Shoot First Eat Later

Rome: Restaurants on Via delle Fornaci

Since our B&B was surrounded with several restaurants we tried three of them. Most of the time we were tired after a whole day of walking at the Vatican or other sites so eating nearby was most convenient. The food we’ve eaten at these restaurants were just satisfactory nothing really memorable.

Even though the weather was very warm everybody sat outside. Rochelle and I shared the pizza made with dry salted beef, rocket (arugula), Parmesan & mozzarella cheese (€9.50). The crust was thin and crisp and not bad at all.

My cousin Sharon couldn’t get enough of marinated anchovies which we’ve been ordering since the Madrid.

marinated anchovies €8.50

Sharon ordered one of their specialties- fussili pasta with pancetta and spices.

Fusilli alla Califfa

Another dinner was at Camedda which was right across our B&B.

They sold wine, olive oil, balsamic vinegar and other items.

They were preparing this for another table. I wish we ordered it too.

cheese and salami

The food they served were actually pre-cooked and kept in the chiller. It looked like it was supplied to them by another company.

menu

Since I decided not to eat pasta anymore I ordered the meat of the day which was sliced steak with arugula and for my sides I chose spinach and broccoli. The flavor was good and the beef was tender. The veggies on the other hand were cooked to it’s death and were too soft.

straccetti di manzo (sliced steak with arugula) €12.50

Skinny Rochelle became obsessed with mozzarella and tomato salad after discovering how sweet Italian tomatoes were.

Caprese salad

Sharon still wasn’t tired of eating pasta and she ordered the server’s suggestion of Culurgiones or Sardinian ravioli stuffed with potatoes and cheese. I didn’t even dare try this carb on carb dish.

Culurgiones (Sardinian ravioli) €12.50

We had lunch at this cafe called Il Piccolo.

When we walk down these steps at the end is the Vatican already.

One of the most important things you should learn how to say in Italian is “acqua del rubinetto” or tap water (blue bottle) which is potable in Italy. Learning this short phrase will save you a lot of money.

Sha lives in the US so she has sensitive stomach and was scared to drink tap water. Rochelle and I live in the Philippines and we’re fearless. Not all restaurants will give you aqua del rubinetto but it doesn’t hurt to ask. We were lucky that they even gave us ice which is very rare.

bottled water €1.50 & acqua del rubinetto (free)

Even though crepes are not Italian I ordered it since I wanted something different.

crepe with mushroom, grana padano cheese & walnuts €7.50

The fresh mushrooms were barely cooked but I still loved them specially with the salty grana padano cheese and the toasted walnuts. It was one of my favorite meals in Rome.

Guess who ordered the lasagna?

lasagna al ragu €7

Yes skinny Rochelle had the salad with Speck (juniper flavored cured ham) and Fontina cheese.

salad with Speck & Fontina cheese €7

For dessert we shared a crepe filled with marmalade and Grand Marnier. Simple but delicious.

crepe with marmalade & Grand Marnier €6

Ristorante La Vittoria
Via delle Fornaci, 15 – 00165 Roma
telephone: 0663-1858
website

Camedda – dal 1970 a Roma
Panetteria Enoteca Pizzicheria
Via delle Fornaci, 46
telephone: 06.60664132
website

Il piccolo
Via delle Fornaci 22 00165 Roma
telephone: 06 630869

Rome: B&B San Pietro alle Fornaci

Without a doubt my favorite hotel/B&B in our European vacation was the B&B San Pietro alle Fornaci in Rome. A plus was it’s location which was a 5 minute walk to the Vatican and it was surrounded with restaurants and a Carrefour supermarket nearby. Another thing we appreciated was the bus stop right in front of our building which we used a lot.

We were met by Andrei who manages the B&B for his boss along with three other properties.

We were fascinated with all the keys he carried around.

There was an elevator in the building.

Sharon had the room right beside the entrance. It had a huge bed as well as another twin sized bed. Easily 3-4 people can fit in this room.

The B&B had 3 rooms and our was at the end of the hallway.

I loved the big room and simple decor.

Nice bathroom too!

Hairdryer and shampoo

room safe

Our room had a balcony but not much of a view so we never opened the door since we preferred the comfort of the cold air-condition.

