LegallyChef

Pepper Lunch (03 Jan 09)

2009-01-07T23:00:00.001+08:00

Apple Pie 2008

2008-12-14T23:13:00.003+08:00

Thank you God!

2008-03-29T23:48:00.002+08:00

476. DURA, Blair M.

477. DY, Kristina Irene C.

478. DYBONGCO, Levi N.

479. DYCHIAO,
Lorraine N.

480. EBILLO, Russel L.

481. ECHIVERRI, Juan Crisostomo M.

482. ECLAR, Clarence M.

483. EDDING, Jihan El R.

484. EDILLOR, Kathleen T.

Dimsum craving solved!

2007-10-04T07:32:00.000+08:00

The thing I missed most about Vancouver was the dimsum restos. In manila, there are very few places where you can really enjoy HK style dimsum. Most of the dimsum places are mediocre at best. We went to our favorite dimsum place only to find out that it was closed for renovation. So we went to Top Gun (Yes, that's the name of the resto) for our brunch meal.

It was great! My favorite dimsum is Sticky rice wrapped in lotus leaf and this is the best of all I've tasted. Even their egg tarts was fantastic! Bwhahaha! I ate some liver congee and some hot tea to help with my colds too! Didn't get to take pictures because we were all too hungry!

2007-10-03T05:47:00.000+08:00

Bah! I've been sick for a couple of days now, and since my sister in Manila is also sick, something tells me I brought this virus hehehe. So I haven't been eating out a lot or even cooking. Although I did cook menudo the other night, I had to go back and forth the sink and stove to wash my spoon for tasting quite a few times. Plus I had to ask dad to check if the dish was salty enough for him.

We went out on Sunday though, for brunch. I forgot to ask the name of the place, but all i know is that they serve brunch meals that usually come with a noodle dish plus a plate dish. We got 2 breakfast sirloin which came with gravy, egg and bun, and 2 noodle dishes.

We only ordered 2 sets between the 3 of us and we had to take home one full bowl of noodles because it was just too heavy! hehehe!

Korean Resto Food Challenge

2007-09-30T06:18:00.000+08:00

I've been obsessed with finding the perfect Korean food place for the past 5 months or so. With the influx of korean "tourists" the number of restos, grocers, and hair salons have also increased. In areas like Commonwealth and Makati, there is a large concentration of Koreans, that's why it makes sense to try those areas first. It was Malou who actually got me started on Korean food, because before that time I had only eaten at one expensive resto and speculated on how yummy the food would be at Seoul barbeque along Libis everytime I passed by.

In the past months, I have tried several establishments. To make things fair, I tried ordering almost the same things on the menu at each of the restos: Sanggyupsal, Kimchi jjigae, Kimbap, Dolsot Bibimbap, Chapchae

1. Woorijib Commonwealth

Introduced me to the wonderful world of sanggyupsal. The place isn't impressive because it's basically a building lobby converted into a resto. It was pretty good and the kimbap was yummy. Chapchae was so-so. Wasn't able to order Bibimbap or Kimchi jjigae. Price wise, it was around P300 per head, which is pretty standard. Lettuce refills for the pork had an extra charge.

2. Manna Garden

I used to love this place because in terms of freshness of food, they had the best. They also served the yummiest bean sprouts (and side dishes overall). Their bibimbap was yummy, although I still think it would be better had they thrown in a handful of chopped cucumber. The chapchae here is the best. They even make this cinnamon tea that they serve with fruits that I LOVE LOVE LOVE. However, on my last visit, I heard that the 2 korean ladies sold it to some person and you could totally see the difference in terms of food AND service. Won't go back there anymore!

3. Korean BBQ

This resto on Pearl drive has the 2nd to the best sanggyupsal because they cook it until the edges are nice and crisp. Their kimbap was yummy because they served it with this sauce that really adds flavor. Nice side dishes also. Bad thing is you have to order 2 or more sanggyupsal or any of the grilled meats. I also like the green onion salad they served with the pork

4. Dong Won

Most expensive (like 2 times the price) and least satisfying. There are only 3 things I like about this place: Kimchi jjigae was a HUGE pot, Dolsot Bibimbap was the best here, AND it's just above Razons hehehe

5. Korean Resto along the same road as Astoria Plaza

I didn't like this place because the sanggyupsal they served used a different type of pork cut and the service isn't great. They would give you like 2 lettuce leaves with a lot of white cabbage and asking for a refill could take a while. They did have the best kimchi there. And the best part is that beside them is the Shalom Grocery where my sister buys all her things. They even sell this refreshing ice drop made of melon.

6. Ye Dang

I think that they serve the best pork here and that's why Ye dang is great. Their dolsot is wonderful also and they have the tiny potato side dish which I really like. Problem with this place is the parking. Come early because a lot of people come and eat.

7. Leslie's Korean Food

THE BEST. She makes ja jang myun while the other restos don't even have that on their menu. It totally satisfies the need to eat "that noodle you always see on koreanovelas". She makes really good bibimbap and kimbap! She even made her own kimchi! The bad thing about this is now my craving for korean food has significantly gone down by at least 80%. Why eat out when you can have it at home (cheap too). Hehehe. Now if only she can perfect the other stuff, maybe we can start our own korean resto! Bwhahaha!

Ps. Go to youtube and look for "Got Rice" and listen to this funny funny song. Leslie tells me this is sort of the anthem for the 604 asian kids (richmond/vancouver)

Kelong Singaporean Resto

2007-09-29T12:22:00.001+08:00

Yum! Kelong Singaporean Resto we went to for dinner. We got the set menu for 2 people because it was more than enough for us 3. A set comes with 2 appetizers, 2 main dishes, 2 cups of rice and dessert (although they gave us an extra dessert, yey!)

Above is the picture of the spicy tofu with sauce and a bed of sprouts. Also in the picture are the satay strips made of chicken or pork.

This is their version of beef rendang. Yum!!

But this is the best of the food served. Crispy Tilapia with Sambal. Wasn't able to take a picture of the red bean and rice dessert soup though!!!

I'm tried from my flight but will blog soon about the Korean Restos I've tried so far!

Music & memories

2007-07-02T23:19:00.000+08:00

Funny how songs trigger memories. I was listening to "Ordinary World" by Duran Duran and the memory that popped into my head was listening to this song inside the old Washington Store in Manila waiting for my mom who was buying something. Some more examples:

Eternal Flame - Me, my sister, our maid and my mom singing to this song. We wrote the lyrics on a piece of yellow pad and we all took turns singing.

Westside by TQ - Harvey wanted us to sing this song, so each of us had a voice to sing. Of course he did the rap part (horrible, hehe!)

