Huwebes, Hulyo 31, 2014

healthy snacking : aubergine

I posted on my FB wall about harvesting a cute "Eggplant" which my colleague corrected me that it's AUBERGINE. It's one of Manang Lor's (the Manang of my cousins) plant, she has a green thumb and she grew different veggies in our little space at our subdivision. So this is my cute harvest 


My cousins - well most of them are not Veggie lovers, so it has always been a challenge for me to do recipes that will not sound/taste "yucky veggies" to them. I made a different version of this before - sort of Lasagna type - Eggplant Parmigiana, but since the veggies are so small, I made a "Pica-Pica" version of this healthy snack.

What I did was,

1.) I cut the Aubergine crosswise, making round cuts (or we call it Rondelle in culinary term)

2.) I did a 3 step breading procedure (dredge in flour - then dip in egg wash - then covered it with bread crumbs) for the flour, I used Crispy Fry breading mix and used Japanese Bread crumbs

3.) I deep fried the aubergine till it turned golden brown

4.) After all slices were deep fried, I let the excess oil dry on a paper towel. 

5.) Arranged the fried aubergine in an oven toaster plate, topped with a teaspoon to 1 tbsp of Tomato Sauce (you can use either pizza sauce or flavored tomato sauce - for this recipe I used Clara Ole Chunky Tomato with Basil sauce) then finish it with grated quick melt cheese. Place inside the toaster for 3-5 minutes and cook til the cheese melts)

It's a healthy snack, and seriously I was really happy when I saw my brother and 4 cousins' faces lit up when they ate it - they were amazed coz it was VEGETABLE and it tasted good (they said so!). Go try this recipe :) 

this is the finish product: 

Miyerkules, Hulyo 9, 2014

personalized cakes by Mr & Mrs Cup'N'cakes

It was almost father's day that time, when I saw a cake pic tagged to my friends. 

this was the first cake I bought from Maebelle

That certain cake pic reminded me of a certain figurine which my mom and her siblings kept for the longest time, and everytime they buy cake to remember our Lolo, that certain figurine is always placed on top of the cake (until now! one of our Sendong survivors - that figurine)

When I scanned her Facebook page to check her other cake designs, I found out that she is the wife of my neighbor Jimboy, so it was instant "FC" (feeling close). For the last 3 years, she made my mom's birthday cake - she knows what I want - fondant looking and green. It's about being comfortable about placing your orders and being too demanding on the design you want (google search!) hahahaha... but thanks Maebs - I'm always amazed with your work of art! 

Here are some of the cakes I ordered from her: 

 Mama's Golden Bday cake

  Mama's 51st bday

Mama's 52nd birthday

My inaanak's birthday cupcake

 assorted cupcake for a highschool friend's bday

Cake for our Chef instructor

cupcakes for my brother

cake and cupcakes for my inaanak's Christening

Tyra's 4th bday

my aunt's bday cake

another aunt's bday

for tyra's despedida

a bible cake for a pastor

I know there's a very thin chance for me to become a Pastry chef -- but I'm blessed to have the sweetest Pastry Chef friends who are always ready to give in to my requests! 
cupcakes for freebies!

and cookies!

if you want to check their artistic works, you can click on this link and like their page : https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mr-Mrs-CupNcakes/130325956982854


Lunes, Hulyo 7, 2014

Pane e Dolci introduces their new Sylvannas Flavors

Sylvannas are made of 2 meringue discs, filled and coated with french buttercream, and covered with crushed egg cookies. Insanely delicious! Best eaten from the chiller, fridge, or freezer! -Pane e Dolci

I'm not really a fan of anything sweet but sometimes we make exemptions. I can tolerate Dark chocolate or if it's my time of the month I crave for some sweets. I easily get tonsillitis - that's why I'm not a fan of sweets. 

I met Chef Ben when I was almost done with Culinary School and they were among the students of the recent batch (that time). It wasn't an instant friendship coz he was the shy type and a "foreigner" of the city then, who came here to work as a Nutritionist-Dietitian. When I found out that he came from the same university where I used to study - I gave him the "golden friendship" welcome -- and the rest, as they would say it - was history. We both came from the same university, went to the same culinary school and taught in the same school. When he first introduced his version of Sylvannas, he gave me sample (the perks of having Pastry chef friends -- the freebies :D)  I tasted it, and I liked it, though I can only finish a piece -- much to my cousins' delight. 


the classic - French Butter Cream

Pane e Dolci started the craze #sylvfie (the sylvannas #selfie), and of course, I posed for them! hahaha

