Crazy About Crepes N' Cream

Being an ice cream enthusiast, I've always been keen in venturing into something prepared differently from the usual scoop-in-cone or scoop-in-cup ... something that can tickle my fancy as well my taste buds. Thus, this one ...

It's by Crepes N' Cream, a sister company of UCC, which offers not just sweet dessert crepes but also savory ones. You can also create your own crepe, depending on what ingredients you like. I personally chose avocado flavor ... luscious, yellow-green colored ice cream base with subtle nutty flavor and oh-so-creamy consistency, wrapped in deliciously thin crepe, topped with whipped cream then sprinkled with crunchy almond flakes. Haaay can I just stop blogging about food?! I know I can't ... :-)

The "It Still Feels Like Xmas" Sandwich

You might ask "Why such a title?" I coined this mainly because the jamon de bola I used for this sandwich was from the previous Holiday season's office giveaways. Sorry if you think I wasn't creative enough. Anyway, what's more important is the end product. :-D
What we need:

For the glaze, I used 1 cup unsweetened pineapple juice, 2/3 cup brown sugar and 1 tbsp of prepared mustard. The corn bread loaf was from French Baker (crusty outer layer and grainy soft main bread). I bought Washington bright red apples and green lettuce for that Christmas feel. Light mayo compensated for the overflowing calories coming from the other ingredients. :-)

1. For the glaze, whisk the juice, brown sugar and mustard in a bowl. Brush the sliced jamon de bola with the mixture. Then cook the remaining glaze under low heat until thickened.
2. Put the sliced ham inside a 350° preheated oven. Bake the ham, basting frequently with the reserved thickened glaze, for about 30 minutes.
3. Assemble the sandwich by spreading some light mayo on the toasted corn bread, then followed by the lettuce and the apple slices.
4. Put 1 or 2 slices of the baked ham then top with a cheddar cheese slice.
   
5. ENJOY! This goes best with ice cold Coke Zero!

Now, doesn't that feel like it's still Christmas? :-P

V-day with Friends

Valentine's Day has always been an ordinary day for me. Why? I absolutely abhor the horrendous traffic, the jam-packed restaurants, the huddled shopping centers ... sigh. But this year, I had a different kind of V-day. It started out with ...

Meeting up with these friends of mine, despite going through the busy crowd of Greenbelt 3, was worth it. After some coffee and chit-chats, we went to Edward's in Greenhills. It was a potluck Valentine's dinner, so more than anything else, we bonded over good ...

After the sumptuous feast, we continued with our kwentuhan and other stuff. The whole night 'til almost the break of dawn, some of the guys were happily drinking and chatting, while some of us were dead tired and were snoring to the max!

As early as 6:30 in the morning, we went to the penthouse for a cold dip in the pool. Abbu was so hilarious, as usual. We definitely warmed ourselves with laughter and harutan. After breakfast, it was time for me to go to work. :-(

I definitely had a grand V-day with these guys. Now I'm looking forward to next year's celebration! :-P

The Just-Killing-Time Post

The other day, I woke up pretty late than usual. I had no work so I spent the whole night just bumming around. That time, I felt the hunger pangs gnawing me and I was so craving for McDonald's Big Breakfast. Me, being such lazy bones, didn't wanna drag myself to Makati Cinema Square, where the nearest McDo is located. So, I opened my fridge and luckily found the items I needed to please the insatiable me.

Some juicy and yummy Hormel Breakfast Sausage Patties (@S&R, Php 225 per 10 patties in a box), cheesy scrambled eggs with spring onions and garlicky fried rice ... that made my day! Pardon me for writing such a post, just a spur of the moment thing while killing time. I'm meeting my friends in a while to celebrate Valentine's night. Happy Valentine's everybody! :-P

Earle's Deli-ciozo!

If you're looking for delectable but reasonably priced deli products, then Earle's Delicatessen is the one to go to. When I have that desire for sausages, I always go to their branch at The Columns. They sell different cold cuts and sausages, like Beef Pastrami, Maple Smoked Ham, Kielbasa, Pepperoni, Cheese Frankfurter, among others. What's cool is that they're sold by weight ... I can buy 1 of each item, thus they are easy on the pocket. They also offer a variety of sandwiches, like Capicollo Ham Sandwich ... generous slices of spicy chili pepper-coated Italian ham, topped with onions, tomatoes and lettuce and sandwiched in what seems like a 6 inch (or more) crusty bread. At Php 117, that's quite a steal! My favorite?

This sandwich consists of just the crisp bread and the best-selling smoked sausage, bursting with cheese and spices. I like it drizzled with lots of ketchup, mayonnaise and mustard. You can enjoy this with a bottle of apple or lemon iced tea and potato chips for only Php129! Haay! I just can't get enough of writing about delish food! :-P

My Obsession with Coffee Bun!

Ever since coffee buns made an impact here in Manila, I became an instant fan! I've tried different variants like Delifrance's and Roti Mum's ... and they were both awesome! This time, I'll give praise to one of the best ...

