Learning to Cook and Other Things

It's always been a simple but hearty Christmas dinner that we prepare. There's my partner's classic buko fruit salad, 'excelent' ham, queso de bola, and my pasta, (fettucinne, tagliattelli, spaghetti or fusilliere). More than the food, it is really that once a year get together that matters. Christmas won't be Christmas without all the children, the family, also the 'soon to be family' :-) and friends. I wish all of you have your own families to share the joy of Christ's love or whom ever you call HIM to be. MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE ! CHEERS!

Health issues or whatever, I will always enjoy preparing and delecting pasta. If budget allows, true Italian ingredients will be superb. Otherwise, whatever is available, can do. Just don't skip the extra virgin olive oil and the durum wheat for the pasta. If I were a pasta, blogthings says I am: You Are Pasta Primavera Compared to most people, you are very active and health conscious. You take care of yourself and try to live the best life possible. You are an open minded and experimental person. You are always looking for ways to improve yourself. Your tastes tend to be ultra modern. You know of trends before anyone else has spotted them. What Pasta Dish Are You? Yes, I am a health nut, who wouldn't be under my circumstances? Yes, I try to take care of myself. I can be open-minded at times. YES! I have a knack for predicting trends.

Myles, my step son's fiancee recently gifted us with Godiva chocolates. I take special mention because chocolates from Belgium are renowned for their premium quality taste. Not only is the taste exquisite but presentation as well is superb. Godivas come in beautiful gift baskets or gold ballotin, dark chocolate or milk chocolate boxes - indicating the types of chocolate flavor indulged in. See more of Godiva here .

Instead of: 1. Pride try Humility 2. Anger why not Forgiveness 3. Overindulgence consider Moderation 4. Dissatisfaction have Contentment 5. Deceit for a change practice Honesty 6. Worry have Faith 7. Conflict resolve to have Harmony 8. Irresponsibility try Diligence Life is short. Forgive. Expect Less. Give more.

Back in my old corporate days, my head aches especially during this time of the holiday season. The reason? I always wanted to make a difference as far as making my corporate clients happy. But you know what, the task undoubtedly, lightens when you give gifts of food such as cakes or pastries. And specifically specially, gourmet holiday cookies . It never fails. Today, as I face another year of handing out corporate holiday gifts for my business clients, the occasion will be much easier. Because I will give gifts that will surely delight, cheer and most of all prove healthy - coooookies. With coffee, milk or my favorite fruit juice drink, cookies provide a certain feeling of comfort or familiarity, yet sophisticated enough to be enjoyed and relished during breakfast, tea or children's parties. In fact, people all over the world have savored the freshness cookies bring ever since people learned how to bake. Oh, and did forget to mention, I myself would love to receive them as g...

I have long realized that what ever I am doing right now to help complete my healing process is not enough. So, today I vow to never forget these two important things: 1. I must increase the production of serotonin, dopamine and endorphins in my body. Serotonin is a a chemical that the brain manufactures that leads to a calming effect. It creates a sense of satisfaction and well-being, something everyone would want to enjoy. Endorphins, on the other hand "decrease pain, reduce stress, cause mood stability and a sense of happiness and joy"; while dopamine "increase vitality, concentration and alertness". In order to increase my body's natural production of serotonin, dopamine and endorphins, I MUST exercise, ideally for about 30 to 40 minutes, 3 to 4 times a week. Weight bearing exercises and strength training are two of the most effective ways of physical activities that would be good for me. I should never forget that exercise will keep me "fit, t...

No one is excused from today's financial worries. All over the world people are stressed about practically the same things: roof over the head, food on the table, money to pay the bills, savings for the children's education, hospital care insurance, funds for retirement, etc. Some lucky guys have these all and yet feel there is still something missing. I, for one have constantly complained and questioned, is this all what I got to show out of my life? Is this all there is to it? My children are well on their way to building their own lives, need I worry about them still at this point? Maybe, I should just start worrying about myself. How can I be happy? How do I achieve that certain degree of serenity? And peace? How do I live the remaining years of my life productively? How can I serve as a blessing to others? How good would all that be? But aside from my family what about others? Those who are out there, somewhere? At this very same moment, people are dying from dis...

