Easiest Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe vs The Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

Hey! I know I've been out-of-the-loop for so long, but you have to understand that I've switched careers now.

Anyway, I decided to create a new blogpost because I got my hands on a recipe that promised to be the BEST CHOCOLATE CHIP recipe!

But before I give you the deets on that, I'd like to explain my love for everyone's favorite cookie.

You see, ever since I could remember, I always LOVED these cookies. In fact, some of my earliest childhood memories involve me, my brother, and a huge can of chocolate chip cookies, and a whole lot of ants. Don't ask.

Anyway, on my recent trip back home to Davao, I found some really awesome cookies just lying on the table. I took a bite and it was magic! The cookies were crunchy on the outside and soft and fudgy on the inside. Plus, the chocolate swirled within the cookie. Amazeballs! I was even more amazed when I learned that my youngest brother made them based on an easy-as-pie recipe similar to this:

Now, if you had the patience to actually watch the video, you'd realize that the recipe wasn't very complicated. In fact, it was so simple it was almost fool proof. And the finished product was awesome.

So that piqued my interest in creating the BEST chocolate chip cookie eveeeeer!

So I went to my go-to site for Filipino Cooking (pepper.ph) and searched for an article about chocolate chip cookies. That lead me to the recipe linked in the first part of this post.

This recipe was awesome! It used Brown Butter (for a nutty/toffee-ish flavor), as well as several different techniques (blending white sugar with eggs, whisking brown sugar with butter et al) that I thought would make for an interesting cookie. So I followed the recipe to a tee and this is what I got:

I made Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies, Chocolate Chip Cookies with Sea Salt, and Chocolate Chip Cookies with Melted Marshmallow Toppings.

Were they good? They were great! Were they the BEST? Probably not. Oddly enough, I still prefer the texture of the first (Easy Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe) better.

Moral of the story? Complicated procedures don't always produce the best finished product. if you are going to try either of the recipes I posted here, try the simpler one first.

Top 10 Most Unforgettable Confessions of a Partyphile Moments

If you don’t already know, Confessions of a Partyphile, my radio show, is ending this Wednesday. It has been a glorious four-year ride on the show but times are changing and I have to do something for myself. To celebrate the end of a wonderful era in my personal and professional career, I’m counting down the most unforgettable moments on the show. Here they are:

10.) The first-ever Confessions of a Partyphile show: How can I forget? I thought about the segments for weeks and weeks and it was finally time to execute it. I came up with some segments that I still use until the last day of my radio show like the DRINK OF THE WEEK and EVENT UPDATES. I had a very limited play list as party music was just on its way to going mainstream. I remember the first show included Don’t Stop the Music by Rihanna and Insomnia by Craig David. Yes, it’s been that long.

9.) I got a message from an African-American New Yorker: I know this doesn’t seem very grand, but an African-America New Yorker dropped me a message on Facebook telling me that he had been staying in the Philippines for a couple of weeks and he religiously listened to Confessions of a Partyphile for two reasons: 1.) His girlfriend was a huge fan and 2.) My show reminded him of home. According to him, Confessions of a Partyphile sounded like it was right out of New York radio. It was a very proud and humbling moment for me because it gave me the sense that I was doing something right. That Confessions of a Partyphile actually measured up to international standards.

8.) Steve Midnight saying bye bye: I was on the air with Steve Midnight for over two years and there is no doubt that he was the best on-air partner I had ad he became such a dear friend. His departure changed the whole dynamic of the show and really felt like half of Confessions of a Partyphile left with him. In the end, I truly believe that th show was as much his as it was mine.

7.) Debuting Make It Better: It was Alessandra de Rossi’s first single off her first album. We debuted the song before anyone else in Philippine radio; and it was extra special because Alessandra is a good friend and the type of music she made was not very radio-friendly. I felt like having the opportunity to play a song that is not very radio-friendly was a big deal in advancing her musical career as well as introducing a new genre of music to the local audience. Plus, Alex took time out of her busy schedule to tune in the whole time.

