Round 2

Today was a particularly easy day for me, nothing much on my calendar.... just watched the live telecast of American Idol this morning.

After the show, I went again to Golden Bay Seafood Restaurant on Macapagal Ave. for Round 2.  I still had a few dim sum I wanted to taste.



Machang - Chicken with Sticky Rice .... Tita Bebet loves Machang! 



It was my very first time to eat Machang and was so surprised I liked it.



I wish Jing was able to join me for lunch, it was good for 2 because the rice was a bit heavy.  Hello?!??!?!  Of course, it would be heavy... sticky rice?!?!?! It was flavorful and delicious.

Pan-fried Radish Cake with XO



Ohhhh ... so yum .... I felt that each cube was fried in butter!!!  LOL Well, it just seemed to be cooked that way but maybe it was the XO that I could taste.

Steamed Chicken Feet



I would love to order this again!!!  The skin of the chicken feet was so tender!  LOL  Was able to suck out all the meat and the bones were left so clean!

And surprise!!!!!  Boiled Peanuts with the sauce!!!! 



I finished the whole thing to the last drop!  LOL I think I must have licked the serving dish.

Shrimp Rice Roll



I like the way  they prepare the shrimps .... so sweet and plump. 



Just like me!!!!

Complimentary Garlic Peanuts 



They extended the 50% off dim sum promo up to June 30!!!  I want to take my Kuya there, also Tita Portia, Mona as well .... and Jing too!  

BUTTTT I want to go with them one at a time! 

Mona wants to be with Jing, but I told her.....

Mona, the dim sum baskets normally contain 4 pieces, I want to eat 2 of each dim sum all the time. If we are three, then I would only able to eat a piece!!!  Hahahahahaha!

Until my next visit .......... to be continued.

Assorted Sandwiches

Tita Portia asked me to prepare assorted sandwiches for her One Day Paper Crafts Course.

Cheese Pimiento and Chicken Sandwiches  http://liasfoodjourney.blogspot.com/2011/04/easter-picnic-baskets.html

Ham with Guava Jelly Pan de Sal http://liasfoodjourney.blogspot.com/2012/05/ham-with-guava-jelly-pan-de-sal.html

Sophie and Renzo  *helped* me assemble the sandwiches but there was more pilferage than helping! Hahahaha  They particularly loved the Santis Honey Ham.  Renzo, my 6 year-old nephew, asked if I could make the ham sandwich as his baon for his first day of school!  Wow!  And to think before he barely ate!  Now that he is hanging out with his Ate Sophie and Tita Lia ... he is going to get chunkier!!!  Or maybe chubbier?

Hahahahaha Soon .... Karma is a b**ch!

One time, Renzo and I were in the car....

Renzo:  You are chubby.
Lia: Thank you, Renzo!
Renzo: Chubby is NOT beautiful, you know!!!!

Hahahahaha! Where do kids get their ideas?!?!?!

Now ... can you blame me if I do not like kids that much????   LOL But I  still love that little boy.

Ham and Mushroom Crepes with Cheese Sauce

I experimented today with savory crepes using the recipe of Sophie for the batter.  I looked at several cookbooks for the filling and just came up with a very easy one.

Ham and Mushroom Crepes with Cheese Sauce

Batter:  http://liasfoodjourney.blogspot.com/2012/05/cooking-mood.html



1 T. butter
60 gr. ham, chopped
60 gr. mushrooms, chopped

Saute the ham and mushrooms in butter.



Then add the cheese sauce.



Cheese Sauce

1 T. butter
1 T. flour
300 ml. milk
1/2 t. chicken powder
30 gr. quick melt cheese, grated

Melt the butter, then add the flour, keep stirring until the flour has dissolved.  Gradually add the milk.  Season with the chicken powder.  Add the cheese and cook until thick.

Put 1 T. of the filling on the center of the crepe,



then fold like an envelope.



Continue cooking until the crepe is a bit brown.



Serve while hot.

Sophia  loved it!  She said she just did not love it but LOVED! LOVED! LOVED it!

Of course, she is a white sauce kind of person.  I asked Sophia to teach me how to cook her crepes tomorrow.  I really like the way hers turned out.

P.S. (the next day)

Now I  know why the crepes of Sophie are more delicious than mine.

#1 Her non-stick pan is so much better than my pan. Hermie probably used metal cooking utensils.
#2 Sophie told me my crepes were a little undercooked!  No wonder mine tasted like lumpia wrapper!!!  She said, before I flip the crepe over, I have to make sure it is well cooked.  Then the crepes would be light and airy as opposed to dense and rubbery.

Way to go, Soph!

Golden Bay Seafood Restaurant

There is an on-going 50% off dim sum promo at Golden Bay Seafood Restaurant up to May 31 only! 



Yesterday, Mayette and Jon had lunch there and they said the food was delicious.  Of course, I just had to try today!

