Tag: Food

Tagaytay Food Tripping: Tootsie’s

Credits: Papers by LivE Designs’ TW-stories bubbles and literust papers.  Elements by Moninda Fall Meditation brush, tag by Sara McCarthy’s RA Ink Design Co.  Frames by LivE Design’s Live Simply 01 Off-set Frames.

I still dream of their Chorizo Adelfa – spicy and crispy, the leftovers I took home.  The chorizo pasta I made from it when I got home was unforgettable too.

I have yet to return to Tootsie’s for this (by far my favorite here).  But more than the chorizo, they serve excellent family dishes passed on from generation to generation as told on their menu.  Here are some of what we had and totally enjoyed.

Inihaw na Maliputo (grilled seasonal freshwater fish found only in Taal Lake).   The fish is ever so fresh and sweet.

Kulawong Puso ng Saging (Banana blossom spiked with vinegar) – always loved this dish and this particular one is wickedly good.

Sugpo sa gata (Prawns in Coconut Milk).  I’m always biased with dishes cooked in gata.  This did not disappoint.

Turon Halo-halo – with leche flan (caramel custard) and ube (yam), drizzled with a special langka (jackfruit) sauce.  This was calling my name but somehow, this dessert didn’t measure up.  The turon per se was really good but the sauce (for me) was not necessary.  The only dish that was sort of but not totally disappointing.

Tarragon and Mint Tea:  Absolutely refreshing.

Quietly tucked along the Aguinaldo Highway, Tootsie’s is definitely a restaurant screaming for attention if lovely home-style Filipino food is what you’re after.

Useful Info:

Tootsie’s
J. Abad Santos, cor. Aguinaldo Highway, Tagaytay City
Tel: (046) – 4834629 / 0917-TOOTSIE (866 87 43)

 

Posted on by Jenn 3

Incredible Lightness

Credits: Quickpage by Jessica Griffin

The new donut craze in Southeast Asia that is soon coming our way (hopefully). Incredibly light and airy with good java to boot.  J.Co, originally from Indonesia has entered the shores of Singapore, Malaysia and most recently Shanghai.

Posted on by Jenn 3

Dazed by Crab Beehoon

Or something like that.  Anthony Bourdain was all praises, enjoying almost all the dishes set before him at Sin Huat Eating House in Singapore.

I actually didn’t know about this episode of Mr. Bourdain’s earlier show A Cook’s Tour until my friend V insisted that we go there for dinner one night in Singapore.  If it’s good enough for Anthony, it’s good enough for me.

We arrived at a shabby looking eatery in Gaylang Rd. with tables extending almost to the sidewalk.  On one area of the restaurant, there were staffs watching TV.  Known to have a line, the restaurant was unusually quiet that night with only a few tables occupied.   But who’s complaining?

Our friend V, leaving there for a few years now was given the task of ordering our meal for the night.  She did well.

Served first was the scallops in garlic sauce — fresh and simply steamed and then topped with a black bean garlic sauce.  The dark sauce does not make for a pretty sight but is high up there in the flavor scale.

Essence of Chicken I am not fond of but this Essence of Chicken Frog’s Leg was a surprise.

They poured the essence over the dish just before serving, which had me worried for a second.  But there really wasn’t anything to worry about as the flavor of garlic won over the tonic taste.  Overall the dish, albeit not my favorite, came out pretty good.

Winning an award is a good sign, a very good sign for this trademark dish of chef/owner Danny.

The gigantic crab, sweet and firm, was cooked with the beehoon (vermicelli) in a wicked, spicy “secret” sauce that brought Sin Huat to fame.  A definite crab-lover’s paradise, if I may call it that.

As mentioned on the clip, this could be the most expensive restaurant in Singapore.   That said and despite the lack of ambiance, I see myself going back there on my next visit to Singapore to savor more of Chef Danny’s trademark and try his other fresh seafood dishes.  With food this good, who needs ambience?

Useful Info:

Sin Huat Eating House
659 Geylang Road
Loreng 35 Junction
Singapore 389589
Tel. (656)7449755
Posted on by Jenn 1

Weekend Lasagna

Boring weekends are the best time to try a new recipe especially if the recipe calls for more preparation time and effort.  So one Saturday with nothing much happening, I planned then purchased all that I needed to try this Lasagna recipe, which I cut into half or God forbid, I’d never want to see a lasagna again.  I do enjoy it every so often but lasagna is not something I ever crave for.  So you’re probably wondering why I’d even bother.  I got a box of lasagna as a gift las Christmas so what else do I do with it?   😛  It’s a  good time too to use up the left over Marinara Sauce, which I believe came out well with this recipe. There may be quite a few ingredients needed but believe me, this recipe is worth your while.  Even if I didn’t follow the recipe to a tee and used

this interesting new find (substituted this with the crushed tomato the recipe originally called for), and even if I couldn’t find sweet Italian sausages and settled instead for garlic Italian sausages, this lasagna came out truly delish.  For someone who don’t really care much for lasagna, it means a lot to say that I will be making this again.  So here’s my version.

