Chocolates of the World

The change in weather caused the sniffles I've had since last week. It's still a bad cold. Not getting enough rest aggravated my low resistance to virus. Coughing ensued. I listened to my body so I cut down on other activities. I did not drop by the gym this week to use the time to rest. I thought I'm covered but I have developed a sore throat caused by eating too much chocolate.

Life is fair. I am on a forced diet since I can't eat much to compensate for my absence in the gym.

But before the nasty sore throat I craved for the moist chocolate cake from Conti's last week so my husband bought a whole cake. Three days after I had all these chocolates. Chocolate overload.


Don't mind the magazine in the background. I always have an MJ magazine with me and I browse when I am home whenever the feeling hits me.

Anyway, I love most of the chocolates in this jar. My favorite is Swiss Delice Rotondini. It tastes almost the same as Lindor Truffles, my favorite chocolate in the world.


The jar containing 2 pounds worth of chocolates is still half-full. My sore throat prevents me from taking even a tiny bite a day. My daughter is NOT a chocolate lover and I'm happy about that. My husband is so-so. I devour all the chocolates in the house you see.

Thanks to my mom for including this in one of their packages. It's Kirkland Signature, Chocolates of the World. I love it!


Picture from Vita Springs website.

***More food sharing at Picture Clusters and Food Trip Friday.

Potato

A staple in our order - chicken tenders with fries. This one is from T.G.I. Friday's menu. It's a choice of honey mustard dressing or barbecue sauce. My daughter prefer the former.

My daughter loves potatoes, not just fries but mashed potatoes as well as boiled. Maybe because this is one of the first baby food we fed her when she was about four months old. She doesn't like mashed potatoes with gravy though.

I prepared mashed potatoes with meat loaf and cheese a few weekends ago and she loved it!


I tried cooking chicken curry and got some excess carrots and potatoes. I boiled them and we munched on them while watching Disney shows.


***Feast on more potatoes at Lasang Pinoy, Sundays.

Kulinarya

I have been absent in my food blog for almost four weeks now. I was too preoccupied to post anything here during the height of the storm Ondoy (Ketsana) and the anticipated (but definitely not welcome) Pepeng (Parma). As most families, our time and energy were spent monitoring the news, getting home early, stocking food and yes, we did pack some clothes and important documents. Our area was not affected by the flood but the deluge that happened in 80% of Metro Manila was enough to alert us and keep us to be always on guard.

Let us continuously pray for the complete rebuilding of the damaged areas and the lives of the people greatly affected by the flood, the children most especially. Let us pray that our country (or any other country) will not experience another Ketsana or anything damaging to lives and properties. Pepeng lingers in the country and is ravaging northern Philippines. Pepeng, please leave and do not create more damage.

Life goes on. Work and school and other activities have resumed. I'm back posting and joining the food meme.

I'm sharing right now one of our dine outs at Kulinarya Kitchen, Rockwell, Makati City. As I have shared in my blogs countless times everyone in my family loves shrimps. We tried two different servings of shrimp at Kulinarya and both proved to be delicious.


Barbecued Shrimps

Gambas
My daughter wanted some pasta and ordered twist and cheese with bacon. It's fun to eat as it's both creamy and crunchy (because of the bacon bits).


Twist and Cheese with Bacon
What is ever present in our menu when we eat out? Of course, chicken. It feels like my daughter always add either chicken or fish and chips in her order as her "fallback". In case she does not like the taste of what she first ordered, she can have the chicken anytime.


Deep Fried Boneless Chicken
The dessert came in chocolate creme brulee. I am not fond of creme brulee but this is my daughter's favorite.


Chocolate Creme Brulee
TGIF!

***More food sharing at Picture Clusters and Food Trip Friday.

Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry

This is a very rainy weekend as reported by the weather bureau last night. We had soup the past days so we want something else. At least for us, the next best thing during a cold, rainy day would be stir fry.


Again I am not an expert in the kitchen but this passed the taste of my family. I cooked this from what I remember the last time I prepared this dish which was a few months ago.

Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry
1 big head of broccoli
1 kilo of beef
10 cloves garlic (we all love garlic in the house so we put in quite a lot)
2-3 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
salt, pepper and sugar to taste (sugar is optional)

Wash beef and cut into thin strips. Size and how thin, your call. I tenderized the beef for easier cooking. Wash broccoli and cut into sections.

