Ever since I got myself into this program, i drag the butts of my office lunch buddies to restos that serve “real” meals, instead of fast food restos that serve nothing but oil, junk, and what not. Today, we decided to dine in at Recipes by Cafe Metro.

What did we think about it?

We first thought that their food was cheap because their chopsuey meal costs only 135 but when we saw how small their serving was, we go so disappointed. We got more disappointed when we saw their their chopsuey looked anything but that  . There was no liver, no broccoli, no cauliflower; instead, we saw loads of bean sprouts or mongo shoot (toge) or whatever you call it. Gosh, it tasted like the sauted bean sprouts, often served in Tokyo Tokyo as side dish. It tasted NOTHING like chopseuy.

Pardon the photo, we were so hungry hahaha!

We also ordered Bistek Tagalog and even though I cannot complain on the beef selection (soft and thinly sliced), I can’t help but think about Tokyo Tokyo’s Beef Misono when I tasted it . Again, super small serving, it can barely feed 2 people.

Again, we ate a portion of it already .. talk about patay gutoms

Because the food barely escaped reached our tummies, we ordered another dish that looked soo tempting on their menu.

In reality, the dish was served to us like this – parang halo halo lang.

In fairness, the lechon tasted okay, but the kangkong tasted like kangkong with plain soy sauce period. It took forever to arrive, we even had to follow up on it because they apparently forgot to process our additional order. tsk 

To make things worst, the waiters were so distracted, unattentive, and snob. I mean gaaashh, it seemed like we owe them for eating there. I promised to avoid negative vibes but this is just annoying!

We paid for the bill with heavy burden in our hearts

An 8.9% service charge for such an awful service.  Never again!

• It has a super cool user interface that’s robust, yet still easy to use –> Think Apple UI

YNAB

• I have always been confused with debit and credit, good thing, this app uses IN and OUT instead
• It’s more than an application… it encourages you to make saving a habit through goal setting and living by its 4 principles:

Give Every Dollar a Job

Each month you assign your Available dollars to spending/savings categories. This process takes 20 minutes and revolutionizes the way you think about your money.

Result: Dollars are told what to do. Your awareness will increasetremendously and you’ll find contentment as your spending aligns itself with your core values. Communication between spouses is restored.

Save for a Rainy Day

You’ll anticipate larger, less-frequent expenses and will be ready for them. Insurance premium due in six months for $600? Save $100 each month and watch the Car Insurance balance grow.

Result: Eliminate the crazy ups and downs in your life. Gain atrue picture of your discretionary income. Enjoy opening the mail again (the money will be there waiting to pay that bill).

Roll with the Punches

The key is to keep moving even when you fail (you will). YNAB will make small adjustments when you overspend, ensuring that you fix those mistakes before you go to the next month.

Result: It keeps you on your budgeting feet, so when you fail, you don’t quit. You start each month with a clean slate–a hugepsychological boost.

Stop Living Paycheck to Paycheck

We want you to work toward living on last month’s income. Both the software and methodology will help you do just that.

Result: You’ll find breathing room. You’ll stop wasting time by timing paychecks with bills, and if you’re on a variable income, your budgeting “problem” will be eliminated.

Budgeting

• It is super lightweight and multi-platform, it even has an iPhone and now an Android application
• Syncing is very easy, it highlights the updates or conflicts between devices, and allows you to easily check for it and approve as necessary

• Beat this — It has an awesome website, awesome community, awesome crew, awesome tutorials
• It focuses more on changing lives rather than scoring money from its users because it focuses on YOU learning by giving free tutorials and coaching classes, it focuses on YOU getting the latest update for free for life, it focuses on YOU being able to access your application from all of your devices

If you’re still in doubt, read what others think about YNAB:

• http://financialedge.investopedia.com/financial-edge/0611/The-Best-Budgeting-Software-For-2011.aspx
• http://financialsoft.about.com/od/budgetingsoftware/gr/You-Need-A-Budget-Review.htm
• http://www.onemoneydesign.com/ynab-3-review-you-need-a-budget/
• http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/you-need-a-budget-ynab/id372076250?mt=8
• http://www.amazon.com/You-Need-Budget-YNAB-Personal/dp/B000QO76HU

Enough said, why don’t you guys just try this wonder for free I know, this is starting to sound like a paid ad but that’s how happy I am! I can’t stop spreading the good news! =) In fact, I’m glad that I am finally able to post this one because looking back, I really owe Jessy (founder of YNAB) big time! Read their story here.

If you have any question about this app, feel free to contact me via email. I’ll be a YNAB consultant for free!

Thursday – As always, we went to 14 churches to fulfill a family tradition, that is visita iglesia; one church along C5, near Eastwood made us carry a cross! Quite heavy but overall a pleasant experience because at least we got to at least try and carry a cross and walk under the heat of the sun.

Friday – Instead of fasting and prayer, BQ invited his mom and brother to go to Nuvali, and so we all did. Since there’s really nothing to do there, we went straight to Tagaytay and ate too much at Sonya’s Garden. For only Php 610 per head, we had unlimited salad (with dressing, etc.), unlimited salmon pasta, and unlimited dalandan juice!

–> Super sulit, fresh, delish, and filling! Did not like the ants I saw everywhere (yes, even on our tables) though…

Saturday – Another pig out session… went to C’ Italian Dining in Clark Pampanga to try their famous panizza (where Yellow Cab copied their Dear Darla).

To those who are not familiar, this resto is famous for their C’ SUPER CLASSIC FRESHLY BAKED PANIZZA (approx Php 600+ and good for 3 people), Chef Chris Locher’s masterpiece. Panizza is a rectangular thin crust pizza, served and eaten with arugula and alfalfa sprouts.

We also tried 2 of their risottos – Risotto Kristina  – Php 600+ (salmon, prawns, asparagus, broccoli, and finished with tender mushrooms and white truffle oil) and Risotto Frutti di Mare – Php 700+ (salmon, marlin, prawns, mussels blended with tomato and saffron-flavored parmesan risotto).