My most favorite part of this B&B was the washing machine and dryer. We quickly bought laundry detergent from Carrefour and did our laundry everyday. Yehey no more hand washing and clothesline.

We were free to use the espresso machine, water kettle and refrigerator (inside the cabinet) as much as we want.

This De’Longhi machine used pods and Andrei taught us how to make lattes. Wherever there’s free good coffee we’re happy.

Every morning Andrei would bring a big box of bread, danish, croissant and ham & cheese sandwiches for our breakfast. He would also serve us blood orange juice. Not the best bread but it was good enough for our breakfast.

I still ate my daily yogurt for breakfast which Rochelle bought from Carrefour.

There was free wifi in the B&B too. What more can I ask for? I HIGHLY recommend B&B San Pietro alle Fornaci to anyone planning travel to Rome. It’s very easy to communicate with the owner, Marius since he responds to our email immediately. He was also very helpful with arranging our transportation and whatever else we needed.

B&B San Pietro alle Fornaci
Via delle Fornaci 49, 00165 Rome, Italy
telephone: 0039-3408199268
info@bblefornaci.com
website

Rome: Trenitalita from Florence to Rome

In my recent trip to Europe I was able to try all kinds of transportation. In Spain we drove a rental car and flew to Florence. This time we took a train to Rome for 1 1/2 hours.

I would say taking the train was the easiest and most comfortable way to travel in Europe for shorter distances. You can arrive in the station just a few minutes before departure assuming you already have your tickets. There’s no security check or long queues either.

We got a 1st class seat that has assigned seating.

That’s all our luggages. Mine is the smallest blue luggage at the bottom left. When you travel by train I suggest you travel light since you have to haul it into the train yourself. There’s nobody to help you.

I didn’t use the bathroom but it was big and clean.

Our ticket was a super economy meaning no changes and no refund. We paid only €29 for a first class seat to Rome.

We were given a free drink, a pack of cookies and wet wipes.

I didn’t see much of the view because I quickly fell asleep.

We arrived in Rome’s busy Termini station and looked for the driver who was picking us up.

The owner of our B&B in Rome arranged for a van to pick us up at the station.

Here are some shots of Rome that I took while in the nice van.

Lunch at Ukokkei Ramen Ron

When a picture of a closed Ukokkei spread around Facebook and you could almost hear gasps of shock and dismay jump out of the comments section. The only thing that went through my mind was, “I haven’t even tried it.”

You see I’m not much of a ramen fan. I could go years without a bowl of ramen touching my lips. I find more joy in a plate of yaki udon or chahan, my choice of Japanese carbs.

So when pictures of the reopened Makati branch surfaced, my Ukokkei virgin friends and I decided once and for all to try this place led by our friend Deb who’s an Ukokkei fanatic.

We went there as early as 11:30 am so we can get seats. True enough by noon the restaurant was packed.

Take note of these items since they are not on the menu. Most of us ordered the Kara Miso Ramen with a choice of 5 levels of heat.

We were all given just one glass of cold barley tea for free. I heard that their Malate branch gave unlimited refills.

The gyoza was pretty good with it’s thin skin and crispy bottom. The pork filling was salty enough not to need any soy sauce.

Yaki Gyoza P120

Sam was the only one who ordered a shio (salt) soup base ramen. She just likes the milder broth. Other options for the soup base are shoyu (soy sauce) and miso (soybean paste).

Ukokkei Shio Butter Corn P350

Based on Deb’s suggestion most of us ordered the Kara Miso Ramen with level 3 heat. First thing I did was put all the chili paste on another plate and added some to my soup little by little. With the amount I used I think next time I will just order level 1.

The most important thing to remember when ordering at Ukokkei are the words “katamen” and “less oil.”

Katamen means you want harder or more al dente noodles. This is important since the hot soup continues to cook and soften the ramen noodles while you eat. This way you won’t be left with soggy noodles by the time you’re half way through your bowl.

Less oil if you want a cleaner tasting broth and you’re more health conscious. But if you want all the goodness fat brings just don’t mention it.

So what’s the fuss all about? Why is Ukokkei one of the most popular ramen places in Manila? I tried a spoonful of the soup and had the answer right there. The miso soup was 3D and a burst of umami flavors in my mouth. I’ve never tasted a more “in your face” soup base before. It tasted like it’s been simmering for hours. The ramen didn’t even need the thin slice of pork. Just the soup was more than enough for me to eat all the wonderful al dente noodles.

