It's a Matter of Taste: Spicy Cream Chicken

     So, my partner tried to experiment with this one last Sunday. Yup! He is learning and I'm so happy for him because he also likes to cook and experiment with the ingredients like me.

     Like my older post of Cheesy Chicken with Mushroom Sauce, this one has the cheese and mushroom but he added some strips of red bell peppers and some spices too. The mushroom I used before was sliced mushrooms in can but for this recipe he wanted the whole button mushrooms so that it has a different look and texture to the whole dish. Honestly, I like this one better because it has a different twist when it comes to the flavor - it's spicy and slightly hot. I'm not the spicy-hot-dish type of guy but sometimes I do crave for something spicy whether it's a home-cooked meal or store-bought chips. That Sunday I was really craving for a spicy meal, so luckily, he came out with this recipe. <3 p="">

     It was a perfect night! Slightly chilly because it was raining. We were having a horror movie marathon, and we ate this one with some rice ^_^ so happy!

It's a Matter of Taste: Fruit Salad

Happy New Year Everyone!!! : )

     It's 2016 and let's start the year right by being healthy. I know most of us have gained a few pounds without any regret because Christmas is the season where we eat and cook a lot. I too gained a few pounds but I'm happy with it : ) It's the best time where we "harvest the fruits of our labor" - yeah, we need that too because life is not all about work and work, but sometimes we need to enjoy too. For me, what I could say is that the Christmas season went on too fast. Still, I had lots of things in my mind which I wanted to do during the holiday vacation but I haven't done it yet because what I did mostly was to do chores and my other obligations. It's okay though because in my To Do List, the first on is to cook for Christmas and for my partner's birthday.

     In the Philippines, one of the dishes which you can see presented on the table for Christmas is the fruit salad. Every family has their own traditional recipe and of course, I have mine too. Here it is:

Ingredients:

Fruits of your choice (it also depends what fruits are in season in your country) but here is what I usually love to add in my fruit salad:

3 medium sized apples, sliced into cubes (if you want to peel off the skin, you can do so but I usually leave then as it is)

3 medium sized pears, sliced into cubes

1 small pineapple, peeled and sliced into cubes. If you don't have fresh pineapples and if you are in a hurry, you can buy the canned ones.

1/4 wedge part of watermelon, cantaloupe and honeydew, its up to you to slice them into cubes or be creative by using melon ballers to create ball-shaped melons - it's up to you

1/4 cup cherry, pitted and sliced in half

1 450g can peaches (we don't have fresh peaches in the Philippines so we buy the preserved one - slice into cubes)

3 250g packs all purpose cream

sugar

Procedure:

1. In a bowl, add apples and pears. Usually what I do is to open one pack of all purpose cream and mix it with the apples and pears. This will prevent them to turn brown as you cannot use the lemon with water technique here because the acidity of the lemon juice will ruin the cream.

2. Add pineapples, peaches and cherries. At this point you can add the rest of the all purpose cream packs. Mix well.

3. Add watermelons, cantaloupes and honeydew. Continue mixing until the fruits are well-mixed with cream.

4. Add sugar and adjust the sweetness if you want it sweeter or not. Also I add a few drops of vanilla extract because for me this adds a vanilla ice cream taste : )

Continue mixing slowly so that you will not crush the watermelons and the peaches. Once you are done, chill it in the fridge before serving.

     There are various ways in preparing the fruits. If you have a lot of time, you can buy the fresh ones and slice them each according to what sizes and shapes you want. But if you are in a hurry, grocery stores sell canned fruits which are already pre-sliced and all you need to do is to drain the syrup using a strainer or colander. Personally, I like the fresh fruits better because the salad has this delicious, sweet and fruity aroma that canned fruits don't have and it's healthier too.

