Nanaimo Bars

A recipe of Nigella Lawson of Nigella Bites, Nigella Feast and so on, cooking shows and author of cook books such as How to be a Domestic Goddess & Nigella Feast.

According to her,

"these are quite rich, but delicious"

and she's not kidding.


NANAIMO BARS

The bottom is made up of chocolate graham, nuts, cocoa powder, butter, sugar, egg and coconut. The middle is of vanilla pudding, milk, sugar icing and butter. The top is of bittersweet chocolates and of course, butter.

There's butter in every layer, making it incredibly rich but in a good way.




It is another "success on the first try" recipes that I have done.

My sister likes it. She even said she's willing to pay if ever I'll decide to sell it.

Nigella's recipe calls for unsweetened cocoa powder & semi-sweet chocolates. while I, on the other hand used black cocoa & bitter sweet chocolates. I love my chocolates strong and dark. I also incorporated whole wheat graham with the chocolate graham, used mixture of cashews and walnuts, and decreased the amount of butter and sugar needed.

I have read in a certain baking article, that most of the time, decreasing the amount of sugar or substituting a healthier one, won't have noticeable effects on the baked product. So give it a try and experiment.


NANAIMO BARS, UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL...

I love eating sweets, a lot of it. So, if I can make it even a little bit healthier, I will. As Rachael Ray always says, if it's healthy you can eat more of it.


Happy Eating!

Cashew Crunch

I got its recipe from the web. I googled it because I love the Almond Crunch of Classic Confections. I can even finish an entire 225 grams of it in one sitting, that is with control.


CASHEW CRUNCH

Since we have a lot of cashew nuts, given as gifts last Christmas, I opted to use it instead.


CASHEW CRUNCH SLABS


The verdict: My husband loved it. He finished the entire pan. He ate some as is and the rest on top of pistachio ice cream.


Happy Eating!

Eli's Cheesecakes

I bought it after Christmas. It was on sale at Robinson's Supermarket.

I first heard about their cheesecakes on an episode of Oprah.

It was also featured on O magazine's January 2007 issue. They called it " a slice of heaven".

"maybe it's the all butter cookie crust, maybe it's the Madagascar bourbon vanilla beans - this cheesecake is perfection on a plate".

Well, let's see what heaven tastes like.


BEST OF ELI'S CHEESECAKE
It is composed of 4 variants. French Silk, Caramel Apple, Cherry Linzer and Original Plain



Eli's cheesecake is a Chicago style cheesecake, that is baked and not a refrigerated no bake style cheesecake.

It has a firm outside, and a creamy inside.

All Eli's cheesecakes are baked on top of a pre-baked butter cookie crust that comes in 2 flavors of either vanilla or chocolate, which is baked to a golden brown.

Their cheesecakes use only natural flavorings and no preservatives.

Their bestseller, the Original Plain, is just your basic cheesecake, made up of cream cheese, sugar, eggs, sour cream, pure vanilla and salt.


ORIGINAL PLAIN

The cheesecake has an egg pie/leche plan consistency to it. And in spite of it being creamy & rich, it is not too sweet. No sour taste also, which I like, unlike other cheesecakes. And it does melt-in-the-mouth.

They recommended pairing it with strawberries and champagne.

The Caramel Apple is made up of layers of crust, cheesecake, apples, crust again, followed by drizzles of caramel on top.


CARAMEL APPLE

It resembled apple pie without the thick dough crust.

It is also light and not too sweet, despite the richness of the cheesecake.


CHERRY LINZER

The Cherry Linzer has a tangy-tasting toppings. Again, not too sweet but creamy cheesecake.

And last, my favorite among the cheesecakes, the French Silk.


FRENCH SILK

Thin chocolate cookie butter crust, mousse-like chocolate cheesecake, whipped cream, topped by drizzles of frosted chocolate.

It just has enough chocolate flavor. And also good paired with hot chocolate.

All their cheesecakes are best serve chilled.


Happy Eating!

Dulcelin's Mango Torte

It's only recently that I have tried it.

Before my opinions were based purely on hear says and blogs.


MANGO TORTE P65

Did it live up to my expectations?

Well, yes and no.

It's good, but it felt weird eating the frozen mango balls on top, sort of like eating mango-flavored ice candy.

