Celebrating Mom's 64th

It's Friday the 13th today, but today is a lucky or should I say a blessed day for us because our beloved mother is celebrating her 64th birthday. Woot woot!!!



When September came, sister and I started thinking of ideas how to celebrate mom's birthday. At first, we wanted to throw her a princessy-children's party complete with tiaras and balloons, but last Monday mom told us that she will be hosting a prayer meeting last night (Thursday) that made sister and I scrap the tiaras and balloons and just go with the food instead.

This was a surprise, so we couldn't plan of cooking anything. Instead, we opted to buy the food we planned to serve.


Pansit Luglug - Max's Restaurant
Children's party often serves spaghetti, but because mom will be serving spaghetti at the prayer meeting, we decided to go for this. It's just the three of us, so taking the other food into consideration and the fact that there's just the three of us, I just bought the a la carte serving.

It was past 6pm last night when we arrived at the SM Fairview branch of Max's Restaurant, and I was surprised when the menu indicated that this food is only available from 2 - 6pm. I made an "Awww..." expression and the cashier quickly phoned in the kitchen to ask if they could accommodate my order. The cashier flashed a sweet smile to say I can still order the Pansit Luglug.

I didn't even tell them it's for my mom's birthday, but this very sweet gesture truly made our celebration complete. Thank you!


Lumpiang Shanghai - Max's Restaurant
Growing up, Lumpiang Shanghai is always part of the birthday party table, and since we already purchased the pansit there, we didn't look for any other restaurant.


Fried Chicken - McDonald's
At first we were thinking of trying out the fried chicken at Angel's Pizza, but we didn't have the luxury of time (I had to leave mom last night while she was preparing for the prayer meeting and we had to be home by 8pm so I could cook the spaghetti for her guests), so while waiting for our order at Max's Restaurant, we went to buy the cake and made a side trip to McDonald's to buy the chicken. Personally, I love KFC Hot and Crispy, but us three girls love Chicken McDo, so choosing where to buy the chicken wasn't difficult at all.


Mocha Crunch Cake - Tous les Jours
At first I suggested we go ahead and buy the cake at Max's, too, but honestly, we have already tasted their big cakes (the rolls we haven't yet... but, we figured mom's birthday is more special than a cake roll, with all due respect to ever humble cake roll), and sister's not so keen on buying a cake at either Red Ribbon or Goldilocks, so we walked all the way through Tous les Jours (at the other end of the mall) to buy the cake.

At first we wanted to buy cupcakes, but inquiring at Felicity, we found out they require at least three weeks prior to the event. We love cupcakes, but we don't know much about places where to order customized cupcakes (Felicity is the only one we know of), so we went to the next best thing - pre-made cakes. We wanted to buy the strawberry cake, but the Tous les Jours branch in SM Fairview didn't have a wide selection, so we just chose among the available cakes. I really wanted the Chocolate Powder Cake, but mom's tummy usually reacts bad to chocolate cakes and ice cream, so in the end we chose the mocha cake.

This was the first time we bought something at Tous les Jours, and we just loved their service! Their staff were all friendly - they even wrote our message on the cake - and I loved how they packaged the cake. The box was very sturdy and it even came with free plastic cake knife and a pack of candles (5 pieces). Best of all, the cake tasted so so so good! True to what the staff said, it wasn't overly sweet and the glaze at the top as well as the crushed barquillos around the cake provided a different twist to the usual mocha cake. We are definitely buying there again!

- * - * - * -

In a way, we were thankful the prayer meeting took place last night (they usually have prayer meetings every Wednesday), because mom was busy chit-chatting with her friends that she didn't notice or she didn't pry into to the paper bags anymore. The meeting ended half past 11pm, so the timing was just right for us to pull our surprise as soon as midnight came. Mom wasn't the emotional type of person, but we knew she was surprised. When we had our picture together, there was a little sadness because for sure she was missing our brother who is now in Cagayan de Oro, but she lightened up when I handed her the card brother and her fiancée sent earlier this week.

Happy, happy birthday momskie! We may not be the best children, but do know your imperfect children loves you to the moon and back. :)

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Max's Grand Inaanak Fun Day at the SMX Convention Center

Here in the Philippines, a child's baptism or dedication calls for a celebration. Some parents opt to host a reception at home following the actual church ceremony, but for some, they take away the hassle of cooking food (and cleaning up after the party) by arranging a celebration at their choice of restaurant or fast food chain. When it comes to celebrating life moments, baptism included, one of the top choice would be Max's Restaurant.

