Food Trip

4 Couples, 12 Monkeys

October 14, 2014 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 19 Comments

MrC and I used to go out to watch bands a lot. Actually, I don’t think I’ve ever written about it here, but my husbandry used to sing in a band called Bobby Parks Movement. I was their manager. And oh my gosh, I just found proof of the band’s existence on the interwebs! O diba? This was before we became parents, of course, when it was okay to come home at the crack of dawn and sleep until way past lunch time.

Bobby Parks Movement on MYX Bandarito, 2005

I find it silly whenever I say, “Those were the days,” in reference to that time in our lives. I feel that it makes me sound older than I actually am. But that’s the truth, those were the days. Nights out have become rare occasions for MrC and me, because we have really grown into homebodies since becoming parents. But because we love Joei and the ABC, we got all dolled up and spent an evening with the group at 12 Monkeys Music Hall & Pub in Century City Mall a few weeks ago.

The moment we walked in I thought, wow I wish this place existed already when we were still very much involved in the band scene, aka in my past life working for events like Fete dela Musique and Red Horse Muziklaban. I would have loved to hold an event at this place! It’s roomy, simple but aptly decorated, and the sound is AMAZEBALLS. Plus, the food is really good, which isn’t something you find at bars very often.

Given the roster of partners who put this place together, though, I’m not surprised at the excellence in detail put into everything from the ambiance, to the equipment, to the menu. Behind the amazing food and ambiance are Raymund Magdaluyo, who owns Red Crab, Sumo Sam and Seafood Island, Neil Arce, an old friend from Zobel, and co-owner of 71 Gramercy and Tipsy Pig, Neil Paras of Big Bad Wolf, Mike Gelacio, who co-owns Publiko and Universe, Prive’s JM Rodriguez, club and bar owner, GP Reyes, and one of 19 East’s partners, Yuri Allado.

Musical programming is taken care of by Parokya Ni Edgar’s frontman, Chito Miranda, and Champ Lui Pio. Marketing and operations is handled by the lone lady in the group, Cesca Rivas. The DJ lineup is carefully put together by DJ Keith Haw. With JB Music’s head, Jerico Fernando involved, you know exactly why the sound system at 12 Monkeys is as good as it is. Completing the lineup of partners are Magic 89.9’s DJ Tony Toni Bueno and Solar Sports TV’s Jinno Rufino. Now that’s an all-star cast, if I’ve ever seen one.

Borrowing Jane’s photo of the opening band the night we were at 12 Monkeys

Our visit came after an intimate dinner at Yumi Japanese Restaurant (blogging about this soon!), which was just next door. That didn’t stop us from sampling the different dishes that we had heard were to die for at 12 Monkeys. First came drinks. No pub experience is complete without a beer, in my opinion, so it was a rather huge mug of Stella Artois for me, and a Cerveza Negra for MrC. The other girls ordered a pretty cocktail each – a yellow cocktail called Sweet Monkeys (PHP250) for Joei, a very pink Very Berries (PHP250) for Jane, and a kiwi-filled green Ivan’s Secret (PHP250) for Mish.

His & Hers beers, and colorful cocktails

Once we were all settled in with our drinks and the band started to play, the food came in, one exciting plate after another. Chef Pete Ayson developed the menu at 12 Monkeys based on the taste and preference of each of the partners.Our spread started off with Killer Chicharones, a basket filled with crispy hog skin, chicken tail poppers and skin served with spiced vinegar and spiced ketchup. A second basket on our table contained Cesca Pop – golden shrimp popcorn, grilled lemon, crispy fries and cocktail sauce.

Killer Chicharones (PHP195), Cesca Pop and His & Hers Iced Tea – Notice that the glasses for guys are different from the glasses for girls

I only tried one piece of chicharon, but the boys ate it happily. I really liked the Cesca Pop, and end up finishing the whole basket, including the fries. So good when you squeeze the grilled lemon over everything! The Spam Fries was something that we all couldn’t get enough of! This was tempura style assorted Spam served with honey mustard, cumin ketchup and kimchi mayo. So good, it was gone in 60 seconds! I would love to take Little MrC to try these. I’m sure he will really enjoy.

