Good HouseWarming

If you are wondering why the title is such, my officemates and I spontaneously played around the idea of making an issue for the Good Housekeeping.
Something along with the coverline of "Housewarming Turned Culinary Tutelage" (LOL).
Before I would detour to that culinary experience I am so excited to talk about. I would like to focus more on the contents of Ms. Cheir's abode and the housewarming. A housewarming event in the Philippines would start with the blessing of the house officiated by a priest and is most often than not exclusive to the members of the family. Filipinos are very well known for their fun and free spirit, so it is but natural that it be followed by merriment and we were basically invited to the fun part, EATING!!! My officemate, Ms. Cheir owns a  lechon business. For orders and inquiries, you may call.
    Matheo's Lechon
    1252 Leyson St. Talamban Cebu City
    contact number: 09282207769 / (032) 3450983  look for Mark Medalle
This would approximately be a 20-30 minute ride to the northern part of the city. Lechon is a big thing in Cebu City so it deserves to be talked about extensively in another post.
;-) 

Cherrie's Kitchen

I'll start this post about the interior of their new house. I am not that technically keen on interiors but if the space is charming and equally functional, then that is something worth talking about. In all parts of the house, I would say that I love kitchen spaces. I'd like to enumerate the characteristics I liked about her kitchen; there are quite a few, actually =)

• It is a custom-made kitchen.
• It has lot of cabinets & drawers perfect for storing dishes, kitchen wares and utensils. 
• It has a kitchen window. This literally opens up to a lot of advantages,
• It is energy-efficient as it would allow both air and light to come in during the day time.
• Potted herbs or plants can be accessible through the windows.
• You can do some work in the kitchen and at the same time watch over kids playing in the front yard (a lot like what you see in the movies).

• Her free standing cooker has a range hood, so heat disperses easily and in one direction.
• The gas tank has it's own compartment that is well hidden from sight.
• Granite slabs for counter tops. Tiled kitchen is something that I find very burdensome to maintain.
• U-shape layout stimulates efficiency around the kitchen. 
• It was well put together in a antique cherry finish which gives that warm rustic look.

The dining table was very spacious, it was parallel to a glass sliding door. This area takes in a lot of light and air flowing freely, again, very energy efficient. A perfect venue for an almost al fresco breakfast or an afternoon coffee gazing aimlessly outside. Who wouldn't want to have some downtime ei? 

The round petal pillows are very chic and trendy this season, might be made of fleece fabric. They can be found in any Metro department stores. Metro Ayala Cebu sells them at Php 499 /piece. 

If you don't want to splurge, you can  always get creative by following these DIY crafts online. 

http://www.cometogetherkids.com/2011/03/fleece-flower-petal-pillows.html

Finally, the guest bathroom


Unfortunately, I was not able to take pictures of the rooms and the whole house. But, Ms. Cherrie's house was made up of 4 bedrooms, 1 master bedroom, 1 for her daughter, 1 guest room and 1 for their help. 


But I was able to capture some pictures of the adorable little angels of my fellow blogger moms.

meet Nean of  http://mommynean.blogspot.com and lil mischievous Maya =) both sporting a dainty and floral ensemble

meet Carmel of http://confessionsofarookiemum.blogspot.com/ and baby Garrie sporting a classic red and black motiff

I love how the little girls emulate their moms style.

---

My next post will be all about the big roasted pig \-.'/

Filipino Style: Humba Recipe (Braised Pork Belly with Sugar)

HUMBA: Pinoy Style Braised Pork Belly w/ sugar

This is a very popular dish in my country, we call this HUMBA. I am pretty sure that there is a similarly good recipe in different parts of the world and is named differently. Generally, Filipinos are naturally sweet, it reflects onto the things we prepare at home especially our food.

In some countries, they would like to spice it up! In the Philippines, we would like to sweeten things up! (cheesy line, i know!) 

Allow me to sidetrack a bit, I just remembered a mall experience I had a few days ago at a local pastry shop. Okay! I'll admit, I was eavesdropping this one guy, European maybe, he was looking for a loaf of bread. He asked the attendant to give him varieties of the sliced bread, so the attendant did as she was told and presented him with 3 different kinds. Well,the European knew just the right question to ask for each bread "is this sweet?". The attendant responded, with a "yes" on all 3 questions. I was simply amused and seriously impressed at how adept he is with the Filipino culture. You could see in his face that he was quite frazzled, I could just imagine him on the hunt for bread that is w/ less sugar. 

