The Food Lover

Ginataang Kalabasa at Sitaw: Squash and String Beans in Coconut Milk

2011-04-21T14:53:00.000+08:00

Ginataang Kalabasa at Sitaw with Garlic Rice

Okay, I don't really know how to call this dish in English but that's the closest thing my mind can "translate" it into. Anyway, I did not cook this dish. I have only made that huge mound of garlic rice on the plate. My father cooked the ginataang kalabasa and I'll try to cook it one day soon.

I once have heard that "the best chefs in the world are men" and though I believe we women are catching up, I would still agree that some men do cook well. My father is no chef but I do believe he cooks better than most of us here at home. I asked him how he cooked this and he told me how he did it but he's betting that I wouldn't be able to make it because I don't know how to prepare the coconut milk. Hahahaha! I asked him to cut that out from the whole process so here goes, I'm sharing his cooking directions!

Ginataang Kalabasa at Sitaw

Sauté garlic, onions and ginger. Add coconut milk (2nd extraction, gata) and simmer until it smells good! (awwww)

Add sliced squash and string beans. When vegetables are half done, add the coconut cream (1st extraction, kakang gata) and let it simmer until the vegetables are tender. At this point you could also add dried salted fish to add flavor to the dish. If you would prefer a vegetarian version, skip the dried fish and season with salt instead. Add a dash of pepper to add more zing to the dish!

When the dish is done, eat it while it's still warm with rice. :-D

Ginisang Ampalaya: Sauteed Bitter Melon

2011-01-17T14:28:00.000+08:00

it's a bitter(sweet) symphony

Ampalaya or bitter melon is a fruit that has a lot of benefits. Ampalaya can be consumed as food yet nowadays it has become more popular for its medicinal effects especially as an anti-diabetic. Here in the Philippines, there are some vegetable dishes that include the bitter zing of the ampalaya to make the dishes an amalgam of flavors.

I love ampalaya. Even though it is bitter, if it is cooked the right way, it wouldn't be as bitter as first perceived. I love ampalaya cooked with eggs but for this recipe I decided to leave out the eggs and make this dish sort of vegetarian.

In order to make ginisang ampalaya, the following ingredients are needed:

ampalaya/bitter melon, sliced thinly
garlic, minced
onions, chopped
tomatoes, chopped
salt
pepper
oil

What I did was heat about a tablespoon of oil in a pan and sautéed the garlic, onions, and tomatoes. I then added the sliced ampalaya and immediately added salt and pepper and cooked it until the ampalaya became a bit wilted from the heat. That's all! It's best served with freshly steamed rice!

Ginisang ampalaya is a healthy dish and it is so easy to prepare you have to try it out!

Binignit, Init!

2010-12-12T12:10:00.000+08:00

a burst of colors and flavors!

During cold nights, it is so easy to crave for something warm and homey and it just turns out that I am craving for binignit! I don't know how folks would call this native Filipino dish in English but what I am only aware of is that it is made of rootcrops, bananas, and sago pearls cooked in diluted coconut milk and sugar.

I haven't tried preparing binignit on my own yet. This one on the pic was made by somebody else and I couldn't wait to have a taste while it was cooking in the kitchen....and it's really, really good!!!!

Picadillo Dreaming

2010-11-17T13:53:00.005+08:00

ground meat and veggies

Picadillo is a traditional Latin American meat dish which also has a Philippine version made out of ground meat and vegetables. In the Philippines, this dish is better known as giniling (ground/minced) not only for the ground meat used but also for the finely chopped vegetables.

The picadillo you see on this post is a product of my own recipe. I bought ground beef and a pack of frozen vegetables (carrots, peas, corn) from the grocery and cooked them up and came up with this! What I did was sauteed onions and garlic and added the meat and stock and cooked it until it became tender. I added the frozen vegetables and potatoes that I have diced, and seasoned the dish with salt and pepper. When the picadillo was done, I scooped some on top of steaming rice! The rest is history... How I wish I could have some right now...

Until then, I'll just be picadillo dreaming...

EXOTIC FOOD CHRONICLES: DINUGUAN AT PUTO

2010-10-31T13:02:00.000+08:00

Bloody yummy!

Dinuguan is a dish made out of pork meat and innards, chili, spices, and pig's blood. For people who get faint upon knowing that blood is part of the recipe, they might faint once again when they taste this concoction. It's so BLOODY yummy! Anti-meat and anti-blood eating people might cringe at the thought of eating food made up of a poor slaughtered animal with its blood included an unholy and inhumane act but for those who know that it's all part of survival and foodie-hood it's something that should not be missed!

Dinuguan is best served hot with puto, a kind of rice cake/muffin that is best dipped into the saucy dish. The dinuguan in this photo was cooked by somebody I know so I am aware that all the ingredients were cleaned well before they were cooked. For those who instantly want dinuguan and puto here in the Philippines but don't know if they could trust the quality of the ingredients, Goldilocks is one of those places where good food and D&P can be found.

Halloween could be bloody and yummy at the same time...grab some dinuguan and puto NOW!