I tried leaving it at room temperature for a couple of minutes and was able to appreciate more its' taste.

It resembled mango cream pie in taste and appearance, with the nougatine layer as the crust.




Basically, I would buy it again, but not tomorrow or the day after that. Maybe next month or the month after.

It's good but not over the top good, like other people say.


Happy Eating!

Pan de Manila

I came across their products at Rustan's Supermarket in Makati.

My first purchase was their Pesto Cheesesticks. I ate it for breakfast, as snack or paired with pasta and meats.

I also came to like their Spanish Breads, Monggo Ensaimada, and Peanut Butter. But my usual purchase nowadays, is their Pesto Wheat Loaf.


PESTO WHEAT LOAF P45
Made with healthy whole wheat flour, extra-virgin olive oil and herbs


SLICE OF PESTO WHEAT LOAF

I love eating whole wheat breads, but it can get boring sometimes, twist like the addition of pesto can really make a huge difference.

An added variation to their growing cheese pesto bread. What started as Pesto Cheesesticks, now has Pesto Wheat Loaf and Cheese Pesto Pandesal.


CHEESE PESTO PANDESAL P48
Cheddar-filled pesto pandesal, made with extra-virgin olive oil

While also as soft and herb-tasting as pesto cheesesticks, the pesto cheese pandesal has chunks of cheese in it, and not just grated cheese on top.

It is good as part of a burger, with Gorgonzola sauce, for that gourmet-tasting burger, that won't cost you a fortune.


Happy Eating!

Krispy Kreme

For Valentine's Day, they (Krispy kreme) came up with 4 new flavors, one of them I got to try.


DULCE DE LECHE P38

I found it too sweet and prefer Gonuts' pastillas de leche over it.


Happy Eating!

Conti's

Since almost everything here taste good, I expect this one to be good also.



TURKEY HAM SANDWICH WITH RUSSIAN POTATO SALAD P145


Great mix of ingredients of the sandwich spread, creamy but light-tasting.

The Russian Potato Salad was both appetizing to the eyes and palate. The color's very appealing, and the taste, it's well-seasoned with just the right amount of dressing.


Happy Eating!

S'mores

I collected a lot of recipes, mostly desserts, from the Internet. And I vowed to try it one at a time. This (S'mores) was the third dessert recipe that I tried & liked, actually this is my favorite for now.


S'MORES
Brownie cake on top of a chocolate graham crackers crust, finished off by melted bittersweet & white chocolate chunks and marshmallows on top, YUMMY!




It's a brownie version of s'mores.


WITH BITTERSWEET & WHITE CHOCOLATES AND MARSHMALLOWS


WITH BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATES AND MARSHMALLOWS


I tweaked the recipe a little and decreased the amount of sugar and eggs.

What's good about baking your own dessert, is that you can control the amount of ingredients to use based on your preference (taste and health-wise).

I guessed the bottom line in baking is to use good quality ingredients, especially of chocolates. I use Ghirardelli for cakes & brownies and local chocos for sprinkles.


Happy Eating!

Home Fries

I googled this (Home Fries) recipe to save time and money ,of going to Apartment 1B every other day to stock up on this new favorite.


HOME FRIES
Baked cubed potatoes with caramelized onions and spices.




I think my version is slightly similar to Apartment 1B's, but since I love spicy food, I added a lot of black pepper. I still have to perfect the caramelizing of onions, though.

I paired it with Cordon Bleu but also a good alternative to the potatoes of the Roasted Chicken recipe.


Happy Eating!

Legazpi Sunday Market

This I also just read from food blogs.

I like going to the Salcedo Market on Saturdays, because there's new finds every time.



If Salcedo's on Saturdays, Legazpi's on Sundays.

The booths/stalls at Legazpi's were not that close to each other, that you can walk leisurely in between. My only gripe, not as many exhibitors/tenants as Salcedo's.

HERE ARE MY GOOD FINDS FOR THAT SUNDAY:


SYMPHONY OF SWEETS' CHOCOBERRY ICE-BOX CAKE P130



Tastes like the Choco Cherry Torte of Goldilock's without the cherries, but with the berries. I love the cream in the cake, it's not too sweet, I was able to finish the entire container in one sitting.