Going back to this dish, I've cooked this several times and I usually just eyeball the ingredients. It also depends if you want the sauce to be rich in flavor and thick. So here 's a rough estimate on how to do this. I usually use a deep pot and fill the water level right above where the meat is. 

Ingredients :

• 1 lb. pork (other recipes might use hocks but i used belly here), cut into serving pieces
• 1 whole head of garlic, peeled & crushed
• 1/2 cup vinegar
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 tsp. pepper or 1 tsp. peppercorns
• water
• salt to taste
• 
  
• hard-boiled eggs (optional)
• potatoes, peeled and quartered (optional)
• spring onions, bulb peeled

Cooking Procedures:

Combine first 9 ingredients in a deep pot and bring to a boil.  Put in low-med heat and simmer for about an hour or until pork belly or hocks is tender. Use a fork to test out the tenderness of the meat, the fat part usually tenders first so make sure to test out the meatier parts. Halfway on your cooking, adjust the taste according to your preference and put in the bay leaf and eggs. If you want to add some potatoes,they usually cook about 15 minutes.  It’s up to you when you'd add them, whether you like it very soft or just tender to bite.  You may add it halfway of the cooking time or later. Let it simmer and finally, add in a few stalks of spring onions, cover the pot and let it rest a bit. Serve. 

This makes my mouth water just looking at that bony part.

Leave a comment and let me know if this worked for you. =)

Baked Chicken ala King

baked chicken ala king

Don't you think the picture captured the essense of this dish? Yes, dear friends this is baked chicken ala king and that serving right there is fit for a king. Chunky chicken bits w/oozing mozzarella cheese baked to give that delicious texture to the melted cheese. Honestly, I had unintentionally sprinkled more mozarella on the sauce than planned; but hey! that is how home cooking should be, it should be all about generosity and love <3. They don't call it labor of love for nothing. Chicken ala king is also best served with buttered noodles, toast, or crepes. Did I mention that I live in the Philippines, rice is a staple in our country so I used rice, carbo-load away! hahahaha.

Going Provincial - Balamban & Asturias Part 2

And just when you thought going provincial would simply mean endless view of the trees, hills, rice fields and more rice fields. But the little town of Asturias and Balamban proved me wrong. Their town has grown over the past years making different means and ways to generate income in the same way that would also attract local and (crossing-fingers) international tourist alike.


In Cebu, the city is situated right at the heart of this oddly elongated island, if you are looking for activities that will free you from stress and steer you away from the hussle and bustle of the city, just choose north or south? The towns along the way will amuse you with food, scenery and experience. Part 1 of this blog had already featured the scrumptious foodies we had the entire trip, so this entry will feature the amenities that kept us entertained. 


First, no Filipino household is complete without a karaoke and what good way to start this than to feature just that (tee hee). I don't know 'bout your household but if you say home karaoke system it would just consist of a dvd-like player, mic and a tv but this one didn't come close to that! This is the mother of all household karaoke systems, wouldn't you think? It comes complete with that booming speaker system and is jam-packed with thousands of songs LOL. 

Karaoke

One mean karaoke machine. Too bad this facility is invitation only. LOL

 Our next stop was IPI prawn farm in Balamban, a town beside Asturias(5 minute ride). This is very easy to spot since this is just along the road . A very huge property that has a lot of activities to offer. Here's a list of the things you can do there. What better way to describe than by pictures. =)

Fishing 

the fishing pond where you can fish for red & black tilapia and bangus. 

Ava waiting for her catch

seriously fishing + caught fish = one happy kid =) 

And it looks like it was a good day to catch fish, everybody whose anybody caught more than 1 fish. Hats off to these smiling fishermen hahaha.

We caught a total of 5 kilos of red tilapia. We had the option to have these cooked but since we are pressed for time, we all decided to buy and take them all home.

They have their restaurant where you can buy beverages and seafood for dining in or when you decide to give up on fishing and instead buy their fresh catch instead. Tiger prawns (fresh from the prawn farm) priced at Php 370/ kilo and the red tilapia at Php 150/kilo.