What you need:

  • 250g sweet or garlic Italian sausage
  • 250g ground beef
  • ½ cup sliced mushroom of your choice
  • ¼ cup chopped onions
  • 1 cloves of garlic chopped
  • 2 225g Clara Ole Chunky Tomatoes with Basil
  • 1 250g tomato sauce or this Marinara Sauce recipe
  • 1 (6 ounce) can of tomato paste
  • ¼ cup water
  • 1 tablespoon white sugar
  • 2 teaspoons fresh basil leaves chopped
  • 4 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley chopped
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
  • 320g ricotta cheese
  • ¼ teaspoon fresh grated or ground nutmeg
  • 1 egg
  • 500g shredded mozzarella cheese
  • ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 4-6 lasagna sheets

Here’s what you do:

  • Brown the ground beef, Italian sausage, mushrooms, onions and garlic in a pot until they start to cook. It takes about 6 to 9 minutes to brown the meat.

  • Gently stir in the tomato chunks, sauce, paste and water.

  • Add the sugar, chopped basil leaves, half of the Italian parsley, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.
  • Cover the pot and let the meat sauce simmer. Simmer on low heat for 1 hour and 30 minutes.

  • Meanwhile, soak the lasagna sheets in hot tap water for 15 minutes.
  • While the noodles are soaking you can make the cheese filling.

  • In a mixing bowl, mix together the ricotta cheese, nutmeg, egg, and the rest of the Italian parsley.

Assembling the lasagna:

  • In a 5”-6” inch baking pan, spread 1 cup meat sauce on the bottom of the pan. Remove your lasagna sheets out of the water bath. Shake water off wet sheets.

  • Lay sheets across the layer of sauce. Spread half of the ricotta cheese mixture over the layer of sheets. Spread 1/2 of the mozzarella cheese over the ricotta layer.
  • Sprinkle half of the Parmesan cheese over the mozzarella layer.  Spread 1 cups meat sauce over the cheese layer.
  • Lay down the next layer of lasagna sheets.

  • Spread the remaining ricotta mixture over the sheets.
  • Spread the mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses saving some cheese for the top of the lasagna.
  • Put the last layer of meat sauce on the cheeses.
  • Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.

  • It should look like the picture above. Cover with foil.
  • Bake in preheated oven at 350 F (177 C) for 25 minutes.  Remove foil and bake uncovered for another 25 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for about 15 minutes.  Serves 4-6.

It may be more work than your normal stir-fry but hey, the weekend is free and if you double up the recipe, you have the week ahead to devour this one delish dish.

Posted on by Jenn 0

Double Double

Credits:  Papers from LivEdesigns’ SsunFun Paper pack — Moss, Sidewalk Chalk, Stripey and Vineyard.  Elements from PouYou’s Pink & Me kit — round stitch / couture 2; Scrapmatter’s Life’s Little Surprises Kit — dbo staple.

Over-rated or not, I am a fan.  Whether it be the fresh-never-frozen patties, the sweet, toasted buns, the sweet and tangy spread or the fresh lettuce, onions and tomatoes — all together, it is one burger that is without equal – still.  The quest for the best burger is still on for many but I think unless I stumble on another that can equal or top this, I remain a fan.

In-N-Out is the place to get real fresh burgers, great shakes and the hottest fries.  The menu so simple, unless you go for their Not-So-Secret Menu, has just 3 choices.

Posted on by Jenn 2

Awesome Marinara!

Credits: Jackie Torres URAwesome Quick Page

From my summer read last year, I came across many delightful recipes that I noted to try.  The book, Mediterranean Summer is an interesting read about David Shalleck’s life-changing culinary journey as chef on board the Serenity, the classic sailing yacht owned by one of Italy’s most prominent couples.  His challenge was to prepare all meals for them and their guests with no repeats, using only local ingredients that reflects the flavor of each port all from the confines of the yacht’s galley while at sea.

Shalleck provided recipes of the meals he prepared and I found many of them quite interesting.  I decided that my first recipe of his will be this simple Marinara recipe, which I can use a base for many meals.  It turned out really good.

The pepper flakes added a nice element of heat although the subtle tang of anchovies goes very well with fish and seafood, the sauce in fact works with everything – including sausages.

The recipe makes 4 cups, go ahead and make a whole batch, transfer them in bottles and just store them in the fridge.   It will keep for at least a month or so but trust me… it won’t last that long.

