E a t e r n i t y

Japan Trip 2015 (Tokyo)

2016-08-10T23:46:00.002+08:00

After a 5-year blog hiatus, I am finally back and I will be posting one of the best food trips I have ever had-- my 11-day trip to Japan last spring (April 2015).

Day 1: Tokyo, Japan

Konnichiwa!

The dynamic city of Tokyo gave us a cold (literally) welcome. Donned in layered clothes and scarves, my mom and I roamed in awe of the stunning full-bloomed cherry blossoms or sakura at the Ueno Park. People were having hanami or the cherry blossom festival under the trees eating, drinking, singing, and chatting. It's a welcome respite from the harsh winter season in Japan. The fashion runway was everywhere in Tokyo, be it in Harajuku, Asakusa, the famous train stations and crossings. Dominant colors were black, gray, and shades of white and brown. I would love to sit there all day and watch them strut in, be it street style or haute goth with cute and floaty fabrics or the elegant and classy fashion style.

Meanwhile, the city beams with high technology but still upholds the traditional Japanese culture.

Shibuya

Asakusa

And now, the best part of the trip-- FOOD.

Onigiri (rice ball)- made from white rice and formed into different shapes such as triangle or cylinder, often wrapped in nori (seaweed).

Japanese style fried chicken (left) and Yakisoba (right)

Bananas covered in chocolate and sprinkles

24-hour ramen restaurant in Shibuya

A very modern way of ordering ramen

The rich, creamy, and mouthwatering Tonkotsu Ramen.

Harajuku-- home to aesthetically pleasing Japanese crepe shops

Ended day 1 with waffles topped with fresh strawberries and whipped cream from Sembikiya, Tokyo's "uber-chic fruit parlor".

And that was day 1 of my Japan trip. Tokyo is, indeed, an interesting travel destination.

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

2011-12-30T15:33:00.001+08:00

Image from: renoami.com

A perfect Christmas Eve dinner must have the following ingredients:

family members wearing the best smiles;
food that entices the senses;
gifts for giving and receiving; and
hearts filled with thanksgiving

Every year I am blessed with the perfect Christmas. This time around, my mom prepared this delectable Meaty Creamy Lasagna Supreme. The name says it all: creamy bechamel cheese sauce and meaty red sauce layered between al dente pasta and topped with mozzarella cheese and crispy bacon bits.

The ham completes every Filipino Christmas dining spread. Ham generally refers to the cured or cooked cut of meat from the thigh of the hind legs of a pig.

Filipinos have many beliefs and traditions when celebrating the holidays. One of which is the presence of round fruits on the dining table because it is believed to bring prosperity to the household.

For dessert, we had Silvanas from our all-time favorite Brownies Unlimited

On Christmas Day, we had a reunion with my dad's side of the family. I hope you enjoyed your Christmas just like I did. Happy Holidays from our family to yours!

Feel free to share your Christmas stories!

Sweets for me and Mary Poppins

2011-12-04T16:11:00.002+08:00

Photo from http://cheekypoppins.wordpress.com

“A Spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down
The medicine go dow-wown
The medicine go down
Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down
In a most delightful way”

Mary Poppins and her songs, particularly this one, make me feel good. There can’t be any other way to put into words the comfort that I feel when I treat myself to some sweets. For weeks, I have been working so hard with my BS Nutrition classmates (there are 5 of us) in a far-flung barangay in the mountains for our practicum. I needed a break. I needed some comfort.

As I nurture my undying love for sweets, I am also slowly embracing a love for fashion. Yesterday, December 3, 2011, I went to the Bloggers United 2 at the Global City with my friends Ariana, Ana, Isa, Ela, Danielle, Diane, Kate, and Irene. It is one of this year’s most awaited events, especially for people whose love for fashion is greater than anything else. It is an event where fashion bloggers all over the Philippines come together to put up a special bazaar. From what I’ve heard from friends who attended the Bloggers United 1 last May 2011, there was a booth called Sophie’s Mom Bakery and Confectionary that sold yummy sweets and delectable breads. Unfortunately, there was none in this event. So after our eyes had feasted on fashionista clothes, shoes and accessories, we headed to Sophie’s Mom in Makati.

Sophie is a 17-year old girl who loves baking and was taught how to do it by her doting Mom, Marie Antoinette ‘Tonette’ Rosal.

Inside Sophie's Mom shop!

Photo from Sophie's Mom Facebook Page

Christmas is just around the corner at Sophie's Mom

Dear Santa would be delighted to see these.