6.) Having Chef Bautista on the show: Chef Bautista was a guest chef for Marco Polo Davao’s French food festival. His usual clientele included some of the 100 richest people in the Philippines and he got his culinary education in Le Cordon Bleu; arguably the finest culinary school in the world. And because I am me, I asked him to share pulutan recipes. I just find it funny how I had such an amazing and cultured chef on the show and the only thing I asked him for was the simplest pulutan recipe he had that went well with beer.

5.)

4.) Having Chef Sharwin Tee on the show: Chef Sharwin Tee is the host of Lifestyle Network’s Curiosity Got the Chef. Because I am a fan of the show, the network, the chef, and food in general, it was a really thrilling experience to have Chef Sharwin on the show, sharing his recipes and culinary-know-how with our listeners.

3.) Drink of the Week: Bastard Series: The Bastard series is a five-drink menu that includes a starter (Gin Fizz), The three bastard drinks ( Suffering Bastard, Dying Bastard, Dead Bastard), and a closing drink (Bastard in Heaven). This five-set cocktail menu is the most lethal drink combo you can ever consume. It is set that only a special breed actually make it to the fourth drink. We gave the recipe out on the air, and I had the most overwhelming response from the listeners who wanted to get the recipe. Consequently, my blog post which contained the recipe for the Bastard Series became one of the most popular ones on my blog.

2.) Having 2,000 Online Listeners: This made me realize that people actually listened to my show. There was an episode of Confessions of a Partyphile where we actually reached 2,000. During that episode, we started with about 800 listeners, and by the time we ended we had more than 2,000. Once we ended the show, the number of online listeners gradually decreased to 500. What made it special is the fact that they actually listened and partied with me for the duration of the show; and that told me that people were actually responding to the show.

1.) Debuting Happiness by Alexis Jordan: Happiness by Alexis Jordan was released on September 7, 2010. We started playing it on the show the same day it came out, September 8 in the Philippines. Everybody loved the song, and it started to pick up. They started playing it in Manila clubs six months after, and I even heard it played in a club in Dumaguete a year after. I’ve always felt like Confessions of a Partyphile helped bring the song in the forefront, or we just got really lucky to be the first to debut a song that would become an instant dancefloor classic.

Saying Goodbye to Confessions of a Partyphile (The Radio Show)

I started Confessions of a Partyphile on October 2008. At face value, Confessions of a Partyphile seemed like any other radio show. It had a host, music was played, and there were assigned segments and topics for the night. But in many ways, Confessions of a Partyphile was the first of its kind.

It was the first locally-produced radio talk show that played purely party music; it was the first radio show that promoted partying as a way of life, and it was the first locally-produced radio show to have regular events.

When I started this radio show, it came as a surprise. Mostly because I was very new to the industry, and the opportunity to be given a chance to start a special show was reserved for more seasoned of DJs. I do not know what Miss Joey, our station manager, saw in me at that time, but I am most grateful that she gave me this platform to promote what I believe in.

When Confessions of a Partyphile started, people thought it was controversial. To be promoting drinking and partying in mass media was something that did not sit well with everybody. However, the true reason why I started Confessions of a Partyphile, the newspaper column—blog—and radio show four years ago, was to educate young partyphiles on the Dos and Donts of partying. The truth is, the party scene, or PARTYLANDIA as I call it, can change you. A young partyphile could see some bad behaviour and feel like it is appreciated in the party scene and mimic it. I put it upon myself to be the voice of reason, telling these partyphiles that you can have fun without throwing away your values.

Thus, aside from talking about good alcohol, how to cure a hangover, or how to dress for a party; I also talked about party etiquette, and setting limitations. Contrary to popular belief, this was not a show that capitalized on gimmicks, hoopla, and controversy. I just said what I thought people needed to hear; to know; and to feel.

So, I think it is only fitting that I end the show on its fourth year. In a sense, you, my dear listener, have graduated from Partyphile College. In many ways, I have given everything I know about the partyphile lifestyle, there isn’t much more to be exhausted from the unfortunately very limited brain space I have for useful information. So I think that I have achieved what I have set out to do. I have imparted my knowledge, I have entertained, I have informed, and I have become part of many people’s lives.

