Sizzlin' Pepper Steak 2

Oli and I were looking for a fast and fuss free place to eat, that Friday night. We were at Promenade Greenhills and we stumbled upon this new fast good joint at the foodcourt area, beside Annabel Lee Cheesecakes....Sizzlin' Pepper Steak 2! Hmmm...why does it have a 2? Perhaps there is a number 1 somewhere out there? Anybody know? hehehe Anyhoos...the steak pics caught the eye of meat-lovin Oli so we gave it ago...

This is the sizzlin pepper steak...

served with a siding of peppered brean sprouts. Nice but a tad bit too salty =)

This is my Grilled Chickem Terriyaki
The chicken is tender...but not the best tasting terriyaki I've had..it was ok =)

The menu is quite limited and the food we had didn't come with rice...each went around Php 200.00

Bibinka at Tsokolate

Don't you think its just perfect to have spanish tsokolate

and piping hot Bibingka this time of the year?

I think it's just perfect! Via Mare, for me, served the best Bibinka!!! Yummm... as for the chocolate...hmmm let's just have coffee instead ;P

Christmas Dinner at Angel's

I had a post Christmas dinner with two angels in my life..Kat and Sal =) How appropriate to take them to My Angel's Kitchen.

Free Pate with Melba Toasts

Ostrich Salpicao

It was ok..but kinda lacking in flavor. How will we know if we are really having Ostrich? I've only tasted Ostrich once ...last year at Le Souffle...I remeber the dish was great, but couldn't remember the distinction of the meat...I just recall it tasted like lean beef =)

Soft Shell Crab Salad wih Mango Poppy Seed Dressing

This dish is similar to the salad I have had during a shower party I attended, catered by Chef Him Uy De Baron. The soft-shell crab was very tasty and the crunchiness gave dimension to the salad. The dressing complimented the lightly fried crabs very well =) We like this very much.

The Cristpy Steamed Dory

Dory fish fillet, pan fried and then steamed! An odd cooking technique...I think because don't you lose the nice and light crispness brought about by pan frying by steaming? Hmmm I am no expert on this. It was kinda lacking in umph...good but needed more flavor and pizazz =)

Shiitake Mushroom with Unagi Pasta
Like an oriental pasta dish...very flavorful! it's like Kung Pao pasta of CPK =)

We enjoyed trying the food...despite the yays and nays...but most of all the evening was great because we got the chance to spend quality time together as friends to celebrate the yuletide cheer =)

Holiday Baking #2: Chocolate Chunk-Walnut Blondies

My atchie was on merry making brownies so I opted to make some BLONDIES ;P hahahaha I made Chocolate-Chunk- Walnut Blondies after making my "jen choco cake" hehehehe It's oh sooo easy!

Melt butter in a heavy pan with broen sugar...cool...add eggs..dry ingredients, choco morsels and chopped walnuts...all in the same pan! How quick and easy is that?

place the batter in foil-lined and buttered square pan and place in pre-heated oven

Cool. Cut and de-pan=) Yummm!

I love baking during the Yuletide season! Giving is such a good excuse to bake goodies! =)

Guests From Paris =)

My family have always spent Christams eve at home. We normally go on a cooking frenzy the whole day of the 24th and have a kinda late dinner as a family =). For the first time in my life, spent Christmas dinner our of our home. My cousin and her family came into town from Paris for Christmas eve and we had our dinner at Barrio Fiesta in Makati Avenue. My cousin Peggy was craving for Filipino food and Lechon! We brought in a whole Lechon and had dinner of the usual Filipino favorites like Kare-kare, Inihaw stuff (hito, sugpo, pusit, oysters, chicken etc), calamares, pakbet, alimangos and so on. Can you belive we all finished an entire lechon that evening? hehehehe

Here is my beautiful French cousins and pamangkins =)

My family...aunt, cousins and cousin's families =)

I am not so wild over the food here...maybe because my Atchie cook really good Filipino food too...=) hheheh..nevertheless, we had a great time getting together with family and seeing my relatives from Paris!

