Garlic Shrimp with Caribbean Style Rice

I'm in a cooking phase!

I've always loved cooking, but I never really paid much attention to recipes. I've always been able to come up decent tasting stuff just by using ingredients I already have in my fridge. A couple of weeks ago, a friend of mine who's a Beachbody coach started a clean eating group on Facebook. This group made me realize that recipes can be a wonderful way to spice up your kitchen routines. Yes, it's easy to put a few ingredients together, but there's something to say about following an actual list, where you're challenged to find that rare ingredient, or incorporate an herb you've never tasted before to your cooking. I dusted off the Jamie Oliver cookbook that was tucked away in my bookshelf, and bought two more. To date, I have these three:

      

While cookbooks are awesome, it's impossible to deny that the Internet is the best resource when it comes to recipes. I've been scouring Yummly and have been using their app, and have had a ton of fun trying to pick recipes.

A few nights ago, I decided to make a Garlic Shrimp recipe from Skinnytaste.com. It's a very simple that doesn't call for a lot of ingredients. My result, this--

I didn't have the cilantro or parsley that was called for in the recipe so I used rosemary. It's not something I've used many times in the past, but since experimenting with recipes, I've realized how wonderfully this herb elevates your food.

Another thing I have discovered recently is the Caribbean Style Rice from Seeds of Change. Man, oh man, is it ever good! I topped it with my Garlic Shrimp, and needless to say, the result was amazing! 

I've ordered two more cookbooks and I'm super excited for them to arrive. I can't wait to try out more recipes. You'll be hearing more about my kitchen adventures here, soon!

Read More

Smells Fishy

I love fish, especially fish heads! My husband thinks this is super gross, but when fresh from salt water and cooked properly, they are actually very tasty. When I was in the Philippines, I took fish for granted. In fact, I would sometimes sulk, because my parents are huge fish eaters, and it seemed all we ate was fish fish fish. Now, living in Alberta, I actually miss having good, fresh fish.

I'm sorry to say that the fish available in Alberta suck. It's quite understandable because it's a land-locked province in a country with the second largest land area in the world. I now completely understand why most Albertans dislike eating fish. Because by golly, I can barely stand eating fish here. Only salmon and haddock taste like they're supposed to. The rest are just gross.

I remember last year when we went to T&T Supermarket in Edmonton. T&T is an Asian food store and I was so happy because they had fish heads for sale. I bought one and when it was time for me to cook it, it was the grossest smelling thing ever! I think it might have already gone bad. To make it worse, because of the pungent odor, we suddenly had a whole bunch of flies trying to get into our place. Despite the bug screen, some of them got in. While there's only flies here for a couple of months a year, they're big and nasty. I think it took days before we finally got rid of the stink from the apartment and longer to get rid of a couple of flies lurking around. Needless to say, it was my most horrifying fish-cooking experience to date.

 Recently, I've been craving milkfish...

Milkfish is the national fish of the Philippines, and it's very abundant in the country because of aquaculture. I love milkfish--not the cultured ones, but the ones from the ocean. Again, I was overjoyed when I found milkfish for sale at the Real Canadian Superstore. Fresh, er... frozen from Taiwan, I thought it would taste as good as I remember.

Durrr. This particular stock was obviously cultured, and it made me remember why I didn't like cultured milkfish in the first place. It stunk up our place again. It wasn't nearly as bad as the previous fiasco, but enough to put a grimace on my face. I really need to learn, and stop buying fish in this province.

I guess what I've realized is, there is definitely a reason why different people in different parts of the world like to eat different things. Fish might not be desirable in Alberta, but beef is, and it's the exact opposite in the Philippines. I'm hoping others realize this too, and not limit themselves to what they are used to in their part of the world.

Maybe, just maybe, I will miss good fish so much and it would make me want to vacation in the Philippines. It hasn't happened yet, though. Now lechon, on the other hand... that might just be another story.

Read More

Custom Cakes and Cupcakes

It was the birthday of one of my closest friends, Daphnie, the other day. I decided to order cupcakes for her (which Lyn also helped me pay) from another friend of ours, Bernice. Bernice makes custom cakes and cupcakes that look absolutely amazing! I've waited forever for an occasion where I could order from her, and I finally had the excuse!