I love that the pizza selections are categorized as Picha Pie, obviously after that Parokya ni Edgar Song. We were served Ivan’s Palabok Pizza and The Sisig Tribute. The Palabok Pizza really tasted like palabok! As in, it’s even better with calamansi squeezed over it. I never would have imagined this would make a good pizza, but it works. The Sisig Tribute was yummy too, and nice and spicy. This is perfect for my friends who love sisig but don’t like eating rice.

Thai Beef Salad, The Sisig Tribute (PHP320), Ivan’s Palabok Pizza (PHP350), Chunky Monkey Pie (PHP290) and Sticky Pudding (PHP285)

I didn’t get to try the salads, but I will next time. Apart from the Thai Beef Salad, which had mixed greens, tamarind beef fillet, cucumber, tomatoes, radish, toasted peanuts and chili lime dressing, we were also given a Fried Chicken Caesar Salad. This I am interested in for next time. A bowl of this salad comes with homemade Caesar dressing tossed into romaine lettuce, and topped with saved Parmesan cheese, smoked bacon bits and a country fried chicken fillet. Sounds like my kind of salad!

I had a few spoons of the After Hours Goto Special because I love goto and just couldn’t say no. This bowl was goto perfection! It’s Filipino-style congee served with beef tripe, garlic flkes, century egg, pork floss, homemade candied dilis, scallions, tofu and fried crispy pork belly. If you ever come to 12 Monkeys, you MUST try this!

Borrowing Jane’s photo of the After Hours Goto Special (PHP285)

I knew I had to save room for dessert, so I decided to skip the Laksa Lomi, a red curry lomi noodle soup with squid balls, white shrimps and fried pork belly, and the Barbecue Feast. Note to self: Order the barbecue next time because it looked really good. The platter was loaded with chargrilled baby back ribs, barbacua chicken wings, coleslaw, potato salad and Java rice.

The last main dish served to us before we all threw in the towel because we were too full to function was the 12 Treasures Claypot Rice. This was black rice, soy chicken, Chinese sausage, pork ribs, shiitake mushrooms and bok choi cooked in a claypot bowl. I have to try this next time, coz it really sounds yummy, too. Diba, not your usual bar chow!

12 Treasures Claypot Rice (PHP365) Photo by Jane

Dessert was a slice of Chunky Monkey Pie and Sticky Pudding. Both had banana in them, keeping with the whole monkey thing, I guess. The Chunky Monkey Pie is a cream-filled banana cream pie topped with whipped cream, chunky peanut butter and crushed choc nut. The pudding was made of banana walnut bread in butter toffee sauce, topped with vanilla ice cream. Both were yummy! After a spoonful of each, I literally couldn’t eat another bite.

I just love our ABC group! It’s always fun when these guys are around.

THANK YOU so very much to the management and staff at 12 Monkeys for taking care of us and stuffing us silly. I had such a great time that I’ve already asked MrC to take me back there to see some of my favorite bands play. It’ll be great to hang out and pretend we are young and free, even just for a night. Thank you, also, Joei for putting this fun evening together for the ABC.

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It’s been a while since MrC and I went to a bar hehe. Super enjoyed #GirlsNightOut with my #ABC loves and our husbandries at 12 Monkeys. The food there is amazing! And ang ganda ng sound! Hope to catch one of my favorite bands there soon.

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12 Monkeys Music Hall And Pub
5/F Century City Mall
Kalayaan Avenue, Poblacion, Makati
For reservations call (0917) 570-3222
For private event inquiries email 12monkeyspub@gmail.com
Follow @12MonkeysPH on Twitter and Instagram, and like 12MonkeysPH on Facebook

Doors open at 5pm
Entrance fees vary based on the performing band
Table reservations go for 6-8k, consumable
The VIP couch close to the stage costs 15k, consumable, and can seat 10-12 persons

Our Orange Whisk #FoodTrip Field Trip

September 16, 2014 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 20 Comments

One fine Saturday, the ABC ladies (sans Jane, who was off enjoying a super fun weekend in Bohol) went on a quick lunch trip to Orange Whisk in Better Living. I’m sorry I can’t explain how to get there, but I can say that the restaurant is not hard to find, that is if you’re familiar with the area. Or if you have Waze.

I always knew that there were these really good, homey restaurants and cafes hiding in that area. MrC used to live in Parañaque, and I’d see these establishments all the time when we’d drive around. After all these years, I finally got to try one.

