Kulilits Moments: Ian & Chris Daldalero

The Kulilits nowadays are like chatterboxes. Parang machine gun ang mga bibig sa kadaldalan. Minsan nga during our Bible story session sa homeschooling session namin, inaabot kami ng siyam siyam dahil panay singit habang nagkwekwento ako. Ang daming mga tanong at ang daming alam!

In terms naman of vocabulary, bow ako sa kanila. "The TERMS" kung baga. Nagugulat na nga lang kami ni hubby sa mga pinagsasabi eh.


Scenario 1: No Problem

In Baler, sinuway ni Lola Es si Chris...

Lola Es: Chris, no. Don't do that.
Chris: NO!
Me (with pandidilat): Anak, is that being polite?
Chris (looked at me then Lola Es): Nooooo Problem!!!

Ok sa hirit ano? Ang galing sumegway ng anak ko. Bilib talaga ako sa takbo ng isip eh.


Scenario 2: Pandecoco

One night, nagkwekwentuhan kami ni hubby...

Me: Be, alam mo ba, ang lakas kumain ni Ian. Ang takaw grabe. Naka 3 pandecoco, eh ang lalaki nun.
Doc Padu (to me): Talaga? Growing boy eh.
Ian (butting in): I had 3 helpings daddy!

O di ba? Hanep sa terms. Helpings talaga eh. Pwede naman "I ate" o di kaya "I had".


Scenario 3: 

One time, nasira yung party trumpet ni Chris...

Me: It's broken already anak, let's throw it.
Chris: I don't want to throw it. Please mend it mommy.
Me (I thought mali lang ang narinig ko): What?
Chris: Please mend my party trumpet mommy?
Doc Padu: Mend daw!
Me: Ah mend...
Chris: Yes, mend means fix mommy!

Anaknang! Manang mana talaga sa pinagmanahan. Grammar nazi na rin! Haha! Tama bang turuan pa ako? Nagulat lang naman ako dahil imbis na fix ang sabihin, mend pa talaga.


Scenario 4: Behave

When we were in the warehouse of Bizmode...

Doc Padu: Boys, this is not our house. You should behave.
Ian (went to Lola Es then whispered): Lola Es, behave. This is not our home.

Ang kulit di ba? Gaya gaya puto maya. Hehe.


Scenario 5: French Fries

While eating french fries...

Chris: Oooohhh french fries! I'm fond of french fries...
Me: Naks naman anak! Pwede namang like or love lang ang gamitin mo, fond pa talaga!


Grabe mga terms nila ano? 3 years old lang yang mga yan! Thanks to Disney Junior and Peppa Pig plus our story telling sessions. =)

Food Trippin' at SM Megamall - Kyochon & Tim Ho Wan

Last Wednesday, we went to Makati Medical Center for Christoff's vaccination. I brought with me the Kulilits kaya full force kami. Buti na lang at napakiusapan ko ang mga in-laws ko to go with us. Mahirap kasi magtravel kung kaming apat lang eh. Ok lang kung malapitan keri ko pa, pero yung pupunta ng Makati with the traffic, ewan ko lang.

After Makati Med, we went to SM Megamall. May inasikaso kasi yung FIL ko eh. Pero yung trip namin sa Megamall, naging food trip.

First, we had our lunch at Kyochon. I guess it's new lang kasi never ko pa narinig yung name ng resto eh. Anyway, naintriga yung FIL ko kasi (1) maraming kumakain, (2) mukhang masarap yung chicken nila and (3) may malaking poster ni Lee Min Ho kaya dun na lang kami nag-eat. Supposedly kasi sa Luk Yuen kami pero para maiba naman daw sa Kyochon na lang kami.

The facade...

The standee outside the resto showcasing the awards that they received...

The placemat...

We ordered their combo meal - Combo 2. It comes with 20 pieces of wings, salad, 4 rice and 4 drinks. All for P999.00.

We also ordered rice cake soup for the Kulilits sana. Pero hindi nila masyado type. I think it's expensive for its price (P70.00)...

Here is the salad...

Here are the chicken wings. We had the original and the red series...

What can I say about Kyochon?

For the food, masarap naman. I think their original chicken is better than Bon Chon. Pero for the red series, napaka-anghang! Yung tipong puro anghang lang and hindi na malasahan yung chicken. Ang plus point sa kanila is their rice. Ang sarap ng rice. Kung ganun kasarap yung rice, mapapalakas kain ng rice.

For the price, it's kinda pricey. Parang medyo bitin kasi their food eh. Kasi if you'll see, yung inorder namin a little over one thousand na.

