 | LET ME EAT CAKE | Aug 29, 2007 |
"Dance as if no one were watching. Sing as if no one were listening. And live each day as if it were your last." To this famous saying I've always wanted to add... "Savor that slice of chocolate cake without a care in the world!" |  | The past 2 weeks have been difficult for me, since I've been feeling sluggish and extremely sleepy all the time! Sigh. So, the minute I started to feel a little better, I decided to experiment and test a few recipes from one of my favorite chefs, Ina Garten, a.k.a. The Barefoot Contessa. Baking, or simply being in the kitchen, has never failed to lift my spirits.
I made 2 cakes in 2 days. I first tried Garten's Lemon Yogurt Cake (Barefoot Contessa at Home Cookbook), which I found to be tart enough but dry in the areas where the syrup didn't seep into. Since this recipe uses vegetable oil, I also found it on the bland side. Hubby liked it though, and helped himself to two huge slices last night.
This morning, with Obama's historical nomination acceptance speech as my background music, I whipped up Garten's Lemon Cake from her "Barefoot Contessa Parties" book. Mamma Mia, this is more like it! I loved loved loved it! It is tarty, oh-so-lemony, and buttery at the same time. The recipe calls for lemon juice to be mixed into the batter, aside from the lemon syrup glaze that is drizzled on the cake while it's still warm, and then it is topped off with a lemon/powdered sugar glaze concoction. That's 3 layers of lemon flavoring right there. This is the epitome of a lemon cake.
I'm feeling much, much better now. Can't wait to share this with friends who are coming over tomorrow morning! |
| | This class is every chocoholics dream: "Artisan Chocolates". We created, produced and ATE chocolates 8 hours everyday, for five days! My brother, Boom, who is a chocolate lover (he can eat it for breakfast), arrived just in time from Boston to help me devour all these chocolates. I felt as if I was fulfilling my childhood fantasy of being in a chocolate factory (influenced by the Will Wonka movie!) |
| | Digging up these pictures has brought back vivid memories of the various flavors, aromas and textures we experimented with in my Individual Pastries class. It has also stimulated my appetite. I can almost taste the chocolate glaze, buttercream frosting, lemon curd, soft ganache, custards...
I'm going to dig up the recipes for the Chocolate Bombes and the Choco-Caramel Tarts right now. My goodness, talk about heaven on earth!
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| | With the blessing of hubby, and after weeks of vacillating, I've finally decided to go ahead with my plans of going to New York. Since I had already canceled my previous booking, my travel agent found herself scrambling to get me on yet another flight. After just 2 days, my ever-dependable travel agent (God bless her soul) was able to work her magic and has just confirmed my flight. Yippee!
I love New York for various reasons, but the one thing that appeals to me the most is that it is a mere 2-hour train ride away from the CIA. A whole lot of happy memories, mostly food related, have been generated here.
Perhaps I can squeeze in a class? :) Hmmm....
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  The rainy weather these past few days has made me feel extremely nostalgic and has triggered a yearning for comfort food- gooey lasagna, thick hot chocolate with pan-fried suman drizzled with lots of butter, and Butter Cake. Of all the cakes I've baked in my life, this (with the exception of a moist Chocolate Cake) is the one I keep going back to. I've baked this on a whim when the craving attacks, at 2AM while battling insomnia, on a weekend in time for Sunday lunch, on a school day to share with my study group, and yes... while sobbing over a romance gone awry (in my 20s)! I'm a purist when it comes to my Butter Cake. This recipe is so good, it is best served and devoured just as it is- no caramel or chocolate sauce, ice cream, strawberry puree or whipped cream needed! Yummmmm-y Butter Cake
9 eggyolks (use large eggs) 2 cups butter, softened (Queensland or Anchor) 1 cup sugar 3 1/4 cups cake flour 4 teaspoons baking powder 4 Tablespoons evaporated milk 2 teaspoons vanilla 9 eggwhites 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar 1 1/4 cups sugar - Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 9" x 13" baking pan with wax paper.
- Beat EGGYOLKS until lemon color.
- In a big bowl, cream the BUTTER for 5 minutes . Mix in 1 cup SUGAR and the well-beaten eggyolks slowly.
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine the CAKE FLOUR and BAKING POWDER. Mix.
- Cut and fold in dry ingredients into the butter mixture. Alternate adding this with the MILK and the VANILLA.
- In another bowl, beat EGGWHITES and CREAM OF TARTAR on medium speed of mixer. Gradually add the 1 1/4 cups SUGAR, and beat until stiff peaks form.
- Using a whisk, fold in the beaten eggwhites into the butter mixture.
- Pour into the pan and bake for approximately 50 minutes. Cool completely in pan before serving.
