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Friday, December 18, 2009

Food Trip Friday 015: Pizza a la Sreisaat



Pizza a la Sreisaat





'Twas one of those days when I suddenly had the urge to eat pizza. But, Mama mia! I didn't have enough moolah to buy one from my favorite pizzeria. So I raided the fridge, then the cupboard, to assess whether I have the basic ingredients for pizza. The wheels in my head started to turn, and my hands began rockin' and rollin' the dough. An hour or so later... e tanto!!! Pizza delizioso!

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Wordless Wednesday 034: M-EGGS-tery



mutant eggs
Can you spot the not?

Visit other Wordless entries here

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Food Trip Friday 014: Arepa de Venezuela



Hello, dear FoodTrippers. My consultancy jobs are over and I am now back and ready for more foodtrips! This week I am featuring something I made borne out of a challenge by my dear Venezuelan friend, Luis Manuel. It's called arepa, a traditional delicacy and considered the national bread of Venezuela. It was my first time to make arepa when I accepted Luis Manuel's challenge and was excited to see if I could pull it off.

Arepa is a corn-based snack, made from corn flour, baked and lightly fried, and served with a multitude of fillings. For examples, combinations of black beans and meat; mashed mayonnaise, chicken and avocado; scrambled eggs with peppers tomatoes and onions, and a lot more. Arepas are surprisingly easy to make. You mix the corn flour with salt and water, cook it on a griddle and stuff it with whatever you have on hand. In my case, at that time, I had left over fried chicken and coleslaw salad. When my arepa "buns" are done, I scooped out a bit of the insides and spread butter on and stuffed them with my chicken-coleslaw filling and sprinkled with a bit of mozzarella cheese. Yum! These delicious self-contained arepas are excellent for breakfast, lunch or dinner. For me, arepas filled my hungry stomach up instantly.

arepa

In the future, I will make experiments to improve my arepa (prevent it from being dry) and cook up more yummy fillings. I hope Luis Manuel was here to sample the results, and I wonder if I would have gotten a passing grade? My husband, although it was his first time to eat arepas, said it wasn't bad at all.



A birthday dinner to remember

After several weeks of being busy with the international conference that I helped organised, I am finally free and ready to continue my food trips. I was relieved that the last of the participants left Phnom Penh on my husband's birthday. After sending them off, I immediately sprung into action and planned a simple dinner.

For our food, I decided to prepare my husband's favorite food. Nothing fancy, just his favorite samlor kari saramann, nom pang (local version of French baguette), beer, and of course, his birthday cake.

Cooking kari samlor saramann is a story in itself. It is easy to make, however, preparing the ingredients for the curry paste is quite tedious. Aside from picking the fresh ingredients from the market, you'll need the strength in pounding these herbs and spices into a curry paste.

Anyhow, when you've put on so much effort in making the food, it also follows that you set them in beautiful stoneware for a delightful dining experience. I tried something different this time. I set out the table in our living room and put out my best linens, usually reserved for special occasions such as this. And for a romantic finish, I lit dozens of tea lights.

It was a great intimate birthday dinner, just the two of us. I'm glad he loved every bit of it.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Wordless Wednesday 033: Giant shrimps of Kep





Giant shrimp

You're always on my mind!

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Food Trip Friday 013: Steamed Fish



Again, a favorite fare whenever we are in Kep. Kim Ly's restaurant never fails to satisfy stomachs hungry for seafood!

close up of steamed fish-1
Steamed fish with soy sauce and garlic, served on a bed of fresh herbs, cucumber, tomato, lettuce and onion. Ooh-la-la!

Friday, September 4, 2009

Food Trip Friday 012: Mok chaa mareth



One of the reasons why my husband and I keep on coming back to Kep:

close up of fried squid

Seafoods trip!
Above is our favorite, mok chaa mareth kchhay (fried squid with young peppercorn). Fresh squid caught the night before from the Gulf of Thailand, blended with oyster and chilli sauces, and spiced up with Kampot peppercorn grown in the lush mountains of Phnom Voar, the last refuge of Khmer Rouge soldiers. We washed down the spicy flavor with fresh coconut juice. Hayyy, heaven on earth!