Beautiful Ones - 8 of us from my HS barkada went to Friday's in Taiwan where we saw a Bret Anderson lookalike! Of course we thought he was cute and we planned to go back just to see him

Barbie Girl - one normal day, Les and I were beside Harvs and I started singing Barbie Girl and Les responded with the guy's part "Come on barbie, let's go party" and ahya was so amused by the entire performance

Say what you want by Texas - Andrea loves this song and would play it every night before we would go to sleep, plus songs from The Braxtons. In fact, we would walk and pose while this song was on

Boys & Girls by Blur - Memories of waking up at 9am daily just to listen to it played on MTV

Virtual Insanity - this was my favorite song when I was in 2nd yr HS and Sobby told me that this was Mark's (then boyfriend) favorite. Yuck hahaha! I wonder where that guy is now

Glycerine by Bush - FRU singing to this while waiting for his 2-3 pairs of underwear to dry in the machine because he brought only 7 pairs for a 6 week study tour plus he was determined NOT to buy any more.

Any song from Goo goo dolls - Riding Chua's car from Manila to Tagaytay full of girls while her then boyfriend was inside another van by himself (with the driver and all our things).

Heart of Glass - always my song of choice when we go to Karaoke. Also I remember the car ride from law school to Katipunan when Inez confessed that she doesn't know who Blondie was. Of course Rich and I reacted with: WHAATTT???

Lucky - car rides with Rich and Co. inside the Ateneo campus

Always by Erasure - this song defined the party scene for this grade 7 girl. I think this was the song the DJ from XS played when we were playing truth or dare and Gan had to dance with the then-cute DJ

Beautiful Stranger - whenever Joj and I would go home together, we would always hear this song at least once.

I'll update when I remember any more hehe!

SOMSarap!

2007-06-25T00:23:00.000+08:00

This weekend was a foodfest! We started the weekend with a meeting at Starbucks (where we didn't get anything) and moved on to Brother's burger. And boy were we lucky! It was their anniversary so they had a 50% discount on the Big Brother's burger. So I ordered that while Tin got the Crispy fish. They didn't have onion rings so we had to settle for fries (which at P50 bucks was prettyyy expensive).

Then we met up with Aileen and on the way to the car we saw Trina, so all four of us went to Serendra looking at the shops and found the cutest balloons! With feet! bwhahaha! actually I saw this over a year ago @ Aberdeen in Richmond and now it's here! With Chickens, Cows and T-rex designs! I wanted one but at P495 for a balloon, pffttt. Wag nalang.

here i am with the little cow

We had dinner at Fu, which left me very disappointed. The menu said "refined cantonese food" and it did not measure up. Heck I can get the same stuff from fake chinese restos that have invaded Manila! Fine, I confess that I'm sort of a Chinese Food Snob!!! My best friend would say "this is a place that tricks non Chinese people into thinking that they are eating Chinese food" Bwhahah!. The only good thing there is the place and the service. Since it was raining, we decided to just get some dessert at Xocolat and it was good. We ordered the following:

Mudslide

Adult Brownie

Mojito

Churros

The good thing about this place is the fact that they train their people. Service was good and they add nice touches like mint/herb leaves in the water, nice setup where people can just hang out.

I was back at the Bonifacio area the next day where we attended mass on Uncle Efren's birthday. I even got to see Imelda up close! hehehe. We weren't sure where to eat but we finally decided to try Som's in Makati for some Thai food. It's a tiny place, and although they do have airconditioners installed, it seems like that was just for decorations. Tin has tried food from this place before at a party and said that it was good and we weren't disappointed. The food was good (although the shakes suck and the service was a bit slow). Everyone enjoyed, even Sgt. G! In fact, I know it's a hit with the Birthday boy when he told Sgt. G to remember this place so they can get take out next time! We had the following:

Pad thai

Red Curry

Tom Yang

Satay

Hmm, Tin seems hungry

Catfish Salad

Nicole is confused

Spring Rolls

Bagoong Rice

We also got green and ripe mango shakes. The spring rolls were nice, but nothing extraordinary. The Bagoong Rice would have been good if that was your main meal but I think mommy's version is so much better hahaha! (biased, of course) The green mango shake was "milky" according to Nicole, while the ripe mango shake was too sweet according to Uncle E and Andrew. The best thing I had was the Tom Yang which I loved! Didn't have the straw mushrooms and only had a few prawns thrown in, but it was really tasty! The catfish salad was too! I've never had that type of salad before so I can't really compare. All in all this was a really good meal and hits the spot. Next time, I'll try ordering out and eating it at home with a bowl of steaming jasmine rice!

We ended the day eating cake from Conti's which we picked up on the way home. One slice was enough to fill up the entire plate! Bwhahaha!

From Harvard to Manhattan

2007-06-08T01:47:00.000+08:00

Congratulations Ahya! We're so proud of you! You are now a true Harvard Graduate & soon to be a Manhattan lawyer! I beg you, please refrain from wearing the following: the yellow chien tan tshirt, that astro boy shirt, the bruce lee "fight! fight!" tshirt. Matanda ka na!

PS. I'm the only one who can use the "gwa si gihn nahhhhh" (translation: i'm still a kid!) with dad no!!!

Edit: New Pictures just in!

The proud parents

The parents with the fantastic graduates representing the Island of the Philippines!

The proud papa
(Who told me he still can't believe how far his kids have gone - way beyond his expectations. Then he told me again that I should have gone to grad. He'll probably repeat that every so often until I graduate again from either: Le Cordon Bleu France, Culinary Institute of America, or Wharton!)

The STI or AMA commercial

Pierre Herme

2007-06-07T01:52:00.000+08:00

If there is a genius in pastry arts, his name would be Pierre Herme. A Vogue food critic dubbed him as "the Pablo Picasso of Pastry" for mastering all the classic French pastries and breaking all the rules to create and combine flavors and textures that most people would not even think of pairing. Not only did he work at the great institution called Fauchon, he later moved to Laduree.

After his stint there, he went off to open his own patisserie. Of all his creations, I guess the french macarons have received the most publicitiy. He has dozens and dozens of flavors like rose, chocolate, pistachio just to name a few. It is reputably the BEST (although Fauchon/Laduree fans would disagree). I want to go to Paris to visit the museums and go to the 3 establishments. After that, I can go back to Manila satisfied. I don't want to see the sights...Ok fine, I want to go to Versailles because of the whole Marie Antoinette and the movie posters show classic french pastries (and I think I even saw a macaron there somewhere). Of course I also want to try the Rose Ispahan which mixes the flavors of rose, raspberries and lychee.

However, the idea of going to France or even enrolling at the Le Cordon Bleu doesn't seem like a reachable dream this year. So I will settle for going to Pierre Herme in New York - hehehe. Okay I might sound weird here again...but Pierre was born in Alsace.... as in Alsace LORRAINE. hahaha! To think my brother would tease me about being named after that place known for their dogs (the German Shepherd Dog or Alsatian comes from Alsace, the border between France and Germany). What my dear brother doesn't know is that Alsace Lorraine is also known for its many top knotch restaurants! And now they are also known for being the birthplace of Pierre Herme!!!

Planning a wedding...

2007-06-03T01:34:00.000+08:00

Not mine of course! Ahya & Tintin are now starting to plan their church wedding for 2008. Since I'm the only representative here for our side, I get to be part of the entire planning process. Ooohhh we're so excited because it'll be the first wedding for both families. Although they did have a mini celebration for the civil wedding, I wasn't able to participate because I had an exam that day and another major exam the morning after!!!