My friends have expressed concern about my weight. They noticed that I seem to be losing weight at a steady pace. I always tell them that it is because I am hypertensive. And not only that, I have been suffering from extreme stress since the start of the year. Last week my business partner suggested that I try malunggay. She told me that she knows someone who instead of getting chemotherapy opted to try the malunggay juice concotion. The guy, who used to have a fist sized malignant tumor is now almost completely healed. His tumor been reduced to just an inch size. This is anecdotal I know. But then again, I thought, what have I got to lose, if I try it too? Malunggay , said to be a miracle plant is an excellent anti-oxidant. It is good for those suffering from diabetes, hypertension, asthma, cancer and so many other ailments. So, my partner got me a whole bunch of malunggay leaves four days ago. As instructed, I used my kitchen mortar and pestle, which was made of marble. Then I g...

It is possible that 30,000 packages of green beans imported from China and sold in Japan maybe contaminated with large concentration of pesticides. Japanese investigative reports said that the beans contained more than 34,000 times the acceptable limits. News reports further revealed that the beans were imported by Nicherei Foods, a Tokyo based company from Yantai Belhai Foodstuff, said to be located in Shandong, China. See the full story here . Meanwhile, in Kaoshiung, Taiwan, frozen octopus balls imported from Shandong , China, may also contain melamine. According to the Health Bureau of Kaohsiung County, 1.1 parts per million of melamine was found in octopus balls. Almost 900 boxes of the food product were already sold in Taichung. See the complete story here . So, when and where are all these going? Or, perhaps this is just the beginning?

Unless I tell you... Yes, I have been tagged by my friend girl for all status . And I think my post title says it all. Here are seven things you would not normally know about me unless, you ask or I confirm. And because this is a food blog, I will relate these things to food or the kitchen: 1. I am an oc when it comes to my kitchen and dining room areas. All my kitchen and dining utensils are in places I have designated them to be and I hate it if anyone will attempt to disrupt that order. 2. I am a spendthrift when it comes to my dining ware. Actually, they will cost a fortune if bought today. 3. What I can not eat at home because it is bad for my health, I eat outside, alone. And I love the binging. 4. I love food ingredients that are made in Italy: olives, balsamic vinegar, cheese, olive oil, wine, pasta, anchovies, sauces, pesto, anything. I also love non-food Italian items like leather goods as in wallets, shoes, belts as well as bags. Anyway, who wouldn't right? 5. My fa...

Time and again I have heard and read health and nutrition professionals speak and write about the health benefits provided by fresh fruits. No doubt about that. But, are some fruits better than others? "Fruits are the ripened ovaries or carpels that contain the seeds". That is the botanical definition of a fruit. Accordingly it can be classified as 'simple, aggregate or multiple'. Wow! I didn't realize that it's mere classification is not really that simple. Anyway, some examples of common simple fruits are legumes, nuts, carrots, radish, and beets. There are also those known as fleshy, simple fruits like, tomatoes, avocado, plums, cherries, peaches, apricot, olive, banana, cranberries, apple, and pears. Aggregate or fruits that develop from a flower are raspberries, strawberries, and blackberries. On the other hand, examples of multiple fruits or those that come from a cluster of flowers are pineapple, edible fig, mulberry, osage-orange, and breadfru...

If plants are the main determinant of a good home, feng shui, then my home certainly qualifies. But maybe, I need a truckload more. Ha! Ha! Your Feng Shui is Amazing Your home is the perfect place to work, play, and unwind. Beautiful and streamlined - you understand the importance of design and flow. Your home is not weighted down by clutter, but it's not austere or sterile. You treat your home as well, and as a result, it treats you well! How's Your Feng Shui?

