Janice sizzles in the kitchen

MANILA, Philippines - When cooking, Janice de Belen is in her element.

The knife flashes brightly as she cuts the onion and garlic to pieces with precision in an amazing speed. She effortlessly flips the chicken in the pan, even without looking, and while regaling her viewers with vignettes of her kitchen experiences. Despite a few tense moments due to a minor kitchen mishap, Janice is all poise and grace — nary a hair out of place and without missing a beat.

It is no wonder that her job as the host of Net 25’s Spoon fits her to a T. This job, along with a dream to put up a food-based business, inspired her to take up culinary lessons.

She graduated with a diploma in Culinary Arts under Chef Gene Gonzales at the Center for Asian Culinary Studies in San Juan.

“I want to open up a restaurant in the next few years,” Janice says.

She has taken the first few steps toward this dream by selling delicious, home-made cookies online. With the help of her techie kids, Janice set up a Facebook page titled Inspiration Kitchen by Janice de Belen for those who want to get a glimpse of her creations.

Below are some of the kitchen management tips Janice shares on Tipspoon:

On food storage: Pack meats, vegetables and fruits and leftover food separately. Use Glad Freezer Zipper Bags for raw chicken, pork, beef and other meat. Vegetables and fruits can be stored in Glad Storage Zipper Bags. For leftover food, a small amount of dry food can be stored in Glad Zipper Bags while wet, soupy leftovers can be kept in Gladware Containers with Interlocking Lids.

To cut marinating time: Marinating meat in Glad Freezer bags saves you time because it cuts marinating time into half. Just pop the food in the pan or oven when it’s time to cook.   

On potluck contributions: Bake cookies or pastries in Glad OvenWare. Don’t forget to line the bottom of the pan with Glad Cook ‘n Bake paper to eliminate the need to grease. Use the same Glad Ovenware to store and serve the food.

Catch more helpful kitchen tips from Janice and Glad Food Wraps and Bags in Spoon which airs every Sunday at 6:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. with replays on Saturdays at 11 a.m.