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This is a personal favorite

Mussels with white wine and cream (mariniére)

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Too busy to breath..

Does it sound melodramatic,  he he.. It is the busyness at work, sucked in everything about me and I am not even an executive making life changing decisions. Aargh, but when tasks keep piling after each other nothing that I can do but get glued in front of my puter. Even my office chair is showing signs of fatigue. What would a home based job take from you, you would ask. The pain of receiving…

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Christmas dinner, successful despite failed recipes..

Christmas dinner, successful despite failed recipes..

First the updates, I am working again, for a company in NY with operations in LA and  NY, that keeps me pretty busy. The different time zones, had me working on Christmas day.

I am was also the Treasurer for our Homeowners Association, end of the year and first quarter are the busiest with folks making their payments and all. “Was” because I left recently, differences in opinion, priorities and…

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  It was a while ago, when I had the chance to go to Bicol at the invitation of a friend to attend the Our Lady of Penafrancia Pilgrimage.  Our Lady of Penafrancia is the patroness of Naga City in Bicol, a canonized replica of the Our Lady in Penafrancia, said to have been discovered by Simon from an apparition. The largest Marian Pilgrimage in the Philippines, millions of folks come to join in prayer and festivity. I have witnessed how weary travelers come to church and sleep on the floor waiting for the mass and procession.

Part of the celebration is band parade and competition participated by schools in the area, colorful, but it must be tiring for them having to stand erect in full costume under the heat of the sun.

Not my first time, I was sponsor to a wedding of a friend and law school classmate, so many years ago, she probably has grandkids now, he he.., it was an up and back trip that I didn’t have a chance to appreciate the sites and marvel on the Bicol flavors. This time it was different, I wanted to take pictures and just savor everything there is about Bicol.

Bicol is at the end of Southwestern Luzon with several provinces. They have their own language (I was rightfully corrected by my goddaughter, that a dialect can’t be understood by all, it stands on it’s own whereas language, although of different intonations and spellings can be understood by all) Did that make it sound more complicated.

Anyway, Bicol is a tourist destination, with farming and fishing as source of its livelihood. There is a provide known for its metal production of knives and cutting implements. It was rather painful to see the rice fields damaged by a recent typhoon and hearing the lamentations of a landowner that they had to borrow money for seedlings and fertilizer only to sustain such a damage. They end up being buried in debt, and we thought that owning properties can sustain one’s existence. NOT.

Pili, a nut with a very hard shell, almost like almond. But the nut has more oil, the single nut is encased in a husk that is also edible.

Bicol can be reached by plane or land transportation, in our case we drove more than 8 hours from Manila. There were patches of heavy traffic, the roads were not that wide and there were trucks plying with supplies from the city. It was not a boring road trip as the scenery along the way is breathtaking. Going through the zigzag of Atimonan, Quezon with a well appointed rest stop.  If you’re going to drive though, note that there are never ending road widening projects in some cities along the way.

This is where the majestic Mayon Volcano is.  The most photographed Cagsawa ruins sit at the foot of the perfect cone volcano. It has erupted quite a number of times, in fact when we were, the volcano was threatening to erupt, spewing smoke. Residents were evacuated to the the next town, a safe distance. Fortunately, after weeks of living in the town hall and schools, leaving behind their means of livelihood, livestock and plants. Image below is from the website bicol website, I wasn’t able to take a good picture because of bad weather.

Anyway, we were told that the church was damaged by the eruptions, however there were articles refuting such a historical fact. Old photos and accounts of residents and historians noted that the damages sustained by the church is caused by the lack of maintenance.  The church was built without combustible materials and the tour guide was saying it was glued egg whites, although I can’t find anything online about it. CAn’t verify the veracity of such claims.   Wow, if that were true there must be an abundance of eggs at the time, I think it was the early 1800s.