Kara Miso Ramen (level 3) P370

Two of my friends ordered the lunch sets which seemed to be a very good deal. Set C had a small bowl of miso ramen, curry rice, gyoza (not in picture) and a side salad. We tried the curry and it was yummy but you need to eat it quickly while it’s hot. It turned too greasy when cold.

Lunch Set C P380

Janet’s lunch set had a plate of yaki soba (fried noodles), soup gyoza, onigiri (rice ball) and side salad. She didn’t eat the onigiri so I don’t know what was the filling inside.

Lunch Set B P380

I was really happy with my ramen but I had to force myself to finish the whole bowl. I was soooo full I felt I pants were going to burst. I now understand why Ukokkei is so popular despite all the horror stories I’ve heard like not being allowed to sit on the edge of the ledge while putting on shoes. There’s also no peeking in the open kitchen, no sharing and all the rules had me meek as mouse lest they kick me out for laughing too loud. But when the guy at the table next to us spoke loud enough for us to hear his stories and he didn’t get ejected we began to relax and laugh more.

I was SO DISAPPOINTED that Ukokkei’s nazi tendencies were ABSENT when we were there. All the servers were pleasant and smiling, our food and bill came out fast. My friends were able to sit and wear their shoes. Did their short closure scare the beejeebies out of them? Darn I was hoping to feel the heat. Oh well….

After lunch we didn’t linger and moved to Deb’s house for coffee and dessert. I’ve always wanted to try Wildflour’s sticky buns but it was out of stock when I went back. Deb was so thoughtful to buy a box full of sticky buns for our dessert.

Wildflour’s sticky buns P130

Not too sweet and not bad at all. I wasn’t just blown away like I was expecting. I think using the more traditional pecans would have tasted better on the sticky buns.

I’ve heard so much about Peninsula Hong Kong’s special custard mooncakes. Four tiny pieces cost HK$238 (P1,267).

The Peninsula HK’s Mini Egg Custard Mooncakes

Someone gifted Deb with these and she generously shared them with us. It was just average. The filling was a custard similar to yema but not as sweet. It was different all right but for us who are used to this kind of taste it was nothing unusual.

Ukokkei Ramen Ron menu
click to enlarge

Ukokkei Ramen Ron
Tesoro Bldg., 822 A. Arnaiz Ave.
San Lorenzo, Makati
telephone: 856-4588

Yummy Eats at Manda Centrale

Just the other day I read about a new night market opening near Shaw and planned to visit it one day since it’s so near my home and business. Yesterday the rain clouds, good timing and my driver’s decision to pass the area as a shortcut from Edsa I got the chance to go to Manda Centrale half an hour before they officially opened.

It was 5:30 in the afternoon and I could feel my tummy grumbling and I suddenly remembered Manda Centrale was about to open and my car happened to be just outside the parking lot. A quick detour and we went in the dark and confusing parking lot of the market. The parking area was pitch black. I hope they will open the perimeter lighting in the future.

As usual there were lots of grilling going on and some areas were really smokey.

Dadi’s Berd

There were familiar vendors from Mercato Centrale and some new ones.

Juana Bowl

Shrimp World

Sumoyaki Takoyaki

I passed by Carlo’s Kitchen twice and got to try the delicious crispy belly twice.

Carlo’s Kitchen

An order cost P120 without rice and P10 more with rice. It was really crunchy and reminded me of chicharon. I’m sure this is will be a big hit in the market.

Crunchy Belly

Edgys Food trip

There were more than 2 stalls selling sausages.

Sinangag Trip

Mad About Spuds

The rain wasn’t that strong but the ground was wet. I hope nobody slips.

My main reason for going to Manda Centrale was to try Gino’s brick oven pizza after I read about my friend Jojo raving about it. I’ve always wanted to try it but never found the time to go to Katipunan Ave. Too bad they were just heating up the oven and not ready to sell any pizzas yet. They only had cheese pizza. I guess I have to go to their main store to try the Bianca Verde and Margherita pizzas.

Gino’s Brick Oven Pizza

I love chicken empanada and always try out new ones. The seller told me these were freshly baked and contained more chicken than potatoes. I was sold! I love the store’s name too – Sugar Mommy. They sold lots of cakes, ensaymada and nitrate free sausages.