We have recently been gifted with a large bag of corn coffee. I was supposed to take a photo of the product to be uploaded here but heck my feebling mind got in the way again :-) Anyway, our first attempt to brew, resulted in a dark mixture, fresh but lightly aromatic. Actually, I could not have guessed it was made from corn. My partner found it way too light to be called coffee. Well that was the first. The second was much, much better. I think longer brewing time allows the true taste to reveal itself. In a pan, we put 2 heaping tablespoons of the ground thing on 2 cups of water. We boiled it for three minutes. The brew practically turned my dirty kitchen to a pleasantly smelling space, that evoked coffee strength as well as flavor. Way to go. I understand that corn coffee has been in the market for awhile now. They were originally, from southern Philippines and is slowly catching attention. Corn coffee is made from corn, dried under the sun and roasted on hot coals....

If you like kimchi, please help yourself to this latest controversy. Both China and South Korea avid producers of that vegetable delicacy are accusing each other with providing their respective markets with extra flavored kimchi. The flavors are lead, artificial sweetener, food coloring, or could come with parasites. The Korea Food and Drug Administration admitted that Korean made kimchi were found to be contaminated with parasite eggs. These were found from 16 out of 502 local makers. As a result 472 kilograms or 1,041 pounds were impounded. Some of these kimchi were exported to China. On the other hand, Chinese made kimchi are said to be tainted with carcinogenic materials as mentioned but found its way to Korea because it was cheaper. "One of the largest Korean producers, Doosan, established its factory in Beijing's suburban Miyun industrial zone in Au gust 2003. According to a Korean kimchi factory manager based in China, who declined to be identified, there ar...

Some days, I find my refrigerator crisper almost empty. What's left are a few tomatoes, a large sized green bell pepper. And on my cupboard, 3 pieces of medium sized potatoes. From the freezer, I bring out, 2 pieces of chicken breasts which have already been filleted, and sliced in bite sizes. The chicken needs to be thawed for awhile. Think. What can I cook out of these few ingredients. Aaahh. Okey. From my cupboard, I gath er several cloves of garlic and 1 large onion. How I did it? I pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil on the pan. In very low fire, sauteed garlic, diced onions and then tomatoes. And then add the chicken. Cook until almost brown. I added a pinch of salt and liberal serving of freshly milled black pepper. Last, add sliced green bell pepper for that sweet pimiento aroma That was it. Easy preparation. Cooked in a jiffy.

After that egg trivia post, I will now post about capons. Surely, not Al Capone. But capons of the rooster kind. With poultry, I prefer hens to roosters. Broilers to be specific. In the first place, I had the impression that rooster meat are tough. But I am getting ahead the story. So what are capons? They are roosters without penises which have been surgically removed at a young age. Typically, the castration is "performed when the chicken is between 6 and 20 weeks old". Capons are essentially a no-fighting bird as an after effect of castration. Eliminating its testes make the bird tamed. Capons live just to serve as a father for baby chicks. That's it. And because, capons grow slower than uncastrated cocks, they accumulate more body fat; the "concentration of fat in both the light and dark areas of the capon meat is greater than in that of the uncastrated males". Thus, capons are more tender, juicier and flavorful. In fact, in some places, capon...

At this age, I realized recently, that I am not an egghead but still am 'ignorant'. Or perhaps, just maybe naive? Because, one morning as I was preparing breakfast and was taking out the eggs from the refrigerator, I suddenly got dense curious, do hens make love at all? Do they always do it with rooster to produce eggs? Huh! To even think this, early in the morning :-) And this is what I found out. All commercially sold eggs; those found in the super and wet markets are never fertilized. Generally, laying hens never mate. This type of hens are raised for laying purposes alone, nothing more. Awww shucks, those roosters are missing a lot. Joke! But when roosters and hens mate, the eggs resulting from 'the act' are what we call fertilized. We can still eat fertilized eggs, though. No, problem, still provide the same nutritional value. Though fertilized, eggs never develop into embryos because of refrigeration, the other end of the chicken egg production pendulum ...

