Lorenzo's Way

When my mom passed away, I inherited her friends. They used to have lunch once a month ... now I'm the one having lunch with them. They always ask me or Tita Portia for new places to eat. We told them we should try Lorenzo's Way (LJC group of restaurants) in Greenbelt 5. It was the birthday treat of Tita Mita and Tita Butchie.


One of their specialties is Abe's Chicken Supreme. It's whole roasted chicken stuffed with "malagkit" rice, mushrooms, chinese sausage and chesnuts served with drippings/gravy.






I ordered the Heart of Palm salad with shrimps, mangoes, black sesame seeds, lettuce leaves with a lemon/sesame oil vinaigrette.




For dessert, we had 2 orders of strawberry shortcake and blueberry custard. We all just shared, my senior friends do not eat too much sweets. Hahaha as if I am allowed!








I was not able to take pictures of the other things we ordered but the soup was very, very, very good! I'm going to make that. It was made from chorizo, bacon and ham with cream!!!! I think it was called "La Mancha" but I will check.





We all look forward to our monthly luncheons. We trade stories and I love it when they gossip hahaha. They are not the only friends of Mom, I inherited, I have a few more of her treasured friends.

Mayette's Adobo

I invited guests tonight because I made Kare-Kare. Sarita and two new friends joined me for dinner. I do not know why Adobo is always paired with it.... but after eating with Kare-Kare... it made sense. Really good combination.



For years and years I've tried cooking adobo but I never got it right until I ate at Mayette's house and she taught me how. My mom never liked the adobo with soy sauce..... said that wasn't the right way to cook it. And I don't like to eat anemic looking adobo! So.... this recipe will give it the right color and taste of an old fashioned Adobo.

Mayette's Old Fashioned Adobo

1 k. meat (chicken or pork or both)

1 head garlic, crushed

10 black peppercorns

2 t. rock salt

1/2 C. vinegar

1 cup water

1/4 C. cooking oil

1 head garlic, crushed




In a stainless steel pot (not aluminum because it reacts with the vinegar) put the chicken or pork or chicken and pork. Add 1 head garlic, peppercorns, salt, vinegar and water. When it boils rapidly, without stirring, lower the heat and cook for 30 minutes, not more than 30 minutes or else the chicken will be mushy. Drain the meat and set aside the garlic.



In a wok, heat the oil. Fry the meat then set aside. In the same oil, brown the garlic from the stock and 1 more head of garlic. Pour the broth in which the meat was boiled. Let the broth boil until only 1/2 is left, put back the meat and continue cooking until the sauce has been reduced to about 1/4 cup and oil has been rendered from the meat.



I still have left over Adobo from dinner! I want to wake up already and eat it for lunch!!! Mona taught me something bad. After I reheat the Adobo in the wok, I am going to put the rice and toss it a few times so it will be coated with Adobo oil!!!



How will I ever lose weight if I eat like this all the time?

Mussels with Corn

I was on the phone with Mona last night.... we were talking about Libby's creamed corn when I suddenly said: WAIT! I have to talk to my helper before she sleeps! I told Hermie to buy me mussels in the market in the morning because I still have Japanese corn in the fridge! In my mind last night ... I was already imagining the corn soup I'm going to eat for lunch. I think that is why I'm always hungry. I think about food all the time ... and when I think about it ... I imagine how I will cook it and I can already taste (in my mind) the food!

The corn soup was perfect for my first meal of the day, it was light but with carbs and protein to give me energy for a few hours (before I get hungry again). It seems odd to eat breakfast food at lunchtime but there are times when I eat pancakes for dinner!

Fresh Corn Soup with Mussels

1/2 K. mussels

4 corn on a cob, shredded

garlic

onion

4 C water or rice washing (hugas bigas)

dahon sili

salt and pepper

patis

Saute garlic, onion and shredded corn. Add water, boil until kernels are tender. Add mussels and season the soup. When the mussles open add the sili leaves. Discard shells that did not open. Serve hot.

Longganisa Rice

There was a mini HS class reunion here in my house a few weeks ago. One of my classmates, Cher, brought longganisa rice and it was so good! I have been dreaming about it eversince.... really... literally. I asked for the recipe and her sister, Lia, shared it with me.

Thank you, Lia! hehehe she's another Lia.