Christmas cupcake decors

Their famous cupcakes

Tres Leches with Fresh Mangoes

The all-time favorite Red Velvet cupcakes at Php50 each

Very cute packaging for Mochi Truffles

Each box contains Mochi truffles (5 pcs). These are Nutella Mochi Truffles. Php 150 each box

It was worth the swing to Sophie’s Mom. Indeed, their sweets made the fatigue in my body disappear. And yes, as Aunt Mary said, in a very delightful way. Sophie’s Mom is located at No. 8760 Santol St., San Antonio Village, 1203 Makati, Philippines. If you would like to know more about Sophie’s Mom, please visit their official Facebook page: Sophie's Mom .

Auntie Pearl's

2011-08-18T22:17:00.002+08:00

Life as a university student is not complete without pizzas and burgers. After a tiring week of lectures, laboratory reports, research papers and exams, pizzas and burgers are the best stress relievers. But as a student whose daily sustenance depends mainly on weekly allowances from my payrents (a term invented by my mom’s friend for parents), I could only indulge in these comfort foods if the price is right!

A walking distance from the University of the Philippines Los Baños(UPLB) is an eating place called Auntie Pearl’s at Oregano Street corner Lemon Grass, Demarces Subdivision, Grove, Los Baños, Laguna. It is owned by an Italian named Frank DiBerardino and his Filipino wife Pearl.

The facade of Auntie Pearl’s at night. (Photo credit: Auntie Pearl's Facebook Page)

Auntie Pearl’s is celebrating its 1^st anniversary this month. With its recent expansion, Auntie Pearl’s has been attracting more customers, not only because of its sumptuous food, but also because of its comfy ambience. It is fully air conditioned and the interior design is truly eye-catching.

Uncle Frank makes the dough for the pizza. (Photo credit: Auntie Pearl's Facebook Page)

Last Friday, I gathered my high school classmates to unwind and ease into a gastronomic excursion at Auntie Pearl’s.

I ordered a solo Pepperoni and Mushroom Pizza. The perfect combination of ingredients used creates a balance of flavor in each bite. Price: Php 69.00!

Meat Lovers (Php 399.00) for all of us to share.

A closer look at Auntie Pearl’s Meat Lovers pizza.

My BFF Charmaine could not resist the very tempting Hotdog with Chili and Cheese (Php59.00)

Delizioso!

Next time around, we will order flame-grilled burgers. Their best seller is the Jerry Belly Buster, Php 109.00 (left). (Photo credit: Auntie Pearl's Facebook Page)

Uncle Frank and Auntie Pearl, tornerò presto. Grazie! (I will be back soon. Thank you!)

Cheers to Another Year

2011-07-14T15:09:00.000+08:00

Our mini herb garden

Picking basil leaves for my birthday bash

Freshly harvested organic basil leaves

Shrimps for the seafood pasta

Marinara sauce for the seafood pasta

Breaded chicken breast fillets for the Chicken Parmigiana

Fried until golden brown

Flat noodles for the seafood pasta

Regular spaghetti noodles for the pesto pasta

The perfect Parmesan cheese for the Pesto Pasta and Chicken Parmigiana

The stars of the evening

Chicken Parmigiana topped with tomato sauce and melted Mozzarella cheese

The most requested Pesto Pasta

Sliced French Bread

Seafood Pasta

Curtain Call

Happy Birthday to me!

My relatives seemed to be clicking the “Like” button.

A month ago, I celebrated my birthday. For the nth time, we did what we do best, pasta and chicken. So, of course, pesto pasta took centerstage. Joining the limelight were Seafood Pasta (with lots of shrimps in it) and Chicken Parmigiana. The cast would not have been complete without the slices of French Bread and herbed and spiced olive oil with balsamic vinegar. The Chicken Parmigiana which was also taught to us by our ever- generous and patient friend , Chef Bryan Jimenez , was made of chicken breast fillet, bread crumbs , especially concocted tomato sauce, Dijon mustard and mozzarella cheese. Modesty aside, it was a big hit among our guests, especially to my nephew Egan Sanchez, who kept on telling me, “That chicken is sooooo good!” Indeed, it was an evening of good food, good company, good laughs, good memories.

WOW! Davao

2011-07-03T21:28:00.002+08:00

The Reception Hall

Watching the AVP created by Davao-based photographer par-excellence, Ben Young III.

Sweet little thing called Lachi’s

Choco Mallow Bite

Choco Pecan Tartlet

Carrot Walnut Cake

Silvanas

NY-Style Cheesecake

Leftmost and rightmost: The Mike and Melvin Aviles, proprietors of Lachi's Sans Rival Atbp.

Lachi’s Durian Cheesecake

A few weeks ago, my family and some relatives from my father's side (23 of us) flew to Davao City, a very spectacular place located in Southern Mindanao to attend my cousin Toti's wedding. When we got there, we were toured around the city by our good friends Tita Jinky Yuson, Tita Nene Yuson, and Tito Alfie Peralta.