Modern Toilet: Go Ahead, Bowl Over!

2010-09-29T01:48:00.004+08:00

Toilet seat covers, urinals, bathroom tiles, toilet bowls...the essence of Modern Toilet!

I dunno if this post might affect the other posts since this is unlike the usual stuff I post here. Anyway, the photos are filtered so I do hope you wouldn't bowl over and get grossed out!

Modern Toilet is a bizarre chain of themed restaurants which can be found in Taiwan and Hong Kong. The one I have been to is in Mongkok, HK and since I have already read up and searched about the appearance of the resto, I wasn't too surprised when we were welcomed with toilet seat covers and urinals for wall decor and toilet bowls for seats! There's always some hype when you have heard of something quite popular and would want to go there out of sheer curiosity. Modern Toilet is really unusual but for those who get squeamish and have no knack for toilet humor, then this kind of resto is not for you!

We have just arrived in the city and just dropped our things at the hotel, then ran the sidewalks and rode the MTR just to get to Modern Toilet on time. They cancel reservations if you are beyond five minutes late! When we were seated and given copies of the menu, the language barrier kicked in since we didn't understand a thing. There were names of the the food in English but we had to ask the local friend Mr W who served as the official travel guide about the food. It was his first time there too so he had no idea which ones tasted good. So, like poo, we didn't really know what we were going to get!

It was a fun place but the food was not totally great!

To get the palates rolling, tomato soup was served; it was quite good and the toasted bread went well with it. Next on the table (which was a glass top that had a ceramic sink as base) was the entrée (if you can call it that) and it was composed of dry stuff served in soap dishes. I can remember the the deep-fried breaded lemon chicken and that meaty stuff shaped in balls tasted good and the dip was sort of sweet and spicy. We had a few sips of our drinks in small urinals! I never expected that servings were huge and I had a hard time eating too because I haven't practiced my chopstick skills prior to the trip! I have also tried the salad but didn't dwell on it. I felt I was already starting to get full and we haven't had the main course yet!

K and I order the same thing for our "main dish" and we expected it to taste good. I can't remember what it was exactly (let me check the menu snapshot). I guess it must be Japanese Barbecued Pork in Milky Broth. Mr W and F ordered Spare Ribs and then we ate. Actually there was a slight delay because the waitresses didn't seem to get the orders right even if Mr W spoke to them in their language.

I will never have this again! Hahahaha!

After eating the meat and trying to slurp some of the noodles and chew some of the corn kernels, I realized what I was eating wasn't really good. It may taste good to some but it didn't suit my tastebuds. Hahaha! It has milk broth! What was I thinking??? I am lactose intolerant!!! Anyway, I ate about half of it and decided to stop or I might gag...

Mousse for the sweet tooth!

Dessert was okay. Some mousse slices that tasted great. The yellow one at the bottom of the pic had a lemony taste! We were already full (and slightly irked) so we didn't get to order the famous poo-shaped ice cream. Hahaha! Mr W paid for dinner and gave the waitresses a piece of his mind. Then we went off into the night and strolled the streets of Kowloon, thinking that Modern Toilet was a fun albeit shitty experience!

The Modern Toilet logo: Female and Male Toilet Symbols...and the so-called Shit Lamp hanging from the ceiling

Breaded Fish Fillet With Sweet And Spicy Sauce

2010-07-31T18:49:00.001+08:00

Breaded Fish Fillet with Sweet and Spicy Sauce

Ingredients:

Breaded fish:

white fish
flour
eggs
Japanese bread crumbs
salt
ground black pepper
juice of squeezed lemons/calamansi
oil for deep frying

Sauce

red chili peppers
salt
sugar
ground black pepper
water
corn starch dissolved in water

Directions:

Cut fish into fillets and marinate overnight with salt and pepper. Add lemon juice 30 minutes prior to cooking.
In three separate plates put flour, scrambled eggs, and breadcrumbs. Coat each fillet in the following order: flour, eggs, breadcrumbs.
Heat the oil in a pot and fry each fillet until golden.
In a separate pan, sauté the chili peppers then add sugar, salt, water and dissolved corn starch. Boil sauce until it thickens. Pour over fish fillet and serve.
Quick trick: If you want a foolproof sauce, go to the supermarket and buy a bottle of sweet chili sauce instead! hahahahaha!

Veggie Pasta

2010-06-14T18:07:00.000+08:00

I remember having this plateful of pasta with "vegetarian" sauce not too long ago at Vienna Kaffeehaus. Pure vegans would not think it is really vegetarian since it has a cream base and it is drizzled with a lot of Parmesan cheese. However, for those who would prefer to have meatless pasta for a change, this dish could just save you from an untimely heart attack!

If memory serves me right, this "vegetarian" sauce is composed of onions, button mushrooms, red bell peppers, carrots, broccoli, and asparagus drenched in heavy cream sauce and served on steaming hot spaghetti noodles. Buttered bread slices are also part of the ensemble.

Buon appetito!

I Love Gummi Bears!

