GOURMET KITSCHEN

Kitschen Chaos: Salads should never be boring!

2012-08-01T18:36:00.003+08:00

There are days I actually don't feel like cooking or don't have enough time. I really make an effort to cook at least one real meal a day since it's the only time the entire household sits together to eat. On my super busy days I end up making a salad instead, but of course, I would rather die than make it a boring leaf and vinegar dish. A little effort is still involved when making a salad as a main meal and not as a side dish. If it's the only thing you are eating, it has to be good!

Ok so, here's the latest one I did. It changes every time depending on what ingredients I have. I say be creative and adventurous, and if it sounds good... try it!

Prawn Salad with Pesto Dressing

Ingredients:

For the salad

3 large prawns per person, butterflied

1 packet of salad greens

6-8 small tomatoes, cut into quarters

drizzle of olive oil

salt and pepper 

2 tsp butter

2 cloves garlic, minced

splash of cola 

 For the dressing

1 tbsp pesto (I make my own but use ready made if you want)

3 tbsp plain yogurt

3 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

lemon, to taste

Roasted Tomatoes and Pesto Dressing

Before anything, prepare the tomatoes and dressing because the former needs time to cool and the latter can be stored in the fridge.

Put tomatoes in an oven-proof sheet and drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper. Cook on 350 for about 45 minutes. Remove from heat and cool.
Mix all ingredients of the salad dressing and adjust seasoning to taste. Store in fridge until dinner!

Cook your prawns about 20 minutes before you plan to eat, so they can cool down a bit as well before you eat. You want them warm but not hot.

Add butter to a pan and saute garlic. Add prawns until cooked and at the last minute, add just a splash of cola. Set aside.

Assembly time!

Now you can put everything together!

A generous portion of greens
Dot with roasted tomatoes
Add 3 pcs of prawns on top of each salad
Drizzle with pesto dressing.
Optional: Add shaved Parmesan Cheese!

and voila!

                 Who said salad was boring? :D Enjoy!

Kitchen Chaos: Tummy Warming Khao Soi

2012-07-30T10:52:00.000+08:00

I think today is the perfect day to share my Khao Soi recipe. I've had this about 3 times in the past 2 weeks because I love Thai food, it's so darn comforting and it's delicious. It's a curry noodle soup with so much in it that I usually consider it a meal in itself. Plus, it's SUPER easy to make. The first time I made it, I thought it would take longer than it did but I was done in about 25 minutes. We ended up having a really early dinner that day!

Ingredients:

Egg Noodles (about 100-150 grams per person)

one small red onion, sliced

one white onion, chopped

yellow curry paste (make your own or buy ready made)

red curry paste (make your own or buy ready made)

3 cloves of garlic, chopped

1/4 kilo of chicken, cut into strips (can be replaced with squid, fish, or whatever else)

1/4 cup sugar snap peas

3/4 can coconut milk

2 cups chicken stock

pinch of brown sugar

fish sauce, to taste

coriander

juice of 1/2 lime 

Some of these additions are my own. I first tried this at Benjarong at Dusit and it didn't have certain ingredients in it, but that's the fun in cooking- adding what you like and getting rid of what you don't!

Great alternative to instant noodles, and also pretty easy to make!

How to: 

Cook egg noodles according to package instructions and divide into 3-4 bowls. Set aside.
On low heat, cook red onion until golden brown, set aside.
Saute chopped white onion and garlic for a few minutes and add 1 tbs each of yellow and red thai curry pastes.
Add 1/2 cup coconut milk and mix thoroughly. Add chicken (or whatever meat/seafood you prefer)
Add chicken stock and simmer for about 10 minutes.
Add sugar snap peas and rest of the coconut milk. Add sugar and fish sauce to taste.
Add lime juice and sugar snap peas. Cook for 5 more minutes and pour on top of noodles.
Add fried onions and coriander.
Enjoy!

Khao Soi with Chicken

Khao Soi with squid balls

Kitschen Chaos: Overnight Oats for a very Good Morning!

2012-07-29T11:07:00.001+08:00

OMG It's been 3 weeks since I last blogged. I've been so busy learning how to domesticate myself in areas outside of my kitchen and let's just say that I'm still learning. Also, when your primary job is to write, it's sometimes hard to bring yourself to write some more on your free time because you want to do other things. BUT, I promise to be better at updating! Please forgive me!

To make up for my M.I.A-ness, here's a simple recipe for overnight oats. Every time I post this on Instagram (look for me: ericaparedes) I get tweet requests for the recipe. Well, here it is, super duper easy you'll wonder how you didn't innately know it!

BASIC Overnight Oats recipe is as easy as:

1/2 cup uncooked rolled oats

1/3 cup plain yogurt (or flavored if you wanna mix it up a bit)

1/3 cup milk (any kind, I use soy)

Mix all together and put in the fridge before you sleep.

Wake up and mix in the fun stuff like:

Sliced banana, flax seed and peanut butter

Strawberry preserves and speculoos

Dates, honey and almonds

Strawberry, banana and walnut (Put in a cute jar for cuteness sake!)

There's no limit to what you can do with this! Try your own combos and let me know what's good!

Cute Alert: Native Union Pop Phones

2012-07-07T11:38:00.002+08:00

Sometimes you really need
something that will make you smile. It doesn’t really matter if you need it, or
if it serves any real purpose other than amusing you- once in awhile, you just
NEED it. So when my Native Union Pop Phone arrived, I was so excited to use it!
I knew that I would get second glances from people at the mall or supermarket
if my phone started ringing and I answered using this! 

