Part 2: Studio SnR's Coffee, Tea By ME!!! Workshop

After months of prodding from the organizers for a repeat, Part 2 of Studio SnR's Coffee, Tea By Me!!! Workshop finally became a reality on February 25, 2012. During the 5-month hiatus my think tank and I constantly thought of ways to further improve our craft, making it more fun, active, and value-for-money for the participants. The added pressure for us to immediately come up with a "follow-up" and elevate it a notch further happened in January 15, 2012, as we got the precious vote of Spot.ph, as ONE OF THE TOP 20 THINGS TO DO IN METRO MANILA IN 2012.

The hands-on workshop in progress...

18 knowledge seekers, both young and young-at-heart, braved the anticipated traffic, since our event coincided with the annual Edsa Revolution Anniversary festivities. Worse, our venue is located in the Ortigas, CBD - quite a near distance from the Esda Shrine. Their efforts paid off though, as they brought home with them not only the handsome prizes and loot bag courtesy of our sponsors, but best of all the very essence of this workshop - LEARNING! ♥

Our never-ending thanks to our Brand Partners for their continued generosity and belief in the vision of our Coffee, Tea By Me! Workshop:

Mr. Robert Francisco of Boyd Coffee for providing us with their second-to-none coffee beans. Always an honor to have the leading coffee roaster in the Philippines on-board!

Evergood Unlimited Corporation (distributors of world-famous and reputable brands Saeco, Cuisinart, and Imarflex) for providing the essential hardware to make this "hands-on" and "interactive"workshop possible.

Far Skyes Enterprise (distributors of Stasero Flavored Syrups/Sauces and Far Skyes Frappe Powder Base) for literally and figuratively providing this workshop with superior taste.

And of course to Studio SnR Workshops for their active vision and passion for spreading the learning-love!

Once again, Caffeinated and Creamy Cheers to all!!!

Frozen Hot Chocolate (Home Version)

courtesy of somethingswanky.com

Established in 1954,  SERENDIPITY 3  is a New York institution best known for its decadent desserts, particularly its infamous Frozen Hot Chocolate!

The chocoholic dessert-drink made even-more popular by Jonh Cusack's movie (with Kate Beckinsale) with the same title has tickled my fancy, thus I'm sharing with you an easy to make, home-version (not to mention tummy-friendly) of this masterpiece. Come to think of it, the timing is simply apt with "heart's day" just around the corner.

our Serendipity 3 date in April 2006,
225 East 60th Street New York City

Frozen Hot Chocolate Drink (16-ounce)

Ingredients:

3 ounces (90ml) Stasero Dark Chocolate Sauce
2 tablespoons (25 grams) Far Skyes Vanilla Frappe Powder
1.5 cups milk (fresh or skimmed depending on your dietary preference)
3 cups ice
whipped cream (optional); or could be substituted by milk froth as shown in our Seasalt Caramel Latte post
chocolate shavings (or chocolate sprinkle) for garnish

* for Javaholics, a possible variation is to add 1-shot Espresso or 1 teaspoon instant coffee

Procedure:

Step 1: In a blender, combine the Far Skyes Vanilla Frappe Powder with milk until dissolved

Step 2: Add the Stasero Dark Chocolate Sauce and blend again fully incorporated

Step 3: Add the ice and blend until crushed

Step 4: Pour into wide-mouth glass and top with whipped cream (or frothed milk) and garnish with chocolate shavings (or your favorite sprinkle)

Serve and enjoy!!! Happy Valentines Day to all...

Spot.ph's 20 Things To Do In Manila (2012 Edition)

Months after my first-ever Coffee, Tea By ME!!! (CTBM) Workshop, in cooperation with Studio SnR, the fruits of the "money tree" hasn't stopped pouring... After being featured in the December issue of both Yummy Magazine and Appetite Magazine, the link below was posted on my Facebook wall  two days ago by renowned videographer Dominic Velasco. "You've been spotted" was his shoutout, and  what a handsome treat it was to be included in Spot.ph's list. To be mentioned (at the very least) is such an honor; and it motivates everyone behind this workshop to do even better!

http://www.spot.ph/gallery/1888/20-things-to-do-in-manila-2012-edition-/article/50253#pid=32307

20 Things to do in Manila (2012 Edition) | GALLERY | SPOT.ph

www.spot.ph  Your One-Stop Urban Lifestyle Guide to the Best of Manila!