Read More

The Pork Chop and the Staple Wire

My close friends and I always go out for dinner every week. It started out as a "Thursday habit" that was then moved to Friday and subsequently became "TGIF." This week, my friend Lyn, who is the executive secretary of Silliman University's Founder's Week Committee (the festivities are ongoing, by the way) said that Friday night would be too busy for her. So we decided on a Thursday dinner again. Last night, basically. We chose to dine at Cafe Antonio.

The process of choosing a restaurant for our weekly gastronomic excursion is actually quite serious. The gang and I have a Facebook group, and it's there that we have a weekly poll on where we are to eat. There are always three choices of restaurants that we have not visited recently, and then we take our pick. 

I start the poll, because I have become the "bored" one who has all the time in the world to put up polls on Facebook. This week, the choices were Cafe Antonio, Gabby's Bistro and Hayahay Treehouse Bar and View Deck. Cafe Antonio came out as the unanimous winner, I guess because we have never been there together. 

Cafe Antonio is known for good food, great coffee, and awesome live music. When we got there, however, it was really warm (only one air conditioner was on). The tables were small, and the chairs too big. But we got past that. We are not divas after all. We are fairly easy to please, and we tip well--but that is beside the point. We settled in and started eating only after a short while, because in fairness, the food arrived very quickly.

We were almost done. I was chewing daintily on my food when all of a sudden I felt something hard between my teeth. I tried chewing again, trying to feel it, and when I was finally able to spit it out, it was a staple wire! A freakin' staple wire in my sizzling pork chop! I was horrified. I didn't even want to dwell on what might have happened if I had swallowed the thing. Thank God I didn't. Thank God!

We told the waiters what happened and they said they would replace the food. But I didn't want to eat anymore. I was really quite shook up. I no longer had to pay for the pork chop, but heck, that did not erase the fact that there was a staple wire my food! The experience was really quite distressing. We hightailed it out of there, and needless to say, this gang will never be going back to that place again.

Now friends, there is a moral lesson to this: always chew your food properly. Especially when you're at a restaurant! After all, you don't know what unwanted things lurk in that plate of seemingly tantalizing food.

The culprit.

Read More

Kalikaf

After church every Sunday afternoon, my mother and I grab dinner at one of the restaurants in the city before we go grocery shopping. It's like a bonding ritual for us, and I'm always looking forward to it, as I love checking out restaurants... and of course, j'adore grocery shopping.

Last Friday, a new restaurant opened at Robinsons Place Dumaguete--a new branch of Cebu's famous Hukad sa Golden Cowrie. They specialize in Filipino dishes, and even though I'm not a very big fan of Filipino cuisine (except lechon!), I immediately wanted to try the place out.

As expected on its opening weekend, the place was packed. Even if we arrived early for dinner, all tables were already occupied. We had no choice but to look elsewhere. Enter Kalikaf.

Kalikaf, short for Kalikasan Cafe, is just two doors from Hukad. It's also a fairly new restaurant at Robinsons. In fact, they're still in the "soft opening" phase. They specialize in healthy cuisine using all-natural ingredients. I've eaten there with friends and family before. My first experience there was superb, but my second one was a bit blah, I think due to a different chef. This time, they did not disappoint.

Every Sunday they have a 199-peso lunch and dinner buffet. It was my first time to avail of this offer, and it was well worth the money! We started out with Kalikaf Soup, and it was just heavenly. One of the best-tasting soups I've had, I can say. They also had Garden Salad, Fish Teriyaki, which was really good, too, and Orange Blossom Chicken, along with Spaghetti Bolonnaise. Not bad for less than 200 pesos, especially with the added treat of homemade ice cream for dessert! My mom had the Turmeric flavor, and I had Buko-Pandan. Hers was amazing!

Kalikaf tries to pattern itself after Bohol Bee Farm, which is great because I've always wished they would come to Dumaguete. Now the next best thing is here. Soon, Kalikaf will also be offering one of Bohol Bee Farm's specialties: the Flower Salad. The restaurant even already offers another Bee Farm trademark: Malunggay ice cream.

