The Late Reunion

December had just started and it was looking to be one hell of a busy month. Problems were piling up one day after another and it all de-motivated me to write. So yes, this is a late post of my reunion with college friends last December 11. I’ve been messaging with my college friends from UA&P for us to get together because I haven’t seen them in ages! Back in the day, we always use to have a small Christmas get together. I guess we’ve all been busy with our own lives but we always kept in touch in our own little way. When we finally agreed on the date and time, I was so excited to see them again that I could not bear to cancel on them even if my sister needed me but thankfully, she understood and agreed that I go. We all agreed that we would have dinner at Greenbelt on a quiet Sunday night and by the time I was there, almost everyone was close by too. I headed to Starbucks to wait for them, and I missed one of my friends, Jaana, who was actually sitting in one of the tables near the line. It wasn’t until our other friend got there and greeted her that I went over to the table and greeted her as well. We chitchatted while waiting for Jake. Lia was on her way but she lives in Antipolo and was stuck in traffic. Yes, when it’s December it is still traffic on a Sunday. We exchanged gift but I couldn’t take mine out of the bag because I was shy to take out brownies and bars I made inside Starbucks. So I told them I’d just hand it out later. We then decided to go to Cyma already since we were all starving. We were seated right away and everything in the menu looked good that we all had a hard time deciding what to get. It’s rare that I see lamb chops on the menu and I really wanted to get them but they we’re a bit pricey (Php 495) for a shoulder loin chop so I opted to get the Lamb Gyro (Php 220) with Greek Roasted Potatoes on the side (add Php 100). Jake asked if we wanted to get appetizers and we all gladly agreed. He suggested we get the Spinach and Artichoke Fondue (Php 350). My eyes instantly lit up and he saw it from the corner of his eyes and gave a little laugh. Obviously, we were certainly gonna have that. We all ordered our entrees and drinks. I left to get a smoke outside and they told me that my order wasn’t available. My heart fell since I really wanted to try it. the server suggested that I get the pulled lamb sandwich which was Php 460 it was only a few pesos cheaper than the lamb chops so I thought, whatever, I’ll just get the lamb chops! Hahahaha. Our appetizers came in first of course and the Fondue that I wanted to try did not fail my taste buds! It was so flavorful! It was a medley of spinach, artichoke, feta cheese, and tomatoes in my mouth! I would be completely happy to have just that all to myself! By the way, I apologize for not taking a picture, like I said, we were all starving. Hahahaha. We we’re in the middle of appetizers when Lia came with little Phoebe, who looks so adorable! It’s my first time meeting her. She’s now 6 years old which means I haven’t seen them in 6 years!!  Back to our meal, our entrees started coming as the last of our little group came in. The smell of grilled lamb chops made my mouth water! And I was surprised to see 2 chops on my plate! It didn’t say it on the menu description. But I was happy about it. The more the merrier, right? I started to chow down on my plate and the first thing I noticed was the lack of flavor. I wouldn’t that it just had salt and pepper if there was a sauce to go with it. There were parts that I tasted a bit of rosemary and I savored those bites. By the time I finished one chop, I was completely full already. And only then did I remember to take a picture of my food. Hahahaha.  

Half of my Lamb Chops

Jake and his girl said their goodbyes already since they had a movie to catch. Then everyone started handing out their gifts to Lia so I handed out my gifts for everyone as well.

My Christmas gift to them (They get a box each. :D)

I think it took us about an hour of chitchatting before we decided to get our bill and our doggie bags (I had and extra chop still to take home).  Clarissa and hubby parted ways with us since their daughter Ava was at home sick. Lia, Jaana and I, headed to Figaro to exchange a few more stories. My sisters watched a movie and when I was over, I had to part ways with the group as well.  

Like Clarissa said on her Facebook post, when we see each other, it always seems like nothing has changed, even though years have gone by and that’s what I love the most about our barkada. We may not always keep in touch but the friendship we built way back when we we’re hanging out at the ledge will always be the same. I truly miss and love you guys and I’ll see you all again in February! I hope everyone will make it next time! Hehehe. 

