9th Anniversary Dinner at Alba

Peter and I just had our 9th Wedding Anniversary recently and we celebrated it the day after, when Peter was feeling a little bit better. He was sick for one week and couldn't even get up to eat. I had to prepare all his meals all the time, made sure he was taking his medicines, and checked his temperature regularly. I was happy to serve him but I guess it was also slowly taking its toll on me.

Casa Pilar @ Boracay

Casa Pilar is one of those food places that I should come back to next time I go to Boracay. It was a hot afternoon and I was looking for some free wifi connection. I saw some people using their laptops at Casa Pilar so I went in. I plugged my pc and ordered some food.

The Mariott Cafe's Ocean's Surf Buffet

To the uninitiated, hotel buffets are all alike. A nice upscale hotel means a good buffet, right? While this seems reasonable, you 'd be surprised that this line of thinking isn’t always true. Perhaps, one of these days we’ll write about those buffets you’re better off avoiding. This post however is about one that is every bit as spectacular as the hotel that it’s in.

Last Friday, The Sexynomad and I were extremely fortunate to have been invited to The Mariott Hotel’s Oceans Surf Buffet. It was a payday weekend and I got stuck in unusually heavy traffic on Ayala, en route to pick up my lovely wife. We almost decided to skip the dinner and head straight home. I for one am extremely happy that we didn’t.

Although it isn’t the biggest or longest buffet out there, the Mariott Hotel’s Ocean Surf buffet serves up a combination of the best seafood and meat dishes in their menu and believe me, it’s quite a delectable selection. The steaks from the carving station we’re of prime quality and were grilled exceptionally well, not an easy thing to do outside of a proper kitchen. However, there is no doubt that the star in this buffet is the seafood selection.

You might be tempted to go for the main courses first but please don’t. I suggest you start your meal at the appetizers section. I skipped the salad but I did get myself a big helping of rock lobsters, shrimp and clams. After which, I moved on to their Japanese station. The maki selection was good but the real treat here is the salmon sashimi. They have a chef at the station all the time so you get your sashimi freshly cut. It's some of the best sashimi I've ever had, creamy and packed with flavor. Each slice was heavenly.

Marriott's Global Thai Food Fest

My plate of assorted Thai Food

On October 20, right after our Nuvali Bloggers Tour, I also got invited to experience the world's largest Thai Food Fest by Marriott. I'd like to share here all the yummy dishes that I got to try and ended up liking:

Starbucks at Nuvali

After several hours of touring the huge parcels of land of Nuvali, doing other fun activities and dining at Reyes Barbecue, my blogger friends and I hung out at Starbucks for some refreshments.

Lunch #2 at Zenz Restaurant at Mines View Park Hotel

Finally, here's the last set of wonderful, palatable, tasty (and free) dishes that were served during our short stay at Mines View Park Hotel. I tried not to eat much coz I was already feeling so bloated. But because everything was so yummy, aside from the strawberry sinigang, I also had a bit of the other dishes that were served:

chopsuey

I liked the way they prepared this dish. The vegetables were crunchy and not overcooked. It also has a buttery taste to it. Loved it!

fried bangus with garlic sauce

Since I already had bangus the day before, I didn't eat much of this dish. It was very delicious though. I'll make sure to order this dish when I come back here next time.

crispy fried chicken

This fried chicken was crunchy indeed! I could never get enough of it! *burp*

bibingcrepe

I am actually craving for bibingcrepe right now as I write this review. I guess that says something about this unique culinary dish that's very exclusive to HalfMoon Cafe. Yummy!

Bon appetit!

Dinner at Zenz Restaurant at Mines View Park Hotel

There were several dishes served at Zenz Restaurant at Mines View Park Hotel in Baguio that night. But because I was already so full from the constant feeding all throughout the day (hehe), I only had three of the dishes served:

pork kebab

There's another one with sausages but I never got to take photos of it. I came from my nap and by the time I went down to Zenz Restaurant, everyone was almost done eating and was already enjoying an Igorot dance show. Anyway, I liked this dish. The meat was tender and I loved the grilled bell peppers in between. You know how much I love bell peppers! I eat them everyday at home!

grilled corn

Instead of rice for carbs, I had corn instead. The piece I got wasn't char-grilled and tasted sweet and crunchy. Perfect!

grilled squid

I normally don't eat grilled squid because even those that I got from Boracay whenever we'd vacay there, they always feel gummy. But the ones they prepared at Zenz Restaurant was very crunchy. Hurray!

Bon appetit!

