Bleeding Love for Jap

Went out one Saturday with my boy friends Karl and Ram to watch Battleship but before all the thrill in our red seats even begin, we grabbed some thrill for our palates! We went to Red Kimono for some contemporary Japanese food. Personally, Red Kimono is one of my favorite Jap restaurants here in Cebu together with Nonki.

Spicy Salmon Shots

This was their intoxicating shot that was supposed to be eaten in one big bite. Well, I ate it in 2 big ones cause they were too big. This is probably my favorite maki to date. It was just flavorful and the texture of the food was really good plus the hint of heat at every bite was perfect it was not overwhelming at all. Salmon Shots? A Must Try.

Crunchy Ebi Maki

I have always loved ebi maki and this one did not disappoint my love. They were indeed crunchy as they were rolled in Tempura flakes, very good! Good enough even without the maki sauce. 

Unagidon

Honestly, I did not try this one because I am not a fan of eel. But my friend enjoyed this and really finished the entire bowl. I was very impressed seeing him finish it and enjoy it, because in my mind-- I was already imagining wild things. Wild things like electric eel moving swiftly, gosh! I couldn't imagine eating them, thinking that they look like snakes when they were still happily living in the ocean. Ahhm,no thanks!haha But of course, I'm rational enough to know that it's not the electric eel they are serving.

Fillet of Cream Dory

This was my entree. The perfectly grilled fish was served with mashed potato and sauteed spinach. I loved the fish and the sauce but the spinach was a little too oily for me and the mashed potato could use a little salt. But all in all, the dish was light and a perfect dinner before watching a movie.

Bleeding Love for Afternoon Delights

A trip to Cebu to seek for a new apartment turned into a dessert trip! Well, not really a surprise whenever I'm with my sister Ganna.

We only blocked one day to look and reserve a new apartment and thankfully,we finished earlier than expected. So we had a spare time to relax. We went to Oh Georg! and got cozy,relaxed and happy while we waited for our trip back home.

Cafe Mocha with Bourbon Biscuits

Carrot and Walnut Cake. 

Moist and the frosting was not too sweet. I like how it did not taste too sinful but still gave that feeling of indulgence. :)

Chocolate Decadent Cake

Hmm. Not too decadent, wait, not decadent-at all! Did not like this dry chocolate cake without any texture.

Oreo Cheesecake

The flavor of this cake lived true to it's name and I really felt the cream cheese melt in my mouth although I felt that the flour was a little too much because it made the cheesecake softer thank how it should be. I loved the stickiness of the ganache on top,sometimes chewy but it made the dessert exciting.

Brownies and Cream Cheesecake

I have no issues with this cheesecake texture wise,the brownie pieces and the nuts were very well incoporated. Look at it, it's so lovely and clean! BUT---- The cake was well done technically but I guess brownies in a cheesecake is not really as satisfying as would berries and coulis added to a cheesecake be. It turned out like two delicious cakes decided to get married and caused the downfall of each other instead.

More indulgence that afternoon:

Marks and Spencer's Bourbon Biscuits. Soooo good!

Marks and Spencer's Caramel Bites

Oh Georg!'s Aglio Olio

Bleeding Love for my Happy Bonbons

Last year,during my semestral break, I went on a business venture where I sold cupcakes, cookies, cheesecakes and other pastry goodies. Until my classes resumed earlier than I expected and my supplies were left in the pantry and refrigerator untouched. 

Upon returning home for the Holy Week, I saw my supplies were still in good condition. Thus the decision to consume and utilize them before they expire or be left at the bottom of the fridge-forgotten. 

During the height of my business I purchased a lot, as in a serious quantity, of imported chocolates- white and dark.  My philosophy:Nothing can beat your chocolate cake if you use Belgian Chocolates. *wink wink*

Seeing I have a great amount of high quality white chocolates, I decided to make Bonbons. Last Christmas, I utilized my supply of dark chocolates by making Truffles. They were really scrumptious. This time, I'm going to experiment on making Happy Bonbons.

Being fascinated with alcohol and liquor, I added some substantial amount of whisky. I thought a whisky would go well for my first experiment on making a bonbon. 

So this one is like a Sinner BonBon already, filled with chocolate, nuts, whisky and other killer ingredients. Eating these would have to be in moderation.

I divided the entire bonbons into two and coated the first half with Dark Chocolate then the other half with White Chocolate.

Before the coating hardened completely, I finished them with different sprinkles.

 

My favorite Pink sprinkles!

 

My sister Ganna helped me and she decided to sprinkle some Red Vermicelli, Silver Sugar Crystals and  Snow Flakes.

Forgive me they don't look perfect and flawless, this is my first experiment and I am yet to take Pastry Arts II in the coming month.

However imperfect they look, they taste nonetheless too good! It was not too sweet and the texture of the bonbons in every bite were alternating- from the lovely crunch of the coating and you then experience how it melts slowly in your tongue and you then reach the soft and chewy center with specks of teeny tiny crunches from the nuts! Ahh, homemade goodies are really made with love.

My sister loves to call these Whites and Nuts Overload!

Cross section! 

Happy Bonbon's center! 

As I took a cross-section photo of the bonbons, it crossed my mind that I could substitute Easter Eggs with these Happy Bonbons. Well, being a traditional Filipino family we enjoy eating our Easter Brunch together more than the western's tradition of Easter Egg Hunting. Thus, serving this after devouring the lechon as dessert should be reasonable.

