Davao City's Food Escapade

ASEAC's Christmas Party Part 7

noreply@blogger.com (Tara Na!) — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 10:57:00 +0000

and these...

Top Floor of the Blue House with Elbert, Rizzi and Ken

What a mess!

Sleeping Barakos: Lau, Junie (What ya holding at?), Elbert and Jason

Panga for Breakfast

It was really a night to remember, I am not really fond of celebrating Christmas, but with the ASEACS, I'm really thankful it's Christmas.

Home

ASEAC's Christmas Party Part 6

noreply@blogger.com (Tara Na!) — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 10:46:00 +0000

and these...

Men at Pool

Sweethearts' Loi and Grace at the Kiddie Park

Jonalyn, Grace, Rizzi, Ivy, Me and James playing billiard

Mga Palaigit: Glenn, Jun, Grace (not drinking) Elbert, Jonard and Erwin

Next

ASEAC's Christmas Party Part 5

noreply@blogger.com (Tara Na!) — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 10:33:00 +0000

and these...

Kid's fighting for candy bars!

Me handling gift to my maninoy Gilbert.

Mc Kenley John, in his most hilarous presentation.

Picture with Fido Dido

Next

ASEAC's Christmas Party Part 4

noreply@blogger.com (Tara Na!) — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 10:21:00 +0000

so these are the evidences of how fun the party was...

Trip to Jerusalem; Ivy Dautil's Version

Ruth, watch what you're holding!

The Sniffing Game. I wonder what Rizzi was thiking at this moment. Hmmm

Attacked by the Maniac Jhun!

Next

ASEAC's Christmas Party Part 3

noreply@blogger.com (Tara Na!) — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 10:17:00 +0000

and these...

Grace and of course, the ultimate, Fresh Fruit Salad!

The Fruit Salad Gang!

Kainan na!!!

After dinner posé with Glenn, Ivy, James, Elbert, Jonard, Jason and Jelaine

ASEAC's Christmas Party Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Tara Na!) — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 10:11:00 +0000

As far as I know, Crash Landing Resort has been in business for almost or more than 2 years now. And I have been here before the place was so called HIT in the resort industry.

The cleaniest pool in Davao, with zero percent bacteria.
The Nipa Huts.

Well, let's back to the party. Yours truly volunteered to be the Kitchen Guy, and I prepared simple dishes for the party yet heavy in the tummy. The party started at 8 pm, since our office ends at 7 and after that, never a dull moment happened throughout the night.

The food: Pata Calderetta, Chicken Pastel, Sinuglaw, Dinakdakan, Grilled Panga and Buntot, Salad na Itlog Maalat

ASEAC's Christmas Party Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (Tara Na!) — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 09:05:00 +0000

ASEAC's - Automation and Security Engineers and Colleagues (I just made it up!) celebrated their Christmas party last Saturday. It was fun and outrageous. You can hear laughter everywhere. I can't even stop myself from laughing whenever Ivy, one of the senior engineers, did naughty moves towards the boys.

We held our Party at Crash Landing Resort, a beautiful pool garden located at Darong, Sta. Cruz, and owned by someone who happens to be a dear friend of mine -- Suzette and the Tan family. With just 40-minute drive from Davao City, you'll be experiencing a paradise away from busy life. The ambiance is truly relaxing, and of course, inexpensive and safe.

Crash Landing Resort

Their mini park is a nice place to walk and wander aroundThis is where we stayed overnight, The grandiose Blue House.

MERCIDETAS BRAZOS CON CACAHUETE

noreply@blogger.com (Tara Na!) — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 06:46:00 +0000

Jiggs, a former colleague and a blogger of Bisaya Espesyal (Hehehe. Just Kidding!) asked me to post a recipe of Brazo de Mercedes. Well since last night, yours truly was craving for something sweet, I hurriedly went to the grocers to pick few ingriedients I needed to bake this old-time log cake which is made of Meringue roll and sweet custard filling.

When I was young, around 7 years old. My granny used to bake me this cake. I would sat atop of the table and wait for here to fill the rolls with custard, and then, when she's done with it, I would hurriedly take the bowl away from her and sneak away from the kitchen, straight to my bedroom to scourge myself from this sweet, creamy filling. Yummy! (I still do it though whenever my nephews and nieces aren't around.)

Brazo de Mercedes has been one of the most delicious Filipino desserts created. Many have been experimenting with flavors and have come up with different fillings like; Lemon Brazo de Mercedes; the delectable Frozen Brazo de Mercedes and the Brazo de Mercedes con Cocoa. But what I really love is the one my Lola used to make. Hmmm... The Mercidetas Brazos con Cacahuete.