As expected, my daughter tried to
steal it from me the first day I had it. I let her borrow it sometimes because
it’s fun to see her friends in fits of giggles when they use it, but for the
most part, it’s MINE! I’ve used it to talk to friends on Skype, on my mobile
phone and you can even listen to music with it. It’s a pretty cute, fun and
amusing thing to own and friends keep asking where they can buy for themselves.

If you don’t like blue like mine,
there’s about 9 other colors to choose from including bubble gum pink, lime
green and fire engine red, so regardless of what your personality is like,
there will definitely be that will fit your style. They make great presents for
friends and family members that can’t live without their cellphones!

Native Union Pop Phones are available at ava.ph

Yummy in my tummy: Ye Dang Korean BBQ

2012-06-27T10:46:00.001+08:00

It's pretty easy to miss Ye Dang, a Korean restaurant right outside Metrowalk. I actually never even noticed it before until a friend suggested we try it one particular evening we were feenin' for some K-Town grub. His ex-girlfriend was Korean, and they often visited that place to eat.

My favorite part about eating Korean food is all the little small plates of food they put in front of you before your meal comes. I always look forward to the potatoes with the sweet sauce, sweet and spicy dilis etc! I'm half full already by the time my food comes hehe!

nomnomnomnom

 

And of course, who doesn't love Korean bbq?

Hot coals! Be careful!!!

Pork belleeeehhhh in my belly. This was actually just ok. I ordered it because I wasn't with Abdul so I could. I think I'll stick to beef next time.


Aaaahhh that's better. Always stick to the beef!

Lastly, my favorite form of carbs-noodles!

chapcahe, holla!!!!

I'll be back! Ye Dang Korean BBQ is located at 88 Meralco Avenue, Pasig, TELEPHONE (632) 636.1461

Kitschen Chaos: Father's Day Dinner

2012-06-18T12:29:00.001+08:00

Whenever there is a special occasion, you can always count on me to cook. I prefer to show my love through a full, happy tummy and satisfied smiles rather than giving something wrapped in a box. This Father's Day was no different, but at the same time, it was special because first of all, my entire family was together and second, I hosted it in my new apartment.

I only had 2 hours to cook as I only had time to go grocery shopping on the afternoon of. The trick in the kitchen is to plan your course of action and never panic.

Here's how our night went:

Cooking cooking cooking!

Making Beef with asparagus

Magic Sing. I swear our neighbors hate us already.

Mio and extended family and my oldest friend, Gina. We've known each other since we were 7!

Dinner was a four course affair including a starter. Gina and my sister both brought dessert!

Originally, I was supposed to wrap the beef around the asparagus. I realized I didn't have serving dishes yet so no space, and second, the beef was all different lengths so some wouldn't hold. Oh well.

Since the fam was still on a Cambodia high, I made amok chicken :)

My favorite combination lately has been bagoong and honey or brown sugar- I used both in this dish.

When under time pressure, don't panic! It'll turn out ok!


Gina's contribution!

 

My family will all be separated again as my brother goes home first today, my sister next week and my mom in July. These moments are really becoming more and more precious as we get older. 

My little family in our new home!

I love these people to death. Happy father's Day!

The two bunsos!

Hope your Father's Day was heartwarming!

Traveling Tummy-Cambodia Day 3

2012-06-13T17:02:00.000+08:00

On our last day in Siem Reap, I skipped the sightseeing and decided to take a Khmer cooking class. Like I said before, I didn't always enjoy the food there but this trip made me change my mind a little bit-especially with the amok chicken I ate for three days straight. It's now my new favorite food and I've been using my home made amok paste in my kitchen the past couple nights.

You'll be able to find a lot of places to learn how to cook, specially on Pub Street, but a friend recommended Le Tigre de Papier, so I went with that. Put aside about 3 hours to make a starter and a main while they provide dessert. The class starts with a tour of the wet market section of the Old Market. I lasted about 10 minutes before I saw a huge rat and panicked. I know that this doesn't make this whole cooking class business sound very enticing but believe me, there are rats in ANY food market you will go to, specially a wet market in a developing country so don't let this stop you.

Thankfully, all our ingredients came from the restaurant and not bought from the market. I breathed a sigh of relief lol

I decided to make amok chicken as my main + fried spring rolls as my starter.

The wet market at the Old Market

The taste of Cambodia-> shallots, garlic, lemongrass, ginger, turmeric, chili, kaffir lime

Filling for the spring rolls included taro, sweet potato, carrots and shrimps

Finished product-fried spring rolls + Amok chicken= yumminess!

Afterwards, my family picked me up and we went to a Buddhist temple to get "our futures told" Though not really tarot cards or palm reading, we were able to experience our cards being read by elders and monks. 

You can buy animals such as turtles and birds to give as offerings (you release them later on) Look at this poor guy running for his life.

Choosing a card. My future is bright <3 (if it's not good, they won't read it to you!)

A monk in his saffron robe


Ananda offering her incense after her prayer

Lastly, we went to Artisans d'Angkor, a school that teaches its students how to master a particular craft, be it textiles, painting, wood work or silver, among other things. Worth a visit for some (more expensive but better quality) souvenirs!

The silk process

Student at work

Worth a visit!

Last meal was Cambodian Barbecue. So-so. Make your meal a bit more special by going somewhere else (we did have crocodile and frog meat here though)

That's it Cambodia. See you again soon! I love you so much!