So I served them during Easter Sunday. :)

Bleeding Love for a Good Friday Getaway

One of the days I look forward to each year, along with Christmas and my birthday, is Lenten Season's Good Friday. Each year, during this certain Friday, our family goes on a road trip and our destination always has waters involved. This year, we decided to drive down south and head off to Kuting Reef, a not-so new resort but a lovely  and peaceful place to unwind and enjoy the feeling of being with my family. 

The trip begins with a riot early in the morning during breakfast and continues on who goes to bathe first. Then the funny part begins, when we squeeze in one car. We have a lot of rides readily available to use on a road trip, but where's the fun in that?  So we squeeze in dad's pick up and play some old songs to complete the trip. :) 

As everyone's getting ready, me and my sister Ganna saw the lovely sun shining down the heavy equipment.So we took the opportunity to capture the beauties around us.  I honestly can't imagine our home without the masculine trucks and the huge, as in really huge even bigger than me, tires. I mean, I grew up to an a very industrial environment so the sight of metals make me feel so at home. Weird? Nope, that's what you call, awesome.haha

Here I am, enjoying the beautiful morning with my dad's vintage Ray Ban Aviators circa 1980 which I accidentally found as I rummaged his old closet a few months back. I had these shades repaired so it took me months before I got to wear it. You just can't imagine the thrill I was feeling as I waited for this  baby to be perfectly fine. Feels so good to wear my favorite man's old stuff.

I used my sister's bronze necklace. I love this one, I asked for this but she loves it too much to let go of it! 

First stopover after an hour and a half of road trip was at a barbecue place where we enjoyed our coconut water! Thanks to my dad's influence , I grew up loving and appreciating fruits. Since it was holy week, I settled for everything vegetable and fish only. Alas, I did not try their grilled food if it was really good. Well during lunch, I think I actually enjoyed the coconut more than any other food served. 

After the long drive, we have finally reached Kuting Reef. Well, no, this is not an optical illusion, they really have a huge chess. For those who want to work them biceps while playing, here's for you. Or for those who want to play like kings of the medieval times, try this! 

I'm ready to soak in the sun with my Soak swimwear!

Some coolers before basking in the sun, Watermelon Shake and Banana Shake.

This is what I enjoyed most, the taking-in-of-the-beauty time. Ahhh, I could do this everyday. 

I enjoyed the beauty of the place, yes. But here's the person who made it more fun for me, my sister! Well, everyone actually. Me and my siblings had so much fun in our banana boat ride, what with all that bouncing and yelling. Man it was fun! Too bad we didn't have a clear shot though.

We stayed at the resort for just a very short time, because there are employees waiting for their paycheck. So after the swimming and the early dinner, we're off to the road again. I couldn't help but halt papa as we drove along this road. This lovely road which was just picture perfect! There's the green grass, the horizon, the mountains, the see and some cows in the background. I just said to myself that this is one place I shouldn't miss. Too glad my parents were so supportive, my dad stopped the car and my photo-addict mom took a photo of me.  

Here's me at Agas Agas bridge, the country's tallest bridge standing over 292 feet above the ground! Glad I chose the right wardrobe today, being we were still undecided whether we'd hit the beach when we left the house. The sheer top just made me comfortable the whole time. 

Having my usual soul searching time during lovely place encounters. 

After seeing this candid photo, I just thanked my sister for capturing this wonderful view--with me of course.

Siblings-shot! 

Bleeding Love for Excessive Drinking!

Oh yes, excessive drinking happened today! But a healthy drinking session it was.

Went to the kitchen to whip up something to ease the oh so humid Good Friday afternoon. And here are the fruits I picked from our fruit basket.

Melon, Banana, Mango, Apples, Avocado and Grapefruit.

I decided I'd make 3 drinks for my family today. 

1. Mango-Banana-Apple Smoothie
2. Fresh Grapefruit Juice
3. Avocado Milkshake

I would like to thank my sister for taking photos as I prepare our refreshments. (Check out her blog Gee Secrets. It's all about fashion,food and how she lives the good life.) 

First thing's first: Mise en place! 

Before you start touching the milk on the fridge or the ice on the freezer, make sure all your fruits are sliced and ready to be blended to avoid chaos and too much mess in the kitchen. 

When slicing mangoes to make a smoothie, utilize as much as you can even the meat that's on the seed. Plus, when scooping the meat, try doing it on top the blender so the juices won't be wasted. :)

Cut the avocado into half lengthwise and strike the seed in the middle with your chef's knife so you won't mash the whole avocado when you try to scoop the seed out.

Here, I prepared a garnish for the avocado milkshake. Notice the clean cut of the avocado slices, always keep in mind that good knife skills are essential when making garnishes as they will be the crown of whatever you're serving. I would like to thank Chef Hicham Merouane for the technique,by the way. :)

Cutting apples are best done right before blending/using them. However if you happen to cut it ahead of time, you can always rub it with acid to prevent oxidation.

Grapefruit, for me, is like a blood orange married to a pomelo. It looks like blood orange but tastes like pomelo. 

Ready to garnish! Now, assemblage!

Blending the 3 fruits- mango, banana and apple with ice and sugar. No need to add milk since this is a smoothie and so we can enjoy the delicious flavors of the fresh fruits.

Freshly Squeezed Grapefruit Juice, done!

The 3-Fruit Smoothie.

The Avocado Milkshake. My all-time favorite fruit shake!

I loved that the avocado flavor was not overpowered with the creaminess of the cream and the milk. Oh, the best way to chill on a humid day!