My family loves beans, not the kidney but the white variety. We cook it with different cuts of pork, like chops, belly, loin or ribs flavored further with ham, bacon or sausages sauteed in olive oil, garlic, shallots and tomato sauce. Our bean recipe is further enhanced by the rich addition of cabbage (red) or chinese cabbage or what is locally known as pechay. Beans can be rich in protein and could be a good substitute to pork. This means that you can have this dish with less pork and just enough to save on the food budget. But did you know that improper way of cooking beans can prove toxic? Toxic enough to cause food poisoning? "Poisoning can be induced from as few as five raw beans and symptoms occur within three hours, beginning with nausea then vomiting which can be severe and sustained (profuse), then diarrhea. Recovery occurs within four or five hours of onset, usually without the need for any medical intervention". Phytohaemagglutinin (PHA, or phytohema...

My THANKS to this blog's Top Entrecard Droppers. As always, my sincere appreciation to all of you guys. 1. Tasty Thoughts 2. Beaded Tail 3. The Positive Side 4. Hongkong iPod and Joomla 5. Losing Weight Intentionally 6. A Taste of Both Worlds 7. Pink Hues 8.Acakadut (EC did something to this blog) 9. Prove Me Wrong 10. A Second Cup

When I was young I did not have the privilege of owning Barbie dolls. Because aside from not being available locally at that time I think, we could not have afforded it. Later, when I got me my own daughter growing up in what I can now consider a Barbie doll generation, she was lucky enough to receive a couple; from me, from my friends and from relatives. I recall getting her an expensive set, complete with all those curlers and mini make-ups, with wigs and various other girly accessories. There were other models , she owned, those that included Barbie's boyfriend, Ken I think, it was and Barbie's other playmate dolls. I am not sure. Oh well. The first Barbie doll was launched by Mattel its maker, in March 1959. She "wore a black and white zebra striped swimsuit and signature topknot ponytail, and was available as either a blonde or brunette. The doll was marketed as a 'Teen-age Fashion Model,' with her clothes created by Mattel fashion designer Charlotte...

Are you craving for your favorite chocolate shot today? Stop awhile. Look at what you are nibbling. Could it be Cadbury? One of England's confectionery maker, Cadbury announced a recall of their chocolates manufactured in a "small factory" based in Beijing. Yes, it was found to be tainted with melamine as well. Affected by the recall are chocolates distributed in the Asia-Pacific region only, ( said to be Australia, Taiwan, Nauru, Hong Kong and Christmas Island.) and not those distributed in the United States. "Preliminary tests showed melamine in Cadbury chocolates produced at the candy maker's Beijing factory, but it was too early to say how much of the chemical was in them, said a Cadbury spokesman who declined to be identified because of company policy". Of Cadbury's total worlwide sales, only 0.5% come from their Beijing factory, the AP news item said. See entire news feed here . Affected products were its : Dark Chocette, Eclairs, Dairy Mil...

Designer clothes I can understand that. Haute cuisine, yes, I get that too. And now this is the guffaw of my life ta da-da-- designer chocolates from the famous Giorgio Armani . This is the real deal! A chocolate or confection product that's exclusively made by Armani Dolci, the confectionery store owned by Armani himself. And in time for Halloween too. Giorgio Armani's confectionery just "released a special ghoulish chocolate", described as chocolate pralines enclosed in white chocolate coating". Take a look at how goody it looks. The packaging is super. choco photo courtesy of wwd In a similar fashion maybe for the coming Christmas holidays, the Dolci Stores will once again offer pastries they traditionally make available to their uppercrust clientele, in much the same way they did in 2007. See the old cuisine news snippet and pic here . By the way, the Armani designer chocolates are seasonal and available only at Armani's main store in Milan, I...

Do you know that Warren Buffet is said to drink cherry flavored Coke? And snacks on 'Cheetos', mixed nuts, including 'licorice pastel candies? Yes, that's right, Mr. Buffet, the philanthropist and perhaps, the wealthiest man on earth, eat food that is not outstandingly healthy. Consider Coke - might just be like drinking a cherry flavored sugar solution. And Cheetos, whether it's cheese, flaming hot or twisted, admit it or not may contain loads of transfat. And those sugar coated licorice pastels , candies. I am not really familiar with these. But mixed nuts , that, possibly provide some nutritional value. Could this type of regular snacking habit helped War ren Buffet develop his money making wizardry? Licorice pastels have been in the market since the 50's and so is coke. And Cheetos a rather familiar snack item, which celebrity, Ellen De Generes, admits is her favorite snack. If he has been eating these snacks for a long time now, I am thinking, is ...

