the sun has always been there.

kesong puti, tag-ulan, at mga ngiti

Gino's...

Gino's yum element aside from the homey mood of the place and welcoming owner (Gino's dad), is its brick oven pizzas layered with love, kesong puti, and charming greens like basil and arugula.

this freshly cut egg noodles, bacon, sausage, cream, parmesan dish is also a yum-yum

Bianca Verde: olive oil, kesong puti, garlic, basil, arugula

Sausage: tomato, kesong puti, homemade sausage, red onions, basil

with Boss Pao and Fairy Dearest
(Whether it's eating gourmet pizza or sisig with them, time will always be filled with laughter and more laughter) :-)

Gino's Brick Oven Pizza is located at
2F 341 Katipunan Ave. Loyola Heights QC (above Mercury Drugstore, 
in front of Miriam College), 
1108 Quezon City, Philippines

Camote Chronicles

Eggless Camote Cheesecake with Butterscotch Sauce 
at The Vegetarian Kitchen

August 3, 2012

Dear VK,

Thank you very much for tonight's treat. My family loved the meal

and your Rich Dark Chocolate birthday Cake surprise for Daddy :-)

Maraming salamat!

:-)

Para kanino ka tumatakbo?

Congratulations, Itay!

:-)

What is the superlative of fast?

nye!

Halina't lumahok sa 

Tita Pretty's Chicken Sopas on a Rainy Day Monday!

yum!

:-)

The Vegetarian Kitchen: A Menu Worth Exploring, A Dining Experience Worth Sharing

May 31, 2012

I knew it when I had my first spoonful of VK’s lasagna with spinach and tomato.

It's the real deal.

I felt a mother’s special ingredient generously poured out into the dish.

Love.

Sometimes, you need not to only taste the food, but really feel it,

and you can’t fake it.

You know when your cheesecake is made perfect with real cream cheese and

apple slices dusted with cinnamon.

Yum!

Everything you imagine an apple pie cheesecake to be.

Uberly creamy and bursting with richness.

My early dinner yesterday

once again charmed the gourmand in me.

You made my day, VK!

Thanks a bunch, Kiko, Camille and Tita!

See you soon!

Yum!

:-)

The Vegetarian Kitchen is located
along Mother Ignacia Ave., Quezon City
Philippines

raindrops and sunshine

"The family. We were a strange little band of characters trudging through life sharing diseases and toothpaste, coveting one another's desserts, hiding shampoo, borrowing money, locking each other out of our rooms, inflicting pain and kissing to heal it in the same instant, loving, laughing, defending, and trying to figure out the common thread that bound us all together."

every day is like no other

I can show you the world
Shining, shimmering, splendid
Tell me, princess, now when did
You last let your heart decide?

I can open your eyes
Take you wonder by wonder
Over, sideways and under
On a magic carpet ride.

A whole new world
A new fantastic point of view
No one to tell us no
Or where to go
Or say we're only dreaming.

A whole new world
A dazzling place I never knew
But when I'm way up here
It's crystal clear
That now I'm in a whole new world with you
Now I'm in a whole new world with you.

Unbelievable sights
Indescribable feeling
Soaring, tumbling, freewheeling
Through an endless diamond sky.

A whole new world
Don't you dare close your eyes
A hundred thousand things to see
Hold your breath - it gets better
I'm like a shooting star
I've come so far
I can't go back to where I used to be.

A whole new world
Every turn a surprise
With new horizons to pursue
Every moment red-letter
I'll chase them anywhere
There's time to spare
Let me share this whole new world with you.

A whole new world
That's where we'll be
A thrilling chase
A wondrous place
For you and me.

Random Thoughts and Fungus!

Cooking is an art.

Baking is a science.

Yeast has nonnegotiable influence.

Mushrooms are paradoxical.

MacNcheese is a delight.

Sagolets (small tapioca pearls :-) in mango pannacotta formula

is really yum-yum.

