Foodie Friday: Titas Brunch at Toast Manila

First Friday of the month: Dining / Restaurant

I'm not a morning person. It's so difficult for me to get up earlier than 6 am (unless we need to travel). That is why I like brunch time better than an early breakfast, kasi hindi na ako antok and I can take my sweet time to savor my meal compared to a few rushed bites while I prepare breakfast and baon for the kids and bring them to school. I enjoy this mid-morning meal when I'm alone or have a casual brunch date with friends. The most recent was with fellow titas hosted by Toast Manila in San Juan.

 

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Foodie Friday: Shakshuka with Bacon

First Friday of the month:  Mom-Cook / Recipe

Shak what? Shakshuka (shakshouka). It's a Middle Eastern (from Israel or Tunisia) dish that's usually served for breakfast, often with pita or challah, but also a hearty evening dish. I've been seeing several photos of this vibrant dish online since last year but I keep forgetting to give it a try. Early this week, I saw it again on Goop's Instagram post. The next day, I decided to just make some since I have the main ingredients on hand.  

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Easter Eggventure Island in Century City Mall

Hello everyone! How did you spend the (Holy Week) break?
We don't usually plan anything during the Holy week, and on occasion, we simply drive to an out-of-town destination or do a Visita Iglesia on Maundy Thursday. This year, we had nothing planned and only looked forward to the Easter Sunday event we got invited to at Century City Mall. We're excited because it's our first time to join an egg hunt and celebration like this! =)

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Mom-Cook: Polvoron con Queso

I like eating cheese. My family does too. Aside from the usual pasta and pizza dishes, I try recipes where I can make it more tasty and flavorful with the use of a variety of cheeses available to me. If you've been following my Instagram, you may have seen my post where I received dozens of cheese packs from Perfect Italiano.  As soon as I got the package, my mind went crazy thinking about what I can cook them with!

I've been buying Perfect Italiano grated and block parmesan cheese for the longest time. I use it for most of the pasta dishes I cook at home.  The package also came with Mozzarella, and Pizza Plus, which is one of the most versatile mix of cheeses I've tried.  Pizza Plus combines grated mozzarella, cheddar, and parmesan in one pack. I added it to some easy recipes which I will share on the blog by installment... you'll see they're not just good for pizza. =)

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Foodie Friday: Seafood Salads in Asian Sesame Dressing

First Friday of the month:  Recipes / Mom-Cook

One dinner time, almost 4 weeks ago, I posted on Instagram a snapshot of this shrimp and egg salad I prepared for J.  I received some encouraging 'likes' and a few requests for the recipe.  I was quite pleased with my "invention".  And looking at J's clean plate, I guess he was satisfied with his meal that night.  So, I'm now sharing it here today. 

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Egg-Mayo Scramble

Tired of your plain scrambled eggs? Here's one that's made extra savory, rich and fluffy!

You know I'm always on the look-out for quick and easy recipes -- proof of which is my Mom-Cook category in this blog.  Ergo, when I saw this video by Lady's Choice and Chef Bruce Lim, I did not hesitate to try this super simple dish that anybody, even kids, can make!

The surprise ingredient to this classic scrambled egg is the addition of mayonnaise into the mix.  In our kitchen cabinet, you will always find refill packs of Lady's Choice Sandwich spread (with the red label below), and a jar in our refrigerator. So I very much welcomed the addition of their Real Mayonnaise sent to us a while back, and happily tried their Scambulicious recipe with my girl. :)

We like our scrambled eggs more hearty and savory, that's why I always add fillings like the family-favorite Spam, mushrooms, asparagus, onions, or cheese, or a combination of these.

For this version, I tweaked the Chef's recipe and added Spam, chopped onions and button mushrooms.  Great for a filling breakfast, but we made this dish for dinner. =)

EGG-MAYO SCRAMBLE with SPAM

4 eggs

3 tablespoons Lady's Choice mayonnaise

1 tablespoon Lady's Choice sandwich spread

2 slices Spam, diced

1 tablespoon chopped onion
2 tablespoons chopped button mushrooms

salt and pepper

cooking oil

I put in too much mayo and forgot the 4th egg so I added it in while she's beating...

To prepare:
Beat eggs with mayonnaise. Make sure they are mixed well. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Set aside.
* I replaced 1 tablespoon of plain mayo with sandwich spread since we like the extra tang of the relish in the sandwich spread.  (Chef Bruce recommends 1:1 proportion for egg and mayo)
Heat pan.
Chop Spam, onions, mushrooms.

To cook:
Saute onions, Spam and mushrooms in about 1 tablespoon of oil until Spam and onions are cooked.
Pour over egg-mayo mixture and let it set a few seconds.
Push and toss around with frying spatula while scrambled eggs are forming.
Cook to your desired doneness.

Plate and serve immediately.
Good for 2 to 4.

I served this with ketchup. Even with too much mayo, it still turned out great! I had this with piping hot rice while hubby made a scrambled egg sandwich. :)

Watch the cooking video below featuring:
1. Chef Bruce Lim’s Twice Baked Potato with Scrambled Eggs and Bacon

2. Angel Aquino cooking scrambled eggs with Lady’s Choice mayonnaise 

3. Lady’s Choice Scrambulicious testimonials

 
http://www.youtube.com/user/MayoMakeover



Videos and recipes courtesy of Lady's Choice Mayonnaise.


