My Food Notebook

Broas by Betsy's Cake Center

2012-01-09T07:00:00.002+08:00

Broas

The first time I saw this on the store shelf at Betsy's Cake Center, I just knew that I am going to fall in love with it. It looks so pretty, so delicate with its light lemon yellow color and its feather light dusting of powdered sugar. It does not look like any of the broas I grew up with, nor, after having a bite of it, do they taste like any of them.

Most broas I've tasted has the texture of a biscuit, dry, light, airy, a bit crispy. There is one that isn't which was nice and soft, but I could not remember which bakeshop sells them, and if they even sell those still. Betsy's broas is even softer. It is like a cross between a chiffon cake and a biscuit. It is pillow soft and is actually two pieces of broas stuck together by a thin layer of yummy buttercream.

A box of these broas containing a dozen is a definite steal at Php240. However, I think you can only get them in Malabon.

Betsy's Cake Center

Address: 10 J.P. Rizal Street, Tanong, Malabon City

Telephone: (02)281-1131

Pili Squares by Emma Lacson's Delicacies

2012-01-08T08:00:00.003+08:00

Pili Squares

My mother got this box of pastry last December. It was maroon with bronze letterings on it. We were having quite a bit of sweets overload right around Christmas time, and after a while I would simply glaze over the newest box of pastry on the kitchen table and would not even bother to open it.

This one says "pili squares" on it. Me, I am not a big fan of pili nuts. (I was exposed to this particular nut very early, having a lot of family friends from the Bicol region who would bring them as pasalubong.) I find it overly greasy and no matter how fresh it may be, I think it has a rancid taste to it. I do not think I would even have tasted Emma Lacson's Delicacies' Pili Squares had my sister not remarked one afternoon that they were really good. So, after maybe two days since I saw it on the table, I tasted my first Pili Square. It was a eureka moment. I remember thinking to myself as I chewed on this molasses-colored pastry that my sister was right, it was indeed seriously good.

It has a paper-thin crust, which I think is a fabulous thing. It gives the pastry that sophisticated crackle with every bite. The rest of the pili square is super chewy (you really have to get your teeth into it) and surprisingly moist. And it is not too sweet. It is so easy to take bite after bite of it without noticing you've already consumed half of the box in under an hour.

What of my distate of pili nuts? If I didn't know it was pili in there, I would have thought they were pecans. Kudos to Ms. Emma Lacson for casting the pili nut in a completely new light for me.

Pili Squares Emma Lacson's Delicacies (Silay's Famous Family Recipes )

Address: 120 Rizal St., Silay City, Negros Occidental

Telephone: (034)495-5047

What to do with that Leftover Roast Beef

2012-01-07T16:17:00.002+08:00

Cheese Steaks

Hello 2012.

I had a lot on my plate during the holidays. You cannot imagine. (I suppose you can, judging from the utter lack of post in My Food Notebook for December and the lot of November of 2011.) I am slowly getting my bearings back though and, fingers crossed, I will be able to unload this tremendous backlog of delicious photos from my hard drive post by post.

What have I been doing?

Let's just say I'd been neck deep in food. Just like my hard drive, my fridge is just as bursting in leftovers and I cannot, for the life of me, figure out what to do with them. Well, I can think of a few things. Like what I did to the roast beef. Forget no-brainer roastbeef sandwiches, let's make us some cheesesteaks!

I found this recipe online and simply substituted slices of my leftover rib eye roast beef (see my recipe for roast beef here) for the uncooked rib eye called for. It turned out so good nobody would believe how outrageously easy it was to make.

Philly Cheese Steak

Ingredients:

32 oz. thin sliced rib eye or eye roll steak
6 T soya bean oil
Cheese (we recommend Cheez Whiz®), but American or Provolone works fine
4 crusty Italian rolls
1 large Spanish onion

Optional: sweet green and red peppers sauteed in oil
Optional: mushrooms sauteed in oil

Preparation:

Heat an iron skillet or a non-stick pan over medium heat. Add 3 tablespoons of oil to the pan and saute the onions to desired doneness. Remove the onions, then add the remaining oil and saute the slices of meat quickly on both sides.

While the meat is cooking, melt the Cheez Whiz® in a double boiler or in the microwave. Once the meat is done, place 8 oz. of the meat into the rolls. Add onions, and pour the Cheez Whiz® over top. Garnish with hot or fried sweet peppers, mushrooms and ketchup.

Source: http://philadelphia.about.com/od/regionalfoods/r/pats_steak_recipe.htm

Countdown to Soderno

2011-11-05T12:34:00.003+08:00

If you're a big fan of Mercato Centrale and Midnight Mercato and you are always on the hunt for something new, they be good deals or unique cuisine, then you're going to love this. The brains behind Mercato are bringing this wildly popular market experience to the south via Soderno @ Molito. So bring your recyclable bags and head on over to Soderno located at Commerce Avenue corner Madrigal Avenue Alabang, Muntinlupa beginning November 18, 2011. Just in time for the Holidays. Yay!

We are going to have loads of fun.

Choose your poison. Soderno is a lifestyle market every Saturday from 7AM to 4PM, an organic market every Sunday from 7AM to 4PM, and a night market every Friday and Saturday from 6PM to 3AM.

For more information about Soderno @ Molito, please visit: http://www.ourawesomeplanet.com/awesome/2011/09/soderno-at-molito.html.

Like Soderno on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/soderno.

Sugar Wonderland at Enderun

2011-10-31T16:59:00.005+08:00

Louis XV
Decadent Valrhona melt'n'crisp chocolate bar
Signature dish from the 3-Michelin-star restaurant Louis XV by Alain Ducasse in Monaco

"The world of pastry is a world of chocolate, cakes, cookies, ice creams, and confections. A pastry chef does more than just bake, he creates masterpieces because pastries and desserts must be more than just delicious, they must be artistic, creative, and pleasing to the eye. A dessert does not just end a meal, it is a person’s last memory of a meal, and so it must be something that inspires happy thoughts.

A pastry chef is an artist who combines vivid colors and textures, an architect who balances a swirl of crystallized sugar atop a shiny mirror of mango gelée, a scientist who grasps the chemical properties that turn flour, water, butter, and yeast into a flaky croissant, a long distance athlete who can withstand hours of meticulous, delicate work, and perhaps even a psychologist who understands just why we need to have buttery, chocolatey, sugary treats in our lives."

--The Art of Pastry Press Release

I cannot think of a more apt post than one about loads and loads of sweets to celebrate Halloween...

Pastry Chef Franck Geuffroy

A couple of weeks ago I was back in Enderun Colleges to attend a pastry demo entitled, L'Art de la Patisserie (The Art of Pastry). The live pastry demonstration was executed by top Pastry Chef Franck Geuffroy, who regaled the audience with his mesmerizing skills in creating spellbinding pastries.

Lunch was held at the famed Restaurant 101. At the helm of Restaurant 101 is Iron Chef America victor, Chef Nicolas Cantrel.

Paris-Brest

Citrus Entremet

Enderun Entremet

Citrus Marshmallow

Saint Honore

Intense Raspberry Chocolate Brownie

For dessert of course is a wonderland of pastries prepared by Enderun's experienced pastry chefs. The exquisite Louis XV is pretty hard to beat as a crowd favorite, but the citrus marshmallow is a very close second. Unbelieavably fluffy, the freshly made citrus marshmallow is unlike any marshmallow available in the market.

Eye candy courtesy of ADF + Enderun and My Food Noteboook for all you trick or treaters.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Enderun offers a Three-month Pastry Arts Certificate class which aims to provide the student "the sufficient foundation to start a career in pastry, baking and confectionery." A full time course is also being offered, the ADF+Enderun fifteen-month program, which "covers the basics of Culinary Arts in fifteen months, including the opportunity for an internship in France."

Applications for both programs are currently open for November 2011 intake.

