Weekend Eating | Independence Day Lunch

The past months weren't as good for us as far as food choices is concerned. At home, we usually just eat whatever is available - canned goods, or cooking meat as is (fried, adobo, or paksiw). Vegetables weren't a big part of our diet...though we do eat them, it's just that, sometimes we just cook whatever is there. Anyway, we do know the importance of eating vegetables, so last Friday, I just listed some dishes I hope we could prepare and eat.

One of those dishes is Kare-Kare. This is a dish that we don't usually eat because mom used to stay away from anything with nuts, because of her arthritis. Well, during our last visit to the doctor, he said that my mom indeed has arthritis, but she could eat nuts (hers is a different kind of arthritis), so I immediately wrote this on the list. The problem then was the meat, but sister thought of something to present this classic Filipino dish...


... by combining it with another well loved Filipino dish - the Crispy Pata.

Since we don't have a big frying pan and we didn't want to use too much oil for the meat, we decided to buy a small one at the supermarket and have it cut as well as they do use electric saw to cut through bones, making a clean cut compared to the ones in the public markets that uses manual chopping, making the bones crack and shatter.

Cooking the dish, she first tackled the pata. Seasoning the water with salt, pepper and bay leaves, she let the meat boil in it and later pressure cooked it to ensure the meat would be tender. Then, she baked it for a while to take out excess moisture then she fried it 'til it became crispy.

The vegetables she blanched in boiling water 'til it reached the "just cooked" stage and dunk them in ice bath to keep them cooked yet crunchy.

Last thing was the sauce, and the pata was already time consuming as is, so she decided to just use the Mama Sita mix - the creamy one, not the powder. We prefer to use the creamy sauce mix because it had real peanuts.

Plating was better when done this way...but of course, once all pictures were taken, we did mix the vegetables with the sauce. One thing we overlooked - the bagoong. Sister just seasoned the sauce with a little salt, so it wasn't completely bland.


For dessert, I baked Caramel Custard Cake. Actually, I had no intentions of baking. Sister planned to use the cake mix we bought from MAFBEX, but it was tricky to cut the the recipe in half, so she canceled it. Seeing we have enough ingredients, I baked this, as this still fits the Filipino theme, leche flan being a favorite dessert of many Pinoys.

I still cannot share the recipe as this was a trial cake, and it didn't turn out to be 100% good...but still very good. Problem was, the custard just wouldn't set. Baking this in baine-marie method, I baked this for over 1 hour (the recipe says 40 minutes), and it just wouldn't set. I decided to dry bake them and after 10 minutes, the custard finally set. However, the long baking time dried the chiffon cake a little, and oh dear, when I cut the cake, I realized I didn't pour enough custard...it was so thin! Actually, the recipe I followed used a round pan, but we don't own one yet, so I used two loaf pans and cut the batter in half, though the custard, I just couldn't gauge the level in the pan as I poured it.

Despite the problems, it tasted really, really good. I now know how to handle this should I bake this again, and when I do, I can then share the recipe.

For us who is used to eat out during Sundays, it sure felt great to stay in the house and be slaves in the kitchen. I am not sure if we can do this every weekend, but we will try.

The Many Ways to Enjoy Gelato at Casa Italia Cafe

Summer is already over here in the Philippines, but the thing is, regardless of the season, we just enjoy to eat iced treats. And I don't know if you can relate to this, but here at home, whenever one is down with the flu, that's when cravings for something cold and icy is strong.

Personally, I cannot eat a lot of any food product with cold milk and/or cream, but that hasn't fully stopped me from trying out different ice cream parlors and gelateria. My latest escapade was at Casa Italia Cafe, located at the lower ground floor of SM North EDSA (The Block).


Founded by Fox Hardegger, Casa Italia is a modern day interpretation of the traditional Italian bar serving wholesome menu of freshly made food, Italian beers and wine, and handcrafted premium gelato in a fast casual all-day dining setting. It originated from a gelato palour in 2010 (in Singapore), expanded into specialty coffee and comfort food place, and now has opened many branches in different countries, including two here in the Philippines. I still haven't visited the one in BGC, but the one closer to my place, I visited not too long ago.

