Friday Night's Dinner: Reyes BBQ and Cara Mia Gelateria

REYES BARBEQUE Yesterday, I really had a long day, paperworks are piling up like crazy..At the end of the day i really need something to perk-me up so me and my bessie Goldie decided to do a really hearty dinner..so we decided Reyes BBQ, anyway its been a while since we went there since we transferred our office in Ortigas, but because yesterday I still have to check on my store at Makati so we decided for Reyes BBQ Waltermart branch! A grandson of the late Doña Engracia "Aling Asiang" Reyes of the Aristocrat Restaurant and son of Teresita "Mama Sita" Reyes, third-generation entrepreneur Francisco "Frank" Reyes' decision to continue the family legacy comes as no big surprise. He opened the quick-serve barbecue outlets simply named Reyes Barbecue in 2003. And because Pinoys just love really good barbecues, the chain now has over 40 outlets--and still growing. With its affordable and great-tasting meals, Reyes Barbecue is now a favorite of many, including me....(im sorry im really not for Mang Inasal) Reyes BBQ  Waltermart  Makati  Branch Chicken BBQ Boneless (I always prefer deboned meat because i really want to enjoy the dish rather than having to do all the 'siksik' thing..lol) Pork Barbeque Asparagus and Pork Wrap  (this is really good!) Banana Caramel Ala Mode ( So good but 'bitin' if you share it!) Cara Mia Gelateria In case you haven't noticed the very obvious, I'm crazy about cakes, ice cream and chocolate. So I was extremely delighted to find that Amici--the pizza and pasta place in Don Bosco--now has a separate gelateria with an extensive menu of gelati, gelato cakes, gelato shakes, affogato, cakes and pastries. Together with Goldie after the hearty (2 cups of rice) dinner at Reyes BBQ we head to Amici in Don Bosco Makati for dessert, and sampled some of the tantalizing treats that Cara Mia has to offer. I love that the prices are so reasonable and the food presentation and taste are topnotch. Sweet heaven! Cara Mia in Makati GELATI (- mango jubilee is one of my favorites!) GELATO CAKES Pistaccio Ccolato  P65/slice ; P590/whole cake - Chocolate chiffon layered with pistachio filling ( i love pistaccio nuts and i love this coz it has so much in it!) P95/slice ; P690/whole cake - Cioccolato and vanilla gelati with cherries and nuts in a shell of moist chocolate cake and luscious ganache ( sooo sinful! But if you love ice cream sandwich, this is to die for!) BANANA BLAST P95/slice ; P600/whole - Banana, strawberry supreme and cioccolato gelati with chocolate cookies crust ( WE had not enough of the banana ala mode at Reyes BBQ so we opted for this...arggg..the taste is so lingeringly good) YUMMMMY! BERRIES DELIGHT AFFOGATO P90 - scoops of strawberry and blueberry gelato on a bed of ladyfingers served with a shot of espresso ( the best way to end the dessert galore, this is so refreshingly fruity, not too sweet at all!)

Recipes from Last Night's dinner: Fish with Tausi, Callos and Fruit Salad

Of all the desserts in the world i always love FRUIT SALAD....It reminds me a lot of Christmas..

5 cans Del Monte Fiesta Fruit Cocktail
1 can Nestle Cream Premium Quality, slightly chilled
1 pack Nestle All-Purpose Cream, slightly chilled
1 can Milkmaid Condensed Full Cream Milk
1 jar nata de coco (green)
1 jar maraschino cherries (optional)

Procedure:

• Drain the fruit cocktail and nata de coco very well and transfer to a large bowl.
  
• In a separate bowl, mix the Nestle Cream, Nestle All-Purpose Cream and condensed milk until well-blended.
• Pour the cream mixture onto the fruit cocktail. Mix well.
• Allow the salad to chill for a few hours.
• Garnish with maraschino cherries before serving.Or you can add fresh grapes,watermelon or avocado, dragonfruit, lychees... :)

One of our favorite dishes to order at Chinese restaurants is Fish with Tausi. The fillets are usually battered and deep fried before added into the sauce, but I prefer to cook the fish without batter. Ever since I discovered cream dory fillets from the freezer section of the supermaket, I've been creating my own recipes-- more like "experimenting"-- using cream dory. This Fish with Tausi is actually one of my favorite experiments, err...dishes to cook because it's so easy and the result is really delicious (my cousins once remarked that it tasted like it came from a restaurant! Weeee!). 

