Eat My Gunk

beer eats

2011-03-28T14:08:00.005+01:00

Pier One's grilled squid

The Filo palate has evolved in terms of favourite tipple and tapas. During my last holiday in Manila, I was amazed by the availability and quality of drinks and bar food in the city. My friends were nice to take me out to several bars for catching up over drinks and nibbles and the standard was pretty impressive. However, trips to Philippines will never be complete without a good session with friends at 'bar & grill' spots. When you’re in the Philippines, forget about rendezvous-ing over sophisticated cocktails, nouvelle cuisine and modern fusion. Nothing, at least in my opinion, beats golden moments over an ice cold beer and good old Pinoy pulutan.

Here are a few favourites:

CHEESE STICKS
Dencio's // Gerry's

Cheese sticks are pretty much as straightforward as you can get: cheddar cheese enveloped in lumpia (spring roll) wrappers, deep fried. You can add stuff in the filling ie peppers, sliced ham and giant chilies or dip them in whatever sauce you like. I personally like my cheese sticks plain but if I have to choose, I'd go for chili cheese sticks dipped in aioli. Yum!

SISIG
Oyster Boy Bangus // Grilla

Sisig is traditionally made with parts of a pig's head and its liver. As gross as that sounds, this dish, when cooked well is actually yummy. If you're not one for pork there's actually quite a lot of variations - from bangus (milkfish) to tuna, from chicken to squid. Personally, I prefer the classic pork sisig. Forget the calories and the cholesterol! I think normal sisig is still the best especially when it's cooked well (I like mine quite crunchy!).

OYSTERS
Pier One // Oyster Boy

A lot of my friends get the funny tummy when they combine alcohol and oysters. Not me and my family. We devour oysters like heck and we love them however way possible. My brother's favourite is a traditional rockefeller, my dad's favourite is the pizza-flavoured ones from Oyster Boy. I quite like my oysters plain with a bit of garlic and vinegar, downed with either lemonade or beer.

GRILLED STUFF!

Filos like grilled anything. From chicken inasal to barbecued pork, from to chargrilled animal innards to pork belly. My favourite though is grilled squid. Nothing beats the soft, chewy texture of good fresh squid marinated in slightly sweet soy sauce. It feels light on the stomach too, making way for your favourite tipple of choice. And though I've only started eating pork again, I have to admit I've missed eating pork belly (liempo). I love the contrast between the soft fat, the crispy skin and the nice tender meat. Just bursts with flavour!

THE KINDA FOREIGN FAVOURITES

Fish and Chips Ahoy // Nachos

I know I said Pinoy food but classic foreign favourites like french fries and nachos are awesome, too. Last time I was home I can't help but notice that nachos and fish and chips were ALWAYS on the menu. Not a bad choice although I think i'd prefer beer battered onions than beer battered fish, especially when you live in the land of fish and chips! If sushi's on the menu, then that's me done (except not all grill places have this and if they do, euch!)

Whew. I reckon I could do with a beer and some grilled squid now. But my lunch break's finished and I don't think there's a proper 'grill and beer' place here in Londontown. I guess I'll have to wait another day.

The hardest part

2011-03-09T11:23:00.002+00:00

The thing about letting go is that saying goodbye isn't exactly the hardest part. The hardest part is that time between your last few moments and the final touch. There's a bittersweet taste to the last few minutes because more often than not you spend it reminiscing about good times whilst a voice in your head calls you to the present time and you realise there's not much left. There's a soreness to the last touch because you don't want it to end and when it does, you're left wanting more (but can't) except all you can do is watch until you're left on your own.

08 March 2011. Yesterday London celebrated Pancake Day. Yesterday the world waved the vajayjay flag for International Women's Day. Yesterday, I let go. Again.

I saw her at the supermarket. Amidst the rows of all things bright, sparkly and the promises of guaranteed satisfaction, she caught my eye. There wasn't anything massively special about her, but there was a certain je nais sais quoi that drew me in. Perhaps it was the boldness of her simplicity. Perhaps it was how she stood out without having to do anything much. There was something extra special about her and I couldn't wait to take her home.

It was, indeed, love at first bite.

And she kept me wanting more and more. In the moments we shared together, I forgot about the rest of the world and revelled in our amazing journey. She totally blew me away. There was nothing quite like her and I'm stoked to have found her when I did. It felt like the universe actually heard my calls at an impeccable timing. I wanted to keep her forever but I knew the longer I stayed, the quicker it will be over.

The minutes passed by quicker than ever and I was absolutely, definitely, completely lovestruck and lost. In our last few moments together I had to take a step back for the magnitude of the moment to sink in. I was fortunate to have her even for just a short while. She smiled at me, as if to say it will all be okay, and the moment was just captured by her radiance and I will always remember her like this: sophisticated, fun, beautiful.

She was perfect.

And then she was gone.

With her I got lost but without her I am lost. I know I will see her again but I'm slightly at a loss in the interim. I feel like I'm waiting... for exactly what I do not know. Absolution and gratification, perhaps? Who knows. One can only hope. This I know for sure - I aim to be better. For her.

It's just 40 days. 40 nights.
Except it feels like forever.

Happy Ash Wednesday. What are you letting go of today?

mushy flights

2011-02-28T12:59:00.003+00:00

Cream Dory + crispy noodles

Qatar Airways is one of the seven airlines given a 5-star rating by Skytrax. I decided to try flying with them last Christmas after a not so great flight w/ my usual favourite, Emirates. My friends rate QA highly but I've been forewarned that Doha Airport isn't that great. Saying that, I had high expectations for the airline's qualilty of service, entertainment and most importantly, the food.

I was super looking forward to the trip but Sod's law did not evade me once again. A bit of drama on the flight out and getting stranded on the return trip. Ah yes. I'm doubtful of getting on this airline again...

LDN-DOH-MNL

I've knocked a few glasses of sauvignon blanc at the seafood bar in Gatwick before the flight so I was quite peckish by the time we took off. I checked the menu and for dinner, it was a choice of a lovely sea bass curry or boring pork sausage and mash. I obviously asked for the sea bass but unforch, I've been told they ran out. I don't eat pork sausage (because the last two times I had sausage I felt sick and have since avoided it like the plague) so I asked them whether they can give me something else.

They said they can give me a tray without any mains. Meaning I can have the sides (a leafy salad, a piece of bread, a small chocolate square and the drinks). WOW. LIKE ARE YOU SERIOUS? Yes, apparently they were. Or if I wanted, they could give me rice. Boiled rice. WOW. I SHOULD BE SO GRATEFUL.

See the thing I'm so irked about is that other airlines such as Singapore Air or Emirates (which isn't even rated 5-star) would sort you out with other options coming from different cabin classes, or would offer you an alternative meal. They'd make sure you have something more substantial than the sides. I made sure they knew about this and unfortunately 'THERE WAS NOTHING WE CAN DO'. Let the girl starve then. I was really really really pissed off so I told them to forget the meal and just get me a glass of white. Which I didn't get either. Pricks. I slept the night away and didn't bother having anything to eat. I gave the crew dagger looks the whole time they passed and they looked down in shame.

It didn't help that the food selection in Doha Airport was, to be polite, not that appetising. I finished two tubes of Pringles and was so famished I would've eaten my seatmate on the flight to Manila.

I wanted so scream hallelujah when I caught sight of the trolleys coming out of the kitchen. It was a choice between lamb stew or creole crab cakes and I went for the latter because you don't really get a lot of creole/cajun type of restaurants in London (I actually don't think we have any!) and I've missed the taste of Louisiana/New Orleans. They came in two, served with steamed rice and green beens. I liked this, except each bite melted in the mouth before I could even savour the flavour which was a real shame because the flavour was bang on. The crab flavour championed the whole dish but there was a side show of mustard, lemon and spice. Real shame they came a bit too soggy for my liking.

I could care less for the side of pasta salad. The penne was a bit too thick and rubbery to enjoy and the tomato salsa didn't taste fresh at all.

MNL - DOH - LDN

Remember when my flight got delayed in April because of the volcanic ash? Well. This time around I got stranded in Doha. I'll talk about that some other time. Squee.

As it was a morning flight, we were to be served brekky. I don't eat eggs and I'm pretty sure omellettes would be on the menu. I took the other option which was a turkey (thank heavens) sausage. I knew it was to be served with scrambled eggs but figured I can chuck it out of the way and just munch on the bangers.