To make the long story short, I love the concept of Kalikaf. I'm already excited to try out something really interesting in their menu the next time I go there: Veggie Cheesecake! Vegetables and cheese--yum! Tell me, how can you go wrong?

Read More

Curry Remedy

I came down with colds a few days ago, and so of course, I had a stuffy nose. To get some relief, I wanted to make soup. There were not a lot of ingredients I could choose from in the fridge, so I decided to try my luck on a Japanese curry mixture. 

I've always made my curry quite saucy and thick, but since I didn't have much left of the mixture, I made it light that time. I couldn't find any fresh vegetables in our fridge, so I sliced a piece of onion and put it in I didn't expect much from my curry soup, but lo and behold--it did the trick! It was quite delicious and cleared my stuffy nose almost immediately.

I was pleasantly surprised with the quick relief so I did some reading on the web. Curry is indeed a wonderful cure for a stuffed nose! It's because spicy food contain capsaicin, a chemical that causes inflammation in the nerves and increases the production of mucus in the nasal membranes. Spicy food will  basically make your nose run... which means you won't have a clogged nose!

I know they say that chicken soup is all you need when you've got colds or the flu, and in all fairness to the well-celebrated chicken, I did try making chicken soup the next day after my curry mixture ran out. But you know what? The curry soup did the job better. So I braved traffic and rain yesterday afternoon and went to the supermarket to buy more of my trusty curry mixture. Since my nose was especially stuffy tonight, I made this:

To make the soup, I used S&B Golden Curry Sauce (a Japanese curry mixture I discovered while I was in Japan and have been using ever since; this should be available at a local supermarket), put in some onions, tomatoes, and included a bell pepper because of its Vitamin C content (it has more Vitamin C that citrus fruits). To amp the heat factor, I sliced two cayenne peppers and added them in. And just because I love experimenting in the kitchen, I threw in a handful of whole wheat fusilli pasta and some Chinese cabbage as well.

I have to admit that the pasta did not quite fit (LOL), but the rest of the ingredients worked perfectly! I am now quite happy that I have finally found a remedy for annoying stuffed noses. This concoction does need a bit of courage if you are afraid of hot and spicy food, but do try it the next time you get a cold. It works wonders!

Read More

Boulevard Series: Le Chalet

I figured that there is no better to way to kick off my Boulevard Series than by blogging about my favorite restaurant in all of Dumaguete--Le Chalet. It's a quaint Swiss-style restaurant near the southern tip of the Rizal Boulevard, and is part of the Why Not complex, along with Why Not Disco and Chicco's, another restaurant.

Italian and Mexican on the menu

Le Chalet serves a wide range of international cuisine--from European, to Thai, to Mexican and Cajun. Never actually having been to these places, I really cannot tell how authentic their cooking is, but I do know that I love how food is cooked is Le Chalet. The flavors are subtle and nothing has ever been salty, which I absolutely cannot stand. The atmosphere is also just right for me, as it's got a cozy ambiance that will make you feel right at home.

A booth and a choice of wines

One thing I really like about Le Chalet is their salad bar where you can choose what to put in your salad. I'm not a big salad fan (I like my vegetables cooked), but since I can choose my own ingredients there, their salad bar works great for me. Their food prices average at 200 pesos for the regular menu, and around 400 pesos for the specials. This can be considered a little bit on the expensive side, but it's totally worth it. Their servings are huge compared to those of Philippine restaurants and two people can even share one dish.

The salad bar

Shrimp Curry

Spaghetti Carbonara

A side dish of mashed potatoes

Filipino Chopsuey

Cordon Bleu

Le Chalet is a regular hangout for expats in the area, and this could intimidate locals who are not used to the expat scene. It's a restaurant targeted at foreign customers, after all. Filipinos do not have to worry though, as I've never seen or felt any difference in the treatment of customers. I do wish the waitresses could be a tad more friendly, but that's to all customers in general, not just to Filipinos.