They do offer a wide array of food choices, but this post is dedicated only to what they are most known for - the gelato. The savory food I tried at Casa Italia will be shared on a different post.



Even before you enter Casa Italia, it would be impossible not to be tempted to try out their gelato. Look at those colors! They have so many flavors to choose from, but all were churned out honestly with natural ingredients and produced absolutely free of artificial flavours, chemicals, colorants, or preservatives. Though "gelato" is the Italian word for "Ice Cream," it is generally lower in calories, fat, and sugar than traditional ice cream.


I was able to taste different flavors -

• Green Mango - Full of green mango goodness; it tasted like the real fruit, it made me crave for salt and bagoong alamang!
• Guyabano (in picture) - If I didn't know this was gelato, I would think it was real guyabano flesh smashed and refrigerated. It was that delicious!
• Ube - I was hoping it would taste like Ube Halaya, but it wasn't. Of all the flavors I tried, it was the most bland, but it could also be because I tasted it after I tasted several fruit gelati.
• Pineapple - Another very close to the real thing gelato, but this was a tad sweeter than the normal pineapple fruit.
• Choco Chili - I love that it tasted mainly of dark chocolate (very dark but very good), and the kick of chili could be felt once the gelato has melted in the mouth. 
• Roasted Rice - I understood that this is an acquired taste and at first I admit I didn't like it that much, but it kept me tasting and tasting it...until I am in love with it. If you want to try something different, I highly recommend this.

Actually, I recommend every flavor they have, but I would suggest you try something seasonal or something you don't see often, to make your gelato experience more memorable.

Casa Italia Cafe don't just offer plain gelato, they also offer different kinds of gelato-based treats:


Smoothies and Frappes

• Gelatoccino - Casa Italia's gelato and coffee in one delicious drink
• Gelato Frappe - Dairy based frappe mixed with gelato (of your choice)
• Gelato Slush - made with Casa Italia gelato sorbet
• Yogurt Smoothie - made with Casa Italia yogurt gelato

If you want any of these drinks, feel free to ask the staff for recommendation.


Gelatonini. The newest way to enjoy gelato! This one is pandolce (Italian sweet bread) panini sandwich with scoops of nutella gelato. The idea of this was taken from our everyday mamang sorbetero selling sorbetes in bread buns.

If you are into a mix of savory and sweet, they also have the Ham and Cheese Gelatonini. It's basically the same (in concept) as the one in picture, but for the filling, it has real ham and Formaggi Gelato (cream cheese and cheddar cheese flavors).


Sunny Daydream. A good-for sharing dessert, this one has an apple peach cobbler base topped with mango, melon, and raspberry gelato, as well as whipped cream, almond slivers, and Peppero sticks.


Midnight Surprise. Another good-for-sharing treat... this one has chocolate lava cake base topped with nutella, raspberry, and white chocolate gelato, as well as cookie bits, almond slivers, and Peppero sticks.


Liquoratto. A combination of gelato and liquor when you need a pick-me-up. On the left is Limoncello Liquoratto - a combination of raspberry gelato and a shot of Il Limone limoncello.  On the right is the White Velvet - a combination of white chocolate gelato and a shot of Amaretto. Actually, you may also opt for two shots of liquor, but for me, a shot will do. Between the two, I loved White Velvet more.

On the next post, I will share meals I tried at Casa Italia, but if this post made you want to try out their gelati, the shop is located at the ground floor of SM North EDSA (The Block), near the Hypermarket. For more details and future offerings, like their Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/CasaItaliaPh

Weekend Eating | Remembering Daddy

Nine years ago on March 5, we lost the head of the family. It was a very devastating loss as everything happened so fast, I personally wasn't able to react well to it and it took a few months before everything sunk in on me. Every year on this day, at least one member of the family travels to La Union to light a candle on his grave, but this year, none of us weren't able to travel (we vow to travel in November though).

Anyway, on daddy's 9th death anniversary, sister and I met up with mom at the mall to have early dinner at Conti's in Ayala Fairview Terraces. I guess my mind was floating that day, because I wasn't able to take any pictures of the restaurant considering it was my first time to dine there (but this was the third Conti's branch I visited).