Their SLOW ROASTED LAMB RIBS IN AROMATIC SPICE RUB (Php 890) was a pleasant surprise. Even though I’m not really into Lamb, theirs is actually delicious and tender.

Lastly, we ordered pasta but wasn’t able to taste it anymore, I was sooo full and not to mention, it was around 9 p.m. already when we ordered that.

Sunday – I just went to the salon to have my hair and nails done – at last! And then went to church service in the afternoon. One important lesson learned, everything means nothing without Him. We must not let ourselves be a prisoner of this world by following what it dictates; instead, let us live a meaningful life by doing what He wants us to .

Happy Easter everyone!

Their store locations as follows:

• Alabang
  • Address :Home Zone, Upper Ground Level, Alabang Town Center Ayala Alabang, Muntinlupa, Metro Manila
  • Contact No.:556-3966 to 67
• Gateway
  • Address :3/F Gateway Mall, Araneta Center Cubao, Quezon City
  • Contact No.:913-2991
• Gourdo’s World Market Alabang Town Center
  • Address :Alabang Town Center
  • Contact No.:
• Gourdo’s World Market Greenbelt 2
  • Address :Greenbelt 2
  • Contact No.:
• Greenhills
  • Address :R1 and R2 Upper Level, Promenade Mall Greenhills Shopping Center, Ortigas Ave. Greenhills, San Juan, Metro Manila
  • Contact No.:744-3087
• Living Well Home Store SM Mall of Asia
  • Address :SM Mall of Asia
  • Contact No.:
• Living Well Home Store The Podium
  • Address :The Podium
  • Contact No.:
• Makati
  • Address :3/F Glorietta 4, Ayala Center, Makati City
  • Contact No.:757-5771
• Sleep Care Alabang Town Center
  • Address :Alabang Town Center
  • Contact No.:
• Sleep Care Glorietta 4
  • Address :Glorietta 4
  • Contact No.:
• Sleep Care Shangri-la Plaza
  • Address :Shangri-la Plaza
  • Contact No.:
• The Fort
  • Address :Unit G, The Fort Entertainment Complex, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig Metro Manila
  • Contact No.:887-0150
• Trinoma
  • Address :Lobby Level, Trinoma, EDSA Corner North Avenue, Quezon City
  • Contact No.:901-3475

It was kinda late for dinner at that time and we were famished… As a result, we ordered almost every item on their menu… masiba talaga…

The verdict? I was really surprised because their inasal chicken did not taste special… It’s just like a normal chicken with salt, some soy sauce, and pepper… Don’t get me wrong here, I’m not saying it’s not delicious because it is, but nothing extraordinary, like some people claim. On the other hand, their liempo was excellent! The barbecue and the other “normal” chicken order was also good.

The price of their food is very very cheap… While most chicken inasal costs around 90 to 100 per part, theirs costs 60+.

The resto is worth trying, after all, this is one of the restos Bacolod is proud of. More Bacolod photos here.

Good thing I didn’t give up and gave it one more shot. Look at my output below, that only took me around 3 – 5 minutes waiting time.

What did I do? Simple, just spray this on and wait for a few minutes. After that, wipe the faucet with wet chamois. It would be better to leave the room after spraying because this Lysol disinfectant cleaner releases bad odor and is possibly harmful to your health.

I have been planning to cook spareribs for a long time now but haven’t had the courage to do so. I was scared of a “matigas” (hard) na end product. Anyway, since I no longer have veggies in my fridge, I decided to give it a go.

First step is to boil the following ingredients for 40 mins to an hour:

• ¼ cup soy sauce
• 2 cups water
• ¼ kg spareribs
• 2 tablespoons salt
• Pepper
• 4 cloves of garlic

Using a fork, check if the pork is already tender; if so, separate solids from liquid (can be discarded already or turned into an entirely new soup dish). Add the following ingredients to the spareribs and marinate for 10 to 15 mins:

• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• ¼ cup tomato catsup
• Pepper
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 pcs. Chili (siling labuyo)
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons white soda (7-up or sprite)

Heat a pan, add 4 tablespoons of cooking oil. Add a few drops of sesame oil. Add the spareribs along with the marinade. Cook using low heat until brown.

Anyway, the real purpose of this post is to share with you the rule of 72. This method is invented by Albert Einstein and is probably one of the most important facts you’ll ever encounter in your life. The rule of 72 simply teaches us that if you divide the number 72 by the rate of interest, will yield the number of years it will take to double your money. It is used in compounding interest rather than simple interest calculations.

For example, if you divide 72 by 8 percent interest in an investment, your money will double in 9 years, regardless of the amount of your money.

Why am I sharing this? To give you a wakeup call. Saving in banks can only give you at most, 4% interest and they would probably require you to save millions just to get that rate. And if we are being strict here, we would need to include the inflation rate of 3% to 5% into the picture, which will give you 0 to 1 percent interest. Using this scenario and applying the rule of 72, in how many years can you double your money?

The grease, dirt, oil, and other particles our eyes cannot see…

My emotional quotient is higher than ever and I’m so proud!!! I was able to withstand the urgency of the situation… I was able to ignore the immense need to wipe the stove top until after cooking (1 dish). Wow, it feels like passing the marshmallow test! Awwwesomeeee!

So how should one clean a stove top? I usually use a coarse rug in wiping off the oil and dirt to make sure the markings are removed. But before doing that, I wet the rug first with water and a little bit of Lysol Concentrate just to be sure that I’m not merely spreading the dirt all over my stove top. After that, I wipe it dry with a clean cloth or chamois, also to make sure that no water markings will be left behind.

P.S. No matter how hard it is to resist the urge of wiping splattered oil from your stove top while cooking, resist it, to avoid accidents.