Traveling Tummy-Cambodia: Day 2

2012-06-06T18:40:00.000+08:00

Despite the lack of sleep the entire week, it was still a great idea to wake up at 4 am to catch the sunrise in Angkor Wat. I always recommend that people make that extra effort to see it slowly lit up in the early hours of the morning--> on a good day with a great sunrise, it's simply breathtaking.

With the fam at about 630am in Angkor Wat

Although I know Angkor Wat is what people go to Siem Reap for, I am a bigger fan of Ta Prohm, which many will know from Tomb Raider. I love how nature just took over and you have large trees growing out of the different areas of the temple. There is something eerily beautiful about the place and among all the temples in Siem Reap, this is the one they left pretty much as is with only minor restoration. In my opinion, it doesn't really need it.


As my dad said on twitter-Nature always wins! How awesome are all of these?

We also went back to Angkor Thom because we promised Ananda an elephant ride. There's something about elephants that make the kid in people just come out!

She was scared at first, but after the first banana, she didn't want to stop feeding the elephants!

Bungisngis!

With my parents on another elephant

An elephant's view of Bayon Temple in Angkor Thom

Our day wasn't over yet. We all had lunch at Khmer Kitchen (best for Khmer food in my opinion) and then Ananda and I went to the Old Market to find her a souvenir to take home.

Hot air balloon for an aerial view of Siem Reap

Dried fish (to make into fish paste use din many Khmer dishes)

Ananda found her souvenir- a bongo with real snakeskin. She helped me haggle it down to almost half the price!

Clams cooked in garlic and chili then dried out in the sun. Didn't try this, our guide did not recommend it LOL #streetfood

Soup Dragon for dinner--> a Vietnamese spot on Pub Street

The place to be if you want a place that's crackin' at night.

OMG, Cambodia, I can't stress enough how much I love you.

Traveling Tummy-Cambodia: Day 1

2012-06-04T12:26:00.000+08:00

I'm back!

I was in Cambodia 4 years ago and fell in love with Siem Reap-hard! I always told myself I would come back and a few years later, and here I am, with my whole family with me and my daughter in tow. I know I always say I love every single city I visit, but I'm thinking it's more the traveling and discovering new places part that I really love.

From as early as ten years old, I've been traveling sans parents so I really enjoy the feeling of being lost in a new place, finding my own special spots that I go back to every time I visit and just walking and taking everything in. Siem Reap's quaint charm will knock your socks off and make you want to stay a few months and just live simply, as the people here do. For a developing country with such a heartbreaking past, the Khmer people are surprisingly and pleasantly friendly, smile-y people.

You will find these multi-headed serpents or "nagas" everywhere in Siem Reap.

Best mode of transportation-tuktuks! A lot like our local tricycles, just a bit bigger.

For yummy ice cream and breakfast-The Blue Pumpkin! (Separate post on this next time!)

One of Siem Reap's little lane ways,

Entrance of Angkor Thom-protected by both gods and demons.

My daughter and I at the entrance of Angkor Thom. Imagine, these things were made centuries ago with no machinery or cement!

Some people spent their entire lives building these temples.

Family photo outside Bayon Temple in Angkor Thom

Street food: Grilled Bananas! Banana-q without the oil and sugar!

The Old Market right in the center of the city.

Grab a few strong happy hour drinks at The Warehouse.

The restaurant that made me change my mind about Khmer food. I used to not like it but the food there was so good! Taking a cooking class today!

More on Cambodia soon! :) Last day today and off to KL tomorrow en route to home :D

Traveling Tummy-London: Barrio North

2012-05-28T22:45:00.003+08:00

This is my last London post! Sorry if I've bombarded you all with posts from LA, Baguio and London and not many cooking posts or local reviews---I really have been in and out the past few months and next up I'll be going to Cambodia! While I'm not really a fan of their food (from my last visit) I'm willing to give it another chance.

Anyway, Barrio North-> it's a cute, kitschy little bar in Angel (North London) and I decided to have my birthday eve celebration here because it sounded and looked like such a fun place. It looked like Cinco de Mayo in LA exploded all over it... in a good way if you can imagine that. My friend Bianca said she had her birthday shebang there a couple years before so I knew I was in good hands.

Drinks were yummy and relatively cheap (about 6-8 quid a cocktail) I wanted to try everything but I got drunk after 6 so I couldn't haha.

Yummi Gummi I think this was called. SO good. I think I tried half their drink selection that night. They were all yum!

Earlier in the night--> andee and rodney making friends hehe

Everyone's chillin. DJ is playing good music.

We stayed by the trailer park. I wanted the caravan! haha!

With stylist Patrick Galang---he's gonna launch is magazine-Policy-very soon!

Last time I saw Andee was in sydney---before she left 2 years ago!

I love handwritten cards. Sadly, I don't get enough of them!

Missy and Faisal <3

Bianca and Ayian gettin' down

Right when the clock struck 12. I'm 33!!!!

The obligatory birthday shot. No tequila for me ever. If you are my friend, you will honor that. LOL Except Patron XO, that I can do.

London-based Pinoy designer Lesley Mobo <3

Tipsy and Giggly on the way home.

with my lovey Rodney! Miss you already!

I ended my night on a disgusting note...eating 2 dollar fried chicken from PFC--one of those late night, drunk people take away spots that just hit the spot when you've had too much alcohol. At that moment though, it was the best thing I ever ate haha.

