Dessert Comes First

Peanut Butter Aplenty

I find that Filipinos either love or hate peanut butter. I’m in the first camp. I grew up on peanut butter and strawberry jam sandwiches and though my mom wasn’t – and still isn’t – a fan of the stuff, she’d make homemade peanut butter for me and my two sisters. I still remember coming home [...]

Homemade Yogurt

Yes, it can be made at home – and quite easily at that – without any fancy equipment. Disgusted with the watery texture of supermarket yogurts and unable to maintain a regular supply of Rizal Dairy’s Greek yogurt, I decide to try my hand at making my own yogurt. Making yogurt is, surprisingly, easy enough; so easy [...]

My Favorite Breakfast Place + PROMO ALERT (below)

There are three things that a breakfast worth getting up for must have: coffee, bread, and eggs: specifically, kaya toast and eggs. Breakfast is the one meal I WON’T do without. Take away my lunches, snacks, and dinners, but breakfast is my edible indispensable, especially if that breakfast consists of kaya toast and eggs. I described [...]

Four Pies O’ Mine

Spaghetti Pie, Roasted Tomato & 3-Cheese Quiche, Browned Butter Macadamia Pie, and Salted Chocolate-Caramel Pie. Drooling, yet? My editor’s task for me is simple: make four pies inspired by the movie, “Waitress.” (And if you, food lover you, haven’t watched that movie yet then get to it). Frankly, I could’ve made more than four. Pie inspires [...]

The Hospital Hotel and its Good Food

There’s more than a few good reasons why this hospital is called a “hospitel” – a hospital hotel, and more importantly, why its food is good enough to write about. Driving down from the Buendia flyover, St. Luke’s Medical Center Global City cuts a dashing silhouette. The morning sun hits it just so, making the structure’s [...]

A Good Birthday Meal To Banish Bad Memories

This is the last restaurant I ate in before I was knocked out by dengue and a severe skin condition last November so for my birthday, it’s imperative that I come back here to obliterate those bad memories. Tao Yuan is one of those restaurants that I rank right up there with Peking Garden and Choi’s [...]

A Bowl of Batchoy For The Very Brave (Plus! win yourself a bowl of batchoy; see end of post)

I say that this bowl is “for the brave” because at this store, you can have all the chicharon, garlic, green onions and of course, soup, that you can possibly eat. **Correction made. Ilonggos, yes. My apologies. In Iloilo, batchoy soup is traditionally free. The Ilonggo’s love for soup even dictates how they eat batchoy: they go [...]

For My Valentine, Food To Fall In Love With: The Best Damn Chicken Rice In Manila (part of an ongoing V-day series)

I’m trying to remember when I last ate something so good I cursed every bite. What is Hainanese chicken rice but simply boiled chicken, boiled rice, and sauces? Well, it’s not that simple, really. Chicken rice is Singapore’s de facto national dish, one that was brought to the city-state by immigrants from Hainan, China. So common [...]

For My Valentine, Foods To Fall In Love With: Le macaron (part of an ongoing V-day series)

With names as enthralling as their muted hues, these macarons are all you need for l’amour. Note: I was out of my mind when I attempted to do 12 posts in 5 days. (whacking forehead) I’ve whittled it down to what I call “an ongoing V-day series.” The rest will follow next week. I [...]

For My Valentine, Foods To Fall In Love With: A rose for me? And it’s edible too! (part of an ongoing Valentine series)

It’s a flower in three-dimensional full bloom sheltering a sweet secret. Note: I aim to finish off this list by Friday, Feb 12, 2010 because I also intend to celebrate Valentine’s Day with my Valentine. (Yes, I’m a huge proponent of Feb 14). So, 12 posts / 5 days = 2.4 posts/day. Okay, so I was [...]