Then come merienda time, we went to Tim Ho Wan and checked what the fuss is all about. Ga-patera kasi lagi sa haba ang pila eh tapos parati pang laman ng IG and FB feeds ko. We went there past 3pm na kaya wala na masyadong pila.

Here is the facade (check their queuing system)...

Tim Ho Wan is from Hong Kong and they are famous because of their Michelin Star dim sum.

When we checked their menu, nakakatempt itry lahat. Pero we limited it lang to the following:

Their famous Baked Bun with BBQ Pork (3pcs)...

P 145.00

For the baked buns, one order lang per person. I don't know kung bakit pero siguro nakaka-addict kasi. Hehe. Pero I tried lang the dough (since I don't eat pork na), masarap nga. May something na kakaiba.

Spinach Dumpling with Shrimp...

P 120.00

These dumplings are so yummy. Very fresh yung shrimps niya. In fairness ha, malaki siya.

Pan Fried Carrot Cake...

P 145.00

This one naman hindi ko alam kung bakit carrot cake ang tawag kasi parang radish cake kasi eh. Not unless radish and carrots are the same in terms of family.

Vermicelli Roll with Sweet and Sesame Sauce...

P 140.00

This one is basically a vermicelli wrapper with sesame sauce. Ang nagpasarap lang talaga dito is the sesame sauce.

Glutinous Rice with Lotus Leaf...

P 190.00

This is their version of machang. It's not puro rice ha, sobrang daming meat inside. May pork, chicken, sausage and mushrooms. As usual, I tried lang the rice and it is so yummy. Kahit ito lang, very filling na.

For our dessert, we had Mango Pomelo Sago...

P 90.00

This is the usual mango sago with a twist. Now lang ako nakaencounter ng mango sago with suha eh. Pero it blended well naman and it's not that sweet.

For the Tim Ho Wan, we were very satisfied with the food. Now I understand kung bakit pinipilahan siya. =)

So that's it! That's our food trippin' last Wednesday. =)

Christoff's 6th Month

Last Monday, we celebrated Christoff's half year here on earth. Ang bilis ng panahon ano? Six months na kaagad siya. Naku, I should start preparing na pala for his 1st birthday. Hinga Cheryll hinga...

Anyway, we had a simple celebration lang. First, we bought a moist chocolate cake and a box of butterscotch bars from Conti's ATC then we went to Alves Lucky Wok. Sa Alves ko na naisipan magcelebrate since (1) ayaw ko na magluto at magkalat sa house namin since my helper is on a vacation and (2) namiss ko ang buttered fried chicken nila.

So here were our handa that night - moist chocolate cake, butterscotch bars, seafood crispy noodles, buttered fried chicken and pandan pichi pichi with cheese:

Konti lang handa namin, just enough sa amin plus baon ni hubby the next day. Haha! Pero isa lang ang masasabi ko, panalo talaga ang buttered fried chicken nila! Kahit ang mga Kulilits ang daming nakain eh.

Here's the main star that night with his cake (he's a little bit grouchy because he just woke up)...

and, of course, his older brother blew the candle for him...

our obligatory family picture...

Pansin niyo ang mga Kulilits? That's their thing nowadays in front of the camera. Walang ginawa kundi magwacky face. Sobrang kukulit talaga! Hahaha.

Siya nga pala, I forgot to tell you, airconditioned na ang Alves. Masarap na food dun, masarap pa lalong kumain dahil hindi na aircool. Hehe. =)

Yan lang muna for now. As always, I'm such a busy bee. See ya!

Just Thai Experience

by Dr. Ryan Nino C. Padua

On a typical Monday evening I was invited, along with other bloggers, for a meet-up to see and experience a (relatively) new dining destination in Alabang. Not a new experience for me given I've stumbled upon this restaurant a few weeks back with my family (which was underwhelming). This time, however, promises to be a new and better experience. So, of we go!

Just Thai, as the name implies, is a Thai restaurant situated at the Molito compound facing the park area. Brilliant move, I should say, for it offers a more quiet setting particularly if you dine alfresco. 

The facade was dimly lit giving it an air of mystery and sophistication while a statuette bids you welcome as you go in.

Once in the place is both cozy and roomy given 

the high ceiling and uncluttered table layout.

Thai decorative pieces adorn the walls giving you a feel of authenticity and a bit of luxury. In the background you'll hear a traditional 'kulintang' playing which, oddly enough, is reminiscent of a spa. 

