Tiramisu and pasta..

Last week, (which was over a y ear ago) we went out to dinner at Milano's restaurant on Grand Avenue not my first foray. But it looked like there are new owners and place has been revamped a bit. The food is the same, a little flat, not very inviting.

No, not being a snob but sometimes I wonder where the chefs are these days. There are the recent grads, there were those who came from a stint in Europe and other international kitchens. But why is it that even the restaurants with a Michelin rating doesn't seem to be as palatable as the ratings and reviews purport to be. I guess the good ones are on telelvision making theemselve more popular, but who's going to minding the kitchen?

I know that fresh ingredients can be expensive, but there are flavors that appears to be boxed out of Price Club. Sorry Milano, I do like you and the management, they even gave me a coupon for a fund raising that we did at work. Maybe a new chef? The location is great really the restaurant itself is great the foldinng walls are opened during the summertime allowing for dinner al fresco.

But hey, not all of it is downhill, the tiramisu was presented so wonderfully, such an eyecandy.

Please try to visit Milano's maybe an increased patronage will make them review their flavors.

Salud.

I posted this on Facebook and the other images below, I frequent Chinatown, most Sundays when I go to attend Mass at the Cathedral, sometimes I don't really have anything that I want to buy, but I enjoy watching the bustle of activity of the place.

There are the turtles, have not tried it, only heard of turtle soup..

 

WM1: Is there anything that you don't eat?
Me: Oh, I don't think I have tried snakes.
WM2: Oh, not that kind, just regular foods.
Me: Not sure, I eat almost anything, of course there are favorites, that is I will choose pork over veggies anytime.

I have tried them fried or in coconut milk, but the ones that I did try were from rice fields/paddies. Hopefully no fertilizers or DDT were used.

Sea Grapes (weeds)

found on multiply c/o jojo, pending permission

Growing up in the Philippines we have the luxury of access to fresh sea foods. The ubas dagat was introduced to us by my brother. He worked for the Geological Company and was on assignment most of the time.

He was able try different cuisines, food culture, you in Asia we eat almost anything, don't cringe now, you know the most expensive and delicious food are not just a blob of meat. :). Salad would most of the time have vinegar or tomatoes and onions.

I would like to say that it reminds me of caviar, it pops when you chew on it such that the juices, which is a little sea tasting, with the tomatoes can be surprising. I know, I would always describe it as my taste buds is being assaulted by different flavors all at the same time, such that it feels like that my mouth is having a party.

A very good appetizer indeed. Best paired with grilled or fried fish or meat.

 

Am sure that other cultures have discovered this too, I know I have seen versions of this from the Chinese or Japanese cuisine.

 

Courtesy of Alindog

I love mussels, such that there is a bar in my hood called Sidebar that I frequent because of their mussel Mondays. They do miss sometimes, like when their chef used a lot of Pernod such that the flavor is ruined and what I got was a bitter taste.

Speaking of Pernod, I first found out about this drink from the movie Gotcha! many years back, and I still remembered. Anthony Edwards was just starting then.

There are 2 kinds that I know of, there is the New Zealand one, which is black and the Italian which has a green edge like the one pictured above. This shell fish is very versatile, you can make soup, bake, grill, or add to sea food dishes, such as arroz valenciana and many others.

and this one from Sidebar

I remember the first time I had mussels was when Tatay brought some from the market, we wondered how different it was from the other sea shells that we had, and that started our love affair with mussels. Being from the Philippines and in the metropolitan area at that there is always the risk of getting sea food when there is a high pollution level such that consumptions of mussels is not permitted. They call it red tide, I guess, mercury levels were high that it is deemed to be a detrimental to one's health.

Try some, if you haven't.

i'M BACK!

Yeah, somemhow moving to blogspot didn’t cull any creative writing for me, it didn’t feel right to write.. I tried to monetize, heck in this economy who wouldn’t try but google disabled my account, perhaps I keep on clicking at the ads. Not by evil designs mind you, but because the ads were interesting to me.

It’s been a long time since I posted, not that there is nothing to write but there was no occurence, I realized that the fun in cooking is not as joyful as I thought it would be if i am only going to write about it and take pictures. Which, I did, I have so much to share. I think the major event was me moving to a 1920′s apartment building, it is a studio, probably rented to struggling immigrants at that time. I love it, also love that it is close to whole foods, and a few steps to the Cathedral and my workplace. Enormous closet space makes me organize, the downside though is that it doesn’t have a garbage chute nor an insinkerator, everything had to be bagged and brought down to the garage.

The lobby is just beautiful, the decor looked like it had a water fountain, with water gushing out of a lion head. Now it is covered with dirt and a plant ib the middle. There are f posts and greenish brown ceramic tiles.. oh, i just love it. I am waiting for my friends to let me take pictures of them in nice poses to include in my portfolio.

It’s been a year since Tatay passed, it was his birthday 2 days ago, when I was about to shed a tear, Lordy said to me, what is the grief for, he is with me now, if he was with you, you will be complaining about him anyway. Waahhh, He is so right. I had to smile and acknowledge the truth abou that statement. As I said before, I am realizing that he tried to be a good Dad and he was successful because we turned out to be happy kids.

Work is still fun for me, I still enjoy going to work and actually delivering work products, I still work crazy hours, because I start late. A new a new employee/PM raised an eyebrow, when he was going out to lunch and I was just coming in.

Writing from a new mini with a miniature keyboard that I can’t figure out how to network with the momma puter, so I can’t attach pictures.

But I would like to say hello and perhaps pull posts from blogspot and post some of the old drafts. Boy, we have a lot of catching up to do. Hope you’re doing well, dear readers.
Cheers!