I tried several times to cook this at home but I never got the taste right. Oh well, as wise folks say... try and try... and try again.

Friday, August 7, 2009

Food Trip Friday 011: Samlor kari saramann



A month ago, my husband came home from work and surprised me with a copy of From Spiders to Waterlilies: Creative Cambodian cooking with Friends. I squealed in delight! He and I, we love Khmer food and he knows how much I like experimenting in the kitchen. So one day, to show my appreciation to his sweet gesture, I made him samlor kari saramann (Khmer Muslim Beef Curry). I substituted beef with pork because we don't usually have beef in stock. I also added vegetables which are not present in the original recipe. It is easy to prepare but requires a lot of preparations like making the curry paste - pounding fresh lemon grass, coriander, ginger, garlic and shallots into paste. But it's all worth it.


My labor of love... need I say how much my husband loved it?

This dish is served with either rice or nompang, a local French bread, at Muslim as well as Buddhist weddings in Cambodia. I was told that it tastes even better the next day.

Come back on Sunday for the recipe.

Friday, July 31, 2009

Food Trip Friday 010: Otap and brownies



Nothing beats the feeling of getting not one, but two boxful of sweet goodies from a very dear friend, Redlan.



Although I didn't get any of those sweets, these two feisty borloloys (rascals) were the happy recipients. They told me over the phone that the otap and brownies were manamit guid (yummy) and that they brushed their teeth without so much prodding after wolfing down the treats (their Grandma's words) para indi kuno sakit ila teeth (to avoid toothache). *lol*

See those excited faces? Self control, Joshua, Beebop. Gotta have the pictures first.

Salamat guid, Red. Hope next year, magkitaay na guid kita ya.

Friday, June 26, 2009

Food Trip Friday 009: Taro spring roll




My favorite snack - taro spring roll. Wonderful blend of shredded taro, pork, and shrimps with secret spices, fried and dipped in Khmer sweet and sour sauce.

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Food Trip Friday 008: Malpuwa Khuwa



This week, dessert is on me; this time it's Nepali:
nepali dessert
Malpuwa Khuwa, Nepalese mini pancake topped with Khuwa

It was, about two years ago, in Nepal that I had one of the most delightful dining experiences of my life. Come with me as I relive my old-world dining experience in Nepal.

Friday, June 12, 2009

Food Trip Friday 007: A slice of carrot cake



Dear FoodTrippers, please excuse my absence. I snagged a short-term consultancy work with an international NGO for some health campaign. While I enjoyed doing the work, my blogging duties had to be given up temporarily. However, now that the first phase is done, I have free time to do some food-tripping! Yay! One afternoon, while having a relaxed YM meeting with my boss, I suddenly had a craving for carrot cake. With the meeting over, I raided the fridge to see what I had and voila -- the carrot cake from scratch was made!




A slice of yum!

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Food Trip Friday 006: Fresh Spring Rolls



FT Fresh Vietnamese Spring Rolls
Fresh Spring Rolls
Boat Noodle Restaurant
Corner Streets 294 and 9
Phnom Penh, Cambodia

These fresh spring rolls from the Boat Noodle Restaurant are a favourite and they were gone in a few minutes! They are a refreshing, and healthier, change from the usual fried kind. It is never served without the accompanying dipping sauce which helps bring out the flavour. Served in a boat, don't you think they make a pleasing and appetizing presentation with the colourful filling? :)

Just about 200metres away from the Philippine Embassy, you will find the Boat Noodle Restaurant. Set in a beautiful and charming wooden house and a sprinkling of wooden artefacts and decorative flowers and plants, Boat Noodle Restaurant is the favourite of many, locals and ex-pats alike. My husband and I have tried other restaurants with similar offerings but we keep on coming back to the Boat Noodle Restaurant. And who wouldn't? The food is spicy (you can ask the waiters to "de-chillify"), authentic and tasty, and the prices are low. Whenever I crave for food - spicy mango or green papaya salad, fish amok, my favorite fresh spring rolls, and many others -- this is where I go.