Heat about 3 tablespoons of oil in a pan, saute garlic. Add beef strips until seared and pour in oyster and soy sauce plus broccoli. Add salt, pepper, sugar according to taste. Check broccoli's texture. We want it crunchy.

A good lunch while it was raining cats and dogs outside.

***Feast on more food at Lasang Pinoy, Sundays.

Chocolate Overload

I'm trying to curb my craving for chocolate cake for a few days now, specifically this chocolate cake from Conti's. This was one of my daughter's cakes during her birthday last July. My cousin gave her another chocolate cake from Conti's also. If this family isn't a fan of this restaurant, I don't know what to call us.


Chocolate Overload
A slice as big as this is good for three persons because it tastes so rich.


You know I just might give in to my craving later. TGIF!

***More food sharing at Picture Clusters and Food Trip Friday.

Puto Bumbong

Puto bumbong is a local delicacy popular during the holiday season. It's glutinous rice in purple color, cooked in bamboo tubes in a steamer, topped with butter, shredded coconut and sugar. It goes well with tea.

In the Philippines, the holiday season is not complete without bibingka or puto bumbong especially for those who are attending Simbang Gabi. Maybe because the weather is cold, a hot pica-pica is just right before heading home.


A few market place and restaurants sell puto bumbong whole year round. I'm glad to note there is already one stall selling puto bumbong in front of the minimart on the way to our place. I bought one serving a few days ago just to check the taste. It's good! Bitin! We'll go back tomorrow for more.

***Feast on more food at Lasang Pinoy, Sundays.

Seafood Pesto Pizza

This is my family's favorite pizza. I had my two slices when we dropped by Napoli Ristorante again a few nights ago.


***More food sharing at Life Snippets and Food Trip Friday.

Squid Ball

All pictures below were taken from my "cooking" post for Photo Hunt many entries ago. I was not able to chance upon any street hawkers selling my favorite fish balls or kikiam or banana cue. I opted to use what I already have.

Photo Hunt participants are mostly from the west. Apparently they took squid balls literally, like "balls of squid". Some comments mentioned they cannot bring themselves to eat this even if they are very adventurous when it comes to food. Short of saying this is really yucky.

I have to actually add this to my post to make it clear what squid balls are.

Squidballs are made of squid meat wrapped in flour and egg for some, a little of salt and some spices. This is the generic way to do it but click here for some Chinese Squidballs recipe if anyone's interested.

***More street foods at Lasang Pinoy, Sundays.

Soft Spread

I love butter, soft spread, margarine. The food attendant at my gym already know my special request - toast till the bread gets light brown and spread lots of butter. I often buy the tuna melt sandwich. Yummy! There are days when I am contented with just soft spread in my sandwich. I gobble on this in the middle of work, or at home while on line, even while studying with my daughter.


The tagline of Blue Bonnet is "I can't believe it's not butter!". But it does have the taste and feel of a creamy butter. Another favorite is the salted Anchor butter.

It's on my table, yes. Dip the butter knife and spread.


***More food sharing at Life Snippets and Food Trip Friday.

Kimono Ken

We usually watch a movie late afternoon on a weekend. More often than not, we cap the night by having dinner in one of the restaurants within the mall. Here's one such night when we turned Japanese (well sort of) and chose Kimono Ken.

(Kadalasan nanonood kami ng sine hapon ng weekend. Madalas din ay naghahapunan kami sa isa sa mga restaurants na nasa loob ng mall. Isang gabi ay nagustuhan ng mag-ama ko ang Japanese food at napili nila ang Kimono Ken.)

If you're familiar with what I share in my blogs, my daughter is a fan of gyudon. She's a growing girl. She can consume the whole bowl now.

(Madalas kong maibahagi sa aking mga blogs na paborito ng anak ko ang Gyudon. Nakakaubos na siya ng isang mangkok kahit malaki ang serving. Lumalaki na nga ang anak ko.)


Beef Gyudon
And I'm always on the safe side as I am not so much fond of Japanese food. I love rice meals though, Omu rice mixed with chicken cutlets and mushroom.