Ingredients

Fillings:

5 cups milk
1 cup white sugar
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp vanilla extract
8 egg yolks
1 tsp Philippine lemon extract
1/2 cup finely ground grease less peanuts

Meringue:

10 egg whites
1 cup white sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Procedure

to make filling:

1. Simmer milk over low heat until reduced to 2 cups. The gradually add sugar, butter, vanilla and lemon, while stirring constantly. Remove from heat.

2. Beat yolks in a mixing bowl. Add a little of the milk mixture to egg yolks, stir, then slowly add mixture by spoonfuls back into the saucepan while beating constantly. Stir well to avoid curdling

3. Add nuts and continue cooking entire mixture over low heat, stirring constantly until mixture has paste-like consistency. Set aside.

to make Meringue:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Beat egg whites until stiff. Gradually add sugar, beating continuously in a medium speed. Stir in vanilla.

2. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper greased with butter and spread meringue on top. Bake for about 15 minutes or until brown. To avoid burning, place meringue on the lowest middle part of the oven.

3. When done, let it cool for 5 minutes then spread filling evenly on top of meringue and roll it slowly into a log.

4. Brush top with butter and brown again in oven for 5 minutes.

You might think that you'll need Expert Level to create this magnificent cake, but oghh! it's really easy to do! Good luck Jiggs, and thanks for hitting me up!

MELTS MY HEART

noreply@blogger.com (Tara Na!) — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 08:58:00 +0000

I was really disappointed last week when I ordered Tuna Melt Sandwich at Bo's Coffee Club. I felt like I was a child being tricked that broccoli tastes like cookies. So last night, I decided to make some and today I will share it to you my avid readers on how to make the best Tuna Melt Sandwich.

Do you know that a melt sandwich is a type of sandwich which consists of bread, some filling, and of course, layers of cheese that are sometimes grated. The sandwich is then grilled or fried until the cheese is melted. It may be served as an open face sandwich or a closed face one.

One common filling is Tuna, you can do it with or without mayonnaise; the result would then be Tuna Melt Sandwich of course. Other popular choices are Chicken or Ham or a hamburger, the latter of which is known as a patty melt. It is the filling that establishes the melt sandwich as a variation of the grilled cheese sandwich.

Tuna Melt has been around the world for years now, but if this is new to you, it is one of the best sandwich you'll ever tasted (Only if they weren't massacered!). This recipe I'm going to post is very flexible and you can add more or less depending on your preferences. If you are in hurry and need to fix something fast but heavy and delicious, this sandwich is perfect for you.

Ingredients:

2 (6 oz) cans solid white tuna (well drained)
¼ cup mayonnaise (or use more if desired)
1-2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 large celery rib (finely chopped)
2 green onions (finely chopped)
1 tablespoon fresh parsley (finely chopped)
seasoning salt (to taste)
ground lemon pepper or black pepper (to taste)
4 slices French bread (or Italian or Sour Dough will work)
4 tomato slices
4 slices or grated quick melt cheese (or shredded mozzarella)
Butter or margarine (for cooking)

Procedure:

Step 1: In a bowl combine tuna fish, mayonnaise, lemon juice, celery rib, green onions, and parsley. Add seasoning salt and lemon or black pepper to taste, and mix well.

Step 2: Compile the sandwich by layering a slice of bread, then the tuna mixture, some Swiss cheese, then tomato’s followed by more Swiss cheese. Butter a slice of bread and lay it on top of the sandwich (butter side up).

Step 3: Heat your skillet or griddle on medium heat. Place the sandwiches butter side down into your skillet. Lightly butter the slice of bread that’s facing upwards. Cook for a few minutes until nicely browned (watch them so they don’t burn) and with a metal spatula (use plastic if using a non-stick pan) flip sandwich over and cook on the other side until it’s browned. Remove from pan and serve immediately.

Let me know what you think.

BOOOO'S

noreply@blogger.com (Tara Na!) — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 11:18:00 +0000

I don't usually hang out in coffee shops, except Prego. Not that I don't like the place, it's just that I just don't like coffee shops. There's nothing neat their, nothing amazing. Nothing new!

