Fizzy Pops

Carbonated juices or Sodas have been a regular staple (a huge favorite in fact) at parties and widely enjoyed with meals. Known for its fun flavors and fizzy finish, the "soft drink" transcends all social classes and age groups, and is considered a healthier alternative to "hard drink" which contains alcohol.

Being bored with the usual variety offered in leading groceries, and at the height of summer season,  I decided to formulate my own soda pop, spiking 7-up with Stasero Mango and Kiwi syrups.

Here's how I prepared  it...

1) Mango-Bellini (12-ounce) *mock tails

- fill a 12 ounce glass with ice

- pour 1/2 ounce (15ml) Stasero Mango Syrup

- fill the glass with 7-up, soda water, or sparkling wine

2) Kiwi Fizz

Repeat the same procedure, just substitute Mango Syrup with Kiwi Syrup....

Serve and enjoy! Let your creative juices flow...

MATCHA GREEN TEA FRAPPE!!!

The long wait is over, it's finally here.....!  After years of numerous requests from loyal clients, Stasero finally came up with their  Green Tea Frappe Powder.

This special premix originates only from the best raw materials available, particularly the highest grade of Matcha Green Tea Powder.  Known for its rich antioxidant properties,  Matcha is well coveted and highly priced.  Furthermore, given the growing demand for healthy products, Matcha is now commonly used in various beverages - from lattes, energy drinks to bar mixes.

Here's a simple recipe for Green Tea Frappe (16-ounce), using only 3 simple ingredients:

1.  3 tablespoons Stasero Green Tea Frappe Powder
2.  60ml fresh milk
3.  ice

Step 1:  In a blender, dissolve 3 tablespoons Stasero Green Tea Frappe Powder with 60ml fresh milk

Step 2:  Fill a 16-ounce cup/glass with crushed or cube ice and pour into blender; blend for 15 seconds ...

Serve and enjoy!!!!

Catch this in your favorite coffee shop and tea salon soon.......!

Caramel-Mocha Frappe

As requested by one of our loyal blog follower, we are preparing an easy-to-makeCaramel-Mocha Frappe recipe which could be done in the comforts of one's home. This is a follow-up recipe to the "Raspberry-Mocha Frappe" article we did last December 2010, which ranks among the top viewed post of this young blog.

Caramel-Mocha Frappe is one of the all-time most ordered drink for both international and local coffee chains. CARAMEL in simple definition is "burnt sugar" or sugar heated with a little water until golden brown. The darker the color, the bolder and less sweet it becomes (milk, cream, or butter is added to enhance the viscosity and richness of the caramel). "FRAPPE" could be interchanged with Macchiato, Latte or Frappucino, depending on the dairy dose and equipment used in preparing the drink.

The ingredients are as follows (to make a 16-oz finished drink):

 

3 tablespoons Stasero Frappe Base (this premix contains sweetener and creamer/"dairy" part already)*
2-shots Far Skyes Premium Roast Arabica espresso (roughly 30ml per shot x 2 = 60ml)**
15ml Stasero Caramel Syrup
15ml Stasero Caramel Sauce (for garnish)
Ice

     * should you opt to use fresh milk, substitute 3 tablespoons Stasero Frappe base with 60ml fresh milk
   ** other espresso blends could be used, I just happen to have that ready in my espresso machine



Procedure:

Step 1: in a blender, combine the Frappe Base, Espresso and Caramel Syrup - blend for 10 seconds.

Step 2: using a 16-ounce cup, fill it with crushed, cube or tube ice. Pour into the blender with the mix and blend again for 15 seconds.

Step 3: Pour into 16-ounce cup and garnish with whipped cream (optional) and top with Caramel Sauce!

Sipping this drink in the comforts of one's home is a fine  luxury, considering the amount of time, gas and money saved than leaving the house just to get your caffeine fix. A real Home Run!!! Enjoy!!!

Caffeine on a High!

In one of our frequent-friendly chats with renowned Coffee Master and Philippine Coffee Trailblazer Robert S. Francisco, President and CEO of Boyd Coffee Company, Inc., (the FIRST coffee roaster in the Philippines to gain HACCP certification) he mentioned that world coffee prices soared 100%. What impact this would have in our daily cup of joe is left to be seen in the months to come... Overseas however, several US companies like Folgers and Starbucks have taken the lead in jacking up their coffee prices by an average of 10%.

According to Robert, the main factor for the price surge is the growing demand for coffee, combined with a rough harvesting season for the past 2 years. Simply put: "Coffee Production Did Not Rise To Meet Demand."

Here's hoping that the global impact wouldn't make a major dent in coffee prices in the Philippines, to the extent that coffee consumption per individual will be compromised. Worse, unethical local roasters will adulterate their existing blends to maintain their desired profits - the biggest loser being the consumers!

Given this global problem, it pays to have a reliable coffee roaster by your side - making sure the quality is second-to-none, FROM FARM TO CUP.

Cooking for Kids - Spaghetti Carbonara

I've always been skeptical about cookbooks ... more so cookbooks for kids. You know, those with great pictures yet mediocre recipes?!?!  Name it, I've been victimized countless times since my childhood days. Recipes were either too hard to follow, ingredients were almost impossible to source or substitute, and the finished product was a complete disaster!

This Christmas, one of the gifts my son received was a COOKING FOR KIDS set which includes the KID'S FIRST COOKBOOK. The author Nancy McDougall claims this is "the best ever step-by-step cookbook for kids, containing delicious recipes ideal for 5-12 year-olds." Though doubtful as ever, my wife and I decided to put the recipe to the test by making my 6 year-old prepare a well-known recipe in our kitchen -- Spaghetti Carbonara.