I lifted the foil lid and was greeted with this:

Having that sinister yellow blob hanging from the lid threw me off a bit. I had to scrape it off the foil and poked it just to see whether it's fluffy - (unsurprisingly) it wasn't. It felt like a yellow version of Blu-Tack that's been left close to a portable heater - slightly melted and more pliant but still a firm adhesive. I was also surprised that the turkey sausage was actually too sweet, almost as sweet as pinoy longganisa but the brown sugar was more subtle. There were also bits of chopped garlic which had a bit of a foul aftertaste. And they were surprisingly mushy again - a step firmer than vienna sausages but falling behind jarred hotdogs. I like sausages hot and firm like a proper kulmbacher bratwurst at a German Christmas market.

Thank God for fruit. And thank God for the meal after!

We were served a cream dory fillet on a bed of crispy noodles in some outstanding sauce I shamefully forgot the name of. This was great. The steamed fish may have been SUPER SLIGHTLY overcooked (and was yet again a bit mushy) but the noodles and vegetables were crispy enough to add a nice texture to the dish. I wanted to ask for another serving and tell them I didn't get any food during one of the trips but decided against it. I was too mushed out.

So there you have it. The whole dining experience via Qatar Airways was... so-so. Presentation was a downer (clear plastic pots!) and service was off-putting. The whole palaver about no alternative food options was enough to really get me whinging and not recommending them. I doubt I'll ever fly with Qatar again to be honest. I guess I'll stick with Emirates/Singapore Air and just keep my fingers crossed that they'll have better food this time.

I guess I owe yous...

2011-02-28T09:54:00.000+00:00

...an apology for constantly neglecting this blog. I've been so busy since (ACK!) November! Since my last post, I've consumed 10 million calories and .01% exercise. Saying that, all's well in Londontown and eating's never been better. I'm gonna try to play catch up with the posts and hopefully bore yous again with the stuff I've been filling my belly with. Watch this space.

Remembering a Wahaca summer

2010-11-09T12:57:00.000+00:00

It's grey in London today. Most people I know seem to have a cloud about their heads and I am on a mission to spread sunshine. I'm feeling a bit gloomy too but there's a reason to smile: Wahaca's opening down Wardour Street! That's lunch sorted for me most days then. I shall never go hungry at lunch again!

Ana & her mojito

Saying that, the last time I've actually been to Wahaca was... last May when Ana & I sampled their summer menu. Yikes. It's been ages, but that doesn't mean I love the restaurant any less. I mean it's been months but I'm still raving about the fresh ceviche tostadas and the yummy chicken mole tacos.... Oh and of course, how can you go there without their mojitos?

ceviche tostada

The ceviche tostadas were really good - fresh scallops and prawns cooked in lime juice eaten with perfectly crunchy mini-tacos. There's no actual fish in the ceviches but the sweetness of the scallops was a nice touch; it balances out the tangy lime juice. Yum. I wish they served this throughout the year. Such a nice refreshing Mexican dish!

chicken mole tacos

I love me a good mole but I can never finish Wahaca's platos fuertes (because I always get starters which are already filling on their own) so these tacos are just perfect. Sweet and savoury, I'm glad these lite bites are still on the menu!

Chicken guajillo tostada

I wasn't too keen on the chicken guajillo tostada but to be fair.. having this after a really good ceviche tostada was probably not a good idea because the seafood was so packed with flavour. The guacamole was nice but I thought the chicken was a bit underseasoned (but very tender!). I think it didn't help that we kinda left it hanging around for some time - the tortilla got a bit soggy! Our bad...


Grilled cactus tacos

I couldn't really distinguish the cactus flavour but the veggies were refreshingly crunchy. Mind you, I was so caught up in our convo so I didn't give this one much chance. The sauce was good and I really wanted to take some home! Seems like an easy dish to copy at home too... my housemate has a cactus plant....


New potato taquitos

We were having so much fun talking and enjoying the food until we realised we haven't touched the new potato taquitos yet! At this point Ana & I were bordering on full but like supertroopers, we marched on to face the challenge. Yum. It was carb on carb but who cares? The cheese made really made this dish interesting and the habanero sauce was yum! And seriously, it was actually pretty light!

The flan that rocked the cradle!

We were absolutely full at this stage but I fancied something sweet. Originally thought of churros but we decided to go for the flan instead. Now, most of you know I don't eat egg but after spoonfuls of this (and lots of uuuhms and ahhhs from me) Ana pops the question, "You do know flan is made of eggs right? Mostly eggs? At least ten?" Thanks babe, I didn't know that, ignoramus that I am. Goes to show that every time I eat out with Ana, I seem to have something with egg in i t! But it was so good so I had another go and then when I thought of the bird periods it was time to park my spoon. Yum though. Absolutely delicious.

I always have a great time at Wahaca - it's the good place for a chilled out meal with a mate or a group dinner before a big night out. I mean come on - good drinks, fresh and really cheap food - pffft. What else can you ask for aye? I'm well chuffed they're opening tomorrow down the road. Here's to happy lunches from now on!

Wahaca Soho - opens 10 November 2010
80 Wardour Street, London, W1F 0TF http://www.wahaca.co.uk/

Al Duomo, Brighton

2010-11-05T15:09:00.000+00:00

Cod fillet, shrimps and a mountain of potatoes

Our party of four went out for Italian in Brighton. Nothing fancy but we didn't want to go to a chain restaurant so we searched the internet for independent Italian restaurants. Al Duomo came first and seemed to be the popular choice. It's located right next to the pavilions and is 'one of Brighton's most popular longest established Italian restaurants'. Surely that must mean something right? Right.

It takes me ages to order (plus we were driving from London) so to save everyone some time, I went on the website to choose my grub and... overwhelmed is not the word! They weren't kidding when they said they offered a 'wide-ranging menu'. I also checked what (else) they had in store and that's when warning signs went a-flashing. Surely any Italian restaurant (or any restaurant) that hosts Elvis nights, cheesy hen dos and a basement club must be avoided right? Right. Or if you have to have to go, you shouldn’t really expect your grub to be as special as the barmen’s striptease right? Right. However we were going to be in Brighton after all. The holy mecca of all things flamboyant in the UK. So it's okay, right? Right. *gulp*

We got there in good time for a Friday night and, despite the website saga, in good spirit (I think Brighton does that to you anyway). The restaurant looked cozy enough, but it didn't have that 'people come here for food' vibe. We were immediately sat by the table closest to the door - where people can observe us talk, drink and eat while waiting to be seated - despite asking for a cozy table upstairs. Ho-hum. Interesting. Anyway. Let's talk food.

We decided on the pate al brandy (£3.95), calamari fritti (£5.25) and gamberoni all'orientale (£7.25) for starters. The prawn came with a sweet chilli dip... which wasn't really Italian but at this point I thought nothing about Al Duomo can shock me anymore until...


wrapped butter on the plate!

Talk about a mess. It felt as if whoever plated our starters got lazy and just plonked everything on every free space. And okay, I have no reservations about restaurants using wrapped butter but... but... on the plate?! Boo. At least the battered seafood looked better...

Calamari & Gamberoni... al fritti!

Surprisingly, all starters were pretty decent. The pate was smooth and divine; absolutely, perfectly light even with the thin pieces of toast. You can taste a wee bit of the citrusy brandy but it didn't undermine the meaty flavour. I wanted to avoid the calamari and the prawns as I thought they'd be greasy like all battered things but I couldn't resist and thank God my will is weak. They were cooked to perfection and the batter was so light and seasoned nicely. The squid was so tender I thought it would melt in my mouth if I didn't chew quick enough. The prawns (which I liked without the sweet chilli sauce) were succulent and juicy. Each bite was a resounding flavour of a really good shellfish. Ahhhh. Lovely. My mood definitely changed a bit after our starters.

We got served our mains and again, the plating was... quite rubbish. Take a look:

Filetto Rossini, £18.50

Now, you can't really complain much when you have a really nice piece of fillet beef for that price. But. Was it really necessary to plonk the toast and the pate on top? Like that?! It looked like a science project. So we had to dismantle the s~~cience project~~ plate before we got to cut into the beef and oh my gosh what a delight it was. The steak (as you can see) was cooked ever so slightly rare and it was the most beautiful shade of pink inside. The chunky roasted potatoes may be a bit overdone but the jus, which was a bit on the brothy side, made them just right.


Tagliatelle Imperiale, £9.50

We didn't expect the pasta to be served with prawns in their shells at all so this came as a surprise as well. However, with four massive prawns and a generous serving of fresh pasta how can we complain? The sauce hinted a bit of spice but the freshness of the cherry tomatoes balanced it out. I'm not much of a pasta fan but I craved for this dish a few days later.