It's a Matter of Taste: Glazed Popcorn

     There's something about this snack that I really love. Not just because it's healthy; nor because it's homemade but it's because the flavor infused in each Popcorn blends really well. We usually make the simple Popcorn: heat oil or butter, add corn kernels, wait until it all pops and lastly add salt or cheese powder. That's the typical popcorn alright. But I remembered when I was in grade school, a certain "cakes and pastry" franchise, whose name is a female fairy tale character, also happens to sell Glazed Popcorn. It's very delicious! They only have one flavor though, but it's really great. As years passed, they don't sell it anymore so I thought about why not make some at home? They're pretty easy! :)

     My brother was the one who made them first. I remembered the caramelized sugar would cause the Popcorn to stick onto one another. Of course with more practice and some flavoring ideas, it became perfect! [yeah, I do believe in the saying the Practice makes Perfect!] So with that, I also did my own experimenting by trying on spices like adding ground pepper to have that spicy after-taste. It's very yummy! This weekend, I'm planning to experiment with sugar and cheese powder. Let's see how it will turn out :)

It's a Matter of Taste: Sisig

     Here's one of the Philippine's Specialty dish that every Filipino loves to eat! Sisig as what we called it, is composed of pork's cheeks, pork's ears, minced carrots, sliced Baguio beans, green and red chili. Some variation of ingredients includes minced liver or some parts of the pig's head. The pork cheeks and ears are usually roasted to a crisp then minced and mixed along with the rest of the ingredients. Sautéd with a bit of butter or margarine on a wok then presented on a sizzling plate. It can be drizzled with green calamondin juice to acquire that Special 4 S taste: sweet, spicy, smokey-creamy and sour!

    This dish is so popular that every Filipino Restaurant has this in their menu. You can also find this dish served in beer houses, clubs and pubs because this is one of the Pulutan they serve. The word Pulutan is a Filipino/Tagalog term for appetizer or finger food, derived from the word pulot, which means "to get" using your fingers. Pub-goers often order Sisig because as for beer-drinkers, this is a perfect match with the famous San Miguel Pale Pilsen beer, Well for those who's not into alcoholic drinks (like me), I would say this is perfect with a bottle of Coke or any soft drinks. So if you happen to visit Philippines, don't forget to try Sisig! This is one of the Philippine dishes you will never forget, and I assure that you will be coming back for more : )

If you want to have the simple, non-tradition recipe of Sisig, you can find it in my earliest post last 2009.

It's a Matter of Taste: Fritters

     One of my favorite foods are Fritters : ) They are very easy to make and like me, if I have somewhere important to go yet I want to have this for lunch, I would make some right away and won't mind if they turned out to be disfigured. There are plenty of recipes on how to make Fritters. Some use mashed potatoes while others use breadcrumbs. As you can see on the picture above, I used breadcrumbs for that and I did not use any moulds or ice cream scoop to shape it but I just used a spoon, to scoop a certain amount and fry it (that's why it has an irregular shape). The proper way though, is to form them into semi-flat circles or ovals so that it will look more presentable.

     I first started eating Fritters when I was a kid. My brother would make fried chicken and he usually had left over breadcrumbs that were actually the excess crumbs coming off from the chicken as he coats them before frying. After frying the chicken, he would form the excess crumbs into thick discs and fry them. Those were so delicious because he added spices to it! : ) Then later as I grew up, I still waited for left over breadcrumbs from fried chicken or breaded pork if there are any, but if there are none, I would make my own Fritters. The basic ingredients would be flour, a bit of cornstarch, an egg, cold water, salt and pepper. The next thing you should do is add flavor to it. I've tried many variations like cheese, ground meat, ham, veggies, herbs and spices, and even jams. You can have it done chewy or crispy depending on how you like it. As for me, I like it crispy on the outside but chewy inside. It perfectly matches with any dip you like but personally I love it with garlic-mayo. Well I guess everything taste better with garlic-mayo hahaha : )

It's a Matter of Taste: Jello

     I love Jello so much! I've been eating Jello since I was little and I usually eat this as a dessert after lunch and dinner. Every time my mom and I went to the grocery store, we always get one pack of Jello. Those come in 25 small Jellos in a pack and some are in 35, I think. Those were the days where I could only eat a few pieces, but now I'm already grown up, I eat lots of these! : ) On some days, my mom or my sisters would make Jello using agar agar bars which come in four bars per pack. I remember them say that the measurement would be four cups or water for every bar so it will be like twelve cups of water for the four bars. The bars have different colors to choose from but my mom and sisters like red best. They would cook it with flavorings and fruits, then pour it in a nice mould where they would set it about a few minutes then refrigerate. My mom is pretty much a perfectionist when it comes to making Jello and Flans, that's why she has this clean, white catcha cloth to sift the boiling liquid Jello first before pouring it in the mould so that this will make the Jello crystal clear, separating any lumps from it. I'm also a big fan of Broken Cathedral, it's a type of clear Jello combined with cream (as the base) and has sliced colorful Jellos scattered into the cream base. It looked like broken pieces of stained glass from church windows bonded together with white cement and that's where the name came from. : )