It's the end of May now so one last... Happy Birthday to me. 33 years of terrorizing humanity :D

Next up...Cambodia <3

Traveling Tummy: London-Tayyabs

2012-05-23T01:04:00.003+08:00

Tayyabs is one of those places you line up for...rain or shine, in heat or cold, because the food is delicious, authentic and cheap. It was the perfect setting for my birthday dinner and last night in London.

It's located in East London, a place most tourists don't venture to, but that's all about to change when the Olympics happen in July. When I was in London in 2005, I lived for months close to this place and never went. What was wrong with me?

Anyway, come in clothes you plan to wash or don't need to wear the next day-it will reek of food smell, I swear!

Great way to cap off a great trip :)

Chicken Tikka and Lamb Chops- I wanted more than one chop, but there were 4 chops and 4 of us haha. Yes, I do have some shame. Also, this was the same day I ate at Guanabana so I was still a little bit full.

I think this was Karahi Chicken. The food here is a bit spicy so if you are sensitive to this, order a side of yogurt to kill the heat a little bit.

This was some sort of dhal. I've never been a dhal fan so I didn't eat this. oops.

Big chunks of Paneer. Yummy.

Roti, Naan and dipping sauces.

Nice to see you again Missy! See you in November :)

My darling Rodney with Faisal :)

Writing about Tayyabs at 1 am was not a very good idea...specially now that I'm on a 1200 calorie per day diet.

Tayyabs is located at 83-89 Fieldgate Street, London E1 1JU Tel nos: 020 7247 9543 / 020 7247 6400/ 020 7247 8521 Closest tube stations are Aldgate East and Whitechapel

Traveling Tummy-London: Portobello Market

2012-05-20T19:16:00.003+08:00

Last time I visited Portobello Market was 2005 when I was in London for my short course. I was dying to go back to find little cute things for my new apartment. When I went last, I bought a 1930's camera for about 20 pounds and it still worked. I wanted things to hang on my walls or maybe vintage plates and such.

It was a cold and wet day that Saturday we went, and right when we got off at the Notting Hill station, I was already kind of regretting that we went, mostly because of the sheer amount of people that were there. But we soldiered through it and although there were so many things I wanted, I ended up not buying anything.

But first--> Breakfast! Ricotta Pancakes with creme fraiche and fresh strawberries

My once-again very gracious hosts Missy and Faisal. Missy is my college friend and Faisal's her fiance! Can't wait for the wedding in November!

Fruit puree with Riesling (our version of mimosas with what we had haha)

My eggs rothko with a layer of mushroom-rosemary cream sauce and topped with mature cheddar.

After brunch, we trekked over to the market (I saw trekked because Missy lives on the other side of London, but really, it's not too far) 

I wanted to get that deer head for the house! But it was like 40 quid womp womp!

Cool stamps! There were so many and I was lazy to go through every single one. Abdul got a few nice ones here a few years ago.

I wanted to bring this girl home with me but she was almost 100 pounds!

More old cameras!!!

Loved the plates but I didn't know how I was supposed to bring them home. Every time I'm in London I miss the 50kg limit going to and from the States! How do I fit everything in 20kg!!!

To be honest, Portobello has gotten really commercialized in the past few years and there are a lot of stalls selling China-made clothes and such. I guess it's worth a visit still if you are a first timer in Londontown! :)

Dinner was Angulas (The real kind, not the pretend kind we have here hehe) with baguette and goat's cheese. Happy Tummy!

Aaaand roasted tomato soup. I usually add sugar to cut through the acidity but the tomatoes we bought were so sweet it didn't need it! Bon Appetit!

Missing London already...again. Hope I have a reason to go back soon. 

To get to Portobello Market, get off at the Notting Hill gate tube station and follow the crowd. Promise you won't get lost! 

Traveling Tummy-London-Birthday Meal: Guanabana

2012-05-17T20:21:00.003+08:00

Some days are just totally perfect.

I woke up really early on May 7, my birthday, because the sun was so bright. YES. The sun was SO BRIGHT. After 6 days of grey and gloom, London decided to smile down on me...for a couple hours. By 930, it started drizzling and looked like the weather was going back to what it was from the day I got there but those couple hours of sunshine put me in a great mood despite the hangover from my birthday celebration the night before (more on that in my next entry)

My friend Lani, who I met in London last year via twitter (yes, social networking bring some pretty cool people into your life) asked to take me out for lunch on my birthday at her friend's restaurant in Camden. I remember her mentioning Guanabana to me last year but I didn't get to go. Glad I got to pay a visit this time because I left stuffed, happy and filled with good conversation.

My photos are not in order. Sorry! I had the lamb burger for lunch. See that white thing? That's a whole slice of goat cheese. I was in heaven. Cheese fries on the side.

Yes, I use my Galaxy Tab as a phone when I travel. It looks so silly haha! With Lani and with owner and new foodie friend Omar!

The menu at Guanabana.

Virgin Mojito. No alcohol served here but you can bring your own. After my drinking binge the night before, this virgin drink was exactly what I needed. I wanted to drink the entire pitcher. It was so refreshing!

Adobo knuckle beef street taco. Tender beef, sour cream, feta. I could have ordered 3 of these and made a meal out of it!

Chicken Chicharrones-served with hot sauce.

Omar brought over a brownie with a candle! For my birthday! I was so happy :) Thanks Omar!!!! The brownie was nice and gooey btw, the way I like it!

Thank You Lani, for introducing me to this place!

