Putting the "Pan" in Spanish

One food item that never fails to bring back a flood of memories is the "Pan con Tomate."

This was something that Lolo Iking used to prepare. He'd take a slice of french bread, crush a fresh tomato on top, then drizzle it with olive oil.

This turns out to be a Spanish thing. When I'd go to BCN to visit Tita Evelyn and my cousins, they'd also prepare this for breakfast or a snack.

Imagine my thrill upon seeing this at The Marketplace in Shangrila Mall.

Not only is it a Pan con Tomate derivative, it's also from El Corte Ingles, which is the quintessential Spanish brand.

Time to relive those Spanish pan memories.

(Not) against the grain

As a bread eater, multi-grain bread is one of my go-to types of bread.

Whether it's with cream cheese, butter and jam, Goober or on its own, it never fails to hit the spot.

On today's supermarket run, there was a sudden rush of excitement after seeing this:

Gardenia now has a multi-grain loaf!

It's super yummers!

It's going to be my go-to grain from now on.

Putting the "read" in Bread

As a bread lover, and an avid reader, this book brings together those two aspects of my life in one:

It's a recipe book that was given to us by our client - Gardenia. It's a recipe book which shows a plethora of ways to use and prepare Gardenia bread. 

True to its title, this book really has unlimited ideas on how to transform Gardenia bread into culinary masterpieces.

I've already tried making some, and I can't wait to try these bread recipes at home.

Here comes the Grain!

Aside from the Gardenia Fruit and Nut Loaf in SG, one of their variants that I'd always bring home is their Multigrain Loaf.

The different mix of textures of the grains give the bread a different taste profile and mouth feel that we enjoy at home. We'd usually eat it on its own or with cream cheese.

Imagine my thrill after finding out that they now have a similar product here in MNL!

Multigrain buns!

Gave it a try, and it was as good as the SG loaf!

Now that the multigrain is here, hopefully the Fruit and Nut Loaf will follow suit soon!

At a Floss for words

Even before the whole "floss-trend" in the Philippines brought about by Bread Talk, I've already been a fan of floss bread.

It all started in HKG. Outside our office in AIA Tower, there was a small bakery where I'd buy breakfast before going to work. My favourite bread was this rectangular bread filled with baked beans and topped with floss. 

I'd have that around 3 times a week, and never got tired of it.

Maybe it's because floss reminds me of my childhood. Back then, floss was better known as "Mahu" and we'd buy it by the gram at this Chinese delicacy stall in Unimart, along with kiamoy, champoy, dikiam and Twin Cow.

Since then, I'd gravitate towards anything with floss - bread, maki, you name it.

And this weekend, there's a new addition to my repertoire: 

I'm excited to see whether this will be an addition to my flossy faves.

FMM: Fresh Bread

It's been raining the past few days and the weather has been very lazy.

This type of weather calls for very chill, laid-back music. Something with an easy melody, soothing voices, and a vibe that makes you just want to curl up in bed with a blanket.

Plus, it's Friday today, so that song should be Friday Magic Madness worthy as well.

And I have the perfect song that makes the cut:

"Everything I own" is one of Bread's biggest hits in the 70s, along with my previous FMM song, "Make it with you." The lyrics "kept me warm, kept me warm" is what made me think of this song. Because the rainy weather is making the surroundings really cold.

Looks like I'm going to curl up in bed under a blanket and listen to this song until I fall asleep.

Now, it really feels like Friday.

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!

Pan-tastic!

I'm so glad that my brother-in-law decided to start baking their Pan de Coco again!

I've been craving for this type of bread for some time now, and it's hard to come by because of the quarantine. So, imagine my thrill when Ate brought home a whole bag for us.

Cravings satisfied! Pan-tastically!

Meals with Mark: Bread and Breakfast

On our first day in Jakarta, Mark and I decided to walk around our neighborhood - Gajah Mada.

As we traversed down the road, we encountered a lot of Padang Padang, street food stalls, and quaint, little restaurants.

But when Mark saw Suisse Bakery, he said that he read about that ,and it was one of the oldest and most popular bakeries in Jakarta. So, risking life and limb, we crossed the busy highway to get there.

What Mark read about is true. It was around 9am, and the bakery was packed! And it was packed with people who looked like regulars, because they're buying a lot, and their purchases are carefully curated. It's the handiwork of long time Suisse bakery fans!

Mark eventually got the quiche, while I went to the blueberry bread. Then, we decided to share a cinnamon roll.

And that was our first breakfast in JKT.

Somewhere, Someday, Sambal

Whowouldathunk that shrimp-chili paste could be used as a bread filling!

Apparently it can. Exhibit A, a grocery find in SG.

It tastes strange, but strangely interesting.

It'll probably take some time before I get used to the taste, though.

FMM: Breaking Bread

The hotel where we're staying must also be on Friday Magic Madness mode.

I walked into the lobby and this song was playing.



It's good to have Bread for breakfast.

B-Red

Because I'm a fan of all things color red, I couldn't help but buy this bread from a neighborhood bakery.

It's "bread pudding", also known as "stale bread mashed together with some condensed milk."

Surprisingly, it's good!