Conti’s assorted pastries from Spider-man!

When I was walking Spider-man to his car at the office parking lot on his last day at work this year, he kept gushing about the Conti’s pastries he just had.  It was his first time to try them, quite funny since he was the one who brought the pastries to work that day.  You see, he brought at least, I think, eight boxes of these luscious, sinful treats to give away to his engineers.  I was the only one outside his team who got a box.  Hahaha!!!  Thanks Spider-man (and of course thanks to the wifey, Juvy).

 

I haven’t really tried them yet.  All I could tell is that it is an assortment of pastries – butterscotch bars, cashew brownies, choco chip brownies, coffee butterscotch, and food for the goods.  I’m quite thankful to Spider-man for remembering me on his list!

 

I saved them for our holiday dinner at home.  So I’m putting off the ‘review’ for later.  But I do know that Conti’s has one of the most respected names in the pastry industry.  And one of the most memorable birthday cakes I have ever had was the tower that was Conti’s Mango Bravo (I think) that Friendship gave me a couple of years back.

 

But in what could only be called ‘food porn,’ I’m sharing just some of the pictures for now!  Enjoy!  Happy Holidays!

LZM “Lutong Bahay” – gastronomic feast closest to the warmth of hearth and home

On board Spider-man's car on the drive to LZM. That's Chax, and of course, Spider-man!

For quite a while, I’ve been harping about that it has really been looking a lot like Christmas.  I mean, eversince Batman and I saw the Christmas trees being put up in Greenbelt 5, it has felt like Christmas.  Even the gentle breeze already carries the season, as it kisses your cheeks and whispers in your ear.

 

Unfortunately, I couldn’t and can’t still take off early as a lot of work still needs to be done.  Not that I’m complaining, because, as a lot of people know, I love what I’m doing.  I love my work so it’s not really work.

 

True enough, December 23 was still bustling with activity here in the office.  And since a lot of our engineers, especially the new ones, still reported to work, we thought about going out to lunch!  It was a way to reconnect with one another, over none other than the closest to home-cooked meal that we could get.  A couple of generous people helped spread the season by footing the bill – Brother and one of my four new engineers, Dennis.  And for good measure, I just threw in a little more.  Hahaha!!!

 

The bill amounted to Php 7,170.00, plus a generous tip.  Not bad for satisfying 23 really hungry people!  I was joking over lunch that I must’ve starved all of them with too much work (I was department Officer-In-Charge) because each dish was literally wiped out the very moment the serving platters landed on the table!  But I guess the fact that we had to really wait was the more likely reason.

 

But as what we have come to love at LZM Lutong Bahay at their original restaurant in Silang, Cavite, the food at this new branch we went to – the one in the “Magdaragat” Paluto (“Magdaragat” cook-to-order) – was just superb!

 

 

 

 

Of course, there were the requisite ‘giant’ Daing na Bangus (Crispy-fried Milkfish marinated in vinegar and spices, Php 250.00).  I’ve always loved this, though I still maintain that the one at Leisure Coast Resort in Pangasinan is still the best.  The Beef Bulalo (Beef Bone Marrow Soup, Php 360.00) was really comforting.  The essence of beef was well-pronounced in the stock that was so hot, I got a facial!  Devouring the bone marrow Chax served me, I felt like I had a death wish while having my lunch!  The vegetables in the dish were plenty and were left half-cooked, really crisp and brightly colored.  So those couldn’t help but just whet my appetite further!  The Buttered Garlic Prawns (Php 240.00) were really fresh.  The garlic was really prominent and some of it on top were a little raw.  The freshness of the prawns infused the buttery sauce with a certain sweetness that was refreshing.

 

 

 

The Tortang Talong (Omelet of Grilled Eggplant, Php 120.00) was my special request.  I loved the smoky goodness the grilling always imparted to the eggplants.  It was just further enhanced by the sauce I made out of lots of calamansi (Philippine lemon) juice, soy sauce and siling labuyo (Philippine chili).  And the way LZM does their tortang talong, totally left devoid of any other ingredients to enhance the dish, is exactly how I love it.  Added to our vegetable repertoire was the Pinakbet (Mixed fresh vetables stewed in fermented shrimp paste, Php 270.00).  Of the many variations made to this all-time favorite dish, LZM’s is my favorite.  It’s the faint sweetness that you would get from the sauce that married the freshness of the vegetables with the pungency of the fermented shrimp paste that I always found irresistable!

 

 

 

The final dish on our table was the one that surprised me the most!  It was the usual Calamares (Fresh squid in rings in a light batter, deep-fried to a golden crisp!, Php 190.00) though what LZM did was probably get the freshest catch, coated them in a light batter and fried them to perfection!  I got the crunch right away, and the coating revealed the most tender, sweetest squid rings I’ve ever had.  I didn’t need any ‘thousand island dressing’.  The calamares themselves alone were super!