Arman, a close buddy of mine invited me to go to Bo'z to check out my new laptop. So there we were, sitting at the smoking area and begun surfing using their free WiFi. Arman ordered coffee for both of us. A capuccino and americano. To tell you the truth, I am not a coffeeholic, but I know what's a good and bad coffee. From my first sip of americano, instantly I begun remembering a french guy who told me that coffees served in Bo's were no good. And still, no good. Though aroma was inviting but the flavor was nothing amazing. It's just coffee that's it. Unlike Starbucks and Excelsior Caffeé, their coffee seems to soothe your body, makes you relax and feel good, not that it makes you wanna puke. Then and there I went to the bar and ordered myself Soda. And yes soda tasted soooo Good. Hahhaha. I also grabbed a slice of Durian Cake and Chocolate Moose. There were no ashtrays on the shelves so I courteously asked the waiter for one and he said yes, paid the bill and went out.

After around 10 minutes, the food arrived but the ashtray was missing. By the way, how long will it take them to slice a cake? So I asked the waiter again for an ashtray and he smiled and said yes.

After 10 minutes the ashtray was not yet delivered. So I asked again and he said yes and again after lots of minutes the ashtray was nowhere delivered. Irritating!

After an hour, Arman was still surfing, so me? up again and ordered for a sandwich, Tuna Melt in particular. And you guess it right! I asked for an ashtray from him again. I went back to my seat and waited for my food to arrive. After 15-20 minutes the sandwich landed on the top of our table, but the ashtray was still missing. I took a bite and guess what, I never did again.

Their tuna melt tasted not tuna, but cucumber. Big slices of over-riped cucumber were placed under the toasted wheat bread. My Php100 bucks was wasted because I ordered a bad tasting food. And let's do some Food 101 here. Tuna Melt was named Tuna Melt because it has tuna chucnks in mayo, black pitted olives, tomatoes, no cucumber and of course mozarella. It is called "Melt" because of the melted mozarella. Now where the heck is my Mozarella!!!!

God! Why do this place exist. And what's wrong with Dabawenyo's patronizing this kind of shop? The coffee is bad. The food is ooh sooo bad. And the service Sucks! Hmmm... Socializing? It's normal... Social Climbing??? It's way normal. What else? I don't know!

The place was a crap! I even remembered Bo's SM. I ordered Expresso and they gave me expresso with ground coffee wastes in my cup! Geez!

NOT!!!

Bo's Coffee Club
SM Davao and
Torres Street

EAT'S A NOT

noreply@blogger.com (Tara Na!) — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 10:38:00 +0000

Last Sunday my cousin Lala invited me to have dinner with them (with her husband) since we have not met for quite some time. From her hotel room, she asked me what place I can suggest to have dinner. So I replied "Since we're all at the Apo View Hotel, why shan't we try the Entreé, since it's Sunday and they have this Angus Roasted Beef served together with their buffet." We went straight ahead to the restaurant and sat for awhile to feel the ambiance. It was nice, well interior and a bit spacious. The waiters were courteous and attentive, and the food looks good, so I was expecting it would also taste good.

There are many choices of food to choose from. Salads and sashimis. Liver patte and varity of cheeses served with bread (It's not yet breakfast!) Main dishes, soup, rice and, of course the roasted beef.

I begun exploring the food served in Entreé. I asked the carver for a slice of roasted beef and picked some baked stuffed potatoes. I also add a bit Beef with Coriander and a bowl mushroom soup. The soup taste good, kinda heavy (Well, that's strategy) but good. But my amazement begun to sank when I started gnawing the rest.

Honestly, the food was horrible. The stuffed potato was so dry. I can even hardly slice it with my spoon. From the name itself, Beef with Coriander... I was expecting that the food would taste coriander of course, but was wrong. It tasted and scented more of Basil. It was even salty. The Roast Beef was good except for the gravy. It was so blunt that I could not even tell if it's gravy am having or just flour with water and salt. But still, the eating continues. Hehehe. I took some grilled chicken wings that was cut into an inch piece. WINGS that was cut into an INCH PIECE. The steamed shrimp looks good in array, but wait! It was not deveined. I didn't bother to try the other dishes anymore. They didn't even care to clean the dirtiest part of the shrimp. I instantly ask myself on the way they prepare the food. So I just picked some sliced fruits and slice fruits and slice fruits. Nothing more. The desert table were all fruits. But thank God I have a free Soda, coz the soda taste soooo goood.

All in all, Entreé is NOT for me. For Php700++, it's not worthy. I don't wanna talk more about the place. It's not really fun to think that we all wasted our time eating their. Coz you know what? I'd rather eat at Carenderia and spend the same, than eating at Entreé again.