You, my dear listener, have let me into your life. You had made me part of your Wednesday habit. Whether you listen to me by accident or whether you tune in religiously, the fact that you have shared with me an on-going conversation about the partyphile lifestyle is a lot to be thankful for.

I am leaving the show to move on to other things, but I would like you to know that you have made this booth my home. And no matter where life takes me, it will always ring true, that there is no place like home. There is no place like Mix FM. There is no place like Confessions of a Partyphile.

I’d like to thank Ms Joey for all the understanding and the opportunity to do what I want and need to do and for allowing me to grow under her mentorship. For making all the ads for my events, for the friendship, all the tips, and gossip, and the moments we shared by your office door. More importantly, Ms Joey always told me about things to look out for, and people to stay away from, because she is genuinely concerned about how I do inside and outside the booth.

I thank Jack Savage for being like an older brother to everyone in the station and for giving me the best party songs in Davao and for allowing me to debut the freshest party songs, other radio shows haven’t even heard of. I know it must have been added work for him to actually look for songs to fill my show with, but it was all worth it in the end. People always tell me that I play great music on my show, but I take no credit for it. It is all Jack Savage’s work.

To Sonny B who had always made me feel like I could be good at DJing; that I was doing something right. His opinion meant much to me, and the fact that his opinion of me was always positive lets me know that somebody who is an industry institution sees something in the work that I do.

To all my co-DJs past and present, thank you very much. To Alexy and Lee: who would have thought I would last four years as a DJ? To Gab who has grown soo much as a Dj and as a person. To Raven and Trip who are doing soo well compared to when they started out. I remember during their earlier days as DJs, we would be teaching them the rules and the guidelines, and sometimes they’ve stuck by it and sometimes they’ve bent all the rules; but they’ve really grown to be wonderful radio jocks. To Miss Steph who is always cool and is like the sensible but jolly older sister I never had. To Sir George Booke whose timeslot I took over; thank you for trusting me with Wednesday evenings. To all my partners past, Chris Chase, Wacky, and Steve Midnight, for all the friendship and putting up with my weirdness and endless farting inside the booth. To Ate Mae and Ate Mai and Kuya Armald and Kuya Ruel, I’m sure you’re going to miss me and my kakulitan but not as much as I’m going to miss all your help and the friendship you were so willing to give me. The truth is, there are many other companies that have better salaries or benefits than mix fm, but for me Mix FM is more than just a company I work for. Mix FM is a family, it is a second home, it is a place where I found friends that will last me a lifetime.

To all the people from bastis brew who are as much part of the mix fm family as we are theirs, thank you very much. Thank you to all my sponsors, to everyone who goes to my parties, to edge davao, to marco polo davao, to dj gary, dj torch, and most especially to you my dear listeners for making the last four years a truly truly magical time in my life.

Not everyone is given the chance to live their dreams; you made it possible for me. And for that, I am forever grateful. 

Drink of the Week: Dead Dog Vomit

There are not many cocktails scarier than the DEAD DOG VOMIT as far as I'm concerned. The alcohol content in this is just redunkulous and the taste is not very pleasant either. Needless to say, it gives me the shivers. Which is why I thought of it to be the perfect cocktail for Halloween. Here is how you make this dreadful cocktail:


Step # 1

Grab a cocktail glass.

Step # 2

Layer some Bacardi 151, Jagermeister, and Tequila.

Step # 3

Drink.

Step # 4

Pass out.

Youtube Channels to Subscribe To

Sometimes, it is less about the show and more about the channel. This is especially true when talking about Youtube channels to follow. With the internet now being the more popular entertainment platform it is no surprise that more and more people are skipping the boob tube and going straight to their laptops. However, with popularity comes clutter. Unlike in the world of television where only those that can afford to put up a station or show, anyone with an internet connection and camera can upload their own video online. Thus, the most popular video streaming site in the world, Youtube, is unsurprisingly filled with as much clutter as it is filled with videos people would actually want to watch.

Now, watching a video is one thing, while actually subscribing to a channel is a whole different ball game. For a person to subscribe to a Youtube channel it has to be: 1.) filled with great content. 2.) updated regularly, and 3.) be entertaining to the subscriber.

