Kain Pinoy – Page 8 – …because we love to eat

Simple Pad Thai Recipe

For my birthday this year, I decided to stay at home and cook for my family. Noodles are a staple for birthdays, since it signifies long life. Instead of the usual spaghetti or pancit, I decided to cook Pad Thai, another noodle favorite in the house.

When I went to Thailand two years ago, one of the things I made sure to do was to attend a Thai cooking class. So while in Bangkok, I signed up to join a half-day cooking class at the Thai Kitchen. We learned how to cook Thai Red Curry, Sticky Rice and Mango among other things, and of course, Pad Thai.

The ingredients we used in the Thai Kitchen are of course ingredients that are easily available in Thailand. In Manila, however, you need to search for these items. Since I am lazy, I opted to use ingredients that is readily available to substitute for the ingredients in my Thai recipe book. Not as authentic as the Pad Thai I tried in Bangkok, but it’s a great and cheap substitute!

A note before I continue: I hardly measure my ingredients when I cook. The measurements in this recipe is an approximation of the ingredients I use, and is made to suit the taste buds of my family.

Continue reading “Simple Pad Thai Recipe”

Who's your Secret Santa?

Delifrance is giving you the chance to give out delectable goodies to your friends through www.mysecretsanta08.com. In the website, you can send out coupons to your friends, who can claim these yummy treats at the nearest Delifrance outlet.

Up for giving are Almond Star Cookies, almond-topped, glutten-free cookies that are a delightful cross between a light macaron and a sweet meringue, and Chocolate Almond Biscotti, a slice of choco-nutty goodness that’s perfectly matched wit a steaming cup of Delifrance espresso.

So what are you waiting for? Head on to www.mysecretsanta08.com and start spreading some Christmas cheer!

For additional questions and inquiries, please contact the Main Office at 642-0021. Visit Delifrance branches at AIM Conference Center, Glorietta, Insular Life Bldg, RCBC Plaza, SM Makati, Ayala Tower 1, Valero Makati, Zeta Building Legazpi Village Makati, Robinsons Place Manila, U.N. Avenue, Festival Supermall, Alabang Town Center, SM Mall of Asia, The Podium, C5 Libis, St. Luke’s, Greenhills Theater Mall, Roosevelt Greenhills, Philippine Heart Center, Shell SLEX Southbound, Shell SLEX Northbound, Shell NLEX, NAIA – Domestic, NAIA 2 – International, NAIA – Old Domestic, NAIA 3, and International School Manila.

Lobster and Coconut Crab in Batanes

Batanes cuisine is very simple. Its remote location meant that most of the ingredients must be sources from within the islands, or it’s going to be really expensive. A trip to the market was rather uninteresting. There was only a small selection of vegestable, and an even smaller, though more exotic selection of fishes. Pork and beef are available, while chicken is near scarce and expensive — Php 190 per kilo!

However, eating out in Batanes can be quite exciting: lobsters are cheap and coconut crabs are available!

Frustrated by our failed attempts to dine on lobsters during our trip to Coron, Palawan, Gail and the rest of the group are hankering for lobster. Hearing that lobsters go as low as Php 300 per kilo, we know we just have to have lobsters in Batanes! The odds were in our favor, and we were rewarded with a very generous helping of lobster. With help from Tita Remy, our housekeeper at Novita House, she sourced out three kilos of lobster for our dinner on our first night in the island. Cooked simply by steaming, the lobsters were juicy and very meaty.

Next to the lobster, we were also looking forward to trying the tatus, the local parlance for coconut crab. Again, through Tita Remy’s help, we were able to arrange for a lunch picnic at Sabtang’s white beach. For Php 250, we dined on fried fish, steamed sigarilyas and the highlight of the meal: coconut crabs.

The tatus is unlike any other crustacean I have ever seen. Rather than being err, wide like other crabs, the coconut crab has a longer body, with a sac at the rear end housing the aligue that is reminiscent of a spider’s. The crab was meaty, with a distinct flavor. Though it was only steamed, the meat has the faint taste of coconut milk, the effect of its penchant for coconut. It is said that coconut crabs can climb coconut trees to get the coconuts, and using its large pincers, it tears off the coconut husk and uses the smaller pincers to pull out the coconut’s flesh. Apart from coconuts, the tatus also feeds on fruits and organic materials.

Priced at Php 600 per kilo, the coconut crab is a rather expensive treat. But never mind the cost; the delectable taste of this crab is worth every peso.