Entreé
Apo View Hotel
Legaspi Street

ORANGE KITCHEN CUPCAKES

noreply@blogger.com (Tara Na!) — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 16:13:00 +0000

Since Christmas is near, I have decided to sell cupcakes. A treat to yourself, gift to your love ones, or simply sharing it with your friends.

I will start with few flavors to choose from. I have not decided on how much will it cost. But I am pretty sure it will be around 20-30 pesos each. But if you buy half dozen, it will come in a transparent box, pleasing enough to be a gift for someone. Each half dozen comes assorted. I will start out with six flavors which includes;

Mocha Latte

Hawaiian

Black Forest

Cookies and CreamLemon Vanilla Custard Cups
Strawberry Shortcake

And will add more flavors soon. Hope you'll try...

Contact me for orders at 0928 3468999 (Davao Only)

EAT'S A FACT

noreply@blogger.com (Tara Na!) — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 15:30:00 +0000

Christmas is in the air. I can smell the scent of the.... Pines??? Eekkk! Well, nag-iilusyon lang po. But honestly, it's really nice to hear Christmas is near, despite of the world economic crisis we are having. The heck we care, it only happens once in a year, and wala ng ibang mas gaganda pa sa Pasko ng mga filipino.

`Tis really is the season to be jolly, and it is the season where everyone gets fat! Hahaha. Believe me, those who are into strict diet will say "bukas na lang ako magdidyeta" during noche buena. And I admit, I am one of those who sinfully ingurgitate myself in eating like there's no tomorrow, hmm... way back when my waistline was still 28. But during yuletide season, I don't endulge myself much on lechon, crispy pata, paella and other fatty-greasy-belly-buster dishes, but only to this little-tiny-winnie-devilish thing called Cupcakes.

When I started baking, the first thing I've ever learn is to bake cupcakes. Not only that I love to play with the flavors, but because, as you may know, deep inside I'm an artist, and I love playing with the designs of the frosting, even if it may end disastrous or admirable.

But where did this little-tiny-winnie-devilish thing came from? Here's a bit info I found in this website

Here's a cupcake primer: A "cup" cake in 19th Century America might have been a small cake, but it wasn't necessarily so. They were so called because the ingredients for them were measured in cups instead of weighed, as had been the custom. According to "Baking in America" by Greg Patent, this was revolutionary because of the tremendous time it saved in the kitchen.

Whether it was a "cup," "measure" or "number" cake, the shift to measuring from weighing was indeed a significant one, according to "The Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America." But it goes on to explain that the cup name had a double meaning because of the practice of baking in small containers -- including tea cups.

The cups were for convenience because hearth ovens took an extremely long time to bake a large cake -- and early cakes, by the way, were enormous -- and burning was common. Gem pans, early muffin tins, were common in households around the turn of the 20th Century and cupcakes were then baked in those.

(And if you're wondering, it was 1919 when Hostess introduced the famous snack cupcake, but it didn't become the cream-filled, squiggle-topped Hostess Cup Cake we know today until 1950.)

It's interesting to note that the cakes were likely called "number" cakes because of a mnemonic device for remembering the recipe: One cup of butter, two cups of sugar, three cups of flour and four eggs plus one cup of milk and one spoonful of soda.

The formula became known as the one-two-three-four cake, and today's cupcakes are mostly still made with similar traditional cake ingredients.

Wheeww. Well now we know a short history of Cupcakes. On my next post, I will teach you how to make one.

SABI NI LOLA

noreply@blogger.com (Tara Na!) — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 16:46:00 +0000

Upang maiwasang masunod ang karne ng baboy o baka, o ang balat ng manok pag iniihaw. Iwasang sige pahid ng pahid ng sauce dito. Ang toyo ang pinakaunang sangkap na nakakapag papaitim ng karne at nakakapagpasunog nito. Pahiran lamang ng sauce ang barbeque o ano mang inihaw pag malapit na itong maluto.

COKE KO `TO

noreply@blogger.com (Tara Na!) — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 16:01:00 +0000

Few years ago, when I was still in Bacolod for a very long vacation, I had the chance to open up a business which catered Negrenses a new kind of ready-to-cook meat products. Me, and a partner of mine, Paul, started something fresh, something unique but delicious. He knew back then that I love cooking, and he sometimes even asked me to drop in their house and cook something for him and his Mom. Paul asked me if I am willing to venture for a food business and I said yes. Each of us shared Php 2000 and both agreed that ako ang bahala sa menu, and siya, as a marketing student, bahala sa sales. We started with 10 varieties; Devil's Wings (which was already posted here); Bo Nung Xa (a Vietnamese barbecue); Souvlaki (a German style pork chop); Yakitori; General Tsao's Chicken (a Chinese teriyaki chicken); Teri Tips; Fish Fingers; Jamaican Jerked Chicken; Chili Sausage and of course my favorite, The Cola Chops.

