December 2011
1 post
5 tags
Pinoy Republic: Sinigang →
pinoyisla:
Filipino food is probably the most underrated in Asia. Browse thru a book that features Asian recipes, and often you’ll find yourself with a score of Thai, Vietnamese, Indonesian and Malay cuisine. You’ll see two pinoy recipes, and that’s pretty much it.
One of my favorite Filipino dishes is Sinigang, a tamarind based soup that’s similar to Thailand’s tom yum, Vietnam’s canh...
November 2011
2 posts
3 tags
Total Kitchen Experiments: 11
I haven’t been cooking since that steak dinner I whipped up for the, er, former boyfriend. Obviously that says a lot about why I’ve been avoiding the kitchen. :P
Anyway, November’s the best month to move forward and I thought I’d check up on this teeny tiny goal I made the beginning of the year—2011, I had declared, was the year I learn my way around the kitchen. And with...
3 tags
“I’ve long believed that good food, good eating, is all about risk. Whether...”
– Anthony Bourdain, “Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly”
September 2011
1 post
1 tag
August 2011
3 posts
Spotted in HK: Nha Trang Vietnamese Cuisine
The day after the Chili Peppers concert, I decided to go out on my own and explore Hong Kong.
Rainstorms were the order of the day so I mostly limited my walks around Central. Didn’t get to go to a museum as I had originally planned, but instead spent most of my time inside malls burning a hole in my pocket. Later that day, because I didn’t really feel like spending another night...
5 tags
Return of the (Cooking) Jedi
Yesterday I had a reunion with my college friends.
Ali was back from the States for a few weeks’ vacation, and Rica decided we get together at her new apartment for a potluck lunch. Rix made Mexican Taco Salad and these yummy vegan appetizers, which I regret not taking photos of because they were quite delicious. She did something with Tofu that made it taste like crumbled feta! (Note to...
7 tags
Spotted in HK: Heavenly Pork Buns (and then some)
Last week, I was in Hong Kong for three reasons:
To watch my man Anthony Kiedis rock out with the rest of the Red Hot Chili Peppers in the AsiaWorld Arena.
Shop to my heart’s content.
EAT.
When you’ve been to Hong Kong a couple of times and have seen all the staple tourist attractions, the only thing to do is basically walk around, shop and explore new food spots. The morning...
July 2011
2 posts
8 tags
Spotted: Gluttony in Tagaytay
A few weeks ago, my sister, cousin and I found ourselves in the middle of a foggy Tagaytay Tuesday. We had originally planned on going around the place, but the fog made it impossible to sight-see—not that there’s anything we haven’t seen yet in Tagaytay. You see the volcano, check out some of the “farms”, and that’s pretty much it. So we decided to just eat our way around it.
Our first...
4 tags
Good morning, Charlie!
I lasted ten days as a vegetarian. I wouldn’t even call it hardcore because I sometimes included fish in my diet. I’m back to eating white meat now, and I’ve managed to stay away from the evil reds. It’s mostly seafood and chicken, and I’m quite content.
Maybe at this point I am not ready to embrace vegetarianism yet, but the last ten days served as a great jump off...
June 2011
3 posts
2 tags
Five and fighting
I’m on my fifth day of going vegetarian, and interestingly enough I’m not having such a hard time as originally expected.
I dont miss meat so much. I was sorta itching to eat a burger the second day but thought better of it. I guess it boils down to WILL, which makes me green lantern material. heh. i warned you about the weird humor.
Anyway, I realized that I am cool with a...
7 tags
Ravin' about: Cafe Breton
Call me a loser but I have never tasted a savory crepe EVER. I’ve always associated crepes with sweets, and I don’t really like the sweet ones that much so I thought that I wouldn’t like the savory versions either.
Turns out I was sooo wrong. My sister and I were running late for a trip to Paranaque (wow, out-of-towners we are) one night and we were hungry so we decided to...
The Delinquent Cook
I haven’t really been cooking much ever since my sister got here from Singapore, because 1) while we’ve arranged this daily cooking setup where we cook alternately every night, much has been going on that’s kept us from sticking to the game plan; 2) we’ve taken to eating out or having food delivered; and 3) we’ve been all over Manila. Last night we went to stay the...
May 2011
7 posts
8 tags
Bellissima Bellini's!
Pardon my lame attempt at Italian, but Bellissima just rhymed with the restaurant I am about to review rave about: Bellini’s at Cubao Ex.
Before my brother left for Davao, my sister and I just had to take him to Bellini’s. It is by far my favorite Italian restaurant in the city. I first discovered it when I was in college (can’t even remember who introduced me to the place...
My fave rainy day meal
Sardines sauteed in lots and lots of onion, and a cup of freshly cooked rice. Methinks I’m just pinoy that way. :P
5 tags
Kitchen Experiment: Making Pesto
I’m an absolute basil fan. I put it everywhere, from a hot bowl of Vietnamese pho to pastas and sandwiches, even omelettes, and basically any dish I feel it would go well with. Give me a tomato, basil and cheese panini, and I’m one happy camper.
