The Food Edit – Page 63 – The Jellybeans Edit

Palm-sized cookies from Extra Butter

Have you ever had those really stressful days when nothing is going right so you just want to curl up somewhere and seek comfort from a delicious cookie?

During those kinds of days, you know that the comfort you get from a regular-sized cookie won’t be enough.

How about a cookie the size of the palm of your hand?

This monster-sized cookie (and other similar sized variants) are made by Extra Butter.

This new online food seller is a collaboration between two siblings who both have impressive backgrounds in the Pasig food scene: Ingrid and Renz Mediarito.

Ingrid is a culinary instructor and entrepreneur who also runs Buffalo Swing Cafe and Ingrid’s Sweet Haven Pattiserie while Renz is one of the managing partners behind Moonshine Pub and Union Square Pizza.

During the quarantine, the siblings decided to engage in a joint project: a dessert shop that sells palm-sized cookies.

What exactly is an Extra Butter Cookie? Well, it is 150 grams of sweetness, comfort and indulgence. It features familiar flavors enhanced by the use of premium ingredients (such as couverture chocolates) sourced from local suppliers (so it also supports local business). It’s an amalgam of moist and chewy cookie goodness interspersed with interesting textures. It has no preservatives and is baked on a per-order basis.

An Extra Butter Cookie can be one of six flavors:

Triple Chocolate Ganache. Belgian chocolate cookie batter with ganache filling and milk chocolate couverture.

Double Milk Chocolate. Batter made with nutty butter mixed with milk chocolate couverture.

70% Dark Chocolate. Batter made with creamed brown butter mixed with two variants of 70% dark chocolate couverture.

Cranberry & White Chocolate. Oatmeal cookies with tangy dried cranberries and white chocolate callets.

Matcha & Black Sesame Seeds. Cookie dough flavored with Japanese green tea with black sesame seeds and white chocolate chunks.

Salted Butterscotch. Cookie studded with caramel chocolate callets, toasted marshmallows and salted pretzel.

Extra Butter bakes on Thursdays for delivery on Fridays from Pasig to anywhere in Metro Manila. You can get a Box of 6 for Php660.

To order, fill up this form. Cashless payments via BPI, BDO and GCash are accepted.

How about indulging yourself with some Extra Butter cookies? Wallow in the sweet comfort it brings and come out from your shell ready to face life’s challenges again.

Disclosure: Product samples were provided to facilitate an honest review.

Check out my blog posts on other small enterprises and startups in the food business:

Meringues from Brownies Unlimited, SM Megamall

Brownies Unlimited may be your go-to place for various kinds of fudgy brownies, but did you know you can also pick up some special meringue desserts here, too?

Meringues are light and airy confections traditionally made with whipped egg whites and sugar baked at low temperatures to achieve a signature crisp exterior.

Variations of meringues can be found in many parts of the world.

Here in the Philippines, among of the most popular meringue desserts are the silvanas. Made of cashew meringue wafers coated with cookie crumbs enveloping buttercream, it is a decadent delight for many dessert lovers.

Sambos, on the other hand, is the twin dessert of silvanas, wherein cocoa powder and coffee are added to the buttercream before sandwiching it between cashew meringue wafers then coating the resulting confection with chocolate cake crumbs.

After a bout of shopping, Hubby brought home a box for the kids to get a taste of these desserts. I found that these differ from traditional versions by having a rounder, puffier shape as opposed to the ones from Dumaguete that are more disc-shaped.

You can get these meringues at Brownies Unlimited for Php40 a piece or get a box of 6 for Php220.

These silvanas and sambos go well with coffee for a post-meal dessert or with iced tea for a late afternoon sweet snack. These are also great for pasalubong, contributions for potluck parties or as holiday gifts for dessert lovers.

It’s best to keep them frozen prior to serving.

So, are you Team Silvanas or Team Sambos? How about Team Both? 🙂

Check them out are your nearest Brownies Unlimited outlet.

Brownies Unlimited also delivers via GrabFood and FoodPanda.

Chinese dinner feast from Eat Fresh Famous Hongkong Street Food, Maybunga

Back when I used to spend a lot of time in San Juan for work, one of the potential highlights of the day would be a visit to Eat Fresh Famous Hongkong Street Food along Jose Abad Santos Street.

This unassuming resto is famous for serving tasty and affordable dimsum, street food and claypot rice toppings.