What is China doing to repair its 'damaged' international reputation amidst its current melamine milk gaffe? During his recent visit to New York to attend the 63rd United Nations General Assembly, Premier Wen Jiabao assured that as a responsible nation, China considers food safety and quality as an important aspect of their products. As reported by China's News Daily, the Premier said that, they have taken 'prompt and resolute steps' specifically about the case of contaminated milk. Apparently, trying to controll the damage caused by the melamine milk scare, he went on to assure his audience that, "We have ordered all the hazardous milk powder and dairy products off the shelves, and we have also given the order to seal up and destroy the tainted milk powder and dairy products". "We need everything possible to ensure the quality of products, particularly the safety of food as this concerns everyone's life," he said, adding ...

Please allow me to thank the following e carders who have very kindly reserved an ec card widget space here in my cooking blog. 1. amreekia 2. mumsgotta 3. monfat48 4. insomnimusing 5. chinesemedicinenews 6. food on my table 7. my interesting files And for those who I have failed to thank in the past to all of you, my sincere appreciation!!! Thank you image courtesy of fotosearch Cheers.

Some dental crowns and and bridges from China, among other countries may be tainted with lead. "CBS investigative reporters in Columbus, Ohio, purchased 13 crowns from labs in China, Thailand and the U.S. Ten of those crowns tested positive for lead at levels ranging from 110 parts per million to 240 parts per million". Read the news article here .

I know, with prices spiralling up these days, more and more people are thinking of eating in. But if you're one of those who really love to dine out and can still afford it yet, would want to stash a little savings here and there, AAANNDD if you live in the United States try this site. PS This is not a paid ad. I was just thinking - introducing their freebies wouldn't hurt anyone. So what are you waiting for?

Conversations about TV show favorites

I just met Cora Roxas recently through her Inside Suburb blog. This lovely lady and her family, are I think currently based in China. Cora obviously loves her home and that seems to be her main avocation. That is aside from maintaining a travel related business. I was quite pleasantly surprised that she gave me, together with my soulful thoughts and little miss firefly two awards: A Perfect Blend of Friendship Award and Kind Blogger Award 2008. Thank You Very Much Cora. It is a pleasure knowing your acquaintance. And the Award in fact should be passed on back to you because YOU too deserve it! And so I'd like to pass this on to the following bloggers, all wonderful and amazingly beautiful women, inside and out and Wow they are my favorite favorites: 1. sher 2. mom wanna be 3. cora roxas 4. pinay single mom 5. elaine of d positive side 6. second cup 7. ivy agustin of chuva chaka 8. the super goddess 9. think nonsense 10. evil woobie 11. smarter than grade 5 Rock on!!...

I received this award from Sher. Sher is a Singaporean friend who now stays in Croatia with her loved one. She's a great cook. I say Chef. And I can guarantee she bakes incredible cakes and pastries. Have you seen pics of her baked goodies . Makes me drool. Sher, my friend, THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!! And I am happy sharing the honor with these fabulous bloggers: dine o meter , east coast life , a singaporean in london , durano and last but not the least, symphony of love. To stand side by side with these very popular bloggers makes me feel truly especial if only for a day:-) I haven't said this, but my blogs represent me in a manner of speaking because they tell stories about who I am as a person: 'living it up' in an incredible city and loving it, enjoying the fruits of my labor as a mother of my terrific children, or perhaps, serving as a friend to my children's girl and ex-friends', add to that, remaining a hopeful daughter to a most amazing mother, a...

