The following article appears on today's opinion page of Manila Standard Today. We were on our way home on Sunday evening. In a quiet section of Antipolo about 10 minutes … [Read more...]
Crushed galangal
January 22, 2008 By 15 Comments
Updated on August 27, 2009. Galangal (Galanga, Blue Ginger) was something I used to associate exclusively with Indian cooking until I learned how important it is in Southeast … [Read more...]
Fermented black beans (tausi)
January 22, 2008 By 3 Comments
Updated on August 28, 2009 While fermented blacks beans are sold in dry form in many countries, in the Philippines where they are known as tausi, they are sold soaked in the … [Read more...]
Tinkering with the settings of Adium-X on the MacBook
January 21, 2008 By Leave a Comment
What does a 13-year-old do with a new computer? What anyone else would -- customize it. In the case of my daughter, Alex, that means adjusting the colors and fonts to suit her … [Read more...]
Broccoli and potatoes frittata
January 21, 2008 By 6 Comments
There is actually a story behind the short title of this entry. The night I was cooking this frittata, my younger daughter Alex was in the kitchen chatting via YM using the … [Read more...]
Lemongrass (tanglad)
January 21, 2008 By 25 Comments
Native to India and used as an herb in Asian cooking, its common names include lemon grass, lemongrass, barbed wire grass, silky heads, citronella grass, fever grass or Hierba … [Read more...]
Peanut butter
January 20, 2008 By Leave a Comment
I don't normally keep more than one jar of peanut butter but since I started baking again, it's not exactly fair to tell the kids to please keep their hands of the peanut … [Read more...]
Patis (fish sauce)
January 20, 2008 By 11 Comments
Known as nam pla in Thailand, nuoc mam in Vietnam, nam pa in Laos and ngan-pya-ye in Burma (Myanmar), patis is used for seasoning or as a dipping sauce. Patis making is an … [Read more...]
Five Cows: ice cream is fine, but…
January 20, 2008 By 46 Comments
I must have passed by Five Cows at TriNoma more than once but never really paid attention. Perhaps, I wouldn't have today either if I didn't have a bad craving for dessert. … [Read more...]
Microsoft Surface: no more Windows/Ubuntu on Sam’s laptop?
January 20, 2008 By 5 Comments
Because only Alex and I use Macs in the house, and Sam has an MSI with a dual OS of Windows and Ubuntu, she says her dad will get her one of these. Is it cool or what? … [Read more...]
Bay (laurel) leaf
January 19, 2008 By Leave a Comment
There are several varieties of the bay leaf and they all form part of the Laurel family. It is added to soups and stews more for the slightly sweet aroma than for any distinct … [Read more...]
Lazy Saturday afternoon
January 19, 2008 By Leave a Comment
It's cloudy, it's drizzling, it's cold. Even our cat won't play outside. Pepper decided it was more fun to rest on the bed while Alex chats on her MacBook. … [Read more...]
The effect of the rising cost of fuel on my not so perfect vision
January 19, 2008 By 13 Comments
I have two pairs of eyeglasses -- one for medium distance (computer) and another for long distance (driving). I don't need one for reading, go figure. Over the Christmas … [Read more...]
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