2010-06-06T18:45:00.000+08:00

Gummi bears or gummy bears (whichever way you spell the first word), are among my favorite sweets. Sweet, cute, and colorful, these bears are fun to eat and play with... hahaha!

I just love gummi bears! :p

Fried Fish With A Twist!

2010-05-20T17:46:00.000+08:00

Here's a simple way to put a different kind of twist to your ordinary fried fish: lemon butter sauce! It may sound kind of gourmet but it really is a no-brainer add-on to your meal.

Simply melt some butter in a pan and add lemon juice. Season it with salt and pepper but you can add some herbs or garlic if you want to. Just pour the sauce over any kind of fried fish you got and you can be assured that your palate will be greeted with a zing you have never imagined!

You can also use lemon butter sauce with pork and chicken dishes. I have yet to try it with beef! Enjoy!

Halo-halo Galore!

2010-04-06T00:42:00.000+08:00

It's still "Summer" here in the tropical islands of The Philippines and daily brownouts and El Niño have contributed to most of the citizens' hot heads.

Halo-halo is the perfect concoction to help cool down and get a sugar high!

Blue Marlin Steak

2010-04-06T00:30:00.000+08:00

Blue Marlin Steak at BrewBerry

One night not too long ago, I went out to have a FREE dinner with a couple of friends at BrewBerry in CDO and ordered this from the menu. The Blue Marlin Steak was sort of smoky and it tasted really great!

EXOTIC FOOD CHRONICLES: SALTED EGGS (ITLOG NA MAALAT)

2010-03-01T13:09:00.002+08:00

Itlog na maalat or salted eggs is a great delicacy from the the Phillipines and people love to eat it as a side dish during breakfast or with just about any meal. Salted eggs are also known as red eggs because the eggshells are colored red (I don't know though for what purpose).

How are salted eggs made? When I was in either 4th or 5th grade, my classmates and I made itlog na maalat for our home economics class. (Yes, we had HE back then I dunno if kids nowadays still do the stuff we used to do back in grade school.) Here's what we did:

Placed clean raw eggs in a wide-mouthed container.
Made a solution of water and a lot of salt and poured it into the container with the eggs.
Made sure that the eggs remained submerged in the solution.
Left the eggs in the solution at room temperature for 2 weeks (or 3 I guess...I can't remember anymore)
When the time has elapsed, the eggs were then boiled in the solution and of course we ate the eggs after cooking them!

It log na maalat is best served sliced into cubes and combined with raw ripe tomatoes! It is best to eat it with steamed rice straight from the pot! Better give it a try if you haven't tasted it yet!

Arroz Caldo

2010-02-17T16:06:00.000+08:00

ARROZ CALDO

I love cooking (and of course, EATING) Arroz Caldo! Arroz caldo (hot rice) is a Spanish-named Filipino dish based on the Chinese congee or rice porridge. It's one of my favorite stuff to eat during cold nights (or days) or whenever I am sick...

Arroz Caldo Ingredients:

rice
chicken cut into serving pieces or chicken breast cut into bite-size pieces
oil
garlic, minced
onion, chopped
ginger, sliced thinly or minced
water
chicken bullion
spring onions, chopped
boiled eggs, halved or whole

Directions:

Toast minced garlic in a large saucepan and set it aside.
Sauté onions, ginger, and chicken in the oil.
Add the rice and stir for a while.
Add water and chicken bullion and stir to make sure that the ingredients do not stick to the sides of the saucepan.
Simmer in low heat for at least 20 minutes or until the rice is cooked and soft.
Serve in bowls with boiled eggs and topped with spring onions and toasted garlic.

You can add a dash of pepper and some patis (fish sauce) if you want!

EXOTIC FOOD CHRONICLES: LECHON KAWALI

2010-02-04T14:38:00.001+08:00

I’ve been sinfully craving for cholesterol-rich pork recipes and when I opened my archive of food images, I saw the tempting bowl of Lechon Kawali from Mom’s Corner…

Lechon Kawali is a Filipino delicacy (and I think it counts as exotic food…oh no not again…). It is called such because it tastes like lechon (roasted pig) but it is cooked in a frying pan (kawali).

Here’s how to make your own Lechon Kawali:

Ingredients:

1 kg whole pork belly (liempo)
Salt
Garlic cloves
Peppercorns
Water for boiling
Cornstarch
Oil for deep frying

Directions:

Clean pork belly and slice it into bite-size pieces.
Put pork in a pan with water, salt, garlic cloves, peppercorns.
Let the meat boil and simmer for 30 to 45 minutes or until the skin is tender. Once the meat is tender, drain it and let it dry.
Cover the meat with a thin layer of cornstarch.
Heat oil in a pan and deep fry the pork until the meat turns golden brown and the skin becomes crispy.
In a bowl mix soy sauce, vinegar, minced garlic and chopped onions. Add chili peppers if desired. Use this as a dipping sauce.
Serve lechon kawali with the sauce and rice!

Yum yum!