There is a similar rice dish in Dulcinea which I also love called Chorizo rice. It is not in the menu but they will make if you order. I have always wondered how it's done. But now... with my new knowledge... I can experiment one of these days.

Longganisa Rice shared by Lia Enrile Espiritu

3 C. day old rice

olive oil

1-2 T. atsuete seeds

white onion, chopped

garlic, chopped

4 pcs. Nueva Ecija Garlic Longganisa (SM Makati)

toasted chopped garlic

Heat olive oil in a wok, add atsuete seeds. When the oil turns orange, remove seeds.

Saute chopped onion until transluscent, add garlic.

Remove casing of the longganisa then add to the onion-garlic.

When the meat is darker in color and a bit toasted, push to one side of the wok and brown 1 head of chopped garlic.

Add the rice and continue cooking for a few more minutes.

I garnished the longganisa rice with white onions cut into rings just like the way they do it in Dulcinea. Plus... I'm more of an onion person rather than a garlic person. Hahahahaha I just hope I don't smell like one! Cher said it is best eaten with Pako salad with red eggs and white cheese. I was not able to buy the ingredients because they didn't have pako leaves in Rustan's. But will definitely try it next time.

Midnight Snack

My midnight snack! I was chatting with my friend Lisa on YM and we were talking about food! Kare - Kare, palitaw, baby back ribs, pandesal with cheez whiz then I told her... Lisa! What will I do? I'm hungry! Then she said... Lia, then eat! Ohhhh I just got the go signal to indulge myself in a light midnight snack. Just to keep the wolves errrr I mean the hunger pangs at bay.

I raided my fridge and pantry and got all the stuff I needed to assemble my snack.

Smucker's Concord Grape Jelly
Elle & Vire Cream Cheese
Golden Churn Butter
Mountain Fresh Guava Jelly
Peter Pan Peanut Butter
555 Spanish Style Sardines
Skyflakes

The best combination for me was cream cheese with Spanish sardines! Really so Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!!! I couldn't stop eating! hahahaha Well that was bad of me. Next best was the peanut butter with grape jelly. Surprisingly, the skyflakes with butter and guava jelly was also good. I didn't like the plain topped crackers - butter, peanut butter, cream cheese, jelly.

I remember a funny story ... one time Mona and I were having merienda, I brought out the things I needed to assemble a "canape".

Fita Crackers
Philadelphia Cream Cheese
Hormel Deviled Ham
Smucker's Concord Grape Jelly

Spread the crackers with cream cheese, then a layer of deviled ham and dot with grape jelly.

Back to the funny story .... my niece, Sophie joined us... and she also wanted to try my concoction. I told her that the ham was made by the devil!!! Hahahhahaha and she believed me! She read the word DEVIL from the can and left us. I'm such a bad Tita!!!!! hahahahahahahaha

Vegetables

We need vegetables and fruits in our body. Good thing lately I've been craving for vegetables! I still have a hard time eating salads so I cook my vegetables in soup stock most of the time... or if not .. the usual sauteed veggies.

Tonight I had my favorite shabu shabu, although my Ate doesn't want me eating it most of the time because of the sodium content of the broth. I filled half of the plate with spinach, Taiwan pechay, Chinese cabbage, Japanese corn and carrots. Then I bought in SM Makati live suahe. I added 3 crab sticks from the freezer and 4 pieces of mushroom meatball which I bought in a grocery in Ongpin St. in Binondo the last time I was there. I also added a few strips of sukiyaki beef.

For my dipping sauce, I used a teaspoon of the barbecue sauce, Kikkoman soysauce, finely chopped garlic, calamansi and chopped spring onions.

I enjoyed myself while having dinner. I set up my 1 burner electic burner on top of my dining table, used my small shabu shabu pot, it's actually just a small stainless steel pot but I only use it for shabu shabu. I cook and ate leisurely while watching NCIS. Other people do not like the idea of cooking their own food, maybe they are too busy or they are really not into it. Whereas, I. Love. It!

Sizzling Bangus

One night while I was searching the web for seafood recipes... I came across the Sizzling Tilapia Recipe. My sister and her family had lunch here today and I experimented with the sizzling fish. I only had bangus in the freezer so I used it. I think you can use any kind of fish for this recipe... Lapu-Lapu, tanigue, fish head, etc. I also made sotanghon soup for my niece, turbo chicken and fresh vegetable lumpia. I assembled the mango dessert I have been planning for days but the mango I bought was vert tart, so it wasn't successful. I will try another version next time.

