme Visa, World MasterCard or PSBank MasterCard at any of the participating Greenwich branches.
5. For the charge slips to be valid for redemption:

• Name and card number on the charge slip must be the same as the name and card number on the Metrobank Visa/MasterCard Credit Card, Go! MasterCard, Femme Visa, World MasterCard or PSBank MasterCard Credit Card presented.
• Transaction date of the surrendered charge slip must be within the promo period.

6. Unreadable charge slips are not valid for redemption. Cardholders must redeem Greenwich products using their charge slips before they fade.
7. Promo period is February 1 to April 30, 2010; redemption period is from February 1 to June 30, 2010. Cardholders can avail a maximum of three products per day.
8. Redemption will NOT be allowed on the following dates: February 14, April 1, and April 2, 2010.
9. Should it be proven that a cardholder was able to redeem Greenwich products without adhering to the above mechanics, the cost of the Greenwich products will be charged to the cardholder’s credit card account.

Hurry and go get the Greenwich early summer treats from Metrobank!