WARNING: If you are a health conscious individual, don’t eat too much of this dish. Pork contains a lot of cholesterol which may cause several cardio-vascular diseases. If you already have cardiovascular diseases, maybe grab a bite or two of lechon kawali but not more… Eat more at your own risk!

Salisbury Steak

2009-11-10T19:32:00.001+08:00

Red Ribbon's Salisbury Steak

I love eating at Red Ribbon and one of my favorites is their Salisbury Steak. I guess the meat is pan-grilled since it's not oily but it's juicy and the mushroom sauce just complements it! I love the combo of buttered corn and carrots and now I love their better version of herbed mashed potatoes!

I have already tried making my own version of Salisbury Steak yet I haven't documented it. I will try to cook it one of these days and add something healthy to the patties! Watch out for it! ;-)

Creamy Bacon Mushroom Pasta PLUS Chicken

2009-10-27T20:01:00.004+08:00

It was my aunt's birthday last Saturday and on Sunday, my uncle asked if I could make spaghetti with white sauce. They are among the "tasters/testers" of the stuff that I cook so I said yes. They wanted me to make tuna with white sauce but since I haven't tried doing that yet (promise I'll try that soon and post it here), I decided to play safe by making something I am already familiar with.

I decided to make a variation of my Creamy Bacon Mushroom Pasta - I added chicken to the recipe! The ingredients and directions for cooking are the same except for the chicken... Just chop up a chicken breast and sauté it with the onion and garlic before adding the sliced button mushrooms. Try adding a chicken bullion for more flavor.

Do you want your food to taste really good? Here's a tip you will find valuable: SMILE WHILE YOU ARE COOKING... :-)

Strawberry Cheesecake

2009-10-05T22:00:00.003+08:00

Strawberry Cheesecake from Vienna Kaffeehaus

I am a big fan of cheesecakes and I would want to bake one on my own someday. I am not good with baking but I want to try my hand in popping concoctions into and from the oven! I went hunting for strawberry cheesecake recipes and this one from PastryWhiz seems to be the easiest to follow. I’ll try it out someday and maybe you should too!

Strawberry Cheesecake
makes 12 servings

Crust:
1 1/2 c Graham cracker crumbs
2 tb Sugar
3 tb Margarine or butter; melted

Filling:
19 oz Cheese, cream; softened
1 c Sugar
2 ts Lemon peel; grated
1/4 ts Vanilla
3 Eggs

Glaze:
1 c Strawberries; mashed
1 c Sugar
3 tb Cornstarch
1/3 c Water

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350øF.

CRUST: Stir together graham cracker crumbs and sugar. Mix in butter thoroughly and press into a 9" springform pan. Bake 10 minutes. Cool. Reduce oven temperature to 300øF.

FILLING: Beat cream cheese in a large mixing bowl. Gradually add sugar, beating until fluffy. Add lemon peel and vanilla. Beat in eggs one at a time. Pour into shell. Bake 1 hour or until center is firm. Cool to room temperature and then spread with the strawberry glaze. Chill 3 hours.

GLAZE: Blend sugar and cornstarch together in a small saucepan. Stir in water and strawberries. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir for 1 minute. Cool thoroughly before spreading over cheesecake.

EXOTIC FOOD CHRONICLES: ISAW

2009-09-12T23:10:00.001+08:00

Chicken Isaw

Are you game for another exotic food? Better get ready for this delicacy to grace your guts! (No pun intended!)

Isaw is an exotic street food that you will most likely see being sold on sidewalks or street corners here in the Philippines. It is made from grilled pig or chicken intestines. Yes, intestines! Guts! Isaw is prepared by cleaning the intestines by turning them inside out repeatedly until they are free from dirt (umm, do I need to elaborate on what you can find inside intestines?). The intestines are then boiled and grilled or immediately grilled usually on bamboo skewers. Once cooked, isaw is then dipped in spicy vinegar or other variants of spicy sauce.

For some of you who are not fans of exotic food (and don’t have the guts to try them out), isaw may seem like an icky kind of food to try out. Well I believe it is indeed not good to eat IF it is not prepared well. Isaw if not cleaned and cooked properly may cause harmful diseases. Harmful bacteria may live inside the intestines and you might be able to ingest them if the isaw is not clean.

How would you know if isaw is safe to eat? I don’t really know but I think it is best when you can see or touch the isaw before it is set on the grill. I think isaw is on the “safe” side if it had been boiled before being skewered and grilled. The insides of raw isaw that is immediately grilled will not be cooked well even if the outer surface is already burnt.

I had the privilege to eat “safe” isaw way back when we used to have a neighbor who grilled barbecue and isaw at dusk. He boiled the isaw before putting them on sticks! I preferred to have my isaw grilled to a crisp and somehow charred but then I didn’t have them burnt because burnt food has carcinogens!

Anyway, since there had been warnings of the health risks of exotic food, my advice is that if you are really game to try them out, you should just be prepared of the worst that could happen. If you have the opportunity to check out how the food is prepared, the better.

One more thing with exotic food; no guts, no glory!