Looking at wedding magazines makes me want to have a wedding where I can do whatever I want. (okay, I just want the whole wedding party and not necessarily get married ha! bwhaha). The thing I am most excited is getting my dress made, which won't be for another 6 months or so, but still! Tintin and I have talked about things we will avoid. These are:

1. cruel use of doves
2. cheesy portions like the dance number in romy & michelle
3. no weird color combinations for the dresses (Pleassssssee!!! elegance only!) or cheap-looking beaded dresses
4. string quartets that play the same set of songs
5. stiff or trying-hard-to-be-super-formal-weddings that just look plain duh!

Hopefully the wedding will be....
1. unique
2. fun
3. memorable for everyone attending
4. and the overall theme of simple elegance!

Ahh moments

2007-05-31T00:01:00.000+08:00

"Being a good at studying isn't enough. What makes one really great is juggling school and having a life."

"Enjoy, learn, have fun!!! At the very end, you don't want to be described as just the lawyer."

Vanness

2007-05-27T00:56:00.000+08:00

So Vanness Wu released his second album and so far I've seen two videos, both of which I love! His Never Let You Go MV is fantastic! He could definitely give Rain a run for his money! You can watch his video HERE.

Funny thing is, I've liked Vanness since 1997! Yes, that's 10 years. Some of you will tell me that's impossible because Liu Xing Hua Yuen only came out 2001. That's 4 years prior to his TV debut. However, Vanness was a backup dancer in the 1997 DJ Jason Nevin remix of "It's like that" by Run DMC. You can look at the video HERE. Look at the video, somewhere around the 1:46 to 1:47 and you'll see....who else! But a young Vanness!

In the height of my "VannessMyLove" phase, I found out that I'm around 1 to 2 degrees away from Vanness (according to the 6-degree rule). So I say that's pretty close! Oh Vanness! we are cosmically matched! HAHAHAHAH! My friend Mia has actually talked to Vanness, when she was off looking for ZaiZai.

Mia is the major fan, and she's our idol when it comes to stalking our crush. She has sustained her ZZ madness all throughout law school. Skipping class to fly off to HK or Taiwan to go get her hair colored beside ZZ or maybe ride the plane beside ZZ. Line up a day before a big concert. Or studying for a major Corpo exam in the airport from one of her trips.

Ahhh, if only my dad was Lucio T. so I can get free plane tickets. I still believe that one day I'll meet Vanness, maybe when he's taking a break in Irvine hahaha! who knows! Anything is possible!

Pickles

2007-05-17T01:36:00.000+08:00

HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY
PICKLES!!!

When mom, dad and Leslie first picked up Pickles, the previous owners didn't even notice that he was stuck inside the garage for more than one day, going without food or water! It was a good thing we took over. Look how cute and innocent his face was when he first arrived.

Doesn't he look sweet and innocent? Isn't he so cute and tiny?
Well...not anymore, he ain't!

A few things about Pickles ....

1. Eat and poop. A lot. He's a nuisance hehe.
2. Watch TV with Dad
3. Sleep on Dad's chest. He's a squatter.
4. Run outside and explore with Mom.
5. Go near open windows and cold floors.
6. Sucking up to strangers. That's why he's a prostitute.
7. Bullying Princess. Since Princess is a girl, can we get a barangay protection order against Pickles?
8. Murdering all sorts of plants. Oh Murder oh!
9. Theft. Vitamins, tissue paper etc.

Aside from being a cat of loose morals, he is also guilty of being sipsip to the big boss of the house. He gets a lot of perks and big boss always ALWAYS defends him. Harumph!

Kaya Pickles, maghanda ka na! Since 1 year old ka na, hindi ka na kitten. Pwede na kita patulan pag dating ko diyan. Of course, I am also afraid of Pickles and Big Boss. Especially when you look at the last picture...

Fine!

He was just yawning and that was a really scary picture of him.

He's really a good kitty pero sipsip talaga at unfair si Big Boss!

Peanut

2007-05-10T20:24:00.000+08:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PEANUT!!!

Three years old today, but still a spoiled baby!

Rumble...rumble...

2007-05-08T22:56:00.000+08:00

SHABUSEN! Only...

To Go!

Happy News

2007-05-05T22:48:00.000+08:00

While browsing through the shops in Shangri-La tonight, I ran into my dear dear friend Andrea and she told me that our mutual friend Sobby graduated med school as a cum laude! To top that off, her boyfriend (actually should I start calling him fiance) graduated as a Magna cum laude. Andrea now calls them Mr. & Mrs. cum laude. He-he. I texted her congratulations and scolded her for not telling me that she finished med school as a cum laude. She told me to study hard and do well.

Yes I will. Andrea was telling me that her friends are now going somewhere and doing really well in their field of choice. Thinking about it tonight, I have to agree. Our group has a lot to be proud of. We might not have the smartest of all, but the percentage of people excelling in our group is pretty high. Plus none of us has done anything that you can say is a career/life-disaster. Soon-to-be-doctors, fantastic entreps, hopefully-soon-to-be-lawyer (ahem!), bankers, MBA grads & engineers. Wow. To think that when we were in HS, all we did was to write stupid letters to people we see/talk/chat with every single day. We would hang out at St. Francis Square at the new Kenny Rogers place. We attended parties on the rooftops, got drunk together, went through several weird hookups and breakups. And after all that, when we see each other after long periods, it's as if we just met the day before. A lot of us have been friends since kindergarden (some even from Nursery - hey Cherry!). Haha we've gone through our Taiwan Study tour and our mini trips!

I'm so proud of our group.

Funny how life goes, huh?

Oh! Two of our friends are getting married too (though not to each other)!

I'm so excited for life to REALLY begin.

what to do...

2007-05-04T22:12:00.000+08:00

1. study

2. not listen to people on how much they've read, or how much they are reading

3. enjoy the entire experience - hahaha!

4. think of all the people who have been with you since law school day 1, especially those who continue to support you through this period

5. think of having a normal life after this is all over.

Updating

2007-04-23T19:46:00.000+08:00

So it is final. I am a graduate of UP and to celebrate my dad, sister in law and I went to the Highlands Steakhouse at the MOA. Ate a almost 14 oz steak, with sidings and soup of course and it was great. Of course, daddy, being used to prices in single digits was shocked at the prices. I tell you, he's so used to buying groceries abroad that when we went to the Department store, he said that P100-200 priced items were expensive. I had to remind him that if he computes it, it would be $2-4 only.

So Dad goes back after a month's stay here. Calls me up as soon as he goes grocery shopping to tell me that he bought a lot of steak (fillet mignon, to be exact) for the price of a petite serving at said resto. He told me that when I come back home, he'll feed me steak until i'm puwie-tsut-tsut. Hahahah.

Funny thing was, when my dad was here, he kept comparing peanut (my big fat white cat) with pickles (his big fat black cat). Obviously pickles was the winner in everything he could think of, because he is biased. I told him that despite all that, I still like Peanut better because this cat responds only to me. He gets depressed and starts losing weight and hair when I'm gone for prolonged periods. He waits up for me when I go out at night, standing by the front door. He follows me around, and sleeps beside me at night.

