Other than the site of our kids smiling and playing, nothing makes us happier than a squeaky clean kitchen and a properly stocked pantry and fridge! Not only does it feel like we're prepared for weeks to come, but it also gives us a sense of comfort that we wouldn't have to find ourselves one morning after another going to the market looking for fresh produce.
A squeaky clean kitchen also makes us happy because it makes our "work place" so conducive to cooking up a storm for the family. And tonight, once the kids are asleep, we'll be cooking up some viands for this coming week. Stay tuned for more <wink> <wink>
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Thursday, July 14, 2011
WoodenSpoons Saturday
A great way to spend a weekend is spending it at the kitchen cooking up a feast for your family.
Amy and I started off with plate full of Dynamite! Yup, you read that right - Dynamite! Imagine around a dozen pieces of long chilli peppers stuffed with tuna, cheese and properly seasoned to a savory perfection. Drop those stuffed chilli peppers in our special batter, deep fry 'em and voila! For the figure-conscious foodies, we have the savory and spicy Dynamite served with a special dipping sauce on the side.
After four hours, grill the fish over char coal - this works best with actual char coal rather than an electric grill (more flavor this way). While Amy grills the fish, I take out my mashed potatoes and roll them into balls. I dip them in beaten eggs and roll them around bread crumbs and deep fry them until they're golden brown. And last but not the least, the mixed vegetables are tossed onto a pan with butter and seasoned.
Amy and I started off with plate full of Dynamite! Yup, you read that right - Dynamite! Imagine around a dozen pieces of long chilli peppers stuffed with tuna, cheese and properly seasoned to a savory perfection. Drop those stuffed chilli peppers in our special batter, deep fry 'em and voila! For the figure-conscious foodies, we have the savory and spicy Dynamite served with a special dipping sauce on the side.
Next up, we have our barbecued Salmon heads with buttered vegetables and cheesy potato croquettes. The Salmon was prepared in advance by a soy sauce based marinade, allowing at least 4 hours to chill in the fridge to allow the fish to absorb the salty-sour marinade. While waiting, peel and boil a few pieces of potatoes, mash and season them and set aside in the fridge to set properly. And finally, to make the most of the time we had, we chopped up a few vegetables - carrots, sayote, potatoes and corn - to complement the overall dish.
Plate up the fish with a few pieces of croquettes and a hefty serving of the buttered vegetables, and voila! A meal fit for a king and queen.
This is perhaps one of the best ways to spend a rainy day weekend with your hubby/wifey. We had fun and we hope you will, too!
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Outback Steakhouse, Makati
Nothing tantalizes our senses better than the word FOOD, and in the middle of a crazy day running around two cities while keeping up with our two kids, Amy and I long for a good dining experience.
Upon arriving at Ayala's Glorietta mall, one noticeable establishment that always catches our eye is Outback Steakhouse. This restaurant has been in that corner for as long as we can remember and we had an opportunity a month ago to buy some food to go on my way to work. I was both surprised and delighted at the quality of food AND customer service that I immediately shared it with my wife. Unfortunately, we weren't able to write about it then so we're making amends and now documenting our recent experience with Outback.
The staff also gave our kids some crayons and sheets of activity paper to keep them busy. But as interesting as the view and "kiddy activities" were, we were interested on seeing their menu more than anything else.
The dinner menu was well organized, had pictures of some of their best sellers and each dish was well described. But did it taste as good as it looked on picture? We shall see.
And while we were pouring through the menu, we were served with a delicious, warm bread - I hate myself for not asking the kind of bread, but we love'd every crumb.
Now, I'm a steak lover. I love to eat steak! But this time around, we decided to go for something different - the cow shall live another day for now! Amy ordered the Seared Ahi Tuna and the Toowoomba pasta. We also ordered the soup of the day, which was a baked potato soup - a hefty bowl of thick cream soup with chunks of baked potato, topped with bacon and cooked to a savory perfection that it almost seemed to resemble a chowder. I'd have this soup every day for a week - it's that good! We give it a rating of 5 out of 5 spoons.
First up, our half order of Seared Ahi Tuna ... a-work-of-art! Our compliments to the chef. The tuna was well-season and was deliciously encrusted with various crushed peppers; cooked perfectly encasing the freshness of the tuna within. The two sauces that accompanied were well prepared - one had a touch of zestiness and a kick of heat courtesy of wasabi, while the other had a blend of savory and sour. Such a perfect way to start our meal. We rate this dish 5 out of 5 spoons!
The water and iced-tea was free-flowing and so was the level of customer service. My wife even asked them if they had gone through a specialized training session on customer service, but we were surprised to find out that all training were done in-house - the rest they learned on the job. Guys - we find this to be a delightful surprise. Any business that wishes to operate for many years needs to have their people trained on a regular basis. For a well-known establishment such as Outback to be open for the past 12 years or so (and still going strong), say much about their culture. For each member of the staff to be able to handle themselves professionally as well as they did must have been the result of a healthy working atmosphere as well as the culture and values imparted from top management down to each member of the organization. For the overall experience, we give it a 5 out of 5 spoons!
