Thai high part 2

The high on Thai continues today.

They finally have my favourite YumYum Tom Yum Shrimp instant noodles at the 7-11 branch near the house!

According to the manager, they only had 3 left, so I bought them all.

She said that the stocks came in just a few days before, but this is one of their best sellers that's why it flew off the shelves quite fast. So, i'm a lucky guy for being able to get the last 3 cups.

For instant noodles, YumYum Tom Yum is really good! The interplay of spicy and sour flavours is great, and it's chunky enough with its shrimp and crab meat. Then, the noodles have the right firmness to be springy and chewy, but still al dente enough to absorb the broth.

Of course, it's different if you get Tom Yum from a proper Thai restaurant like Chariya or Som's. But in the absence of those, YumYum is just the thing I need to get that high.

Thai High

It was back in the 90s when I first encountered Maepranom Sweet Chilli Sauce.

During a visit to BKK, my friend and I ate at a street side restaurant at the infamous Khao San Road, and each table had a bottle of this bright red sauce that was filled with chilli peppers and chilli seeds.

Now, I'm used to Bicolano food, so spice doesn't faze me. After pouring the sauce over everything I ordered, it was like an epiphany for my taste buds. This sweet chilli sauce was all that. And more! I was on a sweet chilli high because of Maepranom.

Since then, each trip to BKK would include a search for a restaurant that had Maepranom on the table. Which was a lot, considering that this sauce is part and parcel of Thai culture. Heck, it was even there during my infamous backpacking adventure around Thailand!

When I lived in HKG in 2005, we would go to this hole-in-the-wall (literally) Thai restaurant which we fondly called "Thai Bedroom." The owner, a cheerful Thai lady, had a small store inside her flat and yes, she sold Maepranom. My 2 Thai colleagues - Prem and Golf - were surprised that I knew about the sauce. And even more surprised at how I'd hoard bottles of it. That's how much I craved for it!

So, what brought about this lengthy post about a small bottle of Thai sweet chilli sauce? It's the fact that it's available in the on-line supermarket that I frequent! And that's the reason why we now have bottles of these in our kitchen, and some more bottles about to arrive.

It feels like BKK in the 90s all over again!

How G!

Nope, this is not a Friday Magic Madness post about that classic 90s disco hit from Black Machine. I've written about that already. Nine years ago.

This is about another G.

Brownie Brittle by Sheila G!

It was Maricar who first made me try this. She gave it as a gift, and it was the first time I heard of Brownie Brittle.

Not surprisingly, it was love at first bite! Everything about it was stellar. The thinness, the crisp, the bold flavour - and most of all, how all these came together in a thin sliver of yumminess!

After that, I've been buying Sheila G occasionally, mostly when I'm abroad.

Yesterday, I saw it being sold at my usual on-line stores. The variant - Dark Chocolate Sea Salt! It only took a second before it went to "add to cart."

Now, I have 6 packs at home! Am I ready to eat these?

G!

FMM: Hang Tight

Here's another classic song that reminds me so much of Friday Magic Madness.

The reason? It's one of the first few songs they play - without fail - after the clock strikes midnight and Thursday transitions to Friday.

It's a swing and sway kind of dance ditty from Phil Fearon & Galaxy in 1984. And if you're a kid of the 80s and 90s, you'll know this song.



So many memories come with this song. Our OT nights at Adformatix, my sisters dancing to it, relaxed weekend drives with family and friends while this is playing - just some of the good memories associated with the song.

That's why it'll be holding this song, tight and close to my heart.

Dumpling Dreaming

The first time I saw this "Worth It" episode on Taiwanese Dumplings was almost a year ago. Since then, I've been watching and re-watching it regularly. About once a month. More than, at times.



Because of this series, I planned to go to Taiwan last December 2019 or January 2020. But because my Doctor said I shouldn't travel just yet, I held it off and planned to do it last March or April, with the go-ahead of my Doctor.

We all know what happened, of course. And the trip became just a plan and a future goal.

I'm still looking forward to go to Taiwan, if only for the Liu Jia Pan Fried Dumplings. I became so enamoured with these dumplings that the hotels I checked out were the hotels that were just walking distance from this stall. My plan was to stay as close as possible, and to have the cabbage and chive buns as often as I possibly could.