Since my office moved locations a few years ago, I haven’t been able to go back there for a Chinese food trip, and when the quarantine was effected last March, a trip to San Juan became all the more unlikely.

Imagine my delight when I discovered that a new branch opened right in my hometown of Pasig City. Better yet, it delivers via GrabFood!

So I took advantage of GrabFood’s FREE delivery promo for my Friday night dinner with the kiddos, and we feasted on:

Salt and Pepper Spareribs (Php322). One of my favorite Chinese dishes made with pork spare ribs seasoned with salt, chili peppers and five spice powder, then deep fried until the outside is crispy to complement the tender meat inside.

Lemon Chicken (Php322). Crispy lightly battered chicken breast pieces doused in a sweet and tangy sticky sauce. For my daughter, a Chinese meal is not complete without this dish.

3 Kinds Mushroom (Php270). This dish is the answer to this mommy question: “How do I get my kids to eat more healthy food?” Well, this delectable dish made with three different kinds of mushroom braised in flavorful oyster sauce got my kids to expand their palates to non-meat dishes.

Special Fried Rice (Php138). Filipino comedian Jo Koy tells how his dad said “Rice is rice.” Well, I beg to differ. This rice dish is special: cold day-old rice is tossed with meat, seafood and scrambled in a wok and flavored with soy sauce, aromatics and other seasonings. It goes so well with almost any Chinese dish that I can’t imagine eating Chinese food with any other type of rice dish.

So foodies, if you’ve got a craving for Asian flavors, bring out your phone and check your food delivery apps. There might be an Eat Fresh branch that delivers in your area.

This Eat Fresh Famous Hongkong Street Food is located along C. Raymundo Avenue, Maybunga, Pasig City, open daily from 10am to 7pm. For delivery, call +63 915 5827695 or course your order through GrabFood.

Download the Grab App and get a discount on your first food order when you use my code: GRABJELLYBEANS.

Other branches are located at:

691 Jose Abad Santos Street, Little Baguio, San Juan City
92 Jose Abad Santos Street, Behind Little Baguio City Hall, Little Baguio, San Juan City
32 General Ordoñez Corner Bayan-Bayanan Avenue, Marikina Heights, Marikina City
100-A Maria Clara Street, Santo Domingo, Banawe, Quezon City
48 President’s Avenue, BF Homes, Parañaque City

Check out my reviews of other Asian restaurants:

Donut takeout from Krispy Kreme, SM Megamall

As some of you may have gathered from my previous blog posts, my kiddos are avid Krispy Kreme fans. Since the start of the quarantine, we have been relying on delivery services to get our hands on these donut treats.

However, when Hubby and I recently went shopping for school supplies at SM Megamall, our first visit to this mall since March, the opportunity to grab a box or two of Krispy Kreme donuts presented itself.

As required among all mall-based retail outlets, Krispy Kreme’s branch at SM Megamall adheres to safety and sanitation protocols such as requiring patrons to wear face masks and face shields, answer a contact-tracing questionnaire and sanitize hands prior to entering the store premises.

Dining in is no longer allowed, so unlike during my previous visits before the quarantine, there were no customers hanging out inside the store. In fact, only a handful of customers are allowed to be inside the store to maintain physical distancing.

All those restrictions are well worth following to keep ourselves safe. Plus, Hubby and I were still able to bring home a dozen Krispy Kreme donuts for the kiddos (which I paid for using GCash, again, to minimize physical contact).

I got a Box of 12 (Php425) which contains Krispy Kreme’s “light as a cloud, melt in your mouth, pillows of goodness” yeast-raised donuts. Since the fam fave is still the Original Glazed donut, the package included nine of those.

I just added a piece each of Red Velvet, New York Cheesecake and Kreme-filled with Gold Sprinkles for variety and to complete the dozen.

Needless to say, the kiddos were delighted with our pasalubong and the fam demolished the donuts in no time.

I’m glad that despite the pandemic and the restrictions brought about by the quarantine, we are still able to enjoy simple and delish delights such as these.

This Krispy Kreme branch is located at Upper Ground Floor, Building A, SM Megamall, Ortigas, Mandaluyong City.

To get your box of donuts, call +63 2 88879000, order online or via GrabFood.

Buyers’ guide for charcoal grills on a budget

If the sight of dancing flames giving way to glowing red charcoals, the smoky aroma of the barbecue tickling your nostrils and the satisfying sound of sizzling food as they cook on a gridiron make your mouth water, then grilling is for you!

