Pasalubong Special 2

Dried mangoes are a treat in themselves though you might stumble into some with more fiber than you'd like. But this again is a leveled up version of this wonderful treat. Dried mango covered in dark chocolate. Yummm!!!

Each mango seems to have been selected so there are no fibrous pieces. Mango and chocolate blend in smooth harmony on the tongue. The only complaint I have is the price (P400 for a box of 12). But it is very good. Enjoy!

Pasalubong Special

December brings in a lot of gifts. This is one of a native delicacy which has leveled up in my opinion: JR's Special Arrowroot Cookies. I just know these as uraro.

I am not a fan of uraro cookies but these are truly special. Usually uraro cookies have a powdery texture that crumbles easily but these have a smoother, crisp exterior. And then, when you bite into them, that trademark powdery texture of uraro comes in a melt-in-your-mouth surprise. These are the best uraro cookies I've tasted, not to mention the best-looking to boot. It would make a great gift for any balikbayan friends and relatives. 

Szechwan Eggplant

Eggplants in the ref were begging to be cooked... eggplant experiment #2 is based on this recipe here. Two eggplants down, one to go...

Recipe called for four tbsp. of soy sauce but I may have added more than called for using the tantya-tantya (i.e., guesstimating) method; the result was slightly too salty for me. Note to self: maybe add a bit more sugar and less soy sauce.

So per policy of using what is available, mixed maybe more than four tbsp. of mushroom soy sauce, two tbsp. oyster sauce, a dab of spicy ketchup in lieu of chili sauce, a tsp. of sugar, chicken broth, and black pepper in a bowl.

Sauteed three cloves of minced garlic and a tiny amount of ginger (must add more next time... the ginger flavor was nice) in a dab of melted margarine, followed by some ground beef and then eggplant. Slowly added in the sauce mix. When it was almost done, put in cornstarch mixed with water to thicken sauce. 

Lunch is served. Self assessment: edible but can still be improved. If ingredients are available for another future attempt at this Szechwan eggplant recipe, maybe the omitted green onions, shrimp and sesame oil from the original recipe would spell the difference. 

P.S. Sauteed carrot slices and mixed with the leftovers. Result is prettier dish, less salty with a touch of sweet. [29 December 2014]

Rice Experiment 1

Seem inspired to cook today. First, I did the chicken spread recipe my mother taught me when I was young. Then I tried cooking the rice for dinner using the byproduct: chicken broth. 

Tonight's ulam was very simple: canned tuna in oil sauteed with onions. 

The more complex part was the rice. After successfully cooking the rice in chicken broth, the second part of tonight's rice experiment was conducted as follows:

• minced and sauteed about six cloves of garlic in some of the tuna oil and a bit of margarine, followed by a diced half-carrot;
• added about two or three spoonfuls of the tuna with onion;
• then put half of the chicken broth rice into the pan;
• as a final touch, beat an egg white (unused from a previous night's recipe that called for one egg yolk) and mixed it with the rice, stirring continuously until no evidence of raw egg white was left.

So we had two versions of rice for tonight: plain and fried chicken broth rice.

When I tasted the plain version, I could not tell the difference between our regular rice and the chicken broth rice, but my sisters appreciated both versions. The proof is that there were no leftovers tonight. Bitin daw. 

Yay! Another successful experiment. =)

Eggplant Experiment

If you grew up hearing how incompetent you are and this verbal non-affirmation occurred exclusively while assisting your grand-aunt in the kitchen, then you'd understand why, while I do like to eat, I avoid the kitchen at all costs. But days come when you have to fend for yourself and eating a sandwich just does not cut it. 

I have discovered that I am able to try to cook when the meal is only for me. Any potential failure is okay because no one else will be there to critique. Zero confidence and low self esteem in the kitchen notwithstanding, I know what I like to eat, and I can guess at certain things. 

This is my experimental eggplant parmigiana. Considering my traumatized inner cook, successful experiments (i.e., the food is edible) must be celebrated. 

Instead of following the recipes I looked up on the internet, I revise according to what is available, convenient, and maybe might work. 

Based on what was available in the refrigerator, these are the ingredients for this experiment:

1 eggplant

1 egg

1 tomato

ketchup

2 slices mozzarella cheese

6 slices quick-melt cheese

pinch of salt

I sliced the eggplant thinly into rectangular pieces, dipped them in egg beaten with a pinch of salt, and fried them. Normally, this is something I can eat alone with ketchup as ulam with rice, but today, it's the base for our experiment. 

The next step was layering the ingredients in a makeshift tin foil tray. In my guess-work layering, I ended up with three pyramid-like layers (wide at the bottom, narrow at the top). Layer 1: ketchup, fried eggplant, ketchup, 4 quick-melt cheese slices, tomato slices. Layer 2: fried eggplant, ketchup, 2 mozzarella cheese slices, tomato slices. Layer 3: fried eggplant, tomato slices, and 2 quick-melt cheese slices. 

