the canDIshhh tales

Having been introduced to the products of Contadina, I must say that it has made my cooking a LOT easier.  I really like how Contadina pastas are easy to make, their sauces are very good too!  I so love the flavor and aroma of the Contadina Olive Oils. So when I was invited to so a supermarket run, I didn't pass up the chance.  I am not one to plan a meal - unless, I have this bugging idea in my head for a long time.  More often than not, I just wing it.  I look at my fridge and pantry, and then think what I can do with those ingredients.  I start from there.  I don't usually follow a recipe to a T, unless it's really something I want to try for the first time.  So while on the supermarket run, I picked up the Contadina products that I thought would help me cook an easy yet very tasty dish.  As much as I wanted to research on what to prepare, I thought to myself - well, that's really not my style.  Hahahaha!! After picking up ...

Last year, I attempted to cook this.  You know, without looking at any recipe?  I had a feeling it was fairly easy.  I usually just wing it (yabang!).  But when I did - it was an epic fail.  Hahahaha!! After that failed attempt, I often wondered how it was made without the salted egg yolk being runny. Then I saw a video somewhere.  I realized that it failed because I used REAL Salted egg yolk and egg white - TOGETHER.  Major major fail.  You DON'T need to use real salted egg.  What you need is just the egg yolk and salt it. I tried making it the other night and it was a success. Well, sort of - I mean, my Panget said he wanted it a little more salty. Didi's Salted Egg Yolk Chicken: (I apologize but I don't have the exact measurement, as I said - I just wing it.  Hahaha!!) Chicken Thigh Fillets (cut into bite sizepieces) Rice Wine Sugar Salt Pepper 1 Egg Potato Starch (this makes the chicken more crispy when fried) ...

Obviously, I like to eat.  So when I see food pics on my IG that interests me - I get curious.  This is what happened when I saw Michelle of MyMomFriday' s IG post on Garlic and Lemon.  It got me so curious that I ordered.  Karen is such a pleasant person to text with - she suggests and is very candid.  A few days after placing my order, the goods arrived and here they are!! The picture above is the Wonton. It was frozen when it was delivered and I suggest you place it in the freezer immediately too!! Just be careful in thawing because when I thawed mine before cooking, the skin was sticky and was falling off the wonton ball.  But nevertheless - it tasted good.  Below is a my version of a wonton noodle soup. The wonton was good enough.  I wish though, there would be more shrimp - since I knew that when one says wonton - it should be made of shrimp with a little meat.  I guess here in Manila, it's the opposite!  Hahaha....

Auntie Cata is one of my mom's BFFs and she cooks very well.  I still super remember her Java rice and her salmon dish as if I just ate it yesterday,even if it was years ago that I had them! I confess that there were a few instances that I instigated an invitation to have lunch with them (at their home) because I really loved her cooking.  (I don't think she will remember this!  Hahaha!) Through the years, she would send us food which we welcomed with open arms.  Who would say no to good food right?  Then last week, when I came back from my Hong Kong trip - a pack of frozen Vietnamese Spring Rolls welcomed me! My mom volunteered to cook it for us one lunch.  I knew it was going to be good since it came from Auntie Cata!  Auntie Cata is one who wouldn't scrimp on ingredients.  That is her trademark actually - that she will use only the finest ingredients to everything that she will make.  That's what I like about her cooking to b...

I am not a Power Plant Mall kind of a gal.  I find the mall quite boring to be honest, the only thing that I look forward to are the Baker's Dozen fair and the bazaars at the Rockwell Tent.  One of the reasons why I go to PP Mall is because the mall is fairly clean - I can bring the kids there to play and not worry about the mall's toilets being dirty.  I love that their toilets are really clean and lovely to look at. So yesterday, on the way to PP Mall, I was already thinking of a place to eat.  It has been Shi Lin for the past few visits and I wasn't up to having XLB.  Good thing while walking towards True Value, I saw Wooden Spoon open!  We got there at 11AM so the place wasn't as full - but since we had to go to True Value first, I decided to leave my name so that when we get back, we would be prioritized. We went back a little before 12nn and the place was packed!  We had to wait about 20 minutes to get a table.  Server Errol apologized o...

I confess, I am obsessed with perfecting a recipe.  This is my third try, and wonderfully enough - I finally got it right.  I tweaked the recipe a bit and I am very happy on the outcome.  I used a whole chicken with bones intact (supermarket bought) and the flavors were just right - the right amount of saltiness and the flavor of lemongrass. Here's my tweaked recipe: Tweaked IBERIAN CHICKEN Recipe 1 pc. whole chicken (with bones intact) 2-1/2 tbsp. whole fresh peppercorn, ground 12 heads garlic, peeled and pounded (you can lessen or add depending on your taste) 1-1/2 tbsp. rock salt 10-12 pcs. Calamansi (strain to take out the seeds) 5 white stems of lemon grass 1 pc. chicken cube dissolved in 1 cup boiled water  3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 10 pieces Baby Potatoes cut into halves (you can opt not to cut them) 1.) Mix the calamansi juice, rock salt and freshly grounded peppercorn 2)  Rub the mixture all over the chicken, make sure to rub ...

A cousin of mine asked me 'What makes chicken, Iberian?' Oo nga, what makes chicken - Iberian?  I honestly had no idea! It was YEARS ago, that I got introduced to this Iberian Chicken dish.  I remember it as if it was yesterday, we had dinner in Casa Armas along Jupiter - I honestly forgot the occassion, but I remember having their Iberian Chicken.  And since then, whenever we dined in Casa Armas, or any Spanish resto for that matter - I always look for and order, Iberian Chicken. For the past month, I have been craving for this.  I called various restaurants only to find out that there's a minimum order.  And a minimum order meant it was good for at least 10!  Wahahaha...  So there, I google-d it.  I found (would you believe) only a handful of recipes? So, tada!! I followed THIS recipe but modified it a bit: IBERIAN CHICKEN 1 pc. whole chicken (1.5 kilo) deboned 2 tbsp. whole fresh peppercorn, ground 12 heads garlic, peeled ...