Lasagna
At first glance, this seemed to be a little too pricey at nearly 300 pesos (I forgot if this was 270 or 280 pesos), but, it sure tasted awesome! It was meaty, it was very cheesy, and it was very flavorful. For its price, for sure this wouldn't be something I would eat every now and then, but during special occasions, I think I might go for it again.


Garlic Sotanghon.
My sister and my mom both loved it, but it was my first time to taste this dish. Again, another plain looking food - something that would make you question if they priced this right, but at first mouthful of the noodles, and I was shot straight to foodie heaven. Saying it was delicious would be an understatement, because it was more than delicious, but I don't know if there's a proper adjective for that. The noodles were cooked just right and it tasted like it was cooked forever in chicken broth because every chew screams chicken! Even if this didn't have vegetables, it was able to satisfy my tummy that I didn't feel the need to eat dinner at home anymore.


Mocha Tiramisu.
We do love their Mango Bravo, but I didn't want to pass the moment without trying their other pastries, and this one sure was a delight.


Mango Bravo.
Of course, a food trip at Conti's will never be complete without Mango Bravo. This particular slice had mangoes that are slightly tarty, and it just went well to the cream. If you have tasted this cake already, you do know why we love it...if you still haven't, I hope you can taste it the soonest possible time, especially now that summer has kicked in.

Between bites, us girls talked about the many "What ifs" - what if dad is still alive, would he be on Facebook... would he be traveling with us (or, would he allow us to travel)... would he be baking goodies with us... would he be lining up at the cinema every Mondays and Tuesdays for free movies? It was crazy answering the questions, but part of me was sad that daddy wasn't able to enjoy a better part of the century - the boom of social media that drove establishments to change rapidly.

Nine years. Seems so long ago, but a pinch of pain still lingers on.

Miscellaneous January Food Pics

This week was quite a blah for me, because I had to endure a whole lot of sneezing every day. Worst day was last Thursday, but since yesterday, the sneezing lessened, though I am now experiencing itchiness around my eyes and forehead. I really should be taking anti-histamine, but I don't really like taking meds.

Anyway, I haven't tried any new recipes and we haven't been to any food trips lately, so in an effort to update this blog, I decided to just share some food pictures I have on my phone. Now, most of these weren't plated or composed well; I took these pictures mainly to remember the day by, or to share to my sister who is usually not eating dinner with mom and I.


>>> On the second day of 2016, my sister and I went to Quiapo Church, then to SM Manila after, where had snacks at Starbucks so she could finally claim her 2016 Starbucks Planner. It was my first time to try their Corned Beef Pandesal, and though it tasted like any ordinary pandesal filled with corned beef, but I liked the idea of these three pandesal joined together.

>>> My sister and I bought chicken and requested mom to cook Arroz Caldo for dinner. However, when we got home, mom already cooked something for dinner, but the next day, she surprised us by cooking it for our breakfast. Thank you mommy.

TGIF Deserves a Jollibee Peach Mango Sundae

The week started on a not-so-good note for us; I got sore throat and flu, while my sister had sore eyes. Not the viral kind, but still, her eyes were sore and still is as of this this writing. I am feeling a little better now, and because it is already the weekend (yay, TGIF!!!), my mom and I decided to go out and eat lunch together. Our obvious choice - Jollibee, of course!



In the many times we have dined at Jollibee, we have already developed favorites, which we usually order, but we noticed a new poster for their combo meals, so we decided to go for it. I went for the Burger Steak with 3 Pieces Lumpia, while mom went for the Burger Steak Supreme - the smaller version of their Ultimate Burger Steak. My mom said this was a better option for her, because the Ultimate Burger Steak was difficult to finish, whereas this, she can have the egg and the burger steak with garlic and mushroom sauce, and it also has fries, which tasted better with the mushroom gravy. Both of these meals came with a regular size drink and is priced at 85 pesos. A very satisfying meal for less than 100 pesos!