Horseback riding

rates: 10mins - P50; 15mins - P75; 20mins - P100; 30mins - P150; 1hr - P300

Okay! So let me tell you how special this trip is to my daughter. Me and my office mates have been planning this trip for weeks but I kept this from my daughter 'til we arrived at destination. Several days back, she was asking me that we go fishing and on another occasion she said that she wanted to go horseback riding. This trip was heaven sent! Well, let me say that she was surprised and beyond happy that she got her two wishes on the same day. Very happy that she kept on talking about her experience when we got home.

=)

Other activities include: 

Donkey Cart Riding rates 

(10mins - P50; 15mins - P75; 20mins - P100; 30mins - P150; 1hr - P300)

Car/Motorcycle Racing rates

(Car rentals: 1lap - P300; 3laps - P750; 5laps - P1,000; 10laps - P1,500)

(With own car: half day - P500; whole day - P1,000)

(With own motorcycle: 1hr - P100; half day - P300; whole day - P500)

At the end of the day, here we are; the happy campers =)

A special thank you to Lyris and her fiance Paul,to Nean and Mark for making this possible.
  
A huge thank you. =)

Bloggers featured here http://mommynean.blogspot.com
http://iamdanny-girl.blogspot.com/
http://jasmarcos.blogspot.com/

Going Provincial - Balamban & Asturias Part 1

It has been quite sometime since I've had the chance to smell fresh provincial air and see a different scenery. I live in Cebu and we are quite known for our pristine beaches but you're in for a treat because we didn't go sun-bathing this time. By treat I meant food heaven, this is a food blog after all. I'll also be featuring some of the activities you can do when you visit Balamban, Cebu City Philippines. 

A big hefty thank you to Ms. Lyris Aventuna and her fiancé from planning the itenerary, for the warm welcome, food & logistics. They were very gracious enough to let us experience close to everything that their town has to offer. It was a fun-filled trip cramped in 7 hours; short but sweet \';'/

Johnna's Liempo Haus
For inquiries please call formerly Kristian Liempo is situated in front of the Balamban Church.   

that's pure juicy goodness ahhrrrggg!

Balamban is home of the famous LIEMPO. There are a lot of grill haus in Cebu City serving liempo, they're sprouting like mushrooms; you can associate it when lechon manok was in hype. Cebu City has Mr. Liempo, Kusina ni Nasing and one of them is even named Balamban Liempo (name derived from where liempo could've possibly originated). All of them has their distinct taste but I could say that Johnna's Liempo Haus deserves to have the name of "the original". The meat is so tender and soft that it would literally melt in your mouth, ohhhh and the taste is terrific rhymes with perfect! But like what I said liempo is common in the city but prawns (tiger prawns) are usually served on special occasions only because crustaceans are quite pricey. Balamban has their own prawn farm, they also grow red & black tilapia & bangus. The dish below were cooked in garlic and butter and I must say that the shrimps tasted very sweet and succulent. My daughter love love loves shrimps that she asked me to buy some fresh prawns to take home back to the city. 

garlic buttered prawns ala Aventuna

our feast! =) too bad you can only feast with your eyes... tee heee

It is my pleasure to introduce you to --- our food \';'/  Clockwise from 12 o'clock : Spicy chicken wings, Pork Caldereta, Pancit Canton Guisado, Garlic Buttered Prawns & Liempo ala Balamban

Isa's Bingkahan Moron
For inquiries please call 09066027535
you can fin this right along the road of  Owak,Asturias

What sets this stall apart from the rest that is lined up along the road is that his bibingka recipe has egg and milk which has made it so mouthwatering and soft. Each pack is carefully  wrapped in banana leaf and each pack cotains 3 bibingka's for the price of  Php 20??? Yeah you read it right! 20 freakin' pesos only. I seriously want more where that came from!  It seems like everything is priced less here, the prawns were priced at Php 370/ kilo and the red tilapia is at Php 150/kilo.