Why my favorite? Aside from it's easy to make. Kasama din sa mga ingredients dito aking favorite drink. Coke. (I guess Coke should be paying me for this, hehehehe.) Cola chops is basically made out of Coke, brown sugar and pork chop. Easy right? And what's the best part of this is that it taste like Ham. Best when baked, charbroiled, pan grilled or fried. The more you sleep it in the marinade, the tastier it gets. My mouth's watering already. And you wanna know how this is made, well, here it is.

INGREDIENTS

1 kilo boneless pork chop
2 cups Coke
2 cups brown sugar

PROCEDURE

1. Place pork chop in a tin pan, or a plastic zip bag. Poor coke and brown sugar, mix well together and marinade for 24 hours. And as I've said, the longer it stays on the marinade, the tastier it gets.

2. If baked. Pre-heat oven at 150° Fahrenheit. Place pork chops in tray, keep marinade for sauce and bake it for 15 minutes till golden brown. If charbroiled or pan grilled. Grill pork 8 minutes per side, baste it with marinade if almost done. If fried. Pour a small amount of oil and fry chops 5-6 minutes per side.

3. To make some sauce. In a skillet, add 2 tbsp of vegetable oil, saute onion rings and add sauce. Simmer till thickens. Pour over chops and serve it on top of rice with some vegetable sidings.

We never thought that the business would be a big hit, or maybe, Paul was just so good in his field. Hehhehe. We gave food samplings in Robinson's Mall and also to Restaurants and Hospitals. After 3 weeks in business, we were already catering 3 restaurants, got a stall in Robinson and other food shops. But unfortunately it ended when Paul's mom died. But still, it was a great experience of me and Paul putting some smile and new variety of food on Negrenses table.

EAT'S A FACT

noreply@blogger.com (Tara Na!) — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 15:00:00 +0000

I am a soda addict.

Lagi na lang may Coke sa tabi ko. I even drink Coke, instead of coffee for breakfast. My friends even kid the waiters from a restaurant whenever I ordered Bottomless Coke. Sinasabi nila na dalhin na daw sa tabi ko ang despenser ng Coke para di na sila mahirapan. Well, lucky me! Wala sa lahi namin ang diabetic. And kung tutuusin, Hypoglycemic pa ako. Hehehehe. Abusive!!!!!!!!!!!

But don't you know that Coke is not only there to quench thirst, but also have lots of uses. But before we jump to that part, let me share to you where did Coke came from.

Some says Coke, Coca Cola, was originally color green. Rumors says that original brewers added cocaine to the batch and that's how they got the name Coca Cola. Meron din itong halong alcohol, but around 1897, the bottlers made new ingredients because maraming nagcocomplain about people getting headaches. Others would say that Coca cola was originated by a pharmacist as a drug to cure depression. Some would say there were no cocaine, nor alcohol included in it.

But the truth is, Coca cola's ingredients is the best kept secret in the world. Coca Cola was originally made from Coca-Leaves (cocaine plant) and Cola-nuts (which can be found in Africa). So sa simula, may halong talaga itong coke. Mr John Styth Pember, an Atlanta pharmacist, is the father of Coke. And true, Coke started out to be a medicine, and talagang may halong alcohol ito. But later when Coke was commercialized, the cocaine and alcohol were left out and the original recipe was replaced by the "7x"-formula. However, di talaga naging green ang Coke.

Now back to the topic. Do you know that there are many kinds of uses sa Coke? Heheheh. Rangers in United States often bring 2 1.5 liters of Coke sa kanilang sasakyan. They use it to clean blood stains sa kalsada. Some would even use it as a bathroom and tire cleaner. Weird...

For dancers, stepping your shoes on poured Coke will make your shoes stick on slippery floors. A magic indeed.

Coke is used as medicine of trots (diarrhea). A doctor from Papua New Guinea once said that the most effective treatment would be to get a 2 ltr bottle of Coke, take the top off and let it go flat, and up to room temperature, then drink 1 glass every couple of hours. I would agree to this, coz everytime my stomach doesn't feel well, I don't take medicine at all. All I do is to drink coke and walah!!! Wala na ang sakit ng tiyan ko.