Bicol being one of the first areas in the Philippines converted to Catholicism boasts a number of old Catholic churches, I was able to take a few pictures, impressive antique churches that were able to withstand time and the harsh weather of the area. Very impressive, and unlike in Europe where most old churches were just a thing for tourists to admire, these churches are still in use.. it was a wonderful feeling to be able to commune with the Lord in such a quiet environment, no distractions.

We went on a hike wanting to see the famous waterfall on the Mt. Isarog National Park, hah, of course I didn’t make it, they made it but I had to content myself with the beauty below. It was refreshing to see such natural beauty. What’s amazing for me, that is, is there are folks trekking laden with pots of food and other stuff for a picnic. I suppose there is a clearing somewhere near the top where folks can savor food and good company with such such a beauty in the background.

Street foods are a site to feast on too, with colorful rice cakes and other fried items, because of the Feast of Penafrancia, there are more vendors than on a regular day. It is an opportunity because of the influx of visitors.

The famous toasted siopao (more like meat rolls) originated from Bicol, they also have their own version of noodle soup, called “kinalas”. The broth is from boiled roast pork, beef, or chicken. Boiled until the meat has fallen off of its bones. It is topped with meat, boiled egg with a thick brown sauce. A noodle fan myself, I’d say it is not any different from the mami or ramen but the mixture of flavors is something that hits the spot especially on cold days.

Spicy with coconut milk are basic flavours of Bicol dishes, like pinangat, it has meat or fish wrapped in taro leaves cooked in coconut milk and top with thick coconut sauce. Taro leaves lined to the pot with fish are also cooked in coconut milk and spices for the famous laing. Shrimp paste is compacted in little cubes, ooh it smells but great to season almost any dish.

Being near the ocean, Bicol boasts a lot of seafood and dried fish, what a joy to go around their market and see different varieties.

Just like any big city, Naga City has an array of white linen restaurants, corner street stalls, of course the quick and easy fast foods, fusion, and international cuisines. Can’t complain about where to eat, after all eating is a favorite Filipino activity, we eat when we’re celebrating, we eat when we’re sad, we meet friends to eat, and so on.

We had lunch at Baste’s Garden restaurant, it is simple and inexpensive Filipino fare, the main attraction is that there is a mini zoo in the huge property. Monkeys, alligators, birds, and such. Facilities are simple but clean, service staff are courteous.

There is a row of restaurants on Ceriza along Magsaysay Avenue, we went to Chef Doy’s, a Filipino restaurant, not foofo but the decors is distinctly Filipino, food is good, the spicy ones didn’t appeal to me as I don’t care for them but all the others are absolutely delicious. You know what makes food more appetizing is the presentation, they get plus points for that, it is comfort food an uumph.

Then we went to the Grissini restaurant in the same neighborhood, also good, the decor reminds me of California, it’s not original, but you know with so many restaurants popping up everywhere original decors or flavors are hard to comeby. Almost everything has been tested and tried, the criteria then is whether or not it touches your palate the right way, hit the spot, so to speak.

Grissini did that, their thin crust pizza is good, what my tastebuds are expecting, we shared plates of vongole, red sauce, and alfredo. We had to return the vongole for a retouch. Not sure why, it is always the case with this kind of pasta, the combination of white wine and clam juice. Not sure if the sauce does not match the pasta. All in all though, it was a great experience.

For dessert, aside from the usual rice cakes, the city boasts of good coffee shops, it was a great meal closer, palate cleaner.. yummy

Still so many places to visit, so little time, on your way back, don’t forget to get some delicacies, or try the longanisa from Lucban.

What a wonderful trip it was, a great way to reconnect with a friend and enjoy the sights and flavors of the place. Sorry, this was a long post, there are still places to see.. till next time.

              Travel:Naga City, Bicol It was a while ago, when I had the chance to go to Bicol at the invitation of a friend to attend the 

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Davao is a highly urbanized city in the south, touted as the safest city in the Philippines, it has gained popularity to tourist and locals alike because of the discipline implemented all throughout the city.

