Two recipes in one post. And a story to boot. On the last day of Alex’s final exams, she wanted pasta. Because she adores pasta with pesto, I decided that was what I’d prepare for her. Pasta with pesto sauce with butter-sauteed fresh mushrooms thrown in. I had already prepared the pesto (I never use ... (more)
Tres leches cupcakes
Posted on September 11, 2009 · 82 Comments
Tres leches literally translates to three milks. The cupcakes (traditionally, a whole cake) are baked then soaked in a mixture of evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk and cream. Can you imagine the rich velvety texture? The incredible aroma? The surprising thing is how the cupcakes do not crumble or get soggy after all that soaking. ... (more)
I’ve known for a long time that Alex could draw and paint but I didn’t really think she was as good with sculpture until she finished her latest school project. Apparently, I’m not the only one who’s impressed. Her teacher was more than happy with her work. Vietnamese iced coffee (ca phe sua da, cafe sua da)
Posted on September 10, 2009 · 24 Comments
Coffee fiend that I am, the first time I saw this concoction in an episode of Bobby Chinn’s TV show on the Travel & Living Channel, I knew I was going to try it at home. It’s iced coffee, Vietnamese style — very strong brewed coffee (think espresso) mixed with sweetened condensed milk and stirred ... (more)
Asian omelet
Posted on September 9, 2009 · 8 Comments
When Speedy cooks, I take photos. Lots of photos. This recipe was adapted from Mr. Breakfast, a website that Speedy discovered while searching for interesting breakfast dishes. Why is the omelet described as Asian? Neither Speedy nor I gave this dish its name. That was what it was already called when Speedy came across the ... (more)
Zesty lemon chicken
Posted on September 9, 2009 · 19 Comments
A variation of the basic stir fried dish with sweet and sour sauce, lemon chicken is a familiar item in the menu of Chinese restaurants in Metro Manila. The curious thing is that the dish does not appear to have originated in China but was the specialty of the former Pearl’s Chinese Restaurant at 148 ... (more)
Tokyo Cafe: Western Japanese
Posted on September 8, 2009 · 13 Comments
One Sunday evening early last month, we passed by the Mall of Asia for an early dinner and a short trip to the supermarket before dropping off Sam at her dorm. Sam and I had been scouring the list of restaurants at the Mall of Asia all afternoon trying to decide where we should eat ... (more)
Bacon, cheese and pepper muffins
Posted on September 8, 2009 · 45 Comments
The moment I saw these bacon onion cheddar biscuits, I knew I wanted to make something similar. Not biscuits though but muffins. For brunch. I went through the ingredients and realized that sugar was not listed, and I was ninety per cent certain that my girls would balk. When I make savory pies, I add ... (more)
Hidden meanings and violence in children’s literature
Posted on September 8, 2009 · 32 Comments
On Sunday evening, my daughter Alex sat down next to me in my study with Neil Gaiman’s “M Is For Magic” in her hands. Apparently, a lot of nursery rhymes were referenced in the short stories and, not being familiar with many of them, she decided it was more convenient to ask me rather than ... (more)
That day we went to see District 9 at Eastwood City, and Alex and I walked out halfway through the screening, we went to Cheesecake, etc. to while away the hour to let Speedy and Sam finish the movie. We each had a cake…
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