Jaana and lil Phoebe

The Thingaz

Our Timid Thanksgiving Dinner

I was upset on Wednesday afternoon after the turn of events that day when I remembered that it was Thanksgiving the next day. The thought of cooking food and sharing it with my sisters gave a little bright light to my dark tunnel. On my way to the supermarket, I was already thinking of what to cook on a tight budget. I knew I wouldn’t be able to serve turkey since it’s too expensive here and it’s too much for just three people. So I thought chicken and something with pumpkin/squash. I had most of what I needed to roast a chicken and I have ingredients to make a brownie at hand so in just a few minutes, my menu was complete. Roasted chicken with a side of sautéed squash and green beans and for dessert, pumpkin/squash cheesecake swirled brownies.

My plated Thanksgiving Dinner

My youngest sister can’t go home on Thursday night since she still had classes so I made Thanksgiving dinner tonight. I woke up a bit late today (and I don’t know why I keep over sleeping) so I took the chicken out of the freezer as soon as I woke up and thawed it out while I had my morning/afternoon coffee and brunch. I started cleaning the chicken after my meal. Usually, I would use lemon for the chicken but since I forgot to buy some the day I went to the supermarket, I just got some kalamansi from the trusty sari-sari store (hehe). So for the marinate, I used garlic, Spanish paprika, kalamansi, rosemary, pepper, drizzled some olive oil into it before salting the chicken. I stuffed in some onions with the same mixture of spices and herbs. I let that sit in the chiller while I started doing my brownies. I’ve made cream cheese brownies before but never a pumpkin/squash flavored one. But all there was to it was adding the squash, cinnamon and nutmeg to the already existing cream cheese recipe I use. After about 35-40mins, I could smell the aroma of the chocolate-y goodness coming from the kitchen. I’d like to believe that when you start smelling the goodness of your treats then that’s the time to take it out. :D   I took out the marinating chicken in the fridge, trussed it, seared it in a pan, stuck it in the oven, and timed it for an hour. Knowing it would be done before an hour, I checked it after 30 minutes and the smell overwhelmed me as I opened the oven door. My mouth started to water as I smelled all the flavors coming in together. I gave it a last whiff, closed the door and started sautéing my veggies. It was the perfect time to practice my pan tossing. When the squash were bright orange and the green beans gave its lovely color, I turned the heat off and took out the chicken. The doneness was just right, and the juices gave me a brown tint, so I let it sit while I made my pan gravy. I swirled red wine in the pan I used for the chicken and let it infuse with the onions, garlic and that flavorful fond to make my pan gravy more tasty. You can never go wrong with a little wine in your food, or sauce for that matter. Chicken done,

veggies done,

brownies done,

gravy done, time to call my sisters for dinner. :D Zyra took the first bite and the actually cursed because of how good it was. She said it was way better than the chicken she had at Cravings (sorry we can’t seem to get over how bad it was and we keep comparing it with others.). I took a bite out of mine and cursed too… and agreed with her. Lil sis, Nina, was quietly chomping on her food. Not saying anything but since I saw that there was something on her cheek (probably form the chicken) and did not bother to wipe it even though I pointed it out, I’m guessing that she was enjoying her food and didn’t want to be bothered. Zy actually had more than her fill. She ate more than a quarter of a chicken. We were full but I made room for a lil dessert. My sisters were hesitant to taste it because they’ve never had it before (well, I haven’t either) but since they trust my cooking, they went ahead and tried it. They said it doesn’t really taste like pumpkin/squash and they had a couple more pieces. I tried it and I was surprised at how good it was. The actually brownie was uber moist and the pumpkin cheesecake tasted rich. Another one to add to my flavors of brownies. :D

We may not have turkey or stuffing or mash potatoes or cranberry sauce and all that, but it was still a very much tasty and fulfilling dinner. When you share good food with your family, your problems seem like a million miles away and you just enjoy the moment and the food. I wouldn’t have shared Thanksgiving dinner with anyone else but these two that I am most thankful for. 

The Cheezzzy Chips

ANOTHER NEW FIND!! Its Farmer John's Cheddar and Sour Cream! My sister just brought home these chips and they taste exactly like Ruffles Cheddar and Sour Cream! Not kidding! And for only 11php! So I guess there's now a cheaper alternative to Ruffles! :D Kudos to Leslies Corp. for the awesome addition! :D

The Delightful Dexter's Pizza

“What sulit, mama?” “It's getting more than what we paid for.” And I gotta say for 200php a pop, we got more than what we paid for at Dexter’s pizza.

