Steamed Crabs

@ mirandablue

A few minutes after our boat docked at the Coron harbor, the rain poured and we ran to the nearest shelter--the public market.  I looked around and realized we were in the dried fish section---mother's favorite!  So we bought various dried fish for family and friends---labahita, danggit, bisugo, sapsap.   Then we wandered to the wet section and I was delighted to see crabs!  I wondered out loud if there's a way that we could have crabs for dinner.  The vendor told me that we can have it cooked at our hotel, so I bought a kilo for only P120!  I was amazed at how cheap it was!

But when we got to our hotel, I was told by the staff that the kitchen was very busy and I was directed to a sari-sari store across the street.  I walked over and the woman there said yes, they will cook the crabs for a fee---it's P150 (I almost dropped the bag of crabs).  I knew she was robbing me blind but I was too fixated on the crabs and too hungry to care. 

@ mirandablue

I ordered crab and corn soup to go with the steamed crabs and rice.   The crabs were succulent and sweet and fat!  Yummy! 

More scrumptious goodies at Food Trip Friday

Baked oysters

@ mirandablue

Too bad these succulent oysters were literally drowned in butter.  Personally, I prefer to eat oysters on a half-shell including the juice, raw or blanched with just a twist of lemon or vinegar dip.  Other preparations with added condiments "spoil" the distinctive flavor of oyster. But outside the family, I only have a few friends who can eat oysters the way I do.  On a dare, they'd eat baked oysters---but too squeamish to chew.

So this was another appetizer on a Saturday night-out with a couple of friends.  We drowned our sorrows, laughed at our faux pas and ate oysters to awaken the senses.

@ mirandablue

I'm linking to Willa's Food Trip Friday

Seafood Salad

@ mirandablue

Yam Talay or mixed seafood salad at Jatujak in Mall of Asia.  It's my favorite Thai restaurant these days.  I eat at Jatujak when my taste buds are bored with the usual fares and need a little excitement.  I haven't explored the rest of the menu yet and I am trying a few dishes at a time.  This was our second appetizer--a seafood salad with a mixture of shrimps, mussels, squid and fish with onions, cilantro, with sweet and spicy lime-vinegar dressing.  Incredibly scrumptious!

Posted for Food Trip Friday and Food Friday

My Mediterranean fix

I bet you have one of those days (or nights), too---craving for a specific food or flavor.  It's probably the cold weather, or the seemingly endless routine that drove me to  imagine Mediterranean flavors all day long.  By six in the evening, I was like a woman possessed.  Good thing I did not salivate all the way to the elevator!:p

The nearest Mediterranean restaurant to my place of work is Behrouz Persian Cuisine at Metrowalk.  It's a shabby place with rickety chairs and worn out tablecloths, with a crew who looked like they would kick you out when you ask for a glass of water.  But I was there to  get my fix, not to be smiled at and be pampered.

I got warm pita and hummus for appetizer.  The hummus was extra creamy and with spiced ground meat, the marriage of flavor was simply  delightful. I got a beef stew dish with chickpea paired with basmati rice---I can't remember what it was called, but I remember how tender the meat and how alluring the spices and textures were.  And I cleaned up the bowl down to the last tasty morsel. 

Burp.

Posted for Food Trip Friday and Food Friday

Crab craving

In the mood for some crab?  Dig into this plate of Crabs with Chili Sauce---it's perfectly spiced and finger lickin' good!  We had this at  the Hong Kong Emperor Seafood Restaurant in MoA one rainy Saturday night. 

Posted for Food Trip Friday and Food Friday

Hot Shot Roll

I am drooling and craving for a maki right now. These Hot Shot Rolls are scrumptious and addictive! It's a spicy Mexican-inspired roll filled with tuna, jalapeno, cream cheese, avocado and spring onions. I should go back to Red Kimono at The Fort Strip soon and indulge. For now, I am doing simple breathing exercises to curb my cravings for their maki masterpieces.

Posted for Food Trip Friday and Food Friday

Arroz Valenciana

Although my family doesn't subscribe to the belief of cooking something sticky for the New Year, my brother prepared Arroz Valenciana after I pestered him about it. He cooks a scrumptious Arroz Valenciana, and I was craving for it. I bought all the ingredients, diced and sliced and he did the rest.

The aroma of turmeric transports me back to my grandmother's kitchen---she had been cooking Arroz Valenciana since I can remember. At fiestas, birthdays, Christmas and New Year, family gatherings, Arroz Valenciana was ever-present on our table. My sister and I used to fight over the tutong, or the crusty, overcooked bits.

I tried to cook it once and it was very tiresome---the preparation and mixing of glutinous rice and other ingredients were exhausting. It felt like I rowed a boat for hours!

With my brother's strong biceps and triceps, he's perfect for the job!

Posted for Food Trip Friday and Food Friday

Pancakes cheer me up...

One thing that I look forward to when I need to see a doctor at The Medical City is pancakes. You don't see the connection? Well, there's a Pancake House at the ground floor of the Medical Arts Tower, and it's my favorite hangout after a doctor's appointment.

I'm not the world's biggest pancake lover. Waffles, yes. But pancakes, not so much. Then I recently discovered that pancakes, especially the thick ones and hot off the griddle, cheer me up after a stressful time at the clinic. I had these pancakes with walnuts for added flavor and crunch, topped with whipped cream and sweetened with honey. Country sausage and brewed coffee on the side.