Many years ago when the three of us graduated from college and we promised to see each other at least every 4 years, we lost contact and only found each other on Facebook. We decided to visit Davao City, we didn’t know about Duterte then, he was a mayor alright, but nothing really caught our attention. Her son had a serious motorcycle accident that he is recuperating in Davao being close to the hospital with a good neurosurgeon.

We hastility bought our tickets far off from the scheduled flight for a good discount, voila the President has been elected and installed, and Davao City has been placed in the map of frequently visited by tourist. The President maintaining a residence in Davao also makes the City a destination for dignitaries, politicians, and business people.If they want an audience with the President they have to be where he is.

We were excited, aside from seeing our friend, Shen that we haven’t seen in a long time, it was an experience to behold. So off we went to the Durian land, we arrived late in the evening, one thing that was noticeable was the airport, everything is orderly. There are guards on the exit gate that takes the plate number and passenger name for security and for instances where something is left on the cab. After a quick pick me up at Jollibee, we decided to call it a night, of course after more updates.

The following morning, we went for breakfast at the Marco Polo breakfast buffet, decided to stay in a hotel but the hotel has no rooms available. The spread was quite extensive of different themes and varieties. So we said, “okay let’s go for a city tour first, then find another hotel.

We rented a cab for the whole day, for a city tour, got to see the famous 911 station. We got to visit the neighborhood of the President. You’ll probably wonder, what the come on is all about, when it is but a simple home. It is the home of the President and h e still stays there despite the elegant residence in the Palace in Manila.

We stopped at the crocodile farm, but didn’t go in after all we’ve been to the one in Florida or is it New Orleans?

As we were heading out, we saw Baste Duterte, the youngest son of the President of course, the girls would like to take pix, I opted out, the gramma is tired. He was very pleasant and agreed to have his picture taken.

Pictures are not that great, we were interested in talking than being a tourist, I guess. There is this place called Jack’s ridge, with a coffee shop on top of the hill, great place to relax.

One thing I noticed though, they don’t take too kindly to smokers, no smoking allowed in the area, to do so, one needs to go to outside the gates and smoke their lungs away.

Then it’s to find our hotel, we ended up staying at the Waterfront Hotel, pretty nice. We were told it’s going to be a room with a view, only to find out that one has to be positioned at a certain spot in the balcony, otherwise the view is the walkway roof.

But all in all the property is quite impressive, it is sitting on a beachfront and quite massive with a place to walk around. I’m glad we ended up staying here instead of a one building hotel.

Look at the smoking area, it is sitting so far off from the property with signs that can really deter smoking he he..

This is the smoking pen, no food or drinks allowed.

Some of the sights from the hotel.

Davao is know for durian, a thorny husked fruit with pulpy flesh that emits foul, almost offensive odor, because of the smell it is not allowed in hotel rooms. There are stalls in the city with tables and chairs where folks can partake. Armed with plastic gloves they can partake with gusto. Not me though, I can enjoy the candy but not the fruit.

All in all, our trip was a good one, the next time we do visit Davao, we will be armed with an itinerary of places to visit and local eating places to try.

Cheers–

Travel: Davao City Davao is a highly urbanized city in the south, touted as the safest city in the Philippines, it has gained popularity to tourist and locals alike because of the discipline implemented all throughout the city.

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Recipe: Puttanesca Linguine paired with Kalamata Olive Bread

Recipe: Puttanesca Linguine paired with Kalamata Olive Bread

Because we’re such small eaters, we have to wait for company to be able to cook with gusto. Especially since I found a source for kalamata olives here in the Philippines, http://www.elgrecofilipino.com/, located in Antipolo, am pretty happy about that. Speaking of kalamata olives, I like the its saltiness, so good with cooking and as an appetizer. So, so we decided to make puttanesca pasta, did…

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The Presidentiables (a very late post)

The Presidentiables (a very late post)

My main interest at the time was the numerous presidential candidates vying for the main post of the land. I didn’t really understand why such interest exists. I mean all the presidents of the US during my stay all came to the white house with full head of hair but left with grey hair and slouchy posture, proof that indeed it is a high stress position. In the Philippines, they left with mansions,…

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The Philippines and the New President

The Philippines and the New President

The new keyboard is paying off, the mind and the fingers are now in sync, sorry, now you are going to be inundated with posts. Less than a month into his election, without even being installed, the President was already citing orders of what he wants to see in the Philippines. He already declared war against illegal drugs. A problem that we wouldn’t know the extent had he not shared this…

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It was not planned, or maybe I wasn’t part of the planning, he he.. as most of the time I have opted to stay in rather than trek a long trail, with a long drive and a not so calm boat ride.

