tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6255837932766060042026-07-25T12:54:09.512+01:00adorasboxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10966380108381463959noreply@blogger.comBlogger389125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-625583793276606004.post-12275460879468439972016-02-12T12:48:00.000+00:002016-05-27T17:28:05.484+01:00

While traditionalists would insist on the classic traditional adobo, the modernist would stand on their heads to tweak the Filipino all-time favourite dish. The simple adobo recipe can be expressed in an infinite number of ways. What makes a dish worthy of being called adobo? The very basic recipe would call for garlic and vinegar. Vinegar is the ingredient necessary to preserve the meat.

adorasboxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10966380108381463959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-625583793276606004.post-91278601662699879102015-10-19T13:15:00.001+01:002015-10-19T13:15:13.879+01:00

The saying tomato/tomato, potato/potato does not apply to this dish. It is not a mere difference in pronunciation but a totally different recipe in each case. The dish called Salpicao is not the same banana in different parts of the globe.  While the Portuguese salpicao is a sausage, the Brazilian Salpicao is a salad made with meat (chicken, turkey and vegetables). And on a totally

adorasboxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10966380108381463959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-625583793276606004.post-72067126590900923702015-10-04T17:11:00.000+01:002016-10-04T18:14:04.412+01:00

I haven't had a post in what seems like ages. Life happens as you know and we have to deal with important things before anything else. As I have done in the past five years, I always write a celebratory post on the anniversary of this blog. I am thankful that my readers have stayed despite it all. I have made a special cake for this occasion, which, were it possible, I would have preferred to

adorasboxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10966380108381463959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-625583793276606004.post-78195431195206879402015-05-22T12:28:00.001+01:002016-03-25T11:41:18.021+00:00

Leg or breast? Leg definitely. I am no fan of chicken breast. I know that the breast meat is the most popular though the most expensive part of the chicken. Even though the best chickens have tasty breast meat, I still do not usually cook chicken breast unless it is still attached to the rest of the chicken body. The sinew, the skin, the bone all add up to succulence. Hence, my favourite

adorasboxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10966380108381463959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-625583793276606004.post-69193362386951196992015-05-15T11:45:00.000+01:002015-08-19T00:37:28.972+01:00

I am not a food snob. I am as much a fan of American Chinese cuisine as I am of authentic Chinese cuisine. I bear no shame in liking the numerous sweet and sour like concoctions, love the just sweet and a bit savoury dishes and most of all the various wonton crisps all sorts. Hands down, my favourite is crab Rangoon. I love dumplings but this dumpling is one I'm very fond of. 

adorasboxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10966380108381463959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-625583793276606004.post-71826613491293152982015-05-03T14:17:00.002+01:002015-05-03T14:51:39.594+01:00

If you like ham and cheese and fried chicken then chicken cordon bleu is just the thing for you. It is not as fancy schmancy as the name suggests. It is simply ham and cheese filled crumbed chicken. Nevertheless, it is a dish that is universally likeable, simple yet delicious. Chicken cordon bleu brings back memories of home. My sisters, brother and I loved this dish and never grew

adorasboxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10966380108381463959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-625583793276606004.post-57131678870073633672015-04-24T14:37:00.001+01:002015-04-24T14:48:30.357+01:00

When one speaks with flowery words, beating around the bush rather than zeroing in on the point of conversation, one is said to speak with too much "palabok". This Filipino term is also the name of a dish with so many accoutrements: the pancit palabok. The dish, unlike the saying, is outright delicious at the first mouthful. Pancit palabok (also called pancit luglug or 

adorasboxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10966380108381463959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-625583793276606004.post-90595187376112315402015-04-17T15:30:00.000+01:002015-04-24T14:41:55.784+01:00

The love of pork lies deep in a Filipino's heart. Words like lechon (roast pig or pork joint) and pritong baboy (fried pork) would tug at heartstrings. Lechon kawali would bring a double dose of happiness as it is basically a deep fried version of lechon. Lechon, although a Filipino favourite has its roots from the Chinese cuisine. I usually roast my belly

adorasboxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10966380108381463959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-625583793276606004.post-3711163020015140722015-04-12T14:26:00.001+01:002015-04-12T14:27:31.546+01:00