Unfortunately, actually finding channels that are worth your time in a site that is filled with gazillions of random videos may not be as easy as the three-step process above. Thankfully (for you), I have rounded up some of the most interesting Youtube channels that are worth subscribing to, or at the very least, checking out.

1.)    Youtube Channel: Househacker

The channel features videos of “life hacks” or simple tips that help solve everyday problems or inconveniences using common household items. The tips are usually contributed by other Youtubers and are dramatized by the people behind Househacker to show you exactly how to use the tips. These life hack videos are about two to three minutes long and are collections of ten-second tips that actually figure to be very handy. Some popular tips include how to make your own stylus, how to unclog a shower head, how to clean your windows with cola, and how to unseal an envelope.

2.)    Youtube Channel: StarKid Productions

StarKid Productions is a channel that is full of full length musicals divided into several Youtube videos. The channel rose to popularity with A Very Potter Musical, a pardody based on the JK Rowling novel, Harry Potter. The star of the online musical is Darren Chris, the half-Filipino star of hit television series, Glee. Chris also writes and composes the songs in A Very Potter Musical with his friend AJ Holmes. Aside from the Potter parody, the channel also features a musical parody of Batman entitled Holy Smoke, B@man, and a musical based on Sci-Fi flicks. The greatest strength of this channel lies in the fact that unlike most Youtube channels that feature a short segment or show, StarKid Productions actually features full-length musicals which sets them apart from billions of other channels on the site.

3.)    Youtube Channel: Fedde Le Grand TV

Fedde Le Grand is one of the top DJs in the world and is popular for hits like Diamonds In the Sky, Soundtracks and Comebacks, and Put Your Hands Up for Detroit. In his Youtube Channel, viewers get to be right there with him as he plays the grandest venues in the world, tours the world, creates magic in the studio, and even get to hear his latest singles first! Any partyphile would enjoy the site because of the gorgeous visuals, the gobsmackingly good house music, and the raw energy a really good party brings. Plus, it gives you new gems for your iPod play list.

4.)    Youtube Channel: Entertainment News Television (ENTV)

This Youtube Channel is kind of like the E! for Youtube. It is a collaboration between some of the most respected names in online entertainment news such as Deadline.com, TVLine.co, HollywoodLife.com, and Movieline.com. They give out the freshest and most up-to-date entertainment news that are categorized under different focuses including: Spoiler Alert (a play list dedicated to squealing some television series spoilers, Reality Check! (a play list dedicated to commentaries on reality-based talent shows, Breaking Entertainment News television (that gives all the latest global entertainment news), Movie News, TV News, Hollywood movie trailers, Gossip, and Celebrity News. They dish out information-packed videos in less than ten minutes to give any Hollywood-craving Youtube user their daily fix of everything showbiz.

5.)    Youtube Channel: Tipsy Bartender

The Tipsy Bartender is a Youtube channel that teaches viewers how to make cocktails. Unlike most bartending channels on Youtube, this one actually has some entertainment value in it. The videos on the channel are usually hosted by a very attractive girl who shares recipes of cocktails that give a nod to pop culture like cocktails named after the popular television show, Walking Dead. Tipsy Bartneder also shares videos on how to spike the most mundane ingredients like gummy bears or a 7-11 Slurpee to turn it into really good (and really potent) party fare. This one is the definite choice for the fun loving partyphile who wants to learn how to mix a cocktail or spike everything in sight.

Drink of the Week: Pink Gin Spritzer

The Pink Gin Spritzer is said to be a great Hangover Helper because it has some fruit juice in it which gives you some vitamins, it has some fizz in it which helps quench your thirst, and it has some alcohol in it too which makes you hangover-free.


To make the Pink Gin Spritzer:

In a tall glass with ice,  combine :

• one shot of gin
•  two shots of cranberry juice
•  a teaspoon of grenadine 
• and then fill to the brim with some soda water

Tip of the Day: Learn to cure a hangover

It is essential for anybody who intends to keep on drinking that they know how to manage their alcohol. More importantly, the responsibility of knowing how to cure a hangover if and when it happens is something that is much more important than probably anything else in your life.

 Thus, we suggest that you keep following this blog and memorize the best ways to cure a hangover.