The bottom line is, I really like this restaurant. And until I am disappointed, it will be my favorite. I hope the disappointing does not happen though, because they have some nice food. Some of my favorites: a seafood spaghetti that is just heavenly (their Spaghetti Marinera), and the best pizza in town--for me, at least--their Quattro Stagioni.

This entry is part 1 of the Boulevard Series and is also posted at Everything Dumaguete.

Read More

Jutsz Café

One good thing about Dumaguete is that it just teems with places where you can eat. For a relatively small city, it has so many restaurants it seems the only thing people do here is indulge in food! A quaint restaurant that I've recently learned to love is Jutsz Café in Sta. Catalina street (right in front of another restaurant, Food Net). It was formerly known as Boston Café and is an unassuming little place that serves wonderful food at a good price.

In my opinion, Jutsz Café has the best pasta in town, my favorite of which is the Clam Vongole, a sumptuous dish of spaghetti and clams. It's the reason why I keep going back! Their Chicken Milanese is quite delicious, too, and very affordable. Their shakes are super creamy, and they have this chocolate cake, Cake or Death, that is simply to die for!

Owned by an artist and a favorite hangout of Dumaguete's literati, Jutsz Café's ambiance is very artistic. Paintings hang on the wall, and pictures of the city are displayed in one area.

The restaurant is definitely a worthwhile stop for Dumagueteños and visitors alike. A lot of people have yet to explore it, that's why I was encouraged to blog about it. It's unlike other restaurants in the area because of its personality. Outside, at night, you can even enjoy a candle-lit dinner under a cute little tree. Now, isn't that just interesting?

This entry is also posted at Everything Dumaguete.

Read More

Fly Me to the Mooon

Ever since Robinsons Place opened in Dumaguete, I've become such a huge maller. I love going there to eat, shop, watch movies, or even just walk around. I've even coined a phrase with my friends that, "Everyday is Robinsons day." Haha.

One of my favorite shops to visit at Robinsons is Mooon Cafe, a local branch of the Mexican restaurant popularized in Cebu. I think I'm addicted to the place! I'm not really a huge fan of Mexican food, but their steaks are just so darn good (to me, at least--and also considering the fairly affordable prices)!

I have been going to Mooon every Sunday for the past three weeks with my mom after we go to church. Last Tuesday night, I was also there with three wonderful friends. We had a blast! I know I always have an amazing time when I'm with these three people, but the ambience at Mooon just makes it all the more conducive for bonding. With multi-colored tables and chairs, and interesting ornaments, the place is colorful, fun, and totally cozy!

Needless to say, I'm looking forward to more good times at this restaurant. So, uh, yes. Please fly me to the Mooon!

(I apologize for the bad quality of the pictures--they were taken with my phone. And yes, that night out made me realize that I do need to bring my camera with me all the time... which, by the way, I still have not been doing.)

Read More

I Want My Brown Rice

Asians love rice! As you can probably imagine, China consumes the most rice per year. But lo, and behold! The Philippines is not far behind. Even being a teeny-weeny country, it was number 8 in the world from statistics I found for 2003-2004, after China, India, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Thailand, and Burma. Everyone I know here eats and loves rice--white rice that is. Now, white rice is long and white and pretty and yummy, but did you know that it is much, much inferior to brown rice?

Brown rice is unmilled or partly milled rice, and can be considered as somewhat whole grain. This is a type of rice where only the outer covering of the grain--the husk--is removed. Rice becomes "white" when layers of the rice kernel, not only the husk, but also the bran and endosperm, are removed. During this process, a number of vitamins and minerals are lost. It has been found out that the milling process that turns brown rice into white destroys 67% of the vitamin B3, 80% of the vitamin B1, 90% of the vitamin B6, half of the manganese, half of the phosphorus, 60% of the iron, and all of the dietary fiber and essential fatty acids. Isn't that a lot you are missing out? Brown rice is also rich in fiber and selenium. We already know how good fiber is for us. It helps us maintain a healthy digestive system, is  supposed to help keep weight in check, and can help prevent colon cancer by reducing the amount of time cancer-causing substances spend in contact with colon cells. Based on what I have read, selenium is a very important mineral that helps in various body functions, and aids in the prevention of not only certain types cancer, but also of heart disease, and for decreasing the symptoms of asthma and the pain and inflammation of rheumatoid arthritis. And if you have a problem with cholesterol, the rice bran oil found in brown rice has also been proven to help lower that.