Sugar Mommy’s Chicken Empanada P30

The empanada was very good. It was filled with tender cubes of chicken, pimiento, raisins and small cubes of potatoes. It wasn’t too rich or creamy either. The crust was soft and thin which I really appreciated. I really hate thick crust with little filling. I will buy more next time.

With all the food options I chose to buy beef shawarma. It’s one of my favorite meals. I asked the guy why he was cooking the beef in a pan over a stove. He said it took too long to heat in the shawarma grill.

Shawarma Fusion

I asked if he put any sauce since the beef looked quite wet. He said it came from the marinade.

Shawarma Fusion menu

I chose an all beef pita with a little garlic, chili and cheese sauce. Oh my GAAADDDDDD! It was soooo good. The beef was really juicy with all the gravy from the marinade and I could smell all the spices used. The meat wasn’t fatty and there were no hard ligaments unlike others. It’s one of the best shawarma I’ve ever eaten. Next time I’ll just put more chili sauce since I didn’t really taste the cheese sauce. I am definitely going back for more shawarma.

All Beef in Pita P90

garlic, cheese & chili sauce

picture from Our Awesome Planet

Manda Centrale
Mayflower Parking Area, Greenfield District, Mandaluyong
Open every Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday from 6:00pm to 3:00 am.
Check out the list of Manda Centrale’s vendors here
Facebook

Recipe: Squid Ink Risotto

I was planning a Spanish themed dinner for my birthday and wanted to serve squid ink paella. I never had luck making paella. The soccorat (crunchy bits at the bottom of the pan) always eludes me. Since I find making risotto easier and something I can make in advance I searched for a recipe online and found this. I hit the jackpot with this simple recipe with outstanding results.

Although risotto and paella are both rice dishes that use short grain rice the main difference is how it’s cooked. Making paella you pour in the broth or water on the rice and don’t touch it until it’s cooked. When you make risotto you pour in hot broth in intervals and keep stirring until the rice is tender and creamy.

I bought the bottle of squid ink, Tinta Calamar brand at Terry’s Podium. The recipe called for plum tomatoes and I used canned whole tomatoes instead. For the white wine I used Chilean Sauvignon Blanc.

When cooking squid you either cook it really fast or really long to achieve really tender squid. Anything in between you will get tough and rubbery squid.

Sauté the onions, garlic and celery until tender. Add canned tomatoes, squid, white wine and the herbs. I only used thyme since I couldn’t find the other herbs fresh.

Add the squid ink and simmer for 90 minutes. Yes 1 1/2 hours and I promise you super tender and delectable squid.

This is what it looks like after 90 minutes and the white wine has reduced and slightly thickened concentrated sauce that’s full of flavor.

The squid cooked in squid ink can also be used as a pasta sauce or simply eaten with white rice. Set the squid aside and cook the risotto.

The most important thing when making risotto is to have the stock simmering the whole time.

Cook the rice in olive oil until lightly toasted. I omitted the butter and parmesan from the original recipe since I believed the dish didn’t need it.

Add a ladle of hot broth to the rice and stir until most of the stock has been absorbed. Add another ladleful of stock.

Add the cooked squid to the rice and mix well.

Since I made this risotto one day before my dinner party I kept 3 cups of stock and stopped cooking at this point. Cool the risotto mixed with the cooked squid and store in the refrigerator. A few minutes before I was going to serve this I heated the risotto and continued adding the remaining 3 cups of hot stock one ladle at a time.

So easy to make and it was delicious! It didn’t need lemon or aioli like squid ink paella does. It was good just as it is. I have to say the leftovers tasted even better the next day.

I loved it and I think my friends did too. Hey friends, did you like it?

Squid Ink Risotto
serves 12-14 hungry people
adapted from Chubby Hubby’s recipe

Squid cooked in Squid Ink
1 kg cleaned squid
olive oil
1 large celery rib, finely chopped
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 can whole tomatoes
1 bottle (750 ml) dry white wine
200 g finely chopped fresh herbs (basil, parsely, oregano and thyme)
salt and pepper
2 T squid ink

Risotto
1 onion, finely diced
750 g arborio rice
2 liters (8 cups) chicken stock
1 batch of the squid cooked in squid ink
20 ml dry white wine
salt and pepper

For the squid:
Cut the cleaned squid into small pieces. Set aside. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the celery, onion, and garlic, and cook until soft and golden but not browned. Add the tomatoes and cook for about 3 minutes. Turn the heat to high and add the squid. Stir the squid, cooking it evenly for a few minutes. Add the wine and herbs and bring the liquid to the boil. Set heat to low and add the squid ink. Season with salt & pepper to taste. Simmer for about 90 minutes until the squid is tender.