 

Right after lunch, I laughed at myself when I realized that I was scratching my tummy – in public!  I guess that was just me unconsciously giving my stamp of approval to a lunch and time well spent.  With great food.  With really great people!

With my engineer, Dennis (generous!) and Spider-man...

eNTeNG loved these – Chocolate Pecan Cupcakes from Betchie Jose

The cupcakes from THE Betchie Jose! I super LOVED this!

One thing nice about the holidays is that it affords you the chance to be surprised.  This week, everytime I left my desk, I would almost always feel a half-hearted anticipation the very moment I was retracing my steps back to my cubicle after meetings.  And rightfully so, because I always found beautifully packaged, wrapped (edible) gifts, short of being festooned for the holidays, sitting on the pedestal table that is my desk, waiting for me.

 

I’m quite thankful for all of them, for it feels great to be remembered.  I was raised to always say thank you for any gift – big or small – and these thoughtful treats are no exception.  Laugh all you want but truly…  it is the thought that really counts.

 

Which was why I don’t really know why my very good friend Betchie Jose was quite ‘apologetic’ about the cupcakes she left on my desk yesterday.  Because not only did she think of me and put me on her Christmas list.  She, more importantly, thought of me well with what she gave.

 

The card said ‘Malen’s Pizza Pasta Bakeshop.’  And inside the bright red-and-gold holiday gift box tied with a wide ribbon in that-other-holiday-color green, and embellished with a gold bell, were eight of the best cupcakes I’ve ever had.

Sitting pretty on my 'The Cellar' saucer is Malen's chocolate pecan cupcake from THE Betchie Jose!

 

You know very well that I swear by ‘Cupcakes By Sonja,’ the authority on cupcakes!  Even Friendship, in an e-Mail to me in the first half of November this year, said, “By the way, there’s this cupcake café in town (Alabang Town Center – eNTeNG), in front of Marks & Spencer…  and the verdict?  Sonja’s cupcakes are still the best!”  And then there are ‘Marta’s Cupcakes’ which I like too.

 

And now, these – Malen’s Cupcakes, courtesy of none other than THE Betchie Jose.

 

I found these cupcakes to be very light – truly what fluffy means.  On my first bite, I noticed just how much these cupcakes were really “small cakes.”  They were like your typical sponge cake, covered generously by the your usual boiled chocolate icing (against the buttercream frosting Sonja has perfected…  oh, with Marta a close second!).  But what really pleasantly surprised me was the fact that these cupcakes were NOT sweet at all!  Yes, the icing glistened under the light.  And the barely caramelized grooves of the pecans that also captured glints seemed like portents of extreme sugar rush.  But no, they were just right.  I actually LOVED the ‘bitter’ hints that I caught with every bite.  The soft cake crumb itself readily gave in to every piercing bite of my teeth.  And the icing that came with every sinful bite was the perfect foil to the bitterness that was teasing my taste buds.

 

Yes, there were eight cupcakes in the box.  And I had four of them just to myself.  Good thing there was still the value of sharing that kept my conscience on check…  And allowed me to share these delights with my family!

 

I don’t know who Malen is.  Or where her ‘pizza pasta bakeshop’ stands.  All I know is that she does a good job on her chocolate pecan cupcakes, no doubt!

All that was left was this paper liner - the silent witness to the attack of the eNTeNG!

eNTeNG’s The Best Of… Native Delicacies – Butterscotch, all the way from Iloilo City! (3rd in a Series)

Luscious treats from down south - Biscocho Haus's Butterscotch from Iloilo City! Thanks, Rhyne!

It’s a beloved Filipino custom to bring back tons of “pasalubong” from a vacation or any trip.  “Pasalubong” actually doesn’t really translate to something in English.  I mean, as far as my ‘limited’ prowess in the language is concerned (see, I’m referring to a prowess as ‘limited’… such paradox!), it doesn’t have a direct equivalent.  Loosely, it could mean anywhere from a souvenir, a token present, or ‘coming back home’ gift, if you will.  But if there is something I love about “pasalubong,” it is the fact that most of them are food items!

 

Which brings me to the latest installment to my ‘eNTeNG’s The Best Of…’.  And this one – Biscocho Haus’s Butterscotch – comes all the way from Iloilo City, lovingly hand-carried by my friend’s sister, then passed on to their mother.  Now, how can that be short of anything but love?!

 

Speaking of love, my ‘love affair’ with these goodies began about four years ago when our many engineers from Iloilo City brought back bags and bags of these goodies from their last trip back home.  And I’ve always craved for them since.  And this may sound preposterous, but I’ve come to love Iloilo City because of these treats.

