Here are a few photos from the event.

[My personal fave, the Ultimate Mushroom Burger: a thick burger patty with the usual trimmings like lettuce and tomato, but served with a Mushroom reduction Sauce that is simply exquisite and topped off with a mild Swiss Cheese and Fried Onion Blossoms]

[The Gourmet Burger: a peppercorn-crusted culinary concoction topped with (my favorite) Fried Pickles, tasty Gouda Cheese and a delicious Dijon Aioli]

[Banana Cream Pie]

Check out Az’s live stream during the event.

Here are a few photos from the event…

More photos

Visit the official Jewelmer website for more information.

Here are a few photos from the event.

More photos over on Flickr or Facebook.

Here are a few outtakes.

The judges on board:

1. Dorothy Ferreira, well respected pastry chef and culinary teacher.
2. Juan Miguel Borja, Senior Chef Instructor at MIHCA
3. Leah Barin, Food Service Manager for Fonterra.

At the end of the event, the judges were fairly impressed with the dishes. But more importantly, everyone had fun in the kitchen and even got to sample the food that they had slaved over.

Here are some photos from the event:

More photos on

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Texas Roadhouse Grill, with the participation of Pepsi held a sumptuous event at the TRG El pueblo branch last night and offered a wide array of dishes. From soups to salads from surf to turf, and of course, the evening was capped off with a delicious bit of dessert.

The meal commenced with a Tortilla Soup: a hearty starter packed with bits of chicken, corn and ham topped with slivers of crisp and crunchy tortillas. The soup in itself is quite filling, with all of the ingredients packed into a small bowl. Those that are into the Tex-Mex taste, this is a definite must-try.

Of course, what are starters without appetizers? To satisfy the growing hunger, the bloggers were also served the Jesse James Sampler — a platter of buffalo wings and cheese fritters just to whet the appetites.

Then came the main dishes, and my personal faves. I am a big surf and turf fan. And although the dish wasn’t technically a seafood and meat serving, we got both. The Great Ribeye is a best seller at 10 ounces of mouth-watering certified US steak smothered in herbs and spices, served with a side of mashed potatoes in gravy and a hefty serving of mixed veggies.

[the great ribeye]

After the extremely delicious, perfectly grilled steak came another delectable dish — The Shrimp and Salmon Skewers: a hearty dish of three skewers grilled to perfection, with the seafood retaining its juiciness without compromising the taste, on top of a bed of the restaurant’s signature Texas rice. And on the side is a healthy serving of mixed vegetables and lemon butter.

[shrimp and salmon skewers]

To top the night off, we were served a slice of sin in the guise of the Mighty Oreo Mud Pie: layers of chocolate and coffee ice cream with bits of snickers embedded in it… all on a bed of crunchy oreo crust. And if that isn’t enough, the dessert is drizzled with chocolate sauce. Pure heaven!

[mighty oreo mud pie]

If these dishes made your mouth water, you can check out Texas Roadhouse Grill in El Pueblo, Ortigas or Boni High Street.

More photos in my Flickr account.

Bloggers were tasked to come up with variations on fish & Co’s hottest seller — their Fish & Chips. Grouped into four different nations (India, Malaysia, Japan and the US – Philadelphia), the bloggers set out to purchase necessary ingredients from the supermarket, rush back to the resto and plate their dishes.

We had a hard time deciding which group won, as all dishes were very uniquely prepared. But in the end, Group US – Philadelphia [comprised of Melo, Eric, Rowena, Eldelweiza and Mec] came out on top with their creation, Philly Fish Steak.

[bloggers in action]

[the creations]

Thanks to everyone who made it to the event!

Come this March 5, 30 bloggers will be treated to a day of adventure and games as they make their way to a great local destination: Island Cove. Bloggers will get a tour of the property, sample some of the food, take home some goodies and most importantly, challenge their will and pit their skills against each other in a team race across the huge estate.

Watch out for more updates.

More information.

Attention all bloggers!

Make sure to bring your cameras, shades, swimsuits and extra clothes. You’re gonna need it!

Enter Coalition for the Deserving

The Coalition is comprised of four political parties (Aksyon Demokratiko, Reporma, Kilusang Bagong Lipunan and Bigkis Pinoy) attempting to bring a new system of choosing the next president and other key leaders of our country, without regard to party affiliations. These four parties are trying to break the old ways of popularity voting and aiming to instill the discipline of choosing our leaders with the qualities of a deserving individual: capacity to inspire, trustworthiness and genuine compassion.

Yesterday (02 February 2009) at the Manila Hotel, the Coalition was officially launched, with members from the four political parties in supportive attendance… along with members of the press and a bunch of bloggers.

In the launching, former SEC Chairman and current Coalition spokesperson Perfecto Yasay, Jr. presided over the events and fielded the questions thrown at the assembly.

And in one excerpt from his speech, Yasay summed the Coalition’s vision: “…the Coalition for the Deserving implies two basic levels of worth, value or merit: First, deserving means that the people who choose our leaders have the right to expect the rewards of good governance, that they are the sole legitimate beneficiaries of dedicated and selfless leaders. Second, that the leaders the Coalition will select an support on the basis of measurable standards that will be applied in determining their fitness to govern, will be deserving of the confidence and unqualified support of our people.”

No longer should we vote for the most entertaining, the best looking, the smoothest dancing, the most eloquent, silver-tongued candidate. Popularity and “winability” should not be factors in choosing our leaders. Rather, we should look for individuals with character and ability to do the job at hand. In other words, we should seek the deserving.

Along with the Coalition for the Deserving, Yasay is also calling on “every true Filipino, especially the youth to join us in this noble and great cause, as the entire Philippines clamor desperately for change.”

For more information, you can check out their website.

[bloggers with atty. Nick Conti and Coalition Spokesperson Perfecto Yasay]

[bloggers with atty Nick Conti]

more photos