We were hosted by the Vice Mayor of Capiz, Erwin Sicad and Ging Bayoneta. We had to be early to catch the ferry or is it a boat ride to the island, a good 45 minutes ride, although chartered, we still had to maintain schedule. We went to the estuary near the market, for our ride.

Vice Mayor of Roxas City, Capiz Erwin Sicad and Ging Bayoneta

The estuary in itself was a treat, houses on the water, the water was murky but without that stale water smell, where even Lake Merritt in Oakland would emit such a smell. It is an art on its own, folks despite evident need just exudes contentment, such a pastoral, quiet scene. I enjoyed watching an old man in his small boat casting a net to catch small fish for consumption or sale.

So after a few minutes wait, we boarded a ferry that will take us to the island, it was indeed a ride that is well worth it. It was a very smooth sail and a great view.

We were told that the forces collide in bad weather claiming lives where the river ends and the ocean opens.

The beach is immaculate, since it is not a commercial resort, the island is clean, there are signs that smoking is not allowed in the beach area. There are about 700-900 residents of the island, mostly children. Surprisingly, there is cellphone signal, however electricity is rationed, if I remember it right, lights are turned off by 9:00 pm. Erwin jokingly said that it is the reason why there are many children in this community. Water comes from the mainland, via the ferry. I suggested a filtration system, but may not be that feasible considering the cost and the number of folks benefiting from it.

The children go to school in the mainland, fishing is the main source of livelihood of the area.

It was a bit rocky but with a lot of sea creatures, it was truly a place to visit. What was appealing to the place is its unadulterated, pure, and simple display of beauty of nature as God has intended.

Seafood were sold at good prices, they purchased fish and squid for maybe PHP300.oo, a lot, as we were able to bring home some. This is a version of the urchin found on the island, we returned it as we don’t want to partake or kill it, environmental responsibility is a good practice.

Sea Urchin

We didn’t stay too long, as it was a bit too hot, wish there is a hotel or a simple b&b in the area for a longer stay.

Thanks Erwin and Ging for the experience, it was indeed a wonderful one.

  Travel: Olutayan Island in Roxas City, Capiz It was not planned, or maybe I wasn't part of the planning, he he.. as most of the time I have opted to stay in rather than trek a long trail, with a long drive and a not so calm boat ride.

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Yeah, it’s been a while, not that there’s nothing going on in my world. My latest foray in baking was an herb loaf using a bread machine. Paired with pasta, it was wonderful.

So, I still have smoked salmon in oil from Costco, it was the first time I had it, I always use the smoked a little too hard smoked blob of salmon. Unused portion can be used for omelet, spread, or added to salad

For the pasta, I used Barilla spaghetti, love the al dente-ness without it being too  hard. Follow instructions on the box, make sure you save pasta water for cooking.

Ingredients:

Check your fridge, practically you can throw in anything, after all pasta is just a medium for the flavors that you want.

Onions Garlic mushroom capers sun dried tomato (just because we have it) fresh or dried basil olives (black or kalamata) cheese cream milk olive oil smoked salmon or tuna (flaked)

Method:

Prepared the ingredients, slicing/cutting according to your desired method. I like to have mine in almost mince state so that it becomes really part of the sauce and easier to navigate.

Saute garlic and onions until caramelized, add the rest of the ingredients. Add a little pasta water, then the cream and the milk. I like to add grated cheese to the mix so that the flavors will all be mixed in. When it has reached the desired consistency, season to taste with salt and pepper, chili flakes if desired, then add the pasta mix well. Serve immediately.

