Red Cross Ball + Michael Cinco Fashion Show

Haute Couture

 I miss dressing up to the nines. So when schedule and invitations permit, I make the effort to get glammed up. It's even better if you do it for a cause which is what last night's Red Cross Ball was all about.

My friend, life mentor and fellow Assumptionista Tessa Prieto-Valdes co-chairs the annual Red Cross Ball, this year for the benefit of the Taguig chapter of Red Cross plus the Assumption High School Batch '81. Her batch is celebrating their 30th reunion this year, while my batch is having our 10th year reunion, so this sit-down dinner show was definitely for a good cause.

Sunday Stovetop: Shrimp Scampi Pasta with Feta & Olives

Shrimp Scampi Pasta w Feta & Olives

Last Sunday I realized how much I had missed whipping up something in my kitchen. My S-i-L called me up and requested I make my Shrimp Scampi for a get together at her place, and I was all excited to be able to flex my cooking muscles. Here's the recipe, it's super easy and I'm sure you guys will love it as much as everyone at the party.

To make the Scampi you need several ingredients available on most supermarkets, nothing fancy over here... but I do have a secret weapon. I'm also not very keen on actual portioning since I usually eyeball things, so it's up to you how much or little you wanna add on some of the herbs.

 

Shrimp

To make Scampi, first you need some... well, scampi, otherwise known as Shrimp. I like to buy the shell-on kind so that the flavors are still intact. You need to peel them but you can use the shells and head as seasoning for another dish. Or for "Ginisa". Buy about half a kilo to a kilo, depends how generous you want to be with the shrimp.

Christmas in Pampanga & ToT's Kitchen

Before I go on another JuJu cleanse for 2011 to rid me of all the holiday cholesterol, let me greet everyone a very belated Merry Christmas and a happy happy 2011 from ToT's Kitchen & family!

Every year, we prepare a traditional Noche Buena meal for the family. This was our first ever Christmas in our new home with the kitchen I designed. Our meal consisted of:

Holiday Happenings at Hotel Elizabeth Baguio

If you're in Baguio this Holiday season, drop by Hotel Elizabeth Baguio and celebrate the Merry Month with these fabulous Dining Specials!

 And if you're wondering what to do for the New Year, Why not come celebrate at Hotel Elizabeth!

 The Santorini ballroom will be the venue for the Big Bang New Year Dinner Celebration on the 31st!

A Very ToT-ful Thanksgiving Dinner

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! (My sad attempt at Wall Art)

Dinners at home are a major deal for the family. We pull out all the good (Holiday China and make sure things are perfect for everyone. Which means, when my eldest brother announced that HE would prepare the holiday Turkey, everyone panicked. Because, ToT ALWAYS cooks the meals! We were wary, and had a feeling we would go hungry this Thursday.

Proud Chef

I go home from the office, and find my oven PREHEATED (for 30 mins) to 400 Degrees. Hello are we starting a fire here? NO NO NO!  And then my Brother arrives with the bird all dressed, then asks for olive oil n salt. I'm like FTW there's no butter inside and ON the skin? waaaah... I smelled disaster.

Haute & Healthy at Seasons 52

Key Lime Pie, Mocha Macchiato, Pecan Pie, Pumpkin Pie with Double Gingersnap Crust, in a shot glass and less than 300 calories each? That's what I, and Seasons 52 Fresh Grill, call "Mini Indulgences".

 After my best friend's yacht wedding, I took a nap to kill the jetlag and woke up feeling hungry for some fresh flavors. Since I stayed at the Westin South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, we decided to hit up Seasons 52 Fresh Grill & Wine Bar, a brand new branch in the Orange County from its homebase of Florida.

 Magic in the Menu

Seasons 52 is best known for its seasonal menu, which changes every season to highlight the produce and fresh catch from local farmers' markets. Alongside that, each one of its dishes is only 475 calories and below, which reflects their motto of "A fresh dining experience that celebrates living well."

Awed and Odd at Aubergine

Let's say you're on a date, and towards the end of the night all you could think of is dessert and how good it would be right at that moment when all you want to do is impress someone. When the platter arrives, you take one look at the (above) dessert, another look at your date, and you realize... you have no idea what the heck that is! Ok, that isn't really the case, but I thought it a bit amusing to begin with that dessert platter because it's just plain whimsical. That's my Amuse Bouche for this post.

 A few nights ago I was on my way to dinner and was blindsided towards Aubergine. Blindsided because this was not the intended restaurant for the evening, but apparently I didn't get the memo on the location change. No complaints, I love Aubergine; It's the perfect date place if you want to impress a lady. Beware if that lady happens to be ToT, she knows how to burn a hole in your pocket.