Sizzling Bangus (adapted from the Sizzling Tilapia recipe from the web http://www.maxfieldseafood.com/page.php?page_id=11&PHPSESSID=22c88c98081f493d705f50b636609158)


700 grams Boneless Bangus - marinate for 30 minutes in a shallow heatproof dish with the ff.:

3 pcs. calamansi

2 big cloves garlic

1 1/2 t. rock salt

1 T. soysauce

1 T. ginger, sliced

1 T. celery, sliced

Cover with cling wrap. Steam the fish (do not remove from the heatproof dish) for 10-15 minutes.


Toppings:


drained pineapple tidbits, juice reserved for the sauce

toasted chopped garlic

spring onions

toasted sesame seeds

sliced green (pang sigang) pepper


Sizzling Sauce


1 cup water

pineapple juice

2 T. soysauce

3 T. white sugar

1/4 t. black pepper


Boil for 5 minutes.


Heat the sizzling plate, put the steamed fish, add the toppings and pour the sizzling sauce.

Kimpura - Trinoma

I had a good lunch today at Kimpura Restaurant in Trinoma. Tita Portia invited me! MMMmmmmmmmmMMMMMmmm!!!!

Hahahaha That was me saying: YUM!

As usual, one can't eat at a Japanese resto without ordering Tempura! I miss the place along Pasay Road with the eat all you can tempura. I can't remember the name but it was across Quad carpark when it wasn't Park Square 1 yet! The prawns tempura were served in Japanese bamboo baskets and always 6 pieces/serving. My family and I used to consume 5-6 baskets each!!!! I think the most number of Tempura I have eaten in my entire life was 42 pieces! And those were not little shrimps, they were prawns!

We sat at the misono grill and ordered....

Beans sprouts and Lobster tail Teppanyaki

All time favorite Oysters Teppanyaki

Japanese Fried Rice

Free appetizers - dilis with pickled radish and cabbage

After lunch, we had to clean our palate because we could still taste the Japanese food. At Cocktales, we ordered.... Breeze something ... Sorry, I can't remember the name but the base was milky mango shake with assorted tapioca, gulaman jelly and fresh fruits.

I want to make my own version for my store... will have to experiment. Will use crushed ice then will pour mango/milk puree and top with fresh ripe mangoes, colored gulaman and pearl sago. I really need volunteers to taste test my new products.

Home cooked food

I love pork chops cooked like the Filipino Beefsteak. Years and years ago... hahaha a long, long time ago ... My friends and I went to Baguio and I can never forget the pork chop that Mariger cooked! It was just a simple Pork Chop steak and I have been trying for years to cook it the way she did but it never turned out good.

Yesterday, I figured... why don't I try again? I marinated 2 pcs. of pork chops in 2 T. soy sauce, black pepper and 1 t. calamansi juice for a few hours. Normally, the meat is fried then braised slowly, right? What I did was:

1. Braised the meat in 1 cup water for about 30 minutes until broth was reduced to 1/4 cup.
2. Then fried the pork chops slightly.
3. Put on a serving platter.
4. Sauteed white onion rings in the same oil in which the chops were fried.
5. Added the reduced stock and let it boil once.
6. Poured over the pork chops.

The result was fall of the bone tender pork chops and the fat and skin so soft you can cut it using a spoon!

So.... finally! I know how to make my favorite Pork Chop Steak!



I was also in the mood to eat Kilawin Puso ng Saging yesterday. While braising the pork chops, I went to Rockwell because I wanted to buy the kilawin from Milkyway ... when I got there... one small container cost 240 pesos!!! That was too much for a vegetable dish. I bought my own puso in Rustan's and it only cost 35 pesos. I made my own version.. super simple, no frills... I'm still waiting for my classmate Catherine to ask the cook of her Mom in law to give me the recipe.

No Frills Kilawin Puso ng Saging

1 white banana heart
Garlic, crushed
Onion, chopped
1 cup water
1 Knorr Pork cube
black pepper
1-2 T. vinegar

Have a big bowl ready with water and 2 T. rock salt. Remove the outer tough covering of the puso, then slice across the grain, dropping into the bowl of salted water as you slice. Soak for 5 minutes. Squeeze out the juice, rinse and drain.