Fruit and Jelly Punch

2009-09-01T01:49:00.002+08:00

Fruit and Jelly Punch

I love food and I love drinks too! Aside from my ever favorite beer, I also love drinking punch! Here's a simple way to make punch without having to go through all the fuss...

Fruit and Jelly Punch Ingredients:

2 cans fruit cocktail, drained

1 small pack strawberry Kool Aid

Water, just enough

Gin, according to your tolerance hahaha!

Ice, lots of it

Spiked Jelly*

Mix all ingredients in a punch bowl and serve. Take it easy on the jelly!

=================================================================

*Spiked Jelly:

2 boxes Strawberry gelatin

Water

Gin

Cook gelatin according to instructions but with lesser water. After taking it off from the heat, add gin and stir. Set in a mould and refrigerate. Cut into squares or fun shapes.

Tuna Garlic Mushroom Pasta

2009-08-25T19:42:00.013+08:00

Tuna Garlic Mushroom Pasta

Here’s another batch of pasta from the kitchen! I know a lot of you might find tuna “fishy” but I fooled my “food tasters” with this recipe…They didn’t even know it’s tuna that’s in the sauce!

Ingredients:

Onion - 1 medium bulb, chopped
Garlic - 10 cloves, minced
Button Mushrooms - 1 can, half sliced, half finely chopped
Hot and Spicy Tuna Flakes - 1 small can, drained
Tomato Sauce or Spaghetti Sauce
Salt
Pepper
Oregano – dried
Cheese
Pasta - Spaghetti or Macaroni, cooked al dente

Directions:

Heat oil in pan and toast the minced garlic. Take them out from the oil and heat.
Sauté onions, mushrooms and tuna. Add tomato or spaghetti sauce. Add cheese in the sauce and half of the toasted garlic.
Season with salt, pepper, and oregano.
Add to pasta.
Serve with cheese and toasted garlic on top!

Buon appetito!

Bring Me The Chef's Salad!

2009-08-21T17:37:00.005+08:00

Chef's Salad at Mom's Corner

Mom's Corner along Pabayo-Chavez Sts. in CDO is just a stone's throw away from where I work and they serve tasty yet affordable meals. Whenever I feel like eating salad, I just go there and order Caesar's Salad or the Chef's Salad.

Traditional Chef's Salad usually consists of ham strips, hard-boiled eggs, croutons, cheese, cucumbers, tomatoes, roast beef, chicken, turkey, and salad greens and Thousand Island dressing. Mom's Corner's version of the salad has about the same contents except for the roast beef, chicken and turkey.

I love eating salads since they are healthier to eat than pure meat. Every now and then when I don't feel like eating a lot, I just mix my own batch or go to the nearest resto that serves greens. I prefer not to put dressing and cheese on my salad though.

I'm hungry... bring me the Chef's Salad!

Exotic Food Chronicles: SISIG

2009-08-17T19:03:00.002+08:00

Butcher's Best Sizzling Sisig

I don't know if sisig can be counted as exotic food but for people who are not from here, it is indeed exotic!

Sisig is a very popular Filipino dish that originated from Pampanga. It is made from finely chopped pork and it is usually served sizzling on a hot plate. The parts used for sisig are a pig's head (cheeks, snout, ears) and liver and it is usually seasoned with chili peppers and calamansi or Philippine lemons.

Sisig is prepared in three phases; the pork is boiled, broiled and fried before it becomes the exotic dish that it is! Boiling tenderizes the meat and broiling gives it its rich smoky flavor. Frying with onions gives the sisig more flavor and serving it on a sizzling plate makes it more exciting to eat!

Over the years, the curious palate of the Filipinos have created different sisig variants with a variety of add-ons such as chicharon, eggs, etc. Tuna, chicken, squid and tofu sisig have also popped up in many restaurants' menus and have also captivated the cravings of the locals.

Sisig tastes good especially if it's served with steaming rice! You can actually eat more than you've imagined!

Exotic Food Chronicles

2009-08-08T18:43:00.001+08:00

The Philippines is an exotic country. I don’t care if many of you beg to disagree but I believe it is as exotic as I see it to be. Aside from the exotic people, traditions and customs, and atmosphere, the Philippines has a lot of exotic food that people from various parts of the world never imagined could be considered to be called food at all.

We Filipinos are known to be innovative and practical (and some think we’re gross) especially when it comes to food considering that our country belongs to the third world. Our exotic food may be considered unpalatable by other nationalities but once they get the knack and guts (bwahahaha!) to taste our line of unusual food, they may not want to leave the Philippines anymore and stay here for good. Not every foreign tongue may like our exotic dishes, but for most of us Filipinos who are proud of our heritage and idiosyncrasies, there’s no holding back in exploring the more interesting line of the food chain.

Once in a while I will be posting “exotic” stuff here. Believe me I will not post gross pictures! Hahaha!

It’s Not A Hotdog! It’s Hungarian Sausage!