There’s something so primal about creating and tending a fire in the great outdoors to cook your food. It seems to harken back to when our cavemen ancestors would gather around bonfires to cook the spoils of their hunt. That prehistoric experience is mirrored in backyard barbecues, with people gathering around in a festive atmosphere while most of the action takes place on top of the grill.

Charcoal grills comprise the most popular category of outdoor grills, dominating pop culture images of barbecues from movies to TV ads. While some cooks would cite the time it takes to stoke a fire up to the temperature required for cooking as a disadvantage, expert grillers would argue that the authentic smoky flavor it brings to grilled food as its strongest appeal.

Even if you’re considering to buy a grill on a low budget, you still need to consider other factors to help you choose the right one for your needs, such as:

How many people you plan to grill for. This will help you choose the size of charcoal grill to buy. A small one (26 inches at the widest point or less) is suitable for grilling for two or for a small family. Medium-sized grills (between 27 to 33 inches) are perfect for grilling for larger families, while large ones (34 inches or bigger) are appropriate for large clan gatherings or neighborhood cookout parties.

Where you plan to use it. If there is a designated area in your patio or backyard for it, you can choose free-standing grill that can stay in a fixed position. If you don’t have a fixed spot for it or you plan to bring it along when you travel, you would need one that’s more lightweight and portable.

Royal Gourmet CD1824E 24-inch Charcoal BBQ Grill Outdoor Picnic Patio Cooking Backyard Party Weber 40020 Smokey Joe Premium 14-Inch Portable Grill , Black

Char-Broil 12201570-A1 American Gourmet Offset Smoker, Black,Standard

Buying a charcoal grill may be your first step towards many tasty food adventures so be sure to take the time and the effort to weigh your options and choose carefully.

This post contains affiliate links.

5 ways Cafe Mary Grace’s ensaymada solves your holiday gifting dilemma

Ooh yes! We’re in the BER months now and, for many, the countdown to Christmas has begun.

And you know what we’re all excited for during the holidays, right?

Gifts, course!

Showering our loved ones with presents is one of the most rewarding feelings.

However, given the new situations we are faced with due to the still raging pandemic and different phases of community quarantine it necessitates, we may have to adjust our holiday gift-giving strategy.

So let me present the case for Cafe Mary Grace’s Ensaymadas as your go-to holiday present for your nears-and-dears.

1. Ensaymadas are rich in history.

Did you know that the origin ensaymadas can be traced all the way back to the 17th century in the Balearic Islands in Mallorca, Spain?

During celebrations and festivities, Mallorcan bakers would combine strong flour, water, sugar, eggs, mother dough and a kind of reduced pork lard called saim, from which the resulting pastry, the ensaimada de Mallorca, gets its name.

The ensaymada found its may to the Philippines during the Spanish colonization and is now among the most common delicacies in the country, found in most neighborhood bakeshops. Modifications made from the Mallorcan original include the use of butter instead of lard, as well as the addition of sugar and grated cheese.

It has even become part of our Christmas tradition to enjoy these pastries together with a cup of hot tsokolate made with local tableya.

2. They’re also steeped in good childhood memories.

Most of us can recall those afternoons we spent enjoying an ensaymada roll or two – still warm and fresh from the neighborhood bakery – for merienda after playtime with our childhood pals, right?

3. Cafe Mary Grace’s Ensaymadas is an upgrade of our childhood ensaymada.

Cafe Mary Grace made its name from the homemade goodness of its cakes and baked goods. Its ensaymadas are no different.

Made with 100% real butter and eggs as well as topped with grated Edam cheese, these soft and fluffy pastries have that combination of sweet and salty flavors we Pinoys so adore with a premium and delicate mouthfeel.

4. They already come beautifully packaged.

For just Php658, you can already get a pretty box of six ensaymadas, ready for gifting.

The ensaymada pieces are also individually wrapped so it’s no hassle to give them out to guests as desserts during small gatherings or save a few pieces for later munching.

Boxes of eight pieces and twelve pieces are also available at Php756 and Php1,098, respectively.

5. They’re easy to get.

Given all the restrictions on retail operations and protocols on social distancing, Cafe Mary Grace has made it easy for its customers to get their offerings by making them available online so there’s no need to line up to get a hold of them.

Orders may be coursed through Cafe Mary Grace’s website for pickup or via GrabFood for delivery.

