Cookbook Kitchen

I love birthdays.

I love the celebration that comes with it.

I love the happy laughter shared among friends.

And most especially the introduction of yummy eats.

So it was such a pleasure to be invited to my officemate and friend Maan’s birthday at Cookbook Kitchen.

I’ve never heard of it.  And it’s a long way from the office to just have lunch (Commonwealth to Shaw Blvd., Mandaluyong, whew! Faye and I had to munch on some butterscotch bars as we got held up in traffic. Yep, we were that hungry!)

But as we entered the quiet neighborhood and saw Cookbook Kitchen’s colorful facade, we both thought that it promised to be worth the travel and the wait.

We were not wrong.

Maan and friends took the liberty to order ahead for us. 

We had parmesan crusted fishfillet,  chicken pizzaoili, mustard chicken, an orange flavored fish and another cream based fish ( i don’t know what kind), and honey glazed spareribs.  

And as per Filipino custom, everything of course had to be shared….

 

To be tasted…

 

To be oggled…

 

And happily dug into! 🙂

 

For a quaint hole in the wall resto hidden in far Mandaluyong City, Cookbook Kitchen was truly a winner in my book!

Thanks Maan and Happy, Happy Birthday! 🙂

 

P.S. Just found out that the resto was started by a couple of bank executive foodies who have chosen to retire early to engage in their passion. Sigh!  Someday…someday…

Cupcake Chronicles

Butter cupcakes clad in pastel-colored blankets covering a tiny miniature of a baby.  Adorable, cute…

And only slightly edible.   

The baby shower cupcakes drew high praises only that eating it seem to evoke an uncanny image of tribal warriors engaged in ritual cannibalism. 😉

Blue Sneakers says she’s now in search for edible cupcakes. I’m one with her on that.

And so is the rest of the world from the looks of it.

New York style icon Carrie Bradshaw, daintily nibbling a vanilla cupcake in an episode of Sex and the City, seem to have started the cupcake craze.  Vanilla with lilac icing, rose icing, mint green on chocolate, all dusted with hundreds and thousands of candy specs, soon graced every style magazine, from Vogue to Nylon. 

 

The cupcakes are the creation of The Magnolia Bakery, a tiny, fifties-style space in New York that has now grown into some sort of an institution courtesy of SnC.  Talk about the power of the boobtube!  Now, a SnC Tour will not even be complete without a visit to this shop and a delectable bite from its many creations.

  

 

Such a find will ordinarily throw me in such a frenzy enough to pack up my bags for the next NY flight, but unlikely to make any travelling in the near future (or the next 10 years for that matter!), I am left with no option but to scrounge around the local offerings and, yes, to make my own.

 I used to sell apple pies and carrot cakes way back in college. ( A time when the only decent cafe offering coffee, cakes and pastries, was Cafe Elysee in SM City and SM Cubao.  Understandably, my apple pies and carrot cakes were a hit then. 🙂 )  It’s been a while though since I’ve last picked up my spatula and turned on my monstrosity of a mixer (110 voltz that it needs a transformer, geesh! ) that re-learning the ABC’s of baking took longer than I have expected. 

Anyways, I have chosen to make Orange Poppy Seed Cupcakes and the traditional Chocolate Cupcake.  Pretty ambitious for a first timer huh?  But, I thought, what the heck!  Better aim for the stars while I’m at it!

So, here’s the finished result.  Viola!

 

 

 

 

 I loved the way the cupcakes rose and seemed to overflow from the papercups.  I used a bigger papercup for the chocolate cupcakes (just because it was in red) and have to make a mental note to use the smaller size next time.  I would have loved for the tops to crack a bit just so it will have more character and texture.  But the frosting will not sit well if this were so I guess.

I skipped the frosting, by the way.  I was not sure if the usual Butter Icing or the Cream Cheese Icing (I usually used with the carrot cake) would be appropriate. 

As the smell of newly cooked cupcakes wafted through the air, Mr. P saunters by and immediately grabs an orange poppy seed cupcake.

Not bad he says.  

And then grabs another one, chocolate this time.

Hmmm, I may not have been able to reach the stars but, from the look on my husband’s face, at least I was able to lasso the moon! 🙂

In-yo: A Celebration of Good Food and Good Friends!

I have been blessed with good friends.

More than that, I have been blessed with good friends who love to eat! 

Even better, good friends who love to feed me!

This is truly a delight and one I would wish for any pregnant woman. =-)

Early on, during my first trimester, my friend Blue Sneakers would regularly invite me for dinner and allow me to give in to my cravings.  Apart from the regular pasta craving, I would occasionally seek for a good slice of steak, lamb or apple pie.  Blue Sneakers would always oblige and, next thing I know, we have already scoured and tried most of the restaurants in Trinoma!

Fast track to my third trimester and my appetite has somehow stabilized.  Nowadays, I just eat for nourishment or to just lift up my mood.