Got gum on your hair? Just take the gum coated hair and dip in a small bowl that has some Coke in it. Let sit for just a few minutes and the gum will wipe right off. You can also make a nice separated curly hair by pouring a flat coke onto your hair and leave it for a few minutes before washing thoroughly. Hahahaha. It will work. Trust me. My sister does this all the time!

Actually, madaming madami pa. Like cleaning rusts and chromes, taking of that annoying hard shells from hard boiled eggs, etc. But I hope you like it. If you wanna share some facts, feel free to post your comment.

FUD TRIP

noreply@blogger.com (Tara Na!) — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 16:14:00 +0000

Juicing- JUICY!!!

SABI NI LOLA

noreply@blogger.com (Tara Na!) — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 16:03:00 +0000

Sa pagluluto ng pasta ng Lasagna. Bawasan ng 5 minutes ang cooking time nito. Di kailangang sunding ang instruction sa label ng pasta sapagkat dapat nating tandaan na ito ay ulit na lulutuin.

Pwede ring ibabad ang pasta sa isang kaldero ng maligamgam na tubig sa loob ng 30 minuto.

HAMPAS LUPA CAFE

noreply@blogger.com (Tara Na!) — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 15:32:00 +0000

One typical Saturday night, I and the tropa went out to sing our hearts content at a bar near venue compound. The drinking started around 10 pm and ended at 3 in the morning, not minding the so called LIQUOR BAN here in Davao. We were up for our last bottle, till finally all of us agreed to call it a night. We paid the bills, and decided to have a little walk for some fresh air, while others are vomiting near by alleys, kidding each other about "HUBOG NA KA BAI?" (are you drunk?).

Along Ponciano Street, near Rotunda, a store was still open late at morning, all the tables were filled up with bystanders and taxi drivers wanted to have a sip of coffee and that aromatic smell of the soup, i thought at first, was La Paz Batchoy. Much to my curiosity, and soreness of my stomach, I invited them to have a coffee and to grab the everlasting Extra Hot Pancit Canton (yum yum). Though the shop is not really the type of place my friends usually sip their coffee and nibble delights, they have no choice but to eat what the store has to offer.

I ordered Mami and Peanut Butter Bunwich. Kinda odd, but I find it interesting. The rest had their cup of coffee. The noodle soup comes cheap but to my surprise, the 12-peso noodle made my taste buds twist. It's really good. The soup tasted better than Chowkings. It soothes not only my stomachs, but my palate too. Then I told everyone that `twas good, and all hurriedly asked for a serving.

The soup consists of;

Batchoy (a thin, fresh egg noddles)
cooked ground pork
spring onions
fried garlic
boiled egg
pork cracklings
and pork stock

You can add a whole boiled or fresh egg for an additional fee. And Peanut Butter Bunwich is actually good too. I didn't say that because peanut butter is my favorite, but it's home made. And less sugary.

Since then, everytime we went out for a drink (a case of Redhorse actually), we do get to drop by to Goyong's Mami House or "Hampaslupa Cafe" (That's what a friend of mine called it when he visited the place). And if you're "eewwing" while reading this one thinking that you're that socialite enough not to set foot in this kind of place, think again. I have friends who happen to own a multi-million businesses and haciendas who enjoyed eating here.

Goyong's Mami House is located along Ponciano Street, Just in front of Rotunda and BDO.

BY REQUEST

noreply@blogger.com (Tara Na!) — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 14:45:00 +0000

A friend's sister asked me to teach him how to make the best lasagna without spending out of the budget. Ricotta, mozzarella and Parmesan is still the best for this recipe, but finding an alternative won't hurt. Instead, we used Cheddar, Quickmelt and Processed cheese and it turned out to be just the same. Here's something to share for you guys who love Lasagna without hurting your budget.

Ingredients:

1/2 kilo lean ground beef
1/2 medium white onion, diced.
1/2 large green bell pepper, seeds and veins removed, diced.
1/2 lb dry lasagna noodles (requires 9 lasagna noodles - unbroken)
1/4 cup sugar
1 28 oz can tomato sauce
1/2 28 oz can (16 oz) stewed tomatoes, or 1 kilo fresh red tomatoes
1/2 6 oz can (3 oz) tomato paste
1 large box Cheddar Cheese
1 large and 1 medium box Processed Cheese slices
1 box grated Quick Melt cheese
Garlic Powder
Oregano
Italian Spice
Salt
Garlic Salt
Parsley diced (fresh flat leaf preferred)
1 Garlic Cloves, minced
White Vinegar

Equipments:

Large skillet (for browning beef, onions, green pepper)
2 Large Pots
13" x 9" x 2" lasagna pan (preferably a stainless steel lasagna pan) Do Not Use Aluminum Pans - the aluminum will react with the acidic tomato sauce, leaching the aluminum and ruining the taste of your lasagna sauce.)
colander
ladle
Paring knife

Procedure:

1 Preheat oven at 375°F. Brown lean ground beef in skillet until lightly browned and cooked through. Remove browned beef from skillet draining off excess beef fat and set aside. After all the browned beef has been removed from the skillet, drain off and dispose of excess beef fat. Wipe skillet clean with paper towel. (If your ground beef is sufficiently lean, there won't be any excess fat to drain.)

