Here's something from a friend:
http://eyesgonzales.blogspot.com/2009/02/attention-weekend-kusinera.html
I haven't tried making it but I promise I will.. one of these days.
Will be right back
2 weeks ago
14 March 2009
Yummy breakfast
Maybe I should just shift to being a "breakfast kusinera" since I usually get time to cook only on Sunday mornings.
Here's what I made this morning:
Here's what I made this morning:
I just layered store-bought pizza dough with mozzarella, cream cheese, feta cheese, strips of smoked salmon and topped 'em up with three tiny capers for a batch of savory breakfast. I was thinking this is best for brunch so there's an excuse to open a bottle of white wine but my mom got hungry early so we just paired it with coffee. Pretty weird combo, but the pizza rocks on its own.
*****
A couple of weeks ago, I whipped up some pancakes and served it with fruits.
Here's the box which made it all possible:
I already have a bottle of maple-flavored syrup so I just used the strawberry syrup which came with the mix to to make the pancakes blush a little.
There were more strawberries and there's always a risk we'd just forget about it in the fridge so I just served everything in one go. I also found yellow watermelon at the grocery. The color is kinda disorienting but it tastes just as sweet as the red ones.
There you go. Now I have another week to think of what to make for breakfast next Sunday :)
24 February 2009
14 February 2009
Happy Valentine's Day!
Someone greeted me "HVD" this morning. Sounds more like a disease than a greeting, but what the heck. As they say, it's the thought (and perhaps the text) that counts.
A glass of chardonnay is waiting for me to guzzle it up as of this writing. Hardy's has been one of my favorites since I discovered it early last year. For one thing, it's really, really affordable. Less than P300 a bottle. How can you beat that?
It goes well with pizza (especially ones topped with anchovies, but I didn't order that for this evening - my mom said she doesn't like anchovy pizza 'though I swear one time I ordered it from A Veneto, she said it was good).
A couple of photos should be accompanying this entry but I'm still kinda woozy so I'll just edit and add it later. And I'm not exactly sure how much typos are in this entry. Again, I'll just edit later.
Happy V-DAY!
A glass of chardonnay is waiting for me to guzzle it up as of this writing. Hardy's has been one of my favorites since I discovered it early last year. For one thing, it's really, really affordable. Less than P300 a bottle. How can you beat that?
It goes well with pizza (especially ones topped with anchovies, but I didn't order that for this evening - my mom said she doesn't like anchovy pizza 'though I swear one time I ordered it from A Veneto, she said it was good).
A couple of photos should be accompanying this entry but I'm still kinda woozy so I'll just edit and add it later. And I'm not exactly sure how much typos are in this entry. Again, I'll just edit later.
Happy V-DAY!
10 February 2009
Briegud! Briegud!
Say "CHEEEEEESE!!!!
My friend, who went frolickin' in Europe for a couple of weeks, came home with this wedge of Brie for moi. I believe it's my prize for helping him pray to get the trip! Haha!
He got this piece of Brie from Maison Collignon, formerly known as Au Marche de la Butte, where Amelie shopped in... well, Amelie.
I almost finished the 125-gram cheese in one sitting. Siiigh... I have turned into a pig. Do pigs love cheese? I wonder. At any rate, thank you Chong Gerard - for the cheese and the shop pic!
P.S.
Read about Gerard's adventures on http://actorenescritor.blogspot.com/. Ciao!
06 February 2009
All spiced up!
If I had a new year's resolution list, it wouldn't include not blogging. Unfortunately, I really had very little to talk about the past weeks. For one thing, like many other households in Metro Manila, we (still) don't have LPG. We ran out of it early January. We did find a tank of cooking gas some time last month but it's defective. We've been cooking everything on an electric skillet for almost two months. Meralco must be very happy these days.
I haven't done much experimenting since the start of the year. I made Veenagoongang Vavoy a couple of times. Made my Fake Cheesecake for New Year's eve and for a friend's husband's new president's post-inauguration party. Last weekend, I made Porky Rolls -only this time they were flat because I now have an amazing plastic tenderizing thingie, AS SEEN ON TV!! (Well, not really.)
A couple of weeks ago, my mom thoughtfully bought me a recipe book while on a business trip in Singapore. What she missed considering, though, is the fact that most of the recipes call for ingredients which demand frustration as I am not likely going to get them here.
One thing that's been bugging me, even before that fateful day of the recipe book's arrival, is Garam Masala. I see it in a lot of Asian recipes. Wiki says:
Garam masala, the literal meaning of which is 'hot spice' (in the meaning of high temperature as opposed to spiciness), is a basic blend of ground spices to be used alone or with other seasonings. It is common in Indian cuisine.
Now, I luuuuv spices. So when a friend said he's going to Singapore, I thought I'd ask for a tiny jar of Garam Masala for future use. He got me this....