When you have very limited ingredients available in your fridge, you just have to be a bit creative and try to combine what you have in your kitchen. This happened to me last week – when grocery shopping was long overdue.

Ingredients:

• 4 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1/4 kilo scallops
• 10 pieces button mushrooms, chopped
• 2 tablespoons salted butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• salt and pepper

Procedure:

1. Heat pan and pour the olive oil.
2. Add the butter and melt it.
3. Add the garlic and cook until brown.
4. Add the mushroom, scallops, and basil.
5. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Cook for 5 to 8 minutes.

This dish is not only easy to cook, it is also unique and yummy.

I must admit, I’m one of those who thinks that making fried rice is difficult and time consuming until last Monday, when I decided to wake up early and give fried rice another chance. I’m surprised because it only took me roughly 20 minutes to cook this complicated-looking dish. So, for those of you who are always in a hurry, feel free to try this recipe out.

Ingredients:

• Salt
• Pepper
• 1 egg, beaten
• 4 cups of cold cooked rice, hand-mashed
• 3 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 2 tablespoons of sesame oil
• 1 cup of mixed vegetables
• 2 pieces of chinese chorizo, chopped

Procedure:

1. Beat the eggs and season with salt and pepper.
2. Heat a non-stick pan with cooking oil.
3. Saute the garlic until brown and then add the chorizo and mixed veggies.
4. Add the beaten egg and mix until the egg is cooked.
5. Add the rice, season with additional salt and pepper depending on your taste and stir often until cooked.

Timing:

• Preps: 3 minutes
• Step 2 to 4: 5 minutes
• Step 5: 12 minutes

Anyway, here’s what I think of the resto:

First of all, the location is convenient because you can park right outside their restaurant. Secondly, their Monggo na Mayaman is to die for! The place is also awesome because the interiors stayed true to the Filipiana theme and I’m impressed with the implementation.

After that, the good stuff ends because their food serving is very small but expensive and paying an additional 10% service charge isn’t really thrilling.

This is how expensive their dishes are, and I am so hoping that they reassess their rates:

• Their monggo soup costs 240++ for 1 small bowl just enough for 2 people
• Their rib eye bistek costs 340++ for 1 small slice of beef

Aside from Monggo na Mayaman, we also ordered Bistek Filipino but it didn’t taste special and was kind of hard. Lastly, we had to ask for a receipt before they issued us an OR. I mean, every restaurant I know gives a receipt automatically right? Here’s how it happened:

1. Bill came
2. We paid
3. We received our change but the official receipt or even the bill-looking receipt was not there
4. We asked for the receipt but they gave us the bill-looking thing again
5. We were about to leave with that piece of paper but they stopped us
6. The girl at the counter told us that they’ll issue an OR instead

Weird huh?!

For information about 1521, read this article.

———

1521 Restaurant
547 Shaw Blvd., Brgy. Wack- Wack
Mandaluyong City, Metro Manila
Telephone: (+632) 794-0433; (+632) 794-0433
Mobile: (+63917) 8606687 ; (+63917) 8606687
Email: fifteentwentyonerestaurant@yahoo.com

After 27 years of existence, at last, nakarating din sa Bora!!! Thanks to Nes and Ian for inviting us to their wedding kasi kung hindi pa dun, di pa din siguro kame pupunta ng Bora =) During our first day there, hubby and I had our 3pm lunch at Smoke Resto (with Inggo’s recommendation), and no regrets for that

The chicken curry rice topping that husband ordered was superb! I mean, the chicken no longer tasted like chicken (you know how boiled chicken tastes right, that’s what I mean), but tasted totally in sync with the curry. The sauce was perfectly creamy, the chicken, potatoes, and carrots tender and cooked just right.

On the other hand, the sizzling bicol express was behind in quality… too bad. The pork was not tender enough, the dish lacked coconut sauce and it was kind of dry.

Since I really loved their chicken curry, we went back during our last day with friends and ordered Bulalo soup, lechon kawali, spicy kangkong, chicken curry, and buttered shrimp. Here’s what we thought:

• Bulalo soup – others found this great tasting but for me, it was just okay… there were lots of meat though, so I guess it’s worth the price 
• Lechon kawali – yummers!
• Spicy kangkong – tasted sweet instead of spicy due to lack of chili, we forgive Smoke because they warned us beforehand
• Chicken curry – as expected, everyone loved it
• Buttered shrimp – all of us found it ironic that Bora restos failed to serve quality seafood dishes but thank God because we found one resto who did serve fresh shrimps hooraaay!

On another note, don’t expect lavish interiors because Smoke Resto is bordering turo turo slash carinderia kind of resto. But hey, who cares? I don’t, as long as they serve yummy curry, I’ll keep coming back.

As for price range, the rate of their dishes range from Php 80 to Php 200. I think the curry rice topping is approx 120 while the bulalo that fed all 5 of us was around 180 pesos. Totally not bad right?!

————————————

Smoke Resto caters and delivers too. You may contact them at (036) 2886014 and (036) 2884565.

Went back to Antonio’s for the second time and the place looked more beautiful in broad daylight. The food was better than I remembered and the service was above average.

My order: Seafood Sampler @ PHP 1,600

From left to right:

Prawn Thermidor – I think this dish was the best among the three because it gave me the right amount of flavour without becoming too salty, and creaminess without overpowering the natural flavor of the prawn. This dish actually made me regret that I ordered the Seafood Sampler instead of the Mixed Seafood Thermidor

Crispy Cod Fish Glazed with Kombu Sauce on Peppered Egg Noodles – The glazed fish came off a bit too sweet for me and it kinda reminded me of turon (banna fritters). On the other hand, I loved the noodles so much, I think it tasted better than chinese misua being served in popular chinese restaurants.