 

Later on, I realized that most other bakeshops offer butterscotch.  But the ones from Biscocho Haus in Iloilo City are tops on my list!

 

 

Technically, butterscotch is something made of sugar and butter.  That’s about it.  And mind you, that tastes good in itself.  Though a word of caution to those with a short fuse for extremely sweet confectionery, sugar and butter alone may seem too cloying.  Probably that was why Biscocho Haus threw in flour, eggs and milk to the mix and came up with their to-die-for, heavenly butterscotch!

 

I can finish a bag of these.  And to shamelessly borrow a line from another product, ‘once I pop, I can’t stop!’  I tear the plastic bag open, and like a conveyor belt assembly line, I open each butterscotch cube wrapped in multi-colored cellophane, put it in my mouth, chew, and experience one of the most intense moments of pleasure I’ve ever had.

 

Each cube is like the most dense, but at the same time, most moist piece of confection there (ever) is.  It has a nice crumb that’s packed well (like ‘packed’ brown sugar), and when chewed gives the sensation of the smoothest nougat.  It almost tastes like ‘food for the gods’ but without the dates.  And the best part of it is that these are made from ingredients that can only be fresh – flour, sugar, butter, eggs, milk.  Plain and simple!  I read the package and I see that I understand everything that went to what I’m putting in my mouth!

 

I’ve had butterscotch from practically everywhere – including the ‘caramel bars’ from Max’s – and these ones from Biscocho Haus in Iloilo City are undisputedly the best!

Happy Birthday, Batman! Cheers to The Dark Knight. The Caped Crusader. The World’s Greatest Detective.

SUNDAY, THE 21^st of December, marks the birthday of one of my best friends – Andrei Raymund (a.k.a. ‘Batman’).  I can’t find a really good e-Card so I hope this post on my blog will do.

 

 

This is my humble homage to (the) Batman.  So what’s this got to do with a blog that has almost been dedicated entirely to food?  Hmmm…  As of late, Batman has been a companion to my gustatory pursuits.  And he lets me have the final say on where to eat.  So there!

 

As a kid, he has always had Batman as his favorite cartoon superhero.  But that fact barely scratches the surface as to why I call him ‘Batman.’

 

He has got to be one of the most intelligent persons I know.  I used to abhor him for that, especially when he and his team won over mine and copped the championship of the coveted ‘Brain Challenge’ site-wide quiz bee in the office.  I didn’t care about the cash, it was losing the bragging rights that really hurt me.  Hahaha!

 

Ironically, we found ourselves working together on the following year’s edition of the show.  Apart from a really tense first 1:1 meeting (to plan what we would do differently to market the show better), Batman and I became fast friends.  And now, we are (I think) the best of friends.

 

At one point I wondered why I really call him ‘Batman.’  I can’t even call him by his name anymore!  It’s not really his huge Batman figures collection.  But somehow related to the toy figures, I think that it is because I’ve come to really see the ‘superhero’ in him.  He doesn’t need uberhuman powers.  Just his wits, and his will ‘to save the day.’  He has been my sounding board.  And he has helped me through a lot of things that needed ‘thinking’ in my life.  Hahaha!

 

To borrow a line from a feature on him in our office publication before, ‘As one cartoon character puts it, he has both a magnificent brain and a great heart.’

 

I thank him for everything he has done for me.  For everything he has given me (close to a hundred ‘hand-me-down‘ DVDs, CDs, all the mp3s I want!… and for giving me all those episodes of Chuck).  For making me watch Casablanca, all those film noir movies, and of course, the Batman movies.  But most of all, for his patient ear and his precious time (though I’m still waiting for a wristwatch, you know!  Hehehe…).

Again, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BATMAN!

That's Batman, of course, here with my other favorite, Superman. Taken at the Toy Fair and Exhibit at SM Megamall this year.

Cocktails and hors d’oeuvres with three lovely ladies

IT WAS last year when I first got wind of what appeared to me as a ‘cocktails and hors d’oeuvres’ tradition hosted by three lovely ladies from one of our engineering departments in the office.  I inadvertently saw the invitation proudly posted on the office wall of one of my friends.  How I wish I were invited.

 

It took a good year.  But in a classic case of ‘ask and you shall receive,’ I finally got invited this year!  The invitation – one of only 20! – was personally delivered to me by my gracious friend Mitzi.  If there’s one thing an invitation does, besides provide the pertinent details of the event (and a map when needed!), is that it sets the tone of the event or party.  The invitation was in a two-tone mix of color and non-color, in a classic font, the simplicity of which was broken only by the one line in cursive that says, ‘Celebrate the Season.’  The paper they used was nice, and the printing passed Spider-man’s exacting standards.  It opened by saying, ‘Please join us for cocktails and hors d’oeuvres as we celebrate the season.’