As I gazed upon the lovely couple, I said to myself, Toti and Raige Catipon could have graced the cover of a wedding magazine. Toti looked dashing in his barong, custom- made from Lumban, Laguna, and Raige was stunning in her chic gown with an intricately beaded bodice and exquisitely detailed peacock-inspired trail.

The church and the reception hall at the Marco Polo Hotel were enchantingly decorated by Noel E. Tanza. Fresh tulips, roses, orchids, colored chandeliers and crystal candelabras bedecked the dining area.

The food was glorious! But what struck me most was the dessert corner catered by the famous Lachi’s Sans Rival Atbp. Proprietors Mike and Melvin Aviles (they are twins) personally supervised the serving of their mouth-watering specialty desserts. What earned my two thumbs up was the Durian Cheesecake. So divine. Honestly, I am not much of a durian fan, but this cheesecake totally changed the image of durian in my mind and in my taste buds. I noticed that Lachi’s desserts are not too sweet, another plus factor. From what I have heard, Lachi’s also serves sumptuous dishes like Grilled Pork Ribs, Grilled Porkchops, Pork Marinara, Crispy Lechon Kawali, Stuffed Chicken, and many more. For those travelling to Davao City, I recommend Lachi’s located along Mabini Ave. Ruby Street , Marfori Heights.

To view the enchanting wedding of Toti and Raige, you may visit:

http://goldentouch5.com/index.php?option=com_wgpicasa&view=album&album=5620590141594711105&page=1&Itemid=94

Dear Darla

2011-06-25T20:50:00.003+08:00

The pizza cut into rectangular slices

Step 1: Take a rectangular slice of pizza

Step 2: Spread a layer of arugula greens and top with alfalfa sprouts. Drizzle with chili oil.

Step 3: Roll the pizza crust tightly.

Step 4: Roll until it forms a mini wrap.

Step 5: Dig in!

Are you a part of the Yellow Cab’s Dear Darla fans club? Dear Darla, my all time favorite pizza derived its name from the characters Darla and Alfalfa in the movie, Little Rascals. The main ingredients of Dear Darla pizza are alfalfa sprouts and arugula leaves. Alfalfa, a member of the legume family, contains a wide range of vitamins making it a good source of anti-oxidant. The very succulent arugula leaf is best known for its phytochemical components, thus, high in anti-cancer properties. Fresh-from-the-oven thin-crust pizza pie is cut into rectangular pieces and topped with a special tomato sauce, cheese, onions, pepperoni and olives. The crunchy greens give a flicker of freshness to each bite of the Dear Darla pizza.

Whoever is behind the concoction of the Dear Darla pizza is a genius. A masterpiece, indeed.

Strawberry-filled cupcakes

2011-06-24T11:47:00.004+08:00

Strawberry-filled cupcakes

A few weeks ago, my cousin from Jacksonville, Florida, Tin Catipon-Sanchez, together with her husband Dennis and their three handsome kids Egan, Gage and Kian came home to the Philippines for the wedding of her youngest brother, Toti. As a welcome treat to my nephews, I baked sponge cupcakes. I used a paring knife to cut a 1-inch-deep piece from the top of each cupcake, filled each hole with a teaspoon of stawberry jam and replaced the cutout pieces. For frosting, I tinted the boiled icing pink , piped it on top, and finished it off with a fresh strawberry.

Who wants Tiramisu cupcakes

2011-06-04T14:25:00.003+08:00

Tiramisu cupcakes dusted with cocoa powder

Tiramisu with almonds

Bird's eye view

Freshly baked Tiramisu cupcakes!

Tiramisu cupcake is a dessert to die for. It is a variation of the popular Italian dessert, tiramisu. This is my favorite among the assortment of specialty cupcakes that my sister bakes. By the way, my sister is a registered nurse who, despite her hectic schedule at the hospital still finds time to cook and bake. Tiramisu cupcake was always my special request from her. One late lazy afternoon, she donned her apron, ponytailed her mane and announced that she was in the mood to teach me how to bake the t-cupcake. I guess, finally, she got tired of giving in to my unending requests. Instead of lady fingers soaked in coffee, which the classic Italian tiramisu is made of, we used small round sponge cakes and poked a few holes on top with a toothpick. Then, the espresso syrup which was a mixture of coffee, water, and sugar, was poured on top until it sifted through the holes and filled the center of the cupcakes. In place of mascarpone cheese, we finished it off, with whipped Cream Cheese frosting, then, dusted the top with cocoa powder. We chilled the cupcakes for about an hour, just in time for dessert after our sumptuous dinner.