After that, pop into the toaster oven for 5 minutes. 

Hmmm... what do you know. Except for the ketchup, I actually liked it and ate everything. If I ever repeat this, I will try one of the following for the sauce: 1. using less ketchup; 2. sauteing garlic, mixing in a scoop or two of ground beef if available, and mixing in tomato paste/spaghetti sauce; or 3. using banana ketchup instead. 

Also, note to self, be not afraid of the eggplant slices slightly overlapping when making the layers. 

Voila! Lunch for one. 

P.S. I just remembered my favorite eggplant lasagna at Paul Calvin's at the Fort, BGC. I don't know if the restaurant is still there though since the last time I ate there was maybe five years ago. But I still remember my favorite dish there. If you live near the Fort, give it a whirl.

Pizzarap!

Caffe Sant' Antonio (Silang, Cavite) has introduced their pizzeria which is open only on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. They serve super-thin pizzas baked in an authentic wood-fired brick oven brought all the way from Italy. Prices range from 285 to 315 pesos for each pizza. 

You can watch your pizza being made at the counter fronting the oven. This is the unbaked Funghi pizza.

Pizza is placed in the oven...

And just a few minutes later, your pizza is ready to eat! Le Chink and Lady D liked this pizza best among the three flavors we tried. 

This is my favorite... Vegetariana. Take some of the alfalfa sprouts and spread on a slice, roll it up and enjoy! The pizza is so thin and crunchy, the flavors just shine.

If you like your pizza to have a little more protein, try the Prosciutto. It resembles the Vegetariana but this time with slices of meat instead of alflafa sprouts. The trick to eating pizza served with arugula leaves is to roll it so the leaf doesn't dangle from your teeth in an awkward bite. 

The pizza is served on round wooden trays that spin.
Perfect if you're reaching for a particular slice on the other side of the tray.

Cap the meal with a rich chocolate cake at the Cafe. 

You can have it with caramel filling, as shown below (P75), or without. 

I like the arugula. My sister likes the alfalfa. You can add your
favorite topping to any flavor for P58. This is a different flavor, 

the name escapes me but it's the one with beef. 

We ordered extra alfalfa sprouts. Yum!

Actions speak louder than words so let me just say

that I have been to the pizzeria for three

consecutive Fridays with different friends

and have enjoyed each visit. Gustare!

Libre!

Blessings of free food... today I received a chicken sandwich and juice during a talk in the morning... and in the afternoon, AM gave us mugs of arroz caldo.                    

   

And in the evening, had a laughter-filled dinner at Ka Rey, where once again, they gave us free dessert. 

Ka Rey is a little hut along Aguinaldo Highway just before SVD Road in Tagaytay. The food is good and the prices reasonable (they have veggie okoy at P45, tokwa't baboy at P45, and lumpiang shanghai at P55 for those on a budget). Plus you are welcomed with a warm Filipino ambience and hospitality. Be prepared to go barefoot.

Thank you, Lord, for giving us this day our daily bread and friends to eat it with. 

Divine Zeal

I cannot emphasize enough how much Casetta del Divino Zelo (in Silang, Cavite) is my favorite happy place to get comfort food--even before their new renovations and expansion.

An authentic Italian oven is being installed...
all the better to bake goodies with, my dear!

The pasta is wonderful and reasonably priced. Featured below is the marinara at P200. The best lasagna I have ever tasted is served here--I now know how Garfield feels. The aglio olio and the veggie pasta are both yummy and costs only around P100 each. Their pasta dishes are a definite must-try.

And if you ever get to taste their granitas... you'll probably get a second one. P65 only, it is worth every drop.

Nabusog ka na, nakatulong ka pa because the sisters who run the little cafe support mothers in crisis pregnancies. What more can you ask for? Food for your tummy, food for other people's tummies, allowing mothers to keep their babies... win-win-win!  

Afterwards, you can drop by their neighbor Ilog Maria to get various bee-related products from virgin honey to soaps, shampoo, and moisturizer. 

Do visit. Your tastebuds will thank you!

Tonkatsu

I am blessed with generous friends... 

Le Chink took me to Ginza Bairin, a Japanese restaurant in Greenbelt, Makati earlier this month. Apparently, the Japanese food scene in Manila is now focused on tonkatsu.

There are various options to eat the tonkatsu with, but what I enjoyed most was dipping the tonkatsu in the sesame seeds grounded with Himalayan salt. Apparently, I am a "purist," or so says their menu-guide... 

Overall, it was a very elegant and novel dining experience--except when the salad would be awkwardly stuffed in my mouth in my excitement to eat... hehe... The wasabi shoyu dressing had a stronger kick than the subtler roasted sesame seed dressing but both were wonderful. Unlimited salad. Unlimited rice. We had one cup of rice shared between us and about four servings of salad. Ang sarap!

Candy!

Le Chink and I chose to watch how candy is made

over watching a movie--Avengers, I think.