Here’s the bread recipe from the oster bread machine manual.

Best paired with a smooth red. I know, those in the know will probably say it is best with white, but I never enjoyed white wine, so there.

Gee, it’s been so long, so many breads ago.. Yeah, it's been a while, not that there's nothing going on in my world. My latest foray in baking was an herb loaf using a bread machine.

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Christmas Dinner 2016

First off, Merry Christmas everyone, here’s to a prosperous 2016. So for Christmas dinner, a big event in the Philippines, more like Thanksgiving in the US. I say this because the Philippines is primarily a Christian nation and the birth of Jesus is traditionally celebrated in gratitude for the blessings and as a way for families and friends to gather and break bread. I’m afraid I didn’t even had…

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Remember my failed moist bread post ? Got fresh yeast and redid it, I’d say it is mildly successful. But no, I am not giving up yet he he.

I used a convection oven toaster as my oven does not really heat up properly, but then again, I didn’t adjust the temperature and the amount of bake time.

My brother was looking for fill-ins, like raisins and such, that’s how good this recipe is, it is soft and moist. I love it, will I do it again, yes, hoping that I will be able to say, SUCCESS.

Notes: Fresh yeast is highly recommended, Oh I used all purpose flour instead of bread flour will try to use one next time. The roux made a lot of difference, refrigerated in the prescribed manner.

Cheers–

This recipe was adapted from The Culinary Corner repeated and edited here for convenience and clarity.

Ingredients

300g bread flour 30g sugar 8g yeast 25g milk powder 1/2 cup milk 1/2 tsp salt 2 eggs (1 for egg wash) 50g whipped cream

Roux 20g bread flour 1/2 cup water

Equipment

Stand mixer with hook attachment bread pan cooling rack heavy-bottom sauce pan spatula

Directions

Cook the roux, mixing the flour and water on a small heavy bottom sauce pot, on the stove-top over medium heat, stirring constantly using a spatula. You want a pasty consistency and the water fully evaporated.  Store in a covered container or saran wrap, this is to avoid the film crust on top. Store in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Once done, add the in this order bread flour, roux, sugar, milk powder, yeast, salt, egg and whipping cream in a mixing bowl of your stand mixer and start kneading on low speed slowly adding the the milk.

Continue kneading for at least 15 minutes on medium speed. The dough will be sticky, yet elastic.

Remove from bowl with floured hands and transfer on a flour-dusted work surface, knead for another 2 minutes

Put the dough in a greased bowl and leave in a warm place until double in size. I find it effective to let it sit near the pre-heating oven.

Take the raised dough and put that on to a floured bench and divide in to 4 equal parts.

Roll dough into a rectangular shape, fold one side to the middle and the other side (folding it three-ways) roll the dough again to flatten. Starting from the edge roll towards the end, put in the greased bread pan. Let it rise again. Once it has doubled in size, almost the lip of the bread pan.

Brush the top with beaten egg (egg wash) and bake at 180c for about 40 to 45 min. (Use the lower rack to bake bread if not using fan bake.)

Cool on a wire rack.

Recipe: Soft and Moist Milk Bread – Mildly Successful Remember my failed moist bread post ? Got fresh yeast and redid it, I'd say it is mildly successful.

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Three or so years ago, cake pops became  new fad, not just for kids but for grown ups, as well. I say a fad because it is available in Starbucks, Whole Foods, and even in fancy bakeshops. My friend, the ultimate baker, Nikki introduced me to cake pops, she was so good at it that friends started ordering from her.

Cake Pops are actually cake mashed, mixed with cream cheese frosting, balled, and decorated.  Rather pleasing to the eye, tastes good, and the portion is small. :)

The first time I made it, I used a boxed cake mix and a tinned cream cheese frosting, Hines brand. Gifted a friend for her daughter’s birthday, at that time it was difficult for me to control the candy melts.