As we were seated on our table, the wait staff
served their Thai Iced Tea. As Kathy Kenny shared, the tea leaves were shipped in monthly from Thailand. 

A clever spin they did was to float the milk atop the tea giving you an opportunity to taste the tea with and without milk. As all Thai teas go, this one has bold wood tones tempered by the added milk.

Refreshed, I was ready to tease my palate with the array of dishes coming our way...

First, the soups:

Tom Yam is a sour and spicy soup with a mix of seafoods and vegetables. Interesting bit here is that the heat can be dialed down on request and the sourness was not overpowering. The shrimps and mushrooms were cooked just right, and if you scooped a bit of everything you'll get a symphony of flavors that you won't get when eaten separately.

Tom kagay is a sour broth mixed with coconut milk and thai spice (similar to what they use in Tom Yam). A first for me but a pleasure nonetheless. The red tinge left by the spice mix seems foreboding but I assure you it's not. Rather, the heat cuts the richness of the coconut cream while allowing the sour tones to contrast it. The chicken, cooked shortly in this broth, absorbs just enough of the flavors that it only lingers in the background.

On to the appetizers:

Pork Spring Rolls. But not the 'lumpiang shanghai' we grew up with. This one had the pork fillings lay on a bed of vermicelli. This is complemented by the Thai sweet chili sauce which is a nice break from catsup we usually use for spring rolls.

Chicken satay is surprisingly moist and tender with the curry marinade standing out. The peanut sauce is mildly spiced and purposely made a bit coarse to add a layer of crunch to the satay.

As my Thai tea runs out, the wait staff promptly offered a replacement in the form of Lemon grass Tea.

Refreshingly light and unobtrusive, a perfect accompaniment for the coming entree.

The entree':

Pork liempo is nondescript. Lightly seasoned and then grilled (would have been better if the skin was left to crisp). The tamarind sauce gives it a sweet and tangy tone.

 Seafood with basil is a curry based mix of fresh, properly cooked seafoods served with fried basil leaves. The sauce was mildly spiced and goes very well with Bagoong Rice. As in, very, VERY, well.

Deep fried Tilapia. Fillets of tilapia lightly coated in batter and deep fried. The sweet chili sauce is a necessary accompaniment (as with all fried food go). Best to pair with Bagoong rice since the inherent saltiness complements it quite nicely.

Chicken with cashew borders on the salty side (probably due to the oyster sauce used) and hence best paired with PLAIN rice to tame the strength of the sauce.

Chicken pandan. Fried chicken fillets wrapped in Pandan leaves. The meat still is moist and has the subtle pandan flavor absorbed in the meat. Good with Bagoong rice.

Bagoong rice. The only rice that makes everything better, by a long shot. 'Nuff said.

Pad Thai. The quintessential dish that definitely screams Thai. The dish that can make or break any Thai restaurants. The dish that soured our first impression of this restaurant for being too salty. But this time though, they redeemed themselves by putting out their improved take on this beloved staple. And a perfectly executed one, I should say.

But wait, there's more! Cue in the desserts!

Mango and sticky rice with coconut cream. Mildly sweetened glutinous rice coupled with mango slices and topped with coconut cream. 

Takho. Ground rice steamed with pandan leaves. Akin to Maja Blanca but this one has two layers. The plain white one sitting atop a green, pandan infused, layer mixed with corn.

Thai coffee. Prepared table-side using a Vietnamese coffee filter. Downside of this was the incorrect preparation made by the wait staff hence under-extracting the coffee. Had it been done correctly, this could be the perfect finish to accompany the Takho.

 Despite a few misses and my prior misadventure, Just Thai had successfully won over my palate and has proven itself a worthy option for good, reasonably priced, and authentic Thai food. A big thanks to Kathy for this opportunity and hats off to the staff for a job well done!

Just Thai:

Forbestown (Burgos Circle) Fort Bonifacio 403-8718

Prism Plaza, TwoE-Com Center, Manila Bay (near MOA) 519-8135

Molito Lifestyle Center, Alabang 808-4058

Oster Kitchen Conversations with Patty Laurel - Filart plus Recipes

It all started with the IG post/contest of Ms. Patty Laurel calling pairs to join a cooking hangout with her together with Oster and The Green Grocer. Since it's about cooking (and you all know that hubby and I love to cook and eat) and seeing Ms. Patty Laurel in person, I asked hubby if we could join the contest. At siyempre, game kaagad ang asawa ko! Kaya the following day, I asked him na magpicture picture na kami na para ma-isubmit ko na entry namin. Umagang umaga yun ha, as in pagkagising na pagkagising pa lang namin kaya medyo umaalma siya.

