19 Dec, 2007
Empanadas are the perfect finger food. For as long as I can remember eating, I can recall one version or another of empanadas. Childhood versions were almost inevitably smaller than they are now, savory in nature, and usually meat with some raisins for sweetness and moisture. But empanadas in the Phiiippines…
18 Dec, 2007
I love cassava cake. And while I indulge in this delicacy all year round, it seems particularly fitting to OVER-indulge during the holiday season. I have posted a recipe for this before, but recently I have really grown to love a version that I purchase from the Vargas family… it is an…
18 Dec, 2007
Purple is a royal color. It is also a color often traditionally associated with the Christmas season for many Christians and Catholics. It must be the reason I am on a purple streak, after the puto bumbong and now this quick post on ube jaleya… I have done a post on…
17 Dec, 2007
We love all of the edible gifts that arrive at our home, particularly in the run up to Christmas. Over the course of the year, we have received fabulous oils, different kinds of salt, chillis of the painful sort, chocolates, nuts, fruits, jams, jellies, marmalades, meats, hams, incredible varieties of sweets, etc. from…
16 Dec, 2007
Thanks to everyone that left a comment or emailed me following my post on my newly acquired puto bumbong steamer. The suggestions and tips were extremely helpful. I also consulted several cookbooks but I wasn’t entirely happy with the recipes I found… either they assumed I knew too much about making the…
16 Dec, 2007
Misa de Gallo (early morning mass) started this morning in Philippine churches… The mass in our neighborhood was at 5 a.m., and despite opening my eyes a few minutes before 5 a.m, I didn’t attend. Every year, I think I am going to do the full 9 masses, and as a very…
14 Dec, 2007
Last year, I thought the best meal we had outside a private home in the Philippines was at Antonio’s in Tagaytay (see here and here). We had a superbly executed meal in a delightful setting with attentive and efficient staff. This year we had several very good meals between Mrs. MM, The…
13 Dec, 2007
We all have incredible personal food biases. We are partial to that which is familiar or have previously experienced. We are partial to flavors, textures and combinations of foods we know or think we know. We mostly tend to order from a menu as though we were familiar with it, usually…