For the risotto:
Heat the olive oil in a large pan or dutch oven. Sauté the onion and cook until soft but not browned. Add the rice, stirring it for a minute or two until lightly toasted. Add the dry white wine, stirring continuously. Turn the heat to low and add one ladleful of the stock. Stir constantly. When the liquid has been absorbed, add another ladleful of stock, then add the squid that you made earlier. Cook until most of the liquid has been absorbed. Then add another ladleful of stock. Continue adding stock whenever the liquid has been absorbed. When the rice is soft but al dente and all the liquid has been absorbed it’s done. Serve hot.

Recipe: Croquetas de Pollo y Chorizo (Chicken & Chorizo Croquettes)

Croquetas (croquettes) are one of the most popular tapas in Spanish restaurants. The kinds of fillings you can use are endless. From chicken to salmon and even Spam. It’s also a great dish to make in advance. You can make a whole batch and keep them in the freezer and just fry as you need them.

Most of the croquetas I’ve eaten in Manila have fillings that are too finely cut that I couldn’t even taste what meat was used. Also some are to rich without much flavor. This is my version of the croquetas and it addresses my two pet peeves.

One of the main ingredients for this dish is chicken breast. It’s important not to over cook the chicken making it hard and rubbery. The best method is to gently poach it. I will also be using the chicken stock for this recipe. I didn’t use all the chicken breast on this plate.

Two pieces of chorizo were sufficient for giving the chicken a flavor burst.

I used a food processor to cut up the chicken. You can also chop it by hand. This size is good and not any smaller. By chopping the chicken this size you can actually taste the chicken and feel the texture when eating the croquetas.

I cut the chorizo a little bigger and rendered the fat by heating it in a non stick pan without oil.

chorizo bits

Combine the chicken and chorizo bits in a large bowl and set aside.

Spanish croquetas are made with a thick bechamel sauce and not mashed potatoes. Some may think it’s mashed potatoes probably because of the super fine cut of the filling which I detest. There are some croquetas that use mashed potatoes but it’s not the same as Spanish croquetas.

I used the oil from the chorizo and olive oil (not extra virgin) and sautéed chopped onions. Add the flour and let it cook until bubbles form. Add milk and stock. Whisk til thick and smooth.

Most recipes I found on the internet used only milk. By adding chicken stock the sauce was more flavorful and less rich but still very creamy.

Spoon the sauce into the chicken mixture and not the other way around.

Your mixture should not be too dry or too wet. Any extra sauce can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Just make more filling and use the sauce for a new batch of croquetas. Refrigerate this mixture until it hardens a bit.

Form the croquetas into cylinders and set aside.

Dip the croquetas in flour, egg then panko bread crumbs.

At this point the croquetas are ready to be fried or you can freeze the them which I did a week before my dinner party. When the croquetas are frozen you can transfer them into a zip top bag and store in the freezer for months.

Poached Chicken Breast
2 – 3 chicken breasts
water
1 bay leaf

Place chicken breasts in a small pot. Arrange them in a single layer. Add enough water just to cover chicken breasts. Add a bay leaf.

Bring to a boil, then quickly reduce heat to low so that the water is barely at a simmer. Cover and gently simmer for 10 minutes. Turn off heat completely and allow chicken to remain in hot water for 15-20 minutes. Keep cover on the pot.

Croquetas de Pollo y Chorizo (Chicken & Chorizo Croquettes)
makes about 30 pieces

4 cups cooked chicken breast, chopped (not too fine)
2 cups chorizo, chopped

Bechamel Sauce:
1 onion minced
1/4 cup olive oil plus chorizo oil
2 cups milk (fresh or low fat)
1 cup chicken stock (canned or from poached chicken)
1/2 cup flour
nutmeg
salt & pepper to taste

Coating:
eggs
flour
panko breadcrumbs

Procedure:
1. Chop cooked chicken breast into about 1/4″ pieces and transfer to a large bowl.
2. Chop chorizo and sauté in a pan without oil for a few minutes until the fat has rendered.
3. Add chorizo to chicken in the bowl.

