Year-End Road Trip

This unplanned trip brought us to the Land of Pines Trees (Baguio City) where stopping for strawberries is a must ...

... then headed of to the cool waters of Cape Bolinao, in Pangasinan.

Food discovery was kinilaw na talaba (oyster).

Goodbye 2013, Hello 2014

2013 has been a good year for me and my family and I look forward to the new adventure that 2014 will bring. From my family to yours, I wish everyone a Happy New Year !!!

Merry Christmas :)

Wishing everyone a Blessed Christmas with their family, friends and love ones. 

                                                                              from:  The Kitchen Goddess

Tim Ho Wan: Coming Soon in Manila

Tim Ho Wan has the best pork buns, or so I was told when I went to The Great Hong Kong Food Adventure last October. Actually, I've also been meaning to eat in this dim sum place which has received a Michelin Star but I got sidetracked with other things. The original branch is a few steps away from City Garden Hotel in Sham Shui Po where we had our OpenRice luncheon but I saw a branch in IFC Mall which was really crowded when I passed by so I ended up somewhere with Macarons! Hahaha. But my foodie companion bought tons of delicious pork buns from Tim Ho Wan as his pasalubong. 

Btw, I love pork buns and before I heard of Tim Ho Wan, I am in-love with Lugang's Pork Buns. 

Steamed pork buns from Lugang

But then again, good news for foodies in Manila. Tim Ho Wan is opening soon in SM Megamall. Nice! I am just a short ride away from that mall. NB: Be ready to fall in line because waiting for a table maybe quite long-ish. Don't say I didn't warn you. ;)

I guess 2014 is something to look forward to for foodies like me and you. :)

Amgurls Christmas Get-Together

Met my favorite mommies in Chilis along Missouri in Greenhills two Fridays ago for some pre-Christmas fun.

Bottomless Nachos. These are our default order whenever we dine at Chilis. I mean, these nachos are the coolest when it comes to having endless "chikahan."

RECIPE: Chef Fern Aracama's Bunuelos and Spiced Chocolate Dip

Here's another yummy  recipe by Chef Fern Aracama. I'm sure everyone can relate to these recipes as we may have encountered them on our noche buena feast with our lolos and lolas when we were kids.

Dinner At Pepper Lunch

Did you get the joke?

Daughter and I attended the Toycon Event at SM Megamall last week but since the mall was crowded, we decided to go to Shangri-La Plaza to eat dinner. I was craving for chicken at Wee Nam Kee but daughter said she missed Pepper Lunch already. So that's where we ended up eating our dinner. Did you get the joke now? Haha

Mrs. Fields Christmas Treats

Mrs. Fields, the number one "cookie shop" in the Manila has an exciting line-up of Christmas treats for you and your love one this Holiday Season.

Cookie Pops. I love the nice designs and the "flower-pot". I'm sure your sweetheart will be thrilled to receive one. ;)

FOOD FINDS: Naturals with Balsamic Vinegar and Oishi Oaties Milk

Naturals with Balsamic Balsamic Vinegar. These are potato crisps or chips. I saw them first at the Dutyfree Shop in Paranaque but forgot to take photos. I was love at first bite and I was kicking myself for just getting a pack. Flavor is like salt & vinegar except that this one is not as sour as the other brand. Tastes so good and addicting especially with a glass of super cold iced tea. Costs about $1.35 if I'm not mistaken.

Then last week when we shopped for groceries in Unimart, I saw this baby on the shelf. Yey!!! Costs P62.00.

Holiday Love With Clara Ole

Almost everyone gets into panic mode during the Christmas Season not only with shopping but with last-minute food preparations especially for Noche Buena and Christmas Day celebration. Even if restaurants offer party packs, homemakers still prefer to spend time in the kitchen doing endless chopping and mincing, rolling and boiling as they prepare the signature Christmas dishes.

Gastronomic delights have always been the centerpiece of any holiday party. Sharing of good food and good company are irreplaceable elements of a Filipino-style holiday merriment so better be on your toes to whip up those tasty holiday treats to impress your guests.

But thanks to Clara Ole for making things easier for us- homemakers by presenting to us a wide array of choices from pasta sauces, marmalades and jams, barbeque marinade, dips, paella sauce, and even vinaigrettes for salads.

Bizu's Nutcracker Christmas

I've always love Nutcracker Suite Tchaikovsky  because it's associated with Christmas which happens to be my favorite time of the year. The music simply brings vivid, colorful and happy images to mind. And during my childhood days, it was such a treat to attend the gala performance in CCP during Christmas Season.

This Christmas Season, Bizu Pattiserie brings back this childhood memories with their array of Christmas goodies that takes you on a journey to Tchaikovsky's Land of the Sweets with its Christmas 2013 Collection. And my family loves Bizu so its like having the best of both world- literally.

Melchor Crouquembouche. This is a tower of profiteroles filled with pastry cream and dipped in white and dark chocolate. This makes non only a great centerpiece but a conversation piece as well. You can choose between and 18-inch with 130 cream puffs tower or a 12-inch tower with 60 cream puffs.

Dine in Style At Luxent Hotel

It took us about a year before we were able to try the buffet at Luxent Hotel in Quezon City and this is thanks to a friend who was celebrating her birthday. As always, it is such a happy occasion to dine in a new restaurant and with good friends.