Pesce Spada alla Griglia £13.95

This was possibly the most boring dish we ordered. Quite a disappointment, too. They promised skinny chips but we got the usual chunky ones. The rocket salad underneath seemed like it was bordering on its shelf expiry date and the swordfish fillet was dry, underseasoned and a bit overcooked. Generally blah. I felt sorry for my mate who ordered this.

Now without any bias let me present the star of the main course segment, garnering a whole hour's worth of deciding points:

Merluzzo al Gamberetti, £10.95

It's a plate of potatoes with a side of cod and shrimp! Seriously. I thought I'd never eat potatoes again. But hey, this was really delicious and made 45 minutes of the hour I spent studying the menu worthwhile. I don't usually order cod, but the dish promised prawns so I thought I'd get the best of both worlds. When it came, I was a bit gutted seeing a measly pinch of shrimps. It felt a bit pointless, kind of like an uncooked garnish that was thrown in there 'for the road'. One or two king prawns (and less potatoes) may have made this dish worth the full 60 minutes! Nonetheless, the fish was nicely cooked and the skin was still quite crispy. And the sauce! Wow. It resembled some sort of creamy, silky bisque and I loved it so much that I resorted to ploughing through that mountain of potatoes just to have something to eat it with. I wanted to lick my plate dry.

We all had gelato in the end. I had coconut and pistachio. All I can say is YUM. Nevermind that it was presented ice-cream parlour style, complete with a wafer stick. Nevermind that it was freezing outside (and from where we were sat because again, we were by the door)

If there was a word to describe the Al Duomo experience, it would be... overwhelming. The food was actually quite decent. They know how to pack their dishes with flavour and they know how to cook their ingredients well. I'd actually go back to try more of the extensive menu. Saying that, I think they need to refine their plating a wee bit more. Not expecting absolute sophistication but perhaps just enough so that the food may actually appear to be why people go there instead of all the gimmicky cheese. Because seriously there's good food there! But then again, perhaps people who go would actually rather stare at fake Elvis than at their plates..

Al Duomo Italian Restaurant
http://www.alduomo.co.uk
7 Pavilion Buildings, Brighton, BN1 1EE

olive toast

2010-10-28T12:49:00.000+01:00


Black, green or both?

Most people I know think olives are pointless but you’ll always find them in my food cart/ cupboard. They’re quite moreish but who cares as they're a healthy snacking alternative anyway (the FSA says 30 olives may count as a portion of your 5-a-day!). I can finish a whole shop-bought jar in one sitting - two if I'm hungry, three if I'm starving. I prefer them plain or in brine but I don't mind them soaked in some herby/oil & garlic infusion either. Don’t really mind which colour but if I really githad to it’s got to be black ones over green, pitted over stuffed.

I put olives on pretty much everything, even if it doesn't fit - salads, curries, hotpot, pasta etc. But I like olives best on pizza and toast. Ever had olive on toast? It's absolutely delicious and very easy to make.

All you have to do is:

Put some bread on the toaster for about two minutes.
Chop some olives while waiting and put the grill on, 200 °C.
Grate some mozzarella whilst you're at it.
When bread's toasted slather it with some tomato sauce, sprinkle the cheese and mixed herbs then and add your chopped olives.
Bang in the grill for about two to three minutes, just enough for the cheese to melt.

It's a good easy brunch or midnight snack. You should try it, saves you on pizza delivery too.

Come on. You've got to admit it looks absolutely yum.

food for fall: green thai curry

2010-10-25T14:52:00.000+01:00

Sun’s out but the chill is palpable – fall's here and winter’s around the corner. Trading bikinis and skirts for scarves, boots and ear muffs. Goodbye salads and light bites; hello warm soup, hearty stews and hot curries.

Mmm. Curry - possibly the best fall/winter warmer ever (hey you can't eat cuddles can you?). I like Thai-style curries best; Chinese curry tends to go on the sweet side, Indian goes on same-ish. The Thai version, I find, is a great balance of sweet and savoury so it's more fragrant and more exciting to eat. The packed heat from the chilis is a direct invite for more spoonfuls and the aromatic fusion of galangal, lemongrass and coconut cream is just so refreshing. Yum.

Recipe under the cut

Here's a quick recipe for a quick green thai curry. I'm cheating by using curry paste (hey it works for the working masses). If you have more time on your hands and fancied making your own paste there's a whole lot of recipes on the net like this trusty one from the BBC Food website.

Here's what you'll need:

450g mini chicken breast fillets
200ml carton coconut cream
3 tbsp Thai green curry paste
50g diced semi-boiled potatoes
1/4 aubergine, diced
1 red onion
1 Tbsp groundnut oil
red chillies, thinly sliced
Thai basil
lime juice
fish sauce
Handful chopped fresh coriander, plus extra leaves to garnish

Here's what you have to do:

Heat the oil in a wok. Add the curry paste and stir for just over a minute.
Add the coconut milk slowly, and keep stirring until a thin film of oil appears on the surface.
Reduce the heat and stir in the chicken and other ingredients except the aubergine. Bring to a boil and cook until the chicken begins to change colour.
When it is at a boil again add the eggplant and continue until the chicken is cooked through.
Let the curry simmer for a few minutes so the sauce gets slightly thick. When it's done, let it cool for a bit.
Garnish with chopped Thai basil andred chili. Serve with lots of fragrant jasmine rice and whatever veg you want. I like green Thai curry with string beans. Yum.

I'd love to have this for dindin tonight. Shame it's Meatless Monday!

ate vangie's kare kare

2010-10-01T15:56:00.000+01:00

I miss you.

Kare kare is a Philippine stew with a thick peanut-based sauce usually made with oxtail / beef / tripe and veggies like aubergine, green beans and pak choi. It's normally served with bagoong alamang (shrimp paste) and steamed rice.

This is probably my second favourite Philippine dish (coming close to the one and only laing).

Possibly the best kare kare I've ever tasted is Ate Vangie's. Ate Vangie joined our Manila household in 2004 and took charge of our kitchen. After about 18 months of drama and bland dishes from our previous cook she was an absolute breath of fresh air. She hails from Pampanga (home of the stew!) and claims that she's been cooking since she was 7 so you can imagine how enjoyable our meals have become. She has an amazing repertoire of Pinoy, Asian and international dishes but her kare kare is absolutely top class.

She made kare-kare when we visited Manila last April and if I'm being honest, it was one of the best meals I've had in years. I came for third helpings. Unforch, I can't find a photo of Ate Vangie. But here's a recipe for kare-kare I got from this site:

What you'll need:

1/2 kilo lean beef cut into cubes
1/2 kilo oxtail, cut 2 inch long
3 cups of peanut butter
2 pieces onions, diced
2 heads of garlic, minced
4 tablespoons atsuete oil
4 pieces eggplant, sliced 1 inch thick
1 bundle pak choi cut into 2 pieces
1 bundle of string beans cut to 2″ long
1 banana bud, cut similar to eggplant slices, blanched in boiling water
1/2 cup oil
8 cups of water
Salt to taste

How to:

In a stock pot, boil beef and oxtails in water for an hour or until cooked. Strain and keep the stock.
In a big pan or wok, heat oil and atsuete oil.
Sauté garlic, onions until golden brown, then add the stock, toasted rice, beef, oxtail and peanut butter. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Salt to taste.
Add the eggplant, string beans, pechay and banana bud. Cook the vegetables for a few minutes – Do not overcook the vegetables.
Serve with bagoong on the side and hot plain rice.

Ate Vangie actually puts more beef than oxtail as we all like our stew meaty. As for the peanut butter, she uses either Lily's or Skippy. And everytime we have kare-kare she also makes sure to serve it with garlic fried rice (another one of her specialties).

Ahh. the thought of this is making my mouth water... and I really miss having proper homecooked meals by Ate Vangie! Definitely going to request her to cook this when I'm back in December, and definitely taking a photo of Ate Vangie too! =)

muffin pizzas

2010-09-28T22:42:00.000+01:00

Breakfast muffins can go a long way

Most people I know find comfort in pizza. It's the easiest thing to get when your experimental pot roast dinner goes wrong, or when the romantic steak dinner you planned on impressing a date with gets as tough as a brick.

I love me a good pizza, especially when it's homemade. I know someone who makes really good homemade pizzas. His pizza base is my idea of perfect: thin but strong enough to hold generous toppings, crispy/crunchy on the outside but still chewy enough to not give you a toothache. He also introduced me to muffin pizzas which are possibly the best snack things in the world.