I told him that Pickles was a prostitute. Pickles was friendly, too friendly to any person he met.

Today, he called me sounding upset. He told me that my friend, a new immigrant, visited our house and Pickles was all over this guy. He was nicer to the stranger than he was to my dad. When my dad arrived, Pickles wouldn't even go near him until daddy was taking a nap and he went up to kiss the sleeping beauty hahaha!

Of course that was very upsetting for my daddy (who still has issues with his dog Brownie who he says abandoned them for some bitch - girl dog ha!). So now Pickles is known as Pokpok at home. Pokpok pickles. I'm excited because in a few months, all four kitties will be together. hehe

Tomorrow!

2007-04-17T23:53:00.000+08:00

Tomorrow my dad is leaving :( I have to readjust to living alone again. On the way home on Makati Ave., we were talking about how some people are as parents. It got me thinking that despite everything that has happened and all my complaints, my siblings and I are blessed with our parents. And we are lucky that despite the distance and the time difference, I can still say that we are a solid family. I'm glad that each one of us (my brother, sister and I) are progressing. This can only mean that my parents did a good job with us. No one is on drugs or has harmful & addicting habits. Everyone is doing fine in school with a good future. No mental problems. No life threatening sicknesses. Nothing of that sort. Thank god. My dad says that as parents, the measure of success is how great their kids turn out to be. I know they are proud of us, but I wish that down the road, we exceed their expectations.

Notary Public Open for Business

2007-03-30T17:18:00.000+08:00

Notary Public
Now Open for Business!!!
Service with a smile
Reliable and Fast

Ala Elle Woods

2007-03-27T23:47:00.000+08:00

A wise old professor once said: Go home and make babies! (to the girls in class)

Geez. After today's test, I wonder why we didn't listen.

A look back

2007-03-20T22:13:00.000+08:00

Four years in law school is about to end. Four long years. I'm glad I went to UP, although sometimes I do wonder what it would be like if I didn't go to law school, or if I went to the other law school.

Someone once said that they didn't like it in that other school because people weren't nice and they were competitive. Now that I think about it, it's so funny that someone would say that considering that: 1. A lot of people aren't nice, they're really just pretending. Its not just in that school where these "not nice" people go. They are everywhere. Yes even in UP. 2. About competitiveness. Well I really think that there should be a certain amount of competitiveness to make people do better. Of course, it is another thing if competitiveness leads to petty High School behaviour we see so much in law school. Its the competitiveness which make ordinary people do extraordinary things. Maybe some people just can't measure up to these expectations. Oh well, too bad for them.

Another thing I learned is that Loyalty counts. I hate it when people try to maintain this image of being nice, good, friendly and principled. It's really in what you do that defines who you are. Often times its the people who don't have that image that delivers. That's why the old saying that birds of the same feather flock together is so true. Look at the people you call friends. If you find that you don't really like your barkada, hooooboy, you are in trouble. So be smart, use your intuition, and stick with the friends who do count. Yes, friends will have flaws and you might want to strangle them at some point, but so do you. Loyalty tells you a lot about a person.

You don't have to be friends with everyone. Heck, so what if some people don't like you? That's okay. The opinion of the people who you really like are the ones that really count. Oh, and value yourself. Demand that you be treated with respect. A friend told me that another friend of ours is so clueless that her own friends don't really respect her. That to me is the saddest thing.

Just a few more days, and finals will be over. Just a few more months, the bar will be over too. I'm so glad that my friends (especially those from waaaaaaay back, think ICA-days) are still there. I promise I will make up for the past 4 years of cancelled lunch/dinner/merienda dates, missed vacations, birthdays and shopping moments.

multiply

2007-03-09T21:47:00.000+08:00

okay, now i also do multiply when i promised myself i wouldn't! hahaha.

pictures of kitties and cuppies over here.

Proof

2007-03-08T01:43:00.000+08:00

Okay, Fine. Di na talaga ito food blog. I have a self imposed no-baking policy until the end of September. Although I already violated my policy, hay basta I'll try not to bake.

So, this is important because I found proof that I HAVE WORN A BIKINI TOP ONCE IN MY LIFE.

Eto na...

sige na nga, circa 1980s pa to!

How appropriate

2007-03-07T19:27:00.000+08:00

People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people.

- V -

3 old friends, meet again...

2007-03-04T23:38:00.000+08:00

grabe, ang jologs ng mga ito. to think dapat may respect ako sa mga taong ito! pero aminin, magaling si jason mag photoshop kasi picture to nung wedding nung nasa gitna and I assure you di siya mukhang harry pot pot nun.

Whaaaaaaaat happened?

2007-03-04T20:24:00.000+08:00

I still can't believe it happened. 3 years of work will potentially disappear. I have to say that disappointed is a pretty weak word for what I am feeling. Things just started looking great, everything was improving.

Apparently in this world, all that matters is that people perceive you as "nice". My god, isn't that the most vague descriptive word in the dictionary. Yes, he's nice. Yes, she's nice. Oh she's nice naman eh. Whatever.

Whatever happened to long term planning and choosing something for the greater good? Whatever happened to loyalty and standing for what you believe in? WHATEVER HAPPENED TO APPRECIATING GOOD LEADERSHIP SKILLS AND GREAT WORK ETHIC?

Geez, politics. Politics and the general fear of people who think they won't measure up to the challenge

Beauty Queens

2007-03-04T00:38:00.000+08:00

My sorority now has 2 beauty queens, the latest being TERE LICAROS who was just crowned as Bb. Pilipinas-Universe 07' tonight. To top it all, she's currently ranked #1 in their batch. Beauty and Brains.

The original beauty queen was the very first Lady President of UP Portia Sorority, LP Pacita delos Reyes Phillips. When I searched the internet for more information about our beloved LP, this is what I found from www.quezon.ph

Reader Alexander Ancelotti sent in the following today:

The name Pacita de los Reyes Phillips may not ring a bell to a male generation that is going ga-ga over the likes of Heart Evangelista, Anne Curtis and Kristine Hermosa. But certainly, any male who was around during the American colonial period will claim that the beauties of today are no match to Pacita. Actually, there are also the likes of Susan Magalona and Conchita Sunico.

Pacita de los Reyes Phillips was not just another pretty face. The Carnival Queen of 1929 also boasted a brilliant legal mind, being a member of the UP College of Law batch that has produced the likes of Arturo Tolentino and Ambrosio Padilla. The eligible bachelors of her time courted her (like Nicasio Osme a). She also had a colorful love that even involved the last President of the Commonwealth. Even as she aged, she remained radiant and beautiful.

Death came to Pacita de los Reyes Phillips on March 10, 2005. She was 94 years old. The Beauty Queen is dead. Long live the Beauty Queen.

VOTE!

2007-03-02T23:34:00.000+08:00

What do you do...

2007-03-02T22:14:00.000+08:00

What if you used to be teased to some random guy from school?

Someone you don't even talk to?

Someone OLD. Someone who looks very foreign.