You will need:

about 1/2 kilo cream dory fillets, cut into serving size
2-3 tablespoons tausi (fermented black beans)
about 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1/2 teaspoon seasoning granules (I use Maggi Magic Sarap)
garlic, minced
onion, chopped
ginger, julienned
green bell pepper, sliced into strips
1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 1 tablespoon of water
1/2 cup of water
cooking oil

Procedure:

1) Saute garlic, onion and ginger in a hot pan with a little oil.

2) Add the tausi or black beans then the oyster sauce. After a little while, add in 1/2 cup of water and then bring to a boil.

3) Turn the heat to low and toss in the green bell pepper strips. Sprinkle with seasoning granules. Add the diluted cornstarch and mix the sauce well.

4) Place the fish fillets into the sauce and cover the pan. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the fish turns opaque.

5) Serve with steamed or fried rice.

I'm not pretty confident about sharing this recipe because I don't cook with specific measurements and all that. In fact, my version of this Spanish dish is something that I just made up to suit my taste .. And that's why the recipe calls for pig knuckle (or pata) instead of ox tail or ox knuckle--because that's what i likes.

Originally known as a "poor man's stew" because it makes use of tripe (the stomach lining of a cow), this dish is quite costly to prepare nowadays because of the list of ingredients. But cooked right, it sure tastes really good--a burst of delicious flavors in every spoonful.

Anyway, here it is--

You will need--

ox tripe
pork pata
1 can Purefoods Chorizo Bilbao Style, sliced
1 big can of garbanzos (chickpeas)
3 small potatoes, cubed
garlic, chopped
onion, chopped
red bell pepper, sliced
extra virgin olive oil
tomato sauce
water (for cooking tripe and pata)
2 cubes of beef or pork broth
ground black pepper to taste
olives (optional)

Procedure--

1. Cook tripe and pata (covered in enough water) in a pressure cooker until tender. Cut in serving size. Set aside the stock.

2. Heat pan and about 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Pan-fry the chorizo de bilbao for a fuller flavor. Remove the chorizo from the pan and set aside.

3. In the same pan with oil, sauté chopped garlic then the onion. Add the tripe and pata and continue sautéing for a few minutes.

4. Pour in stock and add 2 cubes of pork or beef broth. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to let it simmer.

5. Mix in tomato sauce (quantity depends on how red you want the color of your sauce to be) and add in potatoes, garbanzos, bell pepper, fried chorizo de bilbao and olives (optional) and continue simmering.

6.  Season with ground black pepper according to taste.

7. Serve with steamed white rice.

ENjoy Everyone!

A part of me that most dont see...They said if its too painful to bear and speak about, "Turn it into Literature". I'll always keep you in my heart my 'Tati'..

We were promised with your timely arrival,
Though we never doubted your delicate survival.
Though we never held your hand in ours
We surely felt your transcendent power.
We write this poem to remind the world
Of the love and promise one life unfurled.

We’ve mourned your exit, displaced our fears,
Deplored your entrance with joyful tears.
Our scars tell a story of grief and zeal
That only your love could possibly heal.
So spread your wings, soar so high,
And let your ambrosial spirit explode in the sky. 

 

 

 

They say there is a reason,
They say that time will heal,
But neither time nor reason,
Will change the way I feel,
For no-one knows the heartache,
That lies behind our smiles,
No-one knows how many times,
We have broken down and cried,
We want to tell you something,
So there won't be any doubt,
You're so wonderful to think of,
But so hard to be without. 

 

 

An Angel from the Book of Life

Wrote down my baby's birth,

And whispered as she closed the book

"Too Beautiful For Earth"

I'm just a precious little one who didn`t make it there.
I went straight to be with Jesus,
but I`m waiting for you here.
Many dwelling here where I live,
waited years to enter in.
Struggled through a world of sorow,
a world marred with pain and sin.
Thank you for the life you gave me,
it was brief but don`t complain.
I have all Heaven`s Glory,
suffered none of earth`s great pain.
Thank you for the name you gave me.
I`d have loved to bring it fame.
But if I`d lingered in earth`s shadows,
I would have suffered just the same.
So sweet family - don`t you sorrow.
Wipe those tears and chase the gloom.
I went straight to Jesus` arms
from my loving Mother`s womb.

