My movies isn't complete without...Popcorn!

HOLY...................................................Kettle hand-popped popcorn! i so love it that i can finish one big bag of it. I like the crunchiness yet softness of each popped kernels.. and the taste?!..hmmm sweet and salty! And the fact that it is healthy compared to other junk foodS! Although i know that it's not really a healthy food, but it's really an A-plus snack for me.

No Butter, No Preservatives! No Artificial Flavors! No MSG! but high in Fiber!.. yum!

sleepy while reading..

i was with my mom at the Promenade because i have no work for that day. We did all the bonding stuff a mother and daughter would do. We watched a movie, eat at Little Asia, have a break at starbucks and then we bought ice cream for dessert! I was so full at that moment that i wanted to relax and stop eating! So we headed to our next fave shop....FULLY BOOKED!

That's one of our favorite hang-out place. We go directly to the cookbook section, grab anything that catches our eyes. My mom would read mostly books about Asian cuisine while i read mostly about desserts!

Everytime we go at FULLY BOOKED, we usually find a comfortable seating place, actually we sit at the floor..well, that's comfortable! hehhe anyway, while i was reading a book about chocolates, my eyes were closing and was really sleepy! So i took out my cellphone and the camera mode was mistakenly pressed! So here's the beautiful candid shot that i mistakenly shot! ......Nice! hehehe

1 venti green tea frappuccino for Ms. jen?!

Oh Starbucks? hmm Starbucks! yeah.. Starbucks. well, what can i say?.. i Love everything about it. I love their items..whoops did i mention i don't drink coffee? i know it's weird, but i love everything starbucks.I love to hang-out in their cozy coffeeshops. Especially, the one in the Missouri St., Greenhills besides Chilis. The atmosphere is very homy and relaxing. The ambience makes me feel like i can do what i want. Everytime i am meeting someone, i choose starbucks. If i just want to talk or to deal about something, Starbucks is the place. After movie, after dinner, after work or etcetera.. Starbucks would always be the first choice. I had different memories in different Starbucks' branches. Each memories, good or bad, happened there. That's the place where me and my prom date chose before heading home. That's the place where i met someone who had been special to me. That's the choice if me and my friends just wanted to bond. That's the choice when my family wanted to talk about something important. That's the choice when i just wanted to relax and do nothing.

The staff are great. They're very accommodating and cheery. Everytime i go to my favorite branch (the one in Missouri st.), i feel like im entering a 5-star hotel.. coz the service and food are great. But the nicest part is that they remember me and my favorite starbucks item. They always greet me by my first name and i was astonished that they do really remember me.. and by that i feel important. And Not only me, they also do that to other customers especially the regular ones. The reason why i am so particular about that kind of service is because, i work in a hospitality establishment and that we were taught how to satisfy our guest. After a tiring week of delighting customers and pleasing guest by producing great desserts, of course i do also want to feel that kind of treatment.
I always look forward to Starbucks' products and promos. I only have their 2007 planner which i got last December after frequently dragging my friends, co-workers and family members to go to Starbucks. What's on my wish list right now is to collect the Starbucks' Bearista from all different countries. I also want their city Mugs and their cute tumblers.
And of course! ..................... ONE VENTI GREENTEA FRAPPUCCINO! NO WHIP for JEN?! yah, i love hearing that.. know what, i am craving for it right now. Right this second, i want to hold that cold venti cup with a greenish thing inside it. Just read my previous blog, Addicted! and you'll know that this is the main reason why i love Starbucks!

Don't get me wrong, i don't work for starbucks nor get paid for this.. i just want to share my starbucks moments and why i love everything about it. And by the way, i am trying to get used to in drinking coffee even though i palpitate and get so nervous after having a cup. Who knows, i might get addicted to their coffees and other items too!

Addicted!

I'm the kind of person who can eat the same food again and again until my body cravings got sick and tired of it. Then after a long time of not eating that particular food, i'll surely crave for it again!Yep that's my eating habbit. I'm an adventourous eater because i would love to try anything new or unfamiliar to me. But once i've found my soul food, i'll keep having it until i get it out of my scheme.

yep, i call it my soul foods. Because it's like you've found your soul mate. These are the food that i would want to have when i'm depressed, stresed or simply bored. Or when i just want to hang-out with my barkada, to have chit-chats with my family or if i just want to watch a flick.