Thank you Omar for the birthday meal and the great foodie conversation. The three of us ended up talking for over three hours! 

Guanabana is located at 85 Kentish Town Road, Camden, London NW1 

Telephone: 0207 485 1166
     

Traveling Tummy-London: Borough Market Revisited

2012-05-16T11:02:00.000+08:00

Revisited more than once I must add! Borough Market is a staple for me when I'm in London. It's home to every single type of cuisine you might fancy (OK maybe not every single but a great selection!) There are booths that sell the awesomest looking veggies, fresh pastas, truffle products, cakes, pies, Turkish delight, chorizo, raclette---> yes the list goes on and on and on. You will most likely check your wallet later on and realize that you spent more than you wanted to, but if you are a visitor like me, then consider it money well spent.

Why oh why can't we have a good selection of fresh mushrooms in Manila. That's my biggest frustration! And when we do have it, it's mad expensive!

Different truffle products! Oils, honey etc for good prices too. I think the oil was only 5 quid.

Will make even the most adamant veggie hater want to eat vegetables!

I wanna live in London just for stuff like this (well, that's a lie. I love it period! but the produce does help!)

Yummy!I know merengue is technically big fluffy clouds of sugar but they are so good and comforting the future sugar crash is worth it!

Ended up with this for lunch. Lamb in a baguette with harissa, aioli and some veggies. YUMMO.

Too cute to eat <3

More truffle products! I got this honey last year. It was worth the 9 quid! pretty cheap for the amount I got. My friends enjoyed it to (yes I shared!)

CHEESE! Just one of the many kinds you'll spot at Borough Market!

Raclette! Omg, you can smell this stinky cheese from outside. So so so good served on top of potatoes and gherkins. I didn't get this on this trip though.

Don't feel like raclette but want cheese? the same booth sells grilled cheese sandwiches. One of the best I've had EVER.

If you are in London, don't miss out on Borough Market. You'll totally regret it when you get home and people tell you what you DIDN'T eat! Closest station is London Bridge. Then walk over to Tate Modern and see if there's an exhibit. A whole afternoon solved :)

Traveling Tummy-London: Brixton Village

2012-05-14T13:44:00.002+08:00

London, we meet again.

Words cannot properly express how much I love this city. The first time I went, I was 17 years old and I didn't even actually stay in London. I was in Oxford for a month long high school summer program and got to visit London a few times while I was there. The next time I went was years later, in 2005 when I took an intensive make-up course for a few months. I cried when I left. It took another 6 years for me to set foot there again, and after I left England last year, I was left wondering when I'd be able to go again. Fast forward to May 2012, a mere ten months later, I found myself back in one of my favorite places on earth for work--> which fell right around my birthday week!

After all my work related stuff was done, I had a few days to catch up with friends, visit my favorite haunts and discover new ones. One of my new favorite places is Brixton Village, formerly Granville Arcade. This little spot is home to a bunch of cool little shops and small cafes and restaurants, all with their own personality. Btw, Brixton is also home to "Electric Avenue", as in the song haha.

At Market House for "a few" drinks after we had dinner with Ayian, Bianca and Misy

Yeah what "a few" drinks can do to you.

After a super hearty dinner at this Colombian spot in Brixton Village. *burp* (scroll down for what we ate)

Dopeness.

At United 80. I should've gotten that Erykah Badu one. I was eying it the whole time!

More cool things at United 80.

Empanada at Restaurante Santafereno (Colombian resto) This was yummy. I was full after it though and I had a huge steak coming.

So on the menu there was "cornbread and cheese" and "cornbread made in cheese" We figured the "made in cheese" would mean it had MORE cheese. It looks so good right? Well, it wasn't. LOL! It barely had any taste. What a disappointment!

I got this steak with onion gravy and egg. It came with a side of fries (chips!) AND rice and this plantain pancake + a fried plantain. How much can one person eat?! Bit for less than a tenner, wow good deal!

This is what first world tilapia looks like- pumped up on steroids (it looks like it at least lol) This fish was huge! We were warned about the big ass servings in this resto but we didn't listen! haha!

I'm still thinking about that Erykah Badu art work. Maybe I'll find myself back in London again soon? Here's hoping.

Brixton Village is located along Atlantic Road, London SW9. Open Mon-Weds 10am to 6pm; Thurs-Sat 10am to 10pm; Sun 12pm to 5pm

Traveling Tummy: LA- SPAGO

2012-04-29T19:11:00.001+08:00

Oops! One more LA post I forgot about (because I didn't have my camera and was using other people's cams!)

This was our last work night (I stayed 4 extra days after to hang out with friends) (and eat Umami) and the Penshoppe people graciously hosted our final dinner at Spago as a thank you to us for traveling to the US to interview their latest endorser, Zac Efron (umm I think WE should have said thanks haha!) After our one-on-one interviews, we went over to Beverly Hills to try out one of Wolfgang Pucks famed restos.Sans Zac, unfortunately. haha.

Me doing my final look-through of my questions for Zac

The smoked salmon and caviar pizza and Tuna cone at Spago. I think these two were my favorite parts of the meal. I think I could have eaten at least 3 of each!

Slow braised beef short rib tortellini. I originally wanted the short ribs I saw on the menu as my main but they ran out. Argh! To be fair, we were there quite late. I should have ordered this instead to follow my mushroom soup starter. My friend and fellow journalist got this. Looked delish! I'm a sucker for anything braised or slow cooked. The meat is usually so tender it falls off the bone and shreds!