Now, if you're the type who feels a meal is not complete with desserts, but fears eating desserts would blow the budget, fear not... Jollibee offers mini-sundaes for desserts, which you can get for only 20 pesos (if you order any of the Jollibee value meals). My mom and I tried their newest dessert - the Peach Mango Sundae, and dear me, it was so, so, good!

Since its debut, the Jollibee Peach Mango Pie has always been a well loved dessert, and is actually my favorite. I loved the combination of peaches and mangoes mixed with syrup, which gives it the sweet-tangy taste, and the pie shell was buttery and delicious, the pie was good warm or cold.

The Vanilla Sundae on the other hand has always been a versatile base for desserts - which can be paired with the chocolate hot fudge, strawberry syrup, and a number of different mix-ins.

This time, Jollibee merged this two favorite desserts, and by my first taste, I was like, "Why just now, Jollibee?" Well, no need to wallow about it, for it is now here, and I think it was one of the best sundaes they came up with.


The Peach Mango Sundae is also available a la cart for 29 pesos, perfect for those who wanted more and for those who just wanted to eat the sundae. Just like the Peach Mango Pie, the sweet and tangy flavors of the fruits went well with the vanilla sundae, which actually cuts the sweetness. Although the fruits were cooked in syrup, it actually tasted fresh (I liked chewing the chunky fruits), and would satisfy the kids and the adults as well. There was an ample amount of peach and mango, but if I were you, I suggest to stir in all the fruit with the sundae before eating, for maximum pleasure.

The next time you dine at Jollibee, I suggest you try the new Jollibee Peach Mango Sundae. It's so good, it might just become your favorite.

For updates and news, please follow @Jollibee on Twitter and Instagram, and @JollibeePhilippines on Facebook.

Food Trip Flashback | Chocolat Deep Dark Chocolate Cakes

2012 to 2014 weren't good years for me as far as blogging is concerned, and checking the archives of this blog, I realized there were food trips dating back to 2011 that I still haven't shared. I know, these food trips were already outdated, but more than "reviewing" the food and the dining experience, these food trips were about memories and history, and despite the time gap, I still would like to document them, so I have something to look back on when I am wrinkly and old.

Once, online friends and I together with my sister met up for a food trip. After eating a very heavy and hearty dinner at Pino Restobar, we still thought it wasn't enough to wrap up the food trip, so after chit-chats, it was decided that we would go for cakes at Chocolat in Sgt. Esguerra.

There were eight of us for this food trip, Andrew didn't order his share of desserts and two of us ordered the same cake, so here are the six cakes we ordered:


Kahlua
Chocolate cake laced with Kahlua liqueur, topped with mini chocolate kisses. My choice of cake, just to add more variety to the cakes for that night. It was moist, not too dense and not too soft, but it was just too sweet for my liking.

Bailey's
Classic chocolate cake soaked in Bailey's liquor, topped with chocolate sprinkles. My sister ordered this one and I liked it better than my cake, because this had more body - both in texture and taste.


Chocolate Caramel
Chocolate Cake with rich caramel swirls. Probably my second favorite cake; I loved the contrast between chocolate and caramel. Sweet, yes, but not too much.

Choco Hazelnut
Classic chocolate cake with hazelnut filling topped with hazelnut chocolate cube. It didn't really taste like Nutella, but it was good.


Death by Tablea
Chocolate cake with bittersweet icing made of native cacao and condensed milk. The best of all the cakes we tried. I guess there's something about the condensed milk and the tablea that added a different dimension to the cake. It was chocolatey and milky, something that reminded you of home and Christmastime.

NY Cheesecake
Melt-in-your-mouth baked cheesecake with graham cracker crust. After trying all the chocolate cakes while slowly consuming my sweet cake, my friend Halie suggested I try her cake, just to wash off the chocolate flavor in my mouth. I am not a fan of cheesecakes and I don't know what makes a good cheesecake, but I appreciated the change of flavor this cake brought.


Chocolate Drink
All of us had a mug of this rich chocolate drink to go with our cakes. Normally, I prefer coffee with my cakes, but it was a pleasure sipping a warm chocolate drink in between bites of chocolate cake.

It was a good way to cap off a wonderful night.