Happy reading, a pleasure to be "SPOTTED" by you! Will keep everyone posted on the next CTBM Workshop...soon!

Caffein, it's definitely more fun in the Philippines! 

Sea Salt Caramel Latte ☕

"Salted Caramel" has been gaining rapid populartity in the java maket and beyond... from espresso based drinks it has transcended into the milk tea, confectionary, and ice cream market among many others...

There's no better way to excite one's taste buds than with a little sprinkle of premium sea salt just before sipping something buttery-sweet; where one feels a tingling sensation quite similar to Tinker Bell's magic pixie dust.  The leading coffee shops have launched their respective versions yet they are all sugar and calorie laden, ranging from 60-80 grams of sugar, and 400-700 calories per drink.

Here's a "healthier" version versus the coffee shop standard, not to mention a more cost effective one which could be enjoyed in the comforts of one's humble abode...

To make an 8-ounce drink: Ingredients...

1 tablespoon Far Skyes Vanilla Frappe Powder
2-shots Espresso
15ml Stasero Caramel Syrup
2-ounces (60ml) low fat or skimmed milk (steamed); milk froth set aside
Stasero Caramel Sauce for garnish
Premium Sea Salt


Procedure:

1) Dissolve 1-tablespoon Stasero Vanilla Frappe Powder over 2-shots Espresso

2) Add 15ml Stasero Caramel Syrup

3) Fill mug/cup with 2-ounces steamed milk

4) Cover the top of the mug/cup with milk froth (instead of whipped cream); drizzle Stasero Caramel Sauce; sprinkle a pinch of Premium Sea Salt

Serve and enjoy! Happy holidays!!!! ♥

* as a healthier alternative, whipped cream was omitted, and replaced with milk froth to top the mug/cup
* skim/low-fat milk was used in place of whole milk

2011 Cheers!

The year of the rabbit  is coming to a close and looking back, it's been a year filled with cascading ups and several downs...

2011 for me will best be remembered as the year that I celebrated my 40th birthday. Where I took time to huddle my inner troops and ponder about what I've accomplished upon reaching "mid-life"; and realizing that what I currently possess is more than enough to make me a contented cow!

2011 also blessed me with several travel sprees, both internationally and locally. First off a big Thank You! to my favorite Mother-In-Law for the US trip in March (San Francisco, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, New Jersey, Dallas, San Francisco) to celebrate her 60th birthday. It was the perfect bonding experience as a family, and it created fond memories that will last more than a lifetime... October also ushered in my (wait for iiittttt...) FIRST Boracay experience - and Shangri-la Resort at that; our gratitude to lady luck since my Wife won it in a raffle (2 nights stay with airfare for 2). The experience is tough to top, so much so that we're scheduled to go back there soon in the coming year!

Business-wise though it's been rough, no thanks to the bad weather and other natural disasters that our country experienced. True to my oath of being the "best supplier" possible, I am one with our clients who got affected one way or another; a special shout-out to those from Cagayan de Oro, Dumaguete, and Isabela. The world is small and interconnected, it's difficult not to say "ouch" when they bleed... We lost quite a few as well, either to a pesky competitor (*%$@#%) or simply to the bad economy. Here's hoping for a better year ahead for all our sake... Though I guess there's nowhere else to go but UP as the dawn of each new year brings new hope...

Honorable mention to the following events:

1) My first "Coffee, Tea By ME!!!" Seminar  courtesy of Studio SnR Workshop. It was a fun-filled "hands-on" experience and I'm glad to have hurdled such a task with flying colors. Thank you Sydney Go (Studio SnR's Marketing Director) for believing in our company, our brand and our vision; and Thank You to our Brand Partners/Sponsors - Boyd Coffee, Evergood Marketing, Yummy Magazine and Appetite Magazine! More caffeinated and creamy cheers ahead...

2) Participating in two major trade shows of the Food & Beverage Industry: the Fil-Chi Bakery Show and World's Food Expo (Wofex). To our booth sponsor Robert Francisco (President of Boyd Coffee). Thank you for another year of friendship and trust, best of all for your never ending generosity.