Add diced green pepper and onion to skillet. Brown for a few minutes on medium high heat, add browned beef back to the skillet, lower the heat to low and continue to cook for 5 more minutes stirring frequently.

2 Transfer browned beef, green pepper and onions to large pot. Add tomato sauce, tomato paste. Open stewed tomatoes and dice, then add to to the pot. Add oregano, parsley, Italian Spice Mix to taste, probably 2 teaspoons of each. Add a pinch of garlic powder and a pinch of garlic salt, to taste. Add a dash of white vinegar. Add sugar a couple tablespoons at a time, until desired level of sweetness, no more than 1/4 cup of sugar. Note that it is hard to follow a pure recipe when it comes to pasta sauce. One Italian spice mix is not like the other, nor is one can of tomato sauce not like the other. So you really do need to taste the sauce as you are adding the spices, sugar and vinegar.

Stir and allow sauce to simmer 15-45 minutes to thicken (do not scorch bottom, stir frequently). Remove from heat.

3 Cook 1 lb lasagna noodles in a Pot per cooking directions (al dente). (Note noodles may be cooked in advance.) Stir often to prevent from sticking and be sure that water remains at a low boil during the entire cooking to prevent noodles from sticking. Drain in colander and place in cool water filled pan to keep from drying out and sticking together.

4 In dry lasagna pan, ladle one cup of sauce and spread along the bottom of the pan. Apply a layer noodles 3 length wise (edges overlapping). Ladle in sauce sparingly into center trough of 3 noodles. Apply a layers of processed cheese slices on top of lasagna sauce. Place Cheddar cheese dollops (about a Tablespoon) every 2 inches in center of noodles on top of processed cheese slices, sprinkle grated quickmelt cheese in thin even layer on top of Cheddar. Apply second layer of noodles, repeat three time topping with noodles. If you have extra sauce and cheese you can spread that over the top. Tent lasagna pan with aluminum foil (not touching noodles or sauce). Bake at 375°F for 45 minutes. Allow to cool before serving.

Note - Flavor improves for second service and may be reheated in convention or microwave. Leave aluminum tent on for storage (Do not allow aluminum to touch the sauce.)

Serves 8.

Note: If using fresh tomatoes. Washed tomatoes thoroughly and chopped. In a skillet, add butter, and saute 3 cloves of diced garlic and a medium sized white onion. Add tomatoes, 2 table spoon of sugar. Sprinkle with oregano, basil and 3 bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for about 5 minutes, or until juices are cut into half.

For creamy lasagna; in a saucepan, melt 1/4 cup butter or margarine in low heat, sift 1/4 cup all-purpose flour to the butter and mix it will, add 2 cups milk stirring continuously till achieved the desired consistency. Put off flame and add grated cream cheese, let it cool. Place cheese sauce on top of cheddar cheese before sprinkling quickmelt.

FUD TRIP

noreply@blogger.com (Tara Na!) — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 16:48:00 +0000

BATMAN meron?

SABI NI LOLA

noreply@blogger.com (Tara Na!) — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 16:39:00 +0000

Ang pagbi-bake ay parang architecture, kailangang sukating mabuti at sundin ang nakasulat sa recipe book. Iwasang haluin ng sobra upang hindi parang bato ang kalalabasan ng cake o ano mang pastries na inyong niluluto.

WALANG TSOKOLATE SA LANGIT

noreply@blogger.com (Tara Na!) — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 16:33:00 +0000

Few weeks back had been quite busy for me. Attended my own booth at NCCC's Food and Music Festival is rough at times. I didn't know if I could still handle the pressure of selling food and beers and then work at graveyard shift the same time. My high school friend, which happen to be my Kumare had pay a visit and enjoyed her share of Thai Chicken with Peanut Sauce, which I served nightly at my booth. Me and my Kumare have been talking about Brownies lately. She wanted to learn the secrets of making scrumptious, chewy but not that sweet Brownies. I admit, I have been addicted to KFC's brownies, and baking, not really my cup of tea. But when I decided to bake some for my Goddaughter's birthday, I am quite impressed that I can still be the King of kitchen. Hehehhehe. Just kidding.