     As time passes, agar agar powder was invented and is much easier to cook. My family and I tried different brands at first, to know which one is the best. We also followed the instruction on how to cook it and we always pay attention to the amount of water needed. We want our chilled Jello to have that bouncy and smooth texture to it. No one likes rubbery-hard Jello of course! So we tried and experimented several brands until we found the best and we also found out that the amount of water based on the instructions on the back of the sachet was not enough. Eventually, after how many experiments, we now have our own personalized procedure.

     In cooking, you must always keep in mind that everyone has his or her own way of cooking something, and you must never be afraid to add your own personal touch to it. As for Jello, some like it too sweet while some like it tasteless - especially if they would add something else along with Jello, like ice cream. Some also would like Jello to be gummy while some would like it soft that melts in their mouth. So as for us, we like it just right. We still add fruits and juices to make it more delicious and healthy. The picture above is the one I made at home last few days ago. I added lots of fruit cocktails to it and it's very yummy and refreshing!~ 

It's a Matter of Taste: Egg and Tuna Sandwich Spreads

     It's the first day of September! :) My partner had thought about making sandwich spreads because both of us are trying to lose weight for about two months now - and still continuing. We had to cut down our food intake and since rice is a big part in every dish we eat, we must also reduce the amount of that. Eating breads for breakfast is a big help in reducing weight but not all breads have fillings or toppings.

So instead of buying those ready-made sandwich spreads, why not make your own? It's much healthier because store-bought spreads contain lots of preservatives since they need to keep it fresh in order for them to last long. Make your own sandwich spread. keep it in the fridge and use clean spoons when spreading to prevent it from getting spoiled.

Experiment, try different ingredients and  try to mix and match, My partner did eggs with mayo and tuna with mayo (there were spices involved too, to enhance the flavors). When I was a kid, my Mom makes jams from fruits harvested from our backyard and they were so yummy. Go ahead and make one now! :)

It's a Matter of Taste: Hot and Spicy Garlic Rice

     Let's face it! We Asians definitely love rice and you could probably say that most of us couldn't live without it. Some Asians eat rice three times a day: breakfast, lunch and dinner. Some even eat it four times a day! Rice is the basic staple food in Asia and you can cook rice in MANY ways and it also depends what type of food that goes with it. Some say, plain steamed rice goes best with fried food while other say Fried rice with toppings goes well with fried foods. Whatever the combinations are, you have your own preferences. Hot and Spicy Garlic Rice goes pretty well with fried chicken (for me that is) on a perfect Saturday when all you want to do is be lazy and cook up something yummy. It's a perfect combination of toasted garlic, chopped chili, dried basil leaves, dried rosemary leaves and black pepper. :) 

I Love Pasta~ (☆^ー^☆)

~Hey guys! I have something so cool to talk about today and it's about a game!

I Love Pasta is an awesome game created by Pati Games which I've been playing for more than six months now. I introduced this game to my partner and he really loves it too! Pati Games is a company from South Korea where they develop and create cool games for Android and IOS gadgets. Most of the games are online (but it is so worth it!) and these are available in Google Play, Apple App Store, Kakaotalk, and Facebook, to name a few. Yes I know you might be wondering why I posted this here, knowing this is a food blog, but it's too obvious because this game is all about food and running your very own pasta restaurant :) So, let me give you a glimpse of what this awesome game is all about...

This is the Pati Games Logo

Upon tapping on the app icon this is what you will see, the loading screen. Just so you know, this loading screen happens to be a new one because during the first few months of playing, this game has a different loading screen. Selia (with the blue dress and taking her dog for a walk - she is a chef), will be one of your guides or helpers throughout the game along with Elena (on Selia's left side; she runs the market) and Melissa (on Selia's right side, smelling a rose; she is a Sommelier). This image shows it's Summer and it looks like the girls of I Love Pasta is enjoying their day off from a busy week at work.

