And Lastly,

Back when I  still called this a food blog, I put up an "Eat List" wherein Ersao was included and never crossed out. Here's an update to that.

I happened to be in the vicinity of their new Quezon Ave. branch one Saturday for a dentist appointment so I grabbed this chance to tick-off the now non-exsistent list. 

Brocolli Bacon with Almonds

Broccoli and bacon are probably the next two food items I like after potatoes and tea. So when I saw this recipe, I decided I had to do it...well, not quite. I saw this recipe for Broccoli-bacon salad but wanted to do a dish that could go with rice. So what I did was skipped the mayo(and a lot of other things) and put in a bit of water. I then threw in some almonds and prepared to serve. A really simple meal, it almost feels like cheating for this cooking challenge. Haha.

Ingredients:
Broccoli, chopped into bite sizes
Bacon, fried, cut into small pieces or crumbled
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
Roasted Almonds, chopped


Instructions:
First sautee the garlic in oil until golden brown and fragrant. Add in the Broccoli and a half cup of water. Stir occasionally until tender. It get's fragrant, too!( a broccoli sort of fragrance) Throw in the bacon and keep stirring for a few more minutes. Add salt if you like but the taste of the bacon should flavor the dish just fine. Remove from heat, sprinkle some almonds and serve.


Whew! Didn't know I had it in me to write down a recipe like this!


10/30 cooking challenge

Queens of Persia

This comes at a time when I have to set my mind on Persian fare as next week I will be re-telling the story of Queen Esther before a crowd of teenage girls.

Veiled Dining Area

My friend and I have set ourselves on a mission to eat out at places we've never eaten before and last night we decided to try out Conti's at Trinoma. Both of us, on different occasions, have attempted eating there before but never succeeded...even now! The waiting line was quite long and we were pressed for time so we went hunting for a new venue. ( as a side note, Conti's should get a bigger place in Trinoma)

Enter cozy Persian restaurant with plush couches and sheer pink curtains-- Shomal by Hossein's. At first I didn't want to get in since I couldn't see any other diners. It turned out they were all seated at one side, to where the curtains are. I could already imagine Esther entering the women's house at Susa where special diets were prepared just for them. We picked out a spot on the curtained couches that even had individual colourful chandeliers per table! If you prefer, the curtains could be let down to complete your Arabian royalty experience. There is even merry Persian music to come with it.

The Queens' (and King's) Feast!

Being already familiar with Persian/ Arabian Cuisine (shoutout to Mister Kebab at Ayalaland Technohub), we did not get so lost in the menu. Well, just a bit. Besides they took the liberty of describing almost every dish. In the end we decided to take a sampling of one of their Mega Kebab group meals plus chicken salad and Persian Tea. 

Surprise! The meal that the waiter said was good for three was a feast! The salad came in a huge platter. It was seasoned with vinegar that was vaguely familiar to my tastebuds--probably one of the many my mom took home from her travels locally? The group meal came with  three servings of Chelou Jujeh Kabab, which was a soft and flavorful Chicken Kebab. A large serving of Beef Chelou Kebab ( it had a different flavor from those I've tried before, which I like )  and another of Beef Kebab Kubideh ( nicely savory but somewhat tough). I liked that they already removed the sticks (yet it does not seem like it in the pic :)) so you didn't have to wrestle with removing them. Of course these came with the obligatory Yogurt garlic sauce and even a spicy one.

Kebab love. L-R: Beef Kubideh, three Chelou Jujeh, Beef Chelou.

The Saffron rice on the side was abundant. It was a very long grained variety flavoured with spices like cloves, saffron and turmeric. I liked it because it was so chewy and not very heavy on the stomach-- which means you get to eat more without noticing!

Much discussed long-grained rice.

In the end we couldn't finish our meal so we took what remains home. I was even able to share the rice and some of the kebab at the office over lunch. Reheating the stuff released all the nice-smelling flavors in the meat and rice. 


I hope to get back there again, but not soon as it isn't exactly a weekly hangout type of place (wink, wink). 


I wanna try: Lassie, Hummus with Naan, Lamb Shish Kebab
Best for: a date or a heart to heart. The place looks too refined for the din of large groups.