The egg is the perfect food. It is the ordinary everyday food, the eat-all-day food, the food to eat when there's nothing else, the food that makes everything special. Why is that? It is the taste of the egg. It has a rich yet simple taste that improves any food that it joins. Eggs makes everything taste and look good. The perfectly cooked egg is the holy grail of foodies. Although eggs

adorasboxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10966380108381463959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-625583793276606004.post-11460646629016620122015-04-02T15:41:00.001+01:002021-04-02T09:15:52.612+01:00

How is carrot cake for Easter? The Easter bunny eats carrots thats why. Carrots are not only super nutritious, they taste so good, too.  The lowly carrot, the larder staple, the dependable side, the earthy root crop takes center stage when made into a carrot cake.  Although a carrot cake is undeniably delicious, it is not as exciting as it should be. When made the

adorasboxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10966380108381463959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-625583793276606004.post-75815162913260975352015-03-29T15:20:00.001+01:002015-08-09T14:52:54.112+01:00

The question is simple. What do you want to eat? The answer not so much. While one can come up with a one word answer such as Mexican, Thai or pizza, someone might go indecisive and complicated.  As the the official caterer in the household, Mums have the difficult task of first figuring out what people want to eat before thinking of what to cook. When the answers are not clear or

adorasboxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10966380108381463959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-625583793276606004.post-62339513018378495592015-03-19T12:33:00.001+00:002015-03-27T14:12:50.716+00:00

Say Filipino food and the word adobo comes to mind. It is the most known Filipino dish and to some, the only one they know. To a Filipino, cooking adobo is as basic as cooking rice. It is a recipe not originally made for its taste but also for food preservation. It is basically a pickle. The original dish is made only with vinegar, garlic and peppercorns. The latter two ingredients are

adorasboxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10966380108381463959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-625583793276606004.post-27322713654500071132015-03-13T16:19:00.003+00:002015-03-14T18:39:52.940+00:00

Pie is such a beauty to behold. It tempts you to break the crust and eat it yet restrains at the same time to look at it some more. Pie is not a Filipino thing and pastel is the only savoury pie that I know, not counting hand pies (empanada) and sweet pies. Pastel is a special Filipino dish and is usually reserved for special occasions. The filling can also be made with ox tongue (

adorasboxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10966380108381463959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-625583793276606004.post-74859979550328981892015-03-05T12:37:00.000+00:002015-03-05T12:37:15.183+00:00

I thought I had graduated from the school dinner menu. After a long stint of cooking crumbed food for dinner, I have moved on to a more mature menu (all seen on my blog posts) when my children grew up. I enjoy shopping for props for my blog (I hope you like looking at them) and sometimes they trigger a light bulb moment. I saw these popcorn boxes at Clas Ohlson and thought they were

adorasboxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10966380108381463959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-625583793276606004.post-6759004444684589982015-02-17T16:55:00.000+00:002015-03-05T12:35:43.183+00:00

Five spice powder is a mixture of star anise, cloves, cinnamon, Sichuan peppercorns and fennel seeds. The aroma and flavour is quite heady and can taste medicinal if too much is used. In tempered amounts, though, it gives an interesting exotic edge to any dish that it is added to. These rolls are called lot (or loh) bak in Malaysia and are particularly popular in Penang.

adorasboxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10966380108381463959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-625583793276606004.post-89163780696441018432015-02-12T16:14:00.000+00:002015-03-05T12:36:53.530+00:00

There is something so sexy about red velvet. Classy sexy. It is confirmed that red velvet cake is up there on the best cake ever list. Could cookies be the next best thing? We might not just yet let go of red velvet cake. I think red velvetness is a cake thing. These cookies, though, have quite something in them too.  While red velvet cake has buttermilk to make it what it

adorasboxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10966380108381463959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-625583793276606004.post-57626326319815483532015-02-08T18:36:00.001+00:002015-03-05T12:36:27.263+00:00