... as well as it's seven cousins!! Here's a family pic:
I'm sooo looking forward to cooking with these babies! Thanks, Dax!
I haven't done much experimenting since the start of the year. I made Veenagoongang Vavoy a couple of times. Made my Fake Cheesecake for New Year's eve and for a friend's husband's new president's post-inauguration party. Last weekend, I made Porky Rolls -only this time they were flat because I now have an amazing plastic tenderizing thingie, AS SEEN ON TV!! (Well, not really.)
A couple of weeks ago, my mom thoughtfully bought me a recipe book while on a business trip in Singapore. What she missed considering, though, is the fact that most of the recipes call for ingredients which demand frustration as I am not likely going to get them here.
One thing that's been bugging me, even before that fateful day of the recipe book's arrival, is Garam Masala. I see it in a lot of Asian recipes. Wiki says:
Garam masala, the literal meaning of which is 'hot spice' (in the meaning of high temperature as opposed to spiciness), is a basic blend of ground spices to be used alone or with other seasonings. It is common in Indian cuisine.
Now, I luuuuv spices. So when a friend said he's going to Singapore, I thought I'd ask for a tiny jar of Garam Masala for future use. He got me this....
... as well as it's seven cousins!! Here's a family pic:
I'm sooo looking forward to cooking with these babies! Thanks, Dax!
20 December 2008
Noche buena!
Happy holidays!
What are you making for Christmas eve?
I haven't made a list. And the menu is usually taken cared of by the older people in the family. There's buzz, of course, that my cousin and I are in charge this year. Wish us luck!
What are you making for Christmas eve?
I haven't made a list. And the menu is usually taken cared of by the older people in the family. There's buzz, of course, that my cousin and I are in charge this year. Wish us luck!
14 December 2008
Ola!
My wine stub, taken moments before I claimed my free glass of choice. There were six bottles lined up and I chose what the server described to be "dry red."
2005 Portal red wine
The back label reads:
"You have selected an exceptional and exclusive wine from an award-winning winery. This wine has a dark dense colour, with aromas of cinnamon and jam. It is full bodied with ripe tannins and a long complex finish, with fruit and oak in perfect harmony. Perfect for serving with dark meat dishes. Please enjoy responsibly."
What I should have chosen... simply because of the lovely color.
Yes, the server is Pinoy!
What I should have chosen... simply because of the lovely color.
Yes, the server is Pinoy!
And no, this dude isn't from Batanes. But this guy from north of Portugal should meet our guys from north of the Philippines, dontcha think?
A Chinese guest takes a look at the wines from Tras-Os-Montes.
From the cellar that says, "Portos Carcavelos Madeira Moscatel Colares." The oldest one in this collection is from 1850.
An earthenware used by the Portuguese to store wine. I'd drown in here. It's probably five feet and five inches or so high.
A touchscreen guide to wines inside the Wine Museum.
Some notes:
- Entrance to the Wine Museum costs MOP15, but they accept an equivalent amount in Hong Kong dollars. It comes with the wine sample stub.
A Chinese guest takes a look at the wines from Tras-Os-Montes.
From the cellar that says, "Portos Carcavelos Madeira Moscatel Colares." The oldest one in this collection is from 1850.
An earthenware used by the Portuguese to store wine. I'd drown in here. It's probably five feet and five inches or so high.
A touchscreen guide to wines inside the Wine Museum.
Some notes:
- Entrance to the Wine Museum costs MOP15, but they accept an equivalent amount in Hong Kong dollars. It comes with the wine sample stub.
- The Grand Prix Museum is just across the hall. Entrance costs MOP10.
- If you want to go to both, you can get a package ticket at MOP20.
- The girl at the ticket counter is Filipina! At least two guards at the Grand Prix Museum are Filipinos!
- There is a wine shop that sells souvenirs and wines (of course). The most expensive one I saw is a 1963 Quinta do Noval from the Duoro demarcated region that sells for MOP38,000. The oldest one is a 1903 D'Olivieras Reserva at MOP6,800.
- The Portal red wine, which I tried, sells for MOP85.
- There's a shelf of "Very Good" wines. Prices start at MOP148 (Portal Lagrima).
Cheers!!
03 December 2008
Bad blogger! Bad!
I had been admittedly lazy over the past few weekends. I haven't really had that much chance to cook - after my mom's surgery, an aunt had to have the same procedure, which meant we had to dine out more; and last weekend, I helped a friend coordinate a wedding, which left me exhausted and sick.
I'm not quite certain if I'd be able to play around the kitchen this weekend since my mom is having some guests over and she's planning a sort-of catered party. I'm not used to cooking for more than eight people or so, so I'll let her handle that.
Anyhoo, I am soooo looking forward to the next weekend, which we'll be spending out of the country. My mom is taking my gramps off to Asia's casino capital. I'm thrilled to learn that our hotel is just a few hops off a wine museum (interest number 1), which in turn is inside or somewhere within the compound of the grand prix museum (interest number 2).