What you'll need:

2 breakfast muffins
Tomato/pasta sauce
Grated mature cheddar or you can choose a soft cheese like boursin or marscapone
Your choice of toppings.

Slice each muffin in three parts. Slather each slice with tomato/pasta sauce. If you're using a soft cheese, mix it first with the sauce before spreading on to the muffin. Add your toppings. Place slices on a greaseproof flat tray and place in a preheated oven (Gas Mark 5) for three to five minutes, depending on how crunchy you want the base. If you want to put more cheese on top, make sure you add the cheese a minute before the muffins are done.

See? So easy to make! And when you can't be bothered to call delivery or when you don't have enough cash in your stash this is the next best thing.. possibly even better than the best as it's less greasy! Try it with your favourite toppings. Mine are shrimp, chopped garlic, mushrooms and crabstick.

hammy and ollie brown

2010-09-05T11:53:00.000+01:00

Ham & Pesto toastie

I don't know what got into me today but I woke up with a massive, massive craving for sliced ham. This is strange as I've always hated it and I've not touched the stuff since I was in pre-school. I remember being super stroppy everytime I'd get a packed ham (or hotdog) sandwich for recess and would either refuse to eat it at all or exchange it with a ham-obsessed classmate's peanut butter loot. Ollie Brown loved his ham. He'd have it with everything and would often cry if one of his two packed lunches didn't include ham (possibly twice a week or so). I even remember exchanging sarnies under the tables with him so that our yayas won't be too suspicious. I'd give him my ham-mayo sandwiches and he'd give me whatever he has, unless of course it had ham too.

So yes, I made myself a nice ham toastie earlier which is easy enough. I mean all you have to do is toast the bread, whack the ham, some cheddar and a dollop of pesto, grill for a bit and slip in a bit of leaves. Peasey. Ollie Brown could've done it himself when we were six.

Another easy peasy hammy thing: get some nice homey bread. I like sourdough or ciabatta. But when all else fails a baguette would do. Chopped ham, spring onions, gruyere on top then grill for 2-3 minutes, 200°C. Yum. Ollie Brown would approve.

Ah... Ollie Brown. I wonder where he is these days. I wonder if still eats as much ham. I still eat a lot of peanut butter.

let the beet control your body

2010-08-16T23:54:00.000+01:00

Diced Beetroot

Save for the fact that it stains everything, I love everything about beets. I love the texture, fibrous but silky. I love the taste, strangely reminiscent of corn except it's a root vegetable. I love that they're nutritious and that they're good for the skin. I love how they remind me of summer. I love the colours; the plant is green, purple and a deep sultry red. I love how beets seriously remind me of a few favourite things. Perhaps in my previous life trillions of years ago I was a beetroot myself. Who knows.

Beets are actually very versatile. The roots can be boiled and eaten warm or cold, shredded raw for salad, puréed as a side or made into soup. Vegans use them to make chocolate cake, some people use them to make wine. Personally, I like beetroot best plain, or when pickled in oil and vinegar. Perfect for snacking and salads.

After the jump: a recipe for a nice beetroot salad, inspired by a similar salad prepared by my Uncle. Dead easy to prepare, I kid you not.

You will need:

8 cooked beetroot, diced
5 eggs, hard boiled and chopped*
450g Charlotte or new potatoes, boiled and cooked in herbs
4 tablespoons, light mayonnaise**
1 cup fresh coriander, finely chopped
1/2 cup onions, finely chopped (It's best with red onions but in this case I used white)
1 teaspoon, cumin
1/2 teaspoon, garlic powder
salt & pepper

* - other options: diced turkey breast or roast chicken leftovers
** - you can use creme fraiche, but add a teaspoon of lime juice if you will

Directions:

1) In a deep clear bowl, layer beetroot, egg, potatoes, onions and coriander

2) Add in the mayonnaise, cumin and garlic powder. Mix everything until the dressing is evenly spread.

3) Leave to cool for a bit and then cover in cling film. Keep in the fridge for a while, this salad is best serve cold.

When ready, add a bit of chili sauce for an extra kick. I like the salad best with Encona red hot pepper sauce but you can also use Tabasco or whichever you like. Ultimately, you can just serve it as is. It can be a full meal on its own, or served as a starter, a light snack or a side with a good piece of steak. YUM.

plain food

2010-07-23T17:13:00.000+01:00

MNL - DXB: Dory Insalata

I love flying back and forth Manila & London via Emirates for the following reasons:

Dubai stopover cuts the flight in between so it doesn't really feel like a long haul flight. Plus the airport's not bad - lots of helpful Pinoys, lots of things to buy, lots of space to keep yourself busy while in transit.
Chances of you having 'first class in economy' on your return flight are high. I've had a whole row of seats in economy class all to myself from Dubai to London - thrice.
The food. Inflight catering is more important to me than inflight entertainment and Emirates has won awards for their food service. When you're up in the air and nowhere else to buy comfort food, good catering is the key to a stress-free flight.

I don't know what went on with this trip though, because on all four flights my stomach experienced some sort of turbulence and before you can even say "mayday" I've got to tell you this - we flew economy and though we did get good seats and extra leg room (return flights were practically empty) we felt every single bit of the cost cut, food-wise.

Here's what I had during the trips:

OUTBOUND
LHR - DXB : Chicken korma with aubergine chutney. Chicken was tender, aubergine was too sweet. It wasn't creamy enough to be a korma. Ham & cheese roll for snacks which I didn't fancy at all. Too cold. No other option. They gave out packets of cheese crackers. Pft.
DXB - MNL : Chicken adobo rolls for snacks which I didn't enjoy. For mains my nan and my cousin had chicken adobo. How apt - a flight to Philippines equals adobo twice on the menu. I seriously forgot what I had - something dubious and clearly forgettable.

INBOUND
MNL - DBX : Beef Stroganoff. The meat was tender but very gristly. The sauce itself was bland. Shame. The pasta was cooked nicely. Thank god for sides - they served a dory salad with glass noodles, raw mango and tomatoes. Yum. In retrospect I should've just shunned the pasta and asked for two more servings.
DBX - LHR : At this point I was very hungry. So hungry that I chomped off the super cold chicken tikka masala-slash-mayonnaise roll. I chose a proper English fry up for my brekky. This was probably my favourite of all meals: fried potatoes, turkey sausage, chicken fillets and bacon. I never usually eat fry ups in England but I've missed the idea. It was greasy (then again fry ups are!), meaty and the potatoes were lush. I didn't take a photo of it as I was too busy munching it down.

For an award-winning inflight catering service, the food was neither here nor there. So not much to talk about. Then again I was quite disappointed with the overall service anyway - during our LHR-DXB flight they didn't check whether all overhead cabins were secured and ours opened whilst prepping for take-off. My nan had the aisle seat so bless her, she could've been seriously injured. And they left my nan's wheelchair in Dubai. I seriously don't know what it was... credit crunch? Economising economy? Pft. I'd probably still fly with them again - possibly pay extra to get extra, but to be honest I was just so put off I think I'd try Qatar next time.

I think my favourite plane food would have to be Singapore Airlines. What's yours?

oopsies

2010-07-22T13:33:00.000+01:00

Pardon the lack of updates. The past couple of months have been very very very manic. Work, moving house, moving house again. Will start posting stuff again very very very soon. Watch this space...

Abeno Too

2010-04-16T19:09:00.000+01:00

So I was supposed to fly out to Manila today but due to the volcanic ash cloud situation flights are still grounded and hours after the original scheduled departure, I'm still in London. My flight's been rescheduled for another week and I hope that's long enough for the airspace to recuperate. Fingers and everything crossed.

Anyway.

Last night, I've done something I've not done in possibly more than 15 years. I (kind of) willingly ate egg.

I promised my friend I'll meet her for dinner (before my supposed flight) at Abeno Too. I've never been, so I looked at their menus so it won't take me long to order. I then realised that it's an okonomiyaki place. Warning signs in my head went a-flashing as I envisioned the egg pancake mixture and I've not eaten egg long before hitting puberty. I've made up my mind that I was going to go for either an eggless side, a soba, a tofu teppanyaki and lots of sake. Of course, like my cancelled flight to Philippines, things didn't go exactly as planned.

At 6.30pm, the place was buzzing. The four teppanyaki tables by the windows are only given to groups of three or more after 5.30pm. Ana and I got lucky to grab seats by the long sharing table as soon as we got there. Shortly after being seated a waiting queue started. I felt like my luck was about to change.

