SKIP TO MALOU

"the house that fried chicken built"

2010-09-04T20:37:00.000-07:00

My family describes it as fried chicken heaven. Think crispy. Think tasty. This is absolutely "sarap (delicious) to the bones" Yes folks, for those of you who remember that slogan, we all know that I'm talking about Max's Fried Chicken. If America has Colonel Sanders' KFC, in the Philippines we have Max's. But while Colonel Sanders' recipe hides the chicken with its breading, Max's does

Special Announcement

2010-09-02T21:44:00.000-07:00

Do you notice the new foodista badge I have? Look to the right side of the page... Look a little closer... It says WINNER! If you would recall, the Foodista badge that I had in that spot of my blog said, "Vote for me!" for almost 8 months. I participated in Foodista's Best of Food Blogs Cookbook contest, and I just found out that I have been selected! What's funny is that I first found out

collecting seashells

2010-08-28T10:50:00.000-07:00

Weekend mornings usually start really slow for us at home... but this particular Saturday is slower than usual. as I am home alone! With my husband out of the country, my daughter back to Berkeley and my two other kids out enjoying the last days of summer, I felt lost in the deafening silence of my home. Is it noon yet? I quizzed myself, I opened the blinds in my room, and the rays of the

the tale of the rutabaga spring rolls

2010-08-22T00:23:00.000-07:00

I got an email from Cherrie of Sweet Cherrie Pie a few weeks ago asking me what should be this month's theme for Kulinarya. We are both co-hosting this month's event and she told me that she wanted something "celebratory" since it's her and her son's birthday. What a sweet coincidence, I thought, because there's nothing more special than giving birth to a son on your birthday. Oh and an even

In a Hawaii State of Mind

2010-08-17T22:00:00.000-07:00

I am completely mesmerized with how an instrument as small as a ukulele could bring forth a magnitude of joy and happiness. It's tucked under the bed for months, but when the summer breeze blows, it comes to life again. The thin strings of the ukulele vibrate into the walls of our living room, amidst the giggles of my children. They try to learn a song or two. It brings so much joy to my

lost in irvine

2010-08-14T17:35:00.000-07:00

I have a confession to make: I am very bad with directions. Even in a place like Irvine, CA, one of the best planned cities in the US, and with a GPS and my daughter acting as my navigator, I still couldn't find my way around town. I still managed to make a countless number of U-turns as my GPS says : "calculating route." Maybe it was Friday the 13th and the GPS was playing pranks on us??? It

all aboard the reality train 2: the drama

2010-08-10T20:20:00.000-07:00

It was a fresh new morning. I was sipping my delightful orange mango viviano, feeling relieved that I did not have to drive to LA. I found a seat at the corner of the train car near the exit. The cushy seat caressed me back to sleep. What a blissful train ride, just as I had anticipated... Two stations later, however, a couple hopped into the train carriage. As luck would have it, the seats

let's talk breakfast

2010-08-07T19:41:00.000-07:00

Come on in. Grab a chair, sit down and let's talk breakfast... Usually, you would be offered breakfast with two slices of toast, eggs sunny side up (or scrambled, or overeasy) and some slices of bacon or sausage.. but isn't that too common? Now, how about breakfast with fried garlic rice? Yummy; now we're talking... but wait a minute! Rice? for breakfast?! Yes, fried garlic rice for breakfast,

special request

2010-08-01T00:27:00.000-07:00

sshhh... let's talk about a special dish, well maybe an unhealthy one... literally a heart stopping one (and Onie if you are reading this and think that I copied your words, yes I did) because there's no other way to describe this dish. Seriously now, I'm talking about a pork dish or "pulutan" (a Filipino term for an appetizer that usually goes with beer and drinking) previously seen in

It's summer... right?

2010-07-25T15:56:00.000-07:00

Don't let the overcast skies fool you. Even though it feels like summer has been eluding us in California, summer is definitely here. Growing up in the northern tip of the Philippines, summer was best described in one word: HOT! So it makes me cherish this mild and very comfortable weather! The usual signs of summer are also present, including the sound of my kids taunting and laughing with each

a lovely day at jimmy's famous american tavern, our first sd bloggers' twEAT up: wordless wednesday

2010-07-21T19:58:00.000-07:00

my daughter is home

2010-07-17T17:12:00.000-07:00

"Can you imagine, I touched artifacts that were made by Greek hands from 400 BCE?!" My daughter could not stop raving about pottery in the backseat of our car. From the moment she stepped in from the curbside of LAX until we arrived home in San Diego-- 107 miles away --her stories began to unfold. It didn't matter that she came from a ten-hour long flight, nor that it was almost midnight when we

He still gives me flowers

2010-07-11T18:25:00.000-07:00

Flashback to almost 24 years ago: My husband, who was still my boyfriend at that time, picked me up from the university. "Ooh, roses!" exclaimed my friend who joined us, as she saw the flowers carefully hidden in the back seat of the car. "What's the occasion?" she asked further. "Nothing," replied my husband. "I just thought of getting it for Malou," he said. "Shucks Teyene, you ruined