Zyra, yet again, was the one who suggested that we try Dexter’s pizza, especially the shawarma flavor. Having tasted authentic shawarma back in the sandbox, we are picky with our shawarma, especially here in the Philippines. Only one place hits our spot, Shawarma Snack Center. But according to Zy, Dexter’s pizza actually comes close. Greenwich has attempted the shawarma flavor. It wasn’t good enough. So we went ahead and called Dexter’s pizza to get a couple of boxes delivered. We had the Bacon Cheeseburger flavor 

and of course, the Shawarma flavor.

I had the Bacon Cheeseburger first. I think I wanted to see first if the regular flavor was good enough and surprisingly, it was. Good amount of topping, the toppings flavors we’re spot on but of course, like any other local pizza place, expect quick melting cheese and not mozzarella. The crust tasted good and crunchy as well, similar to Greenwich’s crust but a bit tastier. After my first slice, I went ahead and helped myself to the shawarma one and it was goooooood. I found myself nodding, while munching on the goodness. My sisters and I think that the key to a good shawarma is the meat and the garlic sauce. This pizza had the right flavor of the meat and the garlic sauce drizzled on top was awesome! The onions and tomatoes added more flavor and texture to it. When we were done, only half of a whole pizza was left and we got two “14.

We know it’s not authentic Italian pizza but for 195php for a “14 with a good flavor, it was definitely “sulit”! And I’m sure we’ll be calling them up again soon! :D

The Enticing Ensaymada

If you live in the Philippines you would know the Cornetto ad campaign that asks “Hanggang saan aabot ang 20 pesos mo?” aside from the ice cream (which actually cost a little more than 20 pesos), you can add our awesome find, Universal Bakery’s ensaymada, to the list!

We’ve known Universal Bakery since we were little kids. I can still remember the rich taste of their monay and loaf breads that can’t compare even to Gardenia. But since we lived in another country and lived almost decade in Manila, those are the only ones I remember. See Universal Bakery only has branches in the South, particularly in Laguna. We’ve always wondered why they never branched out but their biggest store, which is about a 5 minute drive from our house, still stands. My sister, Zyra, who works near the store dropped by and bought a couple of things including the ensaymada, which we never tried before. I was excited when she gave her pasalubong. I already knew it was gonna be good but I didn’t know I was in for a treat. When I bit into it, I was surprised to taste ham along with the rich bread, cheese and creamy frosting! I checked the bread and saw bits and pieces of ham inside! And it was a twist I very much appreciated. I savored every bite I took. To me, this one goes on top of the list. It surpasses Goldilocks, Red Ribbon or other big brands. Its 20 pesos that is very, very much worth it! 

The Bad Birthday Dinner

Last week, my sisters and I had dinner to celebrate my birthday. We had a few choices in mind but I decided that I wanted to try Cravings because I know I heard a few people from our school say that they had good food. Maybe it’s just me or maybe I just had high expectations, but Cravings failed me miserably.

We got seated right away and were also given the menu right away but i had to call the waiter back to take our orders even though there was hardly anyone in the restaurant. He took in all our orders but when we got to dessert, I got disappointed when the Twix Cheesecake was not available. I changed my order to the Belgian Dark Rich Chocolate Cheesecake and again, the waiter said it wasn’t available. I tried my best to be nice and asked which ones were available because we might go on and on if he doesn’t just tell me straight up. I don’t think he understood me very much because when he came back, he said I should try their Warmed Chocolate Caramel with Vanilla Ice Cream because it was their best-seller. I bit back saying, “I didn’t ask you what your best-seller is!” and instead I told him to just leave the menu and I’ll order dessert for later. Cravings has a display case of their desserts upfront so I just went there and checked what they had. I didn’t find anything that interested me or maybe it was just the fact that I was getting disappointed already so I abandoned the thought of dessert. The waiter came back with our drinks and I gave him back the menu. Then he said that we were each entitled to unlimited soup and salad because we each ordered main courses. My enthusiasm came back again and I headed to the soup station and salad bar. I got the chicken noodle soup and made myself a Caesar salad. I started with the soup but it did not quite please me because there hardly was any noodle or chicken in the soup and I’m pretty sure I tasted a bit of sourness in it, like a hint of lemon, which I didn’t appreciate. I expect chicken noodle soup to be hearty but then again, it was free soup. i dived into my Caesar salad next and enjoyed it. But then, it wasn’t exactly a Caesar salad because they only had iceberg and green leaf lettuce. The lettuces were fresh and crisp. Their dressing was good, just the right amount of saltiness and tartness and the croutons were tasty and toasty. 