Bechamel Sauce
1. Heat the oil and chorizo fat in a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan over a medium heat. Add chopped onion and sauté until soft but not brown.

2. Turn the heat down and gradually stir in the flour and cook gently, stirring regularly with a whisk until it loses its raw flavor. This should take about 8–10 minutes.

3. Gradually add milk and stock beating it in well with a whisk until you have a smooth paste. Cook for another 10 minutes until the sauce is thick and smooth. Add some nutmeg and pepper. Taste the sauce if it needs salt.

Making the croquetas:
1. Add sauce to the chicken and chorizo mixture. Add just enough sauce so the mixture is not too wet. Let it cool then refrigerate until the mixture is firm enough to handle.

2. Take a spoonful of the cold chicken mixture and form into small cylinders using your hands.

3. Put the beaten egg, flour and breadcrumbs in individual containers. Dip the croquetas in flour then into the egg and finally roll in panko breadcrumbs.

4. Heat the olive oil (not extra virgin) in a large pan to 350F or 180C or until it begins to shimmer. Fry the croquetas in batches for a couple of minutes until golden brown. Reheat the oil after every batch so all the croquetas will be crisp. Transfer into a plate lined with paper towels to absorb the extra oil.

5. Serve hot with aioli (a quick version is to add chopped garlic to mayonnaise) or sweet chili sauce (not Spanish but yummy).

Other croquetas fillings: (you can even mix and match ingredients)

chicken and spinach

ham

tuna

bacalao

salmon

bacon & cheese

ground beef
Spam (I’ve actually eaten Spam croquetas & they were good!)

Spanish Themed Birthday Dinner

I cook only once or twice a year. This year the first time was last month when I treated my friends for my birthday celebration. For dinner I decided on a Spanish theme to reminisce on all the wonderful tapas and Spanish food I ate on my recent trip to Spain.

One of our favorite discoveries in Spain was the boquerones or anchovies marinated in vinegar. I did so much research trying to find out what anchovies were in Filipino. With Rochelle’s help and her marketing skills she found these big dilis in the market and that’s what I used.

This could be served plain as pictured above but I sprinkled some crunchy chili garlic on top for more flavor. My friends loved this. I had to refill the plate twice.

boquerones (anchovies marinated in vinegar)

In Spain I noticed a lot of tapas were made with small pieces of bread with different toppings. I bought baguette from Lartizan in Santi’s deli and toasted them until crisp and spread three citrus marmalade and thin slices of Manchego cheese (also from Santi’s). Fig jam would also taste good.

bread topped with three citrus marmalade & manchego cheese

I encountered this yummy combination of chocolate and chorizo at Beso Cucina Vinoteka and replicated it using Crumpy chocolate spread (or Nutella) and the Joselito Bellota Iberico chorizo I bought in Spain.

bread topped with chocolate spread & chorizo

I’ve had some really bad croquetas in Manila and Spain and I was determined to make mine better. I must say based on my friends’ reaction and consumption I succeeded. Recipe to follow.

croquetas de pollo y chorizo (chicken & chorizo croquettes)

My cook actually made this. Just sauté garlic in olive oil, add shrimp, red pepper flakes, pimenton or paprika, splash of white wine and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Easy peasy.

gambas al ajilo

What’s a Spanish dinner without sangria?

sangria

Caprese salad is an Italian dish and Rochelle’s favorite discovery in Rome so she made this simple salad made with mozzarella cheese, sliced tomatoes, basil leaves, pine nuts and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. So simple but delicious.

caprese salad

Instead of cochinillo I served my new favorite Chinese roasted duck from Annapolis Seafood Palace. Yes it’s not Spanish but who cares?

roasted duck

I bought a whole slab of frozen beef belly or short plate from Unimart and tried my hand at roasting it using El Cirkulo’s recipe. It turned out pretty good!!!

slow roasted beef belly

I served horseradish and mustard with the steak. No gravy needed. I also brought out a bottle of Whisk onion balsamic marmalade and my friends just loved the sweet, tangy onions with the steak. It’s a match made in food heaven.

photo from Whisk’s Facebook page

I don’t have luck making paella and I did try making squid ink paella one week before. It didn’t pass my taste test so I looked for a squid ink risotto recipe and it turned out wonderful. It almost tasted as good as my favorite paella in Barcelona. Recipe to follow.

squid ink risotto

I saw these ridiculously simple dessert wontons on Donna Hay’s show and it was just super delicious.