Sphinx in Santorini: Resto with a View that Tastes Like Heaven

Let me take you out of Manila and into the gates of heaven, visually.

 

Upon stepping inside the salmon colored doors in the middle of the town of Fira, you enter the restaurant with the best view of Santorini, Greece and the Aegean Sea.

Welcome to Sphinx Restaurant. Welcome to Santorini

Eat Well Delicious Kitchen

The name of the restaurant says it all.

If you want to "Eat Well" in a "Delicious Kitchen", run to Eat Well!

For me, it's like the ultimate Hong Kong Chinese Restaurant experience minus the costly airfare ticket to get authenticity. Headed by Law Kwok Keung of Shangri La Hotel Restaurant fame, it's surely not going to disappoint.

Loving the Fish Tacos at TJs

It's been one of those days. The reminiscing and nostalgia and all those monthly crapola is getting on my nerves. When I go nostalgic, I go Mexican. I LOVE Mexican cuisine with a passion. Back in Santa Monica, I'd have a daily pitstop to Baja Fresh or La Salsa just to get my Carne Asada burrito fix. I've been craving for these latino flavors, so I was very happy when my friend G decided to celebrate her birthday dinner at TJ's Mexican Grill.

Last (Meat) Supper at Cyma

Lately there's all this talk about giving up, sacrificing, and letting go. It could be in the literal or symbolic sense; it is Lent after all. It doesn't really matter. Giving something up is always hard to do., especially if you've grown quite fond and attached to it. Yet many people seem to believe that you gain a lot more when you let go of a few.  I'm not so sure which boat of thought I'm paddling on.

I've been giving this a lot of thought, and now I'm ready to commit. Beginning today, Ash Wednesday, I am giving up meat for Lent. Yes, frightened readers, ToT is going pescetarian. For 40 days, at least. That includes beef (bye bye wagyu burger), chicken (sayonara Chicken Joy), pork (NO! I'm going to be in Cebu today, no Lechon!?) and... the motherload, lamb. Nooo...

Thing is, I thought Ash Wednesday fell on the 22nd, next week. I get a memo earlier, and what? Ash Wednesday mass already? HA!? I'm not ready! I planned this entire 3 day meat-travaganza as a despedida before I go semi-veggie and now I was left with a few hours before midnight.

I acted fast. An sms circulated amongst the fam, that I must have my last hurrah before I turn grass-nibbler. I also picked the restaurant which, if called for, would also be my go-to place to have my last meal ever.

Lust at First Lusso

Lately whenever I tell my mother that I am going out for dinner with my Creamy Addict friend K, she usually responds: Didn't you just have dinner with her?

It's true. I take advantage of free nights to date it up with K. She is, after all, a much-traveled lady who only comes to Manila about 8 days in a month. Whatever free time she has to spare me, I'll grab it. 

We end up in Lusso on the left wing of Greenbelt 5. The name itself sounds like a loose version of Luxe, probably because the restaurant attempts to make available worldly gastronomic delights to the Filipino's welcoming palate. Margarita Fores is akin to this habit, as she's mastered the art of  reinventing cuisine with her signature Filipino flair. But Cibo it is not. It's not exactly affordable luxury, but it sets an aspirational appeal within reach.

My Christmas Treats and Trip

This Christmas, oddly enough, felt like it came too late. I wasn't really feeling the Christmas spirit til I entered the malls in search of last minute gifts. Maybe it's about growing up and instead of being the excited kid awaiting presents, I am now the unexcited godmother and gift giver extraordinaire.

But on the eve of Christmas, I was inspired by this sight while driving from a grocery trip.
This is a yearly tradition for this house in J.P Rizal, better known as Guadalupe. On regular days, this house is just plain jane, nothing worth taking a second look at. But whenever Christmas nears, the family members and then some literally deck the halls and the roof and the balcony and even the gutter with lights, and Santa, and so much Christmas decor it would conjure up memories of C.O.D. in Cubao back in the 80s when their balcony would unfold the Christmas Dolls Special. Does anybody remember that?

Dinners at Homes

 Last week we had back to back dinners at home, one at our place and another for my mom's BFF at her lovely home. But let me warn you, the images below are not an accurate representation of our home cooked meals. Ok fine, save for the steak and the occasional lobster and food, we don't really pull out the good china. 