3) The launch of www.farskyes.com, our very own website. Thank you again Robert Francisco for food- styling our drinks and taking product shots. Special pat-in-the-back to Kelvin Tee for the splendid design and layout...

Good year or bad, there's still a lot to cheer about... What matters is we're still standing on our toes, ready to keep walking in life's long and winding road. Here's wishing everyone a better year ahead... Enter the (Year of The) Dragon!

Fair Trade - My Take On It...

Photo Courtesy of Google Photobucket

It's the season to be jolly, carefree and generous... No better time to scour the weekend markets, holiday bazaars, and what have yous.

In one of my shopping sprees last week, I came across a local coffee roaster who claims his coffee is roasted fresh twice-weekly AND they practice FAIR TRADE. This got my noggins abuzz again (my spider senses tingling even) and after immediate consultation with several of my "coffee gods", here' s my two-cents' worth on the whole Fair Trade issue...

In a perfect world, Fair Trade's primary mission is to provide healthier working conditions and greater economic incentive for producers (farmers). The end-goal is to benefit and properly compensate them from their line of work - providing an improved working environment and better equipment in order to obtain vaster-yielding crops. Such is the system practiced by large and reputable companies like Starbucks, Green Mountain, and Nestle.

Locally though, it is difficult (close to impossible even) to judge whether the extra amount of money spent by the consumers acually go to the farmers. Simply said, not because it has a "Fair Trade" label it means your money will reach the supposed beneficiaries. Worse, Fair Trade is a powerful word misused and abuised  as a skillfully orchestrated marketing tactic by the roaster (or traders) in order to charge more, appealing to the buyer's soft spot.


So while we're into the festive mood of making lists and checking twice-even, it's good to be educated whether the coffee beans you are about to purchase are naughty or nice...♪♫♪ 

Boracay In Style

There's no better way to take time-out from a roller coaster business year than to  recharge one's emotionally-weary batteries and unwind in Shangri-La's Boracay Resort and Spa... Call it impeccable timing, as we won it in a raffle (graci Edsa Shangri-La!) 3 months prior (2-nights stay in a deluxe room with daily buffet breakfast AND airfare for 2 via Sea Air)... Oh, did I mention that this is my first time in the island as well??!

The service and amenities we experienced were top-class; As soon as we landed in Caticlan Airport we were efficiently whisked off to Shangri-La's private lounge at the port, where welcome drinks were immediately served.  A few minutes later we rode their plush speedboat which ferried us "in-style" to the resort proper.

Once you enter the lobby, I kid you not when I say that you feel "transported" to a foreign place like the Bahamas or Maldives - Powdery White Sand, lush greeneries, and crystal clear aquamarine sea... So much so that despite the wet-wet weather during our 2-nights stay, we still managed to make the most out of this blow-out treat... There's just tons of things to do in the resort (not to mention the award-winning dining places), water activity or otherwise!

A priceless family bonding experience it was.... The only setback is being able to topple this experience the next time around.

Now back to the daily grind... hopefully with a better outlook and outcome! Holiday Cheers to all!!!

8 Years and Counting

It was an impromptu 8th year wedding anniversary celebration for Peaches and I last October 12, 2011, as the date coincided with my Mother-in-law's post 60th birthday dinner party....

And what better way to celebrate these 2 special milestones than to have it at Chef Jessie's (formerly Le Souffle) in Rockwell which is a family favorite dating back as I can recall... Everything fell perfectly into place that evening -- intimate guest list of friends and close relatives in attendance, free-flowing drinks, and a special 5-course sit-down feast, complete with a musical duo serenading us in the background.

What a surprise it was, thanks to Sissy who days before secretly requested Chef Jessie's staff to bake an extra cake for us to partake on...  And Thank You to MIL for willingly sharing her spotlight with us... Super full both in the tummy part and in the emotional gratitude department... ♥

Anniversary lunch date...

A perfect day of laughter and eating (from breakfast to dinner)... synonymous to the number of years of passion and devotion...

Looking forward to more and more in the years to come... I said it 8 years ago and I'll say it again, "CONGRATULATIONS Peaches for making a very, very, very wise decision.... :)"