September is Durian Season in the Philippines

"Smells like hell, tastes like heaven", that is probably this fruit's old-time famous line, a brilliant justification for its uncanny smell. Yes, for most people it does smell awful! But don't let the unfriendly scent and its spiky looking round fruit mislead you...it deserves to be tried and best of all tasted! 

Durian from Lake Sebu

It's September once again and a great reason for mom to be merry! Last week, my uncle brought home her most requested pasalubong - Durian! After all, it's durian season once again down south of the Philippines. If mom could just fly back and forth in Mindanao just to feast on her favorite food on earth, she'll do it! Harvested all the way from the family's lake front property in Lake Sebu, these durian fruits are definitely fresh sweet as always.

Wonder how to open a durian? Mom said everything starts with knowing where to place your knife, making sure you will be making the incision at the right spot - look where the line ends (see the picture below). 

Slowly make the incision, making sure you're not cutting it too deep as you might damage your dearest durian!

So for those who haven't seen and tasted a durian before, treat this post like a sneak peak of a must-see movie. After all, Durian is hailed as "The King of Fruits", thus a yearly blockbuster hit to all durian fans out there! :) 

KFC Famous Bowl

Wanting to ease our hunger, me and my brother hurriedly stopped by at KFC for some quick afternoon snack. I ordered my favorite snack box while he ordered a set of famous bowl for about Php65. A bowl with layers of KFC flavors - bitesize boneless chicken, creamy mashed potato, KFC's signature gravy, sweet corn and shredded cheese serve in a convenient bowl.

KFC Famous Bowl

Grab a copy of America's Secret Restaurant Recipe's Cookbook

Recipe: Nut Pesto with Chicken

I guess I've already said a hundred times in this blog my passion for pasta. What's my favorite kind of pasta you ask, NUT PESTO WITH CHICKEN. Delicious!

My version: Nut Pesto with Chicken

The scent of the basil is an attraction and addiction, like my personal brand of heroine, lol! It's just something that will for sure drool me over. My best Nut Pesto with Chicken meal so far was the one prepared by Veneto Pizzeria Ristorante in Glorietta, Makati. It's where me and mom would meet over for dinner for some hearty bonding moment and eventually go home late at night. Wow, it's been quite a few years since I happily drown myself with their pasta. I am missing it badly! And because Makati is a little too far from home, I cooked a much simpler version of the meal with the help of McCormick Pesto Pasta Sauce Mix. Here goes the Pesto recipe instruction:

Ingredients:
1 pack McCormick Pesto Pasta Sauce Mix
1/4 cup water
6 tbsps oil
200g pasta (cook accdg to package directions)
chopped nuts
parmesan cheese (ordinary cheddar cheese can also be a replacement)

Procedure:
1. Combine McCormick Pesto Pasta Sauce Mix with water and oil in a sauce pan
2. Cook over medium heat. Do not boil
3. Turn heat off and toss in cooked pasta
4. Top with nuts and cheese :)

Cook the chicken separately. I personally use thin slices of chicken breast, spice it up with salt and pepper to taste, cover with flour and dip into beaten eggs then coat last with some japanese bread crumbs and then fry. It's all that easy that even some rich people I know couldn't believe at how easy it is to cook a pesto pasta at the comfort of your home. :)

Claim your Free Oreo Now!

Want to eat free Oreo snacks? Want to try all three flavors - vanilla, chocolate and strawberry? Register at their promotional website, shareoreo.com, follow easy instructions and play games to get all three free snack packs at the nearest 7-Eleven store near you :) I already receive my coupon they sent at my email. All I have to do is print it out and go to 7-Eleven to claim my Oreos!


Here's the coupon I received:

Recipe: Mango Float

Has any of you seen the commercial of M.Y. San Grahams aired way back where a fun mother shows how easy a dessert can be made using the company's product? That was my inspiration kasi! I saw how easy it was to prepare a dessert without the gruelling process of baking. Thus the birth of my own Mango Float version...tadah!

Mango Float

This is probably one of the very few recipes that would make everyone in our house go gaga over this treat! It's simple, very easy to do and it's a blockbuster hit!

Ingredients:
M.Y. San Graham Crackers
1 250ml condensed milk (make it 1 and 1/2 if you like it really sweet)
2 250ml all purpose cream
3 ripe mangoes

Procedure:
1. Slice mangoes according to your desired "design"
2. Mix the cream and condensed milk together (for the cream, follow package instruction - they should be chilled to get that thick consistency)
3. Put the graham at the bottom of the dish evenly
4. Pour the condensed milk and cream mixture on top
5. Lay the sliced mangoes
6. Repeat the same process up to the 3rd layer
7. Sprinkle crushed grahams
8. Chill and serve cold

3 layered Mango Float

Take out: Yellow Cab's Four Seasons Pizza

Yesterday was my brother's birthday and what better way to add spice to the celebration is to order an 18" of Yellow Cab Pizza. The choice for that day, Four Seasons! 

Four Seasons Pizza of Yellow Cab

With gourmet sampler including NY Classic, #4 Cheese, Anchovy Lovers, Roasted Garlic and Shrimp, grown ups and teens can grab their own choices of pizza. The price including taxes and delivery charge amounted to P865. With 12 slices of 4 flavourful pizza in one sitting, Four Seasons is a great partner for every  simple celebrations.

Roasted Garlic and Shrimp Pizza

NY Classic Pizza

#4 Cheese Pizza

Anchovy Lovers

Pizzas has always been present for every birthday celebration in the family, it's a must! We just love it, it's a family thing. Probably more important than a cake!