Chocolate and Cinnamon Wontons

The cheese plate below contained manchego cheese in olive oil (in bowl) from Terry’s, fig bar from Montserrat, apricots, dates, nuts and my latest discovery cassava lace cookies from Cassava Creme.

A pack of 20 super thin cookies cost only P100 and it’s sooooo good. Crisp, buttery and with a texture similar to oatmeal but using cassava. Really ingenious.

Cassava Lace cookies

I also served cheese, langka and macapuno cassava tarts also from Cassava Creme.

I was given one of my favorite cakes from Becky’s Kitchen.

Becky’s Kitchen prune cake

Debbie gave me a box of mini cakes from Shangri-La Makati’s Sinfully Circles bakeshop. I didn’t even know they had such good French cakes.

cakes from Sinfully by Shangri-La Makati at Greenbelt 5

My favorite was the green tea opera cake.

green tea opera cake

I was so excited to hang a flag I found in my luggage from Europe since I thought it was a flag of Spain. It was only Pat who asked, “isn’t that a flag of Italy?” And since no one believe her I didn’t take it down. Silly me.

my victims, este, friends

Only Debbie loved my fat dachshund, Coffee.

Debbie & Coffee

Almost all the food I served was prepared one to two days in advance. Only the steak was roasted on the same day. Even the risotto was half cooked the day before and I just finished it when my guests were ready for the main course.

Here are some of the recipes. Others will be posted tomorrow.

Boquerones
1 kilo fresh anchovies or dilis
White wine vinegar
Extra Virgin olive oil
Garlic, smashed
Salt (optional)

1. Remove head and tail of the fish. Discard innards and bones and rinse well.
2. Pat fish fillet with paper towel to remove extra moisture.
3. Place a layer of anchovy fillets in a shallow dish. Sprinkle with salt and pour white wine vinegar over fish until well covered. Add smashed garlic on top of the fish. You can put as little or as much as you want.
4. Soak in vinegar overnight in the refrigerator.
5. Pour off vinegar and rinse fish fillets gently in water.
6. Arrange fish fillets on a serving platter and pour extra virgin olive oil on top and serve. Top with crunchy garlic if desired.

Sangria
A bottle (750 mL) of red wine (I used Franzia wine in a box 😀 )
1 to 2 cans Sprite or 7up
1 shot (1 1/2 oz) brandy (optional)
1 lemon
1 orange
1 apple
1 lime (optional)
1/3 cup sugar, to taste
1 pitcher or larger drink container

1. Squeeze juice from orange and lemon into your pitcher then slice the fruit and toss it in the pitcher for more flavor depth.
2. Cut apple into small cubes and add to the pitcher. Add Sprite and brandy. Pour in the red wine. Add sugar to taste. Mix well. Refrigerate 24 to 48 hours before serving.

Slow Roasted Beef Belly (El Cirkulo)
1 pc. boneless beef belly or short plate, about 3-4 kg,
1/2 cup whole peppercorns, crushed
1/2 cup rock salt
2 heads of garlic, peeled and minced

1. Preheat oven to 280 degrees F.
2. Combine crushed peppercorns, salt and garlic into a paste. Rub on top of beef.
3. Place beef on a rack and onto a roasting pan. Place in oven. Cook at 280F for 4 to 5 hours or until tender.

IMPORTANT: oven temperature must be this low in order to break down the connective tissues of the beef resulting in a melt in your mouth succulent roast beef.

Leslie’s note: I used Kirkland’s Mediterranean sea salt & freshly ground tellicherry peppercorn for the spice mixture. I also added dried rosemary and fresh thyme to the mixture.

Chocolate and Cinnamon Wontons (Donna Hay)
16 wonton wrappers
2 tbsp butter, melted
16 small squares dark chocolate
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbsp fine sugar

Lindt dark chocolate (inverted)

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Brush the edges of the wonton wrappers with a little butter and place a chocolate square on one half of each wrapper. Fold over the wrappers to enclose and press to seal.