Pan Seared Scallops on Celleriac Mashed, Truffle Cream Sauce – This tasted delicious but it didn’t offer something new and unique the way the thermidor has; it tasted like a normal scallop ;p

Herb Roasted Rack of Lamb with Cardamon Beurre Blac @ PHP 1,650

Schwein Haxen (Roast Pork Knuckle), Sauerkraut, Chateau Potato, Cabbage @ PHP 1,000

(not sure with this one yet, I’ll have to check)

Organic Free-Range Roast Chicken Leg with Bourbon Tomato and Boiled Potato @ PHP 1,200

My friends were raving for this… its aroma  reminded me of my all-time favorite Fazolis’ chicken.

Mixed Seafood Thermidor (scallops, prawn, mussles, and cod fish) @1,450

*drools* I wish I ordered this instead =(

My order: Sorbet (guava, green mango, lamolime, green apple, watermelon, calamansi) - This tasted like an ice shaved off from an ice candy. After tasting this one, I immediately swapped with Nats because I couldn’t bear eating one more spoon of it.

I swapped Sorbet with Profiteroles with Vanilla Ice Cream, Chocolate Sauce or Caramel Sauce

This one tasted a liitle better because of the bread and ice cream but I did not like the very generic taste of its chocolate. This is so far the best among the dessert offerings of Antonio’s.

Overall, Antonio’s is so worth another visit. Their main course dishes are awesome but don’t expect much on their dessert because you’ll be dissapointed.

Finally! I was able to replicate the specialty of hubby’s cousin;p This version of adobo is spicy and supperrr yummy! Here goes…

Ingredients:

• 1/4 kg pork kasim (pork with fats) cut into cubes
• 3 pcs. siling labuyo (Capsicum frutescens)
• 1 cup Coconut (brand name) soy sauce
• 1/2 cup Del Monte vinegar
• 8 to 10 cloves of garlic (the more the merrier)
• 1/4 teaspoon whole pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 5 pcs. hard-boiled egg

Procedure:

1. Put all the ingredients, except the vinegar, in a sauce pot. Boil over medium heat for 40 minutes.
2. Add the vinegar and egg and boil for another 30 – 40 minutes.
3. Make sure that the pork is already tender before turning off the fire, otherwise, cook for another 10 to 20 minutes.

Enjoy!

I always feel like 24 hours a day isn’t enough to do all the things you have to do. I mean, there’s the clothes to wash, iron, and fold; food to cook; house and car to clean; movies to watch; blogs to read; social networks to update; places to go to; friends to meet; errands to run; and of course,  self  to maintain and pamper. Whew! That was a long list =)

Truth is, I just wanted to list all the things I have to do so I won’t forget and I can plan ahead. You see, listing your tasks is a simple way organizing your life.  You can use a pen and paper to do this, but you can also opt to take advantage of today’s technology.

Hubby and I opted for the latter in managing our medical, sports, and travel appointments. We chose Google Calendar because allows us to: 

• View several calendars at once — upon approval, you will be able to immediately see your friend’s calendar. You can also view Philippine holidays and daily weather, etc.
• Invite people with Google accounts to appointments — once they accept, the appointment will also be added to their Google calendar; think online version of Microsoft Outlook
• Receive appointment reminder either through pop-up, email, or SMS
• Add tasks
• Sync with iPhone/iTouch via Internet (no need to attach the phone via USB)
• Create appointments via iPhone/iTouch

Note: Click the thumbnail to view the screenshot of my calendar in full size.

Actually, the best part of Google Calendar is… it’s free! So, isn’t Google hot?! I strongly recommend that you guys start managing your life by managing your appointments and tasks, this way, you are able to plan ahead and make use of time efficiently.

I have to admit, I grew tired of cooking, tired of doing house chores, and tired of office work; especially during the times when I know that I am no longer following streamlined processes due to absence of advanced tools and efficient instructions, and existence of pseudo life and death deadlines hmp.

After all those long hours in the office, endless copy and pasting, check-in and check-out, and space deletions, I managed to come up with a new recipe. I’m glad that hb and his boss liked it – a priceless consuelo.

Ingredients:

• 5 to 8 pcs. of asuhos fillet (available in grocery stores)
• Half pack of Nestle cream (approx. 125 ml)
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 4 cloves of garlic, crushed and chopped
• 4 tbsp. salted butter
• a pinch of nutmeg
• 1 tbsp. basil (fresh or dried)
• All purpose flour
• Cooking oil
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1 egg beaten
• 3 thin slices of cheddar cheese
• 1 tbsp. parmesan cheese
• 1 cup water

Procedure A: Fry the fish.

1. Mix egg, salt, and pepper.
2. Dip the asuhos fillet in the egg mixture.
3. Dip the asuhos fillet in all purpose flour.
4. Deep-fry the asuhos fillet until light brown.

Procedure B: Prepare the sauce.

1. Heat pan and then add olive oil first before adding the butter.
   Tip: Maintain low heat throughout the process.
2. Saute the garlic.
3. Add  the water, cream, cheddar cheese, parmesan cheese, pepper, basil, and nutmeg. Mix using a whisk.
4. Add cheddar/parmesan/basil according to taste.
5. Add the asuhos fillet and wait for 5 minutes before turning off the fire.

You’ve tried it and you loved it… you want more, I’m giving you more!

This is the crunchy version of the famous Ilocos Longganisa, try it and I know you’ll love it more…

 Procedure:

1. In a pan, drop the longganisa and then add 1/8 cup water.
   
2. Cover the pan.
3. Set the fire to medium heat and bring the water to boil. Wait until the water has completely evaporated.
   Tip: You may opt to remove the water after a few minutes of boiling the longganisa to fast track your cooking.
4. Turn off the fire and cut the longganisa into half so allow stored water and oil to come out.
   Tip: Be careful in doing this because the water stored inside the longganise might squirt due to high pressure and temperature.
5. Set the fire again to medium and cover the pan. Wait for a 3-5  minutes.
6. At this point, most of the oil from the longganisa have come out. While holding the handle and the cover of the pan, toss the longganisa to ensure that all sides are cooked equal.
7. Wait for a few minutes more or until the longganisa is cooked before turning off the fire.
8. Drain excess oil before putting the longganisa on top of paper towel.