Lunch #1 at Zenz Restaurant at Mines View Park Hotel

I am very picky when it comes to eating out. This is probably because I mostly like very flavorful dishes and detest those Western bland ones which I normally found to be served in restaurants I've visited before. This is why I resort to my own cooking 90% of the time. And so I was really surprised and happy to have enjoyed the dishes that were served during my stay at Mines View Park Hotel in Baguio from Sept. 23-24. We were always served with buffet but I was assured that their regular servings are always hefty and worth the price you pay for.

Let me show you the dishes I had together with my fellow bloggers who got invited to visit the place and experience it all for ourselves. Here's the lunch we had:

fresh leaves and carrots

Because we were in the land of not just strawberries but fresh vegetable produce, it's only normal to expect really, really fresh vegetables. And they did serve us with those!

lettuce with bread crumbs and cheese

I liked the way the textured bread crumbs, twist of cheese and a bit of vinaigrette blended with everything.

beef caldereta and rice

I seldom eat caldereta for fear of chewing a gummy beef portion, but the one they served us was tender and delicious!

chicken in sesame and barbecue sauce

I will never get tired of this chicken dish.

breaded fish chips

I like fish but rarely eat fish chips coz they mostly taste like bread rather than fish! But this one exceeded my expectation. The fish inside was flavorful so I didn't mind eating the breaded part.

mango gelatin... sweet, mangoey and yummy. ^_^

I'd love to come back there again, but this time, I want to enjoy it with my hubby. There are still so many Continental and Asian dishes I'd love to try next time.

Baked Salmon, Eggplant Tzatiki and Japanese Rice

Three of the dishes that my hubby and I prepared over the weekend were Baked Salmon, Eggplant Enselada and Japanese Rice.

The Japanese rice was easy to do. I just mixed a packet of Clara Ole's Ora Mix Mo Japanese rice sauce with 2 cups of cooked rice and voila --- we have a very tasty rice dish.

Grilled Tuna Sandwich with Roasted Bell Pepper

Like what I said on my previous blog post, I am now trying eat more healthily whenever I can. I also try to cut back on ice cream and Coke because sugar is just simply bad for the body. I read in a health magazine before that a table spoon of sugar reduces the body's defense mechanism at 12%! So if I eat lots and lots of sweets, I can actually shut my body down. No wonder I feel lethargic, lazy and sleepy whenever I have one of those ice cream flavors and chocolates I like.

Oh well. Like they say, if you wanna live long, you have to eat less. So today,Peter and I had a healthy and scrumptious grilled tuna sandwich with roasted bell pepper.

Here's how we did it:

What Have I Been Cooking Lately?

I took up a monster work schedule the past month and it's only now that I am able to recover a little more quality time for myself and for my cooking. And on those rare occasions that I or my hubby was able to prepare something to eat, I enjoyed each and every dishes we made. We also made sure that they're all healthy and delicious at the same time. Let me share with you those few home-cooked dishes I had. The rest of the time, I was either eating out , cooking the same dishes, or munching on fruits, raw vegetables, and chocolates. ^_^

Herbed Sweet and Sour Tuna Sauteed with Fresh Egg, Tomatoes and Garlic

The Magic of Cherries

Lately, I've been eating fruits like peaches and pineapple. Since Monday, I've been having toast with cream cheese and lots of vegetable salad. I seldom eat real meals (with rice and dish) coz I still haven't found the right groove with my new job, and it's eating up all my cooking time, which I used to have before. So, in pursuit of still staying healthy food-wise, (and not binge on chocolates, chips and cookies which I have a ton of in our pantry), I have been reading up on food alternatives. 

 

I learned about the magic of cherries while reading my copy of this month's Reader's Digest. Did you know that cherries have anti-inflammatory compounds that can soothe arthritis & gout? New research is showing that they may also be your much needed answer in getting a good night's sleep. I'm not just talking about the sweet kind but sour cherries are few of those foods known to have naturally occurring melatonin, which is the chemical that regulates the body's circadian rhythm and sleep patterns. 

Therefore, for a late night snack, why not try a cherry jam on toast? Research suggests that melatonin works best when consumed in the hour before bed time. As for me, I made some toast with cream cheese and cherries on top! I am saving them for later  around midnight when I'm done with job #2 and before doing job #3. Now I can't wait to work... Healthy snack awaits!

Bon appetit!