For more information, contact:

Lou Molina

External Relations Manager

Mobile: +63917 8038617

Email: lou.molina@enderuncolleges.com

Mark Tan

External Relations Associate

Mobile: +63917 5933398

Email: mark.tan@enderuncolleges.com

Enderun Colleges is located at:

1100 Campus Avenue,

McKinley Hill, Fort Bonifacio

Taguig City 1634 Philippines

Telephone: +632 8565000

Fax: +632 8564656

Visit their website at:

www.enderuncolleges.com

Awesomeness is a dish served hot at H Cuisine

2011-10-21T00:44:00.012+08:00

Chef Hannah Herrera

I do not have one favorite food, I think. There are quite a number of kinds of food that I would not mind eating every single day of my life. And if I am asked to list down 10 of them, depending on when I am asked the question, the items on that list may vary. It will however, always have roast beef in there somewhere. So give me a restaurant that offers roast beef on their menu, and I will happily trudge on over there just to satisfy a perpetual craving. Yes, even if that restaurant were on the other side of the map from where I am (in Cavite). Say, H Cuisine (in Quezon City).

Most Awesome Angus Beef Belly
Slow roasted fork tender Angus beef belly with demiglace gravy
Single with Rice- Php288; Sharing (serves 2 to 3) without rice Php428

Chicken Relleno with Gravy

The promise of roast beef drove me to go the extra mile, in awful payday weekend traffic and rather stormy weather no less, to bear witness to the official launch of H Cuisine a couple of weeks ago. The event was marked by a cooking demo by Chef Hannah Herrera (the charmer of a chef behind H Cuisine) and a buffet dinner that allowed the attendees to taste some of the items on H Cuisine's menu (among them of course, H Cuisine's Most Awesome Angus Beef Belly) and even some that are not (yet?), like Chicken Relleno, Salad with Berry Dressing, Canonigo with Pistachio Creme Anglaise, and Nutella Chocolate Cake.

The cooking demo showcased the versatility of H Cuisine's Most Awesome Angus Beef Belly, which I happily learned, I can take home and keep in the fridge for a rainy day. Chef Hannah demonstrated how easy it is to heat up ample servings of the Angus beef belly to be enjoyed in the comfort of your own home. She also showed us how- and this is my favorite part- easy it is to shred the oh-so-tender beef and use them in every way you can possibly imagine, starting with roast beef fried rice and Angus Beef Flakes panini sandwiches.

Fish Trafalgar on Linguine
Truffled cream sauce, fish fillet
Php228

O and the Fish Trafalgar! I can still remember how the lovely flavors of this dish lingered in my mouth when I tasted it and how it made me close my eyes in delight for a fleeting moment as I did. I love cream, I think it is one of the most wonderful edible thing ever created, and this wonderful-ness exponentially increases for me when it is truffled.

Clams with Roasted Vegetables in Garlic Infused EVOO Linguine

A lighter option in the buffet, although no less delicious than the rest, was the Clams with Roasted Vegetables in Garlic Infused EVOO Linguine (the version found in the menu, has basil instead of roasted vegetables, and is priced at Php218). Since I happen to like clams, I piled a lot of this onto my plate (Although, on hindsight, the amount I ate of that pasta did kind of defeat the purpose of it being the lighter option).

Lime Cooler
Lime juice, mint leaves
Php98
(Add a shot of tequila +Php55)

Another item on the menu that left a mark on me was a beverage- the Lime Cooler. If ever there were any threat of experiencing cloy from all that food I ate, the piquant citrus taste of the Lime Cooler took care of that with guns blazing. If only I weren't driving that night, I would have had that drink with a shot of tequila. Oh yeah.

Lately, I've been dreaming about the Angus Beef Belly. (I still do. I am not kidding.) And so rabid I am about this that I promised myself I would go back to H Cuisine this Sunday. I don't know what happened these past few days but I started recalling how tender that Angus Beef Belly was and how it melted in my mouth so quickly I hardly ever noticed it was there. (I think that's why I ate more of it than I should have in one sitting.) I suppose that's just how cravings are. It hits you all of a sudden and it doesn't go away until it's satisfied.

I vaguely remember some people saying that the "H" in H Cuisine stands for "happy". Well, whoever those people are, I think they're right.

I am so looking forward to Sunday.

H Cuisine is located at #64 Scout Rallos St. cor. Tomas Morato, Quezon City.

Visit its Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/H-Cuisine/241957799743.

Parisienne for a day at l'Entrecote Manila

2011-10-17T12:11:00.021+08:00

L'Entrecote Steak
choice of L'Entrecote Menu (Php880) or Menu "Geneva" (Php1,190)

L'Entrecote means "love" in my book. For the French, it means "sirloin steak" or "rib steak." Yes it does. I suppose at this point, you will wonder why a girl like me would find steak romantic. It definitely is not something most ladies would order on a first date. The gentleman probably would, but not the lady. The lady orders a salad and a glass of water. Maybe a bit of wine if the date goes really well, but nothing more. We don't want to risk grease and gravy finding their way to that expensive dress, now do we? Or worse, that unflattering extra pound to that waist whittled down to its narrowest especially for that night.

House Salad with Walnuts
Php230

But I am not most ladies. I'm the kind of girl that appreciates a lavish piece of grilled meat- faultless in its done-ness, draped in a mysterious opulent herb butter sauce, and made nonetheless oddly approachable almost pedestrian by a siding of slender cut Pomme Frites- and l'Entrecote is my Nirvana.

Pink Martini's "Je Ne Veux Pas Travailler" started playing in my head the minute I stepped into Chef Martin Kaspar's charming restaurant. Come to think of it, maybe it started playing even before that. I have never set foot outside the territorial jurisdiction of this country, but the facade of l'Entrecote looks exactly how I imagined a Paris cafe would look like. The restaurant embraces one corner of the Forbes Town Center Building with crimson awnings offering refuge to diners who choose to enjoy their meal al fresco. Inside, cheerfully colored paintings depicting typical French settings and scenes adorn the walls. And while the food at l'Entrecote may carry the hallmarks of fine dining, the comfortable chairs and laid back yet artful interior of the restaurant stages a welcome that only a good casual dining restaurant could.

Geneva Fondue Cheese Bites (6 pcs.)
Php240

For the appetizer course, Chef Martin started us on Geneva Fondue Cheese Bites followed by 2 varieties of the Pissaladiere- one with Onions, Anchovy and Black Olive, the other with Tomato Confit and Camembert, and, finally, Foie Gras with Apricot Sauce and Melba Toast. The Geneva Fondue Cheese Bites are wickedly delicious. I thought it would be hard and dry like a crouton, but the melange of cheese, bread, and gentle hints of wine practically melted in my mouth following the shattering of the gossamer layer of crust when I bit into one.

Pissaladiere with Onions, Anchovy, and Black Olive
Php195

Pissaladiere with Tomato Confit and Camembert
Php225

The Pissaladiere I believe is the French's take on the pizza. Rather than your usual yeast and flour pizza crust, the Pissaladiere uses puff pastry for its crust. It's a welcome change to the all too common pizza that I am used to. The Pissaladiere is much lighter on the tummy and the puff pastry crust gives the whole package a more refined flavor. Between the two, the Pissaladiere with tomato confit and camembert is my favorite.

Foie Gras with Apricot Sauce and Melba Toast
Php480

The Foie Gras was lovely. It glided smoothly on the crusty surface of my melba toast. With one swipe, I got a tiny bit of apricot jam and fresh cracked pepper on the tip of my bread knife and gingerly (with quite a bit of skepticism I admit) dabbed it on the Foie Gras. (One thing I learned about eating out, sometimes, sometimes, you just have to trust the chef.) The combination of the Foie Gras which possesses a gentle undercurrent of bitterness and the sweet and spicy duet of apricot jam with black pepper was eye-openingly delightful.

