Happy Birthday, Mayette!

Happy Birthday, Mayette!  My friends and I were teasing her on the phone last Sunday.  We told her, "It's your birthday on July 13, what are your plans?!?!"  She said she will be busy with work with a scheduled operation in the morning.  She is an Ophthalmologist.

Last  week, Corry wanted me to ask Mayette and Celine if they would like to celebrate their birthdays jointly.  I "conveniently" forgot to ask the two.  Hahaha  I want to celebrate all their birthdays separately!  

We (Jing, Mona, Mon,  Sherman and I) were invited to dinner at Kanin Club, Ayala Triangle. Celine, Mariger and Corry were not able to join us.   Mayette and her whole family (Mommy, Joy, Kiel, Bees, Luan, Mark, Cindy and Jon) were there so it was a long table filled with food! Almost two of everything!  Earlier in the evening, Nolan, Sol and the kids also had dinner.


Crispy Liempo - paper thin Lechon Kawali



Aligue Rice - I loved it!



Bagoong Rice - not my favorite



Crispy Dinuguan - crunchy chicharon with dinuguan sauce



Seafood Salpicao - would eat it again.



Spicy Tahong



Crispy Pata



Binukadkad na Tilapia



Stuffed Squid



Sigarilyas Express- the favorite of the night!



Itsi-Bitsi - stir fried vegetables with beef flakes.



Butter Cake with Butter Icing from Estrel's



"Corkage Fee"



 Hahahaha  There was a "Cutting Fee", had to pay 250 to be able to cut and slice the cake!  So I gave them each a paper napkin  hahaha ... told them, might as well make use of it .... and no sharing of dessert plates! 

The food never stopped coming!  My waistline never stopped growing in increments! I drank a lot of water, the waiter probably thought there was a horse in our party!

And the best part ... at the end of our meal .... Joy, the sister of Mayette said:  This is my birthday gift to you!  You should have seen her smile! It was from ear to ear!  

Thank you Mayette for the delicious birthday dinner!  Hahahaha or should I say, Thank you Joy?!?!?

I am so blessed to have you and Jon as my friends!  Happy Birthday again my dear friend!

Treats around the Metropolis

I have several pictures in my camera I have not posted in my blog because they can not stand alone as a story if I post it one by one.  So I will just compile the surprise treats I found around the Metropolis.

A few weeks ago, I went to Robinson's Galleria with Celine.  We tried The Banana Pop.



It is  frozen banana dipped in chocolate and rolled in your choice of either sprinkles, nuts, etc.





I remember Mayette told me about the Hainanese Chicken at Robinson's.  I thought it was in Ermita but saw it in Galleria.

Hainanese Delights



I liked their Hainanese Chicken because it was moist and not bloody.



It came with unlimited Hainan rice.

 

Plus as much sauce as you like, ginger-garlic, soy and chili.





We also ordered the barbecue chicken!  I like it even better than Aristocrat's.  Will definitely come back for it.



Another discovery in the metropolis is the Ice Ice Baby from California Berry at Waltermart, Pasong Tamo. 



I really loved the milk flavored shaved ice but next time will tell them not to add condensed milk/sauce because it was too sweet for me.



Celine and I had merienda at Sweet Bella, Burgos Circle yesterday.  Her sister, Gina, gave us a voucher.  We had the Mushroom Pizza with oyster, button, shitake and winsu mushrooms.  I normally do not eat pizzas but I could have gobbled down the entire pie! We also tried their blueberry pancake and the pastry, Heaven.



Very cute butterfly chocolate!  It was a little too sweet for me only because I am diabetic.  I am sure other people will find it all right.

Tita Portia ate at La Mesa, Megamall the other day and she wanted me to try the Prawns Sauteed in red eggs.

We had dinner last night at their Greenbelt 5 branch.

Prawns sauteed in red eggs.



We also ordered the 700 gr. Pan-fried Seabass with Latik.



Tita Portia  liked the "burong" (I guess?) Mangga Salad.



Sometimes I would whine to my friends that I am so fat and I will never lose weight and my clothes do not fit me anymore.  But I tempt myself all the time whenever I go out and try everything that is new in my eyes and  palate.  Do I want one day not to have the appetite and passion?  I do not know.  For now .... will just enjoy with family and friends.  Hahaha  I am also very delighted by the fact that my friends and family are getting "healthier" every time they eat with me!

Happy Birthday Corry!

We celebrated Corry's birthday last Sunday at their house in Alabang.  As usual, we were all so stuffed I had to open the button of my shorts!!!  My others friends had to stand up after lunch. 

Corry served all our favorite food.   It was a simple lunch get together but we loved everything!

We had our favorite steamed crab.



I have to ask the maid how she did it.  Whenever I cook steamed crabs, it would end up dry.  I want mine to be moist and succulent like Dory's..

Our special request was Fried Hito! 



It was so crispy we even ate the fishbones!  Dipped in Mona's special Ginger-Garlic Olive oil sauce.

My all time favorite and it is now Corry's favorite... Sinigang na Baboy with HUGE wiggling chunks of fat! 



Ahhhh We were in Sinigang heaven!!!

There was Pork Barbeque from Amber.



Mangga Salad



For dessert, we had Strawberry Shortcake, Pichi Pichi and Becky' s Thick and Fudgy Cherry Walnut Brownies from Jing.  I was not able to take pictures of the dessert because my hands were too busy eating plus my shorts would fall down.  Hahahaha!

Our SECOND dessert was assorted chips and dip!  Corry would always buy my favorite Ruffles Sour cream and cheddar whenever I visit.  We also had Tostitos, Frito Lay Sour Cream dip, Clover and a whole lot more.    Mona made a cheese and garlic dip.  YUMMMM!!!!  Best part of all ... my "inaanak" Mariel was not there!   Hehehehe She is my Sour cream and cheddar rival.