Thursday, May 7, 2009

FoodTrip Friday 005: Ginger and Scallions Chicken



Back in my university days in Cebu City, there was this Chinese restaurant in downtown Colon Street where my roommates and I were regular customers. This unassuming restaurant, dark on the inside with nothing much but rows of tables and chairs, arthritic ceiling fans, and grumpy ladies in cheap cheongsam attires pushing food-carts. To the newcomers, the sight was a disappointment. To us, old-timers, it looked basic but the lip-smacking and cheap food, albeit oily at times, more than made up for the oh-not-so-fantastic interior.

My regular order was the chicken-rice topping for only P12 (about US$0.30) at that time. So when I found a chicken recipe resembling this from Rasa Malaysia, I wasted no time in trying out the recipe... and voila!



ginger and scallionschicken

It has the same taste, the ginger is not overpowering and just enough hint of Shaoxing wine. Memories of my university days flooded my consciousness! Back in the old days, it's serve in a small bowl and topped with the chicken dish and we downed it with a glass of softdrink. Aah, those were the days.

You can get the recipe here or here.

Happy Food Trip Friday!

Sunday, May 3, 2009

Blue Man Group show in Las Vegas

I have friends who have visited the US and a lot of them have been made it a point to go to Las Vegas - and who wouldn’t? Las Vegas is an amazing place and to me, the very name evokes an image of bright lights, fun entertainment, vibrant life... among many others. Rightfully so, Las Vegas is dubbed as the entertainment capital of the world!

My friends were amazed at the diversity and variety of entertainment offered in Las Vegas. Some shows have lavish production numbers, complete with Cancun dancers ala Moulin Rouge; others are simple musical concerts of popular artists, grand magic or circus shows ala Cirque du Soleil, or the awesome Blue Man Group, to exciting boxing matches like the Hatton-Pacquiao fight that happened just awhile ago. Literally, there are hundreds of choices every single night for every person’s preference and there seems to be no need to sleep while you are there!

The hottest show in Las Vegas these days is the intriguing and awesome Blue Man Group. Need Blue Man Group Tickets? Buy now as ticket prices tend to go sky-high – even if there’s so much competition. And with an in-demand show like the Blue Man Group, ticket prices could go even higher and they go very, very fast! Buy tickets as early as possible. You might even get a huge discount if you reserve early with your friends.

Pacquiao-Hatton fight in Phnom Penh

Dear Pinoy Friends in Phnom Penh... do you want to chase homesickness away, or, are you looking for something new to do this weekend?

Check out the Winking Frog in Sothearos Blvd. They are airing the Pacquiao-Hatton fight as it happens in Vegas. For $10/person, it includes buffet lunch (with lechon!) and 2 bottles of SanMig beer. As of this writing, Pacquiao downed Hatton two times already just into 2mins of the first round.

Later, in the evening, head over to Meta House. Meta House will be presenting NU PHILIPPINE CINEMA, featuring not one, but two Filipino (Indie) films back to back:

7PM - CAVITE (2005, 80 min.)
The breathtaking feature CAVITE by Ian Gamazon/Neill dela Llana focuses on terrorists and proves its mettle and drawing power by its searing and intense representation of a cityscape in the clutches of violence, poverty and globalisation.

8.30PM - PI7ONG TAGPO (2007, 130 min.)
Director Rahyan Carlos puts together seven films about seven lives, seven struggles, seven decisions, seven realities — all shot in one take.