Fine, flat noodles in spinach-herb cream sauce
with Lobster Tail
Php635

From the grill, we had Grilled Lobster Tails and Lapu Lapu Fillet. You can order these beautifully seared seafood selections together with a choice of siding and sauce. In our case, we had them with fine, flat noodles in spinach-herb cream sauce (for the lobster) and in tomato-chili-lime sauce (for the Lapu Lapu). The lobster, as expected, was decandent. It was tender- which meant it was cooked perfectly because otherwise you end up with a tough rubbery piece of seafood- and seasoned lightly enough to allow the flavor of the lobster shine through.

Fine, flat noodles in tomato-chili-lime sauce
with grilled Lapu Lapu
Php390

The same with the Lapu Lapu, which was a thick cut of fillet. No pungent herbs or spices that could possibly mask the flavor of the Lapu Lapu, all you taste and appreciate is the freshness of the fish. Like the lobster, the Lapu Lapu fillet is seared just enough to cook the fish through. Any longer than that and you have a dry grainy piece of fish, which is unfortunately not an uncommon transgression. The Lapu Lapu at l'Entrecote, quite impressively, was succulent and played out almost like butter in the mouth.

All that amazing food, may seem to be a tough act to follow. Not when the main event though is US choice Entrecote steak. At l'Entrecote, this steak is offered in two sets. The l'Entrecote Menu, includes together with the steak, a salad and unlimited fries. The Menu "Geneva" on the other hand, has in addition to the salad and fries, a dessert and a glass of house wine.

Now I am not one who likes a lot of stuff on my steak. Especially when it's USDA prime grade steak, I prefer only a salt and pepper rub, and hardly make any exceptions. I've made a rare exception though for l'Entrecote's herb butter sauce. I do not know what is in it (and Chef Martin makes sure of that) but, oh my, it is butter goodness magnified a hundredfold. It was a good thing that I had a glass of wine to back up my iced tea because I don't think the latter could stand up to the butter-laced steak. But the accompanying wine, personally chosen by Chef Martin, was a good complement to the richness of the meal. (The choice of wine for me makes another case for what I said earlier about trusting the chef.)

Crepes Suzette with Vanilla Ice Cream
Php180

L'entrecote's Rasberry and Walnut Iced Vacherin Cake
Php180

The desserts are a different love story all together. We had Crepes Suzette, Raspberry and Walnut Iced Vacherin Cake and, the-- wait for it-- l'Entrecote Tower.

l'Entrecote Tower

The l'Entrecote Tower is a show-stopper. I sat with bated breath as our French-maid outfit clad waitress set this stunning dessert on our table. It looked like an amazing work of art. And it tasted like it was created by a true artist, too. There was chocolate sauce, meringue, ice cream, whipped cream, and a spattering of shaved almonds for good measure, and everything worked together to purposefully make me... happy. I could not imagine anything better than this to cap that epicurean lunch. It's love and happiness served l'Entrecote style, thanks to Chef Martin.

House Iced Tea

(I will take that siesta now, thank you.)

Walking out of l'Entrecote after lunch, Chef Martin notices the Eiffel Tower charm attached to the nape of my blouse. He asks me if I've been to Paris, gesturing to the charm. I almost forgot about that. (Actually, I've never even thought about it when I put that shirt on. It's an amusing case of serendipity, now that I think about it.) "No," I tell Chef Martin. "I've never been to Paris. I hope to go there someday though." Until then, I'll have my slice of Paris at l'Entrecote.

L'Entrecote is located at Forbes Town Center, Unit A Bellagio 2, Burgos Circle, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City, Metro Manila.

Contact Information

Website: www.lentrecotemanila.com

Email: info@lentrcotemanila.com

Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/people/Lentrecote-Manila/100001361481659
Telephone: (02)856-4858

Once Upon a (Lunch) Time at Hyphy's

2011-10-04T01:53:00.005+08:00

Clam Chowder
Php170

I first learned about Chef Bruce Lim when I saw an episode of Tablescapes... Life on a Plate. I was impressed by his infectious love for Filipino food and more importantly the wit by which he delivers it to his audience. And so, given the opportunity to meet him and have lunch with him at his restaurant, Hyphy's I was beside my self in glee.

The first thing that I noticed as I walked through Hyphy's glass doors was the cheery and laid back interior of the restaurant. Maybe it's the chairs reminiscent of elementary school (they mirror the ones at Chef's Table, also by Chef Bruce), the houndstooth-like pattern on the floor, the "skateboards" that flanked one wall, the riveted red iron pillars channeling the Golden Gate Bridge, or the wooden planks that served as the ceiling. Or maybe it's all of these elements combined. The point is, it's a place that if personified would call out, "Hey man, come on in!"

Burger My Way
Ground beef and pork stuffed with cheese and grilled to perfection,
topped with atchara and a fried egg. Served with potatas.
Php290

Hyphy's happened when Chef Bruce wanted to bring the kind of food he grew up with in San Francisco to the Philippines. We are not talking about food that is completely foreign here but something which has both elements of San Francisco cuisine and Filipino heirloom recipes, owing to his Filipino heritage.

Clam Pasta
Fresh clams sauteed in Lambanog butter and tossed with pasta
Php270

If there is one food that could represent San Francisco cuisine, what would it be? "Clam chowder." Chef Bruce answers with a huge grin. The Pier 39-inspired Clam Chowder in Hyphy's is indeed good, comforting in its creaminess and happily bursting in clams. And the sourdough bread that it is served in is delightful. I clawed through it with my soup spoon like termites to old paperback novels after I finished the chowder. As if the Clam Chowder wasn't enough to satiate my mood for clams that day, I also had Clam Pasta. It was a toss up between that and the Dolores Park Burrito. But the lambanog butter in the Clam Pasta called me by name. Who the heck says no to lambanog butter?

Spam Masubi
Php300

A best seller on the menu that has a tongue-in-cheek kind of air to it is the Spam Masubi, "slices of Spam topped with rice and egg wrapped in seaweed and served with a sweet soy sauce." The story behind the Spam Masubi? Chef Bruce loves fishing. Spam Masubi became his favorite fishing food because it's a delicious and satisfying meal that can be eaten with one hand while holding a fishing rod steady on the other. Fits conveniently in the pocket, too, Chef Bruce muses.

Kalderetang Pasta
Php250

Another Hyphy's best seller that has quaint beginnings is the Calamansi Tuyo pasta. The idea started from Chef Bruce's young nephew when he asked- why don't you put tuyo in spaghetti? It turns out, uncle Bruce could. The dish is such a hit, you find it not only on Hyphy's menu but also on Chef's Table's. Following this why-don't-you tradition in dreaming up pasta recipes, is the Kalderetang Pasta which is a "savory peppery tomato sauce tossed in pasta and topped with braised beef."

Hyphy's House Iced Tea
Php80

Chef Bruce's views on why Philippine cuisine has not made as big a splash in the world market as our Asian neighbors are insightful. He believes, for instance, that it would be a big help if the government makes an effort to select a version to serve as a standard for each Filipino dish and thereafter promotes this version to the world (as part of the government's program to boost Philippine tourism, perhaps). Admittedly, there are as many different versions of every Philippine dish as we have regions, provinces even (Case in point, the Adobo). This makes it difficult for Philippine cuisine to establish an identity that is recognizable to non-Filipinos.

This standardization of Philippine cuisine should by no means alienate regional versions, Chef Bruce adds. Instead, it should serve mainly to introduce Philippine cuisine to the world and, if all goes well, make Philippine cuisine popular enough for the world to want to try the country's other versions. Come to think of it, most if not all of the more popular Asian cuisines (e.g. Thai, Chinese, Japanese) are conglomerates of regional versions, just like ours.

SF Crab Louie
Mixed greens topped with crabmeat and served with Louie dressing
Php250

To the remark that most Philippine dishes are not quite pleasing to the eyes, Chef Bruce says plating and presentation is key. The Philippines is blessed with a diverse selection of beautiful native ingredients. The challenge is to showcase the wonderful qualities of these ingredients and not cook the color and texture out of them. And that is what Chef Bruce tirelessly endeavors to do- as I have witnessed in both Hyphy's and Chef's Table- to present Philippine cuisine in a light that would appeal to any diner without losing the classic elements that make a particular Filipino dish recognizable to the Filipino palate.