And a friend tells you things about him.

Things like his love for girls and dirty drawings?

And his encounters?

And his great skills?

What if he's a close friend of another friend.

And she's bringing him to the party you will be in?

And that she heard about his "reputation" and his drawing skills.

And tells him about it.

And she scratches her head because this guy doesn't draw and doesn't fit the image that you and all the other people in class conjured up.

Will he be thinking of the people who he thinks thinks of him "that" way.

Oh god. will i be able to even say hi hello without giggling?

GRAVID8: Portia's Speed Dating

2007-02-26T15:13:00.000+08:00

less than half the lovely sisses

Funny thing about this whole speed dating is that you actually learn a lot about how some people are. Okay, so some people were predictable when they based a lot on looks but since they only have 3 minutes what should I expect right. But you can actually see who the desperate ones are haha.

Some people really took the time to get to know the other person, making decisions seriously. I mean, since I did the entire charting of their answers, I could actually see a trend here. There are those girls AND guys who said yes to people who weren't as popular and beautiful, because I think they really got along well.

There were those who I expected to be sleazy but who proved me wrong. Some of the guys really made me proud. Yes most of them are friends and my own recruits. I saw some match ups that have a lot of potential too.

And then there are those who are simply YUCK. Okay, fine. So there was only one.

I'm really proud of some of my sisses (not to say that there wasn't any more room for improvement which hopefully I could help them fix before I graduate). To the Portians and to the FANTASTIC Portia Week!

Music & Lyrics

2007-02-20T20:22:00.000+08:00

I've been searching but I just don't see the signs
I know that it's out there
There's got to be something for my soul somewhere
I've been looking for someone to shed some light
Not just somebody just to get me throught the night
I could use some direction
And I'm open to your suggestions

Yes I love this song. It really speaks to me and reassures me that instead of just going for an average relationship with some average person and have an average life, I should be looking out for "The Relationship" and "The One, for me of course".

It isn't about finding what we often refer to as the Perfect Catch. It's finding the person who matches you perfectly.

geez, even fate has a sense of humor.

On another totally unrelated topic, look how funny this is:

February 24, Saturday:
PVO Party
Sir Leonen's house
6pm-Sir Leonen's bed time

HAHAHA, how cute can they be?

Can you believe it?

2007-02-16T19:38:00.000+08:00

First it was Manny Pacquiao for Congress.

Then Richard Gomez for Senate.

Now Cesar Montano for Senate?

What is wrong with Philippine Politics?

LHBC

2007-02-16T19:04:00.000+08:00

L.H.B.C. stands for Lonely Hearts by Choice. Thats what we call our "ad hoc" valentines committee for 2007. With one fake single girl (boy was abroad), everyone was single. Ok, so one was at the flirting stage. At any given time, the girls that constitute this committee might change their status. This means they either enter the LHBC permanently or they could find themselves disqualified.

So after our school meeting, LHBC decided to dine out. Our choice: A Venetto, Visayas Avenue Branch. Being Valentines, the place was packed and no one was moving. So we decided to order take out from Teriyaki Boy and retreat back to a member's condo unit in Prince David. (I was also surrounded by little boy/girl beggars asking for something on Vday. Don't they know they should target girls or guys with significant others who are presumed to be blissfully happy at that time? And not to bother supposedly crabby single girls?HMPH)

We ate and watched TV until we tuned in to MYX. They were playing Celine Dion's Its all coming back to me, and that started the night of fun. When the show ended, we used the computer to play various songs from our youth (hehe). One member was blissfully ignorant of all the important songs from Grade School and High School. We weren't surprised. She's the same girl who thought that Che Guevarra was part of Smokey Mountain (geez!).

The night was fun and some beings were drunk which made it even more fun. At the end, we said it was probably the best Valentine's day we all had. Yes, it was even better than having a date with some guy and trying to be polite and interested the whole night.

And oh! the next day, I met a cute guy in the most unlikely places. Not my type, but definitely cute. Too bad I only have his name and address. No mobile phone number and email. Pfffttt. And no, I don't want to stalk him at his house. So don't you even suggest it. I do hope he comes back next week :)

*watch the official music video from Music & Lyrics! Cute cute cute!

Countdown

2007-02-02T21:27:00.000+08:00

1 month then dad arrives
2 months and school ends
2 months we start Bar review
4 months until Leslie comes back
7 months to find a job
8 months to THE BAR
9 months before I officially join the unemployed children of the world
11 months and I turn 26.

eepp. scary year, really.

Sexy Peanut

2006-12-07T21:22:00.000+08:00

PFFTTTT

2006-12-05T21:50:00.000+08:00

Christmas Gifts 2006

2006-12-03T21:39:00.000+08:00

I just can't wait!!!

2006-11-27T22:51:00.000+08:00

Popsie Dearest

2006-10-29T18:45:00.000+08:00

Popsie, you will be missed.
May 9, 1994 to October 29, 2006

Tagged!

2006-10-21T11:42:00.000+08:00

tagged by lianne

List any seven songs you are into right now. No matter what the genre, whether they have words, or even if they're not any good, but they must be songs you're really enjoying now. Post these instructions in your lj/blog along with your seven songs. Then tag seven other people to see what they're listening to.

01) DJ Jurgen - higher and higher
02) OK Go! - Fun on treadmills
03) Thompson Twins - If You Were Here (Live)
04) The Verve - Bittersweet Symphony
05) The Fray - How to save a life
6) Francis Albert Sinatra & Antônio Carlos Jobim - The girl from Ipanema
07) O-zone - Despre Tine

Okay so I linked it to the videos from youtube so that you guys can also watch

Yogurt

2006-10-06T21:17:00.000+08:00

Okay, so I get a little obsessive with food. In the past 3 months there was the dumpling craze, then the salad craze, then the cupcakes and now its yoghurt/yogurt.

Eating yogurt daily has numerous benefits. Its known to aid digestion, provide quality protein and packs in a lot of calcium and since it is low in lactose, most people won't have problems with it. It also contains helpful bacteria which combat harmful ones like E. Coli etc. Did you know that yogurt also helps with vaginal yeast infections? Yep! it does!

People think that yogurt making is hard and expensive but it really isn't. I think the main reason why yogurt isn't as popular here in the Philippines is because of its taste and the cost. Natural yogurt is sour and tart. I'd say it's an acquired taste. Most of the yogurt sold in the market contain loads of sugar, fruit jams, and not to mention gelatin or pectin to make it thicker. Imported brands sell for sixty bucks up while the local brand cost around P30 for a small pack. Pretty expensive if you plan to eat it daily.

Basically, yogurt is milk thats fermented with a live culture of bacteria. Its really easy to make but you can't expect the same results as those sold in the market. The natural-ness of homemade yogurt is so much better than the commerically prepared ones. Also, you can control the amount of sugar and the flavor. You can make it into yogurt drinks or mix it with cereal or make fruit pops with it. Okay, I know my few friends reading this will think I'm strange already so I think i better stop. BUT one final note: try yogurt + pineapple. Weird but yummy combination believe me.

