My Top 7 Soups for Rainy Days

、ヽ｀、ヽ｀个o(･_･｡):｀ヽ、｀ヽ、

As I predicted, 2009 is so far the wettest, most rained out year that I have ever experienced.  We had a wet Christmas and a wet summer; ergo, it’ll be wet all year round.  Classes have been suspended since yesterday due to heavy rains and flood (even if there was no signal number raised in Metro Manila).

I think PAGASA should rethink how they classify or modify what makes a signal number one, two or three.  These had always been a perennial issue that never seems to get resolved, considering the global climate changes and all. The only major changes PAG-ASA have made for the past years is to come up with new names for typhoons. What a bunch of dumbasses. ﾀﾞ━o(｀･д･´)ﾉ━!!

Anyway, it may be raining hard but it’s not at all that bad. This is a perfect time to reminisce about what we all enjoy during a cold and rainy weather–Soups!

I don’t actually take pictures of all the food I consume but sometimes they can be handy for a blog topic such as today.  Here are some of my top favorite hot, hot soups I enjoyed for the past year:

My Dad’s nilagang baka (beef broth with vegetables) for Sunday lunch.  Adding rice into the broth, and let it absorb the soup while it’s piping hot – that’s the way I like it.

Naruto’s favorite: Ramen! This is Shio, a clear broth ramen from Rai Rai Ken, in Southmall, Las Pinas City. It was my first time to order ramen from a restaurant and found it similar to our Chinese-Pinoy soup dish mami.  It was fine until I suddenly had the sudden yearning to eat it along with siopao (Chinese meat bun) which of course was unavailable in a Japanese resto.

I have always been fascinated with Vietnamese food.  This spicy beef curry soup from Pho Hoa, (Alabang Town Center) is no exception. So deliciously hot–tanggal ang sinusitis mo dito.

Our unforgettable jaunt to Tagaytay last year included a taste of this bulalo dish (beef bone marrow soup with vegetables).  I remember eating this on a cold rainy long weekend at the bulalo eateries located in the city’s Mahogany Public Market — sarap matulog afterwards!

Another perfect soup to eat in a cold weather like this is Arroz Caldo (literally translates as ‘hot rice’). This is from our Sagada vacation last Holy Week.  It is a Cordillera version of rice porridge with pinikpikan chicken, boiled egg, and dayap juice.

At Little Big Store, a Chinese store and eatery at Gilmore St., Quezon City, I ordered this strange thick black soup with some cubed cuts of fish fillet.  I say it’s strange because I can’t seem to identify the ingredients that make it become so black (seaweed?) and gooey (cornstarch?).  They call it Miki which is also weird because it doesn’t contain Miki noodles. Oh, well, enough with the wondering at kainin na lang…

And just today, what we had for lunch is this macaroni soup with mushroom, cabbage, and bits of hotdog and chicken. Home-made, tasty and warms the heart and soul. Ayos!  Siesta na muna ko, ha?

ヾ(=_=)ゞ hohum\(〃^0^)-C<*_ _)｡o○ zzzz…

 

born on a bloomsday

I was born on a Bloomsday.

If you don’t know what Bloomsday means, I don’t either.

Just kidding.  

Bloomsday is what fans of James Joyce’ novel, Ulysses have been calling this day, June 16, naming it after the story’s protagonist, Leopold Bloom.  The whole story takes place on that one day (1904 to be exact) in Dublin, Ireland–wherein Joyce made mention of  actual streets, bars, and shops. So every Bloomsday, Dubliners and Joyce fans celebrate the day by reliving the story, tracing Bloom’s steps as mentioned in the book and participating in Ulysses readings… and oh, yeah, by hitting the pubs and doing what they do best.

I admit I haven’t finished the book yet (I bookmarked one copy from gutenberg.org).  I managed to read a few pages so far… and you can’t blame me. Ulysses is described as one of the most difficult books to read;  and that reading it ‘would take a lifetime.’  If you’re interested about Bloomsday and how to read and appreciate the book, click on this interesting article.

Well, then… what about MY Bloomsday? I celebrated my birthday two days ahead.  We were all craving for seafood so we went to Dampa, Parañaque City.

The wet market in the Original Dampa (left).

Aah… bday cravings: Fresh crabs, yeah!–expensive but worth it (right)

The place in Sucat is the original dampa– a place where you buy fresh seafood in the nearby wet market, choose an eatery, hand over the food you just bought to the cook or waiting staff and tell them your instructions on how to prepare it, wait for them to cook it, and if it’s done–eat! I’ve tried the other dampas that sprouted all over Manila and QC but the original is still the best– and probably still the cheapest.

Kay Susan Tayo!: We chose Zanvinz Grill Hauz (left). Aling Susan, the proprietress is the one who accommodated us.  We bought some liempo (pork spareribs) which she herself grilled for us.  And she even did some fortune telling while she was at it, too!

Bday feast 2009: We also had calamares, shrimps in butter and garlic, spicy crabs. We had them placed in styropor containers and took them home. Yum! (above pix)

At work, I received gifts- a book, (Coraline!) and a gift card from Powerbooks (left).  Thanks, AGirls! I truly appreciated it!