The Kopiroti Cafe at The Columns along Buendia corner Ayala is one homey hang-out for office workers and the condominium residents alike. Their black coffee (they call it Kopi) is robust and full of flavor! Added with sweet milk and sugar, that goes really well with The Kaya Toast ... toasted bread with butter and Kaya spread, which reminds me of my late Lola's coco jam. The Soft Boiled Eggs (seasoned with soya sauce and white pepper) make an interesting twist to egg preparation, which works for me. The star of the cafe is the Kopi Bun (Php40) ... nice and soft bun, oozing with butter filling and covered with a delicious and crunchy coffee crust. I can finish 3 buns in one sitting! I've purchased the Coffee Custard Bun from French Baker (Php42) and was not at all at par with Kopiroti's, in terms of the crunchiness and the filling. I prefer the Kopi Bun's rich butter filling rather than the French Baker's bland coffee custard. I love the location ... it's one cartwheel away from RCBC Plaza! Oh well, you can't blame me if I won't get tired of these coffee buns. :-P

A Shakey's-SanFo Lunch

Among the different variants of pizza, the thin-crust is the one to die for! I love enjoying the crunchiness of the crust, as well as savoring the different toppings loaded on it. That's why at Shakey's, it's always pizza galore! So yesterday, we had ...

Manager's Choice has to be my ultimate pizza pick at Shakey's ... with lots of Italian sausage, beef, ham, onions and green bell pepper, plus covered with mozzarella cheese. Mmm! The Chick N' Chips were good, albeit the fried chicken pieces were a li'l bit dry. The Mojos that came with the basket were awesome ... that being one of my favorites. The House Blend Iced Tea reminded me of the ones served in bars, with it's frothy goodness. Wish they have the sugar-free version. :-)
For dessert, Jimmy and I were craving for something fruity and sweet. Thus, we went to ...

Moving into a sit-down place and offering more than caramel apple and frozen banana sticks was a good move for SanFo Treats. Of course, Jimmy ordered something chocolatey, the Chocolate Sprinkles Caramel Apple ... crunchy and juicy apple, covered with bright, golden brown and thick caramel syrup, dipped in rich chocolate and decorated with chocolate sprinkles. I had the Fried Snickers Bar ... the famous peanut butter nougat-peanuts-chocolate bar, fried and topped with a generous scoop of yummy strawberry ice cream, drizzled with chocolate syrup and surrounded by fried hotcake-like batter. Whew! That was lethal!
Oh well, after having a good pizza-chicken-yummy dessert fiesta, I can say life is really good (read my lips)! :-P

Kenny and his Sandwiches

When Jimmy and I went to Market!Market!, I convinced him to go to Kenny Rogers Roasters for late lunch. Being a sandwich fanatic, I can say that this place offers really good and freshly-prepared gourmet sandwiches with very affordable prices.

Among the 14 different types to choose from, I got the Tomato Pesto Mozzarella Grilled Sandwich. I made the right choice! This healthy sandwich consists of crunchy whole wheat bread, filled with a very tasty pesto sauce, ripe and luscious tomatoes, plus gooey mozzarella cheese. Heaven! With some crispy big-cut French fries on the side and a tall glass of light iced tea, I only paid Php 119! Not bad, right? The Macaroni Salad was also good, but could be better if added with more fancy ingredients. The Corn Muffin is a given, it's one of Kenny's staples that's satisfying.

What's next to try? The Smoked Salmon and Cream Cheese and the Philly Cheesesteak (roasted beef slices with mushrooms, caramelized onions and melted cheese). Now I'm salivating with excitement! :-P

A Wham-sical Saturday Night

I felt utterly enthusiastic when we got to Shangri-La Plaza Mall last night, simply because of 3 reasons: 1. I haven't visited this shopping haven for so long, 2. it was yet another Saturday night out with friends and 3. I was craving big time for ...

Paupau and I got the classic Wham! Burger ... juicy, succulent 1/3 pound char-broiled burger patty, with fresh lettuce and tomatoes in a soft sesame-seed bun. The only difference: I had the Double Whammy ... 2 patties, can you imagine?! Jimmy had Bronco Burger, same banana but with crisp bacon, white onions and cheddar cheese with barbecue sauce. With onion rings and bottomless soda, that was an ultimate cholesterol heaven ... in fact, we even felt our blood pressure rising up!
After dinner, we joined our friends at the ...

We spent the night chatting, drinking booze and laughing to the max! We also gave Aki a "Bon Voyage!" gift for him to carry along on his way to United Arab Emirates... sunglasses, na bagay sa kanya!
I got home at around 3:30am this morning, with a smile on my face ... I love my friends! To Achilles, we'll miss you a lot! Good luck on your journey and your new endeavor! :-P

Beard Papa, Pinoy Version

When I read Toto's blog about Beard Papa, I had this sudden urge to try the said cream puff. He mentioned there are different custard varieties in the US, like strawberry, green tea, coffee and pumpkin pie, among others. When I got to the Glorietta 4 branch, I got a bit disappointed when they only offer the vanilla custard filling, and only 3 to 4 different types of toppings like white chocolate chips, chocolate chips and white chocolate marble (Php 55). Sigh.