Bakefest 2006

2006-10-01T23:28:00.000+08:00

Goodbye stormy weather! Goodbye 3 days of no electricity or dial tone! Goodbye withdrawal symptoms from lack of internet usage! After a stressful 3 day torture, the lights are back and I can sleep at night now.

One year ago, I made the first few batches of cupcakes for my favorite birthday girl. This year, I promised her I will do the same. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to bake because of the blackout that I already told her that if the blackout continues, then there would be no cupcakes this year. She was quiet for a while and she looked really sad. Ohhhh she'll be so surprised tomorrow when she sees all the cupcakes!

Before anything else, here is a picture of the chocolate cake I made with Tin and Jane (who is now my eager student). Yes, it does look homey, but that's exactly what it is. A honest-to-goodness chocolate cake baked from scratch.

Here are 2 close up shots of the cupcakes. Take a look at the sprinkles I used on the 2nd cupcake:

Other Cupcake Pictures:

Cupcakes again...Only better! Waaaaaay better

2006-09-26T20:57:00.000+08:00

Okay, so I made cupcakes again. The last time I only made 6 cupcakes, just enough for my bar buddy on her last weekend. So this time I made a whole batch, with a totally new icing that I think I love the most. I really don't eat my own cupcakes because I don't like the taste of icing, but this one is different. Take note though that this contains a lot of sugar, enough to make you feel like bouncing off the walls.

Doesn't it look pretty? I found a big piping tip and made a double swirl. Tintin sprinkled on the colorful bits. Hehehe.

Just thinking

2006-09-22T23:11:00.000+08:00

Okay to satisfy the barest minimum as a food blog, I made cupcakes today and made fantastic swirls with my big piping tip. That's that.

I've reviewed the first few episodes of Grey's anatomy and I can't help but feel some sort of affinity towards the characters. Yes I'm not in med school, but law school comes pretty close. I'm a law intern who has to handle cases - real cases which will affect real people's lives. In the pilot episode, Dr. Bailey says: "Your interns, grunts, nobodies, bottom of the surgical food chain. You run labs, write orders, work every second night until you drop and don’t complain." As a law intern, you'll be lucky to find some old lawyer who treats you as an equal, rather than some silly bimbo dressed up in a staid corporate-looking outfit in the heat. Take note that a lot of them are old men who still believe that the law profession is still an all-boys club. Also take note that some of these people think that just because they passed the bar and know their way around the system, they automatically assume that they are smarter than you. No. No. No.

On the other hand, your clients think the world of you. They think that you'll save them from whatever they think will swallow them up alive. No matter how many times you remind them that you're still a student, they still call you attorney. I think they just block out the student and think of you as a real lawyer because it gives them comfort. I tell you, the responsibility I feel towards these people is really heavy. I just don't want to let them down, especially the clients that I like.

In the second episode, Meredith talks to a Pedia Intern who made a wrong diagnosis...

PEDS INTERN: His heart surgery is scheduled for the morning. I really did think I was right you know?

MEREDITH: I know. We almost never are. We’re interns. We’re not supposed to be right. And when we are it’s completely shocking.

PEDS INTERN: Are you? …. I mean being an intern do you feel …

MEREDITH (finishes off for her): terrified. 100% of the time.

PEDS INTERN (smiles): Good. It’s not just me.

MEREDITH (half chuckles): No.

I can so relate.

I can’t think of any one reason on why I want to be a surgeon. But I can think of a thousand reasons why I should quit. They make it hard on purpose. There are lives in our hands. Then there comes a moment when… it’s more than just a game. And you either take that step forward. Or turn around and walk away. I could quit. But here’s the thing. I love the playing field.

- Meredith Grey

English in the Philippines

2006-09-21T01:26:00.000+08:00

13 youthful offenders reunited with their parents

By Margaux Ortiz
Inquirer
Last updated 11:17pm (Mla time) 09/20/2006

Bwahahaha! So walang wrinkles yung mga offenders?

People I Miss

2006-09-01T22:34:00.000+08:00

For the first time in years, I'm excited that the BER-months have finally arrived! December is the first time my entire family will be complete since October 2005. Here is a picture of two people I seriously miss!

Inappropriate Illustrations

2006-08-25T20:24:00.000+08:00

Why would ANYONE put this on a tub of gummy worms? WHY?

Okay, the only reason I could think of is: The worms have an idea where all their little gummy worm friends went. hi-hi-hi.

GAH!

2006-08-16T17:35:00.000+08:00

I just realized that this blog hasn't been updated since JUNE. That's 2 months.

Okay, so I've been a bit busy. Here is a quick update:

1. OLA(grr.)
2. Last family member moved far far away
3. More errands
4. Apple pie (ice cream that went with that still inside my freezer)
5. Vanilla Cupcake with yummy chocolate frosting
6. Cheesecake - which I wasn't able to even taste
7. Shopping and lots of new stuff

A regular day would be chitchatting with my dad early in the morning, and then doing errands or going to a hearing or sleeping. Then I go to school, do my school stuff and come home. At around 10:30PM, my dad calls to tell me to sleep (yes I know he misses me). He tells me all the latest chismis or my sister/brother leaves me a message at my YM. Of course when my mom calls to tell me about it, I have to tell her that: YESSSSSSSSS i already know. And because I already know what she's going to tell me, she says that my dad's chismoso gene was inherited by all her children. Weekends I have class or I go out, sometimes with Tin or by myself. It isn't so bad once you get used to it really.

As for my hearings, amazingly I only looked stupid in 1-2 instances. He-he. Tomorrow, I'm going with my friend lianne to my hearing in Marikina. I hope we find that place, wherever it is. And I hope the judge is nice. I've been dreading OLA weekly because I really hate listening to sob stories . Oh well, a couple of months more!

In my baking news...

I bought super nice brown cupcake liners and teddy bear cupcake liners - cuteness! And i got my regular mix of round sprinkles and a nice blue-pink-white-brown sprinkles combo. Plus a new set of measuring cups and spoon, 2 new piping tubes, some flavoring oil. Also I got some really nice cupcake packaging for my Christmas giveaways. Yes. I am planning Christmas giveaways this early. I booked my ticket and I have to do everything in advance so when I leave, everything will be in place.

Oh!!! Oh!! I also got meringue powder so I don't have to use raw egg whites anymore when I make my icing! haha! I can't wait to try it. I'm thinking of reasons to use my new cupcake materials this weekend.

Pets Update:

So we were pretty worried (what an understatement) over popsie's health mid-July, but surprisingly he's doing really really well. In fact, better than before he got sick. Now he doesn't stay inside the patio anymore. He's back in the kitchen, tagging along , begging for food every chance he gets. He's also back to being super noisy too. He's on a very healthy diet, loads of avocadoes, boiled veggies, a bit of meat and fruits. He's even into eating jello.

As for the 2 kitties, well since I let them sleep in the same bed as I do, they've been following me around. They only go down when I come home. Of course I have to sleep in weird positions because when I moved back to my single sized bed (before it was a queen sized one), the cats also assumed that they still sleep at the foot of my bed. With the space significantly smaller, you can just imagine what position you have to take to accomodate 2 growing kitties. :)

Okay, so that's it for now. I'll try to get pictures somehow.

whistler mountain

2006-05-24T09:31:00.000+08:00

More pictures!