RCJ’s Food Hut
Romy Cielo – Manager
Sabtang Island, Batanes
Email : romycielo_55@yahoo.com
Mobile Phone : 0916-854-8285 / 0921-715-4919 / 0916-674-2344

Thanks for sharing the contact info, Melo!

Lunch at Kawayan Cove

I miss summer. Not the heat , but the bright sunny days that are characteristic of the season. It’s just perfect for a day at the beach! But, it’s the rainy season here. So it was such a welcome treat to be invited to go and have lunch at Kawayan Cove.

Kawayan Cove is a 68-hectare high-end seaside residential resort community in Nasugbu, Batangas which is just a two-hour drive from Makati. There, we were toured around the property after dining on a very lavish feast prepared by our very gracious hosts, the Puyats. We dined at the Bamboo Beach Club on Bamboo Beach, the centerpiece of the Kawayan Cove development.

We feasted on seafood like crabs, shrimp kabobs, grilled fish; and on lechon (roast suckling pig) and chicken barbecue.

There we’re also side dishes of salads, atchara and vegetables. And to cap off a wonderful meal is a dessert spread of fresh fruits and native delicacies like kakanins and leche flan!

A delicious feast on a beautiful beach, shared with friends and gracious hosts. It truly is such a wonderful experience.

Click here to see more photos from Kawayan Cove.

Kawayan Cove
Bamboo Beach, Nasugbu
Batangas, Philippines

For more information about Kawayan Cove, call Edge Properties Development Corp. G/F Bldg. A, Karrivin Plaza, 2316 Pasong Tamo Extension, Makati City, Philippines Tel. 843-9136 to 38 and 843-8820. Or visit their website, www.kawayancove.com.

Eating out in Batanes

I’ve just arrived from Batanes yesterday morning, and I’ve been resizing photos for later use since. We’ve eaten some amazing seafood at this northern island, and for such a pretty price!

I’ll start off the Batanes series with this photo of bloggers and photographers going click happy over food:

Eating is hardly ever simple with bloggers around

In the photo are Marc of Spikeithard.com, Eric of Sugarloaded.com, Melo of PinoyCravings.com and Dino of GearGuru.multiply.com.

Fresh seafood from Zamboanga at ZBS Seafood Shop

Chefs have, time and again, stressed the importance of using the freshest and best ingredients every time you cook to achieve the best flavor and texture. Freshness is always key. But sometimes, it is hard to find such fresh ingredients, especially on such short notice.

Take seafood for example. We all look for freshness whenever we buy fresh seafood at the market. Like checking the gills to see if they’re a bright pinkish red; if the eyes are cloudy or clear; if the firm is flesh; and if it smells good or bad. Sometimes though, even if we think that what we’re buying is fresh, it turns out to be otherwise. To be able to get the best and most fresh catch of the day, you’d have to get up really early to hit the market, which most often than not is not a very enjoyable trip. Most markets tend to be wet, dirty and smelly.

In Teacher’s Village in Quezon City, we found ZBS Seafood Shop which sells fresh seafood flown in from Zamboanga City. They sell all sorts of seafood from shrimps to squid, freshwater and saltwater fish–tuna; tilapia; bangus; lapu-lapu heads, among others. I especially loved their lapu-lapu heads- very big and very meaty! My mom made a very mean sinigang na ulo with it. The prices are very competitive with supermarkets and your neighborhood palengke. The place is air conditioned and very clean, very much like the Monterey meatshops. You may also have the fish cleaned, and a great time saving treat of theirs is they can also fry it for you.

So if you live in, or near the neighborhood; or if you fancy getting some really fresh seafood, go on and visit ZBS Seafood Shop.

ZBS Seafood Shop
44A Magiting Street
Teacher’s Village East,
Diliman, Quezon City.
Telephone No. 928-0809, 927-9426

A Krispy Kreme-filled evening

Spot.ph invited a some bloggers to have a community meet-up at the Krispy Kreme factory at the Bonifacio High Street in Global City, Taguig. We were welcomed by Spot.ph’s Cathy, Trixie and Karl, who I always bump into during events. Also present was Mark, Krispy Kreme’s Marketing Manager, who told us about the company’s plans for the rest of 2008 and 2009.

It turns out that on the 14th of November, they will be opening their ninth store in the Philippines at the Gateway Mall in Cubao Quezon City. Like all Krispy Kreme openings, the first customer will get a year’s supply of Krispy Kreme donuts. The tenth store will also open later this year, this time at Glorietta Mall in Makati.