Anyone can cook.

:-)

Nomnomyum! :-)

served in pretty pastel blue bowl,
wrapped and baked in foil,
bursting with mouthwatering pastarific goodness...


tada!


a gorgeous ensemble of ocean's best
huddled on a bed of fettuccine bathed in 
succulent tomato based sauce...


Seafood Cartoccio @ Nomnomnom is a winner must try!


:-)


yum!




Nomnomnom Happy Food is located at
LG/F, GYY Bldg., 1 Tomas Morato cor E. Rodriguez Ave.
Quezon City

PBB! :-)

did you ever wonder why

peanut butter, jam and banana

go so well together?

the answer is pretty simple...

it's yum! :-)

over the mountains and the sea...

Over the mountains and the sea 
Your river runs with love for me 
And I will open up my heart 
And let the Healer set me free
I'm happy to be in the truth 
And I will daily lift my hands 
For I will always sing of 
when Your love came down

[Chorus:] I could sing of Your love forever


[Bridge:] Oh I feel like dancing 
It's foolishness I know 
But when the world has seen the light 
They will dance with joy 
Like they're dancing now


I could sing of your love forever

Tinubong :-)

tuklasin at lasapin...

http://ricerecipe.pinoyrkb.com/tinubong.html

Nai Cha-rap! (to infiniTEA and beyond!)

fruit infusions tea (2 tbsp.)
















steep for 5-7 minutes in hot water





















pour into glass with condensed milk waiting to be charmed!

shock with ice!
















you may add black gulaman or tapioca pearls.


yum!

To be or not Tupig?

made from ground glutinous rice,

grated coconut,

coconut milk

(you can't really go wrong with coconut),

brown sugar,

wrapped in banana leaves,

and cooked on a flat rectangular piece of GI, over blazing coals!

what sets this delicacy apart from your regular suman

(which is not even comparable) is the fact that it is

char-grilled in a very special way.

you may want to pair this with sliced mangoes, yogurt, or a scoop of vanilla ice

cream. but enjoying Tupig in its own unique

whiff and taste is already a delight to smile about.














yum!


Tupig is a native delicacy of Camiling, Tarlac and Pangasinan. So if you're traveling north-bound, get ready for this yummy treat sold by local hawkers in bundles.

More Tales to Add in My Trove of Adventures!

Time runs swiftly... yet Camiling seems to have its own timezone.
People are pretty meek and speak one same language-- kindness.

after the preschool science fair...

teacher: yesterday, when the winners were announced and your group did not win, what did you feel?

student: happy.

teacher: really? you're happy even if you did not win?

student: yes, teacher.

teacher: why?

this is exactly what she answered...

student: because it's not about winning, it's about doing your best.

(this girl is only 5 years old and used to have issues with her being overly competitive.)

:-)

"Never be mesmerized with a Nobel prize."

-F. Sionil Jose

yumMagnum!

this thick bar of silky vanilla ice cream on a stick,
embraced with pleasantly delicate and crispy
Belgian milk chocolate coating,
made me so up and about til 3 am yesterday
while i was working on my children's portfolios.
got the classic first.
will try almond and truffle later.
yum!

:-)

Available at 7-eleven and hypermarkets.

Rice Vermicelli with Lobster Balls and Peppers

oil
butter
bell pepper
lobster balls
salt and ground pepper
chicken stock
simmer
add vermicelli (presoaked in water)
simmer
plate it!
serve it!
(you may want it soupy or not so soupy)

yum!