Ilocos Longganisa from Cagayan Valley still sells at PHP 350 per kilo. Order now!

This is Kitchen BQ’s version of Gising Gising served in LJC restaurants and I’m really hoping I did justice on this one because LJC’s Gising Gising is just superb and really delicious.

Ingredients:

• 1 bundle river spinach (kangkong) stalks (leaves and stems removed, and chopped to small pieces)
• 10 pcs Thai basil leaves
• 30 grams ground pork
• 20 grams Fiesta coconut (gata) mix (it is always better to use natural coconut juice but I did’nt have that yesterday)
• 2 pcs chili pepper (siling labuyo), broken into 2 each
• Salt and pepper
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/2 medium sized onion
• 1 cup water

Procedure:

1. Heat pan then saute garlic and onion using as little cooking oil as possible.
2. Add ground pork and saute some more.
3. Once the ground pork is already cooked, remove excess cooking oil and then add the kangkong.
4. In a bowl, add the coconut mix, salt, and pepper. Mix well before adding to the pan.
5. Add the chili pepper and basil. Bring to boil.

Enjoy! I personally enjoyed this dish, hope you enjoy it as much as I did =)

Are you always frustrated in trying to prolong the life of parsley just so you can use it on different recipes before it finally dies on your fridge? I always am! In fact, I even tried to put it on a container with water just so I could prolong its life… but to no avail. tsk

Anyway, I’m sharing a solution that I’ve watched from the heaven sent Martha when she guested Eleonora Scarpetta to cook Chicken Cacciatori. Here’s How:

1. Get the freshest parsley you can find in the market.
2. Wash carefully and dry with paper towel.
3. Place on top of paper towels and wait for a while to let it air dry. Remember that the parsley needs to be very dry before putting it in the oven.
   
4. Pre-heat oven to 170 degrees celcius for 10 minutes.
5. Spread a baking sheet on top of the oven tray and place the parsley on top.
6. Place the tray inside the oven and bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until the parsley is crispy.
7. Once done, get the tray and place the parsley on a strainer.
8. Crush the parsley with your hands.
   

Honestly, the entire process is not easy but like Martha said, having parsley within your reach is just like having gold in your kitchen and I totally agree!

A yummy surprise greeted me in the office this afternoon =) I was requested by my boss to go to Oceana (our Christmas party venue) and attend food-tasting offered Oceana for the the Christmas party committee of our organization.

As of now, I’m only sharing the pictures of the food we’ve ordered and will give the verdict after our Christmas party because I know there are still room for improvements; after all, the reason for the food-tasting is to get our feedback on how they can improve the taste of the dishes.

Special thanks goes to Carlo for his Nikon D40 camera; and Barbie + Rhenz for the beautiful photos.

  Roasted Pumpkin Soup with Cinnamon, Cream, and Bacon

Pepper Crusted Seared Tuna Nocoise

Pan Roasted Mahi-Mahi Fillets with Pesto Cream Sauce

Penne Pasta with Pancetta Cream, Wild Mushrooms, and Fresh Peas

Beef Pot Roast with Mushroom Bordelaise

 Fresh Mango Tarlets and Creme Brulee

Fresh Mango Tarlets

———————–

Oceana is located at San Miguel by the Bay, SM Mall of Asia Complex. You can contact them at +632 7032515 or visit their site at www.cca-manila.com.

Yep you read that right! Fresh Christmas tree is actually available here in the Philippines so go get one from SnR now! All you need to do is to order and make a PHP 500 peso deposit.

This recipe is similar to those being served in chinese restaurants like Mann Hann, Super Bowl, and many others. I’m not saying that this recipe tastes like the ones served in those restos, I’m just saying ”similar” so you get the picture of the finished product. The taste of dish is not only garlicky, it is a fusion of chinese flavors.

In cooking this dish, you’ll need a steamer like the one in the picture or if your rice cooker has a steamer, that can be used as well. 

Ingredients:

• 1/4 kg fish fillet
• 2 tablespoons Knorr seasoning
• Salt and Pepper
• 4 cloves of garlic, chopped
  Tip: Use a garlic press for for a tastier output.
• 1 stem of leek, chopped
• 2 teaspoons of grated ginger

 Procedure:

1. In an aluminum foil inside the steamer, place the fish along with the other ingredients.
   
2. Put water at the buttom of the steamer.
3. Cook for around 30 minutes using low heat.

This dish is taught to me by my mom and although it is simple to make, it tastes awesome =D

Ingredients:

• 4 pcs Bisugo
• 1 tomato
• 1 medium sized onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 egg
• salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 cup cooking oil
• 1/2 cup water

Procedure:

1. Season the fish with salt and pepper.
2. In a deep frying pan, fry the fish over high heat until cooked. Set aside.
3. In another pan, add 1 tsp of cooking oil just so you can saute the galic, onion, and tomato.
4. Add the fish, water, soy sauce.
5. Season with salt and pepper according to your taste.
6. Add the beaten egg and bring to boil.

This is another one of my favorite recipes because it is very easy to prepare. You just have to thaw a few slices of salmon, rub it with salt and freshly ground pepper, drizzle a little seasoning and then its off to the oven!

Ingredients:

• Salt
• Pepper
• Knorr seasoning
• Salmon

Procedure:

1. Pre-heat oven for 10 minutes at 190 degrees celcius.
2. Rub salt and pepper to salmon.
3. Drizzle some Knorr seasoning.
4. Put salmon over tray with baking paper and insert the tray to the oven.
5. Wait for 20 minutes more and your pepper crusted salmon is ready.