 

The invitation was teeming with old world charm.  Nice.

 

It also helped a lot that I know two of the three ladies who were throwing the party – Mitzi, my fellow engineer, who I have been working with for quite some time now; and the very lovely Leah, who I’ve known from afar for her statuesque bearing and her brains (she’s been to international conferences as a technical paper author!).  Their triumvirate was completed by Alpha, another engineer.  I haven’t met her before but I had heard her name so many times.

 

Upon arriving at their beautifully appointed home, I was greeted by the bountiful spread on the center table as Mitzi, in her ‘party’ top, ushered us in (I was with Spider-man and another engineer).

 

First to catch my attention was the good mix of finger food.  The way the ladies paid attention to the presentation details reflected a couple of things.  It spoke volumes on how well-thought-out the spread was; and how these ladies’ skills elevated simple things like cold cuts and hotdog to something higher.  I actually felt like it was an injustice to just pick them up and directly pop them in my mouth.  They deserved to at least be prettily laid out on a dinner plate before they got devoured.  Some may say that the arrangements were ‘textbook’ party planning stuff, but I appreciated it a lot.  And the thing Leah did to the dips – separating chili con carne from cheese pimiento with multi-colored marshmallows lined up as divider – was just genius to me.

 

Oh, there were mini-sammies (sandwiches!) as well, which, prior to being attacked by the guests, almost looked like a white cake with toppings of fresh berries.

 

 

After getting temporal satiation from the finger food, I trailed my sights to the proteins – a roasted chicken, and sticks upon sticks of pork barbecue!  The roasted chicken was from ‘Sr. Pedro,’ which I prefer over ‘Andok’s!’  The pork barbecue, while not made by any of the three ladies, was still home-made, courtesy of the neighbor.  It was substantial (as in huge chunks of meat) and flavorful, way down to the shreds around the skewers.  That could only mean perfect marination.  And the meat was highly seasoned – a bit tart, a little sweet, and biting with hints of black pepper.  Dunking it in the chili vinegar sauce was just great.

 

Halfway through the evening, I could tell that Mitzi, Leah and Alpha could give Robin Miller and Sandra Lee a run for their money.  These three ladies had put up a considerable spread on a night when they all had come from a full day at work.  Yes, most of the dishes had a good head start.  But still, there is something to be said about how well the party menu turned out.

 

Which brings me to the highlight of the spread (for me!).  It was Alpha’s specialty which she humbly calls her ‘seafood pasta.’  Being a non-lover (is there such as term?) of ‘cream-based’ sauces, I could feel my own skepticism bursting at the seams as I twirled the serving fork and put a conservative portion on my silver paper plate.  It was a good thing I comfortably settled myself on a chair first before I took my first bite because this seafood pasta jolted me with the kind of party it brought to my mouth.  The sauce was just fantastic.  And yes, those of you who adore cream sauces could surmise that this was just a mix of readily available canned ingredients.  But still, it was good.  It was so good.  The fettuccini was al dente.  I could sense the noodles were cooked just right, giving me a good chewing sensation as both the grain and the stretch were in perfect doneness.  It was called ‘seafood pasta’ and rightfully so, as I could see and really pierce with every forkful the fresh squid and the shrimps.  These bounty of the sea – not smelly in a ‘fishy’ kind of way at all – nestled on the sauce that was not too thick nor too thin.  Alpha did a good job ‘eyeballing’ her proportions of the cream and the milk.

My photo didn't do justice to this wonderful dish - Fettuccini in Seafood Cream Sauce alla Alpha.

 

Rachael Ray has her own ‘You’ll-Never-Be-Single-For-Long’ vodka cream sauce pasta.  It was called so because it was sooo damn good (she says!).  Alpha’s could very well rival that dish!  Her concoction, a well-orchestrated symphony of what she probably regularly stocks on her kitchen cupboard, was a testament to her ‘budding’ culinary skills.  If she is not yet there.

 

Alpha was shy to name her dish loftily.  So I did it for her.  I christened her seafood pasta ‘Fettuccini in Seafood Cream Sauce alla Alpha.’  She talked me through how the dish was made.  True to form, a ‘culinarian’ like her, schooled in the home kitchens, did away with the cups and the measures.  I guess after talking to her, I can take a quick stab at reproducing this dish, in time for the coming holidays.

 

Of course we had to wash down all that food with something!  Mitizi appeared to be in charge of the drinks.  She made available a considerable array of options – white wine, red wine, regular soda, fruit juice, and a fruit punch spiked with gin.

