I buy them primarily as a low-fat snack — dried cranberries, apricots, figs… But I cook with them too. I use them for baking and even to make rich sauces for meat stews. These dried fruits come in convenient resealable bags. You just cut the top, open the bag, get what you need then press the bag close much like what you do with a Ziploc bag. They don’t need to be kept in the fridge. Just place them in a cool, dry place and they stay fresh for weeks.
Dried cranberries
Posted on December 12, 2008 · Leave a Comment
Bird watching on a cloudy afternoon
Posted on December 12, 2008 · 5 Comments
If I had Edgar Allan Poe’s talent, these bird photos would probably be accompanied by verses like these: “For we cannot help agreeing that no living human being Ever yet was blessed with seeing bird above his chamber door – Bird or beast above the sculptured bust above his chamber door, With such name as ... (more)
La Maison at TriNoMa
Posted on December 11, 2008 · 9 Comments
There weren’t too many shoppers in the morning and it was comfortable. But having had breakfast at 7.00 a.m., by 12.30, I was starving. I wanted to have lunch some place that wasn’t too crowded (ergo, no Taco Bell), where I could eat al fresco (love the cool breeze at this time of the year) and where I hadn’t eaten before. I was really feeling experimental so I decided it would be La Maison. The house specialty was ribs but I wanted something light. Pasta would be nice but I couldn’t find any single serve pasta item on the menu. I decided on a bento box lunch because it had everything. Chicken bento, I told the waiter. Did I want my chicken with rice or pasta? Pasta, I said. Potato soup or clear soup? Potato soup (I am no fan of plain consomme). And a glass of mango juice…
She’s going to be a punk for a day
Posted on December 11, 2008 · 11 Comments
Sam will never allow me to take photos of her wearing her punk attire for the 1980s costume parade as part of the schools Humanities Week. So, last night, while she was rummaging through my closet for a pink t-shirt, I decided to take photos of her costume and accessories instead. I thought she’d improvise ... (more)
What do you remember of 1980s fashion?
Posted on December 10, 2008 · 16 Comments
It is Humanities Week at the kids’ school and, tomorrow, they’re supposed to go to school wearing 1980s costume. When they first told me about it, I cocked an eyebrow and said, “1980s costume?” Is that so retro that they’re actually referring to it as costume? For the life of me, I couldn’t remember wearing ... (more)
Cheese – topped buttered vegetables
Posted on December 10, 2008 · 4 Comments
Over two years ago, I posted a recipe for a side vegetable dish that accompanied fried whole tilapia. Cauliflower florets, finger chili and garlic were lightly cooked in olive oil, sprinkled with cheese then baked just until the cheese melted. Last night, I did another version of the same side dish — more vegetables and butter instead of olive oil. And, yes, I served it with fried tilapia too.
But before I go on to the recipe, let me tell you about the oval baking dishes that you see in the photo. There are actually four of them and the price was P400.00. Not P400.00 per baking dish but P400.00 for all four of them. They’re glazed, ovenproof…
Clams and malunggay soup with coconut milk
Posted on December 9, 2008 · 8 Comments
The traditional soup made with halaan (clams) and malunggay leaves (Moringa oleifera) cooked Thai style. I loved the Thai mussel soup with coconut milk so much that I decided to make clam soup version. And that was after learning from the house helpers that back in their hometown in Zamboanga, malunggay leaves are often cooked with coconut milk. The result is a delicious soup, so good it was all I had for lunch. The only sad note is that I made the soup with store-bought malunggay leaves rather than home-grown ones. The sprouts in the malunggay tree in our garden just keeps withering and falling off. I wish I knew why.
If there was an Obama look alike contest…
Posted on December 9, 2008 · 33 Comments
… this guy could win. He wouldn’t even have to put on make-up nor have his hair redone but he could use an additional ten pounds. Below, the real Obama. O, pwede, ‘di ba? The first photo is an attachment in an e-mail sent a few days ago by my brother-in-law, Sonny. I don’t know ... (more)
Wrought iron wall clock and more shopping loot
Posted on December 8, 2008 · 18 Comments
We have huge walls in the house that I don’t know what to do with. Originally, I wanted framed photos but the girls don’t want their photos on display because when their friends come over, there are the usual jokes about how “Is that really you?” They are even more empathic about not having their ... (more)
Oven – steamed whole fish
Posted on December 8, 2008 · 2 Comments
Some people think it’s a bad idea to overpower fish with too much seasonings and spices. In fact, true blue fish lovers swear that fresh fish is best eaten right out of the sea with the taste of sea salt still in it. It’s a code I can subscribe to except that I don’t enjoy the strong fishy smell. I like the natural flavors of fish in all their undiluted glory but the smell can be too much. So, I add a lot of ginger to my fish. That set me wondering. See, when I cook steamed whole fish, I’ve often added the usual Asian seasonings and aromatics to it — light soy sauce, garlic… the works. If I just added ginger and some greens, and perhaps a small amount of sesame seed oil to heighten the flavor, will the steamed whole fish taste better if there aren’t too many seasonings and herbs drowning the natural flavors of the fish?
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