But I find that the best way to really enjoy the herb is by making pesto. A few weeks ago, I experimented with a pesto recipe my friend gave...
6 tags
6 tags
Sulyap Gallery Cafe
I now know where I can get my art and culture fix: San Pablo, Laguna. Went there with two of my friends, and as far as history and architecture goes, the place is reminiscent of the Spanish-Filipino colonial days.
Food-wise, San Pablo has a lot of “secret” restaurants serving Spanish-Filipino cuisine. And the one we went to, Sulyap, is said to be one of the best.
The...
5 tags
Kanin Club
My friends have been bugging me to check out Kanin Club because I’m probably the only one left in Manila who has yet to try it. It’s not that I didn’t want to, but when I was living in Paranaque, the closest Kanin Club was in QC. A new one eventually opened in Ayala Triangle, but I don’t really like going there because it’s always full during dinner.
But a few weeks...
April 2011
11 posts
Craving two things
@mrshobbes
Photos are from Wee Nam Kee. Nom nom nom. I seriously love their cereal prawns.
theoldaparador asked: Nice blog :) I've no talent in cooking but I can appreciate good food. I love experimenting. Keep it up!
3 tags
7 tags
Binondo in Food
M. Dee Lim’s Singapore Hainanese Chicken Rice at T. Pinpin St., Binondo
Chili Crabs
Hainanese Roasted & Steamed Chicken Rice
Sambal Squid
A pork dish I forgot the name of, but it’s pork chunks and pork floss. REALLY GOOD.
Freshly picked juicy tomatoes from Divisoria Ilaya Market
Already planning my next trip to good ‘ol Divi.
8 tags
Down but still cookin'—and eating ice cream
If you’ve been following me on twitter and my other blog, then you probably heard me gripe one too many times about getting my third molar extracted.
Finally had the procedure done the other day, and now I’m restricted to a soft/cold food diet, which basically means I can eat as much ice cream I want guilt-free. I favor a Korean icecreamsicle brand called...
8 tags
Rockstar Paella
One of the sweetest things my boyfriend did during the early days of dating was whip up my then favorite dish: Paella Valenciana (I have since switched to Paella Negra; blame it on the Aioli and Tricia Gana).
On one of our dates, we agreed to bring food we thought the other would like. Because he could eat burgers to save the world, that’s exactly what I got him. It was the Sango Master...
7 tags
Finally got my Ceramic Fix
Ever since I put up this food blog and taken photography classes, I’ve been thinking about food styling and the many elements that will make my food photos more attractive.
One of my current obsessions is ceramics because it just adds texture to what would otherwise be a mundane food shot. The last week I’ve been dying to get my hands on a fine piece of ceramic, and yesterday my two...
6 tags
My first homemade vinaigrette
I solemnly swear that this will be the last of the series of chicken posts I am uploading.
Chicken isn’t even the main attraction here—it’s the same lime & coriander chicken I grilled a couple of days ago. But I used it as topping to my first homemade orange vinaigrette salad. :D
It all started when my cousin Francis and I went to Mercato Centrale yesterday morning to...
7 tags
Kitchen Experiment: Chicken sauteed with Apples
One of the first things I did when I made the decision to learn cooking was to look for an iPad app that will help me with my kitchen experiments. The search led me to “Real Simple: No Time To Cook”, an app that has an extensive recipe library of easy-to-cook meals from realsimple.com. It features a gamut of beef/lamb/pork dishes, poultry and seafood, vegetarian, and an assortment of...
March 2011
27 posts
3 tags
Crepe Suzette @ Bizu
This was soooo good! Inhaled this with a mean cup of brewed coffee. Happiness. :D
6 tags
Kitchen Experiment: Lime & Coriander Grilled...
I just discovered another reason to love cilantro: LIME & CORIANDER GRILLED CHICKEN
I bought chicken breast fillets last week and I couldn’t figure out what to do with them so I consulted the ever reliable Periplus Mini Cookbook, and I found myself experimenting with this recipe.
Ingredients 3 tsp finely grated ginger 1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro (coriander) 1 1/4 tsp...
6 tags
You gotta try Cocina Juan
I’ve been writing about restaurants here and I can’t believe I haven’t posted about Cocina Juan yet. :0
Maginhawa Street near U.P. Diliman in Quezon City is actually one of the metro’s best-kept secrets when it comes to discovering unique, value-for-money cuisine. The strip is lined with cozy hole-in-the-wall restaurants and is a melting pot of businessmen, students,...
Lunch @ Cafe Mary Grace
Last week I found myself all the way in Alabang for a work interview.