The lovely server asked us what we wanted. I thought I knew what I wanted but looking at the menu really confused me again. I've had some detox tofu salad for lunch so the teppanyaki and soba were out. Ana - bless her cotton socks - was really concerned, but said that the okonomiyaki at Abeno are really good and are "mostly cabbage, not much egg". Fairplay to her sales skill-set. I was also quite intrigued when I saw punters enjoying their Japanese pancakes in glee. I saw a lot of yolks and was quite intimidated. Was I ready to give away my egg-virginity? I wasn't 100% sure but because I've already felt defeated with the whole flight dilemma I thought to myself, when in Rome... well, get the Tokyo Mix (pictured above) - a Japanese pancake of prawn, pork and squid.

Putting on a brave face I poured the sake and started munching on the ebi itame which was gorgeous. The prawns were outstandingly cooked and the garlic and soy sauce was just right. I wish they had more than a teensy bowl. I promise you I could've eaten ten servings in one go.

We had more sake and some yaki-gyoza. Though I personally prefer gyoza when it's steamed, Abeno's grilled take were so fresh I almost cried they only had five per order. Each parcel was packed with flavour. The nice balance of asparagus and prawn went so well with our chosen sake, a chilled Karatanba, which was so refreshing and crisp. I felt so happy that I almost forgot about the Icelandic volcanoes.

And then it was time for enlightenment.

I saw the yolks first and stiffened but as the server started mixing all ingredients on the grill I saw the yolks dissolve, each silky circle sliding to move into a huge circle of goodness. I was very much drawn into the process, looking out for any remnants of the yolks. The okonomiyaki looked so good and though I felt like an addict (an egg-hating addict) I knew I was surrenderring myself to rehab. "Oh see, there's not much egg to it.. it's mostly cabbage!" Ana quipped as we watched our server doing his thing expertly. I nodded, eyes transfixed on the grill. A few minutes later the super deluxe sized pancake was ready for garnish: Japanese mayonnaise, a bit of brown sauce, nori flakes and a very generous amount of bonito flakes. The bonito flakes were so wispy they looked like fireflies faffing about. What a pretty looking thing.

Shyly, I picked up my mini spatula and took the first slice. Much to my surprise, it didn't taste as eggy as I thought it would do. The pancake was thick, moist and bursting with filling. The rich, slightly tangy Japanese mayo and sweet brown sauce went so well with the prawn, squid and pork mix. The bonito flakes had a lovely saltfish taste which balanced the flavours of the okonomiyaki. I was honestly, honestly pleasantly surprised and probably had as much as Ana.

Two sides, a shared massive pancake and lots of sake later we were full and happy with the meal. Our bill came down to just below £4o - a really really really good bargain! Service was good. The place is tiny but for what it is, I think it's perfect.

So there. I've been brave and I've willingly eaten egg. And I would gladly go back to have the same thing again.

Abeno Too
http://www.abeno.co.uk/
17-18 Great Newport Street, London WC2H 7JE
020 7379 1160

Manila, here we come!

2010-04-14T17:28:00.000+01:00

I fly to the Manila in a few days. I can’t wait to see family and friends and people I’ve missed over the last three years. Three years!!! That’s a lot of catching-up to do and I’m really looking forward to seeing everyone. It’s been too long and God I hope I’m ready for Manila and all its changed glory.

I also cannot wait to have authentic Filipino food and to check out the country’s gastronomic finds. I’m excited to try new dishes and restaurants my family and net foodies have been raving about and I’m also really looking forward to coming home to Manang Virgie, our family cook of many years, and her gorgeous homey meals. I’m so eager to fly and dine I could almost savor the sweet, sour, salty taste of exquisite food in the Philippines.

Obviously I’ve thought about this long and hard enough so I have a list of yummies that I MUST MUST have whilst I’m there.

1. Ube Macapuno Ice Cream
Translated, purple yam and coconut sport ice cream sounds more of a science project than a summer favourite, doesn’t it? It doesn’t matter, though, as this is possibly one of the best ice cream flavours in the world.

2. Green mangoes with bagoong
Oooh, I salivate just by the thought of super sour young/unripe green mangoes dipped in spicy-salty shrimp paste. My parents are mango fans and we used to always have a good supply at home although it’s usually the ripe, juicy yellow ones. I like munching on sour green ones especially when they’re freshly picked from a tree. For dipping, Manang Virgie makes a really yummy shrimp paste (better than the jarred ones from Cabalen & Barrio Fiesta!). Sometimes I also dip green mangoes in a soy sauce + vinegar + sugar dip. May sound weird, but it’s amazing, I promise.

3. Beef tapa with garlic rice for breakfast
My friend Ana posted a mouthwatering photo of her homemade tapa yesterday. As you may have read, beef tapa is my favourite breakfast meat and I've tried so hard to find good alternatives for it as I've never seen them sell the meat in shops. Ana said she just improvised a cut of steak with some tapa mix she bought in Earl's Court. Good tip! I've forgotten that they actually sell Filipino sauce packets (the way everyone else has casserole mixes) in Asian shops. Saying that, when I'm in Manila I'll definitely make sure I get the real deal. Mmm. Tapa, garlic fried rice, no egg, tomatoes please.

4. Andok's Lechon Manok
Wow! Have you guys seen the Andoks website? I didn't know it was the 'Pambansang Litson Manok' ('National Rotisserie Chicken') and I didn't realise they offered more than chicken now. I still remember Sundays as a child, my parents and I would get chicken for lunch at their flagship store in West Ave. We'd always ask for extra gravy too. Looks like business thrived over the years as it now has 300+ stores nationwide. Well done. Except I saw that they have chocopao (Chinese baozi filled with chocolate). That sounds so wrong.

5. Laing
When I was a child, this was the only vegetable dish I ate because our cook used to make it with shrimps and everything else seemed so gross. Manang Virgie's laing (taro leaves in coconut milk) reigns supreme: her recipe simply is the perfect balance of rich coconut milk and spicy chili that absolutely promotes the flavour and freshness of the taro leaves.

6. Chili Garlic Crabs
I've missed eating fresh seafood especially while on the beach. Manila boasts of the best seafood restaurants. I like places like Dampa (Parañaque/Libis) where you get to choose the freshest ingredients for your meal (like a market) and ask them however way you want them cooked. Fuss-free but really really good. I can not wait to enjoy fresh crabs cooked with butter, chili and garlic. Ahhh. Delightful.

7. Taho
I've hated this as a child, but when I went to UP it was such a treat after classes. Vendors would sell this around the campus and for a good ten bucks, you've got a really healthy treat. I hope our favourite mamang taho in BA is still around.

8. My mom's lasagna/ Zeny's lasagna
I miss my mom's signature dish or rather, her only dish. My mom, bless her, can't cook. The only thing she's mastered is a very cheesy beef lasagna. We also have a caterer called Zeny who makes the best lasagna. If my mom tops hers with a centimeter of cheese, Zeny melts hers with an inch. It doesn't make you feel guilty at all because after a mouthful you forget about the calories and feel like you're in food heaven. Seriously.

9. Kare Kare
An all-time Filipino classic stew made with peanut sauce, oxtail, beef and vegetables. Best with shrimp paste and rice. Mmmm. I still don’t know the best restaurant to go for this, but I’m definitely raring to find out!

10. Pancit Malabon
If you've been to Pinoy parties, chances are you've seen loads of this noodle dish. It's made with thick, round rice noodles and topped with... everything. I love it. Except I pick out the eggs. =)

That's all I can think of at the moment. All suggestions are welcome - if you have any restaurants you'd like me to try and review in Manila do let me know and I'll try to visit them and share my experience. =)

the anatomy of a fisherman's pie

2010-03-31T00:58:00.000+01:00

There's more to the pie than meets the eye!

I love seafood and I love savoury pies; put the two together and I'm a happy diner. It's such a nice hearty, comforting meal and is perfect with a good Chardonnay on a good night in.

The thing about seafood pie though, is that you have to be careful not to overcook the ingredients. You have to get the timing right so that the fish is still flaky and the others (ie prawns, squid, mussells) aren't too tough or too chewy, and also, so that the white sauce won't be too runny.

