Lunch at Chesa Bianca - Swiss Restaurant.

Time flies so fast. It has been a month since I had lunch with the friends of my Mom. We meet once a month together with Tita Portia. They always ask us where to eat because they know, we would know.



Tita Portia and I recommended that we try Chesa Bianca. It used to be Bianca's Vinotek, then they remodeled and renamed.



The favorite of Tita Portia was the Veal Liver - Sauteed calf's liver in onion, butter and parsley served with crisp roesti.







It was also Tita Butchie's favorite, so they ordered the same thing. Surprisingly, it was delicious. My Tita finished her order! I tried a little and it was good, the liver was tender and didn't taste bad at all!!! I have never been a liver fan but I don't mind ordering my own next time. I loved the crisp roesti. I think it's made with grated potatoes and onions, formed into a patty then fried until crisp. Hahaha to explain in a more pedestrian manner.... It was like Mc Donald's hash brown!!! Hehehe.



Tita Josie ordered Sliced Veal Zurich Style - Sliced veal in a mushroom cream sauce served with Swiss roesti potatoes.






I also tried a bit and again ... it didn't disappoint me! If I only knew..... I was afraid to try the Swiss dishes, I should have... but will ... next time.




I remembered the best pizza I had was at Cave Wendenberg, beside Santi's Yakal, since the owner of Bianca's was the same, I asked if I could order their pizza, but the waiter said I can but at Carpaccio, their Italian Restaurant. I had the Pizza with Italian Sausage. I liked the crust because it was very light and thin, easy to finish a whole pizza all by myself. I saved the edges for Wriggly. But the pizza wasn't as cheesy and "stringy" as the one I ate at Cave's.




Tita Mita changed her order and also got the Pizza with mushrooms, mozzarella cheese and Parma ham.

We were all so full after we couldn't even order dessert. I wouldn't mind eating again at Chesa Bianca and won't be afraid to order their other Swiss Main Courses. The seniors got a huge discount! Can't wait to be a Senior citizen!!!!

Afternoon Tea Parties by Tita Portia

My Tita Portia is really known for her Afternoon Tea Parties. She was featured in several publications such as the Philippine Panorama, Sense & Style (April 2010) and Cocoon (June-August 2010). She loves going to High Tea all over the world. She was the one who introduced me to the wonderful world of Afternoon Tea at The Author's Lounge of Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok for my birthday several years ago. Then after that, a trip to wherever is not complete without trying new places. Even here in the Philippines, we went to all the hotels that served Afternoon Tea. For me, the best was at The Peninsula, Manila.

But when it comes to serving Afternoon tea at home , nothing can beat the sumptuous and beautiful feast prepared by Tita Portia. Even the press people had wonderful things to say about it. One would not believe the labor of love my Tita puts into it. Some my say they were just little sandiwches and snacks but the preparation was really so time consuming and labor intensive.

Dinner for Tita Portia and her guests.

Whenever Tita Portia invites friends for dinner, she always orders from me Baked Tahong, Chicken and Pork Puchero with Eggplant Sauce and Lechon Kawali. She tells her guest that her "caterer" lives downstairs and all she has to do and send down her serving dishes. Most of the time, her friends would ask Tita Portia to send their compliments to the Chef!



I always have to buy pork with the thickest layer of fat! That is what she really loves. The Lechon Kawali was so juicy! I discovered that if I let it rest for at least an hour before chopping, the meat does not dry out and remains succulent. I have to admit, it is one of my master pieces. And the best part is.... it so EASY to make!!!! I already posted the recipe in one of my older posts.





The Puchero and the vegetables were served separately... the eggplant sauce has its own cute "eggplant" serving dish with spoon. Best eaten with patis and calamansi.




Puchero








1/2 K. Chicken, cut into pieces

1/2 K. Liempo, cut into cubes

1 T. rock salt

1 pc. Marca El Rey Chorizo de Bilbao

enough water to cover the meat

garlic, crushed

onion, sliced

1/2 C. tomato sauce

2 T. Patis

4 pcs. Saba, boiled


3 pcs. yellow camote, boiled

Pechay, boiled

Cabbage, boiled

green beans, boiled


Boil Chicken, Pork and Chorizo until tender. Remove chicken after 30 minutes then continue boiling the pork for 30 minutes more. Drain. Slice the chorizo.


Saute garlic, onion, chicken, pork and chorizo. Add patis and tomato sauce. Pour 1 cup of the broth. Simmer for 10 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Serve with vegetables on the side and eggplant sauce.



Eggplant sauce:







Broil 1/2 K. eggplant. Peel and mash with fork or process in the blender with 1/2 C. vinegar, 1/4 C. sugar and 1 head minced garlic.



My favorite last night was the Baked Tahong! This is something that can be prepared ahead of time, stored in the freezer if done the day before or refrigerator if on the same day it will be baked.


Baked Tahong (Mussels)




2 K. Tahong, half shell removed

1 bar Magnolia Gold salted butter

1 bar Che-Vital Quickmelt cheese, grated

1/4 C. garlic, finely chopped


Mix softened butter, garlic and cheese. Spread a thin layer on the tahong. Sprinkle breadcrumbs over it. Bake in 350 F for 10 minutes or until the butter-cheese topping starts to bubble.