Hyphy's is located at The Veranda, Robinsons Galleria, Ortigas Center.

Visit the Hyphy's Facebook page at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Hyphys/159086957473495

Discoveries at Enderun

2011-09-28T00:45:00.011+08:00

I know my way around the kitchen. I enjoy cooking, an inch more than I enjoy eating even. I've learned a thing or two from television cooking shows, from the internet, from printed materials, and even from watching each member of my family cook their respective food specialties. Apart from these, I have no formal training whatsoever. I would love to believe that I know all the basics of cooking. But next to a chef, I think I barely scratched the surface with what I know to "get by" in the kitchen.

There are times, especially when I hit a snag during one of my little cooking projects, that I wish I had some formal training. Then, I imagine, I would know how to work around the snags, better yet, avoid them completely. How cool would it be if I had enrolled myself into a cooking school? You know, wear the outfit, the toque, have my own set of knives, and of course, learn a thing or two about cooking.

That's why I jumped at the chance to join an exclusive bloggers' event entitled, Discover Cuisine, hosted by one of the best Culinary Arts schools in Manila, Enderun Colleges (Enderun). Enough imagining, it was a chance to find out first hand what it would be like to be in a culinary arts school. The event involved a cooking demo by ADF+Enderun executive chef Marc Chalopin and a guided tour of Enderun's culinary arts building.

ADF+Enderun is an academic partnership entered into by Enderun with the Alain Ducasse Formation, established by "one of the most celebrated of modern French Chefs," Alain Ducasse. Alain Ducasse "is one of the rare chefs in the prestigious Michelin Guide's history to run restaurants carrying three-star ratings in three cities: Le Louis XV in Monte Carlo, Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athenee in Paris, and Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester in London."

While we waited for the cooking demo to start, we were offered some coffee and what is probably the best croissants I have ever had. It was delightfully flaky on the outside but delicately moist on the inside. I loved pulling it apart with my fingers, careful to confine the crumbs into the plate below as they fell, before delivering a mouthful portion of it through my lips. It was pure croissant love, I tell you. I would eat half a dozen of it right off the bat, had it not dawned on me how much butter-calories I would be ingesting by doing so and how I would pay for it on treadmill-hours. The croissants were baked right there at that very building, by the way. I just had to ask. (If Enderun can teach me how to make these divine croissants, imagine what else I could learn there!)

Shrimp Tartar Burgers

Chocolat Liegeois

During the cooking demo, Chef Marc Chalopin showed the crowd how to make Shrimp Tartar Burgers and Chocolat Liegeois. Everything was made from scratch, of course, from the chocolate ice cream and nougatine right down to the sundried tomatoes and mayonnaise.

The entire process is pretty daunting especially when you think about recreating it at home, but during the demo, with all the fancy equipment at hand (e.g. ice cream maker, blast freezer), everything looks like a walk in the park.

The demo was held at the building's elegantly interiored culinary ampitheater. Equipped with a fully functional kitchen, overhead mirrors, cameras, TV screens, and comfortable chairs, Enderun's culinary ampitheater can give any local cooking show a run for its money.

The tour of the culinary arts building was a spectacle in itself. The impressive facilities- hot kitchen laboratories, a pastry kitchen laboratory, and a preparation kitchen- made my jaw drop at every turn. I am such a sucker for professional kitchens and equipment.

Restaurant 101

The building also houses a spacious library on the second floor and on the first floor, a restaurant, a bar, and a function area for events.

As I walked out through the elegant white doors of the Enderun culinary arts building after the event, I thought to myself-- when I do enroll in a culinary arts school, this would be a great place to do so.

Enderun offers a Three-month Pastry Arts Certificate class which aims to provide the student "the sufficient foundation to start a career in pastry, baking and confectionery." A full time course is also being offered, the ADF+Enderun fifteen-month program, which "covers the basics of Culinary Arts in fifteen months, including the opportunity for an internship in France."

Applications for both programs are currently open for November 2011 intake.

For more information, contact:

Lou Molina

External Relations Manager

Mobile: +63917 8038617

Email: lou.molina@enderuncolleges.com

Mark Tan

External Relations Associate

Mobile: +63917 5933398

Email: mark.tan@enderuncolleges.com

Enderun Colleges is located at:

1100 Campus Avenue,

McKinley Hill, Fort Bonifacio

Taguig City 1634 Philippines

Telephone: +632 8565000

Fax: +632 8564656

Visit their website at:

www.enderuncolleges.com

Have your Ramen and eat your Gyoza, too, at Raku

2011-09-17T12:12:00.007+08:00

Chicken Gyoza Kyo
Php185

I've been invited for lunch at Raku Hokkaido Ramen House a couple of days ago and immediately a day later, I developed a serious hankering for gyoza, those wonderful little Japanese meat and vegetable dumplings you see in every appetizer section of a Japanese restaurant menu.

Salmon Gyoza Kyo

Vegetarian Gyoza Kyo
Php175

Pork Gyoza Kyo
Php165

Scratch that. I do not want just any gyoza from just any Japanese restaurant. I want gyoza from Raku.

Salmon Gyoza, Shrimp Gyoza, and Scallop Gyoza

Vegetarian Gyoza
Php155

What sets Raku apart from most of the Japanese restaurants I've been to as far as gyoza goes is that they offer different varieties of it. I love that Raku puts a lot of thought into the gyoza, enough to dream up and offer to the dining public chicken, vegetarian, shrimp, scallop, and salmon gyoza over and above the usual but nevertheless beloved pork gyoza.

If those choices aren't enough or if you're just plain feeling adventurous, you can get a "kyo" version of any of them. In which case, you get all sorts of delightful toppings on your gyoza like fish roe, nori, katsu sauce, and Japanese mayonnaise, rendering your customary salty and tangy gyoza dip all but a redundancy.

Shoyu Ramen

Also on the menu is a wide selection of ramen, Raku being first and foremost a ramen house, more particularly of the Hokkaido variety. I found it interesting to learn that, as with our adobo where every province has its own version of, the different prefectures of Japan have their own signature take on the ramen. Hokkaido, Japan's "winter playground", is famed to be the "home to the world's best ramen."

Gyuniku Ramen
Php235

Tonkotsu Ramen
Php225

Miso Ramen
Php225

The secret behind the Hokkaido version is the warm, delicately balanced miso broth which became "a source of comfort against the island's harsh weather. Carefully prepared over many hours, the flavorful soup is a blend of freshly ground miso, chicken and pork hocks." With this interesting bit of information and vivid images of the late Brittany Murphy in scenes from the movie, The Ramen Girl, I expected only the best ramen from Raku, one of whose owners has apprenticed with a Hokkaido ramen master.

The ramen at Raku comes in large bowls and heaped with all these beautiful and delicious ingredients, most of which, are imported from Japan to give the diner a taste of authentic Hokkaido ramen. The servings are enough for two, I would think, or for one with a really big appetite.

Ebi Tempura
Php195 for 3 pieces, Php290 for 5 pieces

Next on my plate was the iconic, Ebi Tempura. Quite a number of restaurants, Japanese or not, often try to pass off what tastes more like camaron rebosado rather than a proper Ebi Tempura. Raku's ebi tempura I am happy to report passes the "camaron rebosado test." It's crackling to the bite even after sitting on the table for a while. And the shrimps are quite large under all that perfectly fried layer of tempura batter.

Shitake Miso Udon Shitake Mushrooms in Miso Sauce
Php235

Ebi Remon Udon Fresh Shrimp in Lemon Bonito Oil
Php235

Until October 31 of this year, Raku is offering several special items on its menu for its Udon Festival. Among the udon dishes on offer is the Ebi Remon Udon. It's got a vibrant yet simple taste I liked and it made me feel like all the flavors in it from the Lemon Bonito Oil to the fresh shrimps conspired to make the udon the star of the dish.

