Gambas Pasta

Ingredients

500 g of spaghetti noodles - Cooked
1/4 kilo shrimp
ground pepper
garlic powder

Buttered Garlic Shrimp

I wanted to share my own version of Buttered Garlic Shrimp and this is the easiest way to cook shrimp so far.

Here's what you need:

1/4 kilo of shrimp
5 table spoonful of Butter - I used Dairy Cream for my butter.
1 whole garlic (minced)
pepper (depends on you)
garlic powder
1 onion bulb (minced)
salt to taste

How to do it?

1. Heat the pan at a slow fire.
2. When the pan is already hot. Put the butter and let it melt. Once its melted add the shrimp until it turns orange.
3. Add the spices and stir until cooked.
4. SERVE WHILE HOT.

***You can practically do however you want to do it. Sometimes I melt the butter while adding the spices or sometimes I will have the shrimp first before it adding the butter. Either way would actually do.***

My New Year Food Recipe - Macaroni Salad

Christmas and New Year celebration actually is my favorite ever time of the year since childhood days and every time this part of the year kicks in I am always wishing for a macaroni salad the Filipino way of cooking of course. I love it because it is cheesy and definitely sweet. I actually think way back my childhood days that Macaroni Salad is a very special desert that is only prepared during New Year Celebration. I also see it on my cousins birthday celebration. Basically, I only see them during special occasions and gatherings.

Now that I am working I would love to cook it the way I wanted it and when I say I will do it my way I usually break the norms that I have grown up with. So here's my own version of my Filipino Macaroni Salad:

Ingredients:

1 pc of 500 gram Baronia Farfalle (Ribbon Type)

1 pc of 500 gram Baronia Fusilli Tricolore (3 Color Spiral)
2 pcs of 300 ml Condensed Milk
3 pcs  of 250 ml All Purpose Cream
1 bottle of Nata De Coco
200 gram Marshmallow (small type)
1 can (big size) Fruit Cocktail
Raisin
Cheese diced

Procedures

Cook the pasta/noodles according to package instruction. Normally though in a pot of salted boiling water add the pasta and cook for about 8 to 9 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold running tap water and allow to cool completely then set aside.

Drain the red and green Kaong or nata de coco and Fruit Cocktail then set aside.

Combine thouroughly all ingredients.

Put them on a container seal it thoroughly then refrigerate overnight.

My New Year's Foodie - My Style of Filipino Graham Cake

One of the many sought after desserts during special occasion during my childhood days is the Graham Refrigerator Cake. It is also one of the easiest desserts to prepare as you only main equipment is the refrigerator.

You will need:

2 packs of Graham Biscuits 

3 250-gram packs of all-purpose cream 

2 150-ml condensed milk

1 medium can of fruit cocktail (drained)

All you have to do is:

Combine the all purpose cream and condensed milk in a bowl. Mix well or better yet blend them together with any excess of the fruits you intended to use as toppings to give a fruity taste on the all purpose cream.

Layer the graham biscuits and the cream and condensed milk mixture alternately in a flat and rectangular container. The topmost layer must be covered with the combined mixture thickly. (Take note: you should always have a powdered Graham Biscuits to fill in the gaps during layering of the graham biscuits and the other mixture.

Put fruit toppings on the topmost layer of the cake. Spread the fruit cocktail evenly on the top layer. You can also sprinkle some unsalted cashew nuts on top of the cake or sliced ripe mangoes instead of fruit cocktail as toppings. I also tiny marshmallows on top and in-between layers to add texture on the graham cake.

4. Chill in the refrigerator for two hours or more. It is preferred to put it on the freezer for 2 hours to harden the mixture and then transfer it on the fridge to ensure that your cake is not watery when served.