These pastries will arrive chilled as they were taken fresh from the chiller. Before serving, only thaw out the number of pieces you want to eat. Do this by placing an ensaymada in a bowl, covered with a damp cloth, and microwave for ten seconds on the lowest heat settings to restore its original softness.

So go ahead and gift yourself and your loved ones with a box of Cafe Mary Grace Ensaymadas this Christmas!

This Cafe Mary Grace branch is located at Ground Floor, SM City East Ortigas, Ortigas Avenue Extension, Santa Lucia, Pasig City.

Pasig: Rockwell Business Center, Ayala Malls Feliz, Estancia Mall
Quezon City: Eastwood Mall, Robinsons Galleria, Gateway Mall, UP Town Center, Trinoma Mall, SM City North EDSA, SM City Fairview, Ayala Fairview Terraces
Marikina: SM City Marikina
Mandaluyong: Shangri-la Plaza
San Juan: Unimart Greenhills
Taguig: Uptown Place Mall, Serendra, St. Luke’s Medical Center, One Bonifacio High Street, Venice Grand Canal Mall
Makati: Powerplant Mall, Steps Dance Studio, Century City Mall, The Enterprise Center, Greenbelt 2
Manila: SM City Manila, SM City San Lazaro, Lucky Chinatown Mall
Pasay: Mall of Asia Arena Annex, SM Mall of Asia
Paranaque: SM City BF
Las Pinas: SM Southmall
Muntinlupa: Alabang Town Center, Festival Mall

Fried Chicken ‘n Biscuits at Popeyes

Contrary to my initial assumption, Popeyes Louisiana Chicken, Inc. was not named after my childhood hero Popeye the Sailorman. Instead, owner Al Copeland always claimed that his inspiration for the name of his fried chicken company was Det. Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle, Gene Hackman’s character in The French Connection.

That wrong assumption aside, I had no other expectations when Hubby requested that we take advantage of Popeyes’ free delivery promo to get some of this resto’s famous fried chicken for our merienda.

We have been busy working from home ever since the start of the community quarantine and one of the usual highlights of our workday is our afternoon snack break.

‘Tis the start of the season for fam celebrations with Silverspoon

Just like that: September is here, momshies. And so begins the world’s longest Christmas season.

And while the whole world is still battling that dread virus, you still shouldn’t let it keep you from celebrating what joys you can, right?

Life does go on, so let’s celebrate it with good food, especially now when you won’t have to slave away in the kitchen to serve the fam a show-stopping meal, thanks to SilverSpoon.

The brainchild of thirty-year-old financial advisor and budding food entrepreneur Decebelle Montefrio, SilverSpoon brings tasty gourmet dishes to your table for your family to enjoy.

It was Decie’s dream since her college days to pursue her love of cooking and have her own food business. When the pandemic struck the country a few months after she returned to the Philippines from Canada, she decided to set up an online food business instead. By June this year, Decie has launched SilverSpoon, offering viands that appeal to the Pinoy palate which are also close to her heart such as:

Roasted Potato Wedge Snack (Php180). Generous wedges of potatoes, flavored with herbs and seasoning and oven-roasted until golden brown. It’s great for munching while binge-watching your favorite TV shows, or as a appetizer to a fabulous meal.

Butter Garlic Shrimp Platter (Php630). Plump shrimps lightly breaded and coated in a flavorful sauce of butter and garlic, great with lots and lots of rice! Also available in a solo meal with rice and veggies for Php230.

Honey Garlic Liempo Platter (Php380). Tender grilled pork belly glazed in a sweet-savory honey garlic sauce. Also available in a solo meal with rice and veggies for Php150.

Lechon Kawali Solo Meal (Php150). Deep fried pork belly with crunchy skin and flavorful meat served with rice and veggies. Also avail also as a Platter for Php360.

Spicy Adobo Solo Meal (Php150). Decie’s childhood pork adobo recipe with a bit of a spicy kick. True to the adage that adobo gets better in its second serving, leftovers from this generously portioned dish were also great as adobo flakes the next day. Also available as a Platter for Php350.

To order a belly-filling and heart-warming gourmet meal for your family, message SilverSpoon on Facebook or Instagram, or text +63 936 8102017. Pre-orders for next-day delivery are accepted until cut-off at 8pm. Payments via GCash, BPI or BDO, as well as cash on delivery are accepted. Orders may be delivered from SilverSpoon’s kitchens in Commonwealth, Quezon City to anywhere in Metro Manila (delivery fee to be shouldered by the buyer).

