Chowking's Fish Fillet Lauriat

having a dinner isn't so bad when i dropped by at Chowking, Phase 1, Sta. Lucia Mall. i have been eating there for years and they still manage to have a good reputation. it didn't take long for my order to come and it came fresh and hot!

the star for today is the Crispy Fish Fillet Lauriat. a special combo of our favorite Chinese delicacies in one plate. served with hot steamy rice, the lauriat is one filling platter for gullible stomachs without compromising on the taste.

a right serving of deep-fried, crispy breaded fish fillets combined with a mayo dip comes as a good viand for your rice. it is done just right and may push you to order on a separate plate.

a single fried pork dumpling isn't so bad. if you're tired on munching to soft stuff, try the crispy one.

Chicharrap chips served with spicy vinegar adds a twist on the other things on the plate.

a Chowking lauriat would not be complete without their famous Pancit Canton that brings us long life in Chinese tradition. it has a special sauce with crunchy vegetable cuttings that makes it very healthy and yummy.

and to finish it all off, a humble siopao with a chocolate filling will neutralize the salty taste of the other elements. a bite will squeeze off chocolate filling that will ooze to the side of your lips and give that heavenly feeling.

you can ask for extra soup too.

photo provided by: Chowking.com

Small Price for a Big Lunch from Italianni's

Book launch: Tropical Cocktails: Exciting Bar Drinks for the Beach Party Scene

April 25, 2009 (Saturday) 8:00 pm: The Streetscape Shangri-la

Get a copy of Chef Gene Gonzalez’s new book, a one-of-a-kind collection of bar drink recipes for every kind of cocktail, party or social gathering. Perfect for the beach and party season. Don’t miss the demonstrations of cocktail drinks by the bartenders!

from: powerbooks.multiply.com

Bartending: Host your Own Party

a great party always requires a good host. but what is more exciting is that the host has something better. it's always a given to have great food, great place, great people around but what is important that the host gives his guests the best experience ever. it's always giving the best foot forward at any occasion and performing your best talent.

the party will not be complete with a little serve of party drinks, and serving it with STYLE and entertainment. bartending is a great example for this. it's not just the creative mixing of the cocktails but the talent of throwing bottles, shakers and glasses into the mid-air. this kind of presentations will make your guests drop their jaws and shout and scream in awe of your one of a kind ability.

here's a video of pure bartending talent:


even Tom Cruise studied and made a movie out of it called Cocktail, here's a scene from the 1988 movie:


envy those talents? i do too. here's a video teaching us basic bartending:


so start practicing this skill and start more entertainment and let's party!

there's a lot of schools online that can teach you bartending:
Extreme Bartending
ABC Bartending
National Bartending

and more...

Toss the White Hat

i have always been a fan of yogurt. and yesterday after a movie premiere, me, jenny and jeff went to a nearby yogurt store located at the SM Mall of Asia. i never heard of this place before and it's not always part of the average Filipino to include yogurt in their diet. there's a lot of milk products available in the market and so far, yogurt has been my favorite. yogurt has a lot of benefits not only that it satisfies your stomach:

1. BETTER DIGESTION - yogurt contains live, active cultures aka PROBIOTICS that help us go through gastrointestinal conditions like constipation, diarrhea, infections and cancer. it's also good for those who are lactose-intolerant.


2. STRONGER BONES - since it's made from milk, Calcium is inside it. so it also protects us from having osteoporosis and promotes good posture.


3. REDUCES the risk of HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE - from a study conducted to 5000 students in Spain, it shows that 2-3 servings of low-fat dairy a day could lead to lower blood pressure.


4. BOOSTS the IMMUNE SYSTEM - did i tell you about those living cultures? they help increase white blood cells that fight infections.


5. BIGGER MUSCLES - yogurt contains PROTEIN which are needed in muscle building.


6. WEIGHT LOSS - eating low fat yogurt in place of other high-fat desserts helps in losing weight without the feeling of being deprived.

this place, i may now introduce to you, the White Hat. they offer us AUTHENTIC Italian yogurt which gives us all the benefits i mentioned above. and they have premium toppings from sweets to fruits to give us a healthy and enjoyable dessert! thus, a super delicious 98% FAT-FREE dessert with 0% TRANSFAT will sure win our hearts. they don’t scrimp the quality of the ingredients, so if if you want to taste the difference, go on!

the first branch started at the SM Mall of Asia last July 2008 and it has another on Robinson's Manila. three more stores to open at Rustan's Makati, SM North EDSA and SM Megamall.

Karnival of Chocolates GLAZING everyone!