Christmas is indeed about being together with family and sharing the joy of the season! =)

Holiday Baking #1: Chocolate Cake with Creamy White Frosting

It's baking time!!!! I have been on the bread frenzy..the whole year I think...for for this Yuletide season...let me bake a cake =)

The last full blown cake that I have made was ages ago....so here we go....

creamed the butter with sugar and eggs...

cocoa incorporated

panning the batter
baking my first cake layer in the Kitchen aid oven...

lovely rich-dark colored chocolatey ckaes =)

I cooled them and prepared my Creamy White Frosting. I cose a white frosting because I felt like I want a white christmas cake =) hhehe


here I placed the frosting on the first cake layer

making an oreo cookie sandwich here

frosting the whole thing all over

...but I really don't fancy white looking cakes..so I decided to dustthe whole thing with cocoa powder and put shaved bitter-sweet chocolate on the sides and some more on top =)

TADA!!!! My Christmas Chocolate cake

hmmm any suggestions for a name?

This one went out as a gift =) Christmas baking is soooo delightful and fulfilling.

Cafe Puccini

Cafe Puccini is a nice Italian resto at the Fort Strip. I like the al fresco area..specially during evenings...the air cool...watching people pass by or dine at the neighboring restaurants...so nice and relaxing...

Some cocktails...

And bruschetta

This reminds me of pizza ovale o Cibo. I like. It's foccacia bread topped ith Arugula, tomatoes, cheese and garlic. Nice =)

Cyma Snacks

After brunch at Mickey's and some dvd shopping at Metrowalk, I met up with Mike at Shang mall to do some Christmas shopping. I love the rush of moving from store to store around malls...combing through departments and floors of Rustan's....playing with the toys on display while picking out gifts to kiddies.

Well, the whole shopping run around was really exhausting..so we needed a bit of a break to re-fuel so we may proceed with...whatelse...more shopping! hahha

We chose Cyma for some Kalamari

Nice calamares fritos..though we didn't feel the tatziki dip is the suitable dip for these squiddies.

And...this dish we liked a lot...the Spinach Artichoke fondue

Hot and cheesy dip....very flavorful! You enjoythem with grilled bruschetta and pita wedges..yummy!

After that we were all powered up for more shopping action! hehehe

Brunch at Mickey's =)

Rave after rave..I finally had the chance to bring my good friend Sally at Mickey's deli. I have had several dinners..had lunch and now how about some breakfast! Yey!!! I love breakfast...more that any meal of the day =) They started to serve 6am breakfast in line with the Simbang Gabi season.

My original plan was to take Sal to Apartment 1B for some Eggs Benedict...even got kinda lost looking for it...and when we finally found the place...they are closed Sundays =( But nevetheless...what we had was nothing less.....

We had the Mickey's breakfast...

2 sausages, 2 slices of meatloaf, bacon 2 eggs sunny-sideup on whole wheat toast with a siding of grilled asparagus and cherry tomatoes------yummmy!!! Perfect for two! We just had to order an extra cup of coffee because this one comes with one already. Oh and an extra wheat roll too...to accompany all those protein ;P hahahaha

A fantastic way to perk up a Sunday!!! =)

Christmas is About Giving

Ah I can really say, that I feel Christmas the most through giving...and receiving is as heart warming too. Whatever it maybe...the time the gift is made, bought or designated to you....at that very special moment the person's thoughts are of you=) That is how I think of it and that is why I appreciate anything and everything given to me by friends and loved ones.


Well, amongst the first christmas treats I think I have received are from my foodie-friends here...and to add to the cookie and bagoong christmas loot....the very sweet family of Ruy (of A Taste of Married Life) gave me oh sooo wonderful Buko Pie...the Nortehrn rendition if this yummy pastry.