2009-07-30T18:26:00.001+08:00

No, what’s in the photo is not an ordinary hotdog that you can buy from the supermarket and fry in your pan. It’s Vienna Kaffeehaus’ Hungarian Sausage! As usual I went to my favorite place not for coffee but for their super cold beer but before I gulped down San Miguel Strong Ice I had to eat something first.

I went with Liz to Vienna Kaffeehaus along Velez St. and since they offer a variety of dishes on their menu, we were dazed and confused on what to choose for lunch. Since I wanted something spicy yet not too much on the tummy (and on the pocket hehe!), I ordered one of their popular treats, Hungarian Sausage served with coleslaw and rice. I chose rice over mashed potatoes since I had plans of taking beer with my meal; I wanted something heavier than potatoes.

The sausage was ok, cooked in the way sausages are supposed to be cooked yet its distinctive flavor made it more exciting. It was made spicy with pepper and spices but it was mild and tolerable especially for spicy hot chili lovers like me. I’m not going to say the Hungarian sausage was super amazing but it was just ok. Liz had a cheese sausage served with the same stuff but I can’t really say if she was that amazed with her lunch too.

The highlight of that rendezvous was the beer drinking. I told her nothing beats Vienna’s beer because they serve them super cold and they have super chilled mugs to go with the beer. I guess she agrees with me on the beer part…nothing beats the smooth yet strong taste of Strong Ice with a smokin’ mug…each of us drank a couple of bottles and then we went back to where we were supposed to be at that time. Haha!

Vienna Kaffeehaus serves meals, pastries, desserts, and super yummy cakes but I keep going back for the beer. I think the usual waitress gets pissed every time she sees me walking through their doors. Oh no, it’s that beer girl again! I must admit that for the several times I have been there, I have never ordered anything from their coffee list yet. Next time I promise I’ll try their coffee with their cute cakes and tell you all about it!

Meatless Spaghetti

2009-06-01T12:24:00.001+08:00

Images: No good photos... Ugly phone cam... :-(
Food: YUMMY!!! :-D

I love spaghetti (I can't say though that everybody does). Yesterday I came across some gourmet spaghetti sauces in the supermarket and my mother told me too cook spag. I only said yes if it's ok with her that I wouldn't put meat in the sauce and she agreed. I was supposed to take some of this meatless spaghetti to Odessa's because we were supposed to meet and do some brainstorming BUT the weather didn't cooperate and we were both not feeling very well.

Anyway, here's the recipe. Try it out! ;-)

Meatless Spaghetti

Ingredients:

spaghetti, cooked al dente
oil
1 head garlic, minced
1 medium white onion, chopped
1 can sliced button mushrooms
salt
pepper
ground oregano
parsley, finely chopped
Del Monte's Gourmet Beef and Mushroom Sauce (hey this is free advertising! hahaha!)
cheese

Directions:

Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Cook it al dente...don't ruin the pasta...drain.
Sauté garlic, onion, and mushrooms in oil. Add parsley and spaghetti sauce.
Season with salt, pepper, and oregano.
Add cheese.
Simmer for a while.
In a plate serve pasta with sauce and cheese.
Eat!!! Buon appetito!

*Strict vegetarians may find this recipe non-vegetarian since the sauce is beef flavored. Well I didn't say that this is supposed to be a vegetarian recipe BUT it has no meat in it.

Calamares: Crispy Squid Rings

2009-05-25T19:08:00.007+08:00

Vienna Kaffeehaus Squid Rings

My squid rings

Squid rings a.k.a. Calamares in this part of the world is one of my favorite dishes. I love it especially when the rings are coated with crispy breadcrumbs and dipped in garlic mayo or thousand island dressing. I love eating calamares but I don't like preparing it because it takes a lot of time and patience. However, since I enjoy eating and cooking, I'll be sharing with you how I prepare my calamares. ;-)

Crispy Squid Rings

Ingredients:
squid
flour
egg, beaten
Japanese bread crumbs
lemon or lime
salt
pepper
oil for deep frying

Dip:
minced garlic and mayonnaise

Clean squid by removing its head and membrane. Rinse, then cut into rings.
Marinate rings in salt, pepper, and lemon for at a maximum of 10 minutes.
Coat rings in flour, then dip it in the egg mixture. Coat with the breadcrumbs. (You can add a bit of salt and pepper to the breadcrumbs for more flavor.)
Deep fry coated rings in very hot oil. Once they turn into golden remove them from the oil and drain with paper towels.
In a bowl mix minced garlic and mayo for the dip.
Serve and eat your crispy squid rings!

Enjoy!

Pistachio Ice Cream

2009-05-23T20:07:00.002+08:00

It is no secret that I love ice cream... I have had several posts which show my favorite dessert presented in various ways.

This bowl of yummy green is Selecta Creations' Pistachio and Cashew ice cream. I love pistachio and cashew nuts and I was so amazed when I saw the ad on television that the two nuts are combined together in this heavenly delight!

I had sore throat when I bought a tub of this ice cream...the aftermath wasn't that desirable but it surely was worth it1 You have to try it and have a share of heaven!

Ribs Baby!