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Before Ever After + Baked Eggs = Bestsellers

"Shelley had fallen in love with Max’s baked eggs and cheese almost as soon as she had fallen in love with Max himself.  They were in Paris when he first made the dish for her and the tour group she had hastily joined.  Since then each forkful tasted like that morning—warm, buttery, and bursting with full-fat promise." -- Before Ever After

Shelly and Max are the protagonists in the newest best-selling book 'Before Ever After' -- first novel of Filipino author Samantha Sotto, whom I had the pleasure of meeting through an intimate get-together in her honor.

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Easter Egg Painting and Hunting

HAPPY EASTER Sunday!

We really did not plan anything for Easter and so after having a lazy Sunday morning and ate spaghetti bolognese for lunch, I boiled some eggs and set an art day with the kids.

I took out some colored markers, paint brushes and watercolor paint and the kids made their own Easter egg creations.

The girl's Monet-inspired abstract in watercolor...

...the boy's 'earth, water, and fire' theme (oops, I think I placed this upside-down when he clearly specified that the 'fire' should be at the bottom!)

...and my attempt at my favorite paisley prints (fail! LOL!).

Then we played a few rounds of egg hunting around the reading area...and they wanted more! I didn't expect they would enjoy this pretty simple game of ours! We should be doing this again :)

Of course they "found" 2 eggs each for every round, and proudly lined them up here...

Easter with the girl, the eggs, and the pink bunny

How's did you celebrate Easter?

This was last year's...Easter, Rabbits, and other creatures...


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Foodie Friday: Mom-Friday's Tiramisu

First Friday of the month:  Mom-Cook / Dessert

Today would be my first food post for 2011 and I'd like to kick off the year on a sweet note with this "pick-me-up" cake.  This is also my first attempt at making this sinful Italian dessert and I am delighted to say that my Tiramisu was a success!

After recently reviving a classic cheesecake recipe, here's another sure-fire hit especially for those with a sweet tooth. Well, Tiramisu is actually not as sweet as other cakes in my opinion. According to Wikipedia:

Tiramisu (Italian: tiramisù; Venetian: tiramesù [tirameˈsu]; literally "pull me up") is one of the most popular Italian cakes. It is made of biscuits (usually savoiardi) dipped in coffee, layered with a whipped mixture of egg yolks and mascarpone, and flavored with liquor and cocoa. The recipe has been adapted into many varieties of puddings, cakes and other desserts.

I thought it would be complicated but it turned out to be pretty simple to make once you lay out everything you need. With many variations to this dreamy cake, I intended to be as true to the traditional recipe. However, with the risk of having salmonella* from raw eggs, I searched for other ways to do this. I ended up combining ingredients and methods from recipes I culled from three different sites, resulting in this caffeine-free, alcohol-free version I can proudly call Mom-Friday's Tiramisu!

MOM-FRIDAY'S TIRAMISU

For the Zabaglione:
*6 egg yolks
1/2 cup white sugar
(Didn't add marsala wine)

For the filling:
500g (1 lb.) mascarpone cheese
1 cup all purpose cream or heavy cream, chilled
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla essence

For the cake base:
1 1/2 cups prepared instant decaffeinated coffee + 1 teaspoon sugar, cooled for dipping
(original recipe calls for espresso; I also skipped the rhum)
24 to 30 pieces ladyfingers / savoiardi

For garnish:
Bittersweet chocolate shavings
Unsweetened cocoa powder

To prepare zabaglione:
Heat a bain-marie, or use double boiler - use a stainless bowl set on top of a small pot half-filled with water, bring to a boil, then let it simmer.
In the hot bowl, beat egg yolks and gradually add sugar until thick using electric mixer. This will gradually cook the egg in the process, about 5 minutes.
Remove from heat then set aside

To prepare filling:
In a bigger bowl, beat the cream and sugar until stiff.
Add the mascarpone cheese and vanilla, beat until smooth.
Pour in the zabaglione to the cheese mixture and beat until well blended.

To prepare cake base:
Pour cooled coffee in a shallow dish.
Dip each ladyfinger, top side only, for no more than 5 seconds (soaking too long will cause them to fall apart). Arrange soaked ladyfingers on the bottom of a 13x9 inch baking dish (or any preferred dish), breaking them if necessary, in order to fit the bottom.

To assemble:
After lining the bottom layer with ladyfingers, pour half of the filling and spread evenly.
Repeat process of dipping and arranging ladyfingers on the filling, be careful not to press down.
Pour the rest of the filling over the second layer.

Cover the tray with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Before serving, dust with cocoa powder and sprinkle chocolate shavings.

I served this subtly sweet tiramisu after our new year's eve family dinner. The cake drew encouraging feedback from my baker-mom, foodie sis-in-law, and cake-loving little girl. I knew then that this recipe is a keeper!


* Raw Egg Warning:
Food Network Kitchens suggest caution in consuming raw and lightly cooked eggs due to the slight risk of salmonella or other food-borne illness. To reduce this risk, we recommend you use only fresh, properly refrigerated, clean grade A or AA eggs with intact shells, and avoid contact between the yolks or whites and the shell. (Source: foodnetwork.com)
In Italy, Tiramisu is made using raw eggs. Today the danger of salmonella is always present, and we prefer to cook the yolks in a bain-marie, or double boiler, and substitute whipped cream for the egg whites. (Source: annamariavolpi.com)

You can get the different original recipes from these websites:
Food Network - Giada De Laurentis
Anna Maria Volpi
Folie A Deux


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