La Nostra Marinara

(adapted from the book The Mediterranean Summer by David Shalleck)

What You Need:

  • 1/4 cup pure olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, peeled, cut into 6 wedges, and the layers separated
  • 3 large garlic cloves, peeled and light crushed
  • 1 tablespoon roughly chopped anchovy fillet
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped Italian parsley
  • Two 28-ounce cans whole peeled tomatoes, pureed with their liquid
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
  • 1 ½ teaspoons fine sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon sugar

Here’s what you do:

  1. Heat the olive oil, onion, and garlic together in a nonreactive saucepan large enough to hold the tomato purée over medium-low heat.
  2. Cook, stirring from time to time, until the onion and garlic are soft but not browned, 8-10 minutes from when the onion starts to sizzle.
  3. Remove the onion and add the anchovy.  Using a wooden spoon, mash the anchovy with the garlic so that they combine into a paste.
  4. Add the parsley, stir, and continue to cook for 30 seconds, and then add the tomato purée, oregano, hot pepper, salt and sugar.
  5. Adjust the heat to keep the sauce at a low, steady boil and cook, stirring from time to time to keep the sauce from burning on the bottom, until the sauce starts to thicken, 30-40 minutes.
  6. Check the seasoning and add oregano, hot pepper or salt to taste if needed.  Makes about 4 cups.
Posted on by Jenn 2

Tagaytay Food Trippin’: Marcia Adams

A reliable go-to if one just seeks for a relaxing time away from the metro is Tagaytay.  Nice charming restaurants abound and there is a buzz going around foodies of this new charming place called Marcia Adams.   I think it is such a secret that only those in the know would be able to find this place – without any sign that inside is a beautiful garden and a very charming restaurant that serves good food to boot.  Close to the main highway at the border of Tagaytay and Alfonso just across Villa Somerset, you will come across a gate, orange I think it is.  Stop and ask, most likely it is the place.

Once inside, you will be ushered in through the garden that leads down to the restaurant.

One can also choose to sit outdoor surrounded by a country cottage styled garden.  We chose to stay inside overlooking the beautiful scenery of hills and plains.

The interior is rustic, very Tuscan.

The food?  Beautifully cooked – all of those we chose at least.

We started with this Amalfi Prawns that is perfectly cooked, succulent and crispy.

We then shared a bowl of Aegean salad, which had a grilled pear on top of mixed greens with roasted pistachio and Italian ricotta cheese dressed in a herby tangy dressing.

For our main, I chose this Grilled Aromatic Pork, which was heavenly.  Soft and juicy and packed with so much flavor.

The Fish Souvlaki A chose, a Tanigue kebab marinated in olive oil, lemon and herbs, is also mouthwateringly good.

M chose Chicken Kebab marinated in cumin and yogurt.  Tender and delectable to say the least.

Left to right:  Panna Cotta with lemon Sauce, Guava Shells in Syrup with Crème Fraiche, Grilled Orange with Dairy Ice Cream

All their desserts sounded so good so we each decided to choose one so we ended up with these delightful beauties – the Panna Cotta with lemon sauce turned out to be our favorite and the Guava Shells was quite interesting too.  They’re all good!

Next time you’re in Tagaytay, make sure to pay a visit to Marcia Adams; she will definitely delight your taste buds.

Useful Info:

For reservations and directions:
Call (63) 917-801-1456

 

Posted on by Jenn 6

Parmesan Oatmeal

Credits:  Snack Bag, Sunshine, Fun Surf papers from LivE SSunFun collection; Floral clusters and journal tag from LivE U R Awesome kit.  All from LivE Designs.  Ribbon Acrylic from Scrapmatters Life Little Surprises kit.

After a 3-month non-stop feasting on all sorts of food, my test results finally manifested negatively on this indulgence.  Cholesterol levels are a tad higher than normal so I run to old, reliable oatmeal to deliver me back to health.  Aside from its many benefits – one being a good source of soluble and insoluble fiber, which helps reduce LDL cholesterol, I just absolutely love it – especially this Scottish oatmeal.  It is a quintessential start to my day until recently, that is.  I’ve been lazy in the morning, preferring easy, instant fares such as granola with milk or yogurt, toasted breads with loads of butter and jam (tsk, tsk.), or just plain coffee (if I’m really, really lazy).

Plain oatmeal is bleh so I almost always cook it with milk (instead of just plain water), somedays I sweeten it with agave syrup and a fruit (like bananas or mangoes).  More often though it’s the savory kind that I crave for – topping it with spicy tuna from the can, grilled sausages or even pork floss.  And recently I discovered that cheese goes very well with oatmeal too when I stumbled on Stephanie Izard’s recipe that suggested fusing olive oil, cheese, salt and pepper – but of course!  An instant favorite!!   😉  So here’s my version.

