baby rambutan

…i thought we needed a(nother) chocolate high .
from The Sweet Melissa Baking Book


one of the best cakes we’ve had! and we’ve had plenty. you’ll love it too especially if you’re a big fan of chocolate malted milkshakes.

deep, dark, sublime chocolate cake layers engulfed in a chocolate ganache-style frosting, just dripping with malted milk powder and heavy cream and milk chocolate and golden corn syrup and butter… parental guidance suggested.

recipe… (more…)

…is none other than the one and only…Feliciano Jaime Atienza.
please check out the link to find out more about this hardworking and popular beloved teacher of new immigrants and aspiring US citizens. he’s a dear friend and former work colleague and i can’t think of anyone who deserves more accolades than Chito!
congratulations and wish we could be there to celebrate with you.

photo by Cristina Quisumbing Ramilo (salamat Ling!)

for days now i’ve been planning to make croissant dough just so i can make these…but time is so so running short, i can barely keep up! (more…)

yes, the toaster oven has conked out– it was just over two years old.
those were the days ha. when things were made to last, and you could even pass them down to the next generation, or have to sell it if you wanted to upgrade.

so we were resigned to buying another “throw away” toaster oven, and this time i assigned husband the task of picking one out since i hadn’t done a very good job with the old one (it was a horrible thing, burning our toast and being very hard to clean–it got so bad i considered destroying it and not waiting for it to break down).

he found one in a big-box home store that gives out 20% off coupons every week and it came with a rebate.

final price? $12.
i give it six months to live.

it’s labeled “sweet corn cake”, but it cooks up to a scoopable little pudding.

one of my favorite things to do after i drop off the kids at their schools is to roam around the grocery store, looking for something new to try.
and this one is the latest addition to our favorites list.
it’s at the Mexican portion of the international food aisle…
and we can’t get enough.

i first made it as an accompaniment to husband’s new chili con carne recipe. and then i thought it’s the perfect match for a roast chicken dinner, when i wanted to relive (re-eat?) the delicious dinner prepared by our new neighbors on a rainy Saturday night.

yeah it’s a cake mix sort of; you just add a can of cream-style corn, butter, and water to a corn meal and masa harina mix, i’m sort of over my cake mix snobbery , but … whatEVER!, it is belly-warming, it is filling, it is addictive.

#2son and i saw the Bizarre Foods episode, when Andrew Zimmern went to the Philippines.
all through out that hour long program we were expecting a lot of “yucks” and “phooeys” from him. we were so astonished (and relieved! in a very peculiar way) that he loved it! the experience of it all anyway…he tasted balut, dinuguan, coconut grubs, mangrove worms, …and ice cream and bread sandwiches.
there he was in the middle of a busy street corner, somewhere in the heart of Manila, surrounded by curious but smiling faces, and he thought it was wild that ice cream made its way in between bread slices.

wha?

i immediately thought of profiteroles, ice cream scoops in between choux pastry (same one used for cream puffs). there’s also semlor from my Scandinavian Baking Book, not exactly frozen, but cold whipped cream and almonds in between sweet pastry dough.

so when my February Gourmet arrived…there they were on the cover, profiteroles with a come-hither look.
my family loved them! (more…)

i mean: orange tapioca pudding layered with almond meringue bits and whipped cream and blood oranges macerated in sugar and Grand Marnier.
you get the picture.

(more…)

here she was at age 4. i don’t make pan de sal anymore since this really good brand has been for sale here (as long as you arrive promptly at 1 pm every Friday–blink and you miss it). but my little daughter truly enjoyed helping make these. she particularly liked rolling them around in the dry bread crumbs.

do you have a favorite pan de sal recipe? i didn’t have much luck the last time i tried it (they transformed into hockey pucks).

i do remember that instant yeast and the dough hook of a heavy duty mixer made it easy. it’s crucial that the liquid be at the proper temperature to make the yeast active yet not entirely kill it.

do you have a favorite pan de sal recipe? i haven’t had much luck the last time i tried it (they transformed into hockey pucks). i’ve bookmarked some from my favorite Pinoyfoodbloggers but i don’t have a bread machine.
i am willing to try highly recommended tried and true recipes.

for the next time i miss the delivery truck!

One of my favorite ways to while away the time at the mall, while my kids go window-shopping, is to linger at the staionery store.
Lately it has been happening, this “malling” I mean, more and more frequently, what with a shopping-wise daughter like my thirteen-year-old.
I do like looking at all kinds of cards: feeling the texture and weight of the card stock, admiring the graphics and the witticisms on each card.
What if you could customize your own cards?
This site has a wonderful selection of customizable photo cards, ideal for businesses who would like to get an edge over the competition. What better way to reach out to your clients than with beautifully imprinted cards with your personalized message, for any holiday you choose?
Simply upload the photo/image of your choice. You can choose the verses at their site, or make up your own, to fully reflect the essence of your business and thereby hit your target audience/clientele with more precision. There’s also a variety of typestyles and ink colors to choose from. For a little extra you can also choose to have the lined envelopes imprinted (prices are based on quantity).
You get to preview the photocard before they are printed, to ensure accuracy and guarantee satisfaction.
It would truly make a terrific impression on your clients, and foster much more brand loyalty, if you send them a thoughtful reminder of your business.
I’m attracted to thesepretty little polka dots as a frame for my sweethearts.