My parents also had a life moment celebrated the Max's Restaurant way, during their silver wedding anniversary. My late father chose this restaurant because it fit their budget, the food served are classic Filipino dishes that everybody loves, and the cake from their bakeshop (Max's Corner Bakery) just had the right sweetness. With so many celebrations held at Max's Restaurant, I think most (if not all) share the same sentiments as my late father.

Baptism reception has got to be one of the biggest reason for celebrations at Max's Restaurant, that this year they held a Grand Inaanak Day, which was held at the SMX Convention Center near SM Mall of Asia.


Inaanak is a Filipino term meaning "godchild." Each child has a set of godparents - Ninong (godfather) and Ninang (godmother), and once parents set an arrangement at any Max's Restaurant branch for a baptism reception, the child automatically has Ninong Max as one of their godfathers. We all know the godparents serve as the child's parent-figure, but it is also a custom for godparents to give gifts to the child every Christmastime and during the child's birthday. "Ninong Max," the official godfather of every child who celebrated their baptism at any Max's Restaurant knows this, and each of these lovely kids will get to receive a gift twice a year, every year... until they turn seven years old. Not only that, the family also receives yummy Max's Corner Bakery treats every time the family spends at least 200 pesos at any branch, and they are also given 15% VIP discount should they arrange a reception for the child's 1st and/or 7th birthday.


At the event, there were several areas for the kids to play at (this picture was "empty" because most of the kids were watching a film showing)...


... and after the Film Showing, the kids (as well as their parents) were treated to a musical play by the Trumpets. There was also a story telling activity by My Masterpiece, as well as games and surprises.


One of the areas that attracted the kids was the coloring station. Each kid was given an outlined drawing and a set of crayons to play with. It allowed the children to explore their creative and imaginative side, with their parents by their side guiding them.


My favorite part has got to be this wall of pictures and artwork. These aren't just images... but a showcase of love. This event has truly created a unique and memorable moment that binds families together.

If you want your child to be one of Ninong Max's inaanaks... or if you want to know more about celebrating your life moments at Max's Restaurant, please check their website - www.maxschicken.com

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Chef Vicky-Rose Pacheco of 1771 Group of Companies at The Maya Kitchen

This year, The Maya Kitchen is celebrating its 50th Anniversary, and every month there is a featured class. For the month of August, it was Chef Vicky-Rose Pacheco of the 1771 Group of Companies who shared not just recipes, but also different stories about the dishes and tips about cooking and baking.



I missed a few of the featured classes the past months, but was happy to finally go back to The Maya Kitchen and learn more cooking lessons. As usual, it was a very informal type of class - attendees can always ask questions if they want to, but because Chef Vicky-Rose and her assistant provided a very thorough step by step guide into cooking the dishes, there wasn't much questions to ask.

Lessons I've learned:

• No two ovens are the same.
• Always invest in good ingredients. No matter how you follow a recipe to a T, if you didn't use good, fresh ingredients, the dish won't come out as good as you want it to be.
• Recipes in cookbooks and other media are kitchen tested... it's best you learn how to follow the basics first before you improvise or substitute. After trying out the recipe as is, then you can substitute to suit your own preference.
• If you can't cook with your favorite celebrity chefs, might as well cook dishes they developed.
• The key is simmering. 

For the "No Borders Cuisine" class, Chef Vicky-Rose shared five dishes... each served at the different restaurants part of the 1771 Group of Companies.

Salbacho Pizza
An original recipe by Chef Vicky-Rose Pacheco, served at Sidebar

Salbacho stands for Salami, Bacon, and Chorizo. The creation of this dish came from different origins - first, tasting the chorizo a friend gave to their family, and the other, learning the Pistou recipe by Julia Child. The cold cuts used does provide a distinct salty taste, but the Pistou used as well as the Napolitaine Sauce (the base tomato sauce of the1771 Group of Companies) cuts the saltiness, and the fresh basil leaves sprinkled just before serving the pizza made it one of the best thin crust pizzas I have tried.


Fresh Smoked Fish Spring Rolls
An original Sentro 1771 recipe by Chef Vicky-Rose Pacheco

A fusion of Vietnamese and Filipino cuisines. The secret to this spring rolls recipe was the Smoked Milkfish and the right amount of tomatoes, red onions, and salted egg, because a little or more than enough of one could break the dish. Tasting the pizza, I thought it would be my favorite, but this turned out to be my favorite dish for that day, and it was something I would definitely recreate at home.