Life is good , less expensive and much less complicated ;-)

Watch out for my next post on the exciting activities we had on this trip =)

Pumpkin Soup

I would call this one an upgraded version of the locally known "dinuldog".  You can go light or creamy with this soup. For this round, I just added milk. This plain pumpkin soup is actually jam packed with a lot more than what you see. This is very delicious and good source of vitamins for your little ones and adults alike. My daughter is sometimes a picky eater and she can finish up a bowl of this. The main ingredients for this would be what you see below. Just make sure that if you choose a medium-sized gourd that your other ingredients would be rationally proportioned. Normally, I'd use a regular blender, but since mine went kablam! I used a stick blender and it still turned out the way I wanted; kitchen crisis averted! =)

 

 1/8 cup cooking oil

1/8 pumpkin or squash, sliced to smaller bits
1 white onion, 

3-4 cloves garlic,

2 potatoes,
2 carrots, 

chicken stock (just enough to cover ingredient while simmering)

salt and pepper
milk / regular or coconut cream

Directions:

Prepare chicken stock ahead (you can use cubes or boil chicken bones). Chop pumpkin into matchbox sizes; mince onion, garlic, potatoes and carrots. In a pot, put cooking oil, saute garlic and white onions for 1 minute. Saute pumpkin and stir it once in a while for about 5 minutes. Add in chicken stock, throw in the potatoes and carrots and simmer until all the ingredients are soft. Remove from heat. Using a blender, throw in the mixture and blend until its consistency is smooth.

If using regular cream or coconut cream, put the smooth mixture back into the pot and add in cream and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring to incorporate the cream into the mixture. Serve while still hot. Top with croutons or serve with garlic bread.

Pad Thai

  

Sawadee Ka! (สวัสดี)

So, my taste buds have been a bit adventurous, they were craving for something that shouts Thailand! My head and my heart was asking for some Pad Thai; nothing more and nothing less. I first tasted this dish when I've had a visit in Lexington, KY. We ate at this place called Planet Thai where you can get Thai food with a fusion of western influences and leave smelling like Thai spice when you go home too (It's like you've never left Planet Thai). Don't get me wrong their food was great!

;~D

I have dined in a couple of restaurants here in Cebu and I didn't enjoy their pad thai. There was always something off; It's either the sauce was runny, there weren't enough pieces of shrimp or I don't see the peanuts (ahahahaha). I mean, I just want to get value for my money. Wouldn't you want the same?

Oh well! Better cook it yourself, your way. I've shared the recipe below.

Main Ingredients:

Sauce Ingredients: 

1/3 cup fish sauce

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tbsp tamarind paste

1 tbsp water

 

Simmer sauce ingredients first and set aside.

Pad Thai Instructions:

• In a large wok sautee minced garlic, minced onions, sliced chicken breast until chicken is cooked. 
• Add in tofu then add 2 eggs (let white part set in a bit before scrambling the eggs)
• Turn off heat until rice noodles is ready. (cook rice noodles per package directions)
• Drain rice noodles. 
• Add pad thai sauce to wok. Add in drained rice noodles. Add garlic chives, add shrimps. Stir-fry until all ingredients are covered with sauce. Continue stirring until sauces starts running dry. Turn off heat. 
• Toss bean sprouts and chopped roasted peanuts
• Plate and add lime wedges for garnish. 
• Serve while it is still hot. Enjoy!

Kin-Khao-Hai-A-Roi-Na

Cheesy and Meaty Baked Ziti in Tomato Sauce

Cheesy and Meaty Baked Ziti in Tomato Sauce

This is actually a smaller version of what I had cooked for my tatay's(dad) birthday. This is right there on top of my favorite dishes, but I am accustomed to eating it with bechamel sauce. The most convenient and reasonably priced restaurant where you can get a good helping of baked ziti is at Sbarro, a local restaurant. This food just brings back fond memories, this was already an indulgence for a bunch of college friends trying to make the most of their weekly budget. It really didn't matter where we ate, it was just rounding up the circle for food trip (Hahahaha good times!!!)

Well, this is my version and I am opting for a lesser evil, lesser caloric content; hence, I served our guests baked ziti in tomato sauce. The picture below is the bigger verion, that serves 12 people with big appetite.

=)

Tex-Mex Chicken Fajitas

Chicken Fajita

Here is a little tex-mex recipe for my collection :) 

I loved eating these chicken fajita's @ El Loco resto (if any1 can recall, they were located below Skyrise bldg.) before they closed down. I like anything wrapped in pita/ tortilla, i guess; burittos, shawarma, quesadilla. Ava enjoyed rolling out the flour tortillas and everybody else enjoyed eating it!

But these fajita's are definitely better(self-proclaimed goodness) with the sour cream, cream cheese and a bit of spice to the chicken just giving you that tex-mex feel. And if you noticed Coke Cola in the picture that's because it is THE perfect combination to the fajitas! Enjoy ;)