Then, I was also planning to go to that Din Tai Fung restaurant that they visited. Yes, I've tried Din Tai Fung in several countries many times, but I was hoping to see that waitress with the fabulous accent in person. I just can't get over how beautiful her accent is and how she speaks English!

Of course, these plans will have to wait. But I'll do so patiently. And after all this craziness is over, my dumpling dreams will definitely come true.

Country Conundrum

Come on, guys! We're Filipinos. We should know how to spell the name of our country.

Where do these people get their writers? And editors? And proofreaders?

This baffles me. Seriously.

More Wonders

Not surprisingly, the new trailer of "Wonder Woman 1984" does not disappoint.



Wonder Woman's gold armor, Barbara Ann Minerva's full transformation as Cheetah - it's worth the price of admission!

I wish the pandemic would be over by the time this hits the big screen. This is the type of film (just like the 1st one) that's best appreciated in a cinema!

SG = Scrumptious Goodies

It's the same question posed to Jo and KaWei this week:

"Why do things like these keep popping up on my feed?"

These are some of my favourite goodies from SG. It's no secret since I've written about these countless times already. These are scrumptious local delights that we usually get from the different hawker centers around the Island.

Most of these were discoveries that were shared by Jo and KaWei as far as decades back. When it comes to local food, you can trust that locals know the best places to get it. And usually, there are great, non-food memories attached to these great eats.

Like that time when we went to that Malaysian train station after midnight to eat authentic Mi Goreng at one of the food stalls. Or KaWei bringing Jo and me to the Golden Mile Hawker Centre, (home of the best Prawn Mee and Tang Yuan) and exploring the stores that sold Military goods upstairs. Or trying Chwee Kueh for the first time, and craving for it ever since.

It's just one of the many local SG dishes that I've been craving for since my last visit there with Erika last year.

And it's just some of the local dishes that I'll be back for once it's okay to travel again.

Soon. Praying that it happens soon

Suman to join me

Yesterday, I was just telling Ate and Ray that I miss my usual routine of buying plain suman outside OLPH after hearing the 10am mass. After all, it's been 5 months since I last heard mass there - physically, at least.

So, for breakfast today, Ray got these!

Yup, it's my favourite plain suman. He bought it in Rizal after biking with Kevin this morning.

Ah, this is the stuff Sunday breakfasts are made of!

Baker’s backtracking and box

Seems like I’m determined to go back to my baking roots!

Trivia: I started baking when I was in high school. I’d make cakes, brownies, cookies and tarts. Two books served as my baking guides:

“Let’s Cook with Nora” was Mom’s cookbook. But there was a section on cakes and pastries, and that’s what I would usually concentrate on. So, if you see fingerprints of flour, cocoa and oil, those would be mine.

“The Maya Baking Book.” Was the 2nd book. I bought that from my own allowance, and I remember trying to make silvanas for the first time (it was a failure) and cashew caramel tarts (it was a resounding success!)

I continued baking throughout college, and even when I was already working in Adformatix as a copywriter. In fact, I remember one Christmas when I gifted my bosses with cookies that I baked myself!

Eventually, life as a creative became so hectic that I stopped baking. Then, my culinary interests shifted from Sandwich-making which I enjoyed, especially when I made sandwiches for my students (Panini Palace in the house!) making breakfast for Mark in Tokyo, making Mexican food like Quesadillas and Fajitas (Muchas gracias a mis anfitriones en Mexico por ensenarme,) to making s’mores and waffles for my creative Kaniguans.

Then, a few weeks ago, I started baking again. Starting with brownies, then cookies, then a brownie and cookie hybrid.

And today, I decided to have a dedicated food box for all my baking ingredients! That’s to make the, easier to find, and it’ll make baking easier to do when I feel like doing it again.

Looks like i’m seriously going back to baking.

FMM: Nolan's Inception

Nope, this isn't about Christopher Nolan. Nor his movie.

It's about Friday Magic Madness, so it's about a great song from the past that needs to be replayed on this special day. After all, that's the reason for the inception of this special day by Magic 89.9 several decades ago.

And today's unforgettable ditty is courtesy of those sassy Nolan sisters.

