Mochi/Blue Monday

Mochi ice cream with chocolate filling from Yoh Froz.

Mochi ice cream is a Japanese confection made from pounded sticky rice with an ice cream filling.

@ Bonifacio High Street

Linking to Blue Monday

Oreo Cheesecake

Oreo Cheesecake at UCC Cafe-Resorts World Manila

Nobody can ever say no to a slice (or two) of a good cheesecake.  For a few minutes, I gave in to this sweet temptation.  A simple and delicately balanced end to a wonderful lunch with a good friend.

More yummy treats @ Food Friday and Food Trip Friday

Mayan's cake/Blue Monday

My friend Mayan's birthday cake---a gift from her husband.  This was a lovely dessert after the scrumptious dinner.

Linking to Sally's Blue Monday

Taste/Photo-Hunt

I love chocolate---who doesn't?    This fusion of dark chocolate and chili intrigued my taste buds.  And it didn't disappoint...Chilli Chocolate gelato excites the senses.  Tantalizing burst of flavors was brought forth from this union.

   

Here's a chocolate bar so decadent, it must be bad for you---my favorite, Chocolate with Bacon.  The salty-sweet taste, the distinct flavors and textures created an exquisite explosion of yummy.  Definitely one of my guilty pleasures.:p

 

What does your taste in food say about you?

Linking to Saturday Photo Hunt

Fruit Salad

A simple dessert I made for Noche Buena--a cocktail of fruits with lots of sweet corn and peaches, topped with cheese and grapes.  Oh, I also added raisins and diced dates---how's that for sugar rush?

Wishing you a peaceful and prosperous New Year!

Linking to Food Friday and Food Trip Friday

Coffee and Walnut Pie

@ mirandablue

I admit I'm a nutty person...I like all kinds of nuts, that is.:p  I finished my errands early one afternoon, and I returned to Icing's Bakeshop for coffee with the delightful accompaniment of their walnut pie.  Visualize me in the couch with a book.


Ah, being my own boss can be overwhelming but I'm loving the schedule.:p

@ mirandablue

Join us at Food Trip Friday

Mango Crepe

@ mirandablue

Let's take a break from the cholesterol-laden foods we have eaten during the holidays and enjoy something simple and sweet.  I am not much of a dessert person, and a perfect ending of a good meal for me is simply coffee.  If there's a dessert menu, I'd go for fresh fruits or ice cream.  So how can I say no to mango crepe?  It has all my favorite---fresh ripe mango, mango ice cream and chocolate sauce served on a bed of mango puree.  A delightfully sweet and comforting dessert.

Posted for Food Friday and Food Trip Friday

Kiwi and Mango con Hielo

kiwi and mango con hielo

I have been trying many different ways to beat the summer heat, and anything with ice is on top of my list. My fridge is half-filled with chocolate-flavored iced-candy, I made an apple fruit shake on Saturday and had halo-halo this evening. I also rediscovered Icebergs at Metrowalk and tried their Kiwi and Mango con Hielo and Mango con Hielo on two consecutive nights, while Franzia had Saba and Langka con Hielo. I love fresh fruits mixed with milk and shaved ice, it's simply heaven in this hellish weather. The combination of kiwi and mango is new to me but I love kiwi and mango is an all-time favorite---the flavor is quite interesting and delicious!

These are perfect for dessert or a snack on hot, lazy afternoons.

shaved ice with mango, nata de coco, topped with mango ice cream

Posted for Food Trip Friday and Food Friday

Fried Ice Cream

If you're bored with the usual ice cream, try something different like fried ice cream. I got this scoop of heaven at Agave-Mexican Cantina--it's vanilla ice cream with a crunchy coating, served with whipped cream topped with cherry and drizzled with dark chocolate. Delightful!

Posted for Food Trip Friday and Food 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

Comfort eating

Food was the last thing on my mind on Monday afternoon. Franzia and I met to discuss where we should go to volunteer for the relief operations. I had coffee and two bibingka (rice cake) before meeting her at Starbucks. But as we talked about what happened and what was still happening---the tragic death of people, the devastation of properties, the gut-wrenching scenes on TV with victims helplessly watching their homes destroyed by overwhelming flood water and mud, of children hanging on to their mothers' neck, the unspeakable grief of a father as he talked about the family he lost in the flood, of friends who spent all night walking in flood water to get home, I started craving for food.

Comfort food---to somehow ease the guilt I was feeling because my home was warm and dry, and my family is alright. Franzia told me about Cafe Juanita, a cozy resto in Brgy. Kapitolyo, where she had her birthday dinner.

Cafe Juanita has an extensive menu---it was difficult to decide what to order. We had the all-too familiar Molo Soup for starters, with lots of fried garlic. After the soup, I wasn't hungry anymore but decided to try a Vietnamese appetizer, Chao Tom, or grilled shrimps on sugarcane stick. A mixture of garlicky shrimp paste wrapped around a sugarcane stick then grilled. It was light and aromatic, and I loved the flavor. Served with vermicelli noddles and fresh lettuce and basil, it is eaten wrapped in crisp lettuce and basil then dipped into the addicting nouc cham (dipping sauce).

I love the idea of fresh sugarcane as a skewer with it's refreshingly sweet flavor seeps into the shrimp mixture while being grilled.

Franzia ordered Callos and steamed rice which we also shared (did I say I wasn't hungry?). The serving was generous and it was good but I still prefer Casa Armas'.

The conversation was getting interesting so we ordered Crepe Samurai for dessert. Layers of cream and mango to complete a delightful meal at Cafe Juanita.

Posted for Food Trip Friday and Food Friday

UCC Cafe - Ruby Tuesday

Another delightful find during my stroll at the new Terraces in Ayala-Cebu was the UCC Cafe. It's one of my favorite coffee shops---I love their espresso and desserts! When my friends and I need some peace and quiet while having our dessert, we go to UCC Cafe at Forbes Town Center in Global City. The branch at The Terraces is a good location, too...far from where shoppers and mall rats usually go. It's near The Spa and Belo Medical Clinic, and exit to Marriott Hotel. Oh, and the red umbrella is for Ruby Tuesday.

Here's a cup of my espresso cappuccino...

...and the rich and sinful choco fudge.

Photo-Hunt: creamy

Nothing else comes to mind to best convey the image of "creamy" but food---creamy pasta alla carbonara and luscious chocolate cake ala mode for dessert (burp!).

"Life is a combination of magic and pasta."

~ Fellini

More creamy treats for you at Photo Hunt.

Without ice cream, there would be darkness and chaos...

Lasang Pinoy: melted bliss

I paid one peso for this chocolate cake vanilla ice cream, my melted bliss for Lasang Pinoy. I was given a couple of promo coupons at Texas Roadhouse a few weeks ago, so I get to choose from the dessert menu, any dessert I want, for only one peso. Definitely the best deal in town---but I stared at my dessert for a few seconds before digging in. What the heck! I'm only human, after all.

More melted delights at spiCes

Food Friday: sweet but not simple

I am not much of a dessert fan. A cup of coffee after a meal is good enough for me. If given a choice, I would go for fresh fruits rather than cakes or pastries. But when my friend K introduced me to this mango torte from Dulcelin Gourmet, I gave in after the first bite. Scoops of fresh, luscious ripe mango and cream---a surprise ending to a delicious meal. I'm no expert but what makes this mango torte so good is probably the contrasting texture of mango and the chewy-crunch of cashew-based nougatine, it's not sugary-sweet, and it's golden beauty is a delight to my eyes. It's simply a perfect dessert that rolls decadently into the embrace of hot, black coffee.

Posted for Food Friday