I had a really nice time with the Santos clan enjoying the company of the extended family on my mom's side. As usual we had a ridiculous spread of food for the 20-some guests, including both American traditional favorites and festive filipino dishes. Among the main course offerings: juicy turkey made by my sister, lovingly…
Category: Food and Drink
Giving Thanks in Cali
I'm in California with my parents and my sister Cori for Thanksgiving. Most of my time has been in Pleasanton in the San Francisco Bay Area at my mom's house. As usual, it's been all about cooking and eating over here, barely one meal finished while we are planning the next one. Then on Wednesday,…
What’s for dinner: chicken mole, collards, and acorn squash
I will be the first to admit that I am not a good cook. I don’t plan well, get frustrated by recipes with more than four ingredients, and don’t have the patience for dishes that take more than 30 minutes to prepare. That said, I nailed tonight’s dinner: chicken breast with coconut mole sauce (from…
“Stuff I’m Into” as organizational chart
I was playing around with the bubbl.us’s cool web chart creation tool and decided to map all the stuff I was "into." No wonder I’m so scattered at times. It’s a wonder that I can plan my day at all. Click on the image for a larger version.
A fusion Filipino feast at Kuma Inn
Last night I had one of those meals that remind you of what life is supposed to be about. My cousin Mel was in town for the weekend, so my sister Cori and I decided to take him to our favorite restaurant in the city, Kuma Inn. My buddy Rafi and Cori’s friend Jenny joined…
A decadent Manhattan morning: doughnuts, bahn mi, massage, haircut and a strong cuppa
I had a wonderful and indulgent summer morning doing some of my favorite stuff in lower Manhattan. I started out having breakfast at the Doughnut Plant on Grand Street. The featured flavors were fresh peach and hazelnut, so I had to try both of course. So amazing — full of flavor and just the right…
Diabetes-free! Someone get me a donut
This is what I had for breakfast today: the "supreme" pancakes with pork sausage from Tom’s Restaurant in Brooklyn. Delicious and decadent. I was splurging because I was half suspecting that I was going to get bad news from the doctor today about my health. I just got back home from my doctor who reviewed…
Rick’s Picks Phat Beets
My friends Rubymae and Arfer got me this cool jar of pickled beets while they were in the Catskills. Gotta love a product named "Rick’s Picks Phat Beets"! No idea if they are any good, but how could they be bad?
Awesome Balut tee-shirt
The lovely and talented Second Life clothing designer Shai Delacroix just dropped on me several awesome Filipino-themed tee-shirts in honor of Philippines Independence Day. This one is the best-est though because it says "HAD BALUT 4 BRKFST." For those that don’t know, Balut is a Filipino delicacy that most of the rest of the planet…
“Phoenix” chinese cookie containing preserved bean curd and crystallized pork!
My mom took me to a new Asian-themed mini-mall in the city of Pleasanton, CA, where I grew up. I was blown away with all of the cafes, restaurants, grocery stores, and boutiques featuring goods from Vietnam, Korea, China and Japan. I still remember when Pleasanton had one terrible Chinese restaurant that we ate at…