Yes, that beautiful quintet who had the vocal chops and the moves to make an unforgettable and iconic hit:



Back in 1979, everyone knew, loved, and swayed to this song. It's the same feels that I still get when I listen to this song, which is 41 years old, mind you.

Listening to it now, it just gets me in the mood for dancing.

Ride the Wagon

Oh, look! Another discovery from my Lander's on-line grocery shopping.

Arnott's is best known for the company who makes Tim Tam. We all know what Tim Tam is, and gosh, I miss their Salted Caramel and Red Velvet variants. But that's another story.

Apparently, Arnott's has a product called "Wagon Wheels." It's a biscuit, marshmallow and jam that's coated in chocolate. So, it's pretty much like Orion Choco Pie, but with fruity jam in between.

It's such a popular product in Australia that they turned it into a chocolate bar which is equally popular. Not in the Philippines, though, since this is the first time I've heard of it.

But since I'm into trying new things, I ended up putting this in my cart and trying it. Which I'm glad I did. It's super yummers!

It took me 2 days to finish the whole bar by myself! It's that good!

This is going to be in my cart again the next time I'm going to Landers. (On-line, of course.)

This post is rated PG

Parental Gourmet!

People who are close to me and our family know this fact. My parents are awesome cooks! Since they hail from Bicol, a province known for great food and even greater cooks, whipping up culinary masterpieces are part of their DNA.

My friends know this story: my Mom was a "Martha Stewart" when we were growing up. She would bake our birthday cakes, she would make empanada and "croquettas" from scratch, and she would make awesome Lumpiang Sariwa, and she would make the wrapper herself.

Then, there's Dad who looks at cooking as an art form. He would only start cooking when all the ingredients are already laid-out in the kitchen. He never scrimps on ingredients. He would make kare-kare from scratch (roasted and ground peanuts and not peanut butter), he would make great Paella, and my high school classmate from the US - Eric Hopkins - was amazed when my Dad prepared a DIY Pochero Spread for his visit to our house in Morato.

So you can imagine how wonderful meals would be at home when both Mom and Dad cook.

And the great thing about both of them is that they continue to hone their culinary craft. Even now, they still go to youtube, search recipes and try them at home. It's fun when you see their eyes twinkle as they watch a video on cooking, then next thing you know, they're at home trying the dish themselves.

Today was one of those days.

Dad was talking about this recipe for "Fried Ginataang Tilapia." I've seen him study the video for a few days already, and for lunch today, we had this:

Yes, it tastes as great as it looks.

I'm excited to see what other culinary experiments they do next.

Choose Chios

There's a new version of "the joy of discovering a new product while perusing supermarket shelves."

In this time of Community Quarantine, it's now "the joy of discovering a new product while browsing on-line supermarkets on the net."

That's what I've been doing. Checking out on-line supermarkets like landers.com.ph, metromart, cloudmart, and the like, and looking for products that are interesting yet unfamiliar. It was through this exercise that I discovered Juss Juice and Real Handcooked Crisps.

So, I went on-line grocery shopping on Landers this weekend, and I made a new discovery! Chios Garden Lemonade!

What struck me first was the packaging. It's so artfully done, and is one of those botanical-themed designs.

The color, the sketch, the font - it's all so bespoke and beautifully done. And the packaging is one of the reasons why it suddenly went in my cart.

It arrived today, and the product is good as the packaging! It has the right amount of sweetness and tanginess, and a strong and authentic lemon taste.

I'll be choosing this again and adding it to my cart soon.

Same same, but different.

This photo just gives me so much joy.

It’s Ate Lissa with her 2 grandkids (and my grandnephew and grandniece) taken 2 years-ish apart.

They look so much the same!

Fast and Furious Frendz!

The meeting was unusual.

It was by the roadside, it took less than 5 minutes, and it was fast exchange of food stuff.

But no matter how quick the meeting was, it was wonderful to see a ‘Frendz” again, live and in person, after more than 6 months. (The last time Mona and I met up was in January this year.)

Hope to see you again soonest, Mona. And not by the roadside, hopefully!

Make and Bake part 3

And we're on a roll!

Since Ate Bullet was making her signature Baked Macaroni and the oven was already running, I thought of whipping up something fast with stuff that was currently in the kitchen.

The result, these chocolate cookies with chocolate chips and walnuts.

