SEAN'S FOOD TRIP: EVERYTHING GRILLED

Oh yes! Sean loves grilled especially fish, though, he can not easily do that down under.  He got the freedom to eat whatever he likes whenever he is on holiday in Philippines. Today he will be busy with the grills.  Marinated pork belly slices, fish, and some eggplant are now cooking.  Tomato and onion slices with go perfectly with the grilled.  Pig out ye!

SEAN'S FOOD TRIP: THE WHITE HAT

@ The White Hat - Italian Frozen Yogurt

Love these froyo!  Sean's food trip on an extreme hot weather while on  his travel to the Philippines.  His was the one below, Pinoy hat, one with choc nuts and barquillos toppings.  Gotta love 'em!

SEAN'S FOOD TRIP: KHING'S SEAFOOD FRIED RICE

Seafood Fried Rice

@ Khing Thai, Kensington, NSW, Australia

This place is our savior every time Sean can not cook for dinner.  One of his favorites in this resto is their seafood fried rice. FTW!  Their Pad Thai a must try! The place is cozy and neat.  I love the lights btw. Check the place out whenever you are in the area.

WHAT'S COOKIN' SEAN?: CHICKEN SOUP

Here is something to keep Sean warm on a cold night!

Autumn in Sydney and it is already cold!  He cooked this chicken soup with brussel sprouts, zucchini, choko and jalapeno.  He should cook more of this come Winter...

SEAN'S FOOD TRIP

Thin Beef Slices

Enoki Mushrooms, crabsticks, beef slices, tofu, prawn and squid balls

Peanut Sauce for dippings

We do not know how this is called but this Chinese recipe is frigging HOT!

MITCH COOKS: CRUNCHY BANANA CARAMEL WRAP

We got ripe native banana from my uncle's backyard.  I wrapped banana slices, sprinkled with brown sugar, fried and rolled in some hot caramel. Now ready....Crunchy Banana Caramel Wrap topped with Macapuno strips! Something for the hungry birdies at home!

ON FOOD TRIP: HALO-HALO

When it is so hot and all that you ever wanted were ice just melting in your mouth...Halo halo can beat the heat. It is always a summer hit!

Halo-halo is a mixture of pre-cooked sweetened banana, sweet potatoes, brown monggo beans, nata de coco, gelatin, tapioca balls, evaporated milk, sugar and shaved ice, topped with scoop of ice cream and leche flan. Shredded cantaloupe or melon  and young coconut meat can be added.  I just love the taro flavored ice cream on top.

ON FOOD TRIP: HONEY GLAZED CHICKEN

This was what my cuz Grace had when we met yesterday.  I have not tried it yet but sure looks yummy. I say next time i will have it!

MITCH COOKS: WRAP IT UP!

Just did a little something on my food. I wrapped it all up as i am busy with editing pics that i can not concentrate while holding spoon and fork. I've met with my cousins at Nuvali yesterday and we did some shots there. But it was way too hot and under the intense sun was not that conducive to take pics. We just went checking open shops. We end up getting groceries at South supermarket. I got some tortillas, spam, cucumber and peaches for my wrap. I got bottles of soda and iced tea (i am leaking sweat with this heat!)

Spam with a bit of oyster sauce

Sliced cucumber

Sliced peach halves

Assembling my wrap.
(rice, spam, cucumber,peaches-replacement for mango which isn't available)

Japanese Mayo on top

Easiest way to eat lunch while busy looking at the laptop! :)

ON FOOD TRIP: THE SIZZLING PEPPER STEAK

Crunchy Kani Salad

Our destination: The Resort World - Manila
Occassion: Cousins' double birthday celebration (not really a celebration though for we do not have much time to really celebrate. Some people are just born to kill joy...just saying)

The Casino: We tried hitting the big one but just not my night. But my lady cousin had the biggest win among us. Maybe that was what they call beginner's luck. :) Lucky her!!!
The Pig out place: The Sizzling Pepper Steak. We had our dinner late and we thought we will just settle for Mcdo as we were really starving. The search for pizza was a failure. The elder cuz picked out this place. The last i had this was when i was in Singapore. Nice to finally tried it here. Our pick was under steak mania set which was good for 4 pax. The others had their own choices. The salad shot above was part of the set. Excuse me for not being attentive on the names of dishes for i was too busy taking their pics. Yes, that's what i usually do when we are out and cousins don't mind me taking shots of their food before they eat them. I shot, they eat later.LOL!