One of MrC’s work friends had lots of nice things to say about Orange Whisk. He’s from Better Living, and my husbandry asked him for help with directions a few days before our visit. He says that the steak is a must-order. We didn’t have that, but we did get to try a version of steak. I’ll tell you more about that later.

But first, let me tell you about Orange Whisk

Orange Whisk Restaurant and Patisserie is owned by the award-winning tandem of Chef Isaiah Ortega and Pastry Chef Korinne Lirio (who are engaged in real life, yeehee). Honestly, you feel the chemistry between these two through their food. What stuck with me was how sophisticated yet simple the flavor combinations were. Remember that scene from Ratatouille where Remy was talking about how combining flavors created something new, with matching colorful visions and all? That’s what it was like for me at Orange Whisk.

Chefs Isaiah and Korinne, their wall of fame at Orange Whisk, and the restaurant’s super cute light fixture

Chef Isaiah whips up Filipino and international dishes at Orange Whisk. Chef Korinne is in charge of pastries and desserts. There are a lot of dishes to choose from, and they can even customize a dish for you, provided that they have the ingredients needed on-hand. Winner, especially for particular, picky eaters. They also recently started carrying Chef Anna Chua’s amazeballs Pink Wasabi Kashi Maki as part of their menu. Super yay for that!

Starting off with bread and coffee

The boys and I had come from football before our Orange Whisk lunch, so we came hungry. While our gracious hosts were busy in the kitchen, we were served some pastries and coffee to start with. Seriously, I am not over these Chewy Buns. They are sorta like a cross between crusty rolls and mochi balls. These were really good while they were warm, and they were perfect with a cup of coffee. I regret not buying a few to take home. I also regret not trying the coffee buns.

Good news! They serve good, strong coffee at Orange Whisk.

We also shared a plate of Calamansi Chiffon. You know how I love calamansi-flavored pastries. These were the bomb. They were light, fluffy, soft and moist. They were perfectly tart yet perfectly sweet. My matakaw self wishes that they were bigger, but I feel that they really are just the right size. These go great with coffee, too.

Finally, the kitchen was ready for us

After a few minutes of snacking and chatting, we were told that we were ready to be served. First came the Isol Salad, which Joei and Mish were a little scared of. In case you didn’t know, isol is chicken butt. I’ve had it before, but never in a salad. I have to say, this is not your ordinary isol sa kanto. Chef Isaiah’s treatment is a bit more refined. This dish had crispy chicken bottom, heart of palm, cucumber, cilantro, key lime and Japanese mayo. Isn’t it so pretty?

After the salad, we were given small portions of calamansi sherbet to cleanse our palettes. Afterwards, they put big bowls of rice on the table, and there was just no way we could skip rice with the dishes that followed. It was a “Diet? What diet?” kind of day. Here’s a rundown of all of the dishes that we got to try.

The Aubergines in Char Smoked Coconut Cream Sauce is pan-grilled eggplant slathered in a smokey coconut cream sauce. This cannot and should not be eaten without rice, in my opinion. I like eggplants but only done a certain way because I don’t enjoy them when they get soggy. These were cooked perfectly, firm but not tough, and sliced thick. The sauce worked so well with the eggplant! If you like coconut cream, you will enjoy this.

The one problem I had with the Steamed King Fish in Crispy Mashed Soy Bean Sauce was that the fish was bony. A bigger fish would have worked better for this, most likely. Absolutely no complaints as far as flavor goes, though. MrC really loved the crispy crumble on the fish. I’m guessing that’s the crispy mashed soybean? He mixed it in with his white rice, and it was just perfect.

The Grilled Mustard Tuna Loin in Bacon Saffron Cream Sauce was my favorite dish of them all. And no, it’s not because it has bacon. I’m not super gaga over bacon ya know. I really love tuna, and the bacon saffron cream sauce made everything so rich and flavorful. I could have finished this entire plate of mustard marinated tuna loin with rendered bacon, saffron and cream, but I had to share it with the rest. I am coming back for this one for sure.

Little MrC happily ate the Wagyu Saikoro Steak in Blue Ginger Sauce. You know how this kid loves his steak. He really has sophisticated taste buds for such a small boy. I’m just happy he loves to eat good food. They used Japanese beef for this dish, and it was melt-in-your-mouth soft. I love that it is lightly seasoned with bell peppers, garlic, blue ginger and soy caramel, so you could really taste the beef.