Don't let the rain spoil your weekend. Call all your friends now and set a date for tomorrow night. Let's watch Indie Pinoy movies at Meta House. See you there.


***
META HOUSE
Street 264, #6
Sangkat Chaktomuk, Khan Daun Penh,
Phnom Penh, Kingdom of Cambodia

Meta-House is Cambodia's first art/communication/media center just a few minutes away from the riverside and Royal Palace. Know more about the Meta House and their work here.


UPDATE!
Pacquio defeated Hatton via a TKO on the second round. Hatton was definitely stunned not knowing where did the left hook that knocked him out come from!

Saturday, May 2, 2009

Finding your soulmate online

Did you know that the world wide web just turned 20 this year? The world wide web contains gazillion of interesting stuffs. Having said that, I am sure a lot of people will agree with me when I say that the second most popular thing to ever come out of the web is online chatting. Nowadays, from being a communication tool, it has evolved and become a popular tool for singles to find friends, and even soul mates and partners, creating lots of room for interracial dating. And a lot of people I know attest that it’s an exciting way to meet people of different races and backgrounds.Wanna know how it works? Visit www.blackbbwsingles.com now!

Simply Delicious Sunday Recipe 006: Ginger and Scallions Chicken



ginger and scallionschicken2

Here's another tried and tested Chinese recipe that I borrowed from Rasa Malaysia. You can say that I am a fan of Rasa Malaysia's blog and have tried some of its recipes.

The taste reminded me of my favorite chicken-rice dish I always order at the Chinese dimsum restaurant in Colon Street, Cebu City (Philippines) where my roommates and I frequented long ago. This was considered the "staple meal" of university students like me at that time. It's easy to make, tasty and can be prepared under an hour. So for busy mums out there... this recipe is for you:



Ginger and Scallions Chicken
from www.rasamalaysia.com

ginger and scallionsIngredients:

1 chicken breast, cut lengthwise into 2-inch
4 stalks of scallion, cut into 2 inch sections
2 inches ginger root, sliced into pieces
3 tbsps cooking oil (1 tbsp for marinating chicken)
1/2 tbsp of corn or potato flour
1/8 tsp sesame oil
1/4 tsp sugar
2 tbsps oyster sauce
1/2 tbsp Shaoxing cooking wine
1 dash of white pepper powder
Salt to taste


chicken in corn flour and oil

1. Marinate the chicken strips with corn or potato flour and add 1 tbsp of oil to seal in the chicken juice. Set aside for 15-20mins.

2. Heat up your wok (or frying pan) and pour the remaining cooking oil into the wok. When the wok gets very hot and begins to smoke, add in the ginger and stir-fry for a few seconds, then add the scallions and stir until thoroughly hot. Add in the chicken strips and continue to stir well. Just when the chicken strips start to cook, add in oyster sauce, sesame oil, cooking wine, white pepper, sugar, and toss the wok a few times. Remove from heat and serve hot with steamed white rice.

And it's done! Here's the end result:



ginger and scallionschicken

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Friday, May 1, 2009

Phoenix Locksmith

Long ago, I blogged about one peculiarity about living in Phnom Penh - and that is how many keys could accumulate in one's pocket. I myself carry a huge bunch wherever I go. It’s interesting because we live in a typical French-styled Khmer apartment and yet it feels like living in a high-security level building. You see, we have keys for every gate and door, inside and outside of the house, accompanied by padlocks. Imagine, if I lose my keys, how could I ever get inside my own apartment?

So right after moving into our new apartment, one of the first things we did was to see a locksmith to have our keys duplicated. In Phnom Penh, there are no locksmith shops where you can just leave your keys and come back for it afterwards. In the US, people simply go to locksmith shops. In Phoenix, Arizona, the popular name in locksmith services is the Phoenix Locksmith. Started in 1979, Phoenix Locksmith’s popularity has grown over the years for proven quality service to their costumers. Now a household name, tens and thousands of costumers are relying on Phoenix Locksmith’s fast, honest and reliable services which they are known for. These services range from re-keying, repairing and installing locks to high-security locking systems and safe openings and repairs, and catering to the needs of homes and business establishments. To know more about Phoenix Locksmith, go check out its awesome website - www.phoenixlocksmith.biz.

