Cay Cay

This is one of my favorite snack. It is a biscuit covered with peanuts and has a honey filling. Its been quite a while since i've enjoyed it's simple delight but as i found a baker that suites the taste i was looking for, i've always see to it that i have it at least once or twice a month.

Nowadays you can seldom see this in the market's cookie section and not many younger generation have discovered its tastefulness, its sad coz it's a truly Filipino delicacies & i believe it should be one of the center stage of the "pasalubong" center because it too embraces our culture as a Filipino but then again only a few can appreciate it or even know it exist. Sad sad sad. So i always see to it that every time we send some home treats to relatives abroad caycay is one of the treats that would remind them of home. My mom & her friends love it too.

There are different brands that still exist in some markets but the best so far and has truly continued the real taste and texture is that of Titays, i'm still trying out some other brands to check on its quality but none so far has passed my standards. But Even the Titays caycay is not easily accessible, though SM Cebu pasalubong center near the kids department has had constant supply of it. So for those of you who have not tried it, or has tried other brands and didn't seem to like it, try grabbing now today and enjoy the sweet, crisp,nutty flavor.

The Holidays: Home Cook Dishes

One of the greatest things I do apart from eating is cooking, especially cooking for love ones & friends. Cooking is like yoga class for me, it makes me relax, relieves all the days stress & reminds me that things are going to be much better when i'm full & someone would be happy after tasting the dishes i serve.

I do love to have a big kitchen with everything in it, but as of now i do have to contend with the smallest kitchen i have in the clinic. But no matter how small the place or where i cook as long as i can whip up some delicious dish i'm satisfied with it.

Here's what i prepared for christmas '09: a pan fried american ribs with home made sauce, spaghetti & Nigella's instant chocolate mousse mhy version. The christmas dinner for me, my hubby & Dr. Karen & oh! "george" the clinic dog.

The leche flan by the way was not made by me, i didn't have enough time so i just bought some from the nearest baker.

A simple dinner to celebrate another year of blessings & knowledge!

And by christmas dinner "Noche Buena" it was eating at midnight with a big bowl of spaghetti :)

For our new year we went home to Pigcawayan Cotababto to enjoy a little break away from work & replenish our energy from the fresh country air, fruits & more food trips.

We had a late christmas party or pre new year party we didn't know what to call it. But just plain old fun & gathering for the kids & the kids at heart with games, songs & crazy dance numbers which we came up not prepared.

The food was prepared with the contribution of everyone. I hope this would be the first of many parties like this or better to come yearly...

No good party will be complete without the Lechon!!!

For new year we had lechon paksiw from the party, budbud, red ribbon cake, fruits for the tradition or belief of luck completing 13 round fruits,kalamay hati, kuchinta, sisig from d left over lechon & i didn't passed out the opportunity of having an available oven and baked some 3kg ribs, it was surprisingly tender & delicious (not that i'm biased but i've been longing for such a taste & i finally got it).

Out of Africa dining

I'm not a food expert nor a chef but i'm a food lover, a mom & a wife so i guess that would qualify me to be a food explorer. This is just a beginning of a sort of a food diary that me & my hubby would be engaging as a new past time to share w/ friends & the world.

Location: Park Mall Cebu City, Philippines

My friends & i went out to find some new dining exerience, we end up in a place called OUT OF AFRICA. The waiter was very convincing that the dishes was one of a kind.They pride to serve dishes with african twist.

The ambience was nice and cozy with pretty lights for christmas. They had enough dishes to ponder on in their menu, i think they had stood up to their junglish theme. The prices were in the limits of a budget of people who would want to try food adventure that is all worthy. You'll sure to smile after there sumptuous meal.

Forgive me for not being on track with the names of the dishes, the next time i'll dine i should be taking down notes, my memory for dish names is not that reliable but for the taste i'm pretty sure it is.

While waiting they have a complementary african biscuit, (fried african flour w/ 3 dips). It was unusually flavorful plus it was free :)

This are the dishes we picked from there menu...

300g baby back ribs served with special rice

sizzling squid

This dish definitely caught my taste buds attention, i have not tried a sizzling squid that taste this good. It has a different sauce than the usual sizzlings i've tried it was cooked to perfect tenderness and the sauce its a little buttery with a sour twist.

A fish dish (forgive me I forgot the name) which :also tasted great.

We definitely enjoyed the new taste they offered and was so full and satisfied. :) But we didn't forget to take some of pics of the whole place.

Enjoying the delicious meal, exquisite friendship! And the picturesque ambience...

with some of the details in the resto...

crazy friends are the best to go out with, they add flavor to a good meal!

Crazy... hrr!!!

We enjoyed all the details of this night out! Guess we would be back to try out the other dishes in the menu. See you!

I'm still a newby in all this documentation stuff, photography is still a bit in a starter stage but hopefully it would be improving in the days to come...