Enjoy!
  "Interaction" by Pam Yan-Santos. More often than not, my Saturdays are quite predictable. Hubby leaves at the ungodly hour of 5:30 to play golf, while I sleep in until about 9. Mornings are usually spent having brunch with friends or in the gym. Afternoons are spent with mom, running errands, hitting the mall, or simply making kwento with my amusing parents over merienda. All this predictability flew out the window with last Saturday's "Art in the Park". Instead of golf, hubby had a meeting that morning. I, on the other hand, volunteered to be at the park by 6:30AM to help my fellow Museum Foundation organizers set-up. By 8AM, I had joined other art aficionados on a treasure hunt. The variety of goods this year was fantastic. I was too busy and amazed by all the interesting, unique and fascinating pieces that I didn't get to take a single photo. Good thing my friend, Rica de Jesus, dropped by and took fabulous shots! Check out her photos: http://heart-2-heart-online.com/2008/06/29/art-in-the-park-2/ These are the treasures that I found.   "Pagong" by Mark Justiniani  
Still looking for something to do this Saturday?
Drop by the park in Salcedo Village, Makati, and check out the ART FAIR! Whether you just want to look around and appreciate Filipino talent or are on a quest for that stunning piece to put on that wall that has been blank for ages, this is the event for you.
Brought to you by The Museum Foundation of the Philippines, this art fair creates an exciting atmosphere for first-time buyers and experienced collectors to purchase original contemporary art by up-coming as well as established artists.
This year, Art in the Park will extend until evening but only after transforming into six interactive art spaces. Art After Dark will have an equally impressive line-up of artists and art groups showcasing one-of-a-kind pieces. To set the mood, we will have jazz music from Vince Lahorra. Terry's Selection will be offering their delicious paella, a jamon serrano carving station, as well as various paninis, cheeses and sangria!
See you all on Saturday, June 28.
| | "The Witchkins" launch last April 27 in Fully Booked Serendra was the perfect culmination to a month filled with activities. With the help of the kids, I did a demonstration on the yummy Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies.
Thanks so much to my brother-in-law (and favorite photographer), Pancho, for documenting the event.
Happy Cooking and Baking everyone! |
 Steaming cauldrons, delicious concoctions, and wonderful creations. Welcome to the world of cooking as seen by three sassy little girls- Carmela, Anna M and Katrina, together with Katrina's brother, Sir Nigel. I'm beaming with excitement as I invite you and your kids to the launch of my book, The Witchkins Cookbook.
April 13: Powerbooks Greenbelt, 3PM
April 19: Hooked on Books (Quezon City), 3PM
April 20: Powerbooks Alabang Town Center, 3PM
April 27: Fully Booked Serendra, 3PM
Goodies await those who attend! Come and join in on the fun!
See you then! :)
Mel  More often than not, my days are usually very predictable. The first thing I do is check my computer for that day's schedule and make a list of everything that has to be done. Today's list included calling the air con cleaners, writing Emily a long overdue update, lunch with a friend, workout, going to the grocery to buy ingredients for tomorrow's "creative chefs" class, following up our architect on the attic, and finding a new cleaning lady. It's 10:30PM, and as I look back on today's events, I realized that the only thing I accomplished was my workout! (Priorities! haha). I got a text this morning from my publisher and Cat Lopez-Uy of "A Different Bookstore" saying that my cookbook is already in the stores! I could hardly believe it. I ditched my entire schedule as I had to see this for myself. Having a book published was unbelievable enough, but to have your very own book on the shelves of a bookstore was downright surreal, beyond what I ever dared to dream. Check it out! As of this week, the WITCHKINS can be found in A Different Bookstore (outlets in Serendra/Podium/V-Mall/Glorietta 3/Eastwood), Powerbooks (Greenbelt/Alabang Town Center and Glorietta), Hooked on Books (in Quezon City), as well as in Marta's Cakes (Marta Matute's cafe for kids in Serendra). Soon we'll be out in more stores...such as Fully Booked, Orange Juice, and Polo Club, to name a few! | | Here's a sneak peak at pages inside The Witchkins Cookbook.
To make our kids' lives easier, I decided to segment the chapters of the book according to the momentous occasions in their lives, such as Mom and Dad's birthday, Sleepover with friends, Christmas morning, to name a few. This way, they have a clear idea as to what dishes they can whip up for these occasions. Check it out!
The Witchkins should be out in bookstores (Powerbooks, A Different Bookstore, Fully Booked, National) within the next few weeks. For those who cannot wait, you can order from me (0917-5369614) or from Gem Manosa, my publisher (0920 920-0953). Retail price is Php999, but if you order from us directly, you can avail of a 10% discount.