They have other variants that I have tried, liked and will buy next time, like Caramel, Pistachio, Mud Pie and Mango.


YAN CHING'S MIXED KUAPAO P35
A mixture of vegetables and shredded pork with sweet sauce

The filling was well-seasoned and tasty, but I still prefer their Chinese Lumpia.



PUTO PAO (CHOCO OVERLOAD, CHOCO HAZELNUT & UBE PASTILLAS) P12/EACH

A refreshing twist from the usual puto.

Though I am a chocoholic, I prefer their bestseller, the Ube Halaya (which I was able to taste but didn't buy. I don't know why). But their chocolate variants reminded me of chocolate truffles. Small chocolate puto with chocolate fillings. The overload even has white chocolate flakes on top.

They also have pork floss version of puto.

I also bought 3pcs of Ramekins (a small glazed ceramic serving bowl used for the preparation and serving of various food dishes) for just P30 a piece. A huge difference from department stores' price of P400 up per piece.


Happy Eating!

Intercon Hotel - Cafe Jeepney

SIOPAO ASADO P50

I like its color and love its taste. Also the price is affordable for a hotel food.

I don't know if it's just for the Chinese New Year, until Valentine's, or a permanent fixture on their menu.


Happy Eating!

La Nuova Pasteleria

One day I was thinking of what dessert to try next. I've been eating s'mores & bud-bud kabog alternately these couple of days, I needed a break.

I thought of La Nuova in Forbes Park.



I ordered Canonigo and Strawberry Shortcake, both of which were sold-out. Not wanting for my efforts to go to waste I ordered the next best thing. The server and a newspaper article displayed on the wall, said that the Concorde is a must-try. So, I ordered a slice of it and of Brazo de Mercedes (which resembles Canonigo).


CONCORDE
A chocolate mousse & soft vanilla flavored sponge cake, that crowned with rolls of crunchy yet delicate chocolate meringue.

The Concorde was good, the mousse was good with just the right sweetness. And the meringue added crunch to the cake and broke its creaminess.



BRAZO DE MERCEDES

The Brazo de Mercedes was just so-so. Though big in size and looked good, it's just okay tasting. Not something that I'll order again.


JUST SEE HOW BIG AN ORDER IS


I hope to try their Canonigo, which a blogger said he would come back again and again for, and their Strawberry Shortcake, which another blogger said, was the best he ever tasted.

I should call in advance next time and inquire first of their (Canonigo & Strawberry Shortcake) availability.

P.S. Almost all of the cakes on display were already reserved, just the two that I ordered were available. They're that famous around that area for their cakes.


Happy Eating!

Five Cows

One of the bestseller ice cream cakes of Five Cows in Trinoma.


ROCKY ALMOND BARS P160

Oreo cookie crust base with vanilla and chocolate ice cream, topped again by oreo cookie crust, drizzled with caramel sauce and topped with shredded almonds.



A dessert that will satisfy both the ice cream and cake lover in anyone.

The oreo cookie crust was hard and buttery, complimented by the creaminess of the ice cream. The nuts added crunch because it was shredded and not slivered. The caramel sauce gave a "chocolate decadence" feel to it.

A must-try dessert, good for two or just one for those with a hearty appetite for desserts.

Once you take a spoon of it, you won't be able to stop yourself and finish the entire slice, that good or because you can't have it to go because it will melt =)

They provide dry ice for an additional of P60, but only for whole cakes.


Happy Eating!

Bun on the Run

One of the must-try burgers according to tableforthree, a food blogging site.


CHORI BURGER P75
Chorizo patty on top of pugon-cooked pandesal, with cheddar cheese and coleslaw



Though the patty has a sweet taste than usual beef patty, I still prefer the beef patty because it is leaner and meatier.

The pandesal is soft, but soggy when you have your burger to go, especially around the edges, because it readily absorbs the juice of the coleslaw. So, if you don't want soggy pandesal, eat it right away.

Nevertheless, the burger is filling. An alternative when you had enough of beef burgers, and also for those not eating beef.


Happy Eating!