Ingredients: (serves 4)

1 small onion

1 large clove of garlic

6 oz smoked bacon or pancetta

2 tbsp olive oil

12 oz fresh or dried spaghetti

4 eggs

6 tbsp creme fraiche (we used half-and-half instead)

4 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

salt and pepper to taste

Step 1: Peel and chop the onion and garlic. Cut the bacon or pancetta into pieces

Step 2: Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the onion and garlic and fry, stirring for about 5 minutes, until softened. Add the bacon or pancetta and cook for 10 minute, stirring frequently.

Step 3: Fill 2/3 of a large pan with water and add a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package instructions.

Step 4: Put the eggs, half and half, Parmesan, and pepper in a bowl. Beat with a whisk or fork.

Step 5: Drain the spaghetti noodles thoroughly in a colander. Pour in the pasta into the pan with the onion, garlic, pancetta or bacon and toss well.

Step 6: Turn off the heat, then immediately add the egg mixture to the pan and toss thoroughly so that it cooks and coats the pasta.

Step 7: Season to taste, then divide among 4 bowls. Top with grated Parmesan cheese and serve immediately. 

The verdict -- My son was just happy and pleased by the result of his first venture into cooking, and the guests we served this dish to rated it an A+. With proper adult supervision, all kids can do majority of the kitchen recipes in this book without being disappointed at the end result;  thus,  we are bound to try out one recipe per week in the months to come. Happy New Year!

Renault Winery Resort

On the final leg of our 2010 US visit, our friends from the Garden State of New Jersey took us to this well-kept estate that sits on 1,400 acres in the small town of Egg Harbor City (a 20-minute drive from Atlantic City's casinos). Founded more than 140 years ago, Renault Winery Resort is a winery, a vineyard, a 7,000-yard golf course, and  most of all a place that serves award-winning gourmet creations.

After touring the estate and sampling their wine specialties, we ascended a ramp through a giant redwood wine barrel and proceeded to their main restaurant (The Renault Gourmet) specializing in a 6-course gustatory menu.

Two main courses were highlighted and sampled that evening:

First was the Grilled Fillet Mignon With Wild Mushroom Ragout, served with Buttered Asparagus and Truffled Whipped Potatoes. The thick cut of meat was expertly executed,  posing no resistance and intermitting with slight fat and full flavor. Best of all, it fuses harmoniously with its sidings.

Second was the Italian Marinated Chicken Breast Stuffed with Broccoli Rabe, Sharp Asiago Cheese and Fire Roasted Peppers. The Chef's marvelous plating makes it hard for us to mess-up this dish. But once we got our "hands and feet wet" we first appreciated how moist and tender the meat was. Consuming the dish further, we marvelled at how it is sufficiently stuffed,  thus enabling it to burst with full-flavor.

This is arguably the gastronomic highlight of  our trip! At they say, "it pays to have friends in the right places." Many many thanks!

72 North Bremen Avenue, Egg Harbor City, New Jersey

Subic Barista Training

Was in Subic for the first time (would you believe?!) in my entire existence to train the baristas and crew of an up and coming coffee shop across the Royal Duty Free Shop. Owned and managed by a dynamic entrepreneur by the name of Des Ignacio, SCHATZY will open its doors to caffein-craving javaholics on December 17, 2011.

The crew was enthusiastic and fun to work with -- no bragging rights (I used to be from Starbucks...we did it this way and not that...), no excess baggage and best of all, no fat egos to deal with and/or shoot down!  As such the training went smoothly and lasted no more than 3 hours.  Heck, the entire drive was even longer... Good for me since I had more than enough time to scour the Duty Free Shops nearby!

The first order of buisness was to train them how to PROPERLY extract espresso using a semi-automatic machine... This is an essential step since almost all of the recipes require espresso shots. Furthermore,  it  helps big time that the espresso machine used, this one an ASTORIA, is of good make and easy to operate.

Once the crew got the hang of it, now comes the easiest part -- blending together all the ingredients to make a great Frappe! As shown in my previous post, even a 6-year old can do this with his eyes closed, hence it was smooth sailing from hereon...

Watch out for the opening... Best wishes to Des and her new venture!



Raspberry-Mocha Frappe

With a new toy to play with, a heavy-duty/fully automatic Bartec Blender, what better way to "test drive" the machine by making my all-time fave drink RASPBERRY-MOCHA FRAPPE.

Some folks frown at the thought of Raspberry, it reminding them of their staple cough syrup. But personally, there's something about the fusion of mocha (coffee plus chocolate) and raspberry syrup that warms my heart and calms my soul.... Call it genetics, my 6-year old son is a huge fan as well...

Here's a simple recipe my son and I prepared in less than 5minutes.

What we used:  Raspberry-Mocha Frappe (16-ounce serving)

3 tablespoons Stasero Mocha Frappe Base
Double-shot Far Skyes espresso blend
1-tablespoon Stasero Dark Chocolate Sauce
20ml Stasero Raspberry Syrup

Step 1: In a blender, combine Mocha Frappe Base, espresso, dark chocolate sauce and raspberry syrup.
Blend for 10 seconds.

Step 2: Using your desired 16-ounce cup, fill with cube/tube or crushed ice; pour into blender together with the mix and reblend for 15 seconds.

SERVE AND ENJOY!!! 

The drink was prepared under 5 minutes and consumed in less than a minute... By the way, the Bartec Blender was phenomenal!