Croatian Dalmacija Cheese

I just want to post here this fun and cheesy postcard I recently received from a friend in Croatia.


Postcard Friendship Friday 009_Croatian Cheese
Sent by Tomislav Dolar
Postmarked Nedelisce
Dated 05 March 2009

It's in the shape of a cheese, with holes you can punch to simulate cheese holes. Cool, eh? This odd-shaped postcard shows views of Vir, a beautiful island located on the coast of Adriatic sea. It has only one village, also called Vir, and is connected to the mainland via a road-bridge. Vir has a small population, but the numbers drastically increase when tourists arrive at the coast during summer. Apart from being a holiday town, Vir is also popular for producing the Dalmacija cheese.

Before Vir became a popular holiday destination, it was a barren island. In the 1980s, the then Yugoslav government considered building a nuclear power plant there due to its barren condition, causing the price of real estate to fall to an all-time low. Because of that, people who normally couldn't afford it were able to buy parcels of land. In a twist of circumstances, the planned nucler plant was not built and that's when people started building resorts.

The island of Vir gets over-populated during summer holidays, but with the existing resorts, the demands of the tourists are met. Off-season, Vir is a quiet island with a fantastic Mediterranean landscape and shoreline.

According to the Wikipedia, the word 'vir' is Croatian for "whirlpool". However, the name of the island probably originates from the word 'ueru' (probably from an old Dalmatian dialect) which means "pasture".


To see my postcard collection, please visit Postcards Crossing.

Web-hosting blog at Web-hosting Geeks

As a non-technical person, I chose a free blogging platform when I started blogging. I was very much contented with the service and didn’t feel the need for web hosting. To me, web hosting is just another internet thing or trend. I really don’t know what web hosting is all about and why must we invest on it. But as time went on, to generate more traffic and for aesthetic purposes, I find myself wanting to add widgets and features in my food blog that a free blogging service could not accommodate or is not capable of accommodating. This has led me to seriously consider whether to upgrade to my own domain and search for web hosts.

The benefits of web hosting blogs are boundless because web hosting will put you right on the internet map, giving your blog a much wider reach for a small amount of investment. With a hosting package, you will have your own domain name, no more worrying about sharing bandwidths, give you the luxury and flexibility of designing the look of your site, plus, there is technical assistance when needed. What’s more, web hosting also gives you the benefit of starting your own business through reseller hosting. Isn’t it a great way to earn extra income in this time of recession?

Web-hosting Geeks provide you with a lot of web-hosting choices to suit your preferences. Plus, they also have independent reviews of the top 10 best web hosts to help you a bit in making your decision. It is always best to turn on to professionals before making your decision. If you are unsure about the making the move, Web-hosting Geeks' web hosting blog will give you reasons why web hosting blog is a smart choice. Go check it out today.

Thursday, April 30, 2009

Food Trip Friday 004: Shrimp ouzi



One thing that I love living in Phnom Penh is that there is no shortage of restaurants offering genuine international cuisine. So two years ago, when news of a Lebanese restaurant opening spread out to the expat community, my husband and I and fellow blogger Toe went there, eager to sample what it has to offer. The restaurant, the very first in Cambodia, is called Le Cedre. I know the name sounds French but the food is authentic Lebanese. And we weren't disappointed; we were instant fans. Two years on, Toe had already left Cambodia, and my husband and I still keep on coming back for more Lebanese specialties.



And here's one reason why:

Shrimp Ouzi
Shrimp Ouzi - rice and shrimps with pine nuts, herbs and other spices wrapped in what looked like a pastry.

Shrimp ouzi 2