Apple Nectar (Php145) ; Strawberry Cheesecake Mirukuseki (Php185)

After lunch, I had a tall glass of cold apple nectar. I am not a big fan of apple juice so I was a bit skeptical about giving this drink a try. But I'm glad the "curious cat" side of me took over to choose it. It was nothing I had expected, definitely refreshing and actually quite addicting. If I hadn't known it was apple, I would think it was green mango juice at first sip. The flavor is hard to explain. I guess it's one of those things you've got to try to understand. The Strawberry Cheesecake Mirukuseki (think strawberry cheesecake milkshake) is the one to choose if you are looking for a more belly-filling dessert-type drink.

Hiyashi Kani Ramen Salad
Cold Kani and Corn Salad
Php180

Hiyashi Chashu Ramen Salad
Cold Chashu Kani Salad in Soy Vinegrette Ramen
Php180

And I am positively smitten by those lovely plates! Like all of the key ingredients found in Raku's cuisine, these beautifully crafted plates are sourced and specially hand-picked from Japan. I love the dainty details and the impressive craftsmanship that went into them and how they serve as an artful backdrop for the food.

Man, I am still craving for a gyoza.

Raku is located at G/F Le Grand Building, 130 Valero Street, Salcedo Village, Makati City.

Rockwell's Ultimate Taste Test: Desserts and Drinks

2011-09-13T14:51:00.004+08:00

Theo & Philo Chocolate
artisan chocolate bars

A while back I had said that I love discovering local gourmet food producers. I was beside myself in delight when I learned of Theo & Philo Chocolate, local producers of artisan chocolates. Imagine calamansi or ginger with chocolate. Pretty wild flavors to find in your chocolate bar, I know, but they do work, surprisingly well in fact.

Carmen's Best
Salted Caramel and Coffee Ice Cream

Carmen's Best ice cream, specially made with Holly's Milk, is one of my favorite desserts in the event. The ice cream is creamy and the flavors of coffee and caramel stand out nicely. I also took a swig of Holly's chocolate milk, also quite delicious.

The Fruit Garden
Fruit Cocktail, Lychee Berry Rose, Winter Season

The Winter Season jam by The Fruit Garden is another winner for me. This jam has a unique and delicate flavor to it. Just a little taste gave me images of having a relaxing breakfast on a chilly but otherwise beautiful Sunday morning, complete with freshly baked lightly toasted bread and a hot cup of tea.

Hansie's Desserts
Chocolate Chunk Cookies

These are nice chewy cookies with a good cookie-to-chocolate ratio.

Marla's Original Muncheez
Muncheez

True to its name, these crispy sweet cornflake snacks are a delight to munch on.

Empire
French Macarons

Arizona Iced Tea by Bugle Boy Distributors Corp. and Torta Cebuana from Elle's Torta

Kashi Maki by My Pink Wasabi and Banana loaf with walnuts and chocolate chips by Yumy Aco

Pink Candies Kucina
Food for the Gods

Party Fuel
Mojito Mocktail

Well, that's the last of 'em. Again, thanks, Anton and the rest of the folks who made Rockwell's Ultimate Taste Test a roaring success. And cheers to the uber talented hosts, Spanky and Marian. Until next time!

For a complete list of the Food Vendors that participated in the event, please visit Our Awesome Planet's Guide to Rockwell's Ultimate Taste Test.

Rockwell's Ultimate Taste Test: Main Dishes and Savory Snacks

2011-09-06T13:45:00.008+08:00

I may not have tried the samples of all 55 food vendors at Rockwell's Ultimate Taste Test (I am not quite sure if that's a bad thing or a good thing) but I did discover some really good food among the ones I did . Here are the ones that populated my main dish/savory snacks shortlist:

Tina's Pie Outlet
Tarts: Shiitake with Swiss Gruyere, Prawns in Aligue, Chicken with Chorizo

One of my top favorites at the event is the Shiitake with Swiss Gruyere tart by Tina's Pie Outlet. The shell of the tart was delicious on its own, filled with Shiitake mushrooms and Swiss Gruyere cheese it's just heavenly. Other tarts available for tasting were the Prawns in Aligue and Chicken with Chorizo.

Among the non-tart/pie on offer at the event was Tina's Callos.

Almost Gourmet
Parmesan Chicken Sticks

The Flying Chef
Ham and Cheese Empanada

Eat My GF
Original Garlic Fries with Toppings

Farm n' Deli
Barang's Tinapa

Heart, Meat & Soul Foods
Hearty Meaty Spaghetti

Gourmet Keso
Chevre (goat cheese), Chevre with Cashews & Truffled Salt, Chevre with
Garlic & Herbs, Kesong Puti Hiyayako

Gourmet Keso is a purveyor of locally made goat cheese. I always get excited about discovering Filipino entrepreneurs like those behind Gourmet Keso who come up with these amazing locally produced gourmet food froducts. My favorite among Gourmet Keso's offerings was the Chevre with Garlic & Herbs. On soda crackers, they can be pretty addictive snacks.

HKR Food Express
Asado and Roast Chicken

De Original Jamaican Patties
Beef Original and Beef Pinatubo

I love Jamaican beef patties. Especially the spicy kind. De Original Jamaican Patties' Beef Pinatubo tops my list of these wickedly hot patties.

Luigi's
Chicken Cordon Bleu with Alique Mayo, Cream Cheese, or Wasabi Sauce
and Phillychanga

Another of my top favorites at the event was Chef Luigi's Phillychanga. It wasn't really a hardsell, chimichanga being my favorite Mexican dish. The Phillychanga was cooked on site so it was still warm when I bit into it. I really liked the distinctive Philly cheesesteak flavor and the light crunch of the deep-fat fried shell. Ah. Eat now. Diet later.

Sushi Mo
California Maki Roll and Tuna & Mayo Maki Roll

Chef C's
Paella de Andaluz

For a complete list of the Food Vendors that participated in the event, please visit Our Awesome Planet's Guide to Rockwell's Ultimate Taste Test.

Rockwell's Ultimate Taste Test: An Intro

2011-09-04T23:50:00.002+08:00

Had a foodawesome time at Rockwell's Ultimate Taste Test.

Last Saturday's event was the 6th of the Ultimate Taste Test series where attendees get to play food critic for a day to 55 food vendors participating in the event.

Whether it be sweet or

savory,

or in case you just want a good drink to wash all the food down, you are bound to find a food favorite under one tent. I know I did.

Best part about it is that I got pretty good images for souvenirs, and I'll be sharing with you my favorites over the next few days. Hope everybody had as fantastic a weekend as I did!

Rockwell's Ultimate Taste Test

2011-08-31T10:31:00.006+08:00

This is the place to be on September 3, 2011, bar none.

For more information about Rockwell's Ultimate Taste Test, please visit:

http://www.ourawesomeplanet.com/awesome/2011/08/guide-to-rockwells-ultimate-taste-test.html

(Thanks, Anton, for the poster!)

Chef's Table: Fifth and Sixth Courses, Main Course and Dessert

2011-08-29T00:29:00.010+08:00

Chill-A-Fino
Chinese style steamed lapu-lapu on a bed of filipino ube mash topped with pechay
(Php550)

The main course is a delectable array of traditional Filipino Favorites. One after the other, Binagoongang Baboy, Corned Pork, Kare-Kare, Prawn Aligue My Way, Chill-A-Fino, and Tortang Talong, were dispatched from the chefs' kitchen in a steady stream after the last empty pasta plate was taken from the table.

Binagoongang Baboy
Soft and crispy pork belly sauteed in shrimp paste sauce served with grilled egplant
(Php380)

Corned Pork
(Php380)

It surprised me how despite the fact that I thought I 've already had my fill of food after the pasta dishes, I still managed to eat sizeable servings of the main dishes. Among the pork dishes that I was most interested in was the Corned Pork, which is "creamy laing topped with soft pork strips served with tinapa rice," its impressive plating only heightening my interest. My favorite among the main courses though is the Chill-A-Fino, a steamed fillet of the eponymous Lapu-lapu (a beautiful fish named after one of our earliest heroes) is steamed and enthroned on mashed ube. I have always loved ube halaya as a sweet and creamy dessert. I have however, never had ube made savory like mashed potatoes, which the mashed ube tasted a lot like. Come to think of it, why not? Ube (purple yam), being a tuber like the potato.