2006-05-24T09:25:00.000+08:00

grilliiiiiing grillllllinggggg! hahaha!

strawberry season

2006-05-24T09:11:00.000+08:00

It's strawberry all over! So last night, we made crepes!

On location no. 3

2006-05-11T12:32:00.000+08:00

Basta, tamad ako. post lang ako ng pictures. Yung isa dun, tarts. Yung isa apple pie. Then the beach and steak sa grill namin!

On Location No. 2

2006-04-15T11:06:00.000+08:00

Downtown Vancouver (Burrard St-Robson Road)

Dinner: Stir Fry Pasta with Portobella, Chicken and Shirmps! Yumm-ie!

On Location

2006-04-13T22:22:00.000+08:00

Granville Public Market in Granville Island, below the Granville Bridge.

Obvious nasa Granville no?

Banana cupcakes with Choco-Peanut Spread

2006-01-12T17:28:00.000+08:00

With school work and house work piling on, its a good thing our tax teacher couldn't make it to class today. So after our so-called "law firm" filed a complaint, we went out to Teri's to have lunch. Actually, "the firm" is composed of a weird mix of people. I guess each little group within our class was represented in our firm. Working with them was really nice. And now we have Daddy Bacorro, Tito Tumaneng and Ahya Dychiao to thank. Actually I'm kind of worried that at 3rd year, it seems that we still do not have a clue what the hell we're doing. At least we're going to get feedback on the pleadings we file, and that's going to really help us in OLA and in practice.

I've been cooking and baking through the Holiday season, but I was too lazy/busy to plug my camera and take pictures. So I have no evidence that I made a cheesecake, Lasagna, and scallop potatoes etc. So, today when I baked, I made sure that I first plugged in my camera before I went down to bake.

The reason why I made this particular recipe is:
1. I like bananas and banana cake. Bananas are happy fruits (girls, I'm not being green here)
2. I have some left over Skippy peanut butter which no one eats
3. I have a huge chunk of Callebaut Chocolate in my pantry

So there. I took some crappy pictures so this is all I got. Tomorrow I'm bringing some to school to share with my friends. I thought it would make 2 dozen cupcakes. I was wrong. I made 3 and a half dozen! Bea of course had the first go. She was quiet the entire time, so I guess it didn't taste horrible. But she told me she liked the ones with loads of pastel frosting (which isn't so surprising, coming from a 5 year old)

Oh! I also posted a picture of our little-but-huge baby, Peanut. This was taken when I was cleaning all my boxes and transferring it all to plastic drawers. All my boxes have cat pee on them. eeewww....thanks to peanut of course. :)

I know some people (who kaya) miss peanut. Hell, I miss him when I'm in school. I get all excited to come home so I can be with him. At this very moment he is staring at me. hehe. Isn't he cute and fat?

Army of M-Gingerbread Men

2005-12-11T23:13:00.000+08:00

The past few days, I've made a cake for rich (which I didn't take a picture of, because my digicam wasn't charged). Thankfully, rich did. You can see it at her site here. Aside from that I made lemon cookies which rich also said was addicting after a few (hehe) but we weren't able to take a picture of it. Safe to say that it looks like polvoron.

So this weekend, I made another batch of gingerbread boys and it tastes so much better. And i like the design. Don't they all look cute with their little green shorts?

Ain't he Cute?

Gingerbread Weekend

2005-12-04T18:06:00.000+08:00

After a long break...

2005-11-25T21:56:00.000+08:00

After a tiring semester at the law school, I finally took a break from all that stress in cold Canada with my parents and sister. Well, it wasn't really a vacation. I had to go with them to help them settle in our townhouse. So everyday we would go out on errands, purchasing furnitures that came in flat boxes, buying groceries from 3 or 4 stores, inquiring about aDSL, cable TV and cellphone services. To top it all off, we had to clean an entire house, assemble the beds we had to sleep in that night and 1001 other things to do. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed my short stay there. Hell. I even got a laptop to boot!

Sad to say though, as with everything, it had to end. So i came home the night before school, only to find out that I had a stack of cases to go through for Locgov. On top of that, the drama of enrollment just plainly tuckered me out.

So today, when we got another free cut from Corpo, I went to the grocery to buy apples and flour for my little project. After 2 hours of patiently waiting for my pie to cool down, this was the result.

I can honestly say that this pie crust is my best yet. And that says a lot. I've been making apple pies since I was in highschool. At some point in time when we had boxes of apples and the demand for it at home was high, I would make a pie or two every other day. Researching on why my crust wasn't so flaky, I turned to the experts. And yes, it does make a difference. Here, I used half shortening to keep the crust crisp and half butter to get it to flake and give it a better taste. Also, I had to stick it in the ref every single chance I had. You see, if the butter gets too soft, then the layers would stick together, thus no flaking. Another factor is that I stopped myself from cutting the fats into the flour until I had uniform little chunks. Apparently, its good to leave larger chunks of butter.

As for the filling, I've had better fillings before, but this one wasn't so bad. I used Granny smith instead of my usual Fuji apples (which I liked better because it was crisp and had the right balance of sweet and tartiness). But overall, this project turned out pretty good. Too bad for my sister, who at the distance of a 16 hour flight, won't be able to taste it. hehehe. boo hoo.

substantial compliance

2005-10-05T17:02:00.000+08:00

1. I only learn about the love life of my friends through friendster

2. I like keeping food packages of the things I just ate

3. I don’t like kids

4. I secretly wish that I have my own gay “gal pal”

5. I was a pushover when I was in grade school

6. I think of scenarios where I’m rich, hot and successful

7. I love to feed my friends, especially when I see them happily eating

8. I hate mayo, and the only time I’ve eaten it was when I was tricked into taking a bite

9. I don't know how to make tags on my blog

10. I like to talk to people who I don’t like, wishing they spill some evil secret to me

11. I sleep with my eyes open

12. I like my family, even if we seem to be so brady-bunch-ish

13. I like walking barefooted

14. I won’t last a day without reading my favorite food blogs

15. I like popping zits

16. I turn on my music really loud when I’m alone and dance in front of the mirror

17. I hate people who make me feel guilty for not studying daily

18. I’ve never been in love

19. I rush home because I want to spend time with our pets

20. I wish I could quit law school so I can do what I really love: to be a pastry chef

I don't know how long it took me to compile this list, hay bahala na!

Bea's Cupcakes

2005-10-02T15:36:00.000+08:00

Sunshine Lemon Cupcakes

2005-09-11T20:02:00.000+08:00

Last week, I was held up in Century Park doing my duty as a "sorority girl" in law school...barops duty! Since I'm in charge of procuring all the food requests of our dear baristers, I was in and out of groceries, convenience stores, and almost all fastfood chains. You name it, BK, Tapaking, Mcdo, Jollibee, Wendy's, KFC... yadidahdidah. That also meant waiting in line at 3 in the morning waiting for the longest time for 2 Mcchicken sandwiches!

