Swiss chocolates

Frey Swiss Chocolates from Switzerland. My friend Thea brought me some from her recent trip!

Christmas Lunch 2011

This year was my first official Christmas celebrations with the family here in Australia. And check out what we had for Christmas lunch.

Shrimp cocktail



Salad platter

Meat platter

The pudding with brandy custard

Prize from the pudding.



A little bubbly

New year at Manila Hotel

No plans for the new year and stuck in Manila? Well, fear not! Maila Hotel has the perfect NYE celeb for you!

Manila Hotel is throwing a grand Dinner and Dance Party on December 31, 2011 as we welcome the New Year. With a crossover buffet featuring Cafe Ilang-Ilang, Champagne Room, Mabuhay Palace, Taproom and Lobby Lounge and live entertainment from Filipinas Band, this is one big party you should not miss!

Dinner: 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Party starts at 9:00 PM
Inclusive of sparkling wine for the midnight toast
P 3,000 ++*
For inquiries and reservations, please call +63527 9469.

*Prices are subject to 10% service charge and applicable local taxes.

Potato cheese sticks

I just read the book "Julie and Julia" by Julie Powell

and like most people who have read it, I got inspired to try out some of the recipes myself.

 Well, one recipe in particular - Potato Cheese Sticks.

The recipe: Bouchées Parmentier au Fromage (potato cheese sticks)
½ lb. baking potatoes (2 medium potatoes)
1 cup sifted AP flour
1 stick softened butter
1 egg
1 cup grated Swiss cheese
⅛ tsp white pepper
Pinch of nutmeg
Pinch of cayenne
pepper Salt, to taste
Yields: 60 pieces

Peel and quarter the potatoes. Boil in salted water until tender.

Drain, then put through a ricer. You should have about 1 cup. Stir the potatoes over moderate heat in a heavy-bottomed saucepan for 2-3 minutes until they form a light film on the bottom of the pan, indicating most of their moisture has been evaporated. Beat the flour into the potatoes, then the butter by fractions, then the egg, cheese, and seasonings. Taste and adjust seasoning. Preheat oven to 425. Either butter 2 baking sheets or cover them with parchment paper. With a fluted pastry tube ¼ inch in diameter, squeeze the mixture into 2½-inch lngths spaced ½-inch apart onto the baking sheets. Bake both sheets at the same time for about 15 minutes, or until the sticks are lightly browned.

While waiting for the sticks to bake, I couldn't help myselp-- I kept checking it every 2 minutes. Is the oven hot enough? Is it browning too slow? Too fast? Why does it look the same after 45(!!) minutes!!!

Arg, I should've realise it earlier........... the recipe  called for a 425 F oven. We use Celsius. I didn't check the proper conversion. I asked S who told me to put the oven to 160C. I should've checked!!!

After 15  minutes, they were still as soft as they were when I first put them in the oven. And 45 minutes more in the oven did not help. As I said, I should've checked. The oven should be arounf 220C. So okay, technically it IS S's fault but I should keep a little blame on myself.





So being someone who will eat absolutely ANYTHING, S resumed cooking them on the stove in a little olive oil and promptly ate them. At least there's an audience for my experiments! Albeit for now, failed experiment!

Honeycomb: first attempt

S was craving for Honeycomb so we found a recipe in M's vast library of cookbooks.

Our ingredients for this deceivingly easy recipe.

I researched a bit for suggestions as we did not have any golden syrup on hand and most agreed honey would be the next best thing and would work equally as good. I might beg to disagree The end result

Does not even resemble a honeycomb. Trying to figure out where we went wrong- didn't boil the mixture enough, not enough bicarb of soda?

Word of the Day for Sunday, December 11, 2011

à la mode \ah luh MOHD\, adjective:
1. In or according to the fashion.
2. Cookery. A.(Of pie or other dessert) Served with a portion of ice cream, often as a topping: apple pie à la mode. B.(Of beef) Larded and braised or stewed with vegetables, herbs, etc., and served with a rich brown gravy.

I do not yet know what is the fashion in England, but naturally if you assure me it is not à la mode, I won't have a lover. Can I have a house in town?
-- Georgette Heyer, The Talisman Ring

However that may be, Wilhelm was undeniably à la mode; the greatest ladies in England would beseech and entreat of him to write but one line in their albums...
-- Hamilton Murray, Falkenburg: A Tale of the Rhine

À la mode literally means “of the fashion” in French. (The sense of a scoop of ice cream on top of pie arose in 1903 in America.)

From Dictionary.com

Midnight snack - biscuits

Sometimes, I get a craving and my tummy growls for more sustenance. But still trying to be healthy, here's hoping!

We had biscuit with a little butter and tomato, topped off with some freshly ground black pepper.

My tummy says thanks!

Nachos night

We used Dorito's (any flavor will do), Dorito's Salsa Mild and Shredded cheddar cheese then baked in the oven.

I should've added my jalapeno's!!