Saute in cooking oil the garlic then the onion. Next, add the drained puso. Continue sauteing for a few minutes, add 1 cup water, pork cube and black pepper. When it boils, lower heat, cover and cook until tender. Add the vinegar and cook for another minute or two.





Too tired to cook something tonight so it was just "junk food" for me! Chili Dogs!!!! I used the long Purefoods German Franks, boiled in water for a few minutes then fried slightly in 1 T. cooking oil. I don't like the jumbo sized hotdogs because it is too short for the bread. I like using Olsen Hotdog buns because I think Sabrett uses the same. I wrapped the bread in foil and steamed it for 5 minutes.

The toppings:

Hormel Chili
Kraft Cheddar Cheese, grated
chopped white onions
coney island mustard
brown spicy mustard





I will be hungry the whole night if I just made 1 sandwich....sooo... it was back to back chili dogs for me! Hahahahahahaha
Just don't kiss anybody after eating my chili dogs!!!!

Girls Day Out

I think I have to admit even if I don't want to, that I love to eat. In the vernacular ... "Matakaw". Today was a Girls day out for my family... I was with Tita Portia, Ate Gina and my niece, Gilly. So... 3 adults and 1 child. And we ordered all of these in Kirin, Bonifacio High Street!

Since we were only "4-1" (my niece just ate shrimp wanton noodle soup and siomai) and we couldn't possibly finish a whole Peking duck, we just ordered half a duck and got 2 plates of duck wrapped in pancake with hoisin sauce, cucumber, leeks and carrots.

I read in one of the magazines, I can't remember which one, that the rice roll with shrimps was very good. Yes, the magazine was correct. For Philippine standards, it was all right.








The Shrimp Hakao did not disappoint us. They make the dimsum as you order and not kept on a steamer all day long. So the wrapper was not mushy and did not fall apart.

Spicy Chili Szechuan Chicken was .... SPICY!!! hahahaha It had more chili than chicken. But a better alternative than the fried spicy spareribs if one is health conscious. Lesser of two evils!

I never eat at Kirin without ordering the pork and shrimp siomai.

I don't know why we couldn't eat at a chinese resto without ordering Yang Chow Fried Rce.

I had to ask the head waiter to change our seafood noodles. The last time we ate there, I already called his attention that the Fried Noodle dish was swimming in sauce! Then they served again this time a "soupy" version. So when the dish came back, he said, the cook made us another one, with the right amount of sauce but I didn't take the picture anymore.

They used to serve soup in a cup, good for 1 serving ... but now they don't anymore, so we ordered the small serving of Hot and Sour soup.




All in all I could say... we had a good lunch! Hahahahaha I was so stuffed to the point when I got in the car, I had to unbutton the snap of my shorts and pull down the zipper!!!! Hahahaha Sorry ! TMI! (Too much information!)

Mayette's Ham

Thank you, Mayette! Yesterday, my friend said they have a ham from the USA and I said, "Oh! That is what I have been looking for!" I don't know if they sell it here in Manila but most of the ham I am able to buy are either Chinese style which is salty... or deli ham which is kind of bland for me or the frozen ham in the supermarket which I just use for cooking.


I remember the best ham I have ever tasted was the homemade ham of Tito Augusto, the late Dad of my friend Jing. It was even bigger than my thighs! Hahaha And mine are kinda big! I wish back then I asked him to teach me. Never have I tasted ham so succulent and moist and really nice color of pink. The next best ham for me was the Baked Virginia ham (from the US but baked here in Manila) given to Tita Portia by the owner of one of the hotels here in Manila.


Last night, I met with Mayette in Rockwell and she gave me ham!!!! As soon as I woke up today I already assembled my sandwich for lunch. I spread softened butter on one side of each bread. I used my special Golden Churn butter.... Then put lettuce on each face... layered 100 grams of the ham on one side (I still have 100 grams left for another sandwich), then on the other face, put sliced salad tomato on top of the lettuce and jellied cranberry sauce.