 

I had a glass of the white wine – a lovely Chilean Manta Sauvignon Blanc she bought at the Duty Free Shop – which oozed with hints of citrus and herbaceous notes.  It went nicely with the pasta.

 

I had a great time there – my first cocktails and hors d’oeuvres.  I met new people.  I reconnected with old friends.  I whiled the time away over great food and an even greater company.  That’s hard to top!

Mitzi (4th from left), Alpha (7th from left) and Leah (8th from left) carry on with a tradition teeming with old world charm - cocktails and hors d'oeuvres. Spider-man is sitting leftmost.

eNTeNG loved this – Cynch Castro’s Pasta Puttanesca with Tuna

Cynthia "Cynch" Castro's Pasta Puttanesca with Tuna! Loved it!... Photo courtesy of the Gustaf Serrano.

 

Four years ago, I shared my own Pasta Puttanesca recipe through our department newsletter in the office.  It was featured as ‘Recipe of the Month.’  I haven’t come down to it but lately, I’ve been thinking about sharing it here too.  And I will.  I will reproduce my four-year old write-up for this blog.

 

Apart from Angel Hair Pomodoro, Puttanesca is the other pasta I love.  Adore.  Lust over.  Yes, you read it right – lust over.  Name any other emotion to come close to a strong feeling of great desire for something, I’ve felt it for puttanesca.  It’s actually ironic to declare here that I ‘lust over’ puttanesca, I mean, given the widely accepted origins of the dish (specifically, the name).  But I won’t digress by explaining it in excruciating detail here.

 

Besides my own recipe, I feel it’s kinda hard to find a really authentic ‘enough’ puttanesca.  I can only think of one place where I got one that sent my heart aflutter – Gus Al Dente Restaurant at the Sarabia Manor Hotel in Iloilo City.  But I’m saving that for an upcoming ‘eNTeNG’s The Best Of…’ entry.

 

Yes, I can only think of that place when I think puttanesca.  But last week, I got the chance to savor a version of this dish that has come close to rivaling Gus Al Dente’s and which, I officially now declare, is an official ‘eNTeNG loved this’ entrant.

 

It is none other than ‘Cynch Castro’s Pasta Puttanesca with Tuna.’

 

I was very lucky in making this unexpected and fortunate discovery on a toxic day at work.  I was dragging my feet to the cafeteria after a ‘tumultuous’ meeting with my counterparts (that extended way beyond 12:00NN).  I was consoling myself, almost reduced to tears, at the sight of the viand ‘choices’ I ended up with – the last chicken something and pork spareribs something, both scraped off from the chafing dishes.  So it was such a relief when out of nowhere, my good friend Ms. Jo Damian (Business Group Human Resources Partner) pulled me aside and asked me to join in on their small Christmas party.  She had actually texted me hours earlier.  But swamped as I was, I failed to check my messages.

 

Inside the party place that was one of the conference rooms, I saw an almost wiped out table of what I could surmise as some of the most sumptuous dishes that combined home-cooked goodness and the best of store-bought (the roasted pork bellies and cut-up chicken pieces were a dead giveaway).  But my myopic vision, aided by spectacles framed by Emporio Armani (bought on a huge discount!), zoomed into the pasta dish that unassumingly sat in the ‘melee’ that was the table.

Wide-eyed at the lovely puttanesca in my hands...

 

I immediately dumped on my plastic plate a huge serving of the spaghetti noodles, and then smothered it with the sauce.  Undeniably, it was puttanesca.  Before I dumped in a heap of the grated cheese (which I thought at first as parmigiano reggiano), I saw right away the olives, the chunks of tomatoes, the bits and pieces of the onions and the flakes of tuna that made the dish more special.  With my pasta sitting on arguably the simplest of plates, I didn’t entertain any high expectations of it.  Yes, it was a case of ‘eating with the eyes first.’  The olives, tomatoes, onions glistened when hit by the light – and they did entice me – but it was quite a stuggle to look past the plate.  Hahaha!

 

With the prongs of my fork, one of which bent really bad, I pierced the most tempting tomato chunk perched on top of the noodles.  I made one more thrust that speared through the tuna flakes before twirling the spaghetti around my fork.  With the ambient sound of tens of co-employees babbling about, I took that first bite.  I instantly felt everything around me quieted down.  The sensation of the first bite drowned out the crowd around me.  It was that (shall I say surprisingly?) good!

 

I’ve always believed that making pasta sauces is a showcase of one’s skill in either one or both of these – to whip up the best of the freshest produce (bounty of the garden!); or, to whip up the best of whatever the pantry has in store (bounty of the kitchen cupboard or shelves).  Pasta puttanesca falls into the latter category.