2009-04-27T18:04:00.005+08:00

I am a big fan of baby back ribs and this plate of yummy ribs is from Sentro 1850, a local resto here in CDO that serves a delectable range of food. Cutely called Bric a Brac, these ribs have tender meat and are served together with vegetables, corn and rice.

I love eating these babies... Just looking at the pic right now makes me want to go back there and have more...

The Magick of Lugaw

2009-04-23T18:42:00.003+08:00

Lugaw or rice porridge is one of the many kinds of food I love. It's like a soup or chowder (what category does this food really belong????) I love eating it whenever I don't feel well or whenever my stomach is upset. Rice is boiled until it is very soft and then it is seasoned with different spices and add-ons. Add-ons sound too techie eh? (See the keyboard on the background?)

Anyway, I took this lugaw pic yesterday. It was what I had for lunch because I wasn't feeling very well. This lugaw had hard boiled eggs, siomai (dumplings), spring onions and toasted garlic for toppings. I gave away the siomai to my co-worker when I found out it had shrimps in it. I am allergic to crustaceans!

Meals for Less Than a Dollar

2009-03-20T17:30:00.003+08:00

Shanghai Rolls

Burger Steak

Jollibee which is the leading fastfood chain in the country offers meals for less than one dollar! For PhP 39.00 (current exchange rate 1 USD = 48 PhP) you can avail any of these meals and have your fill! If you are on a tight budget yet would want to eat somethign tasty just go to the nearest Jollibee and order any of the 39ers!

The 39ers are so popular they even have a Facebook game app!

Creamy Bacon Mushroom Pasta

2009-02-27T10:45:00.003+08:00

I made this last night. My own recipe...

Creamy Bacon Mushroom Pasta

Pasta (spaghetti or penne)

Onion, chopped

Garlic, minced

Black Pepper, ground

Oregano, ground

Parsley, chopped finely

Bacon

Button Mushrooms, sliced

Cream

Butter

Cheese

Salt

Water

Cook pasta according to package directions or until al dente. Drain and toss with butter.
In a pan, cook bacon without oil until it turns into a crisp. Once crispy, crumble into flakes and set aside.
In the same pan, remove some of the melted bacon fat and leave just enough for sautéing the onion and garlic. Add mushrooms and a bit of butter.
In a pot, melt butter and add cream and some water. Stir in one direction and make sure it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan by keeping the fire low.
Add cheese, salt, pepper, oregano and parsley. Stir.
Add sautéed mushrooms and a few bits of flaked bacon. Simmer for a few minutes then mix with the pasta.
Serve with cheese and garnish with bacon and parsley.

Sushi Baby!

2009-02-12T22:51:00.003+08:00

I love sushi! I haven't had some in a while and I got lucky there's a guy who sells his sushi door to door. One day he popped up at the workplace and I've been putting off in buying his stuff because I'm allergic to shrimps and crabs. I had a taste but I didn't have allergic reactions thank goodness!

These sushi babies don't taste like the authentic ones but they are really good!

Another Sinful Sundae

2009-01-17T17:25:00.003+08:00

One lunch break my work mates and I decided to have lunch across the street at Mom's Corner. The food was great and we had this for dessert. Cookies and Cream :D

The chocolate ice cream sat on a bed of crushed ice, milk, and ground chocolate cookies. Mallows and candy-coated chocolates were sprinkled on top.

Chicken Macaroni Soup

2009-01-15T18:25:00.002+08:00

Cold afternoons are inspiration for me to cook up big pots of soup and share them with my family and relatives who live nearby. I have learned to cook chicken macaroni soup from my aunt when I was still young and over the years I developed my own recipe by using various herbs and different flavors.

The other Sunday's version of the chicken macaroni soup was different from my usual combination. The following is the recipe. Try to fix yourself something like it if you want. It's really goooood!!! :D

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons oil

2 cloves garlic (finely chopped)

1 medium onion (chopped)

ginger (finely chopped)

2 chicken breast fillets (chopped)

3 medium sized carrots (chopped)

3 celery stalks (chopped); leaves (finely chopped)

1 small can evaporated milk

1 chicken bouillon cube

2 liters water

elbow macaroni (cooked according to package instructions)

dash of ground dried oregano

salt and pepper to taste

grated cheese and celery leaves for garnish

Directions:

In a big pot, heat oil and toast garlic until golden. Once garlic turns golden remove from oil and set aside.
In the same oil, sauté the chopped onion and ginger. Add chopped chicken and continue cooking until tender.
Add the carrots and celery stalks to the sautéed chicken. Stir up for a few minutes.
Add water, milk, and chicken cube in the pot and let boil.
Add pre-cooked macaroni.
Add a dash of oregano, salt, pepper, the toasted garlic and the finely chopped celery leaves to the soup and simmer for a few minutes.
Serve in bowls with grated cheese and celery leaves on top.

My Beloved Pretzels

2009-01-12T17:17:00.000+08:00

Last month when I was on my way home from Cebu to Cagayan de Oro, I dropped by the Duty Free Shop in the Mactan International Airport. I was searching for something to buy to take home with me and of course I headed to the section where the munchies are.