Chef Ben went to Australia earlier this year to do further studies in Culinary Arts. He came home recently to launch the latest flavors of their Sylvannas. From the original/classic French Butter Cream - new flavors are Peanut Butter, Chocolate, Red Velvet and Nutella. 





and as always, I was among the first to do the taste test for these -- COFFEE PLEASE! Dark! I think I'll have Tonsillitis very soon! 




so here it is, the assorted Sylvannas (no, they don't sell it assorted, this is for food tasting purposes only)


My Verdict: 
*please bare with me, I'm not a fan of sweet but I did this food tasting for the love of Ben, Mark and Pane e Dolci

THEY ARE SWEET! hahaha Kidding aside

NUTELLA FLAVOR - well I guess if you are a fan of the nutella spread, you would definitely love this...very sweet and the nutella and the meringue disc melts in you mouth

PEANUT BUTTER - for one, I LOVE PEANUTS but I'm not a peanut butter fan, but this is an exemption (again), the peanuts covering the whole meringue disc is like a neutralizer, it lessens the sweetness of the peanut butter

CHOCOLATE - contrary to what you are thinking, it's not that sweet, I love how the chocolate melts in your mouth in every bite

CLASSIC - oh the classic -- hmmmm.....the classic :P

RED VELVET -- i may sound bias but I LOVE THIS FLAVORRRR!!! for one, Red Velvet cake is one of the best seller of Pane e Dolci, what I love about this flavor -- not too sweet! the cream cheese's fault! but seriously...i love thisssssss!!! this is my favorite!! hahahaha!
SYLVANNAS OVERLOAD -- with Coffee :) PERFECT PAIR!

well for one, when I did the tasting it was one flavor after the other that's why it's different flavors playing in my taste buds, thus the crazy verdict

tip: Best Paired with Black Coffee! or if it's 3in1 coffee, just drink the original flavor. 

if you want to buy these babies, you can go to this place -- as DORA WOULD SAY IT -- MAP!!! click on the link below

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.526493010774571.1073741838.118957484861461&type=1

or you can like their Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/pane.e.dolci

and by the way, here's a good news for you and your friends.... click on the link below to find out how you can win P10,000

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=663592747064596&set=a.128141950609681.28594.118957484861461&type=1&relevant_count=1



i'm back

It's been 2 years since I last posted in this blog, i think the last time i even posted in my blog was 2 previous home address ago. After typhoon Sendong we rented a place for 8 months until we moved uptown. I've been a chef instructor, a saucier/prep cook in an Italian restaurant, establishment consultant, endorser to my friend's business, do a lot of cooking for a feeding program and everything in between. We won last August 2nd place for Del Monte Set menu for the Kumbira - the longest Culinary show in the country with colleagues Chef Ben Castor and Chef Allen Cassanova. Our student's for 2 straight years won second (and we're one of the youngest school then) during the Mindanao Chef's war - of course with the training they get from Chef Roseller Fiel II and Maam Shiela -- they would really get the best training there is.
 the first victory of ICI Culinary Arts for Mindanao Chef's War - Silver Medal to our Students Ming, Alex and Mike with their trainors Chef Fiel, Maam Shiela and Chef 
our Batch 1, 2 and 3 Students having fun in the kitchen
 training days in Italiannis Abreeza Mall as Prep Cook/Saucier 

                                                                                     ID For Kumbira 2013


 my Chef's uniform as an instructor

 Pizza Class with Batch 3 and my colleagues - Chef Ben, Chef Allen and Chef Fiel
 after the cooking competition for Del Monte Set Menu with Chef Ben and Chef Allen
 Pizza Class with Batch 3 and my colleagues - Chef Ben, Chef Allen and Chef Fiel
 Batch 2&3 Graduation and Batch 4 toque Ceremony 
 the night before the Mindanao Chef's War 2013, we made them cook like 2x before resting for the next day's competition, Chef Fiel was already stressed out so we made the torturing ourselves - me and Chef Allen
 Bronze medalist for Mindanao Chef's war 2013 (highest got silver) - JP Gerona, Missy Banuag and Aleana Bartolome with their proud mentors
 us on stage as 2nd placer :)
 getting ready for the graduation rites - ICI Batch 1

 the mentors and the guest speaker - Chef Lala of Dessert Strip
 graduating batch and the admin
cooking for outreach churches feeding program

 Yes, everything about me involves food :D 

I'm doing this blog - for update purposes though I really don't know the pasikot-sikot of this site :D