Enter Ibyang!  Ibyang has been a dear friend since college, a sassy lawyer who might as well be a food critique or events stylist in another lifetime!  I remember us driving all the way to Batangas just to sample their lomi served with links of kikiam or native sausage, or taking a nine (9) hour trip to Vigan to have a go at their bagnet or famous longganisa.  Never mind that each trip always involved a boytoy, the native food fare always made up for any romantic frustrations we may have received from their locals.  Eventually, age and the consequent power of the purse improved not only our taste in men but in food as well.  Ibyang has since gone around the world and almost always gives me a pasalubong…though not the customary ones.  Instead, vignettes of famous restaurants abroad wrapped in copies of their menu or food pics with a promise of a visit together in the future.  Once, I was even lucky to receive a pecan pie (the best I’ve ever tasted!), a box of which she snucked in her lugggage and stained most of her clothes! 

Ibyang excitedly calls me and tells me we have to go to this restaurant, a new find.  She has made the reservations and is picking me up – “Now na. As in.” 

“Now na?” Never mind that I’m almost eight (8) months pregnant and occasionally get contractions. As ever, I readied myself.  “K” for kaladkarin afterall has been my middle initial way back in college. 

And I’m glad I did not vacillate.

 

 

In-yo Fusion Cuisine is an oasis, a haven in traffic-gnarled Katipunan.  The aged wooden doors and wooden bridge, flanked on either side by a view of the koi pond underneath, was enough to tell me that I was truly in for a special treat. 

Inside, we were ushered to our seats.  I was surprised to see that at 11:30 a.m. two of the five tables were already filled.  No wonder reservations were required!  I was later told that there’s enough room at the second floor that could easily sit 10 more people but this also is usually already reserved.  The ambiance was simple but warm, reminiscent of the old houses of our lolos and lolas, filled with wooden antiques and other knick-knacks collected through the years.  I later learned that the restaurant was a converted portion of Chef Nino Laus’ grandmother’s house.  This was a cool tidbit to learn.  Only proves that a multi-million investment for interiors is not necessary to start a resto business.  At the end of it was the glass-cased kitchen, house to about five (5) chefs busily preparing the ordered meals.

And, boy, did they not disappoint us!

 

 

First on the menu was a plateful of Wasabi Fried Oyster.  My parents are both from Capiz, the Seafood Capital of the Philippines, and oysters, freshly catched, opened, and seasoned with vinegar, is one of its specialties.  I was definitely interested how this one will turn out.  Coated in a perfect crisp of batter infused with wasabi, it was truly a surprise!  Although I would prefer a little bit more kick of wasabi, the batter did not take away the sweetness from the oyster.   This, I feel, could be easily dipped into vinegar and would taste good as well, but I didn’t want to ruin the experience by asking for one.  Instead, the chefs have included a dollop of Japanese mayo on each oyster which gave the dish just the right amount of sweetness and, yes, that Japanese feel. Suffice to say that Ibyang and I easily finished all 6 fried oysters between the two of us and we could have easily asked for more!  

For our main fare, we both wanted to try their Grilled Salmon with Miso sauce.  In the end, I opted for the Shiraz Braised Lamb Shank so that we can sample each of them.

 

 

 

The salmon sat elegantly perched on a bed of mashed potato with dollops of miso sauce around the plate.  Ibyang and I oohhd and aahhd over this, we both didn’t want to disturb such a perfect plating!  We both wanted to take pictures of it but, of all days, I forgot to bring mine!  (Pictures here, by the way, were all taken from In-Yo @ClickTheCity.com Metro) 

The salmon was perfectly cooked – sweet and tender, obviously a fresh catch.  The sauce was sweet and thick but unmistakably had that miso flavor.  To me, this was the perfect light dinner.

  

 

Next is lamb shank in red wine sauce.  Mine was served differently from the picture above but nonetheless still a masterpiece.  Strips of lamb, with their bones in tact, were elegantly spread over a bed of mashed sweet potato (or was it camote?).  Done medium well, with no “lansa” at all, it was perfect even without the usual mint jelly. The only downside in this was that I wanted more!  Wished that the portion given me was a bit more meaty…=P

 

We had more than ample room for dessert.  And like most girls, we want ours sweet, delectable, with coffee on the side.

 

 

 I ordered chocolate lava cake (The name on the menu escapes me!).  The ones I’ve tried so far in restaurants around Manila tend to disappoint, with the cake inside rather dry.   This would either break or make it for me.  The chocolate cake was served in a rectangular plate combined with a shotglass of milkshake and tropical fruits sitting on a bed of sweet cream.  The idea was to have a slice of oozing molten chocolate cake together with the cold milkshake and walah!  A masterpiece!  The burst of flavors, the textures, in this dessert was unbelievable!  

Paired with a cup of Vietnamese brewed coffee (a no-no for pregnant women, by the way, but one I can’t resist.  Vietnamese? I have to try it!)  this was truly such a delightful experience!

And just when we thought that the experience was over, a plate of three (3) flavors of creme brulee was sent to our table courtesy of management!  Turns out, they noticed that Ibyang has been there twice, with people in tow to boot, that they wanted to show their appreciation. (I wonder if they will show me the same kind of appreciation once I come back. =P)

First, there was the classic creme brulee; second, the chocolate flavor; followed by the cappucino flavor.  All were made silky creamy smooth that cracking the glazed caramelized sugar was like opening a gift from Santa!

 

Oh, what bliss! 

To have been born

And taste this yummy goodness!

 

In the end, I cannot but help but shout to the high heavens a prayer of thanks…for good food and good friends!  Truly, truly, a remarkable experience!