International Bacon Day

Oh yes! Today is INTERNATIONAL BACON DAY. :-)

It is the Saturday before Labor Day in the United States. The US Labor Day is traditionally celebrated on the first Monday of September.

We started celebrating IBD in 2000. It was thought of by three students from Bedford, Massachusetts, who believed that bacon is soooo delicious it deserves its own holiday!

Sending all my Kitchen friends my most Bacon-y loooove!

HAPPY INTERNATIONAL BACON DAY!!!!

Source: Republic of Bacon
Bacon Love illustration by M. Geno.

Garlic Butter Shrimps

I have both loved and dreaded to cook this dish. I like the combination of garlic, butter and shrimp but I am not fond of too much butter and I'm allergic to shrimp. BUT -- when I found this one on my diet menu, I just had to give it a try. AND I LOVED IT! It was not drowning in butter, and the garlic complements the richness of it. My allergies? I just had to take my meds. No way was I going to pass this up! Haha!

Here it is, GARLIC BUTTER SHRIMPS.

An Improved Reich's Kitchen For You

Dear Kitchen Readers,

Sorry for the "inactivity" the past few days. After I attended a blogging seminar, I was inspired to improve Reich's Kitchen for all of you. I made navigation clearer, thus easier for you to go around the site.

3 important changes to take note of:

Beef Ampalaya

Ampalaya (bitter gourd, bitter melon) is not such a popular vegetable to use in dishes because of its bitterness. Here's a recipe that uses it and still tastes yummy -- BEEF AMPALAYA.

Banoffee Pie

Now that the rains have stopped and the weather has calmed, time to relax and enjoy me-time with this no-bake pie.

Emergency Response: Relief Operations for Typhoon Maring Victims

Reich's Kitchen urges everyone to help in the relief operations for the victims of Typhoon Maring in the Philippines.

=====================================

Reposting this from the Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health (ASMPH)  Disaster Management Council:

One-Pan Pasta

To celebrate Reich's Kitchen's First Month Birthday, here's a surprise dish for all of you -- ONE-PAN PASTA. :-) 

I cooked it to wish long life for the Kitchen. Or so the Chinese say. :-)

Just Do It!

Here are last week's recipe challenges:

1. Beef Ampalaya - Recipe tomorrow
2. Nilagang Baka
3. Garlic Butter Shrimps - Recipe on Friday
4. Pininyahang Manok
5. Spam Melt Omelet - Recipe on Sunday
6. Tochong Tilapia
7. Fruit Gulaman

Every week I encounter more recipes, and every week I look forward to preparing them. Of course I have doubts. I have fears. But I wouldn't really know how I will fare if I don't try. 

At some point, WE WILL JUST HAVE TO DO IT!

 Photo from Nike.

Enjoying My Taho

It's raining hard where I am now. There's news of flood everywhere! I hope all of you are safe and dry. 

Since my official work called for suspension of operations today, I am enjoying my big cup of taho while composing stuff for Reich's Kitchen, planning meals for the week and labeling my recipe books and food magazines. Productive day for the Kitchen! Yeeeey! :-)

Reich's Kitchen is One Month Old Today!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, REICH'S KITCHEN! :-)

Review of Believe!

Now, it's time for us to review the recipes on BELIEVE!

1. FRENCH TOAST

I shared the recipe here: FRENCH TOAST

Liven up old bread this way. No worries, this recipe can also be used with new bread, of course! :-)

Mixed Seafood with Oyster Sauce

Try this Chinese-style seafood medley for lunch or dinner today -- the MIXED SEAFOOD WITH OYSTER SAUCE.

Tuna Salad

Enjoy this TUNA SALAD with the freshest and crispiest vegetables!

Baguio: Forest House Bistro & Café

Our first night's dinner in Baguio was in Forest House Bistro & Café.  We came here just after our warm experience with nature in Choco-late de Batirol.