This time I made the cake from scratch, using this recipe also, used her cream cheese frosting, but the tinned one would have worked better. Martha Stewart also has a cream cheese frosting recipe . So 9 x 13 cake done, cooling on a wire rack on the tray, prepare the cream cheese frosting. Once cooled, remove the edges of the cake to ensure that you have a smooth pop, mash the cake with plastic gloved hand, add the cream cheese frosting gradually while mixing. You don’t want a frost rich mixture as the frosting acts as a binder, otherwise it will be gooey and will not stay on the stick. You want to be able make balls of this mixture, so it will look packed to be able to stand on the pop stick. Using an ice cream scoop, for an even amount, scoop the batter and roll into ball rest on a lined cookie sheet. Once done, refrigerate for at least an hour, the longer the better. While it is cooling gather your materials, as follows:

pop stick 1 bag candy melts sprinkle small plastic bags ribbon

You will also need a cake pop holder available at Michael’s.

I used a chocolate melter, fondue maker or a mini slow cooker will also do the trick, instead of microwaving. Start melting the candy melts, it takes longer using the melter but less tedious, add vegetable oil, lard,  or butter never water to make it smoother.

Oh, you can use different colors, mix colors (red and yellow will make orange, etc.) or you can dip half with one and the other half with another color.

Remove the balls from the fridge, dip the stick first at least a quarter of an inch in the melt, before sticking it in the center of the ball. This will act as a glue and the bottom of the ball will make the ball stay because of the residue left when you pushed the stick unto the ball. Complete this process first to give it time to dry. Put it back in the same tray holding the balls.

Now you’re ready for the fun part, if you don’t have a cake pope holder or rack you can use a lined sheet, to rest your dipped and decorated ball to dry. Dip it once, for a perfect ball, unless you want to use drips as part of the decoration. Immediately put your sprinkles and decorate as the wet candy will glue it. However, if you are painting, you need to let it dry thoroughly, otherwise, the candy will mix with your paint. Rest gently on the lined sheet, otherwise a dented flat top pop (no pun intended:).

It is best to have your sprinkles in “mise en plahs” for easy access. Once you have completed this task, let it dry completely, put in small bags and tie with a ribbon. Voila! you now have cake pops, which can be arranged in bouquets as a present or stand in scotch glasses, the possibilites are endless.

Oh, you can save the left over candy by letting spreading it on your lined tray that you used earlier, make sure though that there are no stray sprinkles. Let it dry, then break it up, put in a zip lock save it for future use, I find it convenient to save my candy melts in the fridge. In this case, I put my leftover melters on silicone ice tray, to be enjoyed as a candy. I guess, you can add nuts, chocolate chips, M&Ms, etc. in between, add sprinkles then you really have good candy.

Notes:  

This is a good way of dealing with left over cakes, just make sure that you use the cake part only.

Consider your location, now that I am in the Philippines, where temp is in the 80′, heat can cause the batter to loosen, so I tend to let it stay in the fridge, even the finish product is now sitting in the fridge. This is also the reason why I suggested to go easy on the cream cheese frosting. Also, the reason why my candy melts are stored in the fridge.

Naked cake balls can be frozen for future use, completely defrost by letting it sit in the fridge, before dipping.

Cake balls can be made in advance up to four days (at least in my experience), just not sure if it can stay that long :)

Great activity for kids, I prepare the balls with the stick and dipped dry and let them decorate.

Cheers–

  Recipe: Cake Pops Three or so years ago, cake pops became  new fad, not just for kids but for grown ups, as well.

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This is reminiscent of the ferry ride along the Mississippi River, post Yolanda, the operator was lamenting about the ravages caused by the typhoon.  This is actually a floating cottage pulled by  motor/pump boat, up and back a stretch of the river. It is very serene, great for relaxation. I saw on TV that they do offer spa treatment while on board. I think it is about a 3-hour trip. So wonderful, so relaxing. Highly recommended.

The offerings were quite good, grilled fish, noodles, fruits, barbecue pork, and stewed chicken. A pretty good selection. Here are some of the pictures.