After the loading screen, it will lead you to the game itself. You will see a popped up bulletin board on the screen, informing you on-going events, new features, some discounts (if you're using credit cards for in-app purchases), and other news. Different events are updated fortnightly and some are updated monthly. This image above is a zoomed-in picture of what my restaurant looks like on the first floor. You will get to see how I arranged my furniture, stoves, ovens and other stuff. The balloons with dishes in it tells you that a certain dish that you're cooking is already sold.

This is how the menu looks like. Each dish can be leveled up to 5 and for each star you get to add side dishes for more experience points and money.

The game gets more interesting with quests or tasks! :) Each level you are going to have sets of quests you need to accomplish so you can earn bigger experience points for leveling up; more money and when you finish them, you will get cool rewards.

This is the full view of my restaurant and my shops on the side that my friends are running for me. As you can see, you can tap on the roof for you to take a closer look what's on the second floor.

The second floor can be unlocked on a certain level. Even on the first floor, at the beginning of the game, the flooring is just small. As you go through the game and earn points enough, you can then expand.

You get to add friends from all over the world that also plays I Love Pasta. These friends help you run your shops and you get to receive daily rewards from them. You can also visit your friend's restaurants to give them a hand with their cooking.

On the upper left part of the screen you can see a gold bell. Visiting your friends daily and helping them will let you earn party points. With these points the bell will turn from grey to gold when full and this bell will be moving indicating that it's party time! Tap on the bell and the screen will shift into a different mode where you are going to paaarteeeii~. Pop as many balloons as you can before the time ends and this will help sell your dish faster. Even the production of pasta and delivery of market goods will be a bit faster too.

In running a restaurant you need ingredients and where do you get those? From the market or grocery store of course! Visit Elena if you need more stuff for your dishes :)

This is my character (you can add me up :) because I can still accommodate new friends on my list), you can basically dress up your character in any way you want him or her to be. There are so many hairstyles, facial features and clothes to choose from! As I observe, every event has a new selection of styles and I tell you they are very up-to-date with fashion. As you can see the circles just above my name, those are slots indicating the number of employees I have so far (that's about 6 now including me), and i still have one more which is still locked.

Add me and my partner! We'd love to be your friends :)
My user ID is: 20970387
My partner's user ID is: 2145841

You will also meet patrons. These are people who frequents your restaurant and you get to make friends with them. There are also level requirements for each patron and they give out lots of rewards if you talk to them frequently. Each one has a different personality so you better watch out what you say to each patron :) At level 5 they are going to reward you something very nice to display in your restaurant and also by time, they get to have transformations (class up) on the way they look.

Personally, this is my favorite part! :) You can shop at the store for kitchen ware, furniture, decorations, tiles, plants and a whole lot more. There are also some items which you need to purchase with real money through credit card though, but it's totally up to you. These items are so cool and you will be the one to decide what kind of theme your restaurant is going to have. For me the Miniature theme looks so great because it has the toy-like style but a little mix and match of items from different themes won't hurt. This will definitely test your creativity skills and your taste for interior decorating!

There are some mini games for you to earn more points, making the entire gaming experience more fun! d=(´▽｀)=b

     So that's the basics for I Love Pasta. There are so many things to do in this game and would keep you busy for the entire day! Go fishing; play bingo; do street fairs; so plenty and so much fun that's why I will recommend you to play this game. Over all, the graphics is so awesome and the music is cool perfect enough for a real restaurant. For me this is a perfect game for food lovers and for people who plans for having their very own restaurant - you can get ideas here! Do visit Pati Games website to check out more games like this one.

It's a Matter of Taste: Chicken Ham

A special ham that my mom loves to make for us : )

It is very tasty, a combination of sweet and fruity flavors definitely fit for an emperor's party! My mom often makes chicken or pork hams on special occasions like Christmas or New Year and it really suits these priceless occasions. This is made with secret spices and secret procedures! Don't be fooled, this ham is not your typical ham because the flavors and spices are really well infused.

It's a Matter of Taste: Chicken Tocino

This one's very yummy! Sweet yet spicy, this can be cooked by frying, grilling or broiling.

You just can't resist its taste : ) Personally, I like it grilled because you can smell the mouth-watering aroma.

Tocino is originated from the Caribbean countries, made from pork bellies and is deep fried until crispy. While in the Philippines, the meat is sliced into strips and is placed in a jar with spices.

