Pinky is Home!

My friend, Pinky, is home!

I always organize a get-together the moment I know she is on her way to the Philippines. She works for the ship Allure of the Royal Carribean Cruises.

I told the rest of the group that I will cook and we will all just share with the expenses but they did not let me pay and divided the cost among themselves. Some of my classmates brought food so we did not ask them to contribute anymore.

Around lunch time, Catherine texted me about something and that she did not want to bother me because she knew I was busy cooking. I told her I was having lunch with my senior friends. She then asked, Who is cooking? I said, I would do it when I get home. I started at 4 and was done by 5:30.

I cooked my version of Lengua with Brown Sauce (Lengua Asado under the recipe archive).

Callos with Chorizo Pamplona.

I also assembled a simple version of Kani Salad with Kewpie Japanese Mayonaise, Kani sticks, fresh sweet mangoes, shredded carrots, corn kernels and sliced cucumber.

Hahaha! I got trigger happy and played while I was squeezing the mayo bottle.

I experimented with Baked Tilapia Fillet! It was a success, they all loved it and they said they will cook it at home.

It was soooooo easy to make!

Baked Tilapia Fillet

850 gr. Cold storage tilapia fillet

Salt and pepper

80 ml. Pack of Lady's Choice Mayonaise.

1/2 lemon, juice of

Japanese bread crumbs

1/4 C. Melted Magnolia Gold butter.

Grease an oven proof dish with olive oil.

Pat the fillet with paper towel. Season with salt and paper.

Put the fish fillet in the baking dish. Pour the lemon juice.

Spread the Mayonaise on top of the fish.

Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the fish.

Drizzle the butter on the panko crusted fish.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the top is golden in color at 375F.

Janette brought grilled Liempo.

The watermelon and cantaloupe from Mona were very sweet and refreshing!

Serla brought Inutak with Quezo de Bola. We heated it in the oven. I was able to eat it because it is made from rice.

Candy brought chocolate candy bars!

Hehehehe I brought it out when everybody was so full! I told them they do not have to eat the chocolates. I am very glad we only opened one bar and I kept the rest in my secret hiding place.

I am so estatic my friends enjoyed the food I prepared for them. It sounded like music to my ears when they said it was sooooo good!

It really is so worthwhile cooking for my favorite people!

Welcome home, Pinky! Thank you for the Leche Flan!

 

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Valentine's Lunch at TWG

My senior friends and I had a Valentine's lunch at TWG, Greenbelt 5 today.

I was with PD, Tita Tess, Tita Butchie and Tita Josie. Tita Mita was not able to join us because her son from NYC is just here for a week.

I had the Iced Eternal Summer Tea.

I only ordered a salad with poached egg, roast chicken, freshly grated Parmesan, tomatoes, salad greens, Alfa Alfa sprouts and crumbled bacon. I asked them to serve the tea infused dressing on the side.

PD ordered the Tea-infused Asparagus soup.....

And Foie gras Salad with marinated shrimps, French beans, Alfa Alfa sprouts, smoked salmon, Roma tomatoes and salad greens with the tea-infused dressing on the side.

Tita Butchie had the Eggs Benedict.

Tita Josie had the Scrambled Eggs with Matcha while Tita Tess had the Scrambled Eggs with white truffle oil.

I loved the Toasted Brioche that came with the order of Tita Tess. I took a little bite.

My dessert was tea infused ice cream with caramelized macadamia nuts.

We all exchanged Valentine's token gifts after lunch.

Everybody always looks forward to our lunches. We already set the date for our next get-together, the birthday celebration of Tita Tess.

Until then.... My Senior Friends!

 

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Our Lady of Lourdes

I am a devotee of Our Lady of Lourdes.

When I was younger, I got really ill. I had H-Fever. As soon as I got to the ER, I had to have a blood transfusion, stat! Or else... I would have been a goner. I have always been sickly growing up.

My Mom promised the Lady, if I got well, I would hear mass every Saturday wearing a white dress with a blue sash. When I got better, I told my Mom I did not make that promise! So .... On my behalf.... For the rest her life while she was still mobile, she heard mass and wore a white dress with a blue sash every Saturday.

We would always visit the church of Our Lady of Lourdes in Quezon City during her feast day on February 11 or even a few days before. My Mom even got married there in the 50's. They used to live on Sierra Madre St.

For the past several years, since my Mom passed on, I continued her tradition. I was fortunate enough to catch the 11 am mass this morning and line up to touch the feet of the statue of the Lady. I whispered my petitions to Her.

Since I was already in the area, an area that I only go to every February, I took advantage of the fact and had my lunch at Causeway on Banawe St.

I just ordered....

Crab Roe Sio Mai....

Chicken Feet

Congee with Century Egg and Lean Meat.

I asked Mayette what else should I order. She recommended the Steamed Spareribs....

And said, she and Jon will join me in 15 minutes time. There was no traffic and true enough, after awhile, Mayette was knocking on the window of the restaurant. They came from Union Church in Legazpi Village.

They also ordered spareribs and chicken feet and added Hakaw....

Asado Rice Roll....

And... Seafood Noodles.

I was happy they were able to join me.

Very Happy that as a devotee of Our Lady of Lourdes, I was able to visit and pay homage.

 

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Celebrating Chinese New Year

I am not of Chinese descent but I always find a reason to celebrate.... Ergo... Chinese New Year celebration with my family.

My Ate said we should have a whole chicken for new year. I remember cooking something similar when I was younger. I am not a fan of fried food but I can indulge occasionally. I cooked 2 whole fried chicken.