 

 

For just those few weeks
I had you to myself.
And that seems too short a time
to be changed so profoundly.
In those few weeks,
I came to know you...
and to love you.
You came to trust me with your life.
Oh what a life I had planned for you!
Just those few weeks...
when I lost you,
I lost a lifetime of hopes,
plans, dreams and aspirations.
A slice of my future simply vanished overnight.
Just those few weeks...
It wasn't enough time to convince others
how special and important you were.
How odd, a truly unique person has recently died
and no one is mourning the passing.
Just a mere few weeks..
And no "normal" person would cry all night
Over a tiny unfinished baby,
or get depressed and withdraw day after endless day.
No one would, so why am I??
You were just those few weeks, my little one.
You darted in and out of my life too quickly.
But it seems that's all the time you needed
to make my life richer
and to give me a small glimpse of eternity.

 

 

 

I never got to hear you laugh
you never saw me cry
didnt get a chance to say "Hello"
you never said "Goodbye"
I didn't think that I could feel
so sad, lost and forlorn.
I never knew God chose his Angels
before some of them were born.
Your life was short yet special
I shared it all exclusively
I felt you breathe, I felt you kick.
You were alive inside of me.
Every baby is an Angel
and every angel is divine
God needed one in heaven
He came down and took mine
And although we are not together
we're not really apart
for you'll always occupy a space
deep within my heart.
Time has begun to ease my pain
It's only some days now I cry.
When I wish I could have said "Hello"
and heard you say "Goodbye"

 

 

Last Friday Night's Dinner: Cantinetta

I particularly like the ambience in Cantinetta Pasong Tamo and the Rockwell branch didn’t particulary strike me as something I would want to try out. I only got to try out the Rockwell branch when my family was shopping in Rockwell and wanted to eat in the area. Cantinetta came to mind as something my family might enjoy.

 

Parmigiano cheese and prosciuto ham weighing station...

Me and my bestfriend Goldie ordered:

Parmagiano Reggiano Php590 – The dippings really complemented the cheese but this is way too expensive for a few hundred grams of Parmagiano with Honey and Cream Balsamic. My suggestion is to buy good cheese from Santi’s and enjoy this at home!

Prosciutto d Sn Danile Php550 – We ordered melon slices to complement the prosciutto

Cantinetta Classica Php450 – Tomato Sauce, Mozzarella Cheese, Italian Sausage, Peppers and Minced Beef. I’m not raving about the pizza. Had better pizza in other places.

Contadina Php440 – Italian Sausage with Mushrooms in tomato sauce. Nothing great about this dish.

Artufo Spaghetti Php510 – Better pasta dish. The pasta servings are generous.

Osso Bucco alla Milanese Php 920 – Classic Beef Stew served with Saffron Risotto. I find this expensive for a medium sized piece of meat.

Costolette di Maiale Php 500 – Grilled Pork Chops. My first visit in Pasong Tamo was a better pork chop experience. Still I would give this another try.

Chocolate Cake Php230 – Nothing great.

Tiramisu Php240 – Not great at all. Not authentic.

As I’ve said, I particularly liked Cantinetta Pasong Tamo. My first visit was extremely enjoyable, shared a plate of Grilled Porkchops which was juicy and flavorsome. A bottle of good wine was also affordable at 1K. It is obvious that Cantinetta uses ingredients which are fresh and of quality. I  felt that some of their items are overpriced though and you need to keep track of the prices and order the specialties. If anyone has other dishes they rave about in Cantinetta, let me know. So far, I would only re-order the tartufo or the porkchops.

Cantinetta
Rockwell Drive, cor Estrella Street
Makati City
Tel – 632 4030145
and
Ground Floor, Karrivin Plaza
2316 Pasong Tamo Extension
Makati City
Tel : 632 8929873

that ONE PERSON

Ever have that one person in your life that you just can't give up on, the one person who can screw you over time after time yet you always seem to give them another chance, and no matter how many times you say this is their last one, you know it's a lie because there's always just one more waiting for them. The one person you know you're better off without but yet you can't find a way to let them go because deep down inside you wouldn't know what to do without them. The one person that you know doesn't deserve you but yet you choose to overlook it...