Finally, another dish that must be eaten with rice, Braised Butabara Steak n Blue Cheese Tomato Red Wine Sauce. This was my second favorite, next to the tuna. The skinless prime pork belly was super soft with layers of melty fat in between the meat. So bad, I know. But that does make it yummier, right? I liked the combination of tomato sauce, red wine and blue cheese in the sauce. Though, being a super bleu cheese fan I would have asked for extra cheese in mine. Maybe I’ll do that on my next visit.

Of course, there’s always room for dessert

You know the boys were happy with their sweet treats

After the amazing chewy buns and calamansi chiffon, I was really looking forward to what Chef Korinne prepared for us for dessert. She surprised us by bringing out not just one or two sweet treats, but a sampler plate of desserts for each of us. Sweet tooth heaven!!!!! We each had a Chewy Choco Walnut Bar, a White Chocolate Spoon with Dark Chocolate Mousse (so cute!), and Sticky Date Pudding.

There was also a Black Sesame Panna Cotta with Strawberries, which was my favorite among Chef Korinne’s desserts. It was light and delicately flavored. I love that the panna cotta wasn’t the Jello-ed out kind. I seriously wanted more.

And of course, I saved Reggie’s Cheese Kashi Maki from Pink Wasabi for last. I’m biased because I already love them. And really, what could be a better combination than cheese and chocolate to end a meal with such an amazing mix of flavors?

Our little lunch group – Timmy, Joei, MrsC, Little and Big MrC, Chef Korinne, Chef Isaiah, and Mish

THANK YOU for having us, Chefs Isaiah and Korinne! We really enjoyed Orange Whisk and we can’t wait to take the family there. Thanks also Chef Anna and Reggie for the invite, and Michelle for putting all this together for ABC.

Orange Whisk
35 Michael Rua St.,
Betterliving Subdivision, Parañaque
(02) 501 6454
Open on Mondays, and Wednesdays to Sundays 11AM – 11PM
Closed on Tuesdays!

The Mysterious Chairman Wang and His Prime Beef Noodle House

April 9, 2014 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 32 Comments

The little boy and I joined a couple other bloggers last week at an intimate lunch mini-event in the newly opened Chairman Wang’s Prime Beef Noodle House in Molito. We have been excited about this event since mid-March when we received the invite because we are always in Molito, and we’d really been waiting for this place to open for some months now. Chairman Wang’s finally opened it’s doors last February, and I hear from their Operations Manager, Blush, that things have been going well for them so far. It’s not surprising, really, because, as we discovered, the food there is really yummy.

Who is Chairman Wang

This was actually the first question that I asked Blush and the restaurant’s Marketing Malanger, Alyz. I had actually expected Chairman Wang to be a fictional character, but apparently he is real! He is a chef, an expert noodle-puller and restaurant owner in China, and he decided to open a noodle house here together with some Filipino partners. We were told that Chairman Wang trained the chefs in noodle-pulling himself, and he was also very hands-on in developing the menu for the restaurant.

We got to watch one of the expert noodle-pullers in action!

My follow-up question was, “Is he old?” Why did I ask this? Well, it’s because I kind of imagined Chairman Wang to look like those old Kung Fu masters I remember seeing on TV when I was little, when Sunday mornings meant that Chinese Drama Theater was on. As in the ones with long hair, either white or black, long mustaches, long beards, and sometimes even long eyebrows. This was pre-cable, so I don’t know if any of you younger guys out there know what I’m talking about.

Checking out the beautiful restaurant interiors with my fellow bloggers

No, Chairman Wang is not old and he does not look like a Shaolin master according to Blush, who had the chance to train under him. The restaurant, though, looks like it came straight out of a Kung Fu movie set, and I think that might be what sparked my inquiry. Lol. A lot of the accents including their wall panel decor, mural and drop lights were actually imported from China for the noodle house. I really wanted to see what Mr Wang looks like, but I guess his face will have to remain a mystery for now.

Hand-pulled noodles and Szechuan-style cooking

Here in the Philippines, Chinese restaurants usually serve Cantonese cuisine. Chairman Wang’s features more of a Szechuan-style menu, with bolder spices and stronger flavors. In contrast, the freshly made noodles in their signature dish – the prime Angus beef broth – was mild and delicate, perfectly complementing the other food that was served to us.