Alegre Special Bulalo at Mahogany Market in Tagaytay City

Its Tagaytay time again. Tagaytay is a haven for local tourist as it is a place to be for bulalo. It is a well known Filipino food and most desired by many because of its luscious aroma and steamingly comforting soup. I still am imagining the the good taste of bulalo up to this time... haha

Mahogany Market is just one of the so called Bulalo haven for most tourists and bulalo eaters. I myself find this indulgence a good reward after a months stressful activity at work. So when my brother came to fetch his wife at NAIA Airport I asked them to drop by my house so we could have a weekend bonding together as it may take few months to see them again. And so he drops by.

In the morning of September 29 2013, after a tiring Taal Lake horseback riding. We stopped by Mahogany Market as I heard from officemates that it is their place to be for bulalo. Of course I wanted to treat everyone with a luscious steamy bulalo and one of its kind fresh water fish called Tawilis.

I would say that you've never been to Tagaytay if you havent been to Mahogany Market to sip the wonders of Bulalo. Bulalo is definitely cook at its perfection.I don't know how to describe the sensual feeling every time I have a taste of a perfectly cooked bulalo. It is somehow similar when you eat the best food you've ever tasted.

Next time to visit Tagaytay, you gotta visit Alegre's Canteen at the Mahogany Market. Somehow I did love the way I was served there. The lady (sorry I forgot your name my bad) who served us knows how to host. I thought I was in a first class restaurant by that time. I felt very special while we are eating. She knows when she needs to talk, she knows when she needs to be quiet. She haven't stole our moments together with my siblings. I definitely recommend Alegre as a place to be when you are in Tagaytay Mahogany Market.

Bulalo would usually cost you approximately around Php 300 to Php 350 per serving and that will feed at least 4 people.

What about you guy? Have you ever been to Mahogany Market? What's your best restaurant be?

Oh by the way, Mahogany Market is located along the road going to Batangas. It is accessible through Jeepneys with route passing by NBI TAGAYTAY station. Just tell the jeepney driver to drop you off at Mahogany Market. Or if you are in a bus going to Tagaytay you can tell the conductor (the person who collects fare) to drop you by at Mahogany Market. Buses that will for sure pass by Mahogany Market are buses bound to Alfonso, Mendez, Cavite, Nasugbo, and Balayan Batangas.

If you are going to Tagaytay with your own car: From Tagaytay Rotonda or Junction, just drive straight to the road going to Batangas (ask someone from there to show you where you should take if you are not familiar). When you reache Petron Gasoline Station, take the road going right and look for the Hall of Justice building which is also located at the right side of the road. Mahogany Market is at the back of the building.

We ordered 1 serve of Special Bulalo (Chopped), 1 Serve of Fried Tawilis, 1 Serve of sizzling sisig, 1 1.5L of Coke Zero, 7 cups of rice and we only paid less than a thousand peso. Very good price with the quality of service we got and the quality of food we ate.

Leslie's Restaurant in Tagaytay

Every time I hear stories of Tagaytay, of course I would hear the majestic view of Taal Volcano and the cool place. Aside from that, another headliner is their awe so awesome BULALO and their Bulaluhan.

Leslie's Menu

Bulalo is a Filipino beef dish. Beef shanks and Beef bone with marrows are cooked in approximately 3 to 6 hours. It is believed that the more the beef shanks and bones are boiled the tastier it becomes.

So on my sisters birthday, we went to Tagaytay to enjoy good bulalo food. We don't know the best restaurants yet that offers bulalo so we asked around and the lady mentioned many restaurants but the one that catches our attentions is the Leslie's.

Good Points of the Restaurant:

• One good thing about the restaurant is situated over looking the majestic Taal Lake.
• I also like the singers going from one table to the other....
• The crew are also helpful in some ways. They politely ask for our orders and attends to our request promptly.

What I don't like?

• Their Bulalo is a little bit salty with me. So I didn't enjoy the soup.
• There's no bone marrow. I have these expectation that when I eat bulalo it goes along with a marrow. Unfortunately we didnt had it when we ordered.
• Its too crowded. Well its a big restaurant so it really look crowded and a little bit noisy because of everyone is enjoying talking and eating.