Tofu Steak Fried in Honey and Rosemary withTuna & Tomato Sauce

I did this less than thirty minutes ago... It's so easy. The following are the ingredients you will need:

• a block of tofu
• ground pepper
• salt
• rosemary
• basil
• sage
• thyme
• tomatoes
• bell pepper
• onions
• garlic
• spaghetti sauce
• mushrooms
• ketchup
• can of tuna

Toasted Chicken Liver + Fried Baby Potatoes + Salad

Here's how I did it:

I dried everything with a piece of tissue, put them on a clean plate and put a dash of salt and pepper to taste.

I popped them in a toaster oven and let it run a full clock on each side. After one run, I take out the liver and spread them on a piece of tissue for the natural oil that dripped from the fatty liver be absorbed by the tissue then I popped them back again inside the toaster oven, but this time, I make sure that the other side gets toasted too. Then I set my toasted chicken liver aside.

I prepare my baby potatoes same way I prepared the chicken liver, only this time, instead of toasting, I fried them in about 4 tbsps. of canola oil.

Peter's Holiday Dishes

My hubby, Peter, is currently on a long holiday break. He seldom cooks for me anymore due to his work schedule so now that he is at home with me, I let him take over our kitchen and in the process, I learned how he did some of his wonderful healthy dishes:

Grilled Tofu in Onion and Mushroom BBQ sauce

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/8 cup water
• 1/8 cup vinegar
• 1/8 cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 clove garlic, minced fine
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 200g button mushrooms, sliced
• 2 packs of firm silken tofu, cut into cubes

Grilled Angus Rib Eye Steak with Sweetened Vegetables and Fried Baby Potatoes

My sister is currently staying with us. She has never tried any of my cooking so I wanted to impress her a bit. I prepared my favorites for her --- grilled rib eye steak, sweetened mixed vegetables and of course my fried baby potatoes.

The trick to making the perfect rib eye steak is to thaw the meat properly, wipe it with a clean cloth or tissue afterwards so that it will brown well, dash both sides of the meat with lots of pepper and salt and grill each side of the meat on a nice oiled hot grill pan for four minutes each. This amount of time would be enough to brown the surface, keep the meat tender while keeping the inside pink and medium rare.

Delectable Cakes of Cake2Go

Just this Saturday, my hubby and I splurged a bit on cakes. We passed by a branch of Cake2Go which according to one of my friends, has the best cakes she has ever tasted. I remembered what she said and got curious. So we parked the car and went inside the cake store. I fell in love with six flavors right on first sight so we ordered a slice of each just to see which one/ones I would like best later on. Here are what we ordered from the one I least liked to the one I liked best:

Chocoholic Fudge Cake

I was a bit disappointed with this one that's why it's the least one I liked. Though it tasted chocolatey enough, the cake itself lacked moisture, it felt like bread on my mouth.

Nestle's Crunch Cake

Nestle Crunch has got to be my most favorite chocolate ever. I will never get tired of eating bars after bars of of it. So I had high expectations for the cake. The frosting tasted good enough and the cake itself was a bit moist. Unfortunately, due to my high expectations, I'd rather have the chocolate than the cake.

Potato and Vegetable Medley

During the middle of the week, I was running out of things to eat at home. There were a couple of days when I just had toasted wheat bread with herbed cream cheese, banana, kiat-kiat and cinnamon rolls. After a while, I'd crave for something more filling. And since I haven't done my groceries yet, I looked at what's left inside the fridge and tried to make something scrumptious out of it.

I still had baby potatoes, bell peppers, onions, tomatoes and garlic.

So this was what I did:

Chicken Breast in Herbed Tomato Sauce

I was craving for something that's "tomatoey" this particular weekend. Since we had chicken in the fridge that needed to be cooked and we always keep several packets of tomato sauce, we decided to have chicken in tomato sauce one Saturday.

After the chicken has been thawed, we dashed it with pepper, salt, basil, thyme, sage, and rosemary; we wrapped it in foil; and then we popped it in the oven toaster for around 20 minutes. This way, the chicken did't get burnt while it's baking. The foil also helped retain the natural fat juices of the chicken and helped in absorbing the flavors of the spices and herbs much faster even if it was not marinated the night before.

Beef Stew in Spaghetti Sauce

The moment I woke up today, I started working on the Christmas decorations of our house. Once I got into it, I didn't stop except for bathroom breaks. After almost 8 hours (whew!) I was finally done. And to reward myself, being so famished and all, I made myself some beef stew. I was going to consult one of my cook books but as you can see, I was so hungry and I didn't have the patience to study the recipe anymore. So, I just did what I know best... JUST COOK! FOLLOW MY GUT FEEL and COOK!!!