I really enjoyed my lunch!!!! I remember when I was young my sandwich only had 1 slice of ham, I didn't like it back then. But ever since my Tita Portia started making sandwiches for me.... I never realized that there has to be at least 100 grams of meat in the sandwich for it to be tasty! I don't like mayo in my sandwiches also, just butter. Sometimes if I don't have cranberry I drizzle the ham with honey.

I'm going to buy fresh bread in the grocery after I go to the gym(first day) in a while... haahaha I have been stalling since I woke up but I'm going soon.... and will make another sandwich later!!! Yes!!!! I think it is wrong.. my motivation to go to the gym today is: afterwards I can have another sandwich!!! That's Lia for you.

President Grand Palace Restaurant

My favorite restaurant in Chinatown is President Grand Palace Restaurant along Ongpin Street. The place has been renovated and so it looks "cleaner" and more sanitary than before. I had lunch with my friends, Mona and Mayette. We were so stuffed we were not able finish the food, even if we wanted to. It is hard to eat in a Chinese restaurant when you are only 3 or less because the servings are big and you can't order a lot unless you want to take it home but then it won't taste good anymore.

I loved, loved, loved the roast suckling pig.... the cold cuts platter consisted of jellyfish, century eggs, steamed white chicken, roast pork and what do I love thee????? hahaha roast suckling pig!!!!

Sweet and Sour Pork

Our favorite Sizzling Noodles with Pork and Shrimps.

(Sorry, it looks messy because I wasn't able to fix it nicely, the serving platter was far from me when I took the picture.)

I want to go back again! I can never get tired of the sizzling noodles and the "piggy".

Seafood Shabu Shabu at home

Last night, my Ate texted me to tune in to Channel 24, Tara! Let's Eat!, because the show's theme was Binondo popular food places. I have eaten in most of the restaurants they featured. I used to go around Chinatown and discover little dining places or read blogs and check out the hole in the wall restos.




Tonypet, the host, ordered Seafood Hot Pot from Golden Fortune Seafood Restaurant. It really looked so delicious! I even told my Ate and friends that when I wake up I would go to Chinatown. But I didn't because it was too hot already and as usual, too late to go.




I almost ate in Tong Yang Jupiter because I was really craving for Seafood Shabu Shabu but then I remembered, Wednesday was Baclaran day... Fresh seafood galore.... can make my own Seafood Hotpot. I was able to buy 1 live alimango, small prawns, clams, spinach and Taiwan pechay. I just added from the feezer kani sticks, meatballs and mushroom meat balls.




I used Lee Kum Kee Soup Base for Seafood Hotpot. I added 5 cups of water insted of 6 because I like my soup a bit salty.









I have a small pot and I only use it for cooking shabu shabu and an electric burner which I put on my dining table.

The crab was so sweet! Why? It was still alive and breathing when I dropped it in the boiling soup stock! And to think I already opened it and cleaned the gray spongy stuff inside. I felt no remorse.

My dipping sauce was Kikkoman soysauce and barbecue sauce. Chopped garlic, pepper and spring oinions can be added.

Viral Burrito Craving

When I woke up today, I logged on to FB to check what was happening to my friends around the world. There was an entry by my HS classmate, Lei and she was asking if she should eat pasta or burrito. Then I suddenly had a craving for BURRITO!!! Hahahaha .... I never realized that a food craving can be viral! I surfed the net, there were several restaurants serving burritos but the nearest for me was Mexicali in The Link Building beside Makati Shangrila Hotel. I ordered Carne Asada and Chili con Carne.

Carne Asada

Chili con Carne

Before I left the house, I called Gelatone in Greenbelt to ask if they have BLACK CHERRY ice cream. It's my most favorite flavor in the entire world! They don't always have it so I always call to check.

Promise! It was really sooooooooo good! I couldn't care less if it was dripping on my hand while I was walking and I had to lick it all over! I'm normally embarrassed to eat ice cone in public because of its suggestive nature! Hahahaha Several years ago, my crazy and silly male friends were videotaping us girls while eating ice cream in cone in my house. Then after a few minutes we all watched the video and were LOL. The guys were "grading" the way the girls were eating ice cream. So, ever since then, I never eat ice cream in cone in public... but today.... was an exception. Just look at the picture and tell me if it wasn't worth licking!

Black Cherry

Happy Mother's Day to Wriggly's Mama!