My soul foods:

• Starbucks' Greentea Frappuccino - venti please.
  
• Holy Kettle Popcorn- i can finish the Large one!
• Monde's Eggnog Chocolate cookies - again, the large pack!
• Nuts! Special mention: Macadamia nuts! - roasted of course
• Fruits and veg! - always and forever!
• PARTICULARLY: Apple, banana, grapes, orange and watermelon.
• TOMATOES - oh my! the raw salad tomatoes, tomatoe-based pasta sauce, anything flavored with tomatoes!
• Fresh Fruit Shakes!
  
• Nagaraya peanuts - the yellow one, butter flavor
• Soya Milk - iced!
  
• Tofu! Tofu! Tofu
• Anything Chocolate! Choco chip cookies, Moist choco cake, brownies, truffles and pralines, choco candy bars, choco milk shake!
  

Filipino snacks, Twisted!

We had a project in our FILCUI (Filipino Cuisine) course before, where we were asked to submit a portfolio of modernized Filipino Dishes. We can choose any theme from appetizers to main dishes and even desserts.

My concept is about dishes that can be enjoyed during merienda time, brunch, or midnight snack. These are traditional snacks or desserts with a unique Filipino twist. These dishes are created by substituting some ingredients with native Filipino ingredients.

Filipinos are hardworking people yet they’ve set a time for relaxation. A time for sleeping, eating or mingling, that’s what they called “siesta”. It’s the time when they eat their favorite “merienda”.

The main reason why I chose these five dishes is simply because I want to execute something new, something extraordinary. Filipinos are food lovers and adventurous eaters and the trend nowadays is to have something unique yet traditional.

Calamansi & Cashew Cheesecake

Calamansi and Casuy together is a bizarre combination to be used in a no-bake cheesecake. Yet this refreshing, palate-cleansing dessert can please anyone in the table. My very own version of New York’s Key-Lime pie that will make you crave for more.

Calamansi & Cashew Cheesecake
Yield: 10 Slices

Pie Crust:
150 g. crushed graham crackers
90 g sugar
75 g. ground cashew nuts
120 ml butter, melted

1) Preheat oven to 350F/180C.
2) To make the crust: mix the graham cracker crumbs, ground cashew nuts, sugar and melted butter. Press mixture into a 9-inch spring form pan and chill for about 15 minutes.
3) Bake crust for about 5 minutes in the preheated oven. Set aside to cool.

Filling:

60 ml water
15 g. unflavored gelatin powder
500ml whipping cream, chilled
300 ml condensed milk
60 ml calamansi juice, freshly squeezed
2 drops green food coloring

1) To make the filling: Pour water into a small saucepan and sprinkle unflavored gelatin powder on top. Allow gelatin granules to swell. Heat over low heat, stirring until liquid clears and gelatin is completely dissolved. Set aside.
2) Beat the whipping cream with a mixer at medium speed for 5 minutes. Slowly add condensed milk and Calamansi juice and beat to blend, about 2 minutes.
3) Add the food coloring and the gelatin mixture and beat until mixture is smooth and an even light green color. Chill for 5-10 minutes or until partially set.dd
4) Spoon filling into the cooled pie crust. Chill for 6 hours before serving.

Crema de Fruta Icebox Cake
Crema de Fruta, a famous Filipino meal-ender made of various fruits conserved in a gelatin. But this is something different; Crema de Fruta layered between softened broas, sweetened filling and a smooth chocolate ganache.

Crema de Fruta Icebox Cake

Yield: 4-6 servings

30-40 pcs Broas
2 (450g.) Fruit cocktail, well drained, reserve syrup

Filling:
125 g. sugar
20 g. flour
280 ml Cream
75 ml reserved syrup
2 pcs eggyolks
15 g. butter
5 ml vanilla extract

Chocolate Ganache:
180 ml Cream
150g. Semi-sweet chocolate chips

Glaze:
15 g. unflavored gelatin powder
60 ml cold water
60 ml boiling water

1) Prepare the Filling: Combine the sugar and flour in a saucepan and mix well. Pour in cream and water adn cook over medium heat, stirring until mixture thickens slightly about 10 minutes.

) Remove from heat and add yolks, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Return to heat and continue cooking until mixture becomes thick and of spreadable consistency, 10-15 minutes. Stir in butter and vanilla. Set aside to cool.