Note: Double on the image to enter the gallery.

  Travel Dining:River boat restaurant, Capiz This is reminiscent of the ferry ride along the Mississippi River, post Yolanda, the operator was lamenting about the ravages caused by the typhoon.  

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Homecooked meals were  a feast in itself, seafood, even a whole lechon, or chicken etc. Still for a change of scenery, baybay is still the best choice. What better way to savor your meal,  than being around nature. There are at least 3 restaurants in that district.  The menus are quite extensive, from a huge selection of seafood: stewed, grilled, fried, or anyway you want. The ambiance is laid back, just my style.

Oh, be mindful of the drinking water, insist on hot water or bottled water or try buko (young coconut) juice. And if you are dining al fresco as in this case, make sure you have apply “off lotion” to protect against mosquito bites (remember the Philippines is a tropical country). It is your best protection against dengue.  I did see on the news that there is a recent FDA approval for the antidote, still you want to be on the safe side.

Note: Double click on the image for a bigger image.

blueberry cheese crumble

buko juice

fried rice encased in scramble egg

red peppers

Pinoy style enchiladas

noodles

fresh fish sinigang

There are the regular fares downtown, that you see anywhere, Jollibee, Goldilocks, etc. but that is something that we don’t really look fSSoor when on vacation.

By the way, if you are vacationing on your own or with a group, staying at a homestead, you can always ask the host to prepare a meal for you, that is a cheaper alternative. Or partake of the street foods, it is safe and tasty.

Did you hear about that European guy who just packed up and left his country to be with his Filipina girlfriend? He is making money selling banana crepes (turon), as in selling street food. Their location is not very far from Capiz.

Speaking of foreign diners, remember I was telling you in the previous post about the USNS Mercy docked in Capiz, so staff and crew are around the city is abuzz with activity, must be good for business. Of course, they are young and curious of everything different or new, in this case, of trying balut (fertilized duck egg). But then, that’s a story for another day. They found it nasty, it is after all an acquired taste.

Cheers –

Travel Dining: Roxas City, Capiz Homecooked meals were  a feast in itself, seafood, even a whole lechon, or chicken etc. Still for a change of scenery, …

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Produce: Atis, sugar apple to you or Annona

Produce: Atis, sugar apple to you or Annona

Atis or sugar apple is common all over, except North America, at least that’s what wikipedia is saying. The scientific name is annona, but in the Philippines there is a fruit called anonas, the same texture but with smooth skin and the color is pinkish orange. The guyabano is slightly bigger and the skin is thorny which seems to be more related to cheremoya, (a fruit that is widely available in…

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This is the second time, I made red velvet cookies. The first time, I used Paula Deen‘s red velvet cream cheese sandwich cookies (just because I have cream cheese frosting handy). This time I used Sally’s baking addiction’s recipe.

You must be wondering why it’s not red, he he I don’t have red food coloring.  and I used white chocolate melters instead of chocolate chips.

Reading on various cookie version on the internet, I noticed that some uses corn starch for the soft chewy consistency. Martha Stewart indicated that there are 3 kinds of cookies: soft and chewy; crunchy; and thin. the difference lies in the amount of butter incorporated 2 sticks of butter will make the cookie spread out into a thin and chewy cookie.

My friend Nikki, puts a packet of Knox gelatin powder, while another adds apple sauce as her sweetening agent. Although, it seems a little tricky then the consistency of the batter will be changed.

Refrigeration of the batter for at least an hour is a must. Of course,  the amount of time in the oven, which is 10-12 minutes rotating the tray halfway through the baking process.

My oven is a bit tricky, as it doesn’t seem to reach the desired temperature all the time, so I tend to let it bake for 5 extra minutes. Which works for me because my family has different preferences when it comes to cookies.

All in all it is a good recipe, will try to do it again, following the recipe to the letter.

Cheers —

Recipe: Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Cookies (penoybalutized) This is the second time, I made red velvet cookies. The first time, I used Paula Deen…