I was craving for some the other day so we decided to brave it and make our own. Here's how we made ours:

What you'll need:

300g super boiled potatoes, cubed and just about ready for mash
100g cod fillets
100g salmon fillets
50g haddock fillets
250g selection of cooked seafood (ie prawns, squid, mussells)
white sauce made with 1 packet of cheese and parsley mix and about a pint of milk (we used skim)
puff pastry (we used the frozen one)
1/4 cup of asparagus, cut into tiny pieces
1/4 cup of frozen peas, defrosted
butter
tarragon
salt & pepper

What you have to do:

Preheat the ovet to 190°C.
Cook your fish in the oven for about 10 minutes until it starts to flake. When your fish is done, let it cool for a bit and make sure there aren't any stray bones and remove any skin.
In a deep ovenproof dish, mix the fish with the other cooked seafood, boiled potatoes, asparagus, peas, tarragon and white sauce, adding salt and pepper to your taste. You can add a bit of mild cheddar cheese if you really like yours cheesy.
Cover the mixture with puff pastry and by all means, go all out on the design. We've gone all fishy with ours:

When you're done decorating, glaze your pastry with a bit of butter.
Bake in the oven for about 30-45 minutes, until the pastry is golden crispy.

As we didn't make our own white sauce, it was really easy to make the pie. Considering it was a first attempt I thought it fared well. I thought we might've used a tad too much milk but everything was *whew* cooked just about right and the dish was actually creamy, not runny. The mixed seafood selection were still edible and easy to swallow and the fish wasn't overcooked at all. Overall, A+ for effort and maybe a B+ on the pie itself.

Will definitely try to make this seafood pie again in an attempt to perfect the recipe for generations of dinners to come.

"not my cuppatea!"

2010-03-13T12:30:00.000+00:00

Dark chocolate cheesecake

After a shopping day in Crawley (somewhere close to Gatwick airport), we decided to have some afternoon tea. We weren't exactly spoilt for choice (too cold to go outside the mall to find an ever so safe Starbucks), so we decided to have our caffeine fix at Druckers Café, a sister company of the Patisserie Valerie cafés in London. The pastry display looked promising and reminded me of the cosy boulangeries I loved in Geneva. So I licked my lips and ordered a cheesecake.

It probably could have been a really good cheesecake but it didn't taste as pleasant as it looked. The sponge base was crumbly (which is sometimes passable and fun for cheesecake - if you have a biscuit base) and almost tasted stale. The 'cheese' layer was gelatinous which is not my cup of tea when it comes to cheesecake. I like to taste the crumble of ricotta and the smoothness of marscapone and know that there's proper cheese on my cheesecake. The whole thing did not taste like cheesecake at all. I wondered if they'd switch the labels, maybe my 'cheesecake' wasn't a cheesecake after all, but the server confirmed my fears: it was just a really bad one.

It's really such a shame but I'm not completely giving up. I've not tried any enough desserts from the cafés to say all of them are absolutely crap. The cakes on the website really look amazing, and though I've learned not to be deceived by looks, I'm hopeful that at least some of them would really really hit the spot.

I'm now on a mission to try another Patisserie Valerie dessert. Watch this space.

strada market place

2010-03-03T13:55:00.000+00:00

So after a bit of mad (un)love for Carluccio's, I've been skeptical about going to Italian chain restaurants.

Truth be told, I’ve always been grunt-y about having Italian when dining out. The thing about this cuisine (and no, I'm not just talking about pasta and pizza) is that it's probably the easiest to prepare at home, given that you have the correct recipes and freshest ingredients. It’s a cuisine that I seem to enjoy more when eating in, perhaps because I find it unpretentious despite the fancy shmancy names (if you're Italian you won't even consider them fancy because they're pretty straightforward in translation). And because when you put a plate or of something-cine ala something-ella con something-izzi in front of me the backdrop will always change into a well-lit Italian kitchen with stonebake ovens and clay pots and pans, with someone buzzing about a recipe handed down from generations of nonnas. Italian cuisine to me is rustic and comforting.

Italian pork sausages

So when we decided to use our TasteLondon card in Strada at Market Place I was a little bit hesitant. But as we get 50% off food, I didn't complain. The restaurant’s been newly refurbished and albeit a bit too dark for my liking (each table has a tea candle), it looked so much better now (long cosy tables) than how it was before (back to back round tables and literally rubbing elbows with the next guest). It was buzzing on a Tuesday night which was good. The menu is definitely your typical Italian but absolutely more exciting than Carluccio's. Off to a good start.

Starters and Carbs

We carboloaded for starters. We had the bread basket (a generous serving of ciabatta, grissini, focaccia with sundried tomatoes, crisp bread and walnut bread, £4.75) and hand-stretched pizza bread with tomato sauce & pesto (£4.25). The bread basket was twice the serving size of the Carluccio's bread tin although the I'd give Carluccio's plus points on the focaccia. Strada's version didn't taste as good, I think. The pizza bread, on the other hand, was great although I honestly prefer the garlic and rosemary ones.

Tonno Nizzarda

We had the following for mains:

Salsicce Mantovana (Roasted Italian pork sausages on rosemary infused borlotti beans with grilled polenta and chard, £11)

Orata al Timo (Whole gilthead bream baked with lemon & thyme with roasted celeriac, potatoes & squash £15)

Rigatoni Speck e Gorgonzola (Gorgonzola, grana padano & cream sauce, finished with northern Italian smoked mountain ham and rocket, £10)

Tonno Nizzarda (Nicoise served without an egg! with capers and cannellini beans, £12.50)

I don’t eat pork but the sausages looked and smelled great. My friend's had it previously and he's obviously liked it to order the same thing again. The beans that came with were really nice, I had to stop myself from digging in to someone else’s plate. The nicoise is usually served medium, but my friend wanted hers well done and it came as requested. The rigatoni was shockingly flavoursome, despite its pale look. I'm not much of a white sauce fan but the cream sauce was quite a revelation.

Star of the night:whole gilthead seabream

The Scene-Stealer-Of-The-Night Award goes to my bream. I don’t remember the last time I saw a whole fish on a plate with its head. Brits normally like their fish in fillets so when the waitress placed my order on the table I was actually surprised - and so were the tables beside ours. The slight buzz in our corner had a momentary pause as punters stared at my plate. The phrase 'whole gilthead bream' on the menu completely slipped my eyes (it was a bit too dark!) and so I was really taken aback. I have never been so intimidated by a plate of food. The buzz came back and I gulped. Right, I thought. Might as well start attacking my fish.

The meat of the fish easily slid of the bones and with one forkful I knew instantly that it was one of the nicest fish dishes I've had since moving to the UK. The fish was ever so fresh and well seasoned. The sauce was flavourful but simple enough to not confuse one's palate. The side veggies were roasted to perfection and complemented the fish perfectly. A few minutes later I gasped and I stared at my plate (and so did our neighbouring tables). Save for the head (I still find it bizarre when people eat fish head w/ much gusto), I ate everything myself. It was indeed a very delicious meal.

Service was good, too. Staff = very attentive but not intrusive.

The bill came about to just £15 each (as we got 50% off food using the TasteLondon card) for starters and our mains with a glass of wine, some beer and extra drinks. Plus tip! Definitely a winner.

Strada Market Place
9-10 Market Place, London W1W 8AQ Tel: 020 7580 4644
To find a Strada near you click here.

DIY halloumi pizza

2010-02-21T17:39:00.000+00:00

There's nothing more satisfying than eating a well-cooked homemade pizza after a long day at work. As it was Meatless Monday, we've decided to make an edited version of this pizza (we used halloumi instead of mozzarella).

I like my pizza crust thin. Does anybody remember Pizza Hut's The Edge pizzas? I used to be able to eat a whole lot of those to myself. And Shakey's thin crust pizzas were always a classic quick lunch in college.

But how exactly do you make a super nice pizza crust? Here's how we usually do ours:

3 cups flour
3/4 cup warm water
1 tablespoon sunflower oil
1 1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoons salt
pepper

Save for the flour, mix all the ingredients in a bowl until yeast has fully dissolved. Add the flour and mix thoroughly until all of the flour and water have mixed and a stiff dough ball forms. It helps to have a heavy duty mixer.
Place the dough ball into a large bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise for a couple of minutes before using. Some people actually leave their dough balls rising for 24 hours. You can do this if you have time.
Sprinkle a flat CLEAN surface with flour (I'm very OC with surfaces). Knead the dough ball for about 2-3 minutes. Lightly cover your finger tips with flour if the mixture is a little sticky.
Roll out by hand or by a rolling pin for your base. This should be good enough for a 12-inch base, but we usually end up having 20-inch pizzas.
Sprinkle some flour on some grease-proof paper and place your crust here. You can also use a pizza oven pan (the one with holes in the bottom) but make sure you oil it a bit first.
You can now customize your pizza w/ all the sauces and toppings you want.
Cook in a pre-heated oven at 200°C for about 10-15 minutes (times may vary depending on your toppings & your oven. Fan-assisted ovens cook quicker).