Recipe: Fish Balls with Sweet and Sour Sauce

Ingredients - Fish Balls:
2 c flaked fish, cooked or leftovers
1 onion, chopped
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. white pepper
2 eggs
1 c bread crumbs, for dredging


Ingredients - Sauce:
1 inch ginger, sliced into strips
1 c green papaya slices
1 red pepper, sliced
green onion leaves, cut 1 inch long
1/4 c vinegar
1/4 c water
1/4 c brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp cornstarch dispersed in 1 tbsp water
2 tbsp oil

Procedure:
1. Mix all ingredients for fish balls except bread crumbs; form into balls and roll in bread crumbs
2. Deep fat fry; set aside
3. Head oil in frying pan and saute ginger, onion and the rest of the vegetables. Combine the rest of the ingredients and let boil; add starch mixture and cook until thick.
4. Pour over fried fish balls ad serve.

Recipe: Chopsuey

Ingredients:
1/4 c pork, cooked and sliced thinly
1/4 c shrimps, deveined and split at the back
1/2 c onion, sliced
3/4 c carrots, sliced thinly
3/4 c green pepper, sliced thinly
1 c cabbage or pechay, sliced
2 tbsp oil
1 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1/7 tsp white pepper
2 tsp cornstarch
1 c pork stock



Procedure:
1. Cut all vegetables evenly and same sizes
2. Heat fat, add pork fat, if there is available. Render off fat.
3. Saute onion, shrimps ad pork. Set aside.
4. Saute rest of the ingredients, starting with the carrot, pepper and cabbage, cook until just done; add back sauteed ingredients and add soy sauce, salt and pepper.
5. Add cornstarch dispersed in pork stock, cook until thick
6. Serve immediately.

To make party Chop Suey:
Add to the above recipe during sauteeing baby corn, cooked quail eggs, thinly sliced chicken gizzard, chicken liver, Chinese sausage and Chinese dried mushroom, which should be soaked in water before using.

Recipe: Kilawin

A popular dish among the Ilocanos consisting of internal organs such as the heart, “Lapay”, tripe and sautéed garlic and onion. It is seasoned with salt, pepper and vinegar and cooked.

Ingredients:
½ k pig’s liver, thinly sliced
½ c vinegar
1 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp oil
1 tbsp garlic, macerated
1 onion, sliced
½ pork meat, boiled and sliced thinly
½ k pigs tripe, boiled and thinly sliced
2 med. Radish, sliced thinly
½ c water

Procedure:
1. Soak liver in salt, pepper and vinegar, set aside
2. Heat oil, sauté garlic and onion
3. Add pork tripe and liver
4. Press slightly the liver against sides of pan
5. Cook until the liver is done
6. Add radish and simmer until just done
7. Serve hot for 12

Recipe: Arroz Caldo

A rice gruel usually with chicken or tripe pieces with patis or salt and slivers of ginger. Garnished with minced green onions.

Arroz Caldo (Tripe or Chicken)
Ingredients:

2 c tripe, cleaned, boiled and cut into cubes or
1 small chicken cut into serving pieces
1 inch ginger, cut into strips
1 head garlic, macerated
1 onion, sliced thinly
2 tbsp. Oil
3 tbsp patis
1 ½ rice
6-8 c water
Green onion leaves for garnish


Procedure:
1. Saute garlic in hot oil until brown
2. Reserve half of the garlic for garnish
3. Add the onion and ginger
4. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook simmering; stir once in a while
5. When the meat is tender and rice is cooked, served with green onion leaves and fried garlic
6. Patis and calamansi juice as sauce
7. Serves 6-8

Recipe: Dinuguan

Ingredients:
1 k pig's internal organs (heart, pancreas, kidney and liver), cubed
1/4 k pork meat
1/4 c oil
1 head garlic, crushed
1/2 c chopped onion
3 tbsp. patis
2 hot peppers
3 c pig's blood
6 c broth
1/2 c vinegar - add more if sour dinuguan is desired
Procedure:
1. Parboil all meat and cut into cubes
2. Heat oil in hot pan and saute garlic until brown
3. Add onion and cook until light brown
4. Add pork and other meats, saute until meat is slightly browned.
5. Add broth and vinegar and blood mixture which has been mashed together, stirring constantly
6. Continue stirring until all the blood has been added and seasonings corrected. Simmer until tender.
7. Add 2 tbsp sugar just before serving.

Recipe: Beef Rolls

Ingredients:

6 slices, top round steak (1 k.)
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
6 strips bacon, pan fried ad chopped
1 large onion, chopped
3 tbsp. chopped sweet pickles

Sauce:
1/2 c water
1/2 c tomato catsup
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper

Procedure:
1. Season the beef slices with salt and pepper
2. Combine rest of the ingredients ad wrap in the beef slices. Roll and tie both ends
3. Fry in hot pan until brown.
4. Remove excess fat and add ingredients for sauce. Simmer until meat is tender
5. Serve hot for 6

Recipe: Fish Ball Soup

Ingredients

1 c flaked cooked fish (any leftovers)
1/4 c chopped onion
1/4 tsp. salt
dash of white pepper
1 egg
cornstarch for dredging
6 c stock or rice water
1/4 c green onion leaves, cut fine
1 egg, beaten
1 tbsp. dash of white pepper


Procedure

1. Make fish balls out of the first 5 ingredients. Shape into balls; roll in cornstarch
2. Bring the stock or rice water to a boil.
3. Drop in fish balls.
4. Season with patis and pepper
5. Just before serving, stir in beaten egg and sliced green onion.
6. Serve hot.

Recipe: Chicken - Macaroni Soup

8 chicken broth
1 c elbow macaroni (cook as directed)
1/4 c chopped onion
2 tbsp oil
2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp white pepper
1/4 c evaporated milk

• Saute onion in hot oil
• Add cooked macaroni and broth. Let boil.
• Add seasonings and let simmer.
• Just before serving, stir in evaporated milk.
• Serve 6-8