 

And Cynch did make a showcase of her cooking skills with this one!  And later, when I realized that she had to make tweaks in her recipe to cater to the restrictions some of those who’d share her pasta have, I gained an even deeper level of appreciation of the work she put into the dish.  On the one hand, you may argue the changes rendered the final sauce unauthentic, but the good thing about it was that, you would never know!  She did away with the capers and the achovies, and toned it down further by cutting down the olives.  But it still worked for me.  I think the tuna made up for the savory sensation I would’ve expected the pickled caper flower buds to contribute to the dish as the pungent relish.  The tuna also stretched further to release the ‘nutty’ hint on the background that anchovies unsually provide.  And the tomatoes, gosh…  I fell in love.

 

Sometimes, the simplest of sauces could be the hardest to get right.  But the pasta puttanesca with tuna that Cynch made was just superb.  As the sauce was made from ingredients mostly straight out of the can, I was pleasantly surprised to find how fresh the dish tasted.  The tomatoes and olives were literally bursting with their own juices.  And no component tasted ‘out-of-the-can’ at all, if you know what I mean.

 

I have to admit, sometimes (pay attention to the operative word!) I sample other people’s dishes and expect to find something wrong with them.  More accurately, something I don’t like in them.  Yeah, I admit I have that expectation sometimes.  After all, as I have said time and again, food appreciation is subjective.  And with a dish I so love – like pasta puttanesca – the bar just couldn’t help but be raised high.

 

But this one cleared that bar just fine.  Thanks, Cynch!

My blue adidas jacket perfectly sets off Cynch Castro's puttanesca!

eNTeNG SUPER loved these – Mabelle Feliciano’s Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Mabelle Feliciano's Perfect Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies, beautifully nestled on one of my Crown Ming Fine China dinner plates.

THERE’S SOMETHING nice to be said about something custom-made.  That’s why, I guess, that even in these times of a ‘looming’ financial crisis, some ladies still go to haute couture.  And some gentlemen still opt for bespoke suits.  My youngest brother, for one, has a nice three-piece that I get to borrow from time to time.  And Batman even had a new gray suit made for one of his friends’ wedding.

 

 

Which was why I just found it so sweet that my good friend and fellow engineer, Mabelle Feliciano baked me my ‘own’ batch of her chocolate chip oatmeal cookies for the holidays.  They were my own because, as she said thru IM sent right after she had handed me the beautifully packaged treats, ‘I didn’t put dessicated coconut in them.’  Such thoughtfulness…  and willingness to adapt her recipe to my liking!  Not remembering that I had personally articulated to her my explicit dislike for anything coconut, I had to ask her how she knew.  And her response made me appreciate her home-baked cookies all the more.  She learned about it when, in our last meeting, I totally passed up insistent offers of Goldilocks macaroons, totally dismissing the existence of the golden yellow croquembouche-like mound right in front of me.  Unlike in the French sense wherein macaroons are made with almond paste, macaroons in the Philippines are made with dessicated coconut.

 

Yes, I turned down the macaroons politely.  And clearly, Mabelle was paying attention and took down a mental note: “No coconut for eNTeNG.”

 

I didn’t actually know Mabelle usually makes her oatmeal cookies with dessicated coconut.  All I know up to that point was that she had struck me as someone who had promise as a home baker, from when she first had me try her cookies to when she gave me a sealed Ziploc bag that contained a slice of her cream-cheese-frosting-less carrot cake (that was so moist and yummy!).

They just look so perfect, don’t they?

 

Daintily tied by her “Yaya (Nanny)” with a lace-like white ribbon (Oh, Lucy Torres-Gomez would’ve been so proud!), Mabelle’s latest offering got me so excited.  At the same time, it left me chiding myself for deliberately leaving my camera behind at home.  You see, eversine I started this blog, anything edible has needed to be photographed first before devoured.  I mean, just in case it would merit to be ‘immortalized’ on these pages!

Mabelle's Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies are so drool-worthy! (*wink*)

 

I resigned to the fact that I had to wait till I got home.  So everytime I would leave my desk to run to meetings, I would steal glances at the cookies and, pregnant with thought, would check myself if I could still resist the urge to take a quick bite.  I could, up until the afternoon, when, with the caution of a secret agent (Chuck!) on a special clandestine intelligence operation, I carefully pulled the ribbon to one side, lifted the lid and stole one cookie!

 

 

 

 

As I brought the cookie closer and closer to my mouth, I closed my eyes and prepared myself to be satisfied.  I thought about the one thing that could only be tart and sweet, hearty and crunchy, chewy, and taste good with a tall glass of ice-cold milk – the oatmeal cookie.  I sunk my teeth in, and chewed.  And chewed some more.  I took the experience in.  Then, I opened my eyes, and with a smile on my lips affirmed that ‘preparing to be satisfied’ was underestimating the pleasures one cookie – this cookie – could give me!