So just to give you a head's up, I shall hopefully be posting some wine-related articles in the next few days or weeks. Bye for now!
I'm not quite certain if I'd be able to play around the kitchen this weekend since my mom is having some guests over and she's planning a sort-of catered party. I'm not used to cooking for more than eight people or so, so I'll let her handle that.
Anyhoo, I am soooo looking forward to the next weekend, which we'll be spending out of the country. My mom is taking my gramps off to Asia's casino capital. I'm thrilled to learn that our hotel is just a few hops off a wine museum (interest number 1), which in turn is inside or somewhere within the compound of the grand prix museum (interest number 2).
So just to give you a head's up, I shall hopefully be posting some wine-related articles in the next few days or weeks. Bye for now!
16 November 2008
The (lazy) weekend nurse
My mom just had a procedure done (I swear it wasn't because of something I cooked) so it was either leftover hospital food or fast food for me over the weekend. But I do have a recipe to post - something which I didn't get to blog about a couple of Saturdays ago.
My source (pineygrovehomebrew.blogspot.com.. thank you!) simply calls it Tuna Pasta and it's so easy so I thought I'd give it a try. Here's a recipe that serves two:
125 grams pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 head of native garlic
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can tuna in water
capers
chopped parsley
salt and pepper
- Cook pasta till it's al dente. There should be instructions on the pasta box/pack. If you don't see any, don't buy it. I used fusilli on this dish for aesthetic and utilitarian reasons - they're cute and bits of the sauce cling well to it. Now I'm not sure if there's a hard and fast rule to choosing pasta but I think chunky sauces go well with more complicated pasta shapes.
- Heat olive oil, saute garlic until it's translucent.
- Throw in the tomatoes. I used Hunts, which I later found to be a bit too sour for my taste. Fresh ripe ones always rock but I forgot to grab some while I was at the supermarket.
- Add chopped parsley. I had some basil leaves in the fridge but I chose to stick to the parsley bit, which wasn't so bad because its freshness kinda offset the preserved sourness of the tomatoes.
- Pop in the capers.
- Season with salt and pepper.
I bought a pack of slivered almonds a few weeks ago. It was meant for truffles but I haven't had a chance to make another batch and I've been dying to use the nuts so I decided to toast some and topped my pasta with it. So not only was the pasta chunky, it was a little crunchy and nutty as well!
My source (pineygrovehomebrew.blogspot.com.. thank you!) simply calls it Tuna Pasta and it's so easy so I thought I'd give it a try. Here's a recipe that serves two:
125 grams pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 head of native garlic
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can tuna in water
capers
chopped parsley
salt and pepper
- Cook pasta till it's al dente. There should be instructions on the pasta box/pack. If you don't see any, don't buy it. I used fusilli on this dish for aesthetic and utilitarian reasons - they're cute and bits of the sauce cling well to it. Now I'm not sure if there's a hard and fast rule to choosing pasta but I think chunky sauces go well with more complicated pasta shapes.
- Heat olive oil, saute garlic until it's translucent.
- Throw in the tomatoes. I used Hunts, which I later found to be a bit too sour for my taste. Fresh ripe ones always rock but I forgot to grab some while I was at the supermarket.
- Add chopped parsley. I had some basil leaves in the fridge but I chose to stick to the parsley bit, which wasn't so bad because its freshness kinda offset the preserved sourness of the tomatoes.
- Pop in the capers.
- Season with salt and pepper.
I bought a pack of slivered almonds a few weeks ago. It was meant for truffles but I haven't had a chance to make another batch and I've been dying to use the nuts so I decided to toast some and topped my pasta with it. So not only was the pasta chunky, it was a little crunchy and nutty as well!
Now I did mention going to the supermarket before making the pasta. While I was there, I finally had the courage to go up to the deli and get some cheese and cold cuts. I got this little treasure box for only P160!
I don't exactly remember which is which but the list from the lady at the Galileo Enoteca Deli counter says...
Cheese:
- Fontalpe (soft.. rather ordinary-tasting cheese)
- Provolone (I asked for the stronger kind of cheeses and this was one of the lady's suggestions - I wasn't disappointed)
- Grana Padano (true to its name, it is kinda grainy and it has some hint of citrus in it, which I found rather surprising and interesting)
About the cold cuts.. You'll have to forgive me. I checked the website of Galileo Enoteca to make sure but the names just don't quite match up. Basically, I got:
- Spianata
- Pharma (I don't think there should be an H there but the lady..... heheh)
- Sacame-something.. I can't read her handwriting. :D
Anyhoo, I made a promise to go back to the deli and get everything right. Maybe I'll even come up with a proper review, not that I'm an expert on Italian meats. Oh, but I do love these things. I paired up this batch with a bottle of 2007 Hardy's Chardonnay.
Yum!
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