Chinese-Style Fried Chicken

1 kg. whole chicken

1 T. Rock salt

2 thick slices of ginger

2 pcs. Star anise

1 stalk leeks

1/4 C. Soy sauce

Rub the salt on the chicken including the cavity.

Insert the ginger, star anise and leeks inside the chicken.

Place chicken in a glass or ceramic pie dish. Pour soy sauce.

Steam for an hour.

Drain, place on a rack and air dry for 3 hours. You may also use an electric fan. Refrigerate overnight without wrapping the chicken.

Half-fill a wok with cooking oil. Fry chicken until golden in color.

The taste was a cross between Savory and Max's chicken. It was a hit with everybody.

I served the chicken with kropeck.

I also cooked Fried Rice with shrimps and Chinese sausage.

I bought Sapporo Long Kow the other day at the market.

Mona said it is the brand of the sotanghon I asked her to buy for me the other week. Mona's noodles were clear and glossy but the noddles I bought turned into mush. Mind boggling because I bought the same brand but the noodles were so different from what I used the other time, I wonder why?

I used the leftover chicken stock for Corn Soup.

We also had Vegetable Spring Rolls.

My family is not a vegetable eater. Imagine, there were still 3 spring rolls left out of 9.

Hermie cooked the Tikoy from my Chinese tenant. I loved the way she fried it! I never did like Tikoy until today. The Tikoy we used to cook was soggy unlike Hermie's.

O

Mayette and her family also celebrated Chinese New Year. She invited me to join them for dinner at her brother's house in Quezon City.

Of course.... The reason why she invited me......

PD would have loved the Lechon! The skin was so crisp and attached to it was a thick layer of fat! It looked like a mahjong piece! I ate till I had my fill.

My Chinese New Year celebration was indeed "Happy" .

 

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Busy Day at the "Office"

I had a full and productive day and the night is still young. Early, early morning at around 9:30, hahahaha, that is already "early, early" for me, I went to SM and Landmark. I had to buy the ingredients I will need for tomorrow's lunch and dinner on Monday with my classmates.

I hurried home because I was excited to make Crispy Catfish Salad.

I also cooked Shrimp Sinigang.

I added cilantro leaves to make it taste like Tom Yum.

After lunch I started "working".

First, the work that makes me dizzy and nauseous. I hate preparing all the things my accountant needs from me.

Then.... The work that I love.....

I baked the order of Gina, Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies.

I now accept orders for my cookies.

I started tenderizing the ox tongue. I told Mona it is very easy to remove the skin. I just boil it in the pressure cooker for an hour and then peel off the tough outer skin.

Easy as 1-2-3.

The pressure cooker was used again to tenderize the tripe for the Callos on Monday.

I experimented with steamed chicken. I hope to turn it to Cantonese Roast Chicken tomorrow.

I am tired... But good kind of tired.

Ohhhh... I still need to go to Rockwell after dinner to buy ham bones. I hope it is still available at the Majestic stall.

The day is not over for me yet.

 

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An Afternoon at Farmer's Market

I spent the afternoon at Farmer's Market today. I was just supposed to buy the Heavenly Beef Tapa for my Ate, for Ate Gina of Celina, for Jing and of course, for myself! I have to let Mona try it!

But I could not resist the temptations! I love Farmer's because it is the only market I know that is open all day! I am notoriously known at the Bel-Air Market for shopping very late, so sometimes all the vendors are surprised when I am there early.

The best time to go is at 1 p.m. because it is when all the fresh seafood are delivered.

I could not resist the Baby Pusit! I suddenly missed my Mom because this was one of her favorites.

I cooked it as soon as I got home. The "pusit" is as small as the nail on my thumb! I am saving it for Saturday because my Ate likes it.

I also bought mussels for my Dampa experiment.

My last attempt...... With Mornay Sauce and toasted garlic.

This was the result....

I think I will just stick to my original Baked Tahong recipe.

I asked Hermie to cook Fresh Corn Soup with Mussels and Chili Leaves.

I still cannot cook good Pork Chop Steak. I tried using the pressure cooker this time.

The meat and fat were tender! I still want Mariger to cook her version.

Of course..... I had to put "gasoline". I had my merienda at Taco Bell.

Taco Supreme with Sour Cream, Nachos Sprinkles and Mini Burrito. I only ate the filling and tried a little of the tortilla but it was too flour-y for me.

The rest of my loot:

Shrimps

2 whole chicken

Catfish for my catfish salad

Vegetables

and French Beans for Tita Cena.

Whew! So now.... My palms have some small blisters from carrying my loot but I do not mind. I love shopping at Farmer's. I wish I could go everyday.

 

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What Went Wrong?????

Do you think I cooked Chicken Pastel??????

NO!

I made Potato Salad! But what went wrong? My Potato Salad has always been runny ever since I can remember. Not like the the Potato Salad of PD! The mayo coated each ingredient. The mayo clung to the vegetables.

I used the same ingredients! I even followed the same procedure. I thought if I do not add sugar it will not be watery. I used condensed milk instead.

I was whining to Jing and Mona and they said they will also make Potato Salad just to prove that it should not be runny.

Hmph! I am never going to make Potato Salad. Jing said, it is my Achilles Heel.

I will just have to wait for PD to make again this Christmas.

The reason why I made Potato Salad was because I wanted to pair it with Poco Deli's Cheese Sausage from Cindy.

Next time, I will just buy from Pancake house.

 

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