A little blurry but i assure you it was a corn soup!

The Eggdrop soup
(in short, i know the name was quite longer)

Orange Juice

Spag with 3 big meatballs

My burger steak
(yes, i forgot to have my rice. I wonder where did it go.)

Sizzling beef and sunny side up

Fried Chicken cutlets

Calamari rings

Cream Dory fillet and potato wedges

Another of their sizzling beef

Sizzling Chicken, of which really came late.

Food were great, serving sizes just good enough. The service..I am not that happy about. Facts: there were not much people at that time when we were there. And like what i have mentioned, the one for my cousin came late which was also part of our set. He was almost done with his rice pigging it out without his sizzling. Another thing, we had beef which obviously not cut like bite sizes, don't knives included in the utensils just readily and that we have to asked first for those? (just saying).

Anyways, we had a good dinner. Laughter was the main dish! I just love going out with my cousins like this. We rarely see each other that is why when we get together we always have a blast.

I am looking forward for more of these get-together moments!

ON FOOD TRIP: THE WEDDING CAKE

The topmost layer of the wedding cake.

This got story to tell.

Let me tell you about it later.


06 April 2012: Now this is my story.

Nicole, my niece, was so excited about the cake that she wanted a piece for her to take home. The middle portion was already taken off leaving the topmost and lower part of a three layered wedding cake by the table. She came near her mom holding the topmost part that she asked if she can take home. Thing was, it was not a cake at all but rather some styro-covered fondant to decorate the top of the real cake, which in this case was the middle part only. Aawww poor Nicole, she was so frustrated learning it was not real. Not all things beautiful are real, Nicole. :)

But she had her cake alright. We dropped by my cousins' place and we shared the wedding cake.

ON FOOD TRIP: WEDDING @ VILLA IBARRA'S

Oven Baked Hickory Pork Belly

Pesto Fettuccini

The pasta counter

The grilling area

Pig out over at Villa Ibarra Tagaytay where my cousin's wedding reception was held. I was so busy assisting my Mom and kids with their food so i wasn't able to enjoy all of them or to even take photos. I have missed to take shots of the soup counter and the food at the main buffet table, and also the one at salad section. I have the desserts on the earlier post.

It was a fun event and makes me still feel on a high. It was sort of mini reunion for us, cousins, a moment that doesn't usually happen everyday. A rare event that we see each other with their families. I am hoping for more occasions like this. Again, for me, It's a time well wasted.

ON FOOD TRIP: SWEETS FOR THE NEWLY WED

Panna cotta in Buco Pandan and  Mango, slices of cakes were on the buffet table at the wedding reception of my cousin who got married last Saturday in Tagaytay.

MITCH COOKS: MIXED VEGGIES

LOVE! I miss cooking mixed veggies just like this. This wont last long on our table. One of sis' favorite dishes. We love them crunchy and not overcooked. Vegetables on the recipe: young corn, red bell pepper, brocolli, carrots, choko or chayote, napa cabbage or Chinese white cabbage.

ON FOOD TRIP: BAKED CHEESY CASSAVA

Sweet treat!

What i love from this box of hot freshly bake cheesy cassava are the sides where they got a little toasted. I could finish a box of this i swear! :P

ON FOOD TRIP: PANCAKES & BURGER

For the early hungry birds! I had it with hot cocoa! Something to boost up the day. Pig out!

ON FOOD TRIP: TAHO/DOUHUA/SOYBEAN PUDDING

Douhua or simple "Taho" as locally known in our country. There are varieties on how to prepare it but i like mine with less sugar syrup and no pearl (tapioca balls). Usually served hot in the morning by hawkers.

ON FOOD TRIP: FRIED LOTUS SEEDS

A colleague of mine gave this container full of fried lotus seeds. They are so crunchy. I almost finish the whole container. By the way, this product, i think, came from Vietnam. Click here for some of the properties or health benefits of lotus seeds.

MITCH COOKS: HEARTY BREAKFAST AT HOME!

A recreation of the "breakfast down-under" for the kids earlier today. Not the perfect sunny-side-up egg though. Anyways, had fun preparing them with Kurt helping me in the kitchen. Kurt's first choice on which course to take in college is ME. Now, he considers of becoming a Chef!