So, momshies, have a merry early start to your holiday celebrations with SilverSpoon!

Disclosure: Product samples were provided to facilitate an honest review.

Check out my blog posts on other small enterprises and startups in the food business:

Filling sub sandwiches from Subway

Did you know that the submarine sandwich, also known as the hoagie, hero or grinder, is said to have originated from the Italian-American communities in northeastern US in the early to mid-20th century?

It got its most famous moniker due to its shape: the cylindrical bread roll housing its hearty fillings resembles the shape of a submarine.

Its nickname, the hoagie, came about in Philadelphia in the 1950s when Italian-Americans working at the Hog Island shipyard started putting various meats, cheeses and lettuce between two slices of bread.

Subway, the largest restaurant chain in the world, specializes in subs.

From its beginnings in the Fresno, California in 1978, Subway has steadily conquered the rest of the globe, setting up shops in Asia and even appearing prominently in popular K-Dramas.

Maybe it was its high visibility in his favorite Korean dramas that drove my Hubby to start ordering sandwiches from Subway to be delivered via GrabFood whenever he gets peckish while working from home.

And why would I complain when he so generously orders subs for the rest of the fam so that everyone has something to tide us over until dinnertime.

6″ Italian (Php138). Hubby’s go-to sub is made of spicy pepperoni and salami with crisp veggies and peppers in a toasted bun.

6″ BLT (Php138). One of my mottos is “Bacon makes everything better.” Well, it surely does! Sandwich some bacon slices together with lettuce and tomato in freshly toasted buns and you’ve got a great sub!

6″ Steak and Cheese (Php184). Inspired by the classic Philly hoagie, this sub features lean and tender steak with crisp lettuce, sliced onions and tomatoes and topped with melted cheese in a freshly toasted bun.

6″ Roast Beef (Php184). Lean and tender slices of roast beef with sliced cucumbers, onions, tomatoes and peppers in a freshly toasted bun.

With these tasty and filling subs, the wait for dinner doesn’t seem so long, right?

And with Metro Manila back on moderate enhanced community quarantine (MECQ), we don’t have to leave the safety of our homes to have our subs. We can just have them delivered right to our doorsteps just by ordering from GrabFood, LalaFood or FoodPanda.

Mixed donut treats from Krispy Kreme

Does your fam love donuts?

Mine sure do!

And, boy, we do all go crazy over these sweet little creations from Krispy Kreme!

Krispy Kreme has been around for over fifty years, with families in the southern United States making a trip to their local Krispy Kreme branch their weekly ritual. Then, in the 1990s, Krispy Kreme underwent a massive expansion by opening branches coast to coast.

The brand reached our shores back in 2006 when it opened its first Philippine branch in Bonifacio Global City.

Today, it is firmly entrenched in the hearts (and palates!) of Pinoy donut lovers.

To give my fam a taste of the various donut possibilities that Krispy Kreme can bring, I recently ordered a Mixed Dozen (Php470) to be delivered to our home.

This includes a box containing six pieces of Krispy Kreme’s original glazed (also know as “OG”) donuts and a box containing six pieces of assorted donut flavors.

The OG donuts are Krispy Kreme’s signature flavor, made from Krispy Kreme’s donut mix, water and yeast, which are mixed, fried and glazed in accordance to strict specifications to produce that light and fluffy donuts we so love.

As for the other six pieces, we got a variety of flavors for the fam to discover and enjoy: KitKat Chocolate, KitKat Matcha, Glazed Vanilla Cake, Double Chocolate Cake and Glazed Chocolate Cake.

So despite the still ongoing community quarantine, donut lovers can still get their donut cravings satisfied by having their Krispy Kreme donuts delivered just like we did!

Plus, here’s some good news for donut fans! From August 17 to 20, you can have six Original Glazed, three ring-filled Choco Iced Kreme Filled, a New York Cheesecake, a KitKat Chocolate and a Red Velvet delivered to your doorstep for just Php399 if you course your order online or through +63 2 88879000 (Metro Manila Hotline), thanks to Krispy Kreme’s Delivery Dozen Deal.

Check out which Krispy Kreme stores are open near you.

Do you know what else is available for delivery? A Krispy Kreme OG Card, that’s what! Get this card to start enjoying freebies such as a half-dozen OG donuts for every order of a dozen OGs, as well as a free box of three OGs on your birthday and more!