As soon as I stepped inside the restaurant, I fell in love with it! It surely captures the ideal Baguio: warm, woody, homey, relaxing and Christmassy! Oh how I love Christmas and this restaurant is just filled with that vibe!  I am amazed by how all the wood, lighting, table setting, floral arrangements and the random artsy decorations -- not to mention the delicious and calling aroma of the food -- all come perfectly together. I was surely smitten!

French Toast

Here's one way to liven up your bread -- FRENCH TOAST.

Wicked Goes To Manila

Wicked The Musical goes to Manila!!!

Have I told you that I love musicals too? :-) 

Quezon City: Ling Nam

My Saturday classes are done and I agreed to meet the chef (a.k.a. Reich) at the Shopwise Commonwealth Branch to help her with grocery duties.   Going there from school, my tummy was growling, and mind you, this is not the usual petty hunger pangs. I was beading with cold sweat while driving. This is my body’s no-brainer sign that I am REALLY, SERIOUSLY hungry.  (Takaw much lang? Di makapaghintay?) Survival instincts kicking in, upon hearing an ambulance, I stepped on the gas (well actually, diesel yung sasakyan) and sped my way.  Since I arrived before Reich did, I told her to meet up with me in LING NAM. They have a branch in Shopwise Commonwealth.

Ham and Asparagus Soup

Rainy days are perfectly spent at home with a bowl of soup.  Try this creamy broth with fresh asparagus - HAM AND ASPARAGUS SOUP. :-)

Believe!

Last week posed more recipe challenges in the kitchen. 

1. French Toast - Recipe on Thursday
2. Tuna Salad - Recipe on Friday
3. Hearty Vegetable Soup 
4. Ham and Asparagus Soup - Recipe TODAY! :-)
5. Chicken Thighs with Lemon in Foil
6. Adobong Pusit (Squid)
7. Tuna Fillets in Tomato Coulis
8. French Onion Soup
9. Skillet Stuffed Cabbage  
10. Mixed Seafood with Oyster Sauce - Will throw this in as a bonus (Yeeeey!), wait for the recipe on Saturday.

We will always succeed, we just have to believe.

Chaaaaarge! :-)

Review of We Can Do It!

Now, it's time for us to review the recipes on We Can Do It!

1. CHICKEN BARBECUE

I have always been a sucker for barbecue. Something about the salty sour sweet spicy sauce it has.  I particularly like how this has that kalamansi flavor. Very Pinoy bistek-type of barbecue. Yummy!

Tip for future cooking: You can always adjust the main flavor of this barbecue. Make it sweet, add more sugar; salty, add more soy sauce; spicy, add more pepper, onions or chili pepper; sour, add more kalamansi. Awesome!

The Kitchen is Distracted

It's the FIBA Asia Championship tonight and I am juggling time for the Kitchen and watching the game. Writing and cheering. Thinking and screaming.

Traffic, rain, basketball and blogging. What a Sunday night!

GO, GILAS! 

LABAN, PILIPINAS!!!

After this game, I will surely have a heart attack new post. :-)

Mea Culpa!

Mea culpa, my friends! 

I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I know I owe a couple of posts but will definitely make up for all of them.

Ok, just so we know how much I owe all of you, let's see what I missed:

• Review of We Can Do It!
• List and review of new recipes for August 5 to 11
• 3 recipes from the August 5 to 11 week
• List of  new recipes for August 12 to 18
• The rest of the Baguio posts

Gah! I owe so much! It's just that the week called for more of my time in my job. I know it's not an excuse. I just wanna let you know what occupied the last days. 

I'm really sorry. Apologies, accepted I hope. :-) 

Now onto the real Kitchen stuff...

Photo from DreamWorks Animation's Shrek

Baguio: Choco-Laté de Batirol

During our Baguio getaway, Choco-late de Batirol was our first stop. 

It was a rainy, cold and overcast afternoon, and we thought it best to have a cup (or two) of hot choco-late in that damp weather.