Happy Mother's Day to me! I'm not a mother to real children but only to my baby, Wriggly. When I woke up, I posted in FB that I was going to celebrate today even if I'm not a Mom. The power of positive thinking really worked! My Tita Portia invited me for the afternoon tea buffet at The Pen and then after a few minutes I received another invitation from Mayette for dinner! She said they have LECHON, so I replied: Yes! YAY! Hooray!!!!!


My Tita enjoys taking high tea, so in every country she goes to ... she just has to try all the places where they serve it. She was even featured in several magazines for her tea parties. I don't understand why it makes her happy but I suppose the feeling is the same when I'm at the beach and enjoying myself. She always invites me to join her. High Tea is a pleasant experience especially now that you rarely see gentility in everyday aspect of life. There is even an etiquette for High Tea.... lots and lots of rules.


History of the Afternoon Tea Party

While drinking tea as a fashionable event is credited to Catharine of Braganza, the actual taking of tea in the afternoon developed into a new social event some time in the late 1830’s and early 1840’s. Jane Austen hints of afternoon tea as early as 1804 in an unfinished novel. It is said that the afternoon tea tradition was established by Anne, Duchess of Bedford. She requested that light sandwiches be brought to her in the late afternoon because she had a “sinking feeling” during that time because of the long gap between meals. She began to invite others to join her and thus became the tradition. http://www.afternoontoremember.com/learn/etiquette


How to eat scones with jam and clotted cream. First you split the scone open in the middle horizontally with a knife, spread butter, then jam and top with clotted cream.

I had several servings of Bacon Quiche, Mushroom-Asparagus-Cheese Crostini, Beef Tenderloin Skewers with Green and Red Pepper and 1 serving of Cucumber with Cream Cheese sandwich and Pan De Sal filled with Shredded Adobo Flakes.

I always get fruits, cheeses and nuts for dessert whenever there is a buffet. I don't like the pastries in hotels sometimes because they are too sweet. I liked the Pen Chocolate Chunk Cookie but I only let myself have 1 piece. The Japanese melon was not that sweet but the watermelon was. The dragon fruit tasted funny. I got 2 slices of cheese, hard and semi hard, teeny bit slice of cheesecake, dried apricots and walnuts.

I chose the herbal Jasmine tea since I can't take the black teas because of the caffeine. I was so stuffed!

Good thing I still had a couple of hours left before going to Mayette's house for dinner! The food was lechon and I needed space in my stomach!

The skin was very crunchy and I got my favorite part which was the rib area! A whole lechon for just a few adults so it was really EAT ALL YOU CAN!

What a Mother's day celebration I had! To copy a quote from the FB post of my friend, Edith:

It is wiser not to expect but to hope. For in expecting we meet disappointments, whereas in hoping, we invite surprises and miracles.

See how that worked for me on Mother's Day?

Fiber Fiber Fiber

Dra. Tricia (a.k.a. Impeng) said we need Fiber! Last Friday, there was a small get together with HS friends here in my house and when Dra. discovered that there was no "Fiber" in the menu the day before she was a bit aghast! So..... I was thinking and said to myself, we can't have an all meat menu! I rummaged through my pantry and fridge and good thing I saw several ingredients I could use! I bought in Rustan's the lettuce and apple.

Lia's version of Kani Salad

1 pack kani, shredded

1 can Del Monte Whole Corn Kernel, drained

1 small can pineapple tidbits, drained

1 big cucumber, peeled, deseeded and cubed

1 fuji apple, cubed

1 small head of lettuce, torn into pieces

160 ml. mayonnaise

2-3 T. condensed milk


Toss all together in a salad bowl and chill for a few hours before serving.




The mini reunion with my HS classmates was great. We had so much fun and we enjoyed the good food and drinks that everybody brought. I grabbed pictures of the food from my classmate, Sarita in FB (Thanks!). I forgot to take photos!

Crispy Pata from Amber's

Longganisa Rice from my classmate, Cher. Super Yum! I'm waiting for the recipe.


Chicken relleno (recipe in one of my earlier posts)

Ocean Spray Jellied Cranberry Sauce (I don't like the other brands.)

Pork Barbeque from Amber's

Mango Bravo from Conti's

Black Magic from Sugarhouse

Pichi Pichi from Amber's