They are thinner than the average buko pie...so more delicate to eat =)

Soooo nice of Ruy and Liv to drop by and give me these wonderful treats =)

Thank you very much!!!! =)

Giving back...I made Banana-Peanut Butter Cake....my ode to Elvis and gift for Ruy Family and Mr. Spanx!

I baked it in the office...kind of in a rush (because the urge to bake and give was intense at the moment! hahaha )...but with all my heart and thoughts of these nice people! =D

Merry Christmas Everyone!!!!!!

Lunch at Italianni's

Hmm..since the Bistro card discount card has stopped being acknowledged at Italianni's, food there seem to me now, too pricey.

I had lunch with my friend there...and shared this Cream of Chicken Soup

and an order of Toasted Ravioli.

I think the soup cost about Php 160.00 or so and the Ravioli almost 400 bucks. There were only 4 pcs of ravioli in an order..so that's about a hundred a pop! hehee The food was good and what I like a lot is the free bread =)

The waitress told us the Bistro card shall be issued again next year so yehey to that! hehehe

Lovelies.... =)

What a pleasant surprise.....this came in the office last Tuesday....

Opening the rectangular box...made a smile creep on my face. Wow....=) I just love flowers. I don't know any girl who would not be happy to receive them.

Aren't they pretty?! How it can brighten up a girls day =)

I took a shot of one of the rose after placing them in vases...backlit by my night lamp....

Thank you =)

Bloggy Friendly Dinner =)

What a way I started the work-week...dinner with new friends from the blog world! hahaha Hmm not actually all from the blog world...hehehe. Mr. Manila Boy, Spanx was so nice to arrange a get together at SOMS thai noodle house in Morato.

To Spanx: actually you're the only one in the group that I haven't met that night! hehehee

My good friend Jeff of Scalpel and Skillet and Didi of Candisssh Tales where there for the meet and eat. Ruy of A Taste of Married Life, whom I have met already with his wonderful family, was there to join us too.

Over some Yellow Curry

Siomai

Spring Rolls


Pandan Chicken

Red Curry

we chatted away about our passion for food and the blog-world! How amazing it really is from reading eachother and commenting...to finally sharing dinner! hahaha

It was really great meeting you Spanx (thanks for the bagoong)! Nice to have had the chance to chat with Ruy...and so happy to be with you Didi..kahit bitin and Jeff (thank you for the cookies)

Cookies and Bagoong...NOT TOP BE EATEN TOGETHER! HAHAHA ;p

The only rose among the thorns...

I think I really felt shy when didi left ah...but all of you guys were really great!

'till our next foodie meet! Hizon's or somewhere Italian =) hahhaha


The Boys

Spanx, Ruy & Jeff

BREAKFAST BUFET and A BALLET =)

I promised to try the Sunday breakfast bufffet at Bellore. In keeping my word, I brought my brunch gal pal Sal to my Bellore to try their breakfast spread.

The place was packed that morning! Good thing Arvi, the owner of this nice resto, was there and was sooo nice to get us a table =)

The offered an array of Filipino dishes...tinapa, adobo, bopis (I think), rice, bread and an omelet station.

The Omelet Station

..ham, mushroom bits, carrots and other egg misxin you can choose from over here..

Sal's plate



My Omelet =)

Php 135.00 per head for the breakfast buffet, served with coffee. I think I downed 4-5 cups! hahahaha

Arvi tells me that they do change the spread menu daily so there is always somthing new to try on each visit.

Thank you Arvi for veing so nice and accommodating =) We will visit again soon!

After our brunch buffet, we headed on to Serendra to do our favorite Sunday book browsing at Fully booked and shopping along Bonifacio High Street.

Later that day, I met up with my dear Elainey for an evening of Ballet =) I just love watching ballets and plays. I am so glad when Elaine told me she got us tickets for Snow White by Ballet Philippines. It was help at the CCP main theatre that night. The performance was excellent! Snow white was a former bride client of Elaine, who was so nice to give the tickets. It was great for kids and kids at heart =) hahaha

Thanks Elainey!!!!!