MSG served as my friend SherX's, topic on her latest post . And I thought I would add my two cents worth to it. As described in a wikipedia entry , MSG or monosodium glutamate is a "sodium salt of the non-essential amino acid glutamic acid. It is used as a food additive and is commonly marketed as a flavor enhancer". " It is a non-essential amino acid, which means that the body produces what is needed and we don’t need to make it up in our diet. The brain uses glutamic acid as a neurotransmitter". Read more of this from here . How safe is MSG really? It seems there are those who say it is okey. Just eat safe levels. But here's a worrisome article I found, and which touches on MSG. It says, "Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is not just used on Chinese food but used by most food processors to enhance the products they produce. MSG can be concealed in foods as natural flavors or as spices. Companies like it because it suppresses off-flavors, bitterness,...

News has it that some baby milk made in China are contaminated with melamine, a resin used for many plastic applications like dinnerware, plastic cups, table tops, etc., and these babies are now found to have medical problems involving their renal or kidney systems. These milk in powdered form is said to have been recalled was manufactured or processed in China, specifically, Gansu province by a company called Sanlu and is part-owned by Fontera a New Zealand company. Melamine was also said to have caused some pet foods also made from China to be recalled from U.S. supermarket counters back in 2007. From what I understand, melamine contains a protein derivative which was what was added to these infant formula. Is this now what we can call maximum product efficiency? To mix chemical substitutes to provide maximum cost efficiency? My mother used to own a small eatery and she used melamine dinner plates. At that time, and ignorant of its ill-effects, I already questioned its suitabilit...

I never tire talking about home furnishings. Maybe in my previous life I was a struggling interior designer. Be it face to face or by way of photographs and websites, I just love looking at beautiful furniture, those elegant home decor; uniquely simple but functional kitchen designs; floral and vegetable garden patches in the home; and last but not the least dazzlingly designed rugs. No, I don't really covet them. I just love to look. They always evoke a warm and happy feeling. Talk about rugs. They have been my most favorite items for the house - always add structure and warm ambiance for a small place, but at the same time defy space limitations, just like area rugs . On the other hand, rugs add a homey and cozy feeling for wide and open areas like hotels or office buildings. Can you imagine them without these rugs in their rooms and lobbies? How dry could that be? My home is over the top when it comes to rugs. My partner just can't live without them. We have them everywhere,...

I received this I Love Your Blog Award from a good friend mommawannabe .This is my first blog award ever and I am so delighted,happy and quite giddy :-) Thank you very much Jade. I love your blog too. And now I have to pass this on to some of my blogging friends. ***start copy*** The rules of the award are: 1. The winner can put the logo on her blog. 2. Link the person you received your award from. 3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs. 4. Put links of those blogs on yours. 5. Leave a message on the blogs of those you have nominated. Previous awardees: Mabelle, Prily, Ate Norma, I Love Philippines Too, Shenga, Nova, WebbieStuffs, Nancy, Webloglearner, Pinay Wahm, and My So Called Life, Let's Spice Things Up, Beauty and Shop, Idealpinkrose, allin, kimchiland, Korean Food, The Paper Vision, Embrace Simplicity, Me and Mine, A Window To Our World, A Grateful Heart, Can of Thoughts, A Mother's Stuff, Housewife @ Work, MommaWannabe ibanag cooking ADD YOUR LINKS HERE. *** end copy*** An...

For Entrecard. I try to give thanks every end of each month to entrecarders who take the time to include my blog as one of their ec stops. Thanks so very much as always and may your tribe increase. 1. d positive side 2. a second cup 3. a taste of both worlds 4. the super goddess 5. smarter than grade 5 6. pink hues 7. cape town news 8. think nonsense 9. blog deleted 10. chuva chaka Cheers!

To digress a bit about our current heat insulation problems at home, I have been wishing bed weather since I woke up early this morning. Not for me really, but for my son so he can sleep at ease and well. Which reminds me of cloudy and drizzling days spent with my partner, teasing each other about bed weather. Back when we were young, it meant conditions were ripe to laze around the bed, snuggle, joke, tumble and do romantic things. The bedroom served as our sanctuary where the bed titillated us to spend countless lustful hours together. Ahh, that seems just like yesterday. The time we spend on beds are actually some of the best moments in our life. I think, we spend almost fifty percent of our lives in bed, sleeping, if not resting or finding comfort behind the sheets, day after day after we finish our daily grind in the office. It is also in bed that most of us consumate the full expression of our love with our mates. And it is also perhaps, in that same bed that some of our c...