(Hindi talaga ako adventurous sa pagkain lalo na at hindi ko naman masyadong gusto ang Japanese food. Omu rice ang madalas ko namang orderin - may kahalong manok at mushroom.)


Omu Rice
I forgot what exactly this is called. I think it's Oyakodon, rice topped with egg, some vegetable and chicken.

(Hindi ko matandaan kung ano ang eksaktong tawag dito. Oyakodon yata - rice toppings na may itlog, gulay at manok.)


Oyakodon
My husband's favorite, beef teppanyaki. The beef is really juicy and tender.

(Ang paborito naman ng asawa ko, beef teppanyaki. Malambot ang beef at napaka-juicy.)


Beef Teppanyaki
This salad is always present in our list of orders whenever we are in a Japanese restaurant, kani salad. (Ang laging present sa aming order kapag sa isang Japanese restaurant kami kumakain, kani salad.)


Kani Salad

***Dinner is served at Litratong Pinoy.

Beans

There are certain beans that I don't eat - pinto, black beans, well most kidney beans. I often leave them out and let my husband or my daughter have my share. I don't touch the beans whether they are from my taco or burrito, or a side dish, not even pork and beans. You have an idea who devoured all these beans.


Mr. Rockefeller, Boneless Bourbon Ribs

***More beans at Lasang Pinoy, Sundays.

Charlie's Grind and Grill

Charlie's Grind and Grill is far from our place so we have not visited it even if my friends keep on telling me the food is worth the travel. It's located at Kapitolyo Drive, Pasig, City. We had a chance to try it for a quick snack when my husband had an appointment near the area.

I ordered for the fish and chips. I found the serving quite small and it's not as meaty as I expected it unlike what I often order at Napoli Ristorante. It tastes good alright but it's not on top of my list.


As a cake lover, chocolate cake to be specific, I make it a point to try cakes of restaurants I visit especially if there's decadent chocolate cake. Hmmm, again, I was not amazed with the taste. I prefer the icing gooey and melts in the mouth.


Saving the best for last, the black angus burger is the best! Your choice to have it with fries or not.


I needed to take a picture of it before my husband took a bite. Haha. He's used to me by now. It would be a surprise to him if I don't take pictures of what we are eating.


The meat is juicy, generous cheese dripping on your mouth as you take a bite. I love this.

***More food sharing at Life Snippets and Food Trip Friday.

North Park Merienda

I wanted something easy to chew because I just had my adult braces adjusted. My officemates were good enough to suggest congee at North Park for our afternoon snack.
(Gusto ko ng pagkaing madaling nguyain dahil kaka-adjust lang ng braces sa ngipin ko. Mabuti na lang at naisip ng officemates ko na magmerienda kami sa North Park.)

I had the simplest congee I could find from the menu. I was full after a bowl. Serving is quite big.
(Nag-order ako ng pinaksimpleng congee na nasa menu. Nabusog ako pagkatapos ng isang mangkok. Medyo malaki ang serving.)


A variety of the congee my officemate ordered, with shredded pork, vegetables, century egg.
(Isang variety ng congee naman ang inorder ng kasama ko, may himay-himay na pork, gulay at century egg.)


But then the two boys won't settle for anything else but food that will last till six o'clock strikes even if there are two coffee breaks in the afternoon. I have to say the boneless fried chicken chops is one of NP's specialties. You wouldn't notice you've been munching on it until only a few pieces are left on the plate. I always wonder how it is crispy on the outside but so soft and chewy in the inside.
(Pero syempre ang mga lalaki gusto nila yung aabot ang kabusugan nila hanggang mag-uwian kahit may isa pa ulit na coffee break. Masasabi kong best seller naman talaga ng NP ang boneless fried chicken chops. Ang sarap papakin. Paano kaya nagagawa yung crispy sa labas pero napakalambot ang meat.)


Lechon macau is also a specialty. I usually order this over fried rice. The crispy skin is so inviting but I know better than to break my brackets and hurt myself. Next time. :)
(Lechon macau ay isang specialty din. Madalas kong orderin ito na may kasamang fried rice. Nakakagigil ang malutong na balat pero baka mabali ang brackets ko. Sa susunod na lang.)


***More snack sharing at Litratong Pinoy.