Its still a bit early when I arrive (yes, I was the first to arrive) so the place was really quiet and I was able to take photos of the place without getting strange looks from diners. The place looks nice, relaxing and inviting. Even if the lights are muted, it gives off a light and happy vibe. I like the bright painting and the lamps.

My first set. The buffet spread looked so enticing that I didn't wait for my friends to arrive. I had a cup of pumpkin soup, bread, cheese and coldcuts. I also ordered a cup of mint tea.

Second Plate. Salmon sashimi (my default food choice in hotel buffets) and kani salad. Yum! I was just finishing off when my friends arrive. Yey!

My Lovely companions in floral print. We sometimes go crazy when we dine. I mean, we do get crazy about the food but we also get crazy on what theme or clothes we should wear. Tonight's theme was something "floral."

Yummy food choices also. I fell in love with the spicy beef and spicy shrimp dishes. Per head costs about P800. Not bad.

Coldcuts, cheese and bread sticks. The spread may not be comparable to the offerings in 5-star hotels but the ones from Luxent were just as filling and quite good.

That's us. My something floral is a floral shawl! Hahaha. Its really fun to play dress-up with my friends. :)

RECIPE: Chef Fern Aracama's Patatas Riojana

As promised, here is another recipe by Chef Fern Aracama. It is very easy to make and nice soup option on our Noche Buena table or even every day. :)

On Being A Food Blogger

I am far from being a food critic like Anton Ego but I am passionate when it comes to food and cooking. I've been exposed to different cuisines since I was a child and I've tried exotic foods also. Eating in a hotel, a restaurant, a friend's home or even a sidewalk or market stall is not a problem with me as long as I am hungry. I also used to eat everything when I was young but it took me until college to realize that I am allergic to certain kinds of vegetable, ingredients and fruit. Bummer!

Carnivale Night Food Market at Venice Piazza

Foodies in the McKinley Hill area are in for a treat as Carnivale, the night food market by Mercato Centrale group opens its doors last December 12, 2013 at The Venice Piazza Mall. It is open every Thursday and Friday from 6pm-3am. The food event was also graced by Consul Fortune Ledesma, RJ and Vanessa Ledesma, Rachelle and Anton Diaz, and Megaworld Executives.

FOOD FINDS: Del Monte Tetra Litro Pack

We love Del Monte Juice at home and I think this is the best packaging for it. I mean, the one in cans are heavy so its hard to buy more than two especially if you still have other grocery items. Aside from that, this new tetra pack with twsit cap easily fits in the fridge so I need not transfer to a pitcher. Costs P67 pesos in SM Hypermart. Two thumbs up!

Hubby and daughter loves the Four Seasons Juice while I prefer the Pineapple. :)

OpenRice Philippines' New iOS App

Openrice PH, one of the leading food websites in Manila introduces its iOS App to make things easier not only for foodies but for everyone as well. Searching for restaurants is now literally just a fingertip away!

Simply download the App, its free by the way and then you can begin your search. That easy. ;)

http://ph.openrice.com/info/mobile-app/index.html

FOOD FINDS: Red Pastries

Did I mention that I learned to love Red Velvet Cupcakes because of my daughter? Well, here's another Cupcake Maker with yummy red velvet, and they're called- Red Pastries. And aside from red velvet, they also have the calamansi cupcake, banana walnut and chocolate mint. These delicious goodies are a nice gift idea this coming Christmas Season.

They also make customized cupcakes for your party needs.

FOOD FINDS: Bronuts

We haven't been frequenting Power Plant Mall lately so I'm about a decade late when it comes to Bronuts but I'm glad that daughter and I got to try it last week. Of course, our trip to the mall won't be complete without going to Fully Booked. Daughter's been crazy over "Manga" lately and she's starting to collect Pandora Hearts.

But let's talk about Bronuts first. They can be found at the Baker's Dozen in Power Plant Mall somewhere near Mercury Drug and McDonald's. They don't sell anything except Bronuts. Well, a bronut is a donut shaped layers of flaky sweet dough, coated and filled with flavorful treats. Got that from their FB Page. Also, I was a bit apprehensive because I've heard about the long lines and the out-of-stock sign. Luckily, the shelves are still half full when we went there.

Belgian Chocolate. This is my favorite. Well, anything chocolate (most especially Belgian chocolate) is a sure winner for me. Also, I like that its chewy and not really flaky and oily. It has a generous coating of chocolate too. And I love the cream filling because its not that sweet but just right. As for the toffee bits on top, its not love at first bite.

A Taste of Christmas

I had an Anton Ego moment when I had my first spoon of Fog City Creamery's Fruits & Nuts Deluxe Ice Cream and Christmas came to my mind. And I love Christmas, and have many happy memories of it especially during my childhood years. Like being surrounded by my whole family, opening presents and eating fruit cakes. I grew up with the notion that Christmas and fruitcakes are the perfect pair. My mother and aunts made the fruitcakes themselves. Alas, the fruit cake tradition ended when all sorts of chocolate cakes become popular and much more affordable. So I was really happy when I tasted the Fruits & Nuts Deluxe because it brings back memories of Christmas.

But what makes this ice-cream special is the fact that Fog City Creamery teamed up with Emperador Deluxe Spanish Edition to create this superb tasting ice-cream.

above photo courtesy of Fog City Creamery