This sign is what you see along the Road. 
Stop here and follow the gravel path.

Smurfin' Snacks

The Smurfs 2 movie opens in theaters today, so go now and grab your favorite drink and popcorn in these cute collectibles.

 Reich's Kitchen already did! :-)

And we're so giddy to use it. It's so smurfin'! :-)

Smurfs Snacktime photo from E-Plus.

Ngiting Mister Donut

Reich's Kitchen got invited to a Mister Donut event! I was so ecstatic! :-)

Reich's Kitchen is Now on Twitter

Dear Kitchen Readers,

We're now on Twitter!  

Follow REICH'S KITCHEN.

Spread the good news! Thank you. :-)

Pong Is Here!

Hello there, everyone! 

I am PONG, the CO-AUTHOR of Reich’s Kitchen.

Pong The Awesome and Adventuresome. (Here, here!)

Pong The Tiresome and Irksome. (Good thing Reich endures it. She loves me! Ehem, CLUE here.:-D)

But most of all, PONG THE EFFORTLESSLY HANDSOME. (Ops, ops! May kokontra? ‘Alang basagan ng trip.)

I volunteered my services to co-author her amazing blog ultimately because I have so many hours of free time. My work is not that uhmmm stressful and life-consuming. (Lucky me!) I want to use my spare time productively.  I want to write my thoughts and experiences. By blogging, and regularly doing it, I know I will improve my skills too. I also want to blog for information (in a way) of the readers – you. Beneath all that, I simply just want to help Reich write some articles for her kitchen. 

I envision Reich's Kitchen as our showcase (museum kumbaga) of experiences as we share our collective love for great food and good company.  Simpleng kwentuhan lang while munching away! Well if it isn’t the noblest thing to do while alive. :-D

To all food lovers and adventure seekers out there, watch out for our articles that will surely make blog-reading more interesting.

Until next time mga kachibugan, this is your cutie pie PONG signing out.

Sabi nga ni idol George Bernard Shaw, “There is no sincerer love than the love of food”. Yebbah.

 

Power Breakfast

Hellooooo, Sunday! :-)

Start your day right with a power breakfast. It should be filling, yummy and healthy to get you going on a busy family day like today.

My power breakfast is composed of:

• 1 cup WHOLE WHEAT CEREALS (I love the Nestle Fitnesse Banana Nut Clusters)
• MILK (I always have flavored milk -- chocolate, strawberry, melon -- because I hate plain milk.)
• YOGURT (I usually opt for non-fat yogurt, but any yogurt will do. It gives amazing benefits!)
• FRUIT (If I'm extra hungry, I double the fruit!)

Just had my breakfast and I'm ready to face the day. Carpe Diem!

Happy Sunday, everyone! :-)

  PS. Look! I have a new photo watermark! Awesome!!! :-)

Reich's Kitchen Turned Turtle!

DO NOT PANIC, RK followers! (Helloooo, RK for Reich's Kitchen, anubeh.) I have nothing but good news! 

The Reich's Kitchen will now have... wait for it... A CO-AUTHOR. :-) 

I so want to reveal who CA (co-author) is in real life but he demanded me not to. Yet. All I can just say now is that he will be using this post-ender:

 

He volunteered to do reviews on carinderia-style spots, hole-in-the-wall eateries, exotic restos, and other food places I do not frequent nor dare go. Hahaha! If we're lucky, he might even throw in a street-food recipe.

He said he would be like an elf -- a Santa's helper -- to me. (I love his winning spirit!) 

And he promised to be funny in his posts, almost always. :-)

There, I said it. I'm suuuuper excited to read from my pakner-in-blog! 

Watch out for PONG! Show him some lurrrve! :-)

 

French Country Chicken with Mushroom Sauce

Sharing another recipe from my diet menu - French Country Chicken with Mushroom Sauce. :-)

Serves 1
Prep Time  10 minutes
Cooking Time 20 minutes