Let me know! THANKS! |
Link We almost didn't make it to Vietnam. I'm guilty of driving my travel agent crazy with indecisiveness. When the flights and hotels were booked for Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh, Toddy and I decided to scrap the Vietnam plan and go to Beijing instead! For some reason, hubby decided to check the weather in Beijing and realized that he and I would freeze while sight- seeing. The next day, I was back on the phone with Zeny Chua, our ever patient and reliable travel agent, begging her to work her magic and find flights for us! Sensing the desperation in my voice, all plans were ironed out and we were off to Hanoi for 2 days and 3 days in Ho Chi Minh (Saigon). Hanoi, being an old city, was extremely charming with its French colonial architecture and beautiful lakes in the heart of the city. For the ultimate old world/colonial experience, one must stay at the Sofitel Metropole Hotel. Unfortunately, we didn't get to stay here as it was fully booked (we stayed at the Nikko Hotel) so we did the next best thing- had a meal here (haha) and hung out drinking Vietnamese coffee (with condensed milk!), imbibing that 'old world' feel and imagining the French lifestyle in Hanoi. Aside from exploring the old French Quarter/the Temple of Literature/Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum/the Presidential Palace grounds and St. Joseph's Cathedral,one of the highlights of the trip was entering each and every art gallery on Trang Tien Street! The Vietnamese have beautiful art, but beware, they also have a lot of horrific fake ones, i.e. reproductions of Van Goghs/Monets/Boteros, etc. Horrendous. No visit to Saigon is complete without a tour of the Cu Chi tunnels. This is a must-see, and my photos don't do justice to the place. One can't help but sensing extreme patriotism in the Vietnamese, manifested in their war tactics against both the French and the Americans. Enjoy the photos! | | Believe it or not, the most enthusiastic and eager to learn students these past 4 years have been boys! Oh, they can become quite rambunctious, but they never cease to endear themselves to me because of their sheer passion for cooking, baking, and most importantly, for devouring the food! :)
Thus, "Sir Nigel" was created as the culinary genius/older brother of Katrina in the "Witchkins". Typical of an older brother, we find him getting annoyed at the antics of his younger sister and her friends. He loves to cook and shows-off his skills whenever the opportunity arises.
Watch out for him! :)
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| | AnnaM, Katrina, Carmela and Sir Nigel are the main characters of my cookbook, "The Witchkins". This is an all-occasion cookbook for kids, with the recipes grouped according to the significant moments in their lives, such as a Playdate, a Sleepover, Summertime, Christmas Day,Birthday, etc.
After 2 long years of working on this with my publisher, Gem Manosa, and a fantastic creative team (my friend Dino Jalandoni, Mela Advincula), I can hardly believe that it is finally finished in its entirety. The characters became my imaginary children. Needless to say, I have started to feel the beginnings of an "empty nest".
The recipes in this book have all been tested repeatedly by the kids in my classes at the Rockwell Club, Creative Chefs in Alabang, and at the Beacon School. They were the ones who gave me the invaluable feedback I so badly needed. I couldn't have done this without them!
Wanting to make the book as kid-friendly as possible, each of the 30+ dishes featured within has a photo, styled by yours truly, and some even have step-by-step photo instructions. We had a grueling 3-day shoot with Kathy Chua of Adphoto, but as you will see from the food shots, the effort was well worth it. The photos all look extremely appetizing and downright delicious.
We will be launching this next month! The Witchkins can be found in Powerbooks, A Different Bookstore, Hooked on Books, Fully Booked as well as Marta's Cakes. National Bookstore will be carrying it sometime this week.
Many thanks!
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 | Guestbook | |
 | Please come your invited!  |
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 | Hi Mel! Thanks for visiting. Take care of yourself and your baby! |
 | Dont forget: September 13, 9am-12nn. thank you! >:D< |
 | ..just passing by to say thanks.You have such powerful collections of paintings.
Regards,
Jon Jaylo |
| Mel!
Thanks for supporting the local arts! hope to meet you soon.
Vincent Padilla |
 | Mel!!
Post more photos of the book launch!! Can't wait to hear all about it :)
And do you have details of your visit? Can't wait for our reunion here too!! ;) As long as you're back in Manila by July 25th, okay?!
THAAANKSS for being soo amazing -- you've definitely helped me calm down! Looks like we can pull this through ...
take care, lea |
 | Mel! Great to see you here! Cant wait to get copies of your book! It looks Fab and surely to be a winner-- 3 CHEERS FOR YOU!! |
 | WOW fartner it has finally materialized!!!!! I am so proud of you!!!! Que bien guapa!!!! |
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