What can I say? My inner child was 

fascinated and excited as the two candy makers 

rolled out shiny green and red candy into slabs, 

pressed the colors together, rolled them out again, 

stretched them thinly, and cut 

their works of art right before our

salivating sweet tooth.

And the demonstrated candy is given away

as a free taste test. 

Effective! Le Chink

bought me a pack of candy. Superthanks!

Crispy Chicken Teriyaki

Thanks to providence and generous sisters, ate at Kenji Tei at Alabang Town Center. Started the meal off with salmon sashimi. That is always good in any Japanese resto but the sauce they served it with was something special. Not sure what it was but it was good! And they served it with wasabi, calamansi and lemon so you can really mix it up according to your taste.

This for me was the highlight of the evening. Crispy chicken teriyaki. It was love at first bite as the crispy chicken skin crackled with the juicy flavor of teriyaki sauce--a wonderful fusion of Japanese and Filipino taste. Of course, it's probably not good for you. But hey, if you can moderate the indulgence, this is a must-try!

Everything was good. The tempura batter was crispy. The sweetness of the shrimp came out after a squeeze of lemon. They had nice little touches, speedy service, and attentive servers. Definitely a place I'd like to come back to. Bon apetit!

Turon 2.0

Turon 2.0 is available at Siklab.

Five pieces of turon with langka in a sweet wafer cone topped with banana ice cream. Yum! My father complained though that he couldn't taste the banana! I liked it though. Plus, the presentation was creative and beautiful.

For the budget option, choose their ice cream (P65). Two scoops for that price in Makati is value for money! I had the traditional ube flavor but after tasting the Turon 2.0, if I ever get to eat there again, I'm getting banana flavored ice cream. =)

Mer-Ben Tapsilogan

If you enjoy eating in a bahay kubo in the cool air of Tagaytay, you could give Mer-Ben Tapsilogan a try.

The food is good and reasonably priced. I would rate the Kare-kare a 3.5 stars out of 5, with very tender meat and a nice peanut sauce. Would have liked more veggies but the bagoong they served with it was very good. The best thing about the dish was it cost P200. Excellent value for money! 

The crispy calamares (P290) was a bit more expensive but also worth it--cooked very well with just the right texture--squid soft enough to bite into without effort and coated with the right amount of crunch from the fried batter. Yum!

Thank you, Es___!

Friuli Trattoria

Again, I experience the blessing of food and friendship at the Fruili Trattoria, through the generosity of KB (happy birthday!). After a visit to the bookstore of Claret in Quezon City (where we got books for as low as P10), we had a lovely early dinner at this little Italian place behind the school.

The mozzarella sticks (P140) were generous in size and filled with cheesy goodness. It came with a not-too-spicy salsa that was okay but the tomato ketchup combination was even better.

I've come to prefer veggie pizzas to the meat-loaded ones... the thickness of this Margherita pizza (P190) is just right--not too thick--and loaded with tomatoes, cheese, and other spices. The flavor is subtle and light, but the pizza itself is very filling. I enjoyed this dish the most. 

The tuna and mushroom spaghetti (P120) was the spiciest dish we tried that day. So if you like a little kick in your pasta, you might want to try this. 

The best part of the meal was the conversation. Thanks, KB, for sharing and listening. May God bless us both in our faith journey. May he bless you on your special day and grant you the desires of your heart. 

Feeling Italianni's

Thanks to my housemate, Doc S, we had a lovely salad for Valentine's Day. Fresh lettuce, ripe mangoes, and corn coupled with a mayo-peanut dressing on the side and tuna. Super yummy! Felt like I was at Italianni's... =)

Momo Cafe

Thanks to generous Le Chink, got a taste of food from Momo Cafe at Ayala Triangle.

     The MoMo! Gourmet salad (P295) has roasted garlic shitake mushrooms, candied walnuts, grapes, white cheese, raspberry-balsamic vinaigrette, mixed greens, sliced oranges and hard boiled egg. I prefer regular walnuts to candied--it was a little too sweet for the salad especially since the vinaigrette was also on the sweet side. Otherwise, I enjoyed everything on the plate, especially the two types of cheese. If I had to rate it on a scale of 1 to 5, I would give this salad a 3.5.

     My favorite part of the meal, however, was the soup. We ordered two kinds: I had the herb pumpkin cream & bacon bits soup (P150) while Le Chink had the wild truffle mushroom "cappuccino" (P175). The pumpkin soup was on the sweet and creamy side while the mushroom soup was on the salty side. Both were good but I appreciated each soup better since I could take a bit of the mushroom soup when I found the sweetness of the pumpkin becoming too much.

     As a main course, we had slow roasted herb beef fingers (P495). I enjoyed all the side dishes: the roasted sweet corn, the mashed potatoes and the veggies. The beef was tender and melted in the mouth. 

     Though dessert was offered, I could not eat another bite. Thank you, Le Chink, for another taste of the good life!