Filipino Food Cravings

I haven't been to the Philippines in a long time. The last time I visited was in 2011 for a month-long visit, which was more than a decade ago. So naturally, there are culinary things that I miss. Fortunately, there are ways to remedy this without taking a long flight across the world.

Ethiopian Cuisine is Comfort Food

I don't know why, but every now and then when I just need to chill and relax and need food, then I find myself in an Ethiopian restaurant. There are a few here in Berlin, and I definitely have one favourite. So sometimes when things are stressing me out, or when I need a late lunch because I have been running so many errands, or when I just want some comfort food, then I go get some Ethiopian food.

Food Theatre

For the past few years, I have learned how to appreciate food. And it's not just about eating it. There are aspects of food and dining that has less to do with taking in sustenance, but more about the experience. And I encounter this totally different aspect of food whenever I eat out in restaurants and try their tasting menus. It is not something I do often, but rather more of a once-in-a-blue-moon basis.

Kitchen Factoids No. 1: Size Matters, at least for Eggs

For the longest time, we have been buying the smallest chicken eggs we can find whenever we need eggs. It used to be the case that we went for the largest kind, but nowadays, we stick to the smallest. Why? Because it is tastier that way.

Am I a Foodie?

I think I have turned into a foodie.

Making Chinese Marbled Tea Eggs

I love tea eggs. I don't have them often, but every time I have the chance, I try and get my hands on them. Once, when the Chinese Cultural Center had an open house here in Berlin, we visited them, and I was glad to find out that they were selling Chinese street food during the event. We sampled, among other things, tea eggs. And when I was in Malaysia late last year, I went to a Chinese temple, and sure enough, I found tea eggs in the food court downstairs. So when my sister found a recipe online, she shared it to me, and I opted to experiment in my kitchen one day.

Dinner Party II

Now that I am out of Facebook, I have to devise some interesting and innovative ways in which to keep in touch with friends. Ever since I quit Facebook in July, I have found myself writing emails more often, and meeting people more often as well. So I opted to do something new, especially for friends who also reside in Berlin. I opted to invite them to dinner parties hosted in our own home.

Dinner Party!

Last month, I hosted a dinner party in our flat. It was small and intimate, and after the event, I think I am a fan of this format of socialization more than a big party.

I am not Impressed with British Food, nor with their Admirers

So, a couple of months ago, we went on a vacation to Tuscany (for 12 days) and London (for 6 days). There were family-related matters which necessitated the weird combination (as if London is on the way to Tuscany from Berlin, or vice versa). Anyway, I originally didn't want to blog about this, but due to what I think is constant prodding from a couple of people, I have decided I needed to vent about this. And it is about British food, and about how I don't think I am a big fan of it.

Making Crostini Toscani

A couple of months ago, I spent some time in Italy, and during that time, I did what many people do in Italy: eat. And since I really fell in love with the food, I have decided to try to recreate some of them in my own kitchen. Unfortunately, I tried making melanzane di parmigiana but found that it was so time-consuming and required plenty of effort, that I realized it was just not worth it. But I still decided to try making other dishes I have encountered while visiting Tuscany. And this time, I decided I'd make some Tuscan liver pate.

Melanzane alla Parmigiana is a Project!

Since I spent 11 days in Italy recently (mostly in Tuscany, but also in Emilia-Romagna, as well as in the country of San Marino), I decided that I would recreate some of the dishes that we encountered while we were there. And the first thing I decided to do was eggplant parmesan, originally known as melanzane alla parmigiana. And oh my, it takes a lot of time!

CheeseBerlin 2013

Last month, I went to Markthalle Neun in Kreuzberg for a food event. CheeseBerlin 2013 was happening during the first weekend in November, and so that meant there were several cheese producers and cheese vendors from the area that would exhibit their goods and sell them. And since I wanted to get some new cheese, I headed out there to purchase some. After all, readers of this blog probably already know of my love of cheese so I figured this is something I should check out.

Creating my Berlin Burger

A couple of weeks ago, I had a very amazing experience with the kitchen. See, since 2011 I have been a part of Yelp! and it just has helped me discover many interesting places in many different cities I have been living in, as well as visited. I first encountered Yelp in Buffalo, in 2011, when I realized that I only had one year left in the city and I still haven't figured out what are the nice things to do there. So I went online, and found the website, and got to know the various people who are active in it. After a few months, I became an Elite. And being an Elite gives you perks!

Anatomy of a German Breakfast

A German breakfast is vast. There's plenty of things that needs to be on the table. I have tried German breakfasts on restaurants, as well as at home. And since I have German friends who can advise me on what is included in breakfasts, I have been able to recreate German breakfasts quite well on my own.

Vegetarianism and Self-Discipline

I've dabbled in vegetarianism before, and somehow, I have the desire to dabble in it again. However, there are times when I am just so tired that I don't want to think at all with respect to what I eat, and therefore I just go ahead and cook meat, which is something I can do without thinking.

Chicken with Balsamic Vinegar, Sundried Tomatoes and Artichoke Hearts

The other day, I was in the mood for some experimentation in the kitchen. I just discovered in my cupboard that I still had about half a bottle of balsamic vinegar; it was hiding behind my boxes of tea and cereal. So I figured I should cook with it, especially since the bottle said that it would go bad by the middle of this year.

The Heretic Adobo

I noticed this article a while ago, published in the New York Times, about the wonderful Filipino dish called adobo. And upon reading it, I couldn't help but agree that the wonders of this dish is not in the ingredients, but in the multitudes of variations that exist.

Google Wants Me to Cook Spam

Seriously, Google, out of all the things you want me to cook, you want me to cook with Spam?

Experimental Couscous with Carrots, Brussels Sprouts and Kielbasa

The other day, I tried experimental cooking yet again. I found this recipe for Chicken and Sausage Couscous, from Epicurious, which in my opinion, is a rather good repository of recipes. The thing is, their recipes aren't just collections of submitted recipes by readers from around the world, but instead, they are recipes that were actually featured in food magazines in the past.

Experimental Spiced Chicken Salad

The other day, I needed to make dinner, and somehow, I needed to schedule it because I would be out of town for a few days. I didn't want to make something, only to eat one portion of it and then leave it in the refrigerator for 2 weeks, in the end wasting it. So whenever I go out of town, I plan my cooking, so that my refrigerator ends up empty.

So I decided to experiment yet again.