When we first moved to this place almost two months ago, we were informed that the attic can serve as the third room aside from the two others. It was also the major reason why we finally decided to take the place. Because in effect there were three 'rooms'. Our two sons still staying with us found it great that there was an attic and it was so spacious. During that time, it was always raining and whatever problems we already had then with the place didn't include heat in the attic. Today, as the days grew hotter, my son who occupies the attic finally realized that it is getting to be unbearable sleeping there. My son works at night and so therefore goes home every morning to have his much deserved, rest and sleep. Rest is difficult to attain and sleep is hard to find because of the heat. He told me yesterday that the attic, which he personally chose to be his 'room' of comfort is unable to provide that at all. Yup!!! No rain, no drizzle lately, if at all. He was a...

When we have moved to this new place, my partner and I found ourselves wondering if we needed to make a change as well with our some of our old furniture. First on our list is our old bed. This bed has been with us for awhile now. It has served us well but is now creaky, that a slight human movement causes it to make a rocking movement. Swell! So we decided to go for a replacement. As I am a wooden beds fanatic, I am planning to buy another one. What I like about wooden beds is that it is timeless. Particularly, those made of hardwood. I have started to scout around and I didn't realize how plenty the choices are. The furniture sites abound with so many different home furnishings, including those for the dining area. I saw strikingly elegant dining tables and was awed with the richness of the colors and designs. There were classics and there were modern. Again, our dining table replacement must be in wood. No other. And one more item I need is a book case. During our recent mov...

A new restaurant just opened in Soho, Central London which allows you to dine in peace, order, or pay your dining bill fast without a fuzz. It can even get you a cab. How cool is that? The restaurant has no waiters so you do not have to suffer waiting in line to order for food. Just click on your tabletop and presto, the menu pops-up. Then start ordering. The place is called Inamo and caters to Asian fusion food. Owned by two Oxford graduates, they set out to "work developing existing Bluetooth and projection technologies for the restaurant market". And presto the result is a click and order resto. Just be careful about accidental clicks. You might just pay for food you did not order :-)

I have just joined surveys by dneero. They say I can earn money from doing so. They call these surveys "conversations". Again, I have been informed that while at it, "earning from Dneero is fairly easy. Respond to the surveys and post them on your site". I have chosen the conversation topic 'Eat healthier, not cheaper'. Cheers!

It is good to be back . After a long absence from the blogging world, I hope I am here for good, ready to take on the pleasures of surfing, reading and learning from friends, as well as strangers. It was an abrupt thing and didn't have enough time to inform anyone. I am sorry. Suffice it to say that I feel alive again, hopeful if you may; and somehow feeling that I am again part of a world so familiar yet strange, part of the time. I missed everyone. I miss posting about some of the things I do in the kitchen and in my garden. Unfortunately, I no longer have a garden in my backyard. In fact, I no longer have a backyard :-) Our new place is smaller than the old one. Here, there is no garden, no fruit trees, no plants, except those we were able to take along because they were already in pots. Unlike before, "my" garden has been replaced by a stinky dirty kitchen which literally becomes dirty when it is raining hard. Gosh! :-( Enough of this negativity now. I should rea...

Life could not be cooked-up. Because if we do, we can be burned. Food can be prepared. Sure. Choose your process: marinate, blanch, puree, simmer, steam, roast, fry, sear, barbecue, bake, broil, or concoct --- but never the truth.

Not a chance. Because I am in our family's favorite hang-out --- the dining room. It is a place where we bond, share ideas, argue even, or perhaps, discuss while having family meetings, and of course, do our favorite thing --- eat. But dining is more than just the food. It is more like savoring the comfort of finding everything in its proper place. The dinner ware, the cutlery, all that glass, and stem ware. The whole gamut of items that make dining a living pleasure. Talk about the oven that toasts the morning bread, and the popcorn popper enough to make midnight snacks truly comforting; or the ice cream maker for those very simply delightful sherbets; the coffee maker that has brewed dozens of fragrant coffee concoctions. And what about the pots and pans that help create those special cooking moments? The grill? Yes, and at times sinful as well as unhealthy. Prefer something more nutritious? Try the convection oven. Want to make the food easier to digest, th...