I have a distinct memory of bakwa from too many years ago. As I crossed a busy road in Singapore, I eyed a bakwa peddler squatting on the city pavement. In front of him was a makeshift charcoal grill made out of a biscuit tin topped with chicken wire to warm his bakwa on. I couldn't resist having a slice. As he waved at the embers with a woven palm leaf fan and deftly turned

adorasboxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10966380108381463959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-625583793276606004.post-25980787326877891622015-02-04T19:22:00.001+00:002015-03-27T14:13:46.273+00:00

Orange and bacon may scream American breakfast but having it on top of rice with fried chicken pieces makes it Chinese food. American Chinese food that is. While my two children were excited to have a go at Shake Shack's burgers at JFK Airport on a recent trip, I chose to have Panda Express' orange chicken with bacon. I don't normally eat anything oily, if at all, before a

adorasboxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10966380108381463959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-625583793276606004.post-23517433826711358482015-01-29T11:34:00.000+00:002015-02-12T16:06:51.517+00:00

Half of me wants to detox and diet but half of me wants to celebrate the new year. I am so thankful to have another year to look forward to, a blank chapter to fill with life stories. I know that sometimes we just get dragged along by life's currents that we are only half aware that time is ticking by. While it may seem that life just goes on and on, for someone like  me who has &

adorasboxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10966380108381463959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-625583793276606004.post-30665773985334035092015-01-25T14:32:00.001+00:002015-03-13T16:17:28.160+00:00

A pie cooling on the window sill is such a pretty sight. The aroma is a scent sent from heaven. The prospect of the first bite just thrills the imagination. Baking a pie might seem a task if you think about it but it actually is an enjoyable activity once you start the process. I am not an avid pie maker but have always wanted to know how to make the perfect pie. The perfect pie

adorasboxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10966380108381463959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-625583793276606004.post-51190071662343861422015-01-21T14:24:00.000+00:002015-01-21T14:24:19.329+00:00

As Christmas approaches, one can't help but feel nostalgic. Though some seek to inject new ideas into their Christmas celebrations, many still yearn for their Christmas past. I for one yearn for the lovely Christmases I had when I was growing up. The wonderful food, the family togetherness and the presents are part of the warm memories I'll always treasure. I also miss not being the one

adorasboxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10966380108381463959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-625583793276606004.post-4410264228405112082015-01-19T09:07:00.000+00:002015-02-03T10:05:26.422+00:00

Although meatloaf has its origins from Europe, it is not as popular here as it is in the US. I make it fairly regularly because, not only is it delicious, it is also very easy to make. Meatloaf is not a dish that's seen a lot in UK cooking programmes but Nigella Lawson made meatloaf in her show and she draped hers with bacon. Nothing new there but it just caused me to

adorasboxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10966380108381463959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-625583793276606004.post-27773114686984941362014-12-10T17:08:00.000+00:002014-12-10T17:08:12.114+00:00

There is a long running joke about just the one fruit cake making the rounds at Christmas, it being passed around like a hot potato. For the benefit of fruit cake lovers, I would like to debunk the myth. First of all, most fruit cake recipes make at least two loaves because of the amount of ingredients involved in making it. So if the joke were true, there should at least be two fruit

adorasboxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10966380108381463959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-625583793276606004.post-34470873342382823892014-12-07T22:22:00.001+00:002014-12-07T22:22:59.905+00:00

The ultimate act of sweetness is giving out sweets as presents for Christmas. All the hype of the season is probably from sugar overload instead of Christmas cheer. Sweets have always been a part of the Philippine Christmas tradition. It is not cookies that we give away but sweet fruit preserves and milk candies. Although cakes and cookies have also now been a part of the modern

adorasboxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10966380108381463959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-625583793276606004.post-48194434802923148272014-12-01T15:41:00.000+00:002014-12-01T15:41:45.010+00:00

It is no surprise that tofu is now appreciated by more people outside Asia. This humble food, although a staple in the eastern countries, remains in the sidelines in the west. While others have grown to appreciate its subtle creamy taste, a lot still query why it should be eaten at all.  The benefits of tofu is that it is high in protein, contains calcium and iron, is low in

adorasboxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10966380108381463959noreply@blogger.com0