Blush and Alyz did most of the ordering. Here’s what we had.

We were served a carafe of Chrysanthemum Iced Tea, which is a mix of chrysanthemum tea, longgan, goji berries, honey and mint leaves. This is super refreshing, and really my kind of iced tea. There was also some Lemon Ginger Ale, which I wasn’t able to try. For our appetizers, we tried the Smoked Duck Breast in Hoisin Wrap and the Braised Beancurd Skin with Soy Tofu. I loved the beancurd skin. It was really crispy and tasty. The duck wrap was good also, except that there was cilantro inside, and I really don’t like cilantro.

I know that people would usually try new things when in new places, but because I am a creature of habit (and I had a kid with me), I requested for the Sweet and Sour Pork and Olive Fried Rice. Little MrC actually wanted to try a different kind of fried rice, but it was the olive rice that was highly recommended. He wasn’t so hot on the idea of this unfamiliar dish so he ended up eating plain rice instead. I thought that the olive rice was really flavorful and went well with the sweet and sour. Instead of the usual pineapple chunks, the pork dish had orange wedges in it. It was good, but definitely not what we’re used to.

As for the noodle bowls, we got to try the Chairman’s Prime Beef Noodle Soup, which I loved, and the Poached Sliced Beef with Vermicelli in Spicy Sichuan Broth, which was good but really flavorful and oily. It was also on the spicy side. MrC would super love this.

The kiddo and his special request + my favorites

My favorites of all were the Shrimp Hakaw (I told you, creature of habit), and the Chinese Curry Lamb Caserole, which was a total surprise because this was the first time that I ever had lamb at a Chinese restaurant. I love lamb and I love curry, and so this was an expected hit for my taste buds. This dish needs plain rice though, as it’s really so potently flavored, so I was happy to finish off what was left of the kiddo’s jasmine rice bowl.

Little MrC and I both agree that dessert was the best part of our meal. We each had a bowl of Chilled Coconut Milk Soup with Sago and Fresh Fruits. This was soooooooo good, not too sweet, and super refreshing. It’s perfect for a hot summer snack with the fresh grapes, dragon fruit and other tropical fruits swimming in the coconut milk broth. I would go back just for this. Really.

Thumbs up, Chairman Wang!

This restaurant gets a thumbs up from me. I promised Blush and Alyz that the fambam will come visit some time, and guess what, they already did! Last weekend, my parents and my brother had dinner in Chairman Wang’s and they were pretty happy with their experience, too. One thing that my brother noted was that the servers really knew their menu. He has food allergies, and they were able to tell him what he could and couldn’t eat.

Blush told us, actually, that the servers really were made to learn their food offerings inside-out, and I noticed that when we were there. Of course, I figured they would all bring their A-game for us bloggers. So when my brother told me that the server during their visit knew his stuff as well, I was definitely impressed. I can safely say that Chairman Wang’s staff members really offer top-notch service to their customers.

Thank you, Blush, Alyz and the rest of the Chairman Wang staff!

MrC has yet to try the yummy food here, so we will definitely see everyone again at Chairman Wang’s! Thank you, Blush and Alyz for being such gracious hosts, and of course, for allowing me to bring the little guy along for lunch. I super appreciate it.

Chairman Wang’s Prime Beef Noodle House
Unit 18 Molito Lifestlye Complex
Madrigal Avenue, Alabang, Muntinlupa City
Phone: (02) 828-8477
#/chairmanwangs

One Last Second Grade Baon Week

March 20, 2014 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 1 Comment

Home stretch is finally here!!! We’ve officially got only one week left for this school year, and I am so proud of Little MrC and I for surviving our first year of school lunches. I never thought we could do it, but we did. I feel so happy.

I originally thought that because this would be the last baon week for the year, it would be more special. I’m sorry, I was wrong. I honestly just want to be done, I want summer to be here already, and so my final baon week is simply ordinary. Also, after giving it a lot of though, I have decided to put a pause on the baon planning over summer, first so that I can build some excitement for the coming year, and second, because I don’t always pack lunch for MrC. I will still be sharing a featured recipe on each Thursday of the week, though, so there still is something that you can look forward to each week.