Since childhood, my family always valued good food whether made from scratch or restaurant bought. And probably like every other Filipino family, food is the ultimate form of courtesy, affection, and usual overcompensation device for such  issues as lack of attention (as a child), lack of entertainment (at a party, unless it's karaoke), or lack of subject matter (just keep your mouth full so you don't have to speak!)

My much loved aunt from Chicago arrived with a nice big box of pasalubong for the entire family: an entire case of Maine lobsters!!! Being seafood addicts, we welcomed this wholeheartedly. My mother insisted, it must be surf n turf night!

Haute Hawker at Lime88

As a rejoinder to previous retaliatory post about my supposed snooty food facade, please welcome part deux of my attempt to erase the myth that I do not eat below my social class. I bring you isaw (intestine), balut (duck fetus), kwek kwek (don't ask, I don't know either), and tuyo (cured fish).

With a twist, of course.

Exactly what Lime88 is all about, street food with a twist, as their tagline indicates.

My girlgroup and I just couldn't get enough of each other and decided to meet a second time in one week, which is all but rare, this time for some good old Filipino cuisine. I've been craving for isaw (intestine) for a while... so this was a perfect crave buster.

Lime88 is literally a house turned resto in the heart of Mandaluyong city. Entering the house gate feels like walking into one of those 80's soirees at some guy's house where chairs are propped by the garage, music blaring from the inside, and shabby chic lighting illuminates and sets the mood for soiree-ing. There is an indoor area complete with karaoke room, but we digressed, knowing for certain our Assumptionista gab would overpower any minus-one song by three decibels.The thought of beer garden also comes to mind, but hey were not picky, like some people think.

How to Have the Perfect Weekend

Weekends are somewhat of an addiction of mine. Since moving back, I count the hours til the clock finally ticks Saturday. I've vowed to resuscitate my liver by drinking only on weekdays, although it seems to be slightly less effective in terms of sobriety. I also took up diving to compensate for my lack of eagerness to go out, so my weekends are my special days. Those two days of sheer solitude usually end up becoming opportunities for things I used to do ritualistically when I was living in sunny California.

The intense addiction to weekends is actually the cause of this blog, Trip or Treats. My friend B once told me on YM: J, I never know where you will be until I find out on FB that you are either here, or there or everywhere. It's like you want to escape Manila. You should be a travel writer. Well... not quite, but this is a pretty good attempt, right?

My weekend rituals are quite simple really. I love to drive, preferably with the view of the Pacific Ocean on either side of the window and/or driving to some far off destination aka LONG DRIVE. I love being near the water to watch the sun set or rise. And lastly, ahhh... I really enjoy feeding people with food that I prepare myself.

I did all three this weekend when my adopted famiglia and I went to Punta Fuego to enjoy the long weekend with some driving, sun and food.

Driving: No matter what you hear about Angelenos and freeway road rage, it doesn't apply to me.

I L.O.V.E to drive. Of course, it helps to have a sweet ride, but it's not so much the physical manifestation of driving that delights me, as it is the mental clarity I get when maneuvering the brake and gas with my bare feet while hearing the engine respond fully. It feels like an orchestra performing a symphony with driver as conductor. Having a banging playlist also does wonders to soundtrack the fast paced lights running across the windows.

Was The Good Chef Out of Stock at Stock Market?

I don't want to be mean, but consistency is key especially in the food department. Consistency keeps me coming back for more, it provides a basis for comparison when trying other versions, and it gives me comfort to know that things are made just the way I like it when I want it.

That said, I present the case of the Chef's Day Off at Stock Market.

As a disclaimer, I adore Stock Market.

My first encounter involved the search for below zero beer ( beer that freezes up when you tap the bottom of the bottle, creating a slush that makes it next to impossible to drink properly). Of course, I don't drink beer but that didn't stop me from tagging along with those who do. That's when I had... the Burger experience:

Nostalgia Wins

A friend and I were out for some wine last night, discussing diving, food and Italy, when we went off on a full on tirade about pasta Carbonara. Where to find the best (I said Chelsea, friend said Rome duh), how to make it, and why we love it. I guess the discussion went for quite some time, because 3 bottles of vino went coming and going before realizing the time.

So today what can I think of?
Carbonara
Carbonaraaaa
CARBONARA!

Its wrath reached its fullest when, at the gym, I was staring at Giada Dilaurentiis noshing on Braciola while working up a sweat on the cross trainer. I finish my time on the sweat-o-rator and went in a scurry back home.

Specifically, my kitchen.

I won't elaborate too much on the process... just know that it was worth every calorie ingested.

Enter The Usual Suspects

Prosciutto, Bacon, Onion, Parmigiano Reggiano, Egg, and Spinach Fettucini