 

Quite obviously, the oatmeal cookie – and its many incarnations with raisins, dried fruits, pecans, and chocolate chips – has become a staple in many a home baker’s repertoire.  But what Mabelle has done to her version is the classic example of making a good dessert really well.  This may sound cliché-ish but yes, her cookies managed to blow me away.  I didn’t expect it to happen and even I had doubts at first (sometimes something so good can feel ‘too good to be true’), so, even when it was risking curtailing my own ultimate oatmeal cookie experience, I decided to share a couple with some people whose opinions I trust – Brother being one of them.

Now that's a perfectly baked chocolate chip oatmeal cookie!

 

And their initial reactions, running the gamut of muffled ‘Mmmm…’s’ to bold, unbridled declarations of ‘Ang sarap!’ (This is so delicious!), only established and strengthened my own claim.

 

Once at home, I brought out a different plate to nestle these perfect cookies in.  I took out a Crown Ming Fine China from my 24-piece collection as I felt it served as the perfect pedestal for such yummy confections.  Comfortably positioned on the plate, I gained a deeper appreciation of the goodness of Mabelle’s chocolate chip oatmeal cookies.

 

The cookies had a uniform size and shape that told me how well the batter was mixed and portioned on the sheet pan.  They were all golden brown in color, with the surface glistening under the light.  The chocolate chips were so generous as they visibly dotted the top of the cookies, as well as the perfectly baked, brown-crusted bottom.  With such physical attributes, I intially expected to ‘cringe’ with sweetness on the first bite.  But quite ironically, all I got from the cookies was a scrumptious goodness that belied the number of the chocolate chips.  The cookies let out an undeniable crispiness and crunch with each bite, before giving way to a chewy center punctuated with the giving creaminess of the chocolate chips, making known the layers of contrasting textures that could sure please even the most jaded cookie lover.

 

While I would have expected tartness in an oatmeal cookie (from raisins of course!), I didn’t feel Mabelle’s cookies to be lacking at all, as these small flat sweet discs flawlessly captured the essence of richness, crumbly consistency, and sweetness that didn’t drown out, but rather highlighted, the goodness of the old-fashioned rolled oats.  I asked her how she came to be such a good baker (I just had to know!).  And I was quite touched to learn that what she has just striven to make are treats – cakes, cookies, bread – that she hopes her kids would love.

 

I still maintain that Otis Spunkmeyer makes the best commercially available oatmeal cookies out there.  But Mabelle does make a mean, unapologetic version of this classic treat.  Enjoying four of the six cookies in the rectangular tub she gave me, I didn’t miss Otis at all.

One of the true tests of a perfectly baked cookie - the bottom crust.

eNTeNG’s The Best Of… (Chocolatey) Snack straight from the grocery shelves (update to ‘2nd in a Series’)

TWO POSTS down, I did promise to update the second installment of the ‘eNTeNG’s The Best Of…’ series.  And that one was all about snacks one can get straight from the grocery shelves.  Two made it to the list, kinder bueno and this one – Hunt’s Pudding Snack Packs (in chocolate or chocolate fudge).

One will never be enough! My other entry to the best of snack straight from the grocery shelves - Hunt's Snack Pack Chocolate Pudding!

As the title of this entry suggests, I found this snack on the grocery shelves.  And for the second time on this blog, I am heralding a discovery as serendipitous.  It happened at, where else, but the international landmark (pun intended) for all things affordable and within-reach – SM Supermarket!  It all started with a sharp turn I made on one of the aisles of their Makati City branch, in a frantic search for chocolate-flavored marshmallows.  I couldn’t remember when it started but I have had a prolonged, unfulfilled desire for these spongy confections of gelatin, sugar and corn syrup, in chocolate flavor.  But there just wasn’t any at that time.  In exasperation, I heaved a sigh that could rival that of the wind’s in trees, when I couldn’t find the marshmallows of my desire even after an exhaustive search.  With my right hand on my forehead, I looked up to the ceiling, gritting my teeth.

 

That was when I saw it – piled haphazardly at the top shelf, some of them already looking a little dull.  I reached out for one pack (pack of four), looked at it, and nonchalantly threw a couple right in to my cart.  Yes, nonchalantly, but a part of me got excited with the thought of enjoying one of the most comforting food items I had discovered in the States.  As a matter of fact, I keep in mind a recipe of it that I got (yes, in the States), that for me, has just been simply the best.