I was really so full I did not eat dinner anymore!  Hahaha  Well ... that was my press release  but in truth, I had a Dayrit's Smoked Porkloin Sandwich!

Happy Birthday to a special person named Corry Avancena!!!!

2nd's Restaurant

2nd's is a fairly new (to me) restaurant at Bonifacio High Street, near Nike Park and Agave.  Today is my Grandma's birthday, she would have been 105 years old.  Tita Portia and I celebrated by eating at 2nd's.  I read some reviews about it but I forgot what I was supposed to order.

So... we ordered "blindly".  We had the Brutus Salad, we split it into two servings.





I saw the kamote chips from the other table and asked the waiter to give us one serving.



Tita Portia remembered her friend recommended the Three Little Pigs Kawali







Hmmm ... I would have to say, I still make the best Lechon Kawali in town, but if you can not eat mine... then the ones from restaurants would have to do.  There was nothing wrong with The Three Little Pigs... just that.. I prefer my version better.


We looked in the menu for another dish to order and chose Shoreside Thai Red Curry




We were so full already we just took a little bite of the fish.  A bit spicy for me, though.

Dessert was Leche Flan Turon

I wanted more turon!

Would I go back for seconds???  Maybe ... there are still other things I want to try.

Beef Bone Marrow

After Lechon, "Bulalo" or bone marrow is my second most favorite food in the entire world.  I would sometimes order Bulalo from restaurants but would end up disappointed because they would give you this big piece of bone with some meat attached to it and the marrow looked like the brain of a.....  hmmm... a small animal!  Hahaha.

I have been very bad yesterday.  After lunch I went to Rustan's Glorietta supermarket to buy some things.  And what did I see in the chiller????  It was calling my name, "Lia!  Lia! Yooohooo! I'm here!"  A tray of beef bone marrow!  I immediately put it in my cart. 

I met with Tita Portia in Rustan's and I told her I was going to show her something.  I did not want to buy for her, thinking she might be health conscious.  "Auntie!  Look what I found!"  She said... I am going to buy it!  I just boiled her bones for her in the evening.

When the marrow was raw and frozen, it looked so innocent.  But after simmering over gentle flame, it looked deadly as sin! 



I told the maid of Tita Portia not to let my aunt eat all the marrow!  I was so scared and a bit guilty for showing it to her.  I called up after a few minutes to tell my aunt not eat them all!  But then the maid said Tita Portia did not want to talk to me because she was busy eating Bulalo!  I was praying the whole time, I hope nothing bad happens.

I still have my very own tray of bone marrow.



I told my friends I am too scared to eat it but at the same time I do not want to share with them.  I plan to cook Roasted Bone Marrow.  I'm still trying to build up my courage.  It is terriying to think that I would be eating all of them but at the same time excited.

So, let us wait and see what happens when I roast the Beef Bone Marrow!  

Benny's - Rustan's Glorietta

Tita Portia and I did not know where to eat anymore yesterday.  We were fed up with the usual Japanese, Chinese, Italian, Korean, Fusion, Rockwell, etc.  She suggested  Benny's, Rustan's Glorietta.  She said, it was just like eating a home-cooked meal.  That was what we were looking for.

I love to cook but there are times I am not in the mood.  What better way to have a good lunch?  Call Tita Portia!  She always knows where to dine.

It was my first time to eat Pako (fern) salad with salted eggs. 



I remember Celine and Mayette would always tell me, one day, they will make for me.

We also ordered Ginataang Hipon sa Kamias. 



Also, my first time to eat it.  I will experiment one of these days.  I deconstructed the sauce in my mind and I could taste the ginger, garlic, onions and tomatoes.  Wait for my version! 

Grilled Pork Chop is a good complement to anything with coconut milk, in my opinion. 

 

I could have cooked something similar to what we ate ... but it was one of those lazy days.  So... if you want normal, regular, home cooked meal but you do not want to bother,  I suggest you give Benny's a try.

Banana Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache Frosting or Cream Cheese Frosting

I baked a batch of Banana Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache Frosting today for our alumni homecoming meeting.



My friend, Jona, from New York shared her Banana Bread recipe with me.  I got the ganache frosting from the website of The Joy of Baking.

I was surprised it was very easy to make!

Banana Cupcakes



2 C. all purpose flour
1 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt (if using unsalted butter)
1/2 C. butter
3/4 C. brown sugar
2 eggs
2 1/3 C ripe bananas, mashed

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Line the cupcake pans with paper.
Combine and sift the flour, baking soda and salt.
Cream butter and brown sugar.
Add eggs one at a time, then the ripe bananas.
Blend in the flour and stir.
Scoop into the paper liner until 1/2 or 2/3 full only.  Bake for 15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted.  Cool before frosting.

Chocolate Ganache Frosting

180 ml. Nestle heavy cream in can
227 grams Bittersweet Belgian Chocolate

Chop the chocolate into small pieces.  Put in a bowl.

Heat the cream until it boils.  Pour over the chocolate pieces.  Let it stand for about 3 minutes then stir SLOWLY.  Cool then refrigerate, overnight if possible.



  Using the whip attachment of the mixer, whip the chocolate ganache until aerated.  Pipe on top of the cupcakes and chill until ready to serve.



Voila!  Baking as easy as 1-2-3!

You can also use Cream Cheese Frosting

 Cream Cheese Frosting

1 bar Philadelphia Cream Cheese, room temperature
1/4 C. butter, softened
1 C. powdered sugar, sifted
1/4 C. all purpose cream

Whip butter and cream cheese.  Add the sugar, continue whipping.  Slowly add the cream  Beat at high speed for a minute.

This is frosting is for spreading, not for piping.