Yes, let us --- drink to a new wine rack. Another aspect of our furniture that I want to update is the wine cabinet. What we have right now is so massive and dark. Actually this is my partner's choice. He normally goes for dark and massive types of furniture. On the other hand I like the opposite. I like natural finish and medium-sized home furnishings. Does that indicate something? Fact is, I prefer medium scaled furniture, not massively built. I'd rather have it quaint and understated. Because, that is actually my personality. I believe that you could tell the personality of a person from the way his or her house is built, that's if it had been built from the ground. Get a glimpse or an indication of an individual's taste, attitude and psychological leanings; though that is not entirely conclusive, but yup, somehow, you can get the ' feel '. Also, smaller houses and smaller furniture are easier to clean and maintain right? Although, I may not be doing t...

As I mentioned in my previous post, I have always dreamed of a large and a nice and elegant looking kitchen. Here's a website I found that displays the kind of kitchen furniture, I would have love to have. If only in my fantasies. Check them out here . And below I hope the site wouldn't mind if I borrow these aweso me photos: for brief tete-a-tetes and coffee sessions. But maybe I'll get it in natural finish. Whoa! And I wouldn't mind at all if I get this wow! laptop movable table.

Isn't it obvious that the kitchen and the dining areas are now my most favorite places in the house. I guess have never really talked about this aspect because, hey it is a cooking blog. Right? Wrong. I should have. After all, these two home areas are essential to cooking and of course dining. Where do we prepare and cook the food we eat? And where do we serve them? It is just that I prefer to talk about our home meaning the structure and its furnishings in an appropriate blog which I try to maintain as well. And surfing through the many online furniture sites recently, my dream of owning or building a dream kitchen and dining has been revived. Even before I even learned to really cook, I have often fantasized that our kitchen and dining room must stand on a combined floor area not smaller than 100 square meters. Spic and span, lined with elegant yet modern wood kitchen furnishings, including cabinets in natural finish, to me would be awesomely welcomed. Yet, I feel thi...

Today, is one of my son's birthday. I am borrowing this recipe from Myrna D. Segimundo's recipe book called Philippine Cuisine. (It was a gift from him). The recipe is a traditional Filipino poultry dish and is called lechon manok ( oven roasted chicken). According to the recipe book, "the lechon manok recipes vary from region to region depending on the flavor preferences of the place. In the southern regions, the most popular flavor stuffing are tamarind leaves and lemon grass." As the book required: 1.5 kilos whole chicken, washed and patted dry 1 bundle fresh tamarind leaves or 3 pcs lemon grass or 1 sachet of tamarind broth powder (sinigang sa sampalok powder) liver sauce for lechon The preparat ion instructions: 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit 2. If fresh tamarind leaves or lemon grass are available, stuff the chicken cavity with either of those two. Otherwise, rub the chicken inside out with the tamarind powder. Set the chicken on a baking rack and roa...

The social networking site my blog log just requested me to verify my cooking blog. And so I am right now undergoing mybloglog verification. Okey, so I did. Maybe it will help increase my blog traffic? :-)

Have you heard anything about vegetable s used as musical instruments? Cool! I say if you don't want to eat them, play them instead, right? I think this is one terrific and novel way of promoting healthy eating through vegetables. I am not trivializing this now. Because, seriously, there's one orchestra based in Vienna, Austria, considered Europe's classical music capital. And they are known as the Vienna Vegetable Orchestra. "The Vegetable Orchestra performs music solely on instruments made of vegetables. Using carrot flutes, pumpkin basses, leek violins, leek-zucchini-vibrators, cucumberophones and celery bongos, the orchestra creates its own extraordinary and vegetable sound universe. The ensemble overcomes preserved and marinated sound conceptions or tirelessly stewed listening habits putting focus on expanding the variety of vegetable instruments, developing novel musical ideas and exploring fresh vegetable sound gardens". So if you're a vegetarian and ...