The Moon Leaf Chronicles

MORE!

I went to three different Moon leaf tea shop branches this week. ( so now I have three different Moon leaf loyalty cards :3)


SUNDAY: Bible study meeting at Moon Leaf St Thomas Square. Had some encouraging and de-stressing post- pre-board exam (??) talk with my ECE girls, Julie and Louie. We got french macaroons along with our Yakult Jasmine tea (mine) , Nata Milk tea (louie's) and Milk green tea (Julie's). Already Yakult Jasmine's getting to be my new favourite.


WEDNESDAY: Visited Moon Leaf Maginhawa with my workmates after a day at work and our office cell group meeting. Kidded around with their gadgets and Simsimi with all our worries behind us-- well almost , some of us tried to do their homework during our stay.


THURSDAY: Decided to drop by Moon Leaf Dapitan as I went to meet my leader, Tita Cha. Got honey green tea ( with Pearls!) for the first time. As I prepare myself to punching in the straw--the cup broke! Got tea all over the floor and the edge of my shirt. The good thing? They gave me a new cup of tea without me asking! :)

The instance where they miss-spell your names and you just have to take a photo of it.

FRIDAY: It's my friend, Nessil's, birthday! I gave her my free tea birthday coupon. We decided to walk to Moon Leaf Morayta from our church in Lacson even though it was already past 9pm. Got my favourite Hakka milk tea and her free pudding milk tea, took some pictures and went off!


Whew! And I say this isn't my favourite tea shop? A statement that's hard to defend.

Mcdonalds Apple Pie a la Mode

A friend of mine shared to me this genius Mcdonald's combo:

This has been my favorite after fries and Quarter Pounder burgers since.
It doesn't look so appetizing in this picture but it works because
                   1)their Apple pie is quite decent
  2)the ice cream tastes good
  3)(the best part) its only 38Php or less than a dollar

P.S. if you want to use this reciepe, please contact me and I'll TELL my friend. no, seriously.

back at 50's

What charm does 50's diner hold to the people of  Baguio that even during a stormy, blustery, frigid day people are willing to wait <outside!> for their turn at a plate of Mamma's Kid??

A summery bowl of fruits. Made us forget it was stormy outside.

I remember this place as an obscure but interesting restaurant along Abanao street, with the vintage-looking automobile above the entrance. Though I have never eaten there, I was nevertheless sad when I saw they were packing up. 

It turned out they did not close up but moved to a new place in Leonard Wood road and gained a rather unexpected following--UP-Baguio students! All of a sudden 50's diner defines the Baguio city dining experience. People raved about the wall posters, the music, the broken jukebox, the milkshakes, the fries, the counter, the servers, the manager. And the price-- which many people said is cheap but with which I couldn't get to agree. Nevertheless, I came to eat there a few times and loved it too. Indeed it was one of the things I missed when I left the city.

Recently I got to dine there again with a bunch of returning friends. We went to the newer branch along Military Cut-off road since the other store was < you guessed it> overflowing despite the downpour. And in our excitement almost all of us ordered Guys on the Hood! Someone also tried out their <expensive> fruit plate which did look mouth-watering in its presentation, we almost did not want to touch it. Another person had a banana split which was the best as ever. All in all, we enjoyed coming back to an old favorite.

Can the girls finish up their Guys on the Hood? (pizza, chicken, pork chop,

buttered veggies, toast, fries and spaghetti)

...without a doubt.

People are talking about: Mamma's kid, banana split, milkshakes
Best deal: Guys on the Hood
I wanna try: She, that-huge-burger-which-I-don't-know-the-name
Best with: a bunch of old friends to swap stories with.#

photos from: Jerwin Abellana

first!

I have been wanting to do something like this for sometime. It emerged when I first realized how much I miss eating out in my hometown ( or City), Baguio. I don't know how to describe it, it's just different. Then again it's probably my tummy feeling so... at home. 

So now, A FOOD BLOG. and maybe other things besides. this is my first, beware! but, also, ENJOY! 

A smile from the bottom of my lemon iced tea (Kangaroo Jacks)

P.S. why is that the blog name? well, its from Proverbs 13:25. I put in " Our" --myself and you all. A promise to never go hungry! Yay!!!!