I’m still digging into my old photos and look what I found! These are some of the flowers that used to grow in our garden. We have a lot of new ones now. If the colors appear too bright in some photos and totally washed out in others, that’s because I took these photos with ... (more)
Cock-a-leekie soup, Pinoy style
Posted on August 17, 2006 · 5 Comments
Cock-a-leekie soup is a traditional Scottish dish. There are many ways of preparing it but, traditionally, the chicken is simmered whole then the meat is carved from the carcass before serving. And, for a more flavorful broth, free-range chicken, the kind that takes hours to cook, is used. I love cock-a-leekie soup, being a real fan of leeks, but I haven’t the time to carve the meat from the carcass. I chopped the whole chicken before cooking it. And for that Pinoy flair, I seasoned the soup with patis in lieu of salt. For added color and texture, I also added wedges of kalabasa (squash).
Pineapple chicken
Posted on August 14, 2006 ·
This isn’t my recipe. I don’t even know where the recipe came from exactly. This was a school project of my daughter. The recipe was given to them in school and the project was to create meals and sell them in school as part of an entrepreneur skills training. According to my daughter, she was not required to buy the ingredients herself (her dad went to the supermarket) and neither was she expected to do the cooking (which I did). Her role was to sell the packed lunches. And she sold all.
Baked creamy chicken and potatoes
Posted on August 9, 2006 · 77 Comments
In one of my inspired moments, I dreamed up this so-easy-to-cook cheese-topped baked chicken and potato dish. Since I had a pack of chicken thighs, there was no chopping to be done. The only “real” work here was peeling and cutting the potatoes, browning the chicken and potato wedges in butter, and grating the cheese. The rest was just a matter of waiting and checking the oven once in a while. Preparation time was about 10 minutes. Total cooking time was 45 minutes. Best of all, there were minimal bowls and utensils to wash.
Beautiful parents more likely to have daughters
Posted on August 8, 2006 · Leave a Comment
A professor at the London School of Economics and Political Science says that “attractive” couples are more likely to have daughters than sons. Since my husband and I have two daughters, I really shouldn’t argue with that finding. But…. let’s start with how the study was conducted.
[Evolutionary psychologist Satoshi] Kanazawa based his conclusion on data ... (more)
Hand carved Philippine products
Posted on August 7, 2006 · 5 Comments
The photos in this entry were taken in July 2004, back when I was still using a Kodak LS443. We were driving along Sumulong Highway in Antipolo when we passed this souvenir shop. I was pretty surprised to find a shop in Antipolo selling hand carved wood products. Woodcraft is an industry traditionally associated with ... (more)
Fried labahita (surgeonfish) with chili – pineapple sauce
Posted on August 6, 2006 · 16 Comments
Love sweet and sour fish but bored with its usual appearance and the combination of ingredients? Try combining chopped chili peppers with crushed pineapple, add some honey instead of sugar and lemon juice in lieu of vinegar. The honey will give the sauce a golden hue and the lemon juice will impart a pleasant and tangy aroma. Best of all, the old boring sweet and sour fish will take on an entirely new apprearance and a whole new gastronomic dimension. 
The combination of chili peppers and crushed pineapple in a sweet and sour sauce was something that had been playing in my mind for days. I knew that lemon juice in lieu of vinegar would create a wonderful aroma but I couldn’t quite figure out how to add a dash of color to the sauce without adding tomato paste…
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