July 4 used to be a public holiday in the Philippines. I don't know if it is still tagged as Filipino-American Friendship Day but I do know that for the past several years, it … [Read more...]
36 pesos from a second-hand bookstore
June 29, 2009 By 12 Comments
I found this copy of James Clavell's Tai-Pan in a second hand bookstore, my signature on the flyleaf says I bought it in 1986 and the tag price on the front cover says I … [Read more...]
The phone call
June 28, 2009 By Leave a Comment
My friend Mabel called. Would I like to join her and two of her girl friends on a Southeast Asian cruise on November? About ten days, she said. Two consecutive cruises. We'll … [Read more...]
Crossover from Facebook
June 28, 2009 By 30 Comments
I don't like memes and I don't often do tagging that is nothing more than a thinly-disguised meme. Even in Facebook, I don't respond to all the tags. There are, however, those … [Read more...]
Farfalle (bow – tie pasta) with pesto, and smoked salmon and cream cheese sandwiches
June 28, 2009 By 6 Comments
The best thing about having a well-stocked pantry and a small herb garden is how I can whip up a great meal in so little time without limiting my options to canned goods and … [Read more...]
Homework, “pusong mamon” and other Filipino colloquialisms
June 26, 2009 By 12 Comments
AS far as I know, pusong mamon literally translates to soft-hearted. Puso is heart and mamon is a small chiffon cake roughly the size of a human heart so for those who don't … [Read more...]
Skinny thorny legs
June 26, 2009 By 2 Comments
I was renewing my love affair with Ian Dunross (in my mind with the face of Pierce Brosnan) when something swooped from out of nowhere. It landed on the wall beside me and I … [Read more...]
Cheesy fish fritters
June 25, 2009 By 18 Comments
Bangus (milkfish) back fillets dredged in flour, dipped in egg and coated with a mixture of bread crumbs and grated Parmesan cheese, then deep-fried to a deep golden brown … [Read more...]
The anatomy of a rumor
June 25, 2009 By 60 Comments
After writing a few articles about my firstborn who is now a college freshman, an obviously curious reader e-mailed me asking why my daughter was taking up a vocational … [Read more...]
The animal that makes the world’s most expensive coffee
June 24, 2009 By 3 Comments
From "My Civet Coffee Experience": The Asian palm civet, also known as the toddy cat, is a nocturnal omnivore found in Southeast Asia and China. It feeds on small animals … [Read more...]
Layers of chocolate and cream
June 24, 2009 By 2 Comments
As a graduating high school student, it is now Alex's turn to fill out application forms of various universities and it means she needs passport sized photos to attach to … [Read more...]
A pritchon birthday dinner
June 24, 2009 By 27 Comments
Pritchon, or pritong lechon (fried suckling pig), has been around for years. I first learned about it from a newspaper article back in 2004 when my food blog was still quite … [Read more...]
Cornmeal pancakes
June 23, 2009 By 23 Comments
My family finds it weird that I don't pour syrup over my pancakes. I spread butter over them, but syrup? No, thanks. Why not? Because I don't like wet pancakes. Well, except … [Read more...]
What does your doctor say?
June 23, 2009 By 22 Comments
UPDATE on June 24, 2009 @ 9.50 p.m. For those who have been asking about coffee alamid, please read My Civet Coffee Experience. And here's a photo of the palm civet … [Read more...]
The hands that protect the treasure within
June 22, 2009 By 6 Comments
I see the same familiar flower everyday yet I really didn't know much about it until I took a very close look. There's a hedge of jasmine that grows just outside our … [Read more...]
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