Mint Chicken

February 5, 2012
Sunday

today, i cooked herbed chicken with fresh mint leaves.

it turned out pretty tasty since i was able to

give all my attention to the

chicken during its frying stage.

tender and moist.

bursting with goodness from all

the spices and fresh herbs

and the mint leaves,

which create a distinctive, subtle, minty but very friendly taste to the palate.

i thought all i need in my life to be able

to cook such a yummy chicken dish is a set of my favorite herbs.

today is a "minty revelation."

a jar or much better, a pot of fresh mint plant

adds not only charm to any dish but

brings out a very relaxing mood in the kitchen.

here's my recipe:

2-3 skinless, boneless chicken breast or thighs

1 fist-size freshly squeezed lemon (don't throw the peelings!)

salt and pepper

1/2 block of butter (use half of it in the marinade, the other half for frying)

basil, thyme, rosemary, and mint leaves

(i usually get fresh herbs at Manila Seedling Bank. dried ones though

are sold in cute bottles at any hypermarket)

what i like in most recipes i cook is its "you can really cook it with ease and smile

in your heart" element.

in short, no need to complicate things, just toss everything together in a medium

bowl (yes, everything. even the lemon halves! put them to work! in fact, the good

stuff is still in its rind and oil in the peel. so go! go! go!)

before frying this lovely domesticated creature, allow it to rest first for about 10

minutes. just enough time to let the acid and herbs infuse their purpose in the

world.

in a skillet, heat the oil and butter until they have known each other well enough.

now it's time to introduce our lead star,

followed by a crucial question,

how can you tell if the chicken is tender and moist-done already?

answer: trust your senses. use medium to low heat. remember that you are not searing

it. just let it get a little golden on each side. plate it. eat with your mighty

rice or pesto.

yum!

:-)


(Manila Seedling Bank Foundation, Inc. is located at
Quezon Avenue Extention Corner E. DeLos Santos Avenue, EDSA Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines. it's just beside Trinoma.)

Ham and Cheese Pull Apart

@ Krispy Kreme

yum!

http://www.krispykreme.com.ph/page.php?page=New%20Products

On Grandma Julia (Child)

pearls and floral scarf.

who wears them while deboning a duck

or tossing an omelette?

funny and witty.

that's grandma julia!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWmvfUKwBrg

omelette omelette

how to cook a fluffy and moist omelette?

crack the egg in a bowl and beat it with fork

then add a little water while whisking it.

season.

pour into pan.

let it sizzle.

shake it back and forth.

flip it.

plate it.

serve it.

yum.

(you may saute first a cupful of white onion rings

then pour in the beaten eggs.)

:-)

tinapay na may palamang kamote at kalabasa

http://www.tlj.ph/

freshly baked sweet potato pie

(tinapay na may palamang kamote at kalabasa made perfect

with coffee or tsokolate de batirol)

@ Tous Les Jours

yum!

tous les jours: french word for "every day"

but not so surprising, this french-asian bakery was established in korea.

http://www.touslesjoursusa.com/about.asp?smnu=04

:-)

Opia Like It!

I first saw this amazing pastry from San Juan, Ilocos Sur featured on a magazine t.v show. I asked my good friend from the same town if he knows about it and surprisingly, only few residents make them today (ill tell you why and how later) and so the research, interview, and craving for this crispy, crusty, half moon shaped filled with perfectly roasted sesame seeds delight began!

to be continued...

Dinengdeng

aside from the kapampangans, i think our ilocano locals

have the most gastronomically wealthy sense of taste.

i just had one of the best lunches here in camiling.

prepared the old fashioned way.

boiled organically grown vegetables.

seasoned with so much love.

as interactive as eating crabs,

the malunggay fruit (bunga ng malunggay)

among the ensemble of

sitaw, bataw, okra, ampalaya, talong, kalabasa, saluyot,

kamote, kamatis, plus your char-grilled bangus (milk fish),

and the secret ingredient--

the mighty and savory bagoong halubaybay is a total rockstar!

and the only way to celebrate its goodness (and nutrients)

aside from eating it with bare hands,

is to run your teeth through the green pod's squashy and tasty meat.








































yum!

:-)

Indescribable

From the highest of heights to the depths of the sea
Creation's revealing Your majesty
From the colors of fall to the fragrance of spring
Every creature unique in the song that it sings
All exclaiming...