So this week, I'm excused. I'll be back next saturday, all refreshed and perky for another week of fastfood shopping. In the meantime, I told my sister that we just had to bake something this weekend. She wanted lemon squares, I wanted cupcakes. So as a compromise, we made lemon cupcakes. I have to admit, I haven't tried it yet. It's still downstairs, waiting for me. Friends, tomorrow I'm feeding you (esp. Richelle) :)

I'll post later if its good. Used my regular cupcake recipe but did a lot of tweaking to make it lemony. Wish me luck!

Banoffee Pie

2005-08-28T19:43:00.000+08:00

Bananas? Check!
Graham Crackers? Check!
Whipped Cream? Check!
Toffee? Check!

Although I had the basic ingredients for Banoffee, I did not have my trusty Crumpy or walnuts to make the Banoffee my Banoffee. Nonetheless, it was good and everyone enjoyed it. Oh, I went to my baking stuff supplier and looked around. I bought an angled spatula and sprinkles (red, yellow, green, and pastel circles). I'm so glad there's no school tomorrow! Oh happy day!

"the First Slice"

Again, pictures of my happy satisfied being polishing off her slice of the pie. Maybe I should change the name to "Happy Banoffee". Bananas are happy fruits, and toffee gives people the sugar rush. Top it all with soft and fluffy whipped cream and there you have it, pure happiness.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

2005-08-20T23:49:00.000+08:00

A blog entry in pictures (because I don't want to write anything)

cookie dough ready to be chilled

all scooped out

hot in the oven
closer look at my cookies

an obviously satisfied being

Canonigo with Fruits

2005-08-17T19:55:00.000+08:00

After a grueling day in school (long boring class and literally a psycho exam), all I want to do is to whip something up from my kitchen. However, since I have a ten am class tomorrow morning, I won't be able to do that. So I do the next best thing, look at my food pictures and write about them.

This particular cake is called a canonigo, which is usually served with Creme Anglaise, which is a custard cream usually made with rum. At our home, we usually top the canonigo with fruits (kiwi, grapes, strawberry) so it becomes a cross between a pavlova and the classic canonigo. My mother says it tastes better because the fruits even out the egginess of the cake and the creme anglaise. It's funny how I associate particular desserts with meals or occassions. We usually make our blueberry tarts on New Year's eve, while canonigo is part of the Christmas eve meal together with my mother's fantastic turkey (stuffed by prosciutto) .

How I'll miss the days my mom and I spent in the kitchen preparing our holiday meals. This year, we'll be creating new traditions. We're not spending Christmas in Manila, we'll miss all the mother-daughter traditions only my mother and I share, but for sure we'll make new ones. I'll miss my dad complaining about my baking business that turns our entire first floor into a battleground for 3 weeks before Christmas eve. I know that he's proud of my little business, he just hates the mess. Or how he'll tell me to make him his favorite stuff if I love him daw hahaha. Or how my sister is totally devoted to my goodies, and my brother forever comparing my creations with desserts he gets to sample.

Failure

2005-08-13T20:03:00.000+08:00

Alas! my macaron v.02 did not come out as I expected it to be. Instead of being better than my first try, it came out flat, soft and eggy. Definitely not the macarons I've been dreaming about. I can't bear to take a single picture of my should-have-been-perfect yellow macarons with ganache. Maybe it was the weather, maybe it was the egg whites, maybe, maybe, maybe. Maybe its a combination of all the factors. Who knows. I have a strong suspicision on my egg whites though. Argh. Why do I torture myself with these details?

However, I refuse to let my macarons go to waste. The macaron that crumbled was transformed into a tight compact ball of macaron, dipped in ganache. Its sitting inside my fridge waiting for the moment when some person decides to pop one into their mouth (and most probably that would be me). The other macarons are filled up like ganache filled cookies. I still have enough almond flour to make some more, but not today. The disappointment of failing to live up to a wonderful recipe is just too hard for me. What a way to end a frustrating week at school.

Maybe tomorrow I'll post a picture or two of my successful projects in the past. Lest anyone think that I have more failures in my kitchen than success, I will set the record straight. I can count with my fingers (no need to include my toes) the times a recipe didn't go quite the way I expected it to be. Unfortunately, I have no evidence of majority of these events. I never bothered taking a picture of the end result - maybe because I was too impatient. So now I shall make a promise...I will take pictures of all the goodies that come out of my kitchen, except for my most recent failure.

Matcha Macaron de Paris

2005-08-05T21:35:00.000+08:00

After a week of searching the net for any info I can get to make macarons (including email writing to strangers who make macarons and stalking a blogsite owner for more macaron updates), I decided to go ahead with my mini project. Actually, I decided a couple of days ago when I stopped by the grocery to get a bag of slivered almonds.

Plugging my mini food processor, I poured the nuts and icing sugar, and happily grinded my nuts. Although I would have wanted to have a finer almond flour, but I knew it was an impossible dream. Placed my green tea powder and followed the rest of the instructions.

The thing with Macarons is that on paper it seems easy, but it really entails some precision. The final result should have "feet", the little crinkles at the bottom of each cookie. It should be crispy outside and chewy within. Buttercream had to be just right. Well, this is my first try, but I'm quite happy with it. I think this is the start of a new obsession.

Vanilla Cupcakes with Pink Buttercream

2005-07-29T23:20:00.000+08:00

After a week of going to school in a daze, I finally had the time to relax and think about my next baking project. Law school takes too much effort and I think it tries to kill creativity. To keep myself from being a standard-issue law student I do the only activity I love...to BAKE. After looking at hundreds of cupcake pictures, this is what came out of my kitchen.

Finally, a frosting that holds up despite the humid weather here in Manila. Nothing makes me happier than to see my family go through my little creations. My sister (the one who loves icing) told me that there was too much icing on the cupcake, but I replied: "Don't you know that a cupcake's primary purpose is to deliver a pile of icing?" After that, she happily goes back to her cupcake, eats every last bit of it, frosting and all.

Japanese Kani Salad

2005-07-28T23:45:00.000+08:00

My mom hired a guy working in one of the posh hotels in Manila to teach us how to make some Japanese dishes (except that my mom was really just interested with making resto-style tempura). So guy comes to our house, along with his sushi knife inside his backpack and bonito flakes. Flash forward 4 hours, and lunch at 2pm. Pictured here is one of the may dishes we made, which he plated and decorated. As it contains mayo, I limited myself to taking pictures of the salad. Of course I had extra helpings of the other dishes that we prepared - just to be fair. Will post more pictures from that session later.

Devil's Food Cake with marshmallow icing

2005-07-25T21:50:00.000+08:00

Here is a picture of the cake I made for my brother's birthday back in May. I remember that ten years back, I also attempted to make the same cake for his birthday, except that I had a small and useless mixer which failed to whip my egg whites into peaks and I used an entire bag of M&M's as decorations. At least this time, everything went exactly the way I planned. Cake was good and it wasn't too sweet. Had piles of frosting to satisfy my sister who literally licks frosting off my whip attachment.