Now, there are many ways to prepare tocino and for us, we also have our own way to do it.

It's a Matter of Taste: Some of the BEST

These are some of the foods we cooked along with the Pasta ala Veggie. Definitely our favorites and these are usually present in our gatherings : )

Pizza

Round? We tried it square! We wanted to see what it really looks like in a different shape. Same meaty and cheesy. Loads of toppings!

Chicken Skin Cracklings

A crispy treat that I really love since i was a kid. Very tasty and it tastes better with vinegar. My best friends couldn't help but eat a lot - and I mean A LOT : )

Shawarma

This is a new addition to our menu. This is not your typical shawarma or meaty pita wrap. We tried a different flavor and it's Curry. Really tasty! Stuffing includes, curry chicken nuggets, pineapple, eggs, cucumber, onion, potatoes, cheese, garlic mayo sauce and cayenne pepper sauce.

It's Matter of Taste: Boneless Crispy Pata

One of the best meals to prepare during special occasions like birthdays or the much awaited Christmas and New Year! Boneless Crispy Pata is not your typical crispy pata because its, well you've guessed it - boneless! : )
This meal takes time and some patience to prepare; from deboning, to wrapping, to boiling, to freezing, then to frying, this will take you about half a day to prepare.
But the most rewarding part is the eating part! : ) You'll get to experience the crispiness and juiciness of the pata and you can gobble it up without worrying about a single bone, except for its toes which you must not take off to let it maintain its figure while frying. This meal is best served with warm rice and lechon sauce. : )
Enjoy eating... and don't forget to share!

It's a Matter of Taste: Fried Pork Chops

Every October 12 here in Zamboanga City, the Zamboangeños celebrate the Hermosa Festival or Fiesta Pilar. The city celebrates 12 days and nights with lots of events and activities. We celebrate mainly in honor of the miraculous image of Our Lady of the Pilar Nuestra Señora del Pilar de Zaragosa. The most awaited day is the feast day itself, which is October 12, where people from all over the city will have their own celebration with their families at home where they will cook any kind of dish.


One special dish would be fried pork chops. Although pork chops is not a traditional Filipino food, but you can't help but make some for the whole family right? : )

Pork Chops are really delicious if cooked properly and if the right cut of meat was bought. Pork chops are either fried or grilled, whichever you like it's fine as long as you don't over-cook it. If you want to have it grilled, be sure you must make the  proper marinade and sauce so that it will turn out juicy. If you want to fry it, also make the right coating with spices to that it will be tasty.


Viva Nuestra Señora del Pilar!!! : )

It's a Matter of Taste: The Six Best

Last February 9, my classmates and I had the Trial and Error. We cooked different kinds of food and had it taste so that we could decide which will be used for our menu. It was really fun! After cooking, we get to eat all of it and the best part? All of our dishes were approved!
: )

 

Parmesan Chicken with Scalloped Potatoes

My classmates Christa and Karim, made fried lollipop chicken that was coated with Parmesan cheese with some spices. For the side-dish, they made scalloped potatoes. The potatoes were baked with milk, butter, salt, pepper, and Parmesan cheese.

 

Baked Macaroni

This cheesy goodness was cooked by Marvin, Mark and JP. They used elbow macaroni, ground beef, tomato sauce, dried basil leaves, onion, garlic, Parmesan cheese, button mushroom, and minced bacon. But this is not your typical baked mac because they have some secret ingredients which makes this baked macaroni oh so yummy!

 

Spaghetti ala Gregorio

The trio also made this unique pasta dish. The sauce was made using ground beef, sausages, tomato sauce, button mushrooms, salami, spiced ham, basil, and other spices.

 

Orange Chicken

Cooked by Leroy and Irvine, this food is great for you citrus lovers out there. Fried chicken that was simmered in Orange sauce. The sauce was made using orange juice, pineapple juice, onion, garlic, salt, pepper, basil, cornstarch, grated orange rinds and slices of oranges. It has a sweet and spicy taste; and the aroma is really great.