This! If I wasn't so stuffed (and had no shame) I would have eaten all of this. I can't even remember what it's called but it had chocolate and more chocolate and toffee popcorn. Amazeballs.


Surprisingly, my main was my least favorite part of my meal. I would have wanted my steak bloodier (next time I should just ask them to carve the cow in front of me and put it on my plate haha) but maybe it was also because after my starters, I was full already.

 

My last LA post, for realz. London is calling so see you English folk on May 1! 

Spago is located at 176 North Canon Drive. Phone: 310-385-0880

Traveling Tummy-Baguio: Cafe by the Ruins

2012-04-26T11:33:00.001+08:00

This is probably my 3rd post about Cafe by the Ruins. What can I say, I love the place! The food is consistently good, I love the restaurant itself and a Baguio trip is never complete for me without a lunch or dinner of Ruins Pasta (so good!) and an order of kamote bread!

This is from our most recent trip to Baguio over Holy Week:

With Abdul's sister Aliah. For real one of the brightest young politicians.

Kamote bread with herbed cheese and fish roe spread nomnomnom. I want to bring a whole bottle of this fish roe home. Can you please start selling? :)

Lemongrass Pandan iced tea. The rim was dipped in sugar. Yummo.

Ananda's carbonara

My fish roe pasta (Ruins Pasta) I obviously can't get enough of this stuff.

Chicken Palawan (with coconut milk and chili)

Kesong Puti and Basil spring rolls. Don't miss out on these also. And if you really like em, they are easy enough to make at home!


I can't remember what this is, but it has something to do with grilled chicken and lemon cream sauce

I'm pretty sure this won't be the last time you will see Cafe by the Ruins on my blog... but for now my next stop is... LONDON!!!!! :D

Gourmet Kitschen TV EPISODE 2

2012-04-20T17:37:00.000+08:00

So, we've filmed about 6 episodes of Gourmet Kitschen TV so far and plan to do 6 more for a full "season" Here's the teaser for the 2nd episode with guests DJ Mars Miranda and Host/Model Sanya Smith, both nightlife staples. Let's see how good they are in the kitchen! ;p

And in case you missed Episode 1, aka The Brunch Episode, we had former Boracay Kiteboarder (former bec she now resides in Morocco) Danielle Gonzalez and host Cesca Litton gracing us with their presence. Click below to watch it! :D

If you have any suggestions for guests or comments about the show, feel free to give them :) Thanks all!

Traveling Tummy-Baguio: Strawberry Fields

2012-04-17T11:25:00.001+08:00

Technically, the strawberry farm is located in La Trinidad, Benguet, but since we were on a Baguio holiday and it's only about 20 minutes away, let's just say it's in Baguio!
The last time we went strawberry picking was January 2011. It was still really cold in the mountains and the strawberries were quite small. Still, there were very few people and you could pick your own for P100-150 per kilo. Not bad, right?

This time around it was April, so I was expecting the entire field to be filled with large, luscious strawberries.To my dismay, the fields were packed with people... and had barely any strawberries! We were told by the farmers that it had been raining and the untimely wet weather ruined most of the crops. Whatever was left was being sold for P500 a kilo. Whoa! Luckily, there were other more affordable things suck as lettuce, broccoli, zucchini etc.

Abdul and Ananda looking for almost non-existent strawberries.

LETTUCE!

Me, my daughter and Biggie <3

The farmers were totally making fun of my (lack of ) broccoli hacking skills.

Super expensive strawberries!

Red Lettuce. We got so much, we're still eating all of our lettuce every meal!

Onions underground!

This corn looked good, until they slathered it with margarine! Ack.

FRESH strawberry dirty ice cream!

My favorite street food :)

And one Im still too afraid to try :(

I LOVE BAGUIO. Hopefully I can go again sometime this summer and stay for a week :)

Traveling Tummy-LA: More LA eats

2012-04-15T12:02:00.001+08:00

Since I have so many random pictures of food from my trip, I decided to finish of my LA series with this blog post (so many restos, not enough photos from each to merit a blog entry each)

If you are as confused as I was about LA (hardly ever visit there.. I'm more a NY kinda gal)you will be happy to know (and you already saw from previous blog posts) that there is lots to eat over there. Try to have a car available though because it's hard to get around without one and cabs are expensive! Anyway, here goes:

First up Wurstkuche if you find yourself in downtown LA. It's a very unassuming building on a street corner and honestly, you might even miss it if you don't know what you are looking for. It's worth a visit though for their selection of crazy sausages. Aside from the usual bratwursts and kielbasas, you can also order rabbit and veal sausages or even rattlesnake. Toppings are simple, caramelized onions or fried peppers, or both. Condiments are at the table. Get fries to go with your sausage and maybe a cider or beer from their wide selection.

If you want dessert, across the street is The Pie Hole, a small bakery/cafe with interesting sweet and savory pies (mac n cheese pie anyone?) I was so full that I didn't even order this slice of Maple Custard pie that was so good. It basically tasted like pecan pie without the nuts.

When I first started making chocolate covered bacon, it was such a big deal over here. "That's so weird" "What chocolate and bacon?" But look at the overflow of chocolate bacon we have now. Everyone has their own version of it to the point that it's not even special anymore. Know what's special now? FRIED CHICKEN CUPCAKES. Yup, you read right. My cousin posted a photo of it awhile back so when I was in LA, I was like, "right, I need to try this." It sounds really good or really disgusting, depending on who you ask. I'm on the team of the former and honestly, it's good! Like chicken and waffles! Below if the blueberry and bacon cupcake. Creative, and yes, weird, but hey, I'd eat it.