Then,  I also visited Mom on my birthday (Right)… June 16 maybe a truly fateful day for Leopold Bloom.  I guess it was for me, too. My mom (as well as her brother) passed away on a bloomsday, too.  I hoped she likes the white roses…

“Hold to the now, the here. Through which all future plunges to the past.” -Stephen Dedalus from Ulysses

What’s my birthday wish?… I do dream of traveling, and if I ever do get the chance to globe-trot in the future,  I will celebrate one fine bloomsday in Dublin — perhaps to partake of a gorgonzola sandwich and a glass of Burgundy at Davy Byrnes’ pub or maybe liver slices fried with crustcrumbs downed with a cold mug of Irish beer — before I kick the bucket. (=^.^)

Uh… yeah, ok.  And finish the book, too…

Here’s to more Bloomsdays ahead! ♪♫•*¨*•.¸\(✿^○^)/=3┌iiii┐ ¸.•*¨*•♫♪

 

hiatus pix

Here are the pix from my hiatus. Nothing much, actually. Just passing the time away and going through the day to day motions:

I’ve taken up brisk walking at night for the past weeks. I’m enjoying it immensely.  Good thing it’s safe to walk around my home at dusk.  Can’t say I’ve lost weight yet but I do have noticed that some of parts of me are indeed getting firmer and tighter. Yay! (2b continued)

Can’t say for my diet though.  A friend told me how to make glazed brie. This one was topped with a mixture of nuts, brown sugar, and brandy; then, baked slightly. Great with red wine and crackers! And besides, Sis has a brand new oven.  So…

And of course, when there’s an oven, baked mac can’t be too far behind. Just loved it! Pawie made this with ground beef, pepperoni, two kinds of melted cheeses, rigatoni, and some secret ingredients.  Yum!

Reunions: Family and relatives on my father’s side got together some weekends ago.  Two of my balikbayan uncles came and we celebrated the way we know best–eat! (2b continued)

At work, we had some celebrations, too.  We gave one of our staff, Lin, a baby shower before she had a maternity leave while two of us celebrated birthdays.  So many people celebrated birthdays in March!

Sign of the times: News of the recession can really be a bummer. This is the reason why I need to contemplate and reflect on some of my plans and life’s issues.  But I pray that we can all bounce back from this… as we often do. Kaya natin ‘yan! (b^ｰﾟ)

My room is still a mess. But it is a work in progress. I mean, I’m getting there… Really I am.  <(￣.￣*)> hmp!

Well, at least, I’m starting on my grad paper. So far so good.  In the pic above is my student and the case study that I’m working on. A good kid, love him to bits.

Kite-flying with another student of mine.  I’m proud of this girl. She has come a long way…

Family Day at EK: We visited a place called Enchanted Kingdom. Not really a kingdom, not really enchanting.  But it’s all we got so far (2b continued)…

Summer! Ahhh!  Fruits and ice cream… We’re all craving for iced fruity desserts these super humid days. Oh, God, I could use one right now…* drools* (2b continued, too)

And also, I’ve discovered the power of Japanese emoticons… sometimes they can say what you really mean when words are just not enough. Til then… (*ゝω・)ﾉ♥♥♥ ･ﾟ:*:ﾟ toodle-loo!

 

mmm is for merienda…

Bloggers are the New Powers That Be! Behold, we are the new commercial endorsers to be reckoned with.  Companies and businesses should tremble, kiss our rings, and kneel before us for we have the power to make or break your product. Unlike Sharon and Aga, we ourselves buy your products and actually use them, don’t get paid for what we have to say about them, we’re more believable, and definitely way cuter.

With that out of my system, I present some of my favorite meriendas…

Chocolate cake… like what mom used to make:

There are a lot of bakeries selling chocolate cakes in town.  The more established ones (oh, you know who you are!) sell ones wherein they obviously scrimp on the ingredients, resulting to dry, anemic-pathetic cakes that you are forced to buy for your kid’s birthday party for no one else is giving you anything better.  But along came Ms. Polly’s.  I had the privilege of being given these cakes as gifts, not just once but twice for the past two months. Theirs is as close to being home-baked–moist and rich.  It’s just like what your mom (well, at least mine did) used to make!  Great with black coffee on a lazy afternoon…

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Pancit Malabon… an all-time Pinoy favorite:

Pancit Malabon is a Pinoy specialty dish of noodles with an orange-colored sauce and seafood garnishings on top as well as sliced hard-boiled eggs. This one is from Amber’s in Makati (near Cash and Carry), an old food establishment that is already considered an institution around these areas.  I bought pancit from them twice.  Preferring fine bihon or sotanghon, I’m not much of a fan of thick noodles but I do enjoy a good pancit malabon (or palabok) once in a while.  Better to order ahead by phone and set a time for pick-up or delivery. If you don’t, you’ll have to wait a long time, just sitting at the counter, twiddling your thumbs and looking at Amber’s tired-looking, unsmiling attendants (at right) who seem to be comfortable with their “we don’t care if you wait, we’re already an institution!” style of service. Don’t forget their pichi-pichi and barbeque, too!  All great with ice-cold coke!

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

And finally, Churros…a second time around:

Ever since I saw Mario Batali make authentic Spanish churros on the food network, I’ve dreamed of doing the same thing.  It seemed to look so easy! But my ill-fated churros experiment last Christmas taught me never to trust on-line recipes anymore, to not follow their recommended measurements or quantities of ingredients and, according to Paw, to just trust your instincts. However, it did not dampen my hopes of getting it right so I tried it out again… this time with much success.  They came out perfectly crisp on the outside and soft and tasty in the inside.  And the leftover chocolate fondue from Noche Buena sent me to a buzzy, sugary-high mode.

One thing I can’t solve though is dealing with the inevitable gooey mess that it could make.  Just don’t wear your favorite shirt when attempting to eat churros, maybe use a jicara, or lay out your cheapest table cloth, and be ready with napkins– lotsa table napkins, and you’ll be fine.

And if you want to be sure your churros will be a success (and to save time as well)… just get a hold of a trusty pack of ready-mixed Antonio Pueo’s Churros con Chocolate (at left) from the supermarket like what I did.  Daya? Success naman! Hehe…