Lemon Mousse

Yvette and Katrina made this sweet treat out of lemons. Grated lemon rinds mix with egg whites, sugar, double cream, and water.This dessert is great white vanilla wafers. If you want it to have the "ice cream effect", serve it chilled. : )

 

Authentic Italia

I made a little something using fusilis. The sauce is a combination of tamato sauce, dried basil leaves, Parmesan cheese, and garlic. For the meatballs, i used ground beef, eggs, Parmesan cheese, chilies, with salt and pepper. Really flavorful! : ) but I must add more sauce.

It's a Matter of Taste: Thai Beef Salad

 

 Another meal done at school! : )

This is not your ordinary kind of salad because this is SUPER HOT! A combination of onion, garlic, bell peppers, chili, tomatoes and lettuce top with sautéd beef and garlic bits, this salad is definitely unique. If you want to eat something that will surely make you sweat, then try this.

It's a Matter of Taste: Summer Pasta D'Lite

We did this meal at our school. Great teamwork and we came up with this! : )

Summer Pasta D'Lite consists of tuna, tomatoes, onion, cucumber, olives, salt, and pepper. We used Angel Hair pasta and this is not your typical pasta meal. This is served cold, so you might wonder why it has a peculiar taste. But hey! It's very delicious and good for the health. Go ahead and give it a try.

It's a Matter of Taste: Lechon Kawali

Don't you just love lechon kawali with Mang Tomas lechon sauce? : )

Have a super HAPPY NEW YEAR to all! : )

It's a Matter of Taste: Pork Barbeque

We just can't get enough of this! : )

The etymology of the term is vague, but the most plausible theory states that the word "barbecue" is a derivative of the West Indian term "barbacoa," which denotes a method of slow-cooking meat over hot coals.

The history of barbecue itself, aside from its murky etymological origins, is more clear. For several reasons, the pig became an omnipresent food staple in the South. Pigs were a low-maintenance and convenient food source for Southerners. In the pre-Civil War period, Southerners ate, on average, five pounds of pork for every one pound of beef. Pigs could be put out to root in the forest and caught when food supply became low. These semi-wild pigs were tougher and stringier than modern hogs, but were a convenient and popular food source. Every part of the pig was utilized-- the meat was either eaten immediately or cured for later consumption, and the ears, organs and other parts were transformed into edible delicacies. Pig slaughtering became a time for celebration, and the neighborhood would be invited to share in the largess. The traditional Southern barbecue grew out of these gatherings.

At the end of the colonial period, the practice of holding neighborhood barbecues was well-established, but it was in the fifty years before the Civil War that the traditions associated with large barbecues became entrenched. Plantation owners regularly held large and festive barbecues, including "pig pickin's" for slaves.

In the nineteenth century, barbecue was a feature at church picnics and political rallies as well as at private parties. A barbecue was a popular and relatively inexpensive way to lobby for votes, and the organizers of political rallies would provide barbecue, lemonade, and usually a bit of whiskey. The varied history of barbecue reflects the varied history of the South. Sometimes shameful, but usually interesting, the history of barbecue can be seen an emblem of Southern history. For the past seventy-five years, the barbecue joint has flourished. Although local specialties and the time-intensive nature of barbecue preparation have insured that real barbecue (as opposed to defrosted and microwaved meat) will never be a staple at chain restaurants, barbecue has endured. Aside from its succulent taste, delicious sauces and the inimitable, smoky atmosphere of an authentic barbecue joint, barbecue has become a Southern icon, a symbol that is cherished by Southerners. Without the racist subtext of the Stars and Bars, the anachronistic sexism of the Southern belle, or the bland ennui of a plate of grits, barbecue has become a cultural icon for Southerners, of every race, class and sex.

It's a Matter of Taste: Pizza, Pizzas and MORE Pizzas!

 

Eating pizza has never been this good! : )

It started in the Medieval Latin times, and it was considered as the "food for the poor people". Later on in Italy, Alexandre Dumas and Raffaele Esposito further revised its recipe, adding oil, mozzarella cheese, tomato sauce, and different kinds of toppings and spices. Actually the tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese and basil symbolizes the Italian flag. In the late 19th century, this was brought to the United States by Italian immigrants and later on it was brought to other parts of the world.

Now, not only in Italy, but also in different places in the world gets to enjoy this delicious food.

Thanks to the Italians. Gratzi!

I'm pretty sure my brother had mastered the art of doing pizzas! I also did my part kneading the dough and prepare the toppings. But my oh so favorite part is the EATING part! : )

Let's eat!