Here’s what you need

  • Oatmeal, preferably steel-cut
  • Milk
  • Parmesan cheese (you can also try gouda, edam or manchego)
  • Extra-virgin Olive Oil
  • Sea salt (I used flaked salt)
  • Freshly cracked pepper

Here’s what you do

Cook the oatmeal (as directed on the pack) with milk (or water if you prefer).  Drizzle some good EVOO, add a fair amount of shaved or cracked cheese and season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper (adjusting to your taste).

Satisfaction twice over – healthy and great tasting to boot… is this a winner or what?   😀

Useful Info:

*  Bob’s Organic Scottish Oatmeal is available at Healthy Options.

Posted on by Jenn 4

Brunch at Marseille

Brunch never fails to give me the warm fuzzies because I love breakfast and I love the idea of having my favorite breakfast fare for lunch on a lazy Sunday morning.  Brunch also means that waking up early is never in the equation (unless it’s some 100 kilometers or more away).  So yay for R who made reservations at Marseilles for BRUNCH before the matinée showing of Green Day’s American Idiots at St. James Theatre on 44th St.

Marseille at the Theatre district is the quintessential  brasserie, the menu predominantly French with some Italian, Greek and Moroccan influence thrown in.

The group shared 2 starters.  The duck liver mousse topped with a rhubarb gelee was heavenly when spread on grilled bread.

For some reason, I can’t remember how the goat cheese tarte fared – must be ordinary.

The breads however were wonderful.

I chose Portobello Tartine mainly because I just cannot resist Portobello mushrooms and I’d always hear about Swiss chard but am not really sure what they are and if I can find them in my neck of the woods.  Despite how it looked, which was kind of a mess, I was happy with my choice.  All the flavors were a great harmonious blend.

I also liked the Jumbo lump crabmeat dish of J.  Endives has always been a top choice because it never fails to liven up a dish with its refreshing, crunchy leaves while the mustard vinaigrette gave a wonderful kick to the dish.

Not a knock out was C’s Poached Egg’s Provencal.  The ratatouille didn’t blow me away, it was not a total failure, it just seemed average.  I wasn’t sure if the poached eggs were able to elevate the dish or not.  I didn’t get that far into the dish because it wasn’t mine to start with.   🙂

The restaurant, being a top fave of many in the theater district, was busy that the service was quite slow.  We were getting anxious waiting for our food as we do have a show to catch.

To make up for the slow service, the staff gave everyone a glass of Cava Mimosa on the house.  Nice touch… now how do you give a bad rating for that?  I’m not sure though if that was enough to make up for not having our dessert.  Probably not, if you ask someone with a sweet tooth like me.

Useful Info:

Marseille
630 Ninth Avenue at 44th Street
NYC, NY 10036
Tel:  (212) 333-2323
http://www.marseillenyc.com
Posted on by Jenn 0

Eating Our Way Through NYC: Grand Sichuan and Amy’s Bread

We were in the mood for hot and spicy and Grand Sichuan seemed to be the popular choice that evening.  Noted for its fine Sichuan and Hunan food, they have several branches in NYC and we walked to one of their branch in Hell’s Kitchen.  It is said to be one of a handful of real Sichuan restaurants in the city.  A contrast to the contemporary feel and look of the restaurant, the menu was pretty extensive featuring many of the region’s favorites.  The staff were very friendly, also so unlike the typical.  The food was, without a doubt, smashing.

We started with some Sichuan cold noodles coated with a nice spicy peanut sauce.

We were there too for their Pork Soup Dumplings (or xiao long bao), which I think was not bad but quite forgettable compared to the ones I had here.

Mapo Tofu will always be part of a Sichuan meal and this one was pretty good.

We ordered Lotus Roots with Baby Shrimps out of curiosity, the shrimps were fresh and crunchy while the lotus roots uninteresting.

The baby shanghai bok choy, sautéed ever so lightly leaving the stalks crunchy and the flavor clean with only the right amount of wonderful fresh garlic.

On our way home, we passed Amy’s Bread and couldn’t resist the warm and cozy smell of bread and coffee,

we entered despite the line and sampled their hot chocolate made of thick Choco paste stirred into hot milk and finished off with a piece of homemade marshmallow.  The result was a drink with just the right richness.

The sticky buns, which to me looked like ordinary cinnamon roll and would otherwise just walk pass it were it not highly recommended by both friend and staff.  It was sticky and moist and does taste like a better version of a cinnamon roll, I still couldn’t tell the difference between the two, however.

Posted on by Jenn 0