Now, why am I suddenly becoming an advocate of brown rice, you might ask. Well, I've only been eating brown rice for a couple of months. I've known long ago that it's very good for you, but my family and I never switched, until I started reading healthful articles on SparkPeople and all over web earlier this year. I want to make people realize how good it is! And really, when you read something like what I just mentioned in this post, why stay with white rice? I am going to admit that it's a little bit difficult to switch, because when you eat brown rice for the first time, it tastes like cloth. But don't worry, once you get used to it, there's no turning back. Honestly for me now, it's white rice that tastes like cloth. Plus, brown rice makes you feel full faster, and for a longer period of time!

The problem I have right now is that: There. Is. No. Brown. Rice. For. Sale. In. The. Supermarket. There are only two supermarkets where I live (owned by the same company), and they have had no stock of brown rice for over a week. Because not a lot of people eat brown rice, there's very little supply. So uh, that's the ulterior motive for writing this post. I'm going to advertise brown rice so more people will eat, and more people will sell. And I'll be happy! Because I really do want my brown rice!

Read More

It Pays To Check The Label

Nestle Philippines is obsessed with a line right now: "Make it a habit, it pays to check the label!" They have it on most of their commercials and keep on repeating it at the end of each. And boy, is it rubbing off on me! (See plurk, haha.) But you know what, they are absolutely right.

Very few Filipinos check labels. (And by labels here we--Nestle and I--mean the nutritional information on the package of different types of food and drinks.) I can see that every time I go grocery shopping. Heck, I'm the only person I know who takes too long staring at the back of cans, bottles, and boxes, sometimes even comparing various products side by side. Most people here only look at the front, and that can be very misleading!

I have not been looking at labels for a long time. I only started doing that at the beginning of this year, after I signed up on SparkPeople.com and got encouraged to start living a healthy lifestyle. And does it help! After reading labels, I don't get inclined to buy cookies and junk food anymore. Reading also helps you make the right choices between brands. I once found this enriched cereal that met daily requirements by 100% for different types of vitamins and minerals. Had I not read the label, I would have bought a product of lesser quality!

I'm happy that Nestle is taking the responsibility to nudge Filipinos in the right direction. We do need to be more aware of what we eat. We are a nation with one of the unhealthiest cuisines in the world! Just think--lechon, humba, dinuguan, chorizo, sisig, isaw, et cetera, et cetera! Isn't that scary? Yummy, I know, but way scary!

Read More

Easter

Last Easter Sunday, Annie, April, Ate Smile and I went to church. It was a Protestant Church and was erm... very nice. The people were very friendly, and during the service a Chinese woman who was a professional erhu player performed on-stage--she was very good! The service was in Japanese, but there was an English translation, so that made it better. However, it's probably just me, but services where pastors speak for almost the entire length of the event are not just my thing. 'Coz at the end, I feel like I haven't been praying, but just listening to a lecture. I guess I'll always be a Catholic.

The best thing about that day was that April's friend from church who is also a Filipino brought us to a Filipino restaurant! I never realized Filipino cuisine tasted so good until that day! LOL. In that area there were also stores with goods from home. Hay, thank God!

Read More

Welcome Party

We just finished having the welcome party for the new students here at the dorm. As expected, the food served was the same with the food we had in parties here before. Mind you, I'm not complaining though. I'm just stating an observation. ^^; In fairness, they're always really good, though.

I expected the party to be boring, but it was fun actually. For the first time, there weren't a lot of speeches. We didn't get to play the game that Annie () and I prepared but that was fine. For the introduction, we had to be in pairs and we had to introduce the other person, instead of just introducing ourselves. That was an interesting change, and challenging too, considering my measely Japanese.

The most fun though was after the party when we just laughed around with our friends. Two of them were Japanese girls and I was really amused when they made fun of how Tokyo girls talked and how they would act all cutesy to attract the attention of guys. Thank goodness they're not apparently all the same! :P~

Read More