Mark also said that they plan to open six more stores in 2009, including stores in the south of Metro Manila. I asked whether the expansion would include opening factories in Cebu and Davao, and he replied that they will look into it. He was surprised when I told him about the Cebu and Davao bloggers asking their friends and relatives who are flying in from Manila to bring them boxes of Krispy Kreme. And it’s not just the bloggers — in all the flights I’ve taken locally, there would always be one passenger carrying a box of Krispy Kreme.

We were also surprised to find out that some of the doughnut variants we have here are unique among the Krispy Kremes in the world. Doughnuts like the Hershey’s and Reese’s doughnuts are actually the initiative of Krispy Kreme Philippines, and because of their efforts, delegates from other Krispy Kreme teams around the world are coming over to Manilato learn about KK Philippine’s marketing secrets. Oh the sweet taste of success!

Congratulations to the winner!

I did a Toni and went to Random.org to pick the winner of my contest. And the lucky girl is…

DYANIE!

Congratulations Dyanie! Your prize will be sent first thing next week. I hope you and your mom enjoy it 🙂

And for everybody who joined, thank you SO much! Watch out for other contests here in Kainpinoy.com. Or, you can join the contests I’m running over at my travel blog. Get a chance to win a Wii Night package from Redbox or a Jansport bag from Bratpack!

Mother Earth Bags are available over at their Multiply store. Flour sack bags starts at only Php 65, while printed canvas bags starts at Php 95. Perfect for the holidays!

Conquering the Chocolate Buffet at the Peninsula

I’ve heard of this chocolate buffet before, and I remember I missed it because I was out of the country the whole time it was on going at the Manila Peninsula. Once I found out that it’s back again this year, I quickly made plans with friends to indulge in chocolate.

Chocolate Buffet at the Peninsula Manila

Like warriors going into battle, we made preparation. We read and memorized Lori’s Guide to Gorging on the Peninsula Chocolate Buffet. We kept dinner light and rather salty, and admittedly, cheap (for the Chocolate buffet is rather pricey). With tummies partially filled with fast food goodness, we drove to the Peninsula.

We arrived a couple of minutes past nine, and already, some of the plates were already empty. We surveyed they scene, planning our attack on the buffet tables. There were rich and moist chocolate cakes and cheesecakes, creamy mousse, smooth chocolate drinks, chocolate buttons, exquisite truffles and pralines, bread sticks dipped in chocolate, ice creams made with or laced with chocolates, puddings, brownies and cookies, assortment of nuts, fruits and marshmallows to be slathered with three different kinds of fondue. It was mind boggling, but once we got over the shock at seeing so much chocolate, we made our choices and converged back at the table.

Argee, Anna and I hungrily dug into our picks and paused for a nanosecond, savoring each orgasmic bite of chocolate. Everything tastes as good as they looked. Some desserts have a richer and fuller taste than the others, so to cleanse the palate, we tucked into pieces that doesn’t have as much chocolate in them. Unfortunately, (I’m not one for l33t talk, but this is one occasion that calls for it) the chocolate pwned us. We managed 5 or 6 trips back to the buffet before admitting defeat. By the end of the night, I was nibbling on marshmallows, strawberries and ice cream cone — without the chocolate fondue nor the ice cream. Nonetheless, it was a wonderful experience, all these chocolates. I would not hesitate to go back to this buffet.

Chocolate Buffet at the Manila Peninsula Lobby
Adults: Php 550+
Children (12 yrs & below): Php 225++
For inquiries and table reservations please call The Peninsula Manila at 887-2888, extensions 6757
and 6759 (The Lobby) or 6694 (Restaurant Reservations).
Corner of Ayala and Makati Avenues
1226 Makati City, Metro Manila, Philippines

Everyday is your birthday!

Following the success of their previous charity fundraisers, White Hat Italian Frozen Yogurt is now on their third, with celebrity couple Patricia “Shaan” Bermudez-Hizon and Vince Hizon.

The Hizons will be scooping frozen yogurt for their chosen charity, the Everyday Is Your Birthday Foundation. For almost 8 years, EIYBF has provided a way for people to share their blessings with the needy. It encourages people to celebrate their own birthdays not just through the usual way of splurging on a big party with friends & family, but to also share the greatest gift of LOVE, to the less fortunate. Half of the day’s revenue will be donated to the EIYBF.

So if you’re at the Mall of Asia this Saturday (October 25), why not drop by White Hat, give their yummy Italian frozen yogurt a try and help make a difference.