Lemon Chicken
An original Chateau 1771 recipe by Chef Vicky-Rose Pacheco

This dish was born out of necessity, when Chef Vicky-Rose wanted to serve a dish that has a Filipino flavor using a little bit of the French's techniques. This recipe used chicken thigh and tasted a little bit like adobo (mildly flavored adobo that is), with the lime juice as its focal flavor.


Lacquered Salmon
An original Cafe 1771 recipe by Vicky-Rose Pacheco

Often we hear about "mashed potatoes," but this served on a bed of "smashed potatoes" was a great compliment to the fish. At first I thought it was weird to use a sauce (or a lacquer) made up of mirin, red wine, muscovado sugar, and ginger juice... but it did work well together!


Bread & Butter Pudding
A dish inspired by Chef Anton Mosimann, served at Cafe 1771

This was the dessert, but was actually the first dish cooked because of its baking time. There are so many ways of cooking bread pudding, but the generous use of butter as well as vanilla pods (as opposed to vanilla extract) made this tastier. The play of textures in the mouth are good - firm, full bodied bread contradicting the soft milk and cream mixture, but the best part has got to be the toasted bread at the sides.

Each of the dishes can be recreated at home, and given the time, I might just try it and serve it. Maybe on mom's birthday or Christmas perhaps.

There are still four months left this year... four more featured classed at The Maya Kitchen. Hopefully next time you can come join us. Stay tuned for the next featured class.

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Monday Foodstagram IV

Fish and Coleslaw
I love breaded cream dory fish, but we didn't have any French Fries, so I just asked sister to prepare coleslaw to go with the fish. Not totally healthy, but at least there were vegetables. :)

Jolly Spaghetti and Chickenjoy Meal
Being stuck at home for three days because of the rains, having a little break from monitoring the rainfall and problems it might cause, Mom, sis, and I went to watch "Extra (The Bit Player)" at the cinema and for our late lunch/snacks, we decided to just eat at Jollibee. These aren't my ultimate favorites at Jollibee, but whenever we eat there, I always choose this meal.

Greenwich Pizza Thins
I met with Jonel of NomNomClub to claim my prize and aside from handing me my new phone, he also treated me to the newest pizza offering at Greenwich - the Pizza Thins. Personally, I am not a fan of thin crust pizza, but comparing this to the old Greenwich Pizza, this dough was more flavorful.


Kebabers Fish Meal
I already posted the food trip a few days ago, but this picture... though not a little bit out of focus, was the very first image I took using the camera of my new phone. It took a little while adjusting to it, but as of this writing, I can say I already am used to its settings.

Breakfast at the Alta Veranda
I was supposed to welcome the morning in Boracay with mom, but she decided to sleep with sister at a different resort, so it was just I who ate breakfast at the Alta Vista de Boracay. My accommodation included buffet breakfast, and this was my choice of meal... though I also ate some fruits and sipped a bowl of veggie soup.

Burgerella Burger
After taking a dip into the famous White Beach of Boracay, sister said she wanted to eat burgers for lunch. The very first burger joint we saw was the Bite Club Grilled Burgers, and I went for the Burgerella with Creamy Cheese Sauce and Smoked Bacon.


Golden Cowrie
Mom wanted to eat seafood - either shrimps or crabs. For dinner, we walked along the shores of Boracay to look for a place to eat at and this place caught my mom's attention. Dinner was surprisingly great!

Pasta Bowls
For our last meal in Boracay, we ate at Lemon iCafe, and sister and I used our Enjoy Philippines card plus the voucher for this establishment, which allowed us to buy two main course for the price of one. After careful planning, my sister went to choose two high priced dishes while I chose two pasta dishes.

Feeling Ilonggo
My very late lunch/snacks for that day - Lucky Me La Paz Batchoy instant noodles and a few pieces of Biscocho, which we bought at the Kalibo Airport while waiting for our flight back to Manila.


Hetty!
Another Jollibee food trip for mom and I, and while eating my meal, I got to see Hetty the mascot. She is my favorite mascot growing up, but when Jollibee introduced Twirlie, I don't get to see Hetty that much anymore so this moment was a memorable one for me, as if I was zapped back in time.

Bangus
I always let mom buy bangus because she seems to know how to get the fish with fatty bellies. I love bangus belly, so when I cut the fish before cooking it, I got so ecstatic. Belly heaven!

No Borders Cuisine Demo
Last Saturday, sister and I attended the No Borders Cuisine demo at The Maya Kitchen where we got to learn and taste five dishes. The full story about this class will be shared tomorrow or on Wednesday.


Coffee Barako Cake
After the cooking demo, sister and I checked different malls to look for shoes to wear for an event, and before parting ways, we ate snacks at Tsoko.Nut Batirol where I had a slice of their Barako Coffee Cake.

