On the other side of enjoying food...

My first two posts have been about eating good food, lotsa food. :)

Well for now this will be about making the good food.

The past week I baked two pastries I feel that I have fairly grasped the recipe. During the weekend, the "menu" was my WORLD FAMOUS CINNAMON ROLLS and BEST BROWNIES. I just made up the "world famous" part, but hey, I can compete with some famous rolls out there! But Is till have to develop my "quality control." It's not totally true that what I bake is a hit-or-miss type of pastry. Sure, I use measuring cups, spoons, and all those implements. But I still do not use these to measure exact quantities of the ingredients. What the heck, they still turn out.. from good to great (or may be a bit less than good, although I don't hear any feedback like those).

When I was a lot younger, Nanay was the one who baked. As the years passed by, Kuya tried his hand in baking. He made "masa" of pan de sal buns, white loaf bread... And then Ate became older and she herself baked cakes (hindi ako yeast person, she says). And then it was my turn.

I don't know if I was a late bloomer or something. This baking to me is really a recent interest, and not yet a hobby. Before it was just apple pie (no yeast!); now I also dared to do cinnamon rolls, brownies, pana cotta(?), scones...

But just like what a good friend of mine said about cooking, "cook with love." Ahh yes, I really don't bake or cook for myself: it's for someone else. And when I cook or beat the dough or whip the cream, I always hope that what results will be presentable and satisfying.

Anyway, the rolls are quite nice... Just have to maintain a good baking temperature... The oven at home is too efficient: you can't rely on the temperature guide 'coz the actual temp will be too high.

Kalibo, Aklan: Crispy Pata, et. al

Coming back (too) early from Bora (hoping not to experience being seated at the farthest row of the plane), we had to crash somewhere. Cebu Pacific's counters were to open 1430H and we got there a few minutes after twelve.

She and I decided to have an early lunch at a resto just outside Kalibo Domestic Airport. Neither of us can recall the name of the place now so I'll just have to describe it's location. Back towards the airport, it is the one on the far left, nearest the souvenir shops. Fairly easy to spot! :)

After we've been seated, the two of us were having a hard time ordering, until revelation: the waiter brought the customers next table their order: CRISPY PATA! Hands down gluttons that we were (are), we still ordered the pork even though only the "whole" serving was available. We also had pakbet. :)

Crispy Pata (for those not familiar) is pig's leg (fore or hind, but preferably the front) deep fried in oil until crisp. It is eaten with a special concoction of soy sauce, vinegar, fish sauce, sautéed garlic, onions, etc... We barely finished it... (burp)

Over-all Rating:

Serving for two:
Presentation:
Quality:
Cost:

Comment: (Sheila Mae will provide the rating for this)

Pakbet is (in this part of the country) a stew of different leafy and yellow veggies, with some shrimp. pork strips and alamang (shrimp fry paste). All varieties are prominently yellow because of the squash. (burp)

Over-all Rating: 6/5

Serving for two: 7/5
Presentation: 3/5 (comes with a free mini bayong)
Quality: 3/5 (too oily for my palate; I like the Ilocano version best)
Cost: 3/5 (near the airport)

Order this if you're 3 or more. :)

Resto rating: 4/5

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As a surprise especially for tourists, vendors hawking the province's delicacies by offering customers, like us, free taste of their suman. Suman in Aklan is any of the following: palm shoot, rice or a combination of both. Served with reduced coconut milk (locally called latek), it is a perfect dessert. (yummy :) )

Over-all Rating: 6/5

Serving for two: 7/5
Presentation: 5/5 (comes with a free mini bayong)
Quality: 5/5 (seems fresh enough for me!)
Cost: 5/5 (Php100 for 25 pieces)

Comment: perfect pasalubong, but it's heavy, believe me... If you don't happen to eat in the resto described above, you can catch the lady selling the suman just in front of the souvenir shops.

(note: will still upload pictures)

Boracay's Baby Back Ribs

I only knew about baby back ribs (BBRs) when Kenny Rogers' Roasters first offered them. And for some years, those were the only BBRs that I ever tasted. Until Bora...

Combing the beach front in search of some new island delicacy of some sort, Sheila Mae and I figuratively stumbled upon Gasthoff's. This resto claimed to be "home of Boracay's Famous Baby Back Ribs."

So thinking with our stomachs, We decided to have the "one whole" order: about 8-10 ribs.

I had Sheila get a table while I went inside to order. As with most beach front restos, the dining area was outside.

The ribs were ready in no time. Boy, were they delicious!


Over-all Rating: 4/5

Serving for two: 6/5 (madami!)
Presentation: 3/5 (nothing special)
Quality: 5/5 (meat was tender, cooked and freshly cooked)
Cost: 3/5 (medyo mahal... hey this is Bora!)

Comment: not enough paper towels! Bring your own!

Resto rating: 5/5 very nice ambiance