(Every Filipino family has a relative who makes the best version of this favorite Filipino dessert, in mine, it's my Tita Luz, my mother's eldest sibling.)

Kare Kare
Soft ox tail chunks drenched with creamy peanut sauce served with eggplant caviar
(Php450)

Prawn Aligue My Way
Prawns on a bed of sotanghon flavored with aligue sauce wrapped in banana leaf,
oven baked to perfection
(Php350)

Tortang Talong
Chef's Table's version of the classic tortang talong enhanced with salted eggs
(Php120)

Topping off this generous generous meal are desserts made with native Filipino fruits, jackfruit, banana, mango, and coconut. Mirroring the "Filipino cuisine with a soul" theme that runs through the courses before them, the desserts offer a refreshingly new yet comfortingly familiar flavor to them.

Mango Cheese Cake
A rich and creamy cheesecake topped with fresh mangoes in butterscotch sauce
(Php180)

Biko with Calamansi Cream Sauce
Filipino rice and coconut cream pudding paired with a sweet and tangy calamansi cream sauce
(Php110)

Langka Creme Brulee
A classic custard dessert with an all Filipino candied jackfruit
(Php130)

If instead of or on top of dessert, you are in the mood for some alcohol, Chef's Table also offers cocktails that are designed to complement your meal. They too, have surprising combinations and equally quirky names, like, quite notably, the NCR (stands for "No one Can Run" and not National Capital Region as you might expect) which is described as "(a) drink for the brave to try; fusion of brandy, tequila, gin, lambanog and chili extract balanced with orange and mango juice."

Buko Pie Martini
Our take on a classic buko pie twisted in Chef's Table style
(Php150)

The choices in the menu at the Chef's Table may seem overwhelming and choosing can get a bit tricky. But the great thing about this place is that the diner is welcome if not encouraged to talk to the staff and even the chefs on duty to help decide on a meal that will satisfy a craving or two. This openness reflects even on the interior of the entire restaurant, most especially the kitchen which exudes an easy-going, what you see is what you get kind of vibe that contributes to a deeper appreciation of the food created in it.

Chef's Table is located at Infinity Tower, 10th Avenue corner 25th Street, The Fort. Visit its website at http://chefstablemanila.com/.

Chef's Table: Fourth Course, "Pandaigdigang Pansit"

2011-08-25T17:46:00.004+08:00

Calamansi Tuyo Spaghetti
Spaghetti sauteed in tuyo oil and flakes, enhanced with calamansi juice
and topped with fried tuyo and queso de bola
(Php210)

Fourth Course means pasta or, as Chef's Table calls it, Pandaigdigang Pansit. Their pasta varieties have surprising combinations and at the same time are all too familiar to the Filipino palate. Can you say- tuyo, calamansi, bistek, and puso ng saging? And can you imagine them in your pasta?

Beef Steak Pasta
Penne pasta sauteed in steak sauce enchanced with calamansi,
topped with tender beef slices, onion rings and queso de bola
(Php310)

Banana Heart Carbonara
Linguine in creamy sauce mixed with banana hearts and kangkong
topped with grilled chicken and queso de bola
(Php280)

Among the best-sellers is the Calamansi Tuyo Spaghetti- the humble (economics-wise) yet infamous (smell-wise) tuyo (dried fish) gets to star in this satisfying pasta dish. The calamansi (often referred to as Philippine lemon), lately getting a lot of attention in those foreign cooking competitions I gather, gives the tuyo flavored pasta a nice tang.

Chef's Table is located at Infinity Tower, 10th Avenue corner 25th Street, The Fort. Visit its website at http://chefstablemanila.com/.

Chef's Table: Second and Third Courses, Salads and Soups

2011-08-22T17:48:00.005+08:00

Chef's Salad
Mixed greens combined with seasonal fruits and vegetables and sliced boiled eggs
tossed in roasted garlic calamansi vinaigrette, topped with Egmont cheese
(Php260)

The second and third courses are refreshing parades of colorful salads...

Davao Salad
Mixed greens tossed in durian vinaigrette
topped with pan seared tuna, Davao fruits and vegetables
(Php310)

Inasal na Chicken Caesar Salad
Torched romaine lettuce in a localized Caesar dressing
topped with grilled chicken and queso de bola
(Php280)

Lato
Fresh local sea grapes with cucumbers, tomatoes and shallots,
tossed in house vinaigrette
(Php150)

...and unique and equally eye-catching soups.

Reversed Sotanghon Soup
Fried sotanghon noodles in a savory classic French onion soup
topped with crispy liempo bites
(Php150)

The Reversed Sotanghon Soup is a show stopper. The nest of sotanghon noodles is served crispy fried and piled high in a bowl, but once doused with the French onion soup (served in a separate pouring container), the noodles wilt into their more recognizable sotanghon form. Think crispy pancit canton/chow mein.

Cool Watermelon Soup
A refreshing combination of watermelon and calamansi
enhanced with quesong puti, pickled shallots and roasted shallot oil
(Php150)

Chilled Carrot and Ginger Soup
A combination of fresh raw diced tanigue, apples and
cucumbers tossed in citrus fruit juice
in a pool of an invigorating carrot and ginger puree
(Php250)

Roasted Tomato Halaan Soup
Fresh halaan steamed in lambanog combined with a rich roasted tomato puree
(Php210)

Bet you never had halaan cooked this way. Growing up with my mother's halaan in ginger soup, I sure haven't. This soup bursts with heady flavors which are as bold as its color. I remember the hint of the lambanog, the briny sweetness of the halaan, and the piquant flavor of the tomato puree from this particular soup lingering on my tongue until the next course, despite all the other soups and salads it came to the table with. Halaan steamed in lambanog with tomato puree, this is definitely not yo momma's halaan soup.

Any of the salads and soups, not to mention the appetizers to some extent, at the Chef's Table could be a meal on its own, especially for the light eaters. They come in generous portions so finishing a serving could fill you up real quick. So if you plan to have several courses at the Chef's Table, I suggest you bring company.

Kind of makes you wonder what the main course would be like, huh?

Chef's Table is located at Infinity Tower, 10th Avenue corner 25th Street, The Fort. Visit its website at http://chefstablemanila.com/.

Chef's Table: First Course, Appetizers

2011-08-20T17:26:00.011+08:00

Ensaladang Tuna at Salmon
A combination of fresh tuna and salmon enhanced with local aromatics
topped with kamote chips
(Php250)

Friday last week, I was invited for lunch at the Chef's Table. Chef's Table is ground zero of Chef Bruce Lim's commendable effort at serving Filipino Fine Dining to the general public. Armed with a diploma from Le Cordon Bleu, Chef Bruce along with his team of chefs at the Chef's Table, aims to serve diners Filipino food "prepared using global culinary standards".

It was a very long lunch, with a spread that is not only an abundant feast for the tummy but also a tantalizing feast for the eyes. Naturally, there is a lot of beautiful food to share, and one post doesn't seem to do it justice.

So, let's do this in a series, starting with the appetizers, and some libation.

Cebuana Chili Chicken Wings
Lightly battered deep fried chicken wings
smothered with Cebu-inspired sweet chili sauce
(Php210)

Cold Pansit
Cold sotanghon in sweet sesame soy sauce topped with cucumbers,
apples, red radish, julienne and fresh grapes, served with beef tapa
(Php230)

Crab Cakes
Freshly picked crab meat, seared and baked to perfection
served with sampaloc aioli
(Php370)

Calamansi Juice
(Php95)

Green Mango Shake
(Php110)

Chef's Table Iced Tea
(Php120)

Chef's Table is located at Infinity Tower, 10th Avenue corner 25th Street, The Fort. Visit its website at http://chefstablemanila.com/.