To Vanessa Calimlim and Dan Co - we've said this before and we'll say it again. Whatever you're teaching your people, keep it up. Give Regine, Jaja and the rest of the staff in and out of the kitchen a pat on the back. Tell them to keep up the good work for they represent a very well known name in the food industry.
For as the saying goes in this industry, people come and go ... but its your regulars that will keep coming back not just for the food, but for the quality of service that your team exhibits day in, day out. You may change your repertoire from time to time, but your professionalism and sense of customer service should always be at par with what we have witnessed this past weekend.
Upon arriving at Ayala's Glorietta mall, one noticeable establishment that always catches our eye is Outback Steakhouse. This restaurant has been in that corner for as long as we can remember and we had an opportunity a month ago to buy some food to go on my way to work. I was both surprised and delighted at the quality of food AND customer service that I immediately shared it with my wife. Unfortunately, we weren't able to write about it then so we're making amends and now documenting our recent experience with Outback.
We were greeted at the entrance with a smile and was shown the way to their main dining hall at the second floor. The immediate feeling that we felt at that time was the same feeling we get whenever we're at Baguio or Tagaytay - relaxed, at home, cozy. The lighting was perfectly relaxing, the floor had wall-to-wall carpets (which were clean, by the way) and the staff waiting for us upstairs were all smiles and were happy to escort us to a table right by the window with a view of the heart of the Makati commercial district.
The staff also gave our kids some crayons and sheets of activity paper to keep them busy. But as interesting as the view and "kiddy activities" were, we were interested on seeing their menu more than anything else.
The dinner menu was well organized, had pictures of some of their best sellers and each dish was well described. But did it taste as good as it looked on picture? We shall see.
And while we were pouring through the menu, we were served with a delicious, warm bread - I hate myself for not asking the kind of bread, but we love'd every crumb.
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| Seared Ahi Tuna |
First up, our half order of Seared Ahi Tuna ... a-work-of-art! Our compliments to the chef. The tuna was well-season and was deliciously encrusted with various crushed peppers; cooked perfectly encasing the freshness of the tuna within. The two sauces that accompanied were well prepared - one had a touch of zestiness and a kick of heat courtesy of wasabi, while the other had a blend of savory and sour. Such a perfect way to start our meal. We rate this dish 5 out of 5 spoons!
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| Toowomba Pasta |
Next up, our full order of Toowoomba pasta - a pasta dish tossed with a generous portion of shrimp, mushroom and a splash of spices perfectly cooked in a cream sauce. The sauce wasn't too heavy or thick and the pasta was al dente. And finally, the shrimp was cooked perfectly. We rate this dish 4 out of 5 spoons.
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| Chocolate Thunder from Down Under |
And finally, complimentary dessert from the Marketing Manager, Vanessa Calimlim in the form of a plate of Chocolate Thunder from Down Under. A home-made chunk of brownie topped with vanilla ice cream, topped with whipped cream and finished-off with a chocolate tuille. We were advised to eat it by scooping from top to bottom in order to appreciate the varying temperature of the brownie against the ice cream and whipped cream. If you can picture heaven, this dish would be among the top of the list. It was a real treat digging in this dessert. As simple as it may sound, this decadent dish will satisfy any sugar-tooth, especially mine. For chocoholics such as ourselves, we rate this dish a big 5 out of 5 spoons!
To Vanessa Calimlim and Dan Co - we've said this before and we'll say it again. Whatever you're teaching your people, keep it up. Give Regine, Jaja and the rest of the staff in and out of the kitchen a pat on the back. Tell them to keep up the good work for they represent a very well known name in the food industry.
For as the saying goes in this industry, people come and go ... but its your regulars that will keep coming back not just for the food, but for the quality of service that your team exhibits day in, day out. You may change your repertoire from time to time, but your professionalism and sense of customer service should always be at par with what we have witnessed this past weekend.
More power to you and your staff of Outback.
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| Samantha with Mrs. Vanessa |
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| @Home @Outback |
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| with the friendly staff, Rhegine & Jaja |
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| Samantha's artwork |
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| Sophia enjoying her dessert |
Friday, July 1, 2011
The Pornography of Food
We're finally here! After months (and years) of deep thinking, my wife Amy and I have decided to start a collaborative blog - our illustration of the Pornography of Food. Gluttony is definitely our favorite sin!
Amy and I are aspiring chefs/food critics and what better way to document our experiences through a blog. As the title of this blog goes, we aim to tantalize your senses by sharing with you our experiences with food. We encourage you to explore your own world and share with us our passion for food.
From time to time, we'll be posting our dining experiences from restaurants in and out of the country as well as our own culinary creations. We consider this as our first step in committing ourselves to this art and share them with our children. Hopefully, they can, in turn, carry on this passion to their own families and friends for years to come.
So sit back, read on and enjoy our paella of thoughts.
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