Max's Chicken Meal
My Saturday didn't end after my snacks with sister; I still traveled to SM Mall of Asia to attend the Grand Inaanak Day hosted by Max's Chicken. For dinner, we were given this meal, which I ate with four blogger friends while exchanging commentaries about many things.

"Together"
I attempted another shot at FMS Photo a Day, and for the first day of September, the prompt is "Together," and this was my share. For me... pasta, garlic bread, and coffee just go well together.

Quite a long post for this week because I squeezed in two weeks of food posts on my Instagram page. If you're interested to know... the photo collage were created using the InstaPic Frames app, the borders and some filters were added using Cymera (my super favorite photo app), and to be able to post a rectangle image on Instagram, I used the InstaSize app.

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Udi's Blueberry Muffin Copycat Recipe

My son says, "Mommy call them better than Udi's.  No, call them better than Perkins."  After so many failed attempts I had him try, I am flattered by his eagerness.

So why the copy?  I had a reader ask me to duplicate Udi's Blueberry Muffins recently.  To tell you the truth, I NEVER ever tried Udi's Blueberry Muffins.  Truth!  Why?!?!  I already have the best blueberry muffin recipe ever right here on my blog!!!!  (laugh)....  In fact, I would have to drive an hour into town to even purchase those Udi's muffins.  But I live to serve so when our local tiny whole foods type store received in some of those muffins I squealed!  LITERALLY!!!    B~L~U~E~B~E~R~R~Y.......  Everybody in the store turned around to look at me.  I politely smiled right on through.

Upon trying the first muffin, all that sugar that I don't usually eat went right to the delight center of my brain!  So good!!  LOL..  So much sugar....  :-D.   I ate another one, hey its for the blog right? It's work!!!! I did a mini workout after to make up for it.  You guys KNOW Im on that diet right?!?!?  I literally gained 3 pounds during this experiment so back to the old diet drawing board. See how much I love my small niche of readers?  I gained 3 pounds for you guys!!!

The Udi's Blueberry Muffin texture reminds me of their white bread.  Same flour combination, proportions, measurements.  That same mostly tapioca starch type of chew balanced with the right amount of brown rice flour.  Not too much brown rice flour or it would get too dense. These muffins were not dense, but rather chewy and sort of light.  No light like their bagels are, where you can imagine them floating off your counter.

I dove right into the ingredient breakdown and trial baking.  At the store, I picked up the large package of blueberries, something told me I was going to need it.  Oh about 7 way too crumbly muffin batches later (where the muffin literally sucked the moisture right out of your mouth).... I finally got it right.  Moist, stays together without crumbling apart, just the right chewiness.  Is finally right and I can share it with you.

A few additional notes I wanted to mention.  Udi's uses a bit of dried blueberries.  A real true copycat would also use dried blueberries.  I THOUGHT I had dried blueberries at home.  Somebodies belly is now full of them instead.  I got to thinking.  Why the mixture of fresh and dried?  Is it to help alleviate costs of the fresh blueberries?  Is it to help ward off molding?  These muffins won't last long enough to mold, TRUST ME! LOL. I am not using dried blueberries in my muffins because I did not have any.  If you wish to do an exact copycat, go ahead and add a few tablespoons.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Oil
1/2 cup Water
3 eggs
1 teaspoon Lemon Juice
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1-1/4 cup Sugar

1 cup Tapioca Starch

3/4 cup Brown Rice Flour

1/4 cup Potato Starch
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Salt
2 teaspoons Xanthan Gum

1 generous Cup Blueberries (plus a few extra for the side)
    (a few tablespoons of dried blueberries to dulicate Udi's exactly)
1 Tablespoon Sparkling Sugar for topping on each muffin



Preheat Oven to 425 degrees.
Grease Jumbo muffin tin well with butter.
     Alternatively line standard muffin tin with papers or greease muffin tin well.

• Add moist ingredients into a medium sized mixing bowl.  Mix until fully combined with a fork.
• Add dry ingredients and continue to stir until lumps are dissolved and gum pulls the batter together nicely.  Don't need to overdo it here
• Add blueberries and stir gently.
• Scoop 1/4 heaping cup into a standard sized muffin tin. Muffins cups will only be 3/4's full.  If you are using a mini muffin tin or a texas sized jump, same rule applies, 3/4's full.
• Bake muffins at:
• Jumbo at 425 for for 5 minutes then 350 for 25 minutes.
• Standard at 425 for for 5 minutes then 350 for 18 minutes.
• Mini at 350 for 12 minutes.

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