3) Make the Chocolate ganache: Heat cream in a pan. Just before the cream mixture starts to boil, turn off heat and stir in the chocolate chips. Continue stirring until all thechocolate has melted completely.

4) To assemble, dip each broas, one at a time, in the reserved fruit cocktail. Arrange them in a medium rectangle pyrex dish.

5) Spread the cooled filling on top of the arranged graham crackers. Spread chocolate sauce on top of the filling. Put fruit cocktail on top of the filling.

6) Repeat steps 4 and 5.

7) Make the glaze: sprinkle gelatin powder onto the cold water and set aside. Let stand for 5 minutes Pour in boiling water and stir until it dissolves. Set aside to cool then pour on top of the assembled cake.

8) Chill for 6 hours or until set.

Camote Turrones with Coffee Syrup
Camote, Turons and coffee are some of the favorite Filipino treats that can be found during merienda time. Combined together in a single dish, and there you have it… a scrumptious killer snack.

Camote Turrones with Coffee Syrup

Yield: 10 pcs.

Turrones:

4 pcs. Sweet potatoes, peeled & sliced into strips
120 g. Jackfruit meat, sliced into strips
240 g. brown sugar
120 ml water
15 ml cornstarch
10 pcs. lumpia wrapper
720 ml vegatable oil, for frying

1) Dredge Camote strips in brown sugar.
2) Arrange Camote strips with some jackfruit meat diagonally on the wrapper, and sealed w/ water-cornstarch mixture.
3) Dredge rolls in sugar once more and deep fry until golden brown. Drain in paper towels.

Coffee syrup & Garnish:

240 g. sugar
120 ml water
5 g. instant coffee powder
10 g. sesame seeds

1) In preheated pan, caramelize the sugar over medium flame, being careful not to burn it. Add h20 and coffee. Stir and simmer until liquid is reduced and syrupy.
2) To garnish: Slice turrones diagonally. Arrange in plate. Scoop vanilla ice cream. Drizzle with coffee syrup and sprinkle the sesame seeds on top.

Red Egg & Green Mango Salad

Red egg and green mangoes w/ bagoong are traditional Filipino starter. This salad is great for picnics, beach foods or simply as snacks.

Red Egg & Green Mango Salad

Yield: 5 Servings

5 pcs. Salted eggs
5 pcs medium tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 pc. onion, finely chopped
1 pc. calamansi juice
1 pc. large green mango
15 g. shrimp paste
20-25 g. sugar

1) Peel mangoes and cut into thin strips. Toss the mangoes with the shrimp paste.
2) Chop the red eggs into cubes. Combine the eggs, tomatoes, chopped onion and the mangoes.
3) In a small bowl, blend together the sugar and Calamansi juice. Pour over the mango-red egg mixture. Mix well. Let stand for a few minutes.

Beef Salpicao & Pineapple Top Rice
The fusion of Salpicao and pineapple is very tropical. Top rice are not only eaten for lunch or dinner but can also be savored during snacks. Serve this top rice in a cute BIG coffee mug and have it during coffee breaks or brunch.

Beef Salpicao & Pineapple Top Rice

Yield: 4-servings

Beef Salpicao:

250g. Beef Tenderloin, cut into strips
10 ml olive oil
60 ml butter
45 g. galic,
5 g. paprika
30 ml cooking wine
30 ml worcestershire sauce
30 ml liquid seasoning
salt & pepper to taste

1) Heat butter together with olive oil in a pan.
2) Sauté garlic until brown. Cook beef tenderloin. Add paprika and seasonings.
3) Add wine last and reduce the liquid in the pan on low heat.
4) Remove beef when cooked. Set aside.

Pineapple Fried Rice:

1440 g. cooked rice
720 g. pineapple, crushed
20 ml worcestershire
15 g. garlic, minced
30 g. spring onions, chopped finely
salt to taste

1) Saute the garlic in butter until fragrant. Add in the cooked rice and mix well.
2) Add the crushed pineapple, Worcestershire and season with salt and pepper.
3) Put the spring onions and mix the rice well.
4) Serve with Beef Salpicao on top.

Foodie and Beyond

I don't know if being a foodie is hereditary or is just acquired through time, all I know is that, I can't help being one.