2. Place on a baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper. Brush wontons with butter and sprinkle with combined cinnamon and sugar. Bake for 8 minutes, or until golden brown.

I only release my inner Martha once a year since it’s a lot of work planning my menu, shopping for ingredients and cooking. But this year I think it was worth it since everything turned out well. I enjoyed eating the leftovers the next day even more. Happy birthday to me!

Sinfully by Makati Shangri-La
2nd Level, Greenbelt 5, Greenbelt
Paseo de Roxas cor. Legaspi St., Ayala Center
Makati, Metro Manila, Philippines
telephone: (+63 2) 729-6626
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Cassava Creme Royale
277 P. Guevarra Street, San.Juan City
8 Examiner St. West Triangle, Q.C.
telephone: 571-8677, 421-7353, 921-7197
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Florence: Salvatore Ferragamo Museum & Santa Maria Novella Train Station

On our last day in Florence Rochelle and I rushed to the Salvatore Ferragamo museum to see all the shoes they created for stars in the past.

The entrance fee was €5.

The museum had an exhibit that paid homage to Marilyn Monroe which lasts til January 28, 2013. We got to see the clothes she wore and the shoes Ferragamo created for her. What really caught our interest were her letters and journal entries which showed how smart she was.

Photography wasn’t allowed so this was the only picture I was able to take. If you’re going to Florence before January 28, 2013 I suggest visiting this museum and you’ll be fascinated with Marilyn like we were.

Before going shopping at the outlet our driver brought us to small ticket office to buy our train tickets to Rome.

There were several machines where you can buy tickets but nobody was using it. I tried to use it and a one way ticket to Rome cost about €50 so I joined the line to buy tickets.

The line wasn’t long and our one way, restricted (no changes possible) to Rome’s Termini cost only €29 for a first class seat. Now I know why people didn’t use the machines.

Before buying your ticket make sure you know the names of the station you will ride from and the station you will arrive at. Each city has several train stations. Find out which station is nearest your hotel to save time and money.

It’s a good thing we already had our train tickets when we arrived at the Santa Maria Novella (SMN) train station. If you will buy your ticket at this station make sure you arrive with enough time to your desired departure. You can check train schedules at TrenItalia’s website.

The trains are just beyond the doors.

There was a big store at the station with restaurants and food stuff you can buy.

They even had a salad bar.

These frozen coffee drinks are popular in Florence.

I saw these displays of Café Zero all over Piazza Duomo and I was curious to what it tasted like.

It’s a frozen drink that has the consistency of a thick milk shake crossed with granita. It was just ok for me. It had some kind of thickener added to it.

Café Zero Espresso €2.60

I wish we had Lavazza coffee vending machines in Manila too. Sosyal!

Lavazza vending machine

Sede Museo Salvatore Ferragamo
Piazza Santa Trinita 5 50123 Firenze
Tel 055 3562455/417/846
website

Florence: Trattoria La Madia

For our last meal in Florence we took a chance by randomly picking a restaurant that looked appealing to us. We were lucky it proved to be a good choice.

On our last night we just decided to walk around the city and look for a restaurant that looked authentic so we stayed away from the area near the Duomo. This area was still within walking distance though.

It’s funny but our criteria was simple. Did restaurant have enough diners and were those people Italians and not tourists like us? There were many restaurants in this area and we chose Trattoria La Madia.

Trattoria La Madia’s menu (click to enlarge)

Instead of bread there were packaged bread sticks. Not bad but we prefer good bread.

grissini

We all finally gave up on pasta so this will be a carb free post.

tomato salad €8

Sharon had this lovely veal dish.

lombatina di vitelia (veal steak) €16

Rochelle wanted to eat light so she just had this chickpea and mushroom soup with bread floating on top.

passato di ceci e funghi (chickpeas & mushroom soup) €9

I ordered stuffed chicken pie and was surprised when this came out. I guess it was a translation error but nevertheless I loved it.

coscia di pollo ripieno (stuffed chicken pie) €14

How can I not love chicken breast stuffed with spinach, prosciutto and gooey mozzarella cheese?

Trattoria La Madia
Via del Giglio 14 50126 – Florence, Italy
telephone: (0039) 055-218 563
website