I really recommend any pizza lover to try making their own. Since we started making our own pizzas, I've never ordered pizza in restaurants (save for the Geneva trip) as I seriously think we can make it better. It's seriously not as hard as it looks and I swear, it's very satisfying in the end.

writing a bad romance for Carluccio's

2010-02-13T10:49:00.000+00:00

the redeeming bread tin

Last Thursday, B & I spent the night checking out decent restaurants for Friday dinner. After spending so much time on research (yes, I like viewing menus before heading off to dine – saves time) we’ve decided to book Villandry in Great Portland Street, but they were fully booked. Rejection was bad, it didn’t give us much choice as it was almost the weekend: most decent restaurants were busy and tables were running low. We were getting tired and irritated so we decided to go to the nearest semi-decent restaurant we can find. This is how we ended up in Carluccio’s, Market Place.

I didn’t mind Carluccio’s. Fair enough - it’s a chain restaurant. But I had really good experience at the Covent Garden branch (more due to service than the menu). So despite my previous daydreams of a really nice welcome-weekend-I’m-not-sick-anymore Friday dinner somewhere nice, I prepped myself to be laidback about dining in, technically, a café-resto. Then again, we should've had a warning.

As expected, there was a queue when we arrived. We had to wait around twenty minutes before the manager (let’s call him Benito) ushered us our ‘table’. It was a long sharing table, slightly ideal perhaps for family or private group dinners (as you can be as rowdy as you like) but not for when you’re out. You can absolutely hear neighboring tables talk dirty about doing the dirty. The tables were so wide and as twos are sat across each other we would’ve had to scream at each other to be able to hear - texting would’ve been the easiest way to understand what your date is talking about. Slightly irritated, we asked Benito for relocation help. A further fifteen minutes, we were quite happy.

We had more than enough time to review their not-so-exciting menu so we ordered right away. For starters we had the antipasto di verdure (£6) and the bread tin - focaccia, grissini, ciappe, etc - (£4) with extra balsamic vinegar & butter (it only comes w/ olive oil unless you ask). Ten minutes later, the bread basket arrived sans EBV & butter. We had to flag the nice Irish waitress (let’s call her Clodagh) and Benito before we got everything we needed for that one dish (and it’s not even a dish – it’s a blimmin’ bread basket). The veggie sharing platter came much later, which was slightly surpring because the dishes looked like the pre-made stuff from the deli café in front of the store. Surely it was just a matter of scoop and serve? Maybe it was scoop and serve and make them wait.

antipasto di verdure: sloppy looking, but i like

In all fairness, we really perked up when we had a few mouthfuls. I almost ignored the bread basket except for the top-billing focaccia - I could go to Carluccio’s all the time if only for this. I can possibly devour a whole loaf without feeling guilty because each tear is an absolute pinch of sweet, creamy, salty heaven. And it’s quite light. Simply good baked bread, the way it should be. The single-sized vegetable platter we ordered was actually good enough for us two. The caponata was ridiculously tasty that I almost forget the other bits on the plate (roast peppers w/ pesto, green beans salad w/ mint, oven-roasted tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella, artichokes and olives). Albeit served a bit too colder than I prefer, the sweet and sour aubergines melted in my mouth. Yummy. We shamelessly devoured our starters in less than five minutes. We were hungry from waiting, but they were delicious, too.

Licking our lips, we promptly waited for our mains: B’s well-done lamb leg steak and my pan-roasted fillet of seabass (both £12). We waited. And waited. And waited. Tempers and hunger levels rose, we tried to call staff’s attention. The first guy (who was walking out, probably on a cigarette break) actually waved his finger as if to say ‘no-no I’m on my break!’. The second girl said ‘yes, it’s coming’. At this point, I saw two plates set on the collection area. Two waiters looked and ignored them. Bommy managed to flag Clodagh who said that Benito was sorting our mains. I saw frantic Benito stare at the counter where the two plates were, looked at us and groaned. Finally, 45 minutes after finishing our starters, our mains were delivered. Unfortunately, we realized B’s supposed well-done lamb was still bleeding so we had to send our plates back; we waited another ten-fifteen minutes before we finally got to eat.

I couldn’t even remember how my seabass tasted, to be honest. I remember not enjoying it, thinking I’ve had better homecooked food than this and I didn’t have to pay as much. It was quite boring and tasted exactly as what it’s supposed to be: pan-fried fish. I wasn’t moved at all. B seemed to plow through his lamb, although you could tell from his facial expression that he wasn’t impressed either. We sat through our mains without much banter; each forkful of fish and mouthful of lamb felt like an automated prompt response to our bellies crying for hunger. We stuffed ourselves silly thinking the sooner we finish, the sooner we leave. We couldn’t even be bothered to get dessert.

The service was so bad and our mains really put us off. It took us almost two hours to get through two courses. Not buying into the whole ‘It’s our busiest night of the week’ thing. They’ve been around long enough to expect busy Fridays, so surely this shouldn’t be an exception. Staff seemed to care more about cigarette breaks and their own visiting friends than people waving their hands to order. I’m definitely not coming back to dine, but I may go back to buy the only redeeming factor about the whole experience – the absolutely delicious focaccia. To go, of course.

In any restaurant I think service should be just as good as the food and sadly in this case, Carluccio’s Market Place miserably failed the scales.

Carluccio's Market Place: 7-8 Market Place, London, W1W 8AG
Dinner for 2, £40 (no wine or dessert)

the new tapa

2010-02-03T12:21:00.000+00:00

Garlic wafer-thin chicken

I don't get to eat proper brekkie during weekdays as it's difficult when you're rushing to work. It's always a case of 3 mugs of black coffee plus a piece of toast slathered with butter and marmite/peanut butter/Nutella, or a bowl of muesli with peanut butter and a dash of milk. Sometimes I don’t get to eat anything at all, which really sucks because since I've moved to London I've become a fan of proper breakfast (to be clear: by proper breakfast I do not mean a proper English fry up breakfast, but a decent breakfast that ticks all the boxes). I suppose this is one of the reasons why I actually enjoy waking up on weekends: because I know for a fact that I will have enough time to have proper morning food. With all the 'need-to-have's' in it. Like good carbs. And good protein.

Ironically I used to be a non-meaty breakfast fan and was into sugary puff cereals and muesli. So if you see me at the breakfast table eating rice that only means one thing: beef tapa is served. It's my favourite breakfast meat, the only breakfast meat I’d wake up early on a random day for. I love it so much I could probably eat it with garlic rice forever (well, maybe at least twice a week). In UP, when my friends and I are in breakfast mode, we'd get tapsilog takeaway from Rodic's. I'd always get the same thing: half portion garlic rice, two portions of beef, no egg, lots of garlic-chili vinegar. It doesn't matter if our breaths smell like vampire poison after (we do brush our teeth after), our satisfied tummies will always tell us that it was worth it.

I've not had tapa in... two years and a half. Last Saturday I woke up with a fever and a craving for good old comforting tapa. I have garlic, soy sauce, vinegar... and chicken slices. I knew it wouldn't work. Until I got really hungry and thought I'd better feed myself or ruin the weekend some more. I whacked them all in a roasting pan and the result was delicious. The bitter edges where the chicken was slightly burnt was just as good as the roasted garlic and gave the some decent smoky flavour. The bits that were perfectly cooked were sweet, salty and perfectly tangy. It did remind me a bit of eating my yaya’s tapa – perhaps because the chicken slices were so thin that cooking them in the oven longer than you should gave them a sort of chewy texture like beef tapa. Fair enough, it wasn't as good as the original tapa, but absolutely good enough for now. So until I find a decent Asian shop that sells good tapa in London, I'll stick to my chicken alternative.

Bommy's baked goods

2010-01-30T12:10:00.000+00:00

Bommy's banana walnut muffin

I wish I knew how to bake. Bommy makes it seem so easy everytime he hovers in the kitchen to make amazing batches of cupcakes and muffins, loaves of yummy banana bread and even plain old sponges. The smell of dough rising is better to have in the flat than all those floral sprays that make everyone realise they have allergies they never knew existed.

muffins & cakies

The thing with Bommy is that he doesn't follow a recipe. When most bakers would probably say you have to be precise with your measurements to produce the perfect cake everytime, Boms would just shrug it off and... experiment. Surprisingly everytime he bakes some grub they turn out amazingly perfect. His fruit muffins are always light and moist. The fruit's yummy enough to make it sweet but not overpowering. His cakies (or cake/cookies) are - in a good way - both crunchy and soft, leaving you slightly puzzled. Is this a cake or a cookie? That's exactly his point. His lavender cake is amazing and fresh (with fresh lavender picked from the Brockwell Gate garden) and very very interesting. Lavender has never been so yummy. And his chocolate brownies? Out of this world. He also makes great baked cheesecake and amazing cinnamon apple pies. Mmmm.