Our conversation goes like this...

Me (with the props): Tara be, alika na dito papicture na tayo.
Doc Padu: Mamaya na lang pagkaligo natin.
Me (atat na atat): Ngayon na baka kasi hindi na tayo makapagpapicture eh.
Doc Padu: Ano ka ba? Di pa ako nagtootoothbrush eh!
Me (laughing): Bakit? Ano naman kinalaman ng pagtoothbrush sa pagpapapicture? Bakit, maamoy ba hininga mo sa picture? Hahaha!

In short, walang nagawa si mister! Nagphotoshoot na kami nung umaga with all the props. And here was our winning entry (pardon the labandera look ha)...

O di ba? Mga walang ligo at suklay kami diyan. Hahaha! Buti na lang at we were one of the 3 pairs na napili to participate in the event.

The event was held at Miele Kitchen Gallery, Focus Global Inc., Pioneer corner Reliance Streets. We arrived there on time and I was so thrilled when I saw this lovely setup...

Even the display of fresh fruits and vegetables of The Green Grocer were so nice. Para kang nasa cooking show talaga eh. =)

While waiting for the event to start, nag-ikot ikot muna ako around the Focus Global building. Ang shala lang talaga ng showroom. Pang mayaman! (Kailan kaya ako magkakaroon ng mansion para naman makapamili ako doon? Chos!)

Even Oster had a display of their products...

We started off by introducing ourselves then konting chika chika.

The first dish that we prepared was the Watermelon & Feta Salad. Super dali lang nito ipreprare, promise! Ang sarap pa ng blend ng flavors. At dahil dito, kailangan ko na mag-invest ng salad spinner at microplane!

Watermelon & Feta Salad

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons0
• 1/4 cup minced shallots (1 large)
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1/2 cup good olive oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2-3 bunches arugula or any lettuce, washed & spun dry
• 1/8th seedless watermelon, rind removed, and cut in 1-inch cubes
• 12 ounces diced feta cheese
• 1 cup whole fresh mint leaved, julienned

Preparation:

1. Whisk together the orange juice, lemon juice, shallots, honey, salt, and pepper. Slowly pour in the olive oil, whisking constantly, to form an emulsion. If not using within an hour, store the vinaigrette covered in the refrigerator.
2. Place the lettuce, watermelon, feta, and mint in a large bowl. Drizzle with enough vinaigrette to coat the greens lightly and toss well. Taste for seasonings and serve immediately.

Tool:

2616 Oster Stick Mixer with Chopper & Whisk

After the salad, we were divided into "grillers" and "blenders". The "grillers" prepared the tandoori flavored chicken skewers with Grilled Tomatoes while the "blenders" prepared the cauliflower rice.

Kami ni hubby together with Diana and her boyfriend ang team "grillers". Here is our group picture with Bebo...

Here is our finished product...

Nice the grill marks right? What I like about this chicken is that kahit malamig na namin kinain, hindi siya dry.

Here is hubby grilling the tomatoes...

Feel na feel niya di ba? dream come true niya yan. Frustrated chef kasi yan eh o di kaya chef siya nung past life niya. Hehe.

Here are hubby's grilled tomatoes...

I have a confession to make. Di ako mahilig sa tomatoes. Kumakain lang ako niyan kapag nasa sinigang. Nahiya lang ako kaya kinain ko yung nasa plate ko. Pero, in fairness ha, masarap siya. Parang nag-iba ang pananaw ko sa kamatis. Hehe.

Tandoori Flavored Chicken Skewers with Grilled Tomatoes

Ingredients:

• 1 Kg chicken breast fillet
• 2 500g tubs The Green Grocer Organic cow's milk yogurt
• salt & pepper
• 2 lemons
• garlic, about half a bulb, minced
• 1 knob ginger, minced
• 4 tbsp Bebo's Spice Rub
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• about 20 pieces whole tomatoes
• bamboo skewers

Preparation:

1. Combine yoghurt, lemons, salt & pepper, minced garlic, minced ginger, Bebo's Spice Rub, melted butter to form the marinade for the chicken.
2. Cut chicken breast into strips and place in the marinade for a least 30 minutes.
3. Stick about 4 strips of chicken breast into the bamboo skewers. Each kilo of breast fillet should make about 12 to 15 skewers.
4. Grill the chicken skewers for three minutes per side. Set aside.
5. Season whole tomatoes with salt, pepper and olive oil and grill for about three minutes as well.