Woke up a little earlier than usual today to prepare an awesome breakfast for hb =) He has been requesting for fried rice for quite some time now for breakfast instead of bread so I did so today.

Since I have smoked fish in the fridge, I decided to use it in my fried rice instead of the usual chorizo and he seemed quite pleased with the outcome.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups of cold cooked rice (kaning lamig), mashed by hands to separate rice grains
• 1 to 2 smoked fish, cut into small pieces
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/4 cup mixed vegetables (carrot, peas, corn)
• 4 cloves of garlic, chopped
• Salt and pepper

Procedure:

1. Beat the eggs and season with salt and pepper.
2. Heat pan and add half of the cooking oil and cook the egg.
3. Set aside cooked egg and chop into thin strips.
4. Heat pan again and add the cooking oil.
5. Saute garlic, smoked fish, mixed vegetables, and egg for 2-3 minutes before adding the rice.
6. Season with additional salt and pepper depending on your taste and stir often for 8 more minutes.

In this dish, we want the garlic and butter taste so we will only be using taste enhancers.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup salted butter
• Iodized salt
• Pepper
• 3 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 250 grams fish fillet

Procedure:

1. Season fish fillet with salt and pepper.
2. Coat fish fillet with flour.
3. Heat pan and then add the butter. Turn off the fire once the butter has already melted.
   Tip: You can opt to add a little cooking oil to ensure that the butter does not burn.
4. Add the garlic and saute.
5. Once the garlic is already brown, turn on the fire again and then add the rest of the ingredients.
6. Cook over low heat for around 8 to 10 minutes or until the the fish fillet is cooked.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup salted butter
• 1/4 cup leeks (chopped)
• 1 tablespoon spring onion (chopped)
• 1 tablespoon garlic (chopped)
• 1 teaspoon ginger (grated)

Procedure:

1. Heat pan and then add the butter. Turn off the fire once the butter has already melted.Tip: You can opt to add a little cooking oil to ensure that the butter does not burn.
2. Add the garlic and saute.
3. Once the garlic is already brown, turn on the fire again and then add the rest of the ingredients.
4. Cook over low heat for around 5 minutes or until the shrimps turn bright red.Tip: Mix constantly to ensure that all sides of the shrimps are cooked evenly. Do not overcook because the shell of the shrimp will stick to its meat.

Anyway, we ordered the following:

1. Crunchy Tuna Roll (PHP 189)
   • Tasted like normal quality maki; nothing special here
   • This dish contains 2 types of toppings – raw tuna and crunchy tuna
2. Crazy Roll 
   • Tasted so much like the Crunch Tuna Roll; i think the only difference is the crunchy topping of the other
3. Pepper Chicken Fillet (PHP 348)
   • I was a little worried about this dish because there’s a similar dish at Sumo Sam and I disked it so much
   • BUT! the one being served at Mr. Kurosawa tasted great!
   • This dish is served with a yummy cup of fried rice
   • I personally recommend this dish; just a bit pricey though
4. Salmon Wasabi Cream Sauce (PHP 338)
   • Although I didn’t really feel wasabi’s presence here, this dish didn’t disappoint
   • This dish is filled with pepper tidbits and even though the salmon usually overpowers the taste of any ingredient you season it with, the peppery taste in this dish blended well
   • Big serving; I thought that the price is well justified by its flavor and serving

…some more of my thoughts

• Great service - constant water refills, great-tasting complimentary tea, courtesty to customers
• Our maki orders was served in an instant
• The only downside here is that it took around 40 mins before they finally served our main course

Overall, ours was a great experience at Mr. Kurosawa and I’m giving them the following ratings:

• Ambiance – 6 because the place is kinda off for me; it felt like a red district bar/resto
• Value for Money – 7 because they serve relatively big portions and their dishes tasted good
• Flavor - 7 because although their food is great tasting, i was a bit disappointed at how similar their 2 maki roll dishes taste

During our overnight stay at The Boutique, we passed by this very intriguing place so we decided to check it out for dinner. This place is located a few steps away from The Boutique and it is also owned by Happy Ongpauco. 

The facade of the place

The interiors of the place

Anyway, as you can see, the place is really well designed. It gives you a distinctly Filipino design flavor and it allows you to enjoy the feel of an ancestral home.

When we arrived at around 7, the place is already almost full and there were lots of reservations so I guess we were kind of lucky to be able to sit on a good spot.

While waiting for the food, we decided to have a mini pictorial =D

And at last, food was served! BQ was already in a bad mood back then; ayaw na nga magpapicture ;p Gutom na daw cya. 

Our orders:

Barrio Pinakbet (230 PHP) – very tasty and the saltiness is just right

 Sinigang na Bangus Belly sa Kamias (310 PHP) – this dish tastes okay, nothing extraordinary

 Angus Ribeye Bistek Tagalog (340 PHP) – this is the only dish I didn’t like; there was no hint of bistek tagalog taste; it tasted more like a salpicao dish

So would I recommend this place? Definitely =) I’m giving a 7 to the food because of its traditional delish taste and an 8 for the ambiance, value for money, and overall experience.

Eastwood is a place that’s so dear to my heart. Not only did I found my first job there, I also found my lifetime partner there

We’ve been wanting to give this resto a try but they’re always full on weekends so we went there on a weekday instead =D We were lucky because there was one table left! whew!

The look and feel of the place is really nice, it is modern but it still gives you that homy feeling. The only complaint I have with the place is the space, the resto is kind of small and it can only cater to a number of people.

We ordered the following:

1. Pla Tod for PHP 205 – Crispy Fish Fingers with Green Chili Dip

This dish tasted kind of bland and the dip did not go well with the fish fingers so we requested for a chili sauce instead and the the fish finger instantly tasted better.

2. Gai Phat Bai Kraphrau for PHP235 – Stir Fried Chicken with Crispy Basil

This dish was very original and tasted really great. I definitely recommend ordering this one when you go to My Thai Kitchen.