Decimating a Max Brenner Chocolate Burger

2011-08-16T18:57:00.008+08:00

This is the Max Brenner Chocolate burger:

Max Brenner Chocolate Burger
Chocolate beef patty topped with cream cheese and caramelized chocolate onions
on an oatmeal crusted bun
(Php348)

This is my friend, RJ, in the process of decimating the Max Brenner Chocolate burger:

This the Max Brenner Chocolate burger, decimated:

The date was August 12, 2011, the time- 8-ish in the evening, the place- Max Brenner Chocolate Bar at Greenbelt 5, Makati City. It was a balmy Friday night. I had just had my fill of the Chicken Nibblers and Fries and Cinque Formaggi Pizza. Along came RJ who announced that he is going to give the Chocolate Burger a go. I was pretty excited about this. I mean, come on! It's chocolate. In a burger. This momentous event came after his all too recent foray into the world of odd (I suppose by "odd", I mean it subjectively) burgers, which adventure started with his nutty (I do not mean the legume) peanut (this one I mean the legume) butter burger.

I will remember that day forever.

Chicken Crispers and Fries
(Php248)

Cinq Formaggi Pizza
Gorgonzola, mozzarella, gruyere, cheddar and
parmesan cheese on a pesto basted crust
(Php328)

Read more about the Max Brenner Chocolate Bar, here.

Yellow Orange Adobo and Hybrid Dessert at XO 46

2011-08-15T23:42:00.014+08:00

Adobong Batangas

My father has this food specialty that when he makes it, it's one huge family affair- his version of adobong baboy. He cooks his adobo in a traditional palayok (clay pot) over wood fire and it takes him hours and hours to make. The lengthy slow cooking process results in a flavorful, aromatic, and impossibly tender pork with almost gelatinous skin. This adobo only gets better when eaten after a day, because by then, all the flavors of the native herbs and spices had gotten the chance to infuse into the pork. My father uses pork belly for his adobo and adds achuete (annatto) and dahon ng bayabas (guava leaves) to the fray. The achuete stains the fat that is rendered from the pork belly producing a bright yellow orange sauce, which I loved for its lingering flavor but hated because it would leave oily yellow stains on the corners of my mouth after I eat it.

It's quite unlike your traditional toyo (soy sauce)-based adobo. My father says it's how his family used to make it in Iloilo where he grew up. One thing you should know about my father, there is no arguing with him when it comes to the authenticity of the cuisine he grew up with.

I do not miss a lot of pork dishes ever since I stopped eating it, but I admit to missing a few. My father's pork adobo is one of them. That is why I could not help but wonder sometimes how my father's recipe would play out if I used beef instead of pork. I got my answer when I was introduced to Adobong Batangas by XO46 Bistro Filipino. It had the hallmarks of my father's "yellow orange" adobo which made the dish a family favorite, but the good thing about it is that it is made of beef instead of pork. As with my father's adobo, the beef in XO 46's Adobong Batangas is pull-apart tender and worth the extra calories. It simply begs for serving after serving of hot steamed rice.

Puto
with Aligue Butter and Sweet Butter

Aligue Butter

While we waited for our meal at XO 46- Adobong Batangas included- we were served with complimentary puto with aligue (crab fat) butter and sweet butter. Although the combination made me a bit wary at first, I liked the aligue butter. I ended up piling it on with every bite of my puto.

Strawberry Salabat
(Php75)

For my drink, I chose Strawberry Salabat (it was a toss-up between that and the Salabat sa Tanglad). Again with the uncanny combination, I know, but I guess the fact that I enjoyed the aligue butter on my puto emboldened me to choose this strawberry and ginger tea. After a swig of my Strawberry Salabat, I decided that it really does pay to be adventurous once in a while.

Only two months into operation, XO 46 appears to have earned quite a following in its unassuming little nook almost hidden behind a pocket garden in the middle of the hustle and bustle of the frenetic city that is Makati. Already past 1 in the afternoon, when we arrived, the place was still brimming with lunch-goers.

Fabada de Toledo
good for 3-4
(Php465)

Gambas al Ajillo
(Php255/Php340)

Chef CK

Aside from the Adobong Batangas, the other specialties that we were invited to try out at XO 46 are the Gambas al Ajillo (shrimps with garlic and olive oil) and Fabada de Toledo (stewed white beans with chorizos and pork belly). Both are traditional Filipino-Spanish dishes which are likewise executed very well by XO46 expert chefs headed by executive chef CK Kalaw.

For dessert, we were treated to Sapin Sapin and Manticado Jalaya (frozen ube jalaya and leche flan with ice cream). They are of course desserts that the Filipino palate is native to, but with ingenious twists. What caught my eye about the XO 46 Sapin Sapin is how neatly piled the colorful layers were. It looked very dainty, and this daintiness translated to the taste of the Sapin Sapin which didn't taste too sweet (an all too usual pitfall of most sapin sapin, in my opinion) just delicately so.

Sapin Sapin
(Php110)

For good measure, the XO 46 Sapin Sapin is served with classic Filipino Manticado ice cream. The sweet and slightly bitter cherry-based liquer, which is meant to be poured over the ice cream, gives the otherwise smooth flavored Manticado ice-cream an appealing bite.

Manticado Jalaya
(Php130)

As with the XO 46 Sapin Sapin, the Manticado Jalaya in XO 46 has its own disarming charm. What is interesting about this particular dessert is the fact that the ube jalaya is fused with a layer of leche flan. This "hybrid" jalaya is served with Manticado ice cream, hence the moniker Manticado Jalaya. I guess it's no small wonder that the XO in XO 46 stands for extra ordinary. Unique twists like these to Filipino classic cuisine do take quite a bit of extraordinary thinking to get right.

Notably, the manticado ice cream is made in-house, which reinforces the impression I get that folks behind XO 46 put a lot of attention to every aspect of their menu. This attention to detail is evident even in the furnishings and the overall ambiance of the restaurant. The chairs and couches are very comfortable (overlooked by a lot of restaurants but is something I treasure in those that ensure that they are). The interior is reminiscent of old Filipino-Spanish architecture, from the wood carvings gilding the ceiling to poignant photographs of Philippine scenes adorning the walls.

Oh, and lest I forget, ballads from OPM greats like Rey Valera and Asin, are piped in through the speakers, rounding out the whole traditional Philippine dining experience.

XO 46 Bistro Filipino is located at G/F Le Grand Condominium, 130 Valero Street, Salcedo Village, Makati City. For more information about XO 46 Bistro Filipino, visit its Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/XO-46-Bistro-Filipino/184146081640792.

65 Cupcakes

2011-08-06T23:45:00.008+08:00

Mini Cupcake Tower

I made this cupcake tower for my mom's birthday. It's made of 65 mini chocolate cupcakes with dark chocolate ganache frosting. I was supposed to make regular sized ones but I ran out of butter... and time. They were cute though, these tiny little cupcakes. They were so tiny you can pop one- both cupcake and frosting- in your mouth and you're done. Like eating a truffle, quite actually. Which it kind of tastes like on account of the ganache frosting. Oh and I loved the combination of the silver and brown cupcake liners. They looked really chic.

Cute and yummy as they were, let's forget about the cupcakes for a while.

It is after all, my mom's birthday. Today, is her day.

Chocolate Cupcakes
with Dark Chocolate Ganache Frosting

Happy birthday, Ma!

Luxurious Hot Chocolate

2011-08-04T10:50:00.003+08:00

Rich Hot Chocolate

I've been bitten by the gourmet hot chocolate bug. It's a venomous one. It drove me to send my brother into the driving rain to buy a bag of marshmallows two days ago. From the supermarket he tells me there are no mini marshmallows, the kind we normally find in our instant hot chocolate. I tell him, the big ones are fine. As long as they're white.