 

The boxes said ‘Needs No Refrigeration’ but still, I arranged them in our age-old refrigerator.  After chilling them well, I took out one of the 3.5-oz. cups.  Using one of my many Oneida® Silversmiths long-handled teaspoons, I dug into the cup and scooped a heap of the chocolate pudding.  It looked sa delicious, velvety smooth and soft.  And as it caught glints of the kitchen’s lighting, it was as if it was asking me to give in to temptation.

The chocolate pudding on my Oneida© Silversmiths long-handled teaspoon.

And I did.  The chocolatey taste was just perfect – not too sweet, and most of all, not pretentious.  The cornstarch in the ingredients gave the pudding its smoothness.  The box said ‘real non-fat milk is our #1 ingredient’ and yes, it was for it could only be the source of the pudding’s good old-fashioned richness (non-fat milk could give richness too!).  The pudding had a little oil and rightfully so, to give it its distinctive shine and to perfect its consistency.  All in all, it was more than what I would expect Php 79.00 (four 3.5-oz. cups!) could buy me!

 

As if I could never get any more sinful, I whipped 250-mL of all-purpose cream.  And without remorse, put a huge dollop on top of my second cup that night.  And since I felt a pristine white top looked lacking, I shaved dark chocolate on top before I took my first spoonful, licking away like a spoiled brat!

 

I’ve been wondering why a snack that good could be so affordable (not that I’m complaining).  But yesterday’s visit to the grocery revealed that its price had gone up – all the way to Php 95.00!  I didn’t mind.  It’s really good.  Chocolate-craving be gone!

Quick And No-Cook – eNTeNG’s Cucumber Tomato Onion Salad

eNTeNG’s Cucumber Tomato Onion Salad. Perfect with fish!

 

[Written on the 14^th of December 2008, 1:51:00 P.M..]

 

I  PRIDE myself on being handy in the kitchen.  I’ve never realized how much it could tide me over than when I started to go on a low-carb diet in August this year.  I can’t afford ‘The Sexy Kitchen’ (oh well, not just yet), so I really have to rely on myself to whip up dishes that would be good for my body, but won’t make me feel like I’m really on a diet.

 

Beyond the diet thing, being handy in the kitchen has allowed me to be able to fend for myself, like when I am left home alone like today.

 

So after checking on my e-Mail and whatnot, I went to check what I could put together for my lunch.  There were a lot of leftover fried tilapia fish from last night.  I don’t mind having the same food over again but I didn’t have any of the tilapia for last night’s dinner so I thought they’d make a good lunch today.  And since I’ve stopped having rice regularly (just two to three times a week, tops) and absolutely none on the weekends, I thought a fresh salad would go well with the fish.

From right out of the kitchen shelf… fresh vegetables in a row!

 

I checked the kitchen shelf (our humble ‘pantry’) and found fresh cucumbers, fresh radishes, white onions, shallots, calamansi (Philippine lemons) and tomatoes.  Piled in an unceremonious manner, the fresh vegetables lured me temptingly to put them together into the perfect accompaniment to my fried fish.  It was just a choice between the cucumber and the radish.  I opted for the former.  As nothing would need to be cooked (unlike when I would’ve thought about a beluga lentil and feta salad), I was all the more convinced that all these vegetables lying around were to give me the quickest last minute salad capability.

All cut up and dressed! I could feel the freshness and the juiciness of the vegetables!

 

I threw them all in one of our large rectangular plates and washed them well under running water.  If there was anything I would admit to being obsessive-compulsive about, it would be in cleaning fresh produce thoroughly and in cutting them in the right size, shape and thickness.  So with (probably) our oldest but most trusty knife, I cut the vegetables to my desire.  The cucumber needs special mention because I always make sure it is seeded.  I can’t fully enjoy a cucumber slice that still has the seeds on it.

Tilapia and salad... the perfect Sunday lunch! I skipped the rice altogether!

Once everything was cut up, I dumped them – one by one – in to one of our ‘Frosty-The-Snowman’ stoneware bowls (how apropos!).  First were the cucumber slices.  Then, I drizzled them well with calamansi and a sprinkling of iodized salt.  As is always with my fresh salads, I added a tablespoon of white vinegar (no oil on this one).  Then, I added the onions and tomatoes.  I finished everything with another round of drizzling with calamansi and a little more sprinkling of salt, plus a very light dusting of freshly cracked black pepper.  After mixing the salad well, I spooned some on the side of my fried tilapia.  Carrying my lunch on my Corelle ‘Blue Provincial’ dinner plate, I cozied up on the couch, turned the TV on, and popped on a recording of Chuck season 1 episodes.

 

 

 

With the salad literally bursting with freshness and sweetness, creating a party in my mouth, it was definitely lunch that felt better than in any restaurant out there.