Country Style Breakfast Sausage

I love the breakfast sausage of Pancake House. Before, I used to buy Jimmy Dean or Farmland breakfast sausage from Duty Free or S&R but they don't sell those brands anymore.

When I was in my Beef Tapa Obsession days, I came across the blog of Anton and he mentioned the very good Beef Tapa from one of those upcoming chefs. Naturally, I had to try and they have a pick up station in Paraiso Street in Dasmarinas Village. They also have different products and that was when I decided to try their fully cooked breakfast sausage.

It tastes exactly like the one in Pancake house or in my estimation, even better!!!! I have been searching for years, and now.... The search is over!

My breakfast this morning was 4 pcs. Country Style Breakfast Sausage, Hunts Baked Beans (It is better than the Hunts pork and beans.) and my recently acquired skill - fried egg.

Cooking instructions:

Put the frozen (do not thaw) sausages in the non stick frying pan over low heat. Then add 1 T. cooking oil when the pan starts to dry up. Continue cooking and turning the sausages until golden brown in color.

* P84.00/dozen

2116 Paraiso St. Dasmarinas Village

Birthday gift to a friend

I was invited by the sister in law of Mayette to attend a birthday dinner at her house tonight. I told her, will make Paella for her. It is one of the easiest dishes to make in the whole wide world. Truly! I kid you not. Sinigang is more complicated than Paella.

Most are intimidated by the thought of cooking Paella. My recipe is very simple. I was watching a show in Asian Food Channel and they featured an easy to make Paella. I tried it and adjusted according to my taste . I would like to think I have perfected this special dish after numerous attempts.


(Recipe - http://liasfoodjourney.blogspot.com/2010/04/lias-simple-paella.html)

Typical Saturday Lunch

The Saturday lunch is Family day for us. It has been mentioned several times in my previous posts that I have picky eaters and mostly like plain food, nothing too fancy or elaborate or without tomato sauce.

Bulalo soup with corn and chinese cabbage for Gilly. I separated the vegetables from the meat and soup because she only likes the ... what else? The meat and broth with rice! My other niece, Sophie, liked the "litid". I was not greedy and let my Ate and Tita have the marrow. Hahaha Normally I am, because the marrow is a prime commodity for us. I don't know how my Grandma did it but when we were younger, each of us would have our own bone with marrow as long as my forearm!

The boys, Butch and my Kuya Raul liked the corn.

I had the vegetables, they didn't touch it. I don't eat veggies often but if cooked in soup, I will.

Bulalo Soup

1 K. Beef Shanks with marrow

2 L. water

1 big white onion, quartered

10 black peppercorns

2 T. Magic Sarap

Patis, to taste

corn, cut into 3 inch length

leeks

chinese cabbage

Boil beef with onion and peppercorn until tender. Do not add salt while boiling the beef because it makes the meat tough, taking longer to cook. Add corn, season with patis and Magic Sarap. Wait until the kernels are tender then add the leeks and Chinese Cabbage, cook covered for 1 minute or until the chinese cabbage changes in color. Remove the vegetables from the soup. Serve separately if you wish.

My Ate Gina's and Tita Portia's request most of the time is anything with gata. For this weekend, my sister requested Bicol Express(recipe in one of my earlier posts).


From chunks of boiled pork skin,

I was able to make chicharon bits to add to the Bagoong Guisado(recipe in one of my earlier posts) ,


another request of my sister with green mangoes.


It is always safe to cook Inihaw na Liempo because all the adults like it.

Inihaw na Liempo

1 K. liempo, grill cut

1 T. rock salt

1 t. freshly ground black pepper

2 heads garlic, pounded

1/4 C. brown sugar

1/2 C. 7-Up

Marinate overnight and grill.

The menu for the Saturday lunch seemed so simple and yet the time spent with my family was truly precious and delicious.

My Favorite Beef Tapa

After trying several kinds of Beef Tapa, I can now say I have a favorite. I like it garlicky and a bit salty.. not too sweet. It is from Mrs. Garcia's, Metro Supermarket in Market!Market! It is just the plain Beef Tapa, don't make the mistake of buying the Lucban Beef Tapa, that is different. The only kind I haven't tried yet is the one from San Andres Market. There is someone who volunteered to buy for me.

My favorite is a bit tough though if you don't pound with a meat tenderizer. There are two ways to make tough tapa tender.

• The first way is to pound with a meat mallet before frying over low heat then increasing the heat to make it crisp.

• The second way is to half fry the meat, then pound with the meat mallet, then put it back into the frying pan.

I also love eating it together with garlic rice fried in the same pan and cooking oil until it turns a nice golden brown.

OHHHH! And by the way???? I already know how to cook fried egg!!!!

Using a non stick frying pan over low heat with 1 T. oil, break an egg gently into the pan. Wait PATIENTLY until the egg white has solidified, add a pinch of rock salt and turn over the egg. Flip over with a spatula and put on a plate.