It's been a stormy past few days. It rained and rained and rained and we've pretty much stayed home to avoid the weather's wrath. Stranded, because of flooding in the streets that threaten only to get worse over the next few hours on account of a nearby dam having been let loose. It's a weather that calls for nothing less than smashing good hot chocolate. The kind that sticks to your throat such that you take it only in tiny little sips because that is what is humanly possible, because gulping may cause you to choke. And the kind you have only in small dose cups and not mugs, because, who are you kidding?

It's the kind of hot chocolate you'll forgive for its almost impossible richness because it's made of expensive high quality chocolate. Hershey's, Callebaut, and Valrhona are the ones I have laying around the house, all very good quality chocolate. For this really thick rich hot chocolate though, I used the last one. Take no prisoners.

Rich Hot Chocolate

Ingredients:

100 grams 70% cacao chocolate

250 ml cream

1 cup whole milk

1/4 cup cream

1 tablespoon unsweetened dutch process cocoa powder

4 tablespoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 big marshmallows, for serving

Directions:

In a sauce pan, heat 250ml cream until steam comes out of it. Stir constantly to avoid scorching.

Place chocolate (cut chocolate into 1/4 inch thick pieces if in block form) into a bowl and pour in the heated cream. Let sit for about a minute and stir until the chocolate is melted and the mixture emulsified.

Whisk together the milk, 1/4 cup cream, and cocoa powder and bring to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat, whisking continuously to prevent scorching. Remove from heat, and pour over the chocolate and cream mixture. Stir very well until thoroughly combined. Then stir in the vanilla.

Pour into cups and top with a marshmallow.

Serves: 4 (6-ounce) cups

For thinner yet still rich hot chocolate: instead of 1 cup milk and 1/4 cup cream, use 1 1/2 cup milk.

Artisan Breads at Le Petit Artisan

2011-08-03T17:37:00.008+08:00

Walnut Loaf
(Php188)

Right next to the Max Brenner Chocolate Bar was the artisan bread bakery called Le Petit Artisan. The two shops are practically joined at the hip, Le Petit Artisan being accessible through the inside of the chocolate bar. Aside from the wonderful aroma of freshly baked bread wafting from the next door bakery, it was the buy-1-take-1 signs that ultimately made us cross over through the small corridor adjoining the two shops. It was pretty late, past 9PM, and I would suppose that Le Petit Artisan intended to sell out all the baked goods before closing time. Of course, my friends and I were more than happy to help.

Chocolate Twist

We meandered into the bakery invariably asking the staff- "On all breads, really?" and they would answer "Yes, ma'am/sir, all breads, except for the pastries inside the glass showcase." The pastries on a table right next to the glass enclosure though, were also covered by the buy-1-take-1 promo. From the pastries, we got a couple of what they called chocolate twist while others got some peach danish.

Mini Pandesal
(Php40/bag of 15)

Adding to the allure of Le Petit Artisan's baked offerings were the personnel's assurance that all the breads are sugar free and made from whole wheat. We got a pair of walnut loaves. They were magnanimously big loaves of bread and I half wondered how on earth we were going to finish them before the molds beat us to the punch, artisan breads being by nature, free from preservatives. In addition to our chocolate twist pastry and walnut loaves, we also got a pair of bags of mini pandesal. Without really meaning to, I ended up snacking on them when I got home. Le Petit Artisan's pandesal makes it to my list of the best pandesals I have ever had, right up there with Bizu's.

Le Petit Artisan is located at the ground floor of Greenbelt 5, Makati City.

Melting Marshmallow Hot Chocolate at Max Brenner

2011-08-02T11:43:00.017+08:00

Melting Marshmallow Hot Chocolate
(Php158)

America's Best Hot Chocolate

Forget Swiss Miss; the best hot chocolate has become a gourmet affair.

By Nina Fedrizzi

We’ve all had powdery hot cocoa—watery, only vaguely chocolaty, and occasionally crunchy with undissolved marshmallow clumps. Still, cocoa was—and is—the best thing to stir into a mug on a winter afternoon.

Today’s hot chocolate has come a long way from little packages with gritty marshmallows. From sipping chocolate flavored with secret Caribbean spices to house-roasted cocoa beans and celebrity truffle shops, America’s best hot chocolate has gone gourmet.

x x x

Max Brenner Chocolate by the Bald Man, Las Vegas

The Brenner outpost offers more than 10 varieties of hot chocolate drinks; don’t miss the decadently rich Suckao—a shot of chocolate that’s the espresso of the cocoa world.
maxbrenner.com; from $5.25.

(Read the other hot chocolate that made it to the list, here.)

Max Brenner Chocolate Bar
Chocolate by the Bald Man
Greenbelt 5, Makati City

That article sent me into a veritable frenzy and feverish longing for hot chocolate. Not just any hot chocolate, of course, but one by Max Brenner Chocolate Bar (located at Greenbelt 5 in Makati City). And that is just where I found myself last Saturday night.

Kangaroo
(Php158)

I practically dragged my friends to the store, I think, and I ended up breaking our weekend ritual of having coffee together after dinner. I didn't really mean to. I, in fact, volunteered to just follow them to our usual haunt after I've had my hot chocolate. But they went along for the ride. (Perhaps out of idle curiosity or maybe because of genuine intrigue, I really couldn't tell.)

After marveling at the giant vat of whirling melted chocolate found inside the store (which I think sealed the deal for my hapless companions), and wondering how an Oompa Loompa must feel like staring down a river of flowing chocolate every single day of his life, I ordered my Melting Marshmallow Hot Chocolate. This, instead of Suckao, the variety actually mentioned in the article which was dubbed "the espresso of the cocao world". It seemed too rich a drink for me that night, the Suckao, having just had a very filling shabu-shabu dinner.

White Chocolate Mocha
(Php158)

Next time, Suckao, I promise.

I've been to Greenbelt a number of times since the article was released, but not once did I get around to visiting the shop. It was only last Saturday night did I finally get my chance. It was a good evening as any. A rainy night, in the company of good friends-- I'd say it was a perfect time to have a piping hot hug mug of gourmet hot chocolate.

Puffy Pita

2011-07-30T14:51:00.000+08:00

Pita Breads

While I study more about making a better cheesecake, I digressed into making pita breads. I read through a lot of pita recipes and what interested me the most is the fact that this flatbread is not at all flat when it starts its life. I've always had toasted flat pitas but never any freshly baked and certainly not "puffed." In this state, they are almost too cute to eat. But after I've gotten over their cuteness, I ate them with tenderloin beef kebabs. Classic combination. Certified yum.

Being a novice at working with yeast, I chose a recipe which I perceived to be the easiest one to make, which is "My Family’s Pita Bread" recipe from simplebites.net. I made a few adjustments to the original recipe because I got active dry yeast instead of regular yeast. The original recipe instructs to dissolve the yeast in warm water, but the package on the active dry yeast says I shouldn't activate it in water and instead add it directly to the flour. So that's what I did, and I didn't need to warm up some water because of it. Regular room temperature water worked fine. I got positive results despite the adjustments, so I can say this adapted recipe is pretty safe.

Pita Bread

(adapted from My Family’s Pita Bread recipe from http://www.simplebites.net/cooking-with-kids-pita-bread/)

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon active dry yeast

1 ¼ cup water

1 teaspoon salt

3- 3 ½ cups flour

Instructions:

1. In an elecric mixer bowl, Combine yeast, salt and 1 ½ cups flour. Add Water.

2. With the dough hook attachment, beat to make a batter. Scraping down the sides of the mixing bowl with a rubber spatula to combine all the ingredients well.

3. Add additional flour until a rough, shaggy mass is formed. Remove bowl from electric mixer and knead dough for 10 minutes until dough is smooth and elastic. Add more flour if it is too sticky.

4. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into six pieces for large pitas or ten for smaller.

5. Form dough into balls, then flatten with a rolling pin into ¼ inch thick discs. Try and keep an even thickness as this is what helps them ‘puff’.

6. Let rest on the floured surface 30-40 minutes until slightly puffed. Preheat oven to 425F.

7. With a large spatula, flip the rounds of dough upside down on to an ungreased baking sheet. Bake 10-15 minutes.