Max Brenner Two-Burger Meal

Though the buns were small, the patties were thick.
What it supposedly lacked in size was well compensated by its taste.
And if you combined the mini burgers it would equal a regular-sized one.
What I like with the burgers being mini versions were the different flavors of each.
One was beef with mushrooms and the other, gorgonzola with caramelized onions.
Both were delicious but I love the gorgonzola more.
The Two-Burger Special comes with country fries flavored with parsley parmesan and with garlic aioli dip, garden fresh salad with anchovy cream dressing and iced tea.
The country fries were well-seasoned, crispy and thick. The greens of the salad were fresh and crunchy, though I like the anchovy cream dressing than the balsamic vinaigrette dressing they used the second time I had it.
It is definitely worthy of its price.


MINI-BURGER FOR TAKE-OUT


TWO-BURGER SPECIAL P180+


FRESH GARDEN SALAD WITH ANCHOVY CREAM DRESSING


Happy Eating!

Brothers Burger

I like grilled burger patty than fried ones. I often order Whopper Jr. from Burger King because Brothers Burger's quite expensive though worth it.

Though I love their Angus with Bleu Cheese, the Brothers Burger with Cream Cheese and Garlic is also good but cheaper.



BROTHERS BURGER WITH EXTRA CREAM CHEESE AND GARLIC


Happy Eating!

Savory

I always wanted to eat at Savory. I have forgotten what the food there taste like.
So one sunday, while out with my family, we ate there.

We ordered their famous CHICKEN which comes with fried saging the saba and gravy. The chicken was dry and tastes bland. My mother even commented that the Roasted Chicken we make at home was way better.
The BREADED FISH FILLET WITH MUSHROOM AND CREAM SAUCE was just okay and so were their FRIED RICE and SALT AND PEPPER SQUID. The SHANGHAI ROLLS were good, the LONG LIFE PANCIT CANTON lacked seasoning but with lots of toppings.


HERE'S MY PLATE, A SMORGASBORD OF FOOD

They have limited selection of items for dessert, we ordered just two, BUKO PANDAN SALAD and LYCHEE WITH ALMOND JELLY.



TheLYCHEE WITH ALMOND JELLY was just three pieces of lychee with almond jelly
The BUKO PANDAN SALAD is good. Though I don't see any buko shreds, just pandan jelly and mini sago, but the sauce is good. Creamy but not too sweet. Just the way I like it.

Even if the food here was just okay, I was able to polished off the food on my plate and even had seconds. I don't know if it was because I was extremely hungry or just plain "matakaw".


Happy Eating!

Kopi Roti

I was out with my family at Moa last sunday and we passed by KOPI ROTI, a coffee shop specializing in singaporean and malaysian breakfast & snack food.
We ordered Kopi Bun, Choco Bun, Kaya Toast & Tea with Condensed Milk.


KAYA TOAST P35

Kaya Toast is a popular snack amongst singaporeans and malaysians. Kaya is a jam made from coconut milk, eggs & sugar, flavored with pandan leaves.
Kaya Toast is made up of 4slices of bread, toasted and spreaded with kaya and butter.
The one we had had too much butter and just a thin spread of kaya. It made us heady in richness. We prefered it the other way around.


KOPI BUN P35
CHOCO BUN P35
TEA WITH CONDENSED MILK P45

The kopi bun & choco bun are both good. Crispy crust with a hollow inside, filled with butter, flavored with coffee and chocolate.

The Tea with Condensed Milk is reminiscent of English Tea but stronger and sweeter.


Happy Eating!

Spreads

LADY'S CHOICE PEANUT BUTTER (SUPER CHUNKY) & DUTCHE CHOCO SPREAD

Since I always eat bread for breakfast, I am forever on the look-out for delicious spreads or meats, that I can partner it with. And also since, I always have dessert after every meal, including snack, these 2 spreads addressed it both.

The peanut butter has peanut bits incorporated in the spread and the choco spread tasted like melted chocolate, YUM!

I spread a piece of bread with the peanut butter and another with the choco spread, then eat it combined, another YUM!


Happy Eating!

Red Ribbon

DULCE DE LECHE CAKE P49/SLICE
3-layers of sponge cake with dulce de leche fillings, topped with whipped cream and chocolate shaving, drizzled with caramel sauce.


I found it not worthy of its price. It's expensive for its size and taste. Although it looks good on pictures and TV, but taste-wise, it's just so-so.


Happy Eating!