Cooking the American Dream

2010-07-05T20:58:00.000-07:00

"So what's your story?" asked my colleague. I looked at him and tried to understand what he meant. "What's your story?", he asked again. That's when I got the context of his question... And it took me back ten years ago, when I together with my then 3 young children, briskly walked out of JFK airport. I still remember how the cold air of that wonderful autumn day gently hit my face, I knew

friends and tiramisu

2010-06-30T16:51:00.000-07:00

It all started with Tiramisu. Well, almost. The truth is, the Italian cake was only one of the many things that forged our friendship… I still can remember the moment: I was amazed by the biggest Tiramisu I’ve ever laid eyes on, a masterpiece created by my friend and“celebrity” (in his own right) pastry chef, Ed. Ed and wife Vicky are pastry chefs. Both have worked at Walt Disney World Resorts.

Izzy Does It

2010-06-26T18:28:00.000-07:00

It was mid-afternoon on an iconic beautiful San Diego day. We were enjoying the weather San Diego is famous for, as we arrived at the sunken high school football field an hour before the graduation rites. "We are an hour early?" protested the two young kids of my sister; they flew all the way from Florida to join us to witness the high school graduation rites of my daughter Izzy. So there we

Oops!... I Did It Again!

2010-06-20T21:59:00.000-07:00

The beach was busy today. My local beach may not be as popular as Venice Beach or Laguna Beach, but it's as picturesque as any in Southern California. As I arrived at the Torrey Pines State Park and Beach, I first took in the scenic artistry of the cliffs merging on to the Pacific. The surf is good today, adding a slight haze to the view of the cliffs, as I can feel the ocean spray lightly hit my

it's Krystal clear

2010-06-13T19:02:00.000-07:00

I stand by my office window, staring in awe at the HOLLYWOOD sign, as the sun gently shines through. I can see the sign clearly this morning, unlike other days when the smog over L.A. blurs it with a haze and gloom that makes the sign almost invisible. Seeing the Hollywood sign made me think about my former co-worker, Krystal. She resigned a few weeks ago because, as she explained to me, of the

to be fierce

2010-06-09T23:06:00.000-07:00

I have to admit, it took me a lot of courage to write this post. Really? I am going to post this? This has been nagging me for a few days, doubting myself about this post. Well, it's the ingredient of pork blood that scares me the most... Pork WHAT? Yes, it's pork blood. Please feel free to leave now if you are offended by this ingredient. I don't want to isolate readers, making them feel

off the record

2010-06-05T20:46:00.000-07:00

Being a blogger can sometimes be difficult, especially with family members and close friends being wary of saying personal things in front of you. When my family and friends gather, we often crack jokes, talk about private matters and I would always get the preemptive statement "Hey don't blog about this, ok?" And the naughty me would reply, "it's for me to know and for you to find out... by

all aboard the reality train I: a toast to the graduate

2010-05-31T22:55:00.000-07:00

Riding the Metrolink (the LA metro rail transit) is like watching reality television. Like in most trains, the seating arrangement is such that you are face to face with other passengers, which makes it uncomfortable for me... well depending on who is in front of me. As soon as I sit, I start noticing a variety of things: the people making their way home, the view of the ocean, the kids by the

BOSTON SOUJOURN

2010-05-26T23:58:00.000-07:00

To help my daughter make a decision on which college to attend next year, we toured some college towns in California and in the northeast together. One of the cities we visited was Boston, MA. Upon the suggestion of our good friend Jenny, we headed to a popular tourist destination, the Quincy Market. "You'll love it there!" she said. And boy she was right; we loved it, indeed! My daughter and I

Merry May

2010-05-22T19:27:00.000-07:00

May is a month filled with birthday celebrations in our family. There are over a dozen members in my family who celebrate birthdays in May, which includes my hubby. He just turned 27 (wink wink, he stopped counting when he reached 27--haha!) As a Filipino Tradition (as to its origin, I'm not quite sure), the birthday feast should always include a noodle dish... which signifies long life.

Orchids in Bloom

2010-05-08T17:04:00.000-07:00

Not a day goes by that I don't think about my Mom. Thank goodness for digital cable service, which includes discounted international phone rates. At least I can indulge in having long conversations with her to my heart's content, without having to pay exorbitant phone fees or suffering the inconvenience of using phone cards. But upon hanging up the receiver at the end of the call, I feel like I'm

Honey, I Fried the Chicken Curry!

2010-05-01T18:57:00.000-07:00

I don't even know where to begin... it's just that life took a different rhythm for me lately and I can't seem to find the grace and balance to dance to the new beat. Most of you who've been following my blog will know how much my life has centered on my family. So it may come as a surprise to hear that I accepted a job in L.A. L.A.??? “You accepted a job in L.A.? But you live in San Diego…“, is