 3. Khap Pat Bpuu for PHP250 – Crabmeat Fried Rice

According to hb, kanin palang daw ulam na … need I say more?

 Kitchen BQ Rating:

 My Thai is located at the Ground Floor Veranda of the Eastwood Mall. You may contact them at 709-2127. To view their menu, click here.

Ingredients for the dumplings:

Ingredients for the Soup:

Note: If you are using pork or chicken stock, adding pork bullion cube is optional. Also, if you are adding actual shrimps to the soup, you can omit adding shrimp bullion cube.

Got this while doing my usual grocery shopping at SM Hypermarket. I’m really glad that specialty stores are now reaching malls to sell their products. I also got Dolor’s famous sapin sapin but I guess my review is no longer necessary for that, the brand speaks for itself.

As for their puto, it did not dissappoint, it is very delicious and not too sweet.

 You can contact them at:

Malabon (Main) – 2820071, 2835782
Quezon City (Banawe) – 7314352, 7437947
Caloocan (Monumento) – 3320227, 3320228
Paranaque (BF Homes) – 9944717

If you’re running out of ideas for your luncheon meat, why don’t you try this =) Beautiful grill lines courtesy of my Dowell sandwich maker.

Broccoli is one of those veggies that I have come to like through the years. Not only does it taste good, it is also very nutricious:

• No cholesterol
• High in calcium
• Very high in dietary fiber
• High in iron
• Very high in vitamin A
• Very high in vitamin B6
• Very high in vitamin C

Although it is one of those veggies that can be eaten raw, I prefer it either steamed or stir fried =D  This dish is similar to those often served in chinese restos so you may want to try it.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• Shrimp
• 1 stalk broccoli
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/4 cup water

Procedure:

1. In a skillet, heat oil.
2. Add garlic and stir fry for 2 mins or until garlic is brown.
3. Add mixture of soy sauce, water, soy sauce, and cornstarch. Mix well.
4. Add shrimps and broccoli and bring to boil.
5. Reduce heat and cook for a few minutes more, until the vegetable is cooked and until the shrimp turns pink.

Sardinella tawilis (sometimes obscurely referred to as the freshwater sardinella) is a freshwater sardine found exclusively in the Philippines. It is unique in that it is the only member of the family Clupeidae that is known to exist entirely in freshwater. Locally, they are known in Filipino as tawilis.

She once told me that tawilis can only be found in Lake Taal and I did not believe her till now… It’s sad to know that tawilis is facing extinction in the near future; sad to see that even tiny tawilis are being sold in the market, I know because I was a patron myself! errr sorry naman…

To all our fishermen, please please please, stop fishing for tiny tawilis and to all our vendors, please do not buy/sell tiny tawilis so that our fishermen would stop getting them.

Anyway, this recipe is called Tawilis Tempura and you’ll be needing the following ingredients:

• Flour
• Egg (seasoned with salt and pepper)
• Bread crumbs
• Tawilis (you can also season the fish with salt and pepper)

Procedure:

1. Coat tawilis with flour.
2. Dip the tawilis into a mixture of salt, pepper, and beaten egg.
   
3. Coat tawilis with bread crumbs.
   
4. Fry in oil until cooked.
   

I personally like it golden brown =)

Ingredients:

• 2 to 3 pcs of dried mushroom (leave in a bowl of water until the mushroom softens)
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1 Clove of garlic chopped
• Half onion chopped
• 2 Tablespoons ground pork
• Misua noodles
• 3/4 Cups of water

Procedure:

1. Saute garlic and onion.
2. Add ground pork and saute until cooked.
3. Add chopped mushroom.
4. Add water and misua.
5. Bring to boil.

Thank you so much for your concern and interest in donating to all the victims of the typhoon Ondoy; we really really appreciate it.

You may donate via the following organizations:

1. Worldvision Foundation: For $ donations, BPI:USD acct #4254-0050-08

3. TXTPOWER.org: All donations will go to Philippine National Red Cross
Paypal (https://www.paypal.com/ph/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_flow&SESSION=txrSrwJ22EYrg20WoG3shUX2IQXpUdqgWAgcRdJUZWpNF69y5Z2pDZllGIy&dispatch=5885d80a13c0db1fca8cb0621aa94a5fc157eca86dc6e6adbec4b69650d8a3ec)

4. http://www.philippineaid.com/

5. Go to www.myayala.com/ondoy. Select “Typhoon Ondoy Donations.

First post in this category naturally belongs to shrimp (you can also use prawn) because they thaw easily and because it is easy to spot when they’re finally cooked (changes color).

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup salted butter
• 1/4 cup leeks (chopped)
• 1 tablespoon spring onion (chopped)
• 1 tablespoon garlic (chopped)
• 1 teaspoon ginger (grated)

Procedure:

1. Heat pan and then add the butter. Turn off the fire once the butter has already melted.Tip: You can opt to add a little cooking oil to ensure that the butter does not burn.
2. Add the garlic and saute.
3. Once the garlic is already brown, turn on the fire again and then add the rest of the ingredients.
4. Cook over low heat for around 5 minutes or until the shrimps turn bright red.Tip: Mix constantly to ensure that all sides of the shrimps are cooked evenly. Do not overcook because the shell of the shrimp will stick to its meat.