soup and salad

We ordered Buffalo wings (Php 265) which came a few minutes after we started our soups and salads. They tasted good but I wouldn’t exactly call them Buffalo wings because they absolutely lacked the heat and the buttery taste. To me, it tasted more like a honey barbeque glazed wings. 

Buffalo wings (the only thing i liked)

Our entrees came after 5-10minutes. My youngest sister, Nina, had Parmesan Crusted Fish Fillet (Php 365), which didn’t seem like there was any parmesan used. 

Parmesan Crusted Fish Fillet

My other sister, Zyra, had the Chicken ala Chef Jonathan (Php 335), which was so-so. It was good but there wasn’t anything too memorable about the dish. It was just a roasted chicken with mushroom gravy and rosemary. 

Chicken ala Chef Jonathan

I had the Crab-Stuffed Fish Fillet (Php 360), which I was super excited to try but disappointed. It lacked seasoning and flavor. It was plain bland. I don’t think they used any seasoning at all. Not even salt or pepper. I expected to taste butter and paprika and cheese melting into the crab and fish meat. But all I tasted was bland fish stuffed with bland crab with some Quickmelt cheese. There wasn’t even a lemon-butter sauce to go with it.

Crab-Stuffed Fish Fillet

After we paid the bill and left the restaurant, I huddled in with my sisters and said what was not being spoken among us. “I didn’t like the food”, I said and Zyra smirked and agreed. I told her that at least now we know and we won’t be coming back again. As we were walking around the mall, I couldn’t help but compare the food with the ones that taste better but cheaper that Cravings. I shook my head and told them, I would have enjoyed eating at Gerry’s grill more. Oh well, lessoned learned. 

The First Entry

The sound of pots clinking, the smell of onion being sautéed in butter, the ambience of a warm busy kitchen, I close my eyes and soak it all in… and I know this is what I love and will always do.

When I was 13 years old, my mom introduced the kitchen to me and I fell in love. She passed down to me the recipes that her mom passed down to her. The kitchen was our sanctuary where she and I would talk about anything under the sun while simmering soups and sauces. It was inevitable that when it was time for me to go to college, she suggested that I take a course that involves cooking. Young and naïve that I was, I did not listen. I took several courses that I thought I wanted but gave up on after a couple of years. I was 25, working at a dead end job and no degree to back me up, when I finally told myself to think long and hard of what I really wanted to do in life. I was going thru old piled up books at home when I came across Like Water for Chocolate. It brought me back to when I was in college and had to do a report on the book. I remember going up to my professor and thanking him for giving me that particular book because it spoke to me like no other book had. It was the first book I read that connected cooking with emotions and I truly liked and related to it, which is why I only think it right to name my blog after the book that made me realize how much cooking meant to me. I re-read the book and after a few more months, I went back to school and took up Culinary Arts. From the moment I started school, to the moment I finished, to the grueling overtimes during my practicum, to the frustrating job hunt, I know I am in the right place and I’ve never been happier. :)

­It has been a long time coming, but all I can say is this is what I am meant to do. I may not know everything in the industry yet, but I will get there. And this blog is my attempt to share to my friends, family, and everyone else, my journey to the culinary world. Most of my blogs will of course be about food, absolutely whatever I can think of that is worth sharing. Expect reviews from restaurants, raves about cheap thrills, results of experimentations in the kitchen, and hopefully my work life as well. Remember, these are my own opinions. People are entitled to their opinion right? It doesn’t mean that if I rant about something, you would have the same experience. So, I still suggest going out there and trying things out yourself. :D

I shall leave this first entry with one of my favorite quote from the Dalai Lama, “Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon…”  


P.S. I am new to this so everything is a work in progress... :D