They kinda look like brownies, but are cookies. So, it might fall under those food-hybrids. Brookies, perhaps?

Despite it being an instantaneous and last-minute activity, it turned out really well. Not bad for a last minute make and bake!

FMM: Vernie Viernes

A few weeks ago, D' Frendz were having an on-line discussion about old songs that we listen to these days. Bonique, Rona and I were talking about the singers from the 70s and 80s that are on our repeat list, and the subject quickly shifted to OPM artists.

We all agree that OPM in the 70s and 80s were the best times for Filipino music. It was the perfect musical storm - great melodies, meaningful lyrics, gimmick-free singing, and top-notch singers! And they had longevity, with some of these artists still very much present today.

My list of OPM greats is long. And one of the names on that list is Vernie Varga.

Yes, the sultry, seductive and powerful voice that can easily shift from a ballad to a dance track, from English to Filipino. Singers like her are a rarity nowadays, that's why the more time files, the more I appreciate her.

One of my favourite Vernie Varga songs is an English ballad from the 90s. It's a song entitled "Being With You" and it's a song that i'll never tire listening to.



That's why on today's Friday Magic Madness, it's time to bring out the big OPM guns and start off with the incomparable Ms. Varga!

Being with this song is a great way to spend Friday!

Pinoy Twist-ed

Okay. So it's good to put a local twist to international delicacies, but I'm kinda on the fence about this one.

It's common knowledge how I'm bonkers over onigiri. It's something that I always eat when I'm in Tokyo, Seoul and even Singapore. Plus, I'm experimental when it comes to onigiri. Heck, I even liked their pickled plum incarnations.

But bagoong inside onigiri? Hmmm... The curiosity level is high about how this will taste like. Thai bagoong rice, perhaps? Or just plain bagoong stuffed inside rice.

Question is: are my mind and taste buds twisted enough to try it?

We'll never know until we try.

Missing Mega

It's more than 5 months since I last stepped into the hallowed halls of SM Megamall.

And given this current situation, I'm not entirely sure when we'll be able to comfortably and confidently step into these halls again.

Soon. Hopefully soon.

Make and Bake part 2

Look who’s working the oven again today.

And this morning’s creation is S’mores cookies!

This recipe is actually Javier’s recipe. He once baked this for school, and he left the recipe posted on our refrigerator door. I’ve been eyeing it for quite sometime now, and i’ve been telling myself that i’ll bake it one of these days,

And today was that day.

It wasn’t bad for a first attempt. But I think I can make it better the s’more I make it.

Haan Hangover!

When we were in the US in 2019, one of our most-awaited family activities was going to the outlet stores in GA and FL. It was usually a full day of shopping and looking for bargains at our usual haunts.

One of those haunts - of course - was the Cole Haan Outlet store. Even if we would go our separate ways, Dad, Kuya Marv and I would always find each other in this store.

My first destination would be the Clearance Rack at the back of the store. There, the shoes are arranged by size and are easy to peruse. I'd look for the Zero Grands in size 11 first, then check out the other styles later. And most of the time, a great find or 2 would be there just waiting for me.

Like any shopping sojourn, there's that thrill when you see an awesome pair of shoes for 70%-80% off. And if it's a Zero Grand, the satisfaction level goes up a lot more.

These memories came back today when I received this notice on my email.

Gosh! I'm so looking forward to the day when the family can travel to the US again and have these Cole Haan outlet outings.

Have a bite. Or Two-bites.

Two-bite brownies and cinnamon rolls are my go-to snacks when I visit SG. It's also my "pasalubong" of choice. In fact, my last run before going home is usually to Cold Storage to horde all the Two-bite products that I see.

They don't have these products in Manila, which is a bummer. But in my recent visit to the Landers Supermarket homepage, I found this:

Two-bite Salted Caramel Cupcakes!

Yup, they're from the same makers of the brownies and cinnamon rolls, but it's a totally different product.

But since it's from Two-bite, it immediately went to "add to cart."

Let's see if it's as good as the other Two-bite goodies!

Make and Bake

Well, I did say I'd make something, right?

And that "something" was Cherry Cheesecake brownies!

Honestly, it's been years since I last baked from scratch, so there was a bit of hesitation. But since the ingredients and baking implements were there, my mind and heart said: "Go for it!"

And my first foray back into baking wasn't that bad.