My friend also took me to Oinkster in Eagle Rock on the way to Pasadena, which was featured in that show Diners, Drive-ins and dives. This was the day AFTER Umami so for me, a burger was a burger was a burger... unless it was an Umamu burger haha! Above are the chicken and brie sandwich and the veggie burger.

While waiting and waiting...and waiting (there was a 2.5 hour wait and like a million people before us) for a table at Boiling Crab, we decided to eff it and just eat in one of the surrounding restos. We ended up in this Korean Chicken and Pizza place called Love Letter (so weird) Anyway, food was ok, but if you want stuff like Bulgogi Pizza and really crispy Korean chicken, eat here.

Got some qt with high school buddies--here with Rochelle.

With Missy who I hadn't seen in over a decade!

And Paul who drove down from SF. Yay!

Oh I forgot, I actually have to do another review on Spago, Wolfgang Puck's resto that we also went to. I borrowed someone's camera for that though so waiting for the photos! For now though, so long LA posts. More when I visit again. Next up: Baguio! :D

Traveling Tummy-LA: Umami Burger

2012-04-13T15:02:00.001+08:00

I had heard many wonderful stories about Umami Burger from friends who take frequent trips to LA and from those that live there. Everyone raved about it being the best burger they ever tried... the soft bun, the yummy patty and the perfect combination of toppings regardless of what kind you order.
When I found out about my LA trip, the first thought that came into my head was "OMG, I will FINALLY get to try Umami" (with matching tear in my eye) I quickly looked up the menu and decided on what I wanted to eat.

I couldn't. Everything on it sounded so good. So, we ended up going to Umamicatessen- their newest restaurant that also houses four other places. It's like the inception of restaurant-restaurants within a restaurant. So there was the regular umami burger menu, PIGG by Chris Cosentino, which by name alone is obviously all types of pork (I'm a Chris Cosentino fan by the way) There is also The Cure, a kosher deli with sandwiches, matzo ball soup and knishes, Spring for Coffee pandering fresh brews, The Back Bar, where Adrian Biggs of Harvard and Stone both bottled and on tap beers, wines and classic cocktails with a twist and lastly &a Donuts- fried to order pillowy delights. I couldn't wait to try the Foie Gras and Jelly Donut.

I ended up with the truffle burger- a best seller and what most of my friends recommended. I shared an order of smushed potatoes with my friend Paul, who got the Umami burger. WE WAITED almost 2 hours for a table and I was pretty sure my party of 12 LA locals hated me, but I didn't care, I had to have my burger and foie gras donut!

Don't bother with the smushed potatoes. They were literally bland potatoes well, umm, smushed. Go for the truffle fries or cheese tots instead (had both when I did Umami Round 2)

My Truffle burger. Beef Patty, house made truffle cheese and truffle glaze. You'd think it'd be overkill but it's not. It's the best damn burger I've ever had. So sinful and worth it's $11 (600 pesos) price tag. The second time I went, I had the manly burger which had salty battered fried onions and bacon lardons. Holy Crap. So good too.

Paul's Umami Burger w/ caramelized onions, umami ketchup, roasted tomato and parmesan crisp. I don't like ketchup, but their version is not the gross vinegary kind that commercial varieties usually are. It's tastes more like tomato paste- tangy but still with a fresh tomato taste.

We shared this FOJ (foie gras and jelly donut) To be quite honest, my mind wasn't really blown so I was a bit disappointed because I was dreaming about it for so long. Don't get me wrong, it's not BAD, but it's just OK. And all the while I kept wishing the foie gras was peanut butter instead.

Oh and the BEST part...I GOT TO MEET Chris Cosentino! I was like a silly little fan girl I swear. Happiness!

I spent my last meal at Umami Burger again, but the one in Sta. Monica, on the way to the airport. My burger life will never be the same. I'm serious. Goodbye Shake Shack (well, i'll probably take that back next time Im in NYC) and I'm one of the weird people who is not gaga over In-n-out. Umami. Yes. I've found my burger soul mate.

For locations, check out www.umami.com

Traveling Tummy-LA: ANIMAL

2012-04-12T10:45:00.001+08:00

While looking up places to eat in LA, I came across the restaurant ANIMAL and was curious to see what it was all about. They have an interesting menu that pushes most people's food limits (fried veal brains, veal tongue etc) but it really excited me. Since LA is not really a walking city, it was frustrating for me to read up on all these places I didn't know if I could get to because it's too expensive to cab it everywhere and I wasn't sure how much access I'd have to a car. Fortunately, my friend who I hadn't seen in years invited me to dinner, and guess where it was? YUP, Animal! haha! My other friend graciously drove me around while I was in LA so it all worked out in the end. Here's what we ate (sorry about photo quality. Stupid me forgot my camera in manila so I was on my galaxy tab!)

shrimp & rabbit sausage spring roll, eggplant, sprouts, green curry- I think Im starting to like rabbit. Well, Ive only ever had it mixed with veal or in this case shrimp, but the flavor is very mild. I wish there was more of this dish hehe!

chicken liver toast-Not a fan of chicken liver EVER. I ate some of this but I was just glad the onion jam masked the metallic liver taste.

hamachi tostada, herbs, fish sauce vinaigrette, peanut- Didn't get to try this but the rest of the table said it was great!