Anyway, we ordered the following:

1. Crunchy Tuna Roll (PHP 189)
   • Tasted like normal quality maki; nothing special here
   • This dish contains 2 types of toppings – raw tuna and crunchy tuna
2. Crazy Roll 
   • Tasted so much like the Crunch Tuna Roll; i think the only difference is the crunchy topping of the other
3. Pepper Chicken Fillet (PHP 348)
   • I was a little worried about this dish because there’s a similar dish at Sumo Sam and I disked it so much
   • BUT! the one being served at Mr. Kurosawa tasted great!
   • This dish is served with a yummy cup of fried rice
   • I personally recommend this dish; just a bit pricey though
4. Salmon Wasabi Cream Sauce (PHP 338)
   • Although I didn’t really feel wasabi’s presence here, this dish didn’t disappoint
   • This dish is filled with pepper tidbits and even though the salmon usually overpowers the taste of any ingredient you season it with, the peppery taste in this dish blended well
   • Big serving; I thought that the price is well justified by its flavor and serving

…some more of my thoughts

• Great service - constant water refills, great-tasting complimentary tea, courtesty to customers
• Our maki orders was served in an instant
• The only downside here is that it took around 40 mins before they finally served our main course

Overall, ours was a great experience at Mr. Kurosawa and I’m giving them the following ratings:

• Ambiance – 6 because the place is kinda off for me; it felt like a red district bar/resto
• Value for Money – 7 because they serve relatively big portions and their dishes tasted good
• Flavor - 7 because although their food is great tasting, i was a bit disappointed at how similar their 2 maki roll dishes taste

 Is there such a thing as instant when it comes to cooking great tasting pasta? Actually there is, thanks to the makers of bottled sauces like Prego. If you are in a hurry and wanted to create a pasta dish that’s quick and hassle free, try this recipe.

This is actually my first time to cook Pasta Marinara and even though I didn’t have mussels to go with the shrimp and squid, the dish still tasted yummy.

Ingredients:

• 1/3 bottle of 737 grams of Prego Tomato Basil Garlic Sauce
  
• 1/4 cup of tomato paste (optional)
• 1/4 cup water (optional)
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped (optional)
• 1 piece of medium onion, chopped (optional)
• 8 pieces medium sized shrimps
• 1 medium size squid, chopped
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Procedure:

Performing step 3 is optional. You can go ahead and just heat pan with the Tomato Basil Garlic sauce.

1. Cook the spaghetti. For tips on how to do it, see the The Noodles post.
2. Heat pan with olive oil.
3. Saute garlic and onion until cooked.
4. Add shrimp and squid, saute until cooked.
5. Add Tomato Basil Garlic sauce.
   Tip: Use tomato paste as an extender. If you do decide to add the tomato paste, add the water as well. If not, you can opt not to add the water.
6. Bring to boil.

For different ways of serving pasta, see the The Noodles post. Happy cooking!

1.  First of all, remove the squid’s cuttlebone (transparent and plastic like part of the squid.)

2.  From the squid’s head, remove the beak (round shape). 

Video available here:

How to clean a squid from Kathryn Ong on Vimeo.

To our disappointment, the place seemed to have aged a lot in a short span of time. The facade no longer called for attention… it no longer spells magnificence =(

We were greeted fairly well and welcomed with personalized greetings.

We were surprised to see how small the room was, considering the price (I Dream – weekend rate of 6,555 PHP + 22% worth of taxes) tsk.

What dissapointed us further is their curtains… NOT black out, another tsk! We were forced to wake up early because of the sunlight which effortlessly entered and dominated the room. Graaahhh! Isn’t black out curtains an SOP to all hotels (being a bed and breakfast does not excuse The Boutique I swear!)

Anyway, to top it off, the massage that costs 600 PHP is the worst that I have ever experienced boo!

… BUT there’s one thing that didn’t dissapoint, and it is the FOOOOOODDDD!!!! YUM YUM YUM! Our stay has a complimentary breakfast where you can choose from Continental, American, Filipino, and Hawaiian.

Fresh fruits

Great tasting bread

BQ’s Loco Moco

My Crispy Tinapa

Lastly, they gave us a promo card wherein you have to complete a number of stay to entitle you to one free night; they also gave us a parting gift.

When I am already short of time, this is my number one option because I can do other things while I wait for it to be cooked. ;p

This heaven sent dish is available at all major grocery stores, especially in SM groceries. It only costs 95 pesos, serves 2 to 3 persons, and the best part is, it is indeed boneless.

Another important ingredient to a great tasting meal is the sauce (sawsawan). We Filipinos love to have fish sauce or soy sauce with calamansi, or vinegar with salt or soy sauce by our side while we eat dishes like fried fish, chicken, or liempo; lumpia, and the like that is why I am introducing you to yet another great find =)

People would normally ignore vinegar with this type of packaging and go for widely advertised brands, but that should not always be the case. I have nothing against popular brands because indeed they are goodies; but Pinakurat, is just so awesomely blended – with just the right amount of all the elements you look for in a vinegar.

Pinakurat is available at all leading grocery stores so go ahead and try this one with your favorite dish.

The rib eye or ribeye, also known as the Scotch fillet (in Australia and New Zealand), is a beef steak from the beef rib. When cut into steaks, the ribeye is one of the most popular, juicy, and expensive steaks on the market. Meat from the rib section is more tender and fattier (the meat is said to be “marbled”) than most other cuts of beef. This extra fat makes ribeye steaks and roasts especially tender and flavorsome, and well suited to dry heat cookery.

There are numerous steak houses who brag about how juicy and yummy their steaks are, but the truth is, only a handful of them is telling the truth. Actually, for hubby and I, only Steak Town in Shangrila Mall and Antonio’s in Tagaytay passed the test. The sad part here is, whether these restos serve good steak or not, all of them are very expensive – as reiterated by Wiki’s entry on steak…

…the idea of eating steak signifies relative wealth.

Anyway, the secret to preparing a good steak dish is first and foremost a good quality beef; how you season and cook the steak only follows.

For all the readers of BQ’s Kitchen, I am giving you the opportunity to serve a steak with quality that is at par with the steaks that Steak Town and Antonio’s serve.

For all those who are interested, send me a note at daynelov@yahoo.com or text me at 0917 8210225 or 0922 8210225.
 

Anyway, this post is about the Toblerone Cake from Cake 2 Go. A slice of this cake costs less than 100 pesos and yet, this has got to be one of the yummiest things I have ev