If you’ll notice, my grocery list and menu plan has specific brands of food, particularly in the snack portion. That’s because I’m finishing up whatever I still have on hand here at home. Also, I’ve decided to make use of some kitchen friendly friends to make life simpler. For the breaded pork chops, I’m using McCormick Season’n Fry. For the chicken teriyaki, I bought bottled Kikkoman roasted garlic marinade and used that instead of making my own from scratch. Twice I’ve placed ready to fry options into the menu – Bounty Fresh Top Torikatsu and Century Smoked bangus belly.

My recipe for this week is a typical Filipino dish, pork steak, that our old helper used to make with a twist. The twist is that the dish is a little sweeter than your normal pork steak, and the soy sauce is watered down, resulting in really pale meat. Honestly, not everyone likes it. My dad thinks it tastes like soap. My brother and I love it though, and we would have this for our packed lunch many times when we were little. So, I figured it would be a great packed meal to use for my little boy’s last lunch in school as a second grader.

Manang's Lomo

2014-03-20 03:24:05

Not your ordinary pork steam

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Ingredients

1/4 kilo pork tenderloin (lomo) cut into medallions
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sugar
The juice of 1 calamansi
1/4 cup water
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil or butter for frying

Instructions

Combine all ingredients and marinade the pork overnight in the refrigerator. Yes, even the water.
Fry the pork medallions in butter or olive oil.
Pour the marinade over the meat and let it simmer. Reduce the sauce to your desired thickness, and you're done.
Serve with hot rice.

Notes

You can totally adjust the amount of sugar in this if you find the dish too sweet.

By MrsC

At Home With MrsC https://blissbysam.com/

I think that this is a pretty kid-friendly dish, but still, let me know if you get to try it and if it works for you. Here are this week’s downloads:

Baon Plan for March 21-27

Grocery List for March 21-27

So excited to be taking a break from my 5AM kitchen routine! Hooray for summer vacation!!!

New Babies Are On Their Way + Our Lunch Box Menu for March 7-13

March 6, 2014 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 7 Comments

Two very good friends announced this week that they are expecting! I am so, so very excited for them. These are moms who were pregnant around the same time I was carrying Little MrC. Our older kids are batch 1 of our barkada babies. Now, with the recent delivery of another good friend to her first baby boy, plus those two new ones on the way, batch 2 is officially here!

Part of me is starting to wonder if it’s time for us to have another kid. Believe me when I tell you that a lot of people have been telling us to go for it already, with my grandfather being the most persistent of all. I’m honestly not sure I’m ready for another baby just yet. I can barely make it through the day, drama-free, with my one little boy. Oh my gosh, the thought of having to get up at 5am to cook breakfast and baon while pregnant sounds a little wacko to me. But anyway, I am setting these baby thoughts aside for now to focus on baon, which is what this post is about, anyway.

Do you like this featured image? I’m not too sure about it just yet.

First, a few adjustments.

I never realized that I could use a WordPress plugin for my recipes until a couple of hours ago. Oh my gosh it makes life so much simpler! So instead of the downloadable PDF recipe, I will now have recipe cards in these cooking at home posts. Super bonus, there is a template that matches my blog look perfectly. It is so meant to be.

Also, last week I said I’d share more seafood recipes, with it being Lent and all. But alas, I realized yesterday that I rarely cook seafood, and already I shared the one fish dish I am confident about last week. So, sorry but this week’s featured recipe is a beef dish. And I promise to prepare more dishes that don’t contain any meat with feet in the coming days so that I will have something to share next week. Anyway for Lent, I am abstaining from meat with feet, so I really do have to figure out what I can cook anyway.

This week’s recipe.

On we go, here is my featured recipe for the week. It’s a beef tapa recipe that was sorta kinda based on my grandmother’s tapa. We can never get it exactly right though, because she buys a certain portion from a certain cut of meat from her one and only supplier, and that’s what makes all the difference. Me, though, I’m happy with any cut of good beef. Just make sure it’s sliced real thin, and there’s a little bit of fat in there.

This is a dry, sweet-salty tapa. I have yet to try making one that’s a little saucy, kinda like Tapa King. If you have a recipe for that kind of tapa, please share! I chose this recipe for the week coz my friend, Jane, requested for it. So yes, I do accept requests! Though it might be a wee bit ambitious right now, but I will definitely try to make whatever it is that you ask for.