As a kid, I always spend time in the kitchen, watching my mom as she cooks our meal. I was so eager to help her and so, she would let me do simple task like beating the eggs or sifting the flour. My mom is a very good cook. She loves to buy cookbooks and she’ll read it before she goes to bed. I think part of me being a foodie, is because of my mom. I would always try to be like her and imitate what she’s doing. So at the age of seven, I was already fond of watching cooking shows. At the age of 8, my mom gave me my first ever cookbook, entitled “Look Ma, I Can Cook!” Like my mom, I even had a notebook where I jot down recipes from the cooking show; “Cooking with the Daza’s” I also cut recipe clippings from newspapers and magazines. At the age of 9, I was already allowed to cook fried eggs and hotdogs. I also did love sleeping over at my Aunt Janice’s place because she would let me do more kitchen chores than my mom. I can still remember making colorful Pichi-pichis with her. My mom already knew then that I wanted to become a kitchen empress. She enrolled me in cooking and baking classes during summer. I’ve tried attending Dorothy Ferrer’s cooking class, Sylvia Cancio’s baking course, Xavier’s cooking workshop and so on and so forth.

I can remember being so excited to school as we started cooking lessons on our T.H.E. class. I was frequently appointed as the group leader in our Home Economic class until high school. After taking the career assessment test, I then realized that I was more into hospitality track. Actually, my parents wanted me to take Computer Science because that was the fad at that time and that 2 of my “computer-enthusiast” cousins got admirable jobs. So I chose com-sci and took the exam at my dream university, De La Salle. But on that examination day, I already knew that I would not get into La Salle. Because I answered the questions vertically after learning that the questions were arranged horizontally. It was too late to change my answers given that there were only 15 minutes left. That’s were I realized my true calling. And so I took Bachelor of Science in Hotel Restaurant and Institution Management, major in culinary arts at De La Salle – College of St. Benilde. Well, not bad! I am still a green-blooded mortal. hehehe =).

I am glad that I took that course because I became more open to the culinary World. That was the start of everything. My realization, my pathway, they became clear to me. I then learned that I want to become a pastry chef someday, and I want to learn different cultures through their food. I want to have my own food business. I want to learn more culinary skills through experience and to broaden my culinary wisdom by studying abroad.

I was so happy when I got accepted as a trainee at Shangri-la hotel, Makati (SLM). I was assigned at the garde manger dept., pastry dept (my fave!), Main Kitchen and Butchery. Right after my graduation, I was hired as a seasonal casual for the Christmas production by Chef Werner, the former Executive Pastry Chef of SLM. I was so excited and nervous at the same time because that was my first job. We made thousands of assorted cookies and ginger bread houses. I was sad as the holiday ends, because that’s also my last day since I was only hired for Christmas season (2 months only). I cried when I got home and my mom comforted me. She understands my feeling. Even though I worked 8-12 hours a day, and got sick for a month, she knew I was longing for that kind of job. I cried because I am going to miss my job. The Shang’s pastry kitchen is my 2^nd home.

But my hope doesn’t end there, before January ends, I already had a job at Bizu Patisserie. I was a Pastry attendant in their Greenbelt branch. I was assigned at the pastry vitrine, where I was in-charge in garnishing all the cakes delivered from the commissary. The cakes and the garnishes were already made. The work was easy yet very boring I miss the real kitchen action. I felt that I am not learning. Working in Bizu had taught me on how a fine dining resto works and the entire inventory thingy. But that’s just it, monotonous, irksome. Then fter a month and a half of working there, Chef Jojo, the former Pastry dept,’s Chef De Partie surprisingly called me and asked if I wanted to go back to SLM; and of course, you all know the answer. I resigned at Bizu and returned to Shang, not as a seasonal casual anymore, but as a permanent casual!

So here I am now, still working at Shangri-la’s pastry kitchen. I work 8-12 hours a day and 6 day a week. I have work during holidays like Christmas season and the whole holy week. I have lesser time with my family and friends. No more weekly night-outs. I know that it’s a tough job and that I have to sacrifice a lot but I just can’t leave my job. Not now, not yet. Maybe someday, when I get really tired on working at hotel, I’ll just continue my passion by putting up my own business or just write food articles like this.

I love to make people happy by serving them food. I just can’t stop eating or talking about food. I suppose I’m really a food aficionado. My profound passion for food runs in my blood. Good thing, I was born with it. ♣