foie gras terrine, satsuma marmalade, endive, quarter spice toast-Something breakfast dreams are made of. Seriously. Yes with the foie gras.

veal tongue, smoked foie gras, pastrami spices, crab apple- not a fan of lengua in any form but I had more than a bite of this. It went so well with the smoked foie gras. I'd eat this again.

tandoori octopus, tamarind, kumquat, raita- Big big fan of octopus. This was a no brainer. I liked it.

polenta, six-hour bolognese, parmesan- Comfort food on its best day. If i were having a bad day, I'd wanna come home and sleep in a bed of this.

veal brains, vadouvan, apricot puree, carrot- Veal brains aren't exactly first on my list of things to eat but hey, why not. Everything else was good. They had a jello-y consistency but a very mild flavor. It's so different from what you'd think brains would taste like after too many Zombie flicks. Maybe the walking dead are actually on to something.

poutine, oxtail gravy- Thank You Canada for the wonderful thing that is poutine. Seriously. There are no words.

balsamic pork ribs, braised greens, chili oil, garlic- This was yummy but Im pretty sure I could make it at home!

My friend Chris with his wife Chrissy

With my cousin Cristina (I was surrounded by people named Chris that night haha)

Kyle and Roch, my gracious hosts for the 3 extra days I was in LA <3

Animal Restaurant 435 N. Fairfax Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90036
Reservations: (323) 782 9225

Traveling Tummy-LA: Sweet Lady Jane

2012-04-10T12:02:00.000+08:00

So, I've been in an out of Manila since the year started and it still isn't enough. If I could spend my life hoping from place to place, I totally would. I'm starting to realize that food and travel are my major vices. Forget drugs, the high you get from visiting a new place, or trying a new flavor you've never had before is SO MUCH BETTER.

So, I spent a week in LA and seriously, aside from my 15 minutes of work interviewing someone, ALL I DID WAS EAT. As someone who has never been a big fan of the city of angels, I certainly changed my mind about the place a little bit. I still would never live there, but I think future visits are now in order!
First up on my food-venture, I went to Sweet Lady Jane, a bakery along Melrose in West Hollywood (with another branch in Sta. Monica) with decadent cakes, pies and pastries. We were told that this place was frequented by celebrities so, of course, we wanted to see what kind of sugary treats passed through their lips. haha! Hey, we were in Hollywood!

My friend's Triple Berry Shortcake! Yumm-o!

This Cherry Pie was so BIG I ate a quarter of it and gave up. The guy behind the counter was like "What do you mean the servings are too big?" to which I quickly replied "We're Asian, our stomach's can't take this much food!" SOOOOO good though. The sweet-tart balance was spot on.

Red Velvet. Again, another huge slice! Cakes/Pies here are a bit pricey but they are worth it!Share!

On the way home, I stopped by the Trader Joe's 2 minutes from my hotel. If there is ANY store I want them to bring here from the US, it's this.

My room at The Chamberlain in West Hollywood (WeHo!) I already miss my comfy bed with my fluffy cloud duvet!

Sweet Lady Jane is located at 8360 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90069
Tel: 323-653-7145

Brasserie Cicou

2012-04-08T13:59:00.001+08:00

First of all, I have been a TERRIBLE blogger! I haven't posted anything in three weeks and I have no excuse except that I've been busy busy busy (and traveling) To make up for my delinquent behavior, I have a whole week's worth of posts and I will have something new every day starting today, I PROMISE!!!! And from different places too-from Manila to LA to Baguio and my own kitchen. Yay!

Anyway, first up is Brasserie Cicou---had dinner here with Abdul before I left for the US. He took me out on a real date! That doesn't happen very often so it was a treat hehe plus we went somewhere I had been wanting to try for awhile now.

L' Assiette de Pates---Pork rillettes, pate en croute or pork head. Abdul couldn't eat this, so yeah I had to eat it all myself haha! I wanted to be adventurous and it was pretty good but it's not something I would look for often.

Abdul got the Coquelet - Pamora Farm Spring Chicken. He said it was good (but tasted like something I make at home ;p) and the order was huge. He took half home :D

We also got marinated sardines with goat cheese to share. So good. I really liked this. It was simple and awesome!

My new favorite dessert: Kouing Aman. I dunno what it is exactly but it's flaky dough that's caramelized with salted caramel ice cream. I was so stuffed at this point but I ate it all!

I dunno why this photo came out last haha but this was part of their daily specials. It was a really tender beef belly with beans and potatoes. It had a hint of cumin and I really enjoyed it. I think I had every last bite!

Kitschen Chaos: Dinner for 10

2012-03-10T18:58:00.001+08:00

Last night, my dad invited 9 strangers into our home for the 3rd installment of his "Nights of Passion", wherein he gets people who don't know each other to get together and share their experiences, stories and etc with each other. Something like this could be done over wine and a bag of chips, but he asked me to prepare a good, casual meal for his guests. This is what I made :)

Something new and fun: Pumpkin soup with maple-cinnamon cream and candied bacon

Made this for Valentine's Day but it was so yummy I had to make it again :D: Mixed greens with roasted tomato, fried brie and honey vinagrette

I hadn't made Parmesan chicken in a long time so I decided to make that and serve it with sun dried tomato and rosemary rice and a side of onion jam


And lastly, I finished the meal off with a hot and cold dessert-Creamy Vanilla ice cream with flambeed peaches, dulce de leche and toasted almond and graham crumbs