Pesto all the way

2011-06-02T16:31:00.003+08:00

Birthday dinner with my grade school friends

Our homemade pesto pasta with Parmesan cheese, tomatoes, and parsley

Sliced French bread and some Nachos with ground beef, mushrooms, and drizzled with cheese

Dipping sauce for the French bread- Olive oil seasoned with “Scarborough Fair” herbs and spices and Balsamic Vinegar

A feast for my birthday

A year ago, I said goodbye to my teenage years and welcomed my adulthood with a get-together with my closest chums from grade school (Maquiling School Inc., UP Los Banos campus). We had an intimate dinner at our garden. I requested my lovely sister to prepare our family’s favorite and her specialty – PESTO PASTA. Thanks to our good friend, Chef Bryan for teaching her how to cook this. Now, she makes the perfect homemade pesto that never ceases to delight us. I take this chance to share my sister's amazing Pesto Pasta made of fresh basil leaves (from our garden), nuts, Parmesan cheese, sliced tomatoes, parsley and olive oil. My mom paired the dish with sliced French bread and a dipping sauce of seasoned olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Along with the nonstop exchanges of childhood memories, love stories and future plans was the nonstop munching on nachos with ground beef, mushrooms, and cheese spread.

Maybe I should do this every 10 years, or perhaps 5. Lemme think…

Sweets for Summer

2011-06-01T15:30:00.003+08:00

These are regular cupcakes.

But we can actually transform these regular   cupcakes into ice cream cupcakes!

The waffle cones we used. 


Voila! Ice cream cupcakes that will perfectly suit your sweet cravings, especially during the summer! According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, sweet foods such as cupcakes, IF TAKEN MODERATELY can actually nourish "Qi"(essential energy).

I've been searching for great recipes for cupcakes for the past weeks to satisfy my family’s sweet palate. Since it is blazing hot here in the Philippines during summer, I thought that a perfect way to represent what summer is all about was to transform our regular cupcakes into ice cream cupcakes! We put some icing inside the cone, placed the cupcake on top, and decorated it with colorful sprinkles. So pleasing to the eye, so delectable to the taste.

Mexican Cuisine

2011-06-01T14:30:00.001+08:00

Mexicali Restaurant

Sofas and tables outside the resto

The bar

The dining area

Ground Beef Burrito

The very affordable and delicious Cheese and Garlic Quesadilla

My all-time favorite dish- Chicken Enchilada with Rice and Salad

As part of our BS Nutrition curriculum, we the students are required to observe the operation and management of some food service establishments. A year ago, my group was fortunate enough to have been accepted to work at Mexicali Restaurant located at the Alabang Town Center. Mexicali serves fun-filled, flavorful authentic Mexican cuisine. The Mexican ambiance of the place is accentuated by the yellow lights which give a little more glow and brightness to the dining area. Outside of the resto, there are sofas and tables for people who would like to smoke, drink, and chill the days and nights away. The nonstop Mexican music floating cheerfully in the air makes you want to swing your head and shoulders to that Latin beat. Mexicali is a cozy and laid-back place with scrumptious dishes- A MUST TRY. Olé!!!

Pizza and pasta night

2011-06-01T12:52:00.003+08:00

Regular spaghetti noodles. Some of my health-conscious friends prefer whole-wheat pasta. Though whole-wheat pasta tastes a little different from the conventional pasta made with refined and processed flour, it contains more dietary fiber and other nutrients, thus, a healthier alternative.

Fresh basil leaves. We get our supply from our very own small herb garden. Basil is a bestseller culinary herb in our home, especially since my sister’s most acclaimed dish is pesto pasta. Our relatives and friends swear by my sister’s expertise on this dish. Promise, I will feature her pesto pasta in my future blogs. Basil contains many chemical compounds that are known to have disease preventing properties. Also, it is a good source of Iron.

Of course, the tomato sauce. Tomato not only satisfies our taste buds but also helps fight diseases because of its Lycopene content, a vital anti-oxidant.

The final product. Yummmm!

What's   a pasta without a pizza? This simple pizza has grated cheese, hotdogs, ham,   onion, tomato sauce.                       

I am so thrilled because this is my first blog. I can't wait to share with you all my food adventures. So last night, my sister and I decided to prepare a pizza and a pasta for dinner. She did the pasta, which was Spaghetti with tomato sauce, lean ground beef and fresh basil, while I made the pizza. She always cooks spaghetti, Italian style (not sweet). The rich sauce was made more special with the sweet aroma of chopped fresh basil leaves Please take note: Make sure to add the basil leaves towards the end of your cooking so that the volatile oils will not be dissipated by heat. For the pizza, I used tomato sauce, onions, hotdogs, ham, and grated cheese. A very simple and easy-to-do meal for your loved ones.