Last Night's Dinner: Aubergine

Hans and Norbert, proprietors of Aubergine had been executive chefs in Shangri-la and Mandarin respectively. They setup Aubergine to be the practicum restaurant of their culinary school, the International School of Culinary Arts and Hotel Management (ISCAHM).

 

The restaurant itself reminded me of a hotel coffee shop. Big and brightly lit with yellow lights. The center had a wall to ceiling glass-encased wine cellar.

 

From the dining area, one can actually see the entire kitchen through a large glass pane window.  Several ISCAHM students were busy preparing ingredients from their stations.

We opted to share the degustation menu to have a wider sample of what Aubergine has to offer.

 

Amuse Bouche – Seabass mousse with ratatouille

 

Oyster Delight… Variation of fresh, baked, fried on mango-papaya salsa, pouched in vinaigrette, sauteed with prosciutto on mascarpone-dates cream and Tempura Oysters, accompanied by garden green’s in Raspberry dressing – The oysters are of good quality. Plump and clean taste to the oysters.

 

Mushroom flavored beef consomme with crepes strudel and vegetable julienne – I didn’t like this. It’s basically strong beef broth with some ground meat in it. The strong beef broth got to overpowering midway and I couldn’t finish the whole bowl.

 

Pan seared duck foie gras on celeriac-apple Mousseline and balsamic-port wine reduction – Best dish on our menu. Foie gras is of very good quality. The foie gras was firm and smoothly textured. It just melts in your mouth.

 

Calamansi sherbet – Creative way of serving the sherbet. Dry ice has been placed inside the teacup which was giving out smoke.

 

Grilled Australian lamb loin, gratinated with porcini mushrooms on red wine-pommery mustard jus, served with rosemary and truffle infused potato gratin and glazed vegetables – Grilled to medium. The meat was done was just right. The sauce was creamy and complemented the meat.

 

Grand Marnier ice parfait with chocolate-mascarpone fritter and mango jubilee – The Chocolate Mascarpone fritter stood out among this dessert trio. Tasted like tiramisu because of the mascarpone.

 

On the side, we also ordered Watermelon with Brie, Arugula and cherry tomatoes salad.  ( forgot the actual name).  I didn’t think the watermelon complemented with the brie cheese. The flavors clashed between the sweet watery watermelon and the earthy creamy flavors of the brie cheese. The Brie cheese by itself was excellent though. I liked mixing the brie with the arugula salad, cherry tomatoes and candied walnuts.

 

We also had an order of Shrimp Bisque which is very good. I would recommend this any day over the Beef Consomme.

Aubergine is classical fine dining. Perfectly executed dishes, artful plating and very attentive service. It’s just like having a meal in a hotel restaurant.  But as with a  hotel restaurant, the atmosphere is stuffy and formal. I rather have a very well-cooked meal in much much more relaxed surroundings. I had a server pulling my chair for me everytime I stood up!

Aubergine
32nd and 5th Building
Fort Bonifacio, Taguig
Philippines
Tel : 856-9888

Have Faith. Always.

Everyone needs to believe in something...I believe in God; I believe that there are angels looking out for me wherever I go and whatever I do. I believe in the strength of good relationships; that when surrounded with supportive family and friends success is inevitable. I believe in love; a “Cory and Topanga” romance, a “Walk to Remember” destiny. I believe in staying up late and sleeping in. I believe in arguing. I believe in the right to happiness. I believe you are never too old to cry in your mother’s arms. I believe everyone needs a hero in life. I believe in dancing in the rain and living in the moment. I believe in being prepared and being on time. I believe in ice cream after break-ups; I believe in laughing until it hurts to breathe. I believe in dancing in the middle of your room with the blinds closed in front of your mirror when your favorite song comes on. I believe in forgiveness, though hard as it may be to master. I believe that everyone needs to trust in something to get them through the days, months and years. And I believe that it is truly a beautiful life..... ;)