Tool:

4767 Oster Indoor Grill

The team "blenders" prepared the cauliflower rice...

Never did I know na possible pala ito. The best part with this cauliflower rice is yung malutong na part yung medyo sunog sunog (counterpart ng tutong sa sinaing). Magandang replacement ng rice di ba?

Cauliflower Rice

Ingredients:

• 3 heads cauliflower
• salt & pepper
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 2 cloves garlic, minced

Preparation:

1. Wash cauliflower and clean out any black spots. Rough chop the cauliflor into florets or manageable pieces.
2. Put the florets into the Osterizer and pulse process until you reach the texture and consistency of rice. Do not overdue the mincing, or else the mixture will turn out soggy.
3. Lay out the cauliflower rice into a baking pan and season with salt, turmeric and garlic.
4. Put the baking pan in the oven toaster and bake for 15 minutes.

Tools:

4172 10-Speed Osterizer

7052 Oster Oven Toaster

The next dish that we prepared is the oven-baked milkfish. This is very flavorful and the best part, as always, is the belly!

Sorry for the picture. Hindi ko na nakunan yung finished product eh. Hehe.

Oven-Baked Milkfish

Ingredients:

• 2 pieces whole boneless milkfish
• salt & pepper
• 2 tsp dried coriander
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 lemon
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp tequila
• 2 whole onions, diced
• 2 pieces whole tomatoes, diced

Preparation:

1. Brush each milkfish with olive oil. Season with salt, pepper and dried coriander.
2. Preheat the oven toaster to 170 degrees Celsius.
3. On a separate bowl, mix tomatoes, onions, cilantro, lemon juice, and tequila. season with salt and pepper.
4. Pour the salsa on top of the milk fish and bake for 20 minutes.
5. Broil fro 3-5 minutes. Serve hot.

Tool:

7052 Oster Oven Toaster

For our drink, we had the all natural brewed iced tea. Very healthy ito compared sa mga instant iced tea. Yun lang, hindi mo siya ma-bobotomless dahil medyo expensive ang preparation.

All Natural Brewed Iced Tea

Ingredients:

• 4 Raspberry tea bags (or any citrus-based tea)
• crushed ice 
• 1L water
• 0.5L hot water
• 4 tbsp honey
• 1 lemon
• mint

Preparation:

1. Steep the tea bags in half a liter of hot water for about 5 minutes.
2. Set aside the tea bags and cool the tea.
3. Place the tea into the blender and add honey, lemon juice and crushed ice.
4. Blend until honey is evenly distributed in your iced tea.
5. Add mint to garnish.

Tool:

BPST02 Oster Pro Blender

And for sweet endings, we prepared grilled pineapple & banana with vanilla gelato...

This is so sinfully yummy! Kung unli lang ang serving nito, ang dami ko nang nakain. Hehe.

Grilled Pineapple & Banana with Vanilla Gelato

Ingredients:

• 1 whole pineapple, cored & cut into rings
• 5 bananas, sliced lengthwise
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp cinnamon powder
• 2 tbsp pure raw honey
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 lemon zest
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp coco sugar
• a pinch of salt
• vanilla ice cream or gelato
• Rhum

Preparation:

1. To make the glaze, combine butter, honey, coco sugar, cinnamon powder, lemon zest and juice, and a pinch of salt into a saucepan until the butter is fully melted and mixed thoroughly.
2. Glaze syrup onto your pineapple and bananas and place the fruits on the indoor grill for two minutes each side. Combine rhum and vanilla extract and splash onto the fruit while on the grill.
3. On a plate, lay out a pineapple ring, place a scoop of vanilla gelato on top, and top with a banana and some syrup.

Tool:

4767 Oster Indoor Grill

Ang dami namin ginawa di ba? Kaya happy tummy kami after the kitchen hangout eh. Pero wait, there's more! Aside sa natuto, nag-enjoy at nabusog kami, may surprise pa kami from Oster. They gave us My Blend personal blender as a token...

At siyempre, hindi mawawala ang photo op with Ms. Patty Laurel...

Nakakatuwa at nakakakilig! Ang bait bait niya and she's so down to earth! Pretty face with a beautiful heart. =)

Here is a photo of our group c/o Ms. Patty Laurel...

Sobrang saya lang talaga ng event na ito. We learned a lot, we ate a lot and we get acquainted with other people. Aside from that, another bonding experience ito sa amin ni hubby kasi simula nung magkaroon kami ng kids hindi na kami masyado nakakapagsolo. Kaya nga I'm super thankful dahil nakasama kami dito. =)