Krispy Kreme Philippines is proud to announce the coming of the greatest chocolate show on earth! and it is not exclusive to you but also to your friends. you all could enjoy Krispy Kreme's original chocolate-glazed donut paired with a signature coffee. all you have to do is register at chocolatekarnival.com and fill-up all required fields.

an email with be sent to you saying "You have been GLAZED" or "I have been GLAZED." you have to print the message to present it to your nearest Krispy Kreme store. one person, one doughnut policy applies.

you can redeem your chocolate-glazed doughnuts at:

Krispy Kreme Factory Stores
Bonifacio High Street
Bonifacio, Global City, Taguig city
Opens 6:00 am daily

Greenhills Shopping Center
San Juan, Metro Manila, drive-thru store
Opens 5:30 am daily

SM Mall of Asia
G/F, Entertainment Mall, Pasay City,
drive-thru store
Open 24 Hours

Krispy Kreme Stores
Trinoma Cinema level, Trinoma,
Quezon city

SM Megamall
Upper G/F, building B,
Mandaluyong City
Opens 8:00 am daily

SM Mall of Asia
G/F, Main Mall, Pasay City

Ayala Avenue
Ground Floor, Jaka Building,
Makati City
Opens 6:00 am daily

Robinsons Galleria
Level 2, East Lane
Ortigas Ave, Quezon City

Gateway Mall
Ground Floor of Gateway Mall,
Cubao, Quezon City

Glorietta 4
Glorietta 4, Main entrance,
Makati City

Chefography: Ina Garten (The Barefoot Contessa)

i love Ina Garten. i just saw her show last night on the Food Network. she has motherly charisma and you would assume that she really talks to you in person in her show, Barefoot Contessa. aside from her very delectable and useful cooking tips, she can also show you around her neighborhood, tour around her cozy house and introduce her friends. a very warm Ina Garten makes you feel at home. sometimes she only picks up herbs, fruits and vegetables right from her own garden, thus getting the name "Barefoot Contessa."

a very generous woman, she doesn't want to get anybody hungry. everyone has his own serving of Ina's specialty from appetizers to desserts.

aside from hosting a TV show of the same title and owning a business of pastry lines and cookbooks, she also writes columns for Martha Stewart Living and O, the Oprah Magazine.

view her FOOD NETWORK BIOGRAPHY.

Mom's Recipe: Rellenong Bangus (Stuffed Milkfish)

i learned how to cook it when mom went out for a school activity and i was left at home with the rest of the family. since i was the one with the passion in cooking, i was forced to do so. but mama asked me first of what do we want for lunch. i thought of cooking something very special and giving that much effort to it. then she said to cook Rellenong Bangus.

this is one of my favorites when i come to fiestas. the simple milkfish is given a twist and it's boneless so you never have to worry about getting pricked by those fish bones.

Ingredients:
2 large milk fish (meat and bones taken out from the skin)
1 large potato
1 carrot
raisins
parsley, onions and garlic, minced
soy sauce
lemon juice
ground pepper
2 eggs
1 tbsp vegetable oil for sauteing
oil for deep-frying

Directions:

1. you can ask the fish vendor to take out the fish meat from the skin. and upon preparation, marinate the fish meat and skin in soy sauce and fresh lemon juice and leaving it for 30mins-1hour. overnight can achieve best-taste.
2. saute onions, garlic and marinated fish (meat only). sprinkle ground pepper for taste then add the raisins, parsley, potato and carrot until cooked. set aside and allow to cool.
3. when the fish is cooled down, take out the fish bones from the meat. hygiene is very important, so tweezers and gloves can be helpful. then add eggs in order to bind the mixture when deep-fried.
4. stuff the mixture inside the fish skin and then sew to seal the opening. there's not a lot of skills needed for this, you just have to be extra careful not to prick yourself.
5. deep-fry the whole fish until golden brown over high heat. once done, divide the fish diagonally for artistic presentation.
6. best served with pickled papaya shredding and cucumber.

the excess saute mixture can also deep-fried as fish burgers as you add a little flour.

we really enjoyed our lunch that time.

photo credits: wilmack's flickr

Welcome to Foodivities

we all love food and we all have favorites. but what's fun about food is that you can share it with everyone during a special occasion or maybe a simple gathering.

and everyone has a story to tell. a little chit chat with friends over cookies and tea will cheer them up; a kid learns to mix his pancake batter; a baby enjoys his nutritious baby food; a group talking about latest gossip at a party: everything is served with food.

but this blog has more than you can think of. it will not only give you reviews and recipes, but memories from childhood, special cooking skills, our original recipes or modified specials are great additions to the idea. this would also feature stuff about food unimaginable.

i thought of coming up with special categories here:

1. Mom's Recipes - mom's secrets and procedures that taught me how to cook and appreciate food;
2. Food Cravings - you want to request for a recipe? sure!
   
3. Contributions - your food moments featured here;
4. Reviews - books, magazines, shows;
5. Kitchen Arena - techniques that you can use in the kitchen;
6. Food Parade - parties and events announcements.

and some posts that will just pop out of my head. of course, you partygoers, i will also post some party tips and those cocktails that you are thinking about.

the world is full of food for our minds, so let's have a feast.