To add, I was nonchalant when I first bit into the crunchy chocolate shell. It didn't exceed my expectations. No WOW factor, kumbaga. The custard was bland to my taste. On a happier note, at least I got to try it (and got to blog about it, hehe!). How I wish I can taste heaven with the different Beard Papa flavors in California, especially the green tea and the strawberry. Kakainggit ka, Toto! :-P

Isshin't That Good?!

I got a call from Edward yesterday afternoon, inviting me and Jimmy to hang out with him while he was killing time . He was going to Tagaytay to meet his folks but he didn't wanna be a very early bird. He brought us to a simple and cozy Japanese place along Pasay Road called Isshin. This has been around for quite some time, says Edward and serves authentic Japanese cuisine. Seeing some Japanese guests that time, I totally believe on what he said.

We had California Maki and Mixed Sushi as appetizers. Being a sushi lover myself, I was pretty impressed! The Gyoza was so yummy, best dipped in the resto's concocted sauce with some sesame oil. I had a good time savoring the Tofu Steak ... smooth and nice custard-like white soy blocks, coated with Japanese crumbs and laid on a sizzling plate with a thick, savory sauce consisting of ground meat, green peas and carrots. The Chicken Yakitori and Teriyaki were equally good, with the chicken's charbroiled goodness, smothered with a delightfully sweet and gingery soy sauce marinade. They serve authentic Japanese rice, which we loved. They also offer free cold green tea and ice cream or nata de coco!
I like the place's atmosphere, being modest and non-pretentious. They have limited low tables for customers who wanna sit Jap-style. Obviously, that wouldn't work for the 3 of us, haha! The prices are budget-friendly, as compared to other restaurants. We really had a good time, thanks to Edward.
When he dropped us off near Don Bosco, Jimmy and I couldn't help but pass by Amici for additional dessert. I had a slice of Tiramisu. Yummy! Japanese and Italian ... why not? :-)

Potato Skins 102

When I get home from work, I always contemplate on what to do during my spare time. More than usual, what comes in my mind is what's new to cook. Recently, I had this idea on what to prepare (and what to blog about)...

Potatoes need to be scrubbed clean and halved lengthwise. Pop them in a 350° oven for 50 minutes or until cooked through and tender. Scoop out the inner pulp, leaving the skins (set them aside). Mash the potatoes then add salmon fillet, grated Mozzarella cheese, extra-virgin olive oil, parsley flakes and season with salt and pepper. Put the mixture back into the skins and bake again for another 15 minutes or more until the cheese melts and the surface, golden brown.

Voila! Baked Salmon Mozzarella Potato Skins! These are best served with sour cream and chives. Glad Jimmy and my co-workers loved it. :-P

Tagaytay Sunday Dinner

Edward needed company to Tagaytay so the more-than-willing gang tagged along. Our usual stop-over: Caltex SLEX, the one before reaching the Sta. Rosa exit. Needed some caffeine to perk me up so we went to ...

Had a tall hot Raspberry Latte ... rich and bold espresso, infused with smooth milk, with a hint of subtly tart raspberry. That surely made me wide awake afterwards!
After checking out Ed's place, we drove along Maharlika Road going to ...

Our group, well known for being "food enthusiasts", ordered the bestsellers of the famous grill. Sizzling Pork Sisig, Grilled Tuna Belly, Lechon Kawali, Molo Soup and my choice, Tinumok ... mildly spiced ground pork, wrapped in taro leaves and cooked in coconut milk. Yummy!
Gerry's Tagaytay has a cool, relaxed and well-lit atmosphere, as opposed to the Viewsite Restaurant that stood there before. I'm sure one can get a good view of the Taal Volcano during daytime. :-)
With these guys around, we can't let the night pass by without bringing out the cameras and get our ...

Thanks to Edward's new digital SLR camera, we all had wonderful photos for the night. As always, it was F-U-N! :-P

Deja Vu Along Timog

"We did this before!" Yup, I could sense deja vu with last weekend's gimmick. We had our Timog Avenue experience, starting off at ...

Nothing has changed. Crowded space. Busy staff. Dirt cheap but OK buffet food (Php 199 per head). Abbu was late (but not too tardy, he was able to grab dinner). Buchi overload! After stuffing ourselves, we went next door ...

Strawberry (Php 110), being my favorite fruit, was my chosen cheesecake flavor for the night. The other guys' choices were also good, except for the dessert's elastic-like consistency . Thus, I conclude, that baked cheesecakes are more yummy and delectable! The frappes were too sweet. I had Banana-Macadamia (Php 150), wherein I barely tasted the nut component. The relaxed ambience of the place definitely made the most impact on us...

Obvious ba? We couldn't get enough of clicking the camera! After the sweet thrills, we went further down the avenue towards ...

Some light beer and soda, coupled with yet another interesting group discussion (plus Dave, Richard and Bert's jamming with the band) made this night a wonderful one, just like the previous Timog adventure we had. :-P