A perfect brunch to cheer me up.

Posted for Food Friday and Food Trip Friday

Better than Ice Cream

Mango, Pistachio and Lemoncello from Gelatone

I am sharing these tasty flavors with you before they melt! Yes, I am back to my ice cream-eating days. Like any woman of substance, I resisted the call of ice cream for so long. But when I started exercising, I realize that "everything in moderation" is actually working for me. No more binge eating of ice cream and chocolates at 2 am.

I read that ice cream, when eaten as part of a healthy diet, may actually melt fat, helping you lose extra pounds faster than you have abstained. The secret is the calcium. Experts say calcium helps people lose weight because when your body doesn't get enough calcium, it triggers fat cells to store fat and get bigger.

After "inspecting" the scene of the crime in Greenbelt 5 on early Sunday evening, we walked to Greenbelt 3 and passed by Gelatone. Naturally, I didn't resist. Gelatone's heavenly gelato is pricey at P100 per scoop---and a scoop wouldn't do it for me. After trying their Mascarpone and Panna Cotta, my sister and I decided to bring home 1/2 kilo (P550) with 3 flavors---mango, pistachio and lemoncello. Gosh, I've never tasted ice cream this good!

Gelatone's gelati are made with healthy skimmed milk imported from Australia and the flavors are all imported from Italy.

Pistachio from Fruits in Ice Cream

Another favorite ice cream stand that I usually go to after exercising is Fruits in Ice Cream at The Fort Strip. I love their Mangoes and Cream and French Vanilla flavors from the FIC Lite line (P55 a scoop). FIC Lite ice cream has no added sugar and only 50% of the fat content in regular ice cream. Yes, FIC Lite is diet ice cream, and it's delicious!

And when I need some energy-giving calorie, I go for their gourmet ice cream---an avalanche of chopped, toasted pistachio in rich pistachio ice cream base. And I'm on cloud 9!

All along, I thought that gelato is simply ice cream in Italian. I was wrong. Gelato is made with some of the same ingredients as most ice-creams around the world---milk (and cream), sugar (and other sweeteners), flavorings (fruits, nuts, essences, etc.) and air are the main ingredients. But unlike many types of ice cream, gelato often does not contain eggs. And like high-end ice cream, gelato generally has less than 55% air, resulting in a denser product.

So don't despair, diet ice cream does exist.

Life is short, let's eat lots of ice cream!

Posted for Food Trip Friday and Food Friday

Hungarian Sausage

I can eat Hungarian Sausage any time of the day. This is my usual meal at Vienna Kaffeehaus---I love their Hungarian Sausage. It was a bit early for dinner but I was within the vicinity of Vienna Kaffeehaus in Mandaue during my trip to Cebu in July, and I suddenly had a craving for their spicy sausage. The cafe also serves great coffee.

Join fellow foodies at Food Trip Friday and Food Friday

Crazy Maki

Definitely an eye-candy, this crazy maki treat---the sushi chef's special of Salmon Skin Roll with Shrimp Salad and ikura (salmon roe) on top, is one of the best maki I've tasted. It's fresh and tasty, and the crunchy flakes add an interesting twist on every bite. The wasabi, mayo and tenzy sauces are heavenly. I had this maki at Rai Rai Ken-Harbor Square.

Enjoy more delicious concoctions at Food Trip Friday and Food Friday

Co đói khong? [Are you hungry?]

garlic spiced pork spareribs with nouc cham

Yes, I'm always hungry! Especially during rainy days when I can't do anything except think about my food cravings. A break from this freakish weather brought S and I to Zao Vietnamese Bistro in Serendra. For our main course, we ordered garlic-spiced barbecued spareribs and caramelized prawns. This combination speaks so eloquently of our individual tastes when it comes to food. She likes pork---in any form, and we both know it's not good for her; while I'm on a see[sea]-food diet. So we compromised, as friends normally do.

I agreed to the garlic-spiced barbecued spareribs because of the nouc cham, an intoxicating Vietnamese dipping sauce that accompanied the grilled dish. You can dip practically anything in nouc cham---meat, vegetables, seafood, even for drizzling of rice. I virtually slurped the nouc cham when the waiter was not looking, then asked for more. I couldn't seem to get enough of the stuff!

caramelized prawns (tom rim)

If you're like me, nothing can go wrong with a prawn/shrimp dish. These caramelized prawns were succulent on the inside, crisp on the outside. Rất ngon! That would roughly translate to "incredibly delicious!".

Let's celebrate our 111th Independence Day!

Posted for Food Trip Friday and Food Friday

Chicken Quesadillas

If you haven't noticed it yet, I love Tex-Mex! My craving for Tex-Mex doesn't seem to let up. I can live on burritos, chimichanga, fajitas, and yes, quesadillas. When the bartender, Carlos, told us about their new Texas Quesadillas, I knew I wanted to try it.

The Texas Quesadilla was grilled chicken and cheese wrapped in toasted tortillas, with sour cream and salsa on the side. A plate of chicken quesadilla was supposedly just an appetizer. But paired with a small plate of Cobb Salad, I was too full to order anything else.

A quesadilla is a Mexican snack food made of toasted tortilla with melted cheese inside. But in addition to cheese, you can put practically anything in a quesadilla. Quesadilla is a Spanish word that literally means "little cheesy thing".

Chicken Quesadillas at Texas Roadhouse Grill
using my cel phone camera

Posted for Food Trip Friday and Food Friday