One down. More baking goodies to go!

FMM: Make something

Today's Friday Magic Madness song is inspired by today's "feels."



"Make It With You" is one of the hugest hits of David Gates and Bread back in the 70s. It's one of those songs that you'd enjoy listening to on a rainy weekend.

Hang on a bit, today is a Friday. And it's raining outside!

But that's not the "feels" I'm talking about today. This song popped in my head because I miss making stuff. It's been months since I last made breakfast for the creative team, merienda like sandwiches or smores for the office folks, even making a dress or gown for Ate.

I need to make something again. Very soon!

I think I'm so ready for this jelly

It was in SG a few years ago when I first tried the Cadbury Marvellous Creations - Jelly Popping Candy.

To say I was floored would be an understatement. Why? Let me count the ways:

1. That rich, unmistakable Cadbury chocolate taste!
2. Jelly beans!!
3. Popping candies!!!
4. Irregularly shaped chocolate chunks!!!!

Every bite of this variant was an adventure in itself. The taste, texture and size all worked so well together. I think I was able to finish one big bar per day of my stay in SG.

I've been trying to look for this variant in MNL last year, to no avail. But today, I found out that there was a chocolate store in Cubao that sold this Jelly-cious and Marvellous Creation. And the store is just a few minutes away from our house. And the store delivers!

I'm sure we all know what happened next.

Ever After a while

For some strange reason, scenes from the film "Ever After" have started to appear on my youtube page.

It's a good thing, actually, because this 1998 film with Drew Barrymore and Dougray Scott is one of my favourite films, and one of better incarnations of the "Cinderella" tale.

The little plot twists and turns they put in the narrative - like the involvement of Leonardo Da Vinci, and one of the stepsisters being not-so-evil - gave the story a refreshing angle. Also, in this version, Danielle (or the Cinderella character) is more aggressive and headstrong - qualities that suit Drew Barrymore well. That's why she's perfect for the titular role.

Plus, Anjelica Houston was stellar as the evil stepmother, the Baroness Rhodmilla de Ghent. She's as mesmerizing as Cate Blanchett in the recent Disney version.

(Ever) After watching all those snippets and clips, I'd like to watch this film again in its entirety!

Show 'em Google!

Social distancing and mask wearing among the letters of the Google masthead!

Good job, Google! It shows both relevance and care for others.

Kissing Boo

One of our usual food haunts within UP Campus is The Chocolate Kiss.

Just like Rodic's, Mang Larry's and The Tea House, this is one of the iconic and unmistakable places within the campus where students, alumni and visitors stop by for yummy cakes, delish dishes, and their famous bottomless iced tea.

Two of my "usuals" at The Chocolate Kiss are the Dayap Chiffon Cake and the Quezo Chiffon Cake. These are cakes that are not just super yummers, they're very unique, too. I don't know of any cake or bakeshop that carries the same items.

Last time we had a good meal at this place was in December. It was when Prichy, Rose, Wowie and I met for our Christmas merienda-cena. And as always, the food and company was so good!

But like many good restaurants during this pandemic, The Chocolate Kiss is about to say goodbye. Another casualty of the pandemic, much like Hop Hing Ka and Swindon in HKG.

It would be great to have one last "Chocolate Kiss." But in this current situation that we have, I doubt if we can have a proper goodbye to this UP foodie institution.

Flippin’ Over Flippers

Why do Japanese restaurants keep popping up on my feed? It makes me miss living and traveling around Tokyo with Mark - something we haven't done for more than 2 years now.

Today's pop-up was about this Japanese souffle pancake restaurant in Hachiko district called "Flippers."

Mark and I haven't tried souffle pancakes in Tokyo yet, so this is something to look forward to when we get to travel again.

They have it in all shapes and sizes - they have savory, they have it as burgers,  and of course, they have it in the usual sweet, fruity format that pancakes are most known for.

I'm definitely going for the sweet variety. I'd flip for that anytime!

Golden Girl of the Universe

While searching for and watching old clips of "Golden Girls" on youtube, I discovered an interesting factoid about one of my girls - Sofia.

It turns out that Estelle Getty - or the actress who played Sofia - was a judge in Miss Universe 1992.

Whoa! This Golden Girl is a Girl of the Universe, too!