Boms

We'd always have convos about what we'd do if we weren't in our chosen careers. Bommy's a banker and I've always told him to give up the Ns and just bake for a living. He'd always smile and say maybe. Who knows. All I can say is that he really has the Midas touch and anything he makes is just as sweet as the person that he is.

Ooh. I've got some overriped bananas on my shelf. I'll definitely get Boms to make something out of those. =D

wahaca fish tacos

2010-01-25T23:47:00.000+00:00

All mine: Baja-California Fish Tacos w/ rice and spicy slaw, Huitlacoche taquitos

Wahaca is MasterChef winner Thomasina Miers' empire of Mexican eating in London. I've been (quite a lot) with friends and we always always have a great time. It's really one of my favourite chain restaurants in the city. The food's always presented beautifully and served with amazingly fresh ingredients, the service domestically comforting, the mojitos fantastically out of this world.

The only thing I do not like about Wahaca (particularly the Covent Garden branch) is the looooong, looooong, looooong wait before you get seated during dinner (lunchtime's relatively okay). They do not take reservations so you have to be there quite early if you want to eat on time. The shortest wait I've had was 45 mins on a Saturday night. The longest time we had to wait for a table was a staggering two hours – on a Thursday night. We arrived at 7pm and were told that we had to wait for 1 hr 45 mins for a table for four. Bummer, although truthfully, we really didn't mind at all. There were a lot of watering holes close by so we were amused. When we got back 1 hr 45 mins later we had to wait some more but we were finally given one of those hand-held gadgets (that blink when your table's ready). We didn't feel super bored: we had plenty of time to have the cocktails rolling and figure out what we wanted to have. This really suited us because we were a bunch who really liked our food and since Wahaca has an extensive menu, we were really spoilt for choice so we needed the extra time to decide.

When we got to our table, they gave us free nibbles (nachos w/ yummy guacamole & salsa) whilst we ordered because of our 'patience'. On a regular night out I'd usually get two street food plates (£3-5 each) and that's plenty to keep one full if you get, say, a plate of quesadillas and a plate of tostadas. However as it was past 9pm and we were only running on alcohol and caffeine, we decided to get one plate of street food to start and one platos fuertes (big plates from £7-14) to finish. I decided on the Huitlacoche and feta taquitos (Mexican corn mushroom, British field mushrooms and feta cheese wrapped in fried tortilla) and *gasp* the new Baja-California fish tacos.

British Steak Tacos and Black Bean & Cheese Quesadillas

Food arrived decently early (no pun intended) and we were munching away. My mushroom taquitos were yummy, but its quesadilla version (which my friend ordered) was even better. Our table was also filled with the following: British/Mexican steak (succulently tender), classic enchilada (how enchiladas should be!), veggie burrito (massive!), chicken quesadillas (my lunchtime favourite), black bean & cheese quesadillas (easy to make!) and steak tacos (amazing).

Everyone seemed to enjoy their meal, but I don't think anybody enjoyed their grub as much as I enjoyed my fish tacos. They placed my food in front of me and everyone looked pretty impressed. Proper surf shack food, dude. Each bite reminded me so much of being on the beach and munching away after a good board run. I was scared my breaded plaice goujons would be greasy but I was pleasantly surprised - for once, deep fried breaded fish actually tasted of fresh fish and not some oilspill victim. The goujons were enveloped in soft tacos and blanketed in fresh juicy tomatoes. They got slightly soggy a bit later but that's because I took a long break before finishing the rest of the dish. The portions were massive and to be honest, there sides (spicy red cabbage slaw and the black rice) were quite irrelevant. Really. Those fish tacos are the best I've had so far - and believe you me I'd probably wait an extra hour half-hour to be seated if only for that. Definitely worth the wait.

Churros con cocoa

We were absolutely stuffed afterwards but we just couldn't take a pass on the churros (£3). Mmmm. Besides, we've waited over two hours to have a decent meal so we figured dessert was a must. Served hot and worth the calories. I promise. The only problem is that there wasn't much of it. Boo.

We paid about £30 each for our starters, mains, shared desserts and cocktails/vino. Not bad. I suppose at Wahaca, you do learn that patience is a virtue and that patience might just equal value. =)

Wahaca: 66 Chandos Place Covent Garden London WC2N 4HG

maze gordon ramsay

2010-01-21T16:38:00.000+00:00

The complete photo album here.

If you're in Central London and you wanted to have a super spontaneous and slightly pretentious Sunday lunch, I know exactly the place where you can make the most of the free parking and no congestion charge weekend. Tucked in the corner of a nondescript red brick in the not so nondescript Grosvenor Square is Gordon Ramsay's modern stake at nouvelle cuisine, and head chef Jason Atherton's baby: Maze (and Maze Grill, depending on which way you go upon entering the double doors - we decided to go left).

Maze was... really really good, but not entirely a-MAZE-ing. The stuff we ordered were actually very delicious, but some of them I think were a bit of a hit-and-miss. We had (and I will not give you the French terms because I am not a snooty food critic, just a girl whose favourite sin is gluttony):

2 portions of homemade bread basket (4/5 for the olive bread, 3/5 for the stick)
marinated beetroot w/ soft cheese & walnuts (WOW! 5/5)
fisherman's pie aka scallops w/ pancetta (5/5)
red mullet w/ garlic aioli, bouillabaisse and olive tapenade (4/5)
halibut w/ some sort of broth & black pudding aka blood block (4.5/5)
pork cheek & belly cut served with mash potatoed butter (3/5)
lamb w/ a fruity puree and a faggot - aka lamb sausage ball with mash potatoed butter(2/5)
chocolate mousse w/ honeycomb ice cream (3/5)
coconut sorbet (4/5)
berry granita (3/5)
pear & vanilla mojito (4/5)

Overall, I'd give the food a 3.95 out of 5. Everything was actually cooked to perfection - the fish flaky enough, the meat super tender, the scallops were very fresh and the beetroot dish is to die for and is so good you'd order two portions of it. My coconut sorbet was oh my god, heavenly. The cocktails were great too. However some bits and bobs just didn't go well. The mashed potatoes were more like blobs of butter with a potato essence - it was too buttery we actually tried it on the nice bread and it actually worked. The lamb was slightly too salty and the chocolate mousse was a bit too... normal. You can go to Tesco & buy the Finest range mousse and not know the difference.

You don't go to Maze if you haven't eaten in decades as it is a tasting restaurant. Do not be fooled by the plate as big as your table, there are only three scallops on it. You can probably go for the set lunch but you might have to either a) pay extra for more dishes from the a la carte menu or b) run off to McDonald's straight after. Up to you. We opted for A which was tres bien. Good price for good food. We were full after our meal, but I can imagine some people who might not be. Funny the look on our neighbour-table's face when he saw the plates (WOW eyes) and saw the amount of food on it (OH..OH.. eyes). He should've gone to Maze Grill where they serve proper servings.

We asked for a booth table upon reservation and got the best seats in the house. Private enough to camwhore and go goofy whilst eating but public enough to feel the buzz. Our table minder (whom we named) Francesco was ever so attentive and made sure our food was well presented before allowing them to come to our table. They have an army of waiters queuing for inspection before delivering the food. Wow. We also cheekily asked for an extra bread basket and Francesco gave us the freshest one.

I got a free cake in the end, by the way. Boms cheekily told another table minder (whom we named Achmed) that it was my birthday (in December?!?!?!). Achmed gave us all the smiles throughout lunch and I was a bit creeped out. After dessert, he gave us the wonderfully decorated brownie cake and some petit fours. Francesco smiled all-knowingly and I had to give them a wink and two thumbs up. 3.5/5 for the cake but 5/5 for the absolutely amazing service.

The feeling we got from Maze was that we paid 70% for the food and 30% on the service and experience. Which I suppose is only fair, because you do get out feeling like you've ticked something off the gourmet list after all but at the same time remember enjoying the hospitality more than you've enjoyed some of the dishes. You just have to make sure you know what to get. Don't be afraid to ask - they'd be more than happy to help ;)

Maze Gordon Ramsay
http://www.gordonramsay.com/maze/
13-15 Grosvenor Square London, W1K 6JP Tel: 020 8897 4545
Lunch for 2: £100 with cocktails, not wine