When I woke up this morning I had a very bad case of Vertigo, I even had to hold on to the door to get my bearings.  After taking Serc, I felt better and off I went to Golden Bay Seafood Restaurant on Macapagal Ave. beside DFA.

I am still in my sio mai obsession ..... so, I got one basket.



Mayette said the Hakaw was big and plump.



The shrimp inside was so fresh!

I always prepare 2 kinds of dipping sauce.... soy sauce and kalamansi and the other one, chili and kalamansi.



The funny thing is .... I would always mix the two after eating a few pieces of the dumplings.  One of my quirks, I suppose.

I also tried the Sio Long Bao....



It was OK but after enjoying the one from Taiwan, it is hard to find a match in taste and texture.

Taro Puff ... my all time deep fried dim sum favorite.



It was served with a savory sauce.

Complimentary boiled peanuts.



They have about 81 kinds of dim sum to choose from! If I can just go back everyday I would! Still a lot I have yet to try!!!!  And I am almost booked till the end of the month!  I hope I can squeeze in one more visit.

I want to eat again at Golden Bay Seafood Restaurant tomorrow!!!!  Who wants to come with me???  My eating partner, Mona, is already a working girl! :(( She does not have time to join me in my adventures anymore.  LOL Please send in your application if you want to be my partner!

Hong Kong Roast Express

I had a very late breakfast at noon, I was not feeling well earlier in the day because as you have seen in my previous post ... I have over eaten... and my tummy was paying for my sins.  After taking medication, I felt a little bit better and decided to try the new dining place. I figured it was a Sunday and parking will not be a problem on Jupiter cor. Galaxy Streets in Bel-Air.

I got the Roast Pork rice topping set ... it came with a free glass of Coke.



I am in my sio mai obsession these days ...  I tried one order.



I was just telling Mona this morning about the fried mantou buns with condensed milk sauce I ate at a teahouse in Binondo.





I forgot my camera and just used my Blackberry .... the pictures are not as clear as I want them to be.













My Kuya later on dropped by ... I forgot to take a picture of his Wanton Noodle Soup!  I asked for an extra bowl ... I liked the broth which was right up my alley .... SALTY! Hahahahaha.!

They have Horlicks Drink!  I wonder how it tastes?  I still have a few more things I want to try .... maybe next time, Mona and I can share an order of Beef Hofan!

Saturday Surprise

My day was full of surprises.  Saturday is our usual family lunch, no surprise there.

I finally baked the Baby Chicken Relleno I made the other day.



Nilagang Baka for Gilly ..... separated the vegetables and broth from the meat and marrow...



The marrow bones were stacked one on top of each other. 



We let PD have them all, I think she shared one with my Ate.

Fried Lumpiang Ubod



Bicol Express I made on my cooking mood day and stored in the freezer.



SURPRISE!!!! Sio Long Bao from Taiwan!!!



Someone gave us a box of Sio Long Bao.... hand carried from Taiwan.



It was really delish!!!!  If one does not want to go to Taiwan for the dumplings ... the Lugang Sio Long Bao dumplings taste as good.

We also got Pineapple Cake...







and a small box of special Chef Edition from Godiva.





The surprise did not end there!

Paul and Cathy invited me to the 1st birthday of their daughter, Sam.



They ordered Lechon from Generals!!!!

Wow! My very first time to eat that kind of lechon.

The skin was crispy!



And my favorite rib bones and belly were so flavorful!!!

As you can see from the stuffing .... lots of garlic... spices, lemon grass and chili!!!!! 



YUM!!!!

I ate to my hearts content.  After a few minutes, I had to drink Serc because I could feel the world spinning around me.

Oh but oh so worth it!!!!

I loved all my surprises today!

Banana Cubana

What is Banana Cubana???? 



I got the idea from a friend who has eaten a stuffed saba banana with meat.  I figured ... hey ... what if I stuff a banana with the meat of arroz ala Cubana?  

I experimented .... cooked the ground meat as I would for arroz ala cubana.

1 C. ground beef
1 C. ground pork
garlic, chopped
onion, chopped
2 T. raisins, chopped
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1 t. soy sauce
1 t. Knorr seasoning
1/2 t. msg
1/2 C. water

Saute the garlic and onion in oil.  Add the ground meat, when it is brown already, add the rest of the ingredients.  Continue cooking until the liquid evaporates. Drain.



Slit the VERY RIPE saba banana like a hot dog bun but not all the way through.  Stuff with the meat. 



Dip in batter and the deep-fry.

Batter ( from a magazine recipe)

1/2 C. flour
3/4 C. water
dash of salt

It was just an experiment but I loved it! Maybe next time, I can try stuffing the saba with uncooked meat but I am just afraid it will be raw on the inside while the banana is already cooked.

It tasted like empanada but instead of  a doughy crust, saba was used. 



Perfect for merienda with ice cold Coke!