You need:

1/2 cup white sugar
2 tbsps butter
2 tbsps water
1 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 whole eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp

Direction

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease an 8x8 inch square pan.

2. In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, butter and water. Cook over medium heat until boiling. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate chips until melted and smooth. Mix in the eggs and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; stir into the chocolate mixture. Spread evenly into the prepared pan.

3. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until brownies set up. Stick toothpick at the middle of the tray to test doneness. Do not over bake! Cool in pan and cut into squares.

You can substitute chocolate chips to cashew nuts or any ordinary nuts you can find. Serve warm with a scoop of ice cream of an ounce of whip cream.

I am sure my God daughter and my Kumare will love this.

KAY ESPESYAL MAN KA

noreply@blogger.com (Tara Na!) — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 16:23:00 +0000

I crave Palabok from time to time. My mouth waters whenever I see this delicacy. Believe me or not, I can consume the whole large sized bilao all by myself, and still have room for more helpings. Hahaha!. Just kidding. I don't know what's with this noodle dish that makes me want for more. I drool over, asking merciless just to have at least a plate of it weekly. Yes, weekly. And I just happen to know where to find the best Palabok in town!

---
Move over Red Ribbon, Jollibee and Goldilocks! Dang's Palabok is here. It's not really the name of the Palabok, nor the name of the carenderia who's selling it. I just tagged it "DANG" for they usually call their costumers that way. ( I guess that means "`langga" in Ilocano).

I was visiting Jade, a friend of mine, who happened to live near Acacia. It was near 3 o'clock in the afternoon when he invited me to have merienda and talk about things and stuffs both he and I have missed. When we reached "Dang's" Carenderia, I was really amazed at how people waited for minutes just have to have their bite on "Dang's" specialty. Standing in groups, mostly from Central Bank, BDO, and even crew from Gaisano Mall and some office employees from Bajada paid a visit, simply just to have a bite on what "Dang's" Carenderia has to offer.

Gladly, after 20 minutes of waiting, we finally had a table to sat in. Jade instantly ordered Palabok and a litre of soda. I was looking around, and everyone seemed to be happy and satisfied while munching varieties of dishes "dang" catered. After a few blah's and duh's, the much awaited noodle arrived. At first glance, it has nothing unusual or new to it. The same old Palabok starred in front of me. At first I was hesitant to use their fork, but Jade assured that the food and utensils are clean. Trusting my friend, I spoon a few and ate it, slowly gnawing the noodles, individually savoring the taste. I never noticed Jade was staring at me, he knew how criticizer I am when it comes to food. And after that taste test, helpings are pouring in, till Jade told me to stop. Hahaha.

It is truly a delightful experience. The last time I have tasted the kind of Palabok, was when my great granny visited Davao. I have visited "Dang's" Carenderia eversince. I even invited some of my friends to have a taste of this one truly amazing dish.

Located at Acacia extension, across Venue compound, just right beside Nograles Park. You can have their Palabok for only 20 pesos, as early as 2 o'clock in the afternoon. Better to be early than going there around 3. Usually, Palabok stocks last after 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

Kadayawan Festival '08

noreply@blogger.com (Tara Na!) — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 07:32:00 +0000

10 days of music. 10 days of fun. 10 days of food served with smile.

Few years back, me and a friend of mine opened a kiosk at PTA, and the food stall turned out to be successful.

Madaming magagandang bagay ang nangyari. Met new friends and prospected clients too. When Kadayawan 2008 arrived, I decided to put up a kiosk at NCCC Mall, Davao.

Masaya naman ang kinalalabasan. Old and new friends poured in. Regular costumers baga. Maganda din naman ang naging feed back about sa food. Pe ro yun nga lang medyo mahirap iprepare kasi walang masyadong tables sa likod ng kiosk.Magulo din minsan lalo na pag madaming tao. It's tiring yes, but fun at the same time. Especially when you hear people complementing about the food they ate.
I even had the chance to jam with the bands, heheheh. Nagulat nga kapatid ko, he never thought I could sing. Parang di ata nagulat, kundi nahiya sa kanyang mga barkada, kasi kapalan na ng mukha. hehehe.
And I would like to thank all who had become a part of it. It was really a success. Hope to see you next time for more food, music, and fun. Hehehhe.

Next time ulit!!!