After scanning the shelves for something to take me home, a bag of Snyder's of Hanover Pretzels struck my fancy and I bought it for $3 only. I have always loved pretzels even though I don't get to buy them just about anywhere. I like it that they are hard, crispy, and salty due to the coarse salt crystals. Imported pretzels and other stuff are usually found in duty-free shops or improted sections in super markets. I wish I bought more since my bag of pretzels already ran out. Next time I should stock up some more.

One thing I love about a pretzel is its shape. It looks like a cute heart. Back in the middle ages, the pretzel's loops stood for everlasting love.

Mocha Cake

2009-01-09T17:30:00.003+08:00

For mocha lovers like me, this cute cake from Vienna Kaffeehaus is a piece of heaven! What I love about mocha cakes, ice cream or whatever is that it is a unique combination of coffee and chocolate!

That coffee bean on top was so yummy!

Gummi Bears: My Addiction

2008-12-22T14:03:00.004+08:00

I have always loved gummi bears and I can't get enough of them! Well I played with them first before I gobbled them up... Of course I cleaned my hands first!

Gummi bears are found to be composed of empty calories. They are sweet and sticky...they can make you fat and they can cause tooth decay. Well that is if you do not take good care of yourself after eating gummi bears!

Cake, Ate It Too!

2008-12-05T17:26:00.005+08:00

Vienna's Delight is a concoction of chocolate, nuts, cream and an indescribable sans rival-like layers beneath the cute facade. Another sinful and delightful dessert!

Another Sinful Delight

2008-11-28T13:14:00.004+08:00

I went to Vienna Kaffeehaus (oh no not again) last night and had this really delectable and sinful Blueberry Cheesecake...

I got dizzy while eating...

Baby Back Ribs

2008-11-21T22:04:00.004+08:00

This was what I had for dinner earlier tonight at Casa Verde here in Cebu City. I'm in Cebu for a short break. It's so yummy I could have said I could die...

This plate of baby back ribs is called Brian's Ribs and the big chunk of ribs on my plate was served with vegetables and rice. I washed it down with my favorite beer San Miguel Strong Ice!

Coffee Dear

2008-11-19T13:24:00.002+08:00

A cup of cappuccino to warm the cold nights... Chit chat with a friend, recall memories and create new ones...

Just don't piss off your friend by being too amazed with the WiFi access of the coffee shop!!!

Incomparable Sans Rival

2008-11-13T21:19:00.001+08:00

This Sans Rival came from the same kaffeehaus as the strawberry shortcake. So yummy... I love cashew nuts!!!

Strawberry Shortcake

2008-11-12T09:24:00.003+08:00

Odessa's tempting version

My anemic version hahaha!

Last Monday my friend Odessa and I went to the kaffeehaus... She ordered Tiramisu but this was the cake given to her by the waitress...

I ate the strawberries since she doesn't like them...

Gummi Bears Again???

2008-11-06T10:23:00.000+08:00

I love gummi bears and I love playing with them...

Here are some of the crew on the laptop...

Beer

2008-11-01T11:42:00.001+08:00

Gulped two beers with this handy and really cold mug...

Noodles

2008-11-01T11:12:00.000+08:00

This is what we had for the afternoon break. A sort of Palabok thing with fatter noodles... I got an irritation with the shrimp... I had to pop an antihistamine to relieve the rash...

Burger Daw

2008-11-01T11:00:00.000+08:00

This is what we had for the morning break... A cute burger with potato chips!

Finest Daw!

2008-10-30T17:14:00.001+08:00

Yellow Cab's 14 inch New York's Finest Pizza... Had some last night with friends and of course I had my share with beer! Yum yum!!! :D

De Luxe

2008-10-30T17:11:00.000+08:00

The Cheeseburger DeLuxe from McDonald's is not as challenging as the Big Mac and the Quarter Pounder but I love it since it has a leaf with it...

I love lettuce!!!

Wacky Macaroni

2008-10-28T10:44:00.002+08:00

Baked macaroni with tomato sauce and herbs, and white sauce and cheese on top. I love putting oregano in pasta dishes...makes the food more tasty and pleasant-smelling... :D

My Pet Gummi Bears

2008-10-23T16:07:00.000+08:00

Gummi bears are amogn my favorite munchies... They come in different colors and various flavors. I just can't get enough of them!

Jane's Addiction

2008-10-22T12:34:00.000+08:00

Yeah those are Cheezy Fries from a nearby Jollibee outlet. This is my co-worker Jane's addiction. She's addicted to this really sinful concoction of cholesterol, potatoes, grated cheese and melted cheese.

I like this cheesy combo but I love the Overload Fries better. Too bad that Overload is not available all the time!

Sinful Sundae

2008-10-22T12:13:00.001+08:00

A really sinful sundae at Vienna Kaffeehaus...

Vanilla ice cream, mango slices, chocolate wafer stick, whipped cream, and really yummy hot fudge!!!