Beef Tapa ala Mama

2014-03-05 18:18:32

A dry, salty beef tapa with a tiny hint of sweetness.

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Ingredients

1/2 kilo Top round beef, sliced super thin
1 tablespoon white sugar
1/2 tablespoon iodized salt
1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
Cooking oil for frying

Instructions

Wash the beef slices well to remove majority of the blood.
Combine the sugar and the salt and massage the mixture into the beef.
Add soy sauce for colour.
Marinade for at least an hour, but best if you could do this overnight
Fry each strip of beef until it is dark brown. Be careful not to burn this!

Notes

When choosing your beef, try to find a portion that has a strip of fat on one side.
Since the marinade used for this tapa is very basic, you will really need to find good beef, otherwise it won’t taste as good.
If you can’t find top round, tenderloin will do. Just make sure that it’s sliced thinly.

By MrsC

At Home With MrsC https://blissbysam.com/

Oh my gosh, isn’t that recipe card just PERFECT?!

Download time!

I don’t know if there’s a plugin for a downloadable menu plan or grocery list, but I don’t think I’ll go that far. So this week, you still get my boring old PDFs, but that’s okay, right?

Lunch Box Meal Plan for March 7-13

Grocery List for March 7-13

So, I just want to know if you’ve been able to try any of the recipes I’ve posted so far. I’d love feedback. My boys seem to think that everything I cook is delicious. A second opinion is definitely in order!

Lunch Box Menu for February 28 – March 6

February 27, 2014 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 12 Comments

I can’t believe that we are officially entering the last month of the school year! I just realized though that my baon packing days are continuing on til the summer because MrC will be needing sustenance at work. It’s easier with him, though, because I can pack him frozen meals that he can microwave at the office when lunch time rolls around. Anyway, I think I’m getting ahead of myself. Time to deal with the upcoming week first.

Lent is fast approaching and that means I am going to do my annual “no walking meat” panata (promise/commitment). So expect to see more Lent-friendly seafood recipes over the next few weeks. I’ll still be plotting meaty dishes into the meal plan for the boys, though, so those of you with carnivorous taste buds need not worry.

This week’s recipes

This week, I am featuring an easy Baked Fish in Garlic Butter with Dill recipe, which I’ve never posted before, and my super winner Chicken Adobo in it’s new downloadable PDF format. I’m also adding my ever-so reliable Banana Bread recipe, which isn’t exactly mine because I found it in a library book, but I can’t remember what book it was. Yes, I decided to share 3 recipes again this week. And I made sure to make them downloadable. Oh, I also added “branding” on my downloadable content heehee! I forgot to do that last week.

I also am doing a repeat performance of the Beef Salpicao I made last week. Like I said in my previous baon post, each batch of marinade and freeze meals that I do are good for two separate meals. If I don’t get to use them up, I’ll have a rerun week where I clean out the freezer and cook whatever’s there. So I’d rather mix one or two of last week’s dishes in with new stuff for the coming week. I think it’s more fun that way.

Since the baked fish isn’t something you can prepare ahead and freeze, I’m using an old photo of a batch I prepared for a Christmas gathering with friends last December. Sorry it’s kinda blurry. I’ve already put “A phone with a better camera for Instagramming” on my wishlist.

Here’s a tip. If you’re packing this for someone who has no access to a microwave, don’t the butter sauce into the lunchbox. The butter tends to solidify when cold, and unless your kid or spouse (or you) like chewing on butter chunks, it won’t be good. Trust me. The cooked fish will be flavorful even without the additional butter.

Grocery notes

The grocery list has everything you need for this week, but if like me, you still have things like sandwich crackers or cooking oil in stock, then you obviously don’t need to buy more. Also, I didn’t put any quantities per item coz it will really depend on how much food you need to prepare, and how many people you are cooking for. There are quantities for ingredients in the recipes, though, so you can do the necessary adjustments. I’m bad at math, so you might wanna just do the multiplying and dividing yourself.

Download away!

Here’s the menu plan for February 28 to March 6 . And here’s the matching grocery list . The recipe links are below:

Happy cooking and happy eating! Let me know which recipes you’ve tried, and which ones you like best.