Arrived an hour early and decided to have lunch at Cafe Mary Grace. I had the Spicy Lemon Scampi—pan-seared shrimp served on a bed of linguine, drizzled with extra virgin olive oil, chili, and lots and lots of garlic.
Nom nom nom. Very refreshing, this dish. :D
6 tags
Junior MasterChefing
I may continuously gripe about Starworld in my other blog (so shoot me, but I’m tired of top models, bachelors and bachelorettes, and friggin idols) but I keep tuning in and contributing to its ratings anyway. At least on Sundays, and every time a How I Met Your Mother episode is replayed.
Ever since they aired Junior MasterChef several weeks ago, I have been following the show as much as...
2 tags
Wee Nam Kee, finally!
Ever since they opened in November, I’ve been dying to try their Singapore Chicken Rice.
A Singaporean franchise, Wee Nam Kee was brought to the Philippines by Linfred Yap and his partners. Linfred used to work for P&G and he was based in Singapore for a couple of years. Every time they would have visitors from the Philippines, they would take them to the Wee Nam Kee located near the...
8 tags
Cilantro, my newfound friend
I used to hate cilantro with a passion. But this dish changed all that: Grilled Cream Dory with Spicy Mango Salsa.
Used lots and lots of cilantro, mango, and chili! :D
7 tags
Kitchen Experiment: Smoked Fish & Chorizo Garlic...
I’ve been dying to recreate Tricia’s Smoked Tinapa & Garlic Linguine mostly because I’ve been craving for the dish, so when I discovered we actually had smoked milkfish in the fridge, I decided to try my hand at making it.
Normally I would post the recipe here, but Trish told me to keep it confidential (she’s using the recipe for a new garden restaurant biz). I will,...
5 tags
The Cop Out Curry :D
Because of all the Indian food photos I’ve been posting lately, I was suddenly in the mood for curry. I was right in the middle of doing grocery in Rustan’s when I found myself in the Spices & Condiments section, and as I did not have a working curry recipe in hand, I decided to just go instant for the time being.
Settled on a bottle of Thai Green Curry Paste with Coconut Milk....
8 tags
Adobo rice and deadlines
Work has been keeping me occupied the past week. There is always that week in a month when I pay for all the procrastinating I’ve been doing, and all my deadlines catch up to me. This week was that time of the month. :/
But the good news is that I have been squeezing kitchen experiments. I just haven’t found time to blog about them yet. :D
So I finally managed to get rid of Ate...
2 tags
2 tags
Hey, Sweet Stuff *wink wink*
I AM GIVING YOU ALL UP THIS LENT.
Waaaaaaaaah! ;( *cries* *sobs* *sniff sniff*
It had just come to my attention that it is, apparently, LENT already. And while I’ve never jumped on the fasting bandwagon, I decided to do my brand of self-sacrifice this year. More than just the spiritual aspect of it, I want to do this for health’s sake. My family has a history of diabetes and...
11 tags
Comfort food, Indian-style :)
Some say the Chinese cook up the best comfort food, but their neighboring India can give them a run for their money.
A bite of Vegetable Samosa, like the one they serve at the cozy New Bombay Restaurant in Columns, Makati, can make any tension-fraught individual forget all about his worries. Samosas—spicy potato and green pea filled pastries—are said to be a hit all over India, from Bombay to...
Remembering Prince of Jaipur
I’m a huge fan of Indian Cuisine, so it was with great dismay when I found out thatPrince of Jaipur closed down. It was the first restaurant I wrote about, so it holds sentimental value. I don’t know what the owner, Max Talreja, is up to now but I sure hope he revives the restaurant even if on a smaller scale.
During our visit, Mr. Talreja served Northern Indian Cuisine. Globally,...
7 tags
Bistro Ravioli
I’m a huge fan of ravioli, so when a restaurant called Bistro Ravioli opened in SM Mall of Asia (a year or two ago) I knew I had to try their food.
They have spotless white interiors that are so not Italian, but I actually like it. Hehe.
When it comes to the food, my cousin and I did not really like their seafood pasta so much but the Spinach & Feta Cheese Ravioli delivered.
...
11 tags
Spotlight's on Ivatan Cuisine
There is more to Batanes than its beautifully raw scenery.
Two days ago, I went on a weekend escape to the island expecting food that was nothing extraordinary. A couple of friends had visited Batanes before raving about the view, but claiming that Ivatan food was bland so I expected the worst.
Well I do not know where their little group went for food, but I bet they’ve never been to...
6 tags
Must-try Mango Cheesecake
Had an exclusive interview with the Ronald McDonald House Charities earlier at lunch. It was held at Le Souffle Top of the Citi in Citibank Tower, Makati.
Highlight of the whole interview was us gushing over this impossibly delectable Mango Cheesecake:
It was sooo good and so light that you can actually finish an entire slice by yourself. Which I did. Again, sorry diet and exercise gods....