Eggspectation..

Kudos to the eggspectation restaurant, not sure if that is a chain but I was working in the Chantilly, Va office that I had their omelette.  Their eggs are just the usual ones, it would have been nice if they have eggs prepared in every way imaginable.  Remember that commercial? I love eggs, ta na na na.. I do, tamago, omelette, torta, quiche, casserole, egg salad, or fritata.

I also love eggplants, espcially with eggs. What to do then is make eggplant omelet. I didn't want to take out the tabletop grill or the foreman, nor do I want to use the oven, the effect is just different. I like to grill the old way, hot almost touching the embers, so there you are there is CO2 in this process because it does not use charcoal. It may have emitted some in the frying process. What was I trying to make here? Eggplant omelette if it has no filling embotido if it is filled.

So I first grilled the eggplant to a bit of overdone such that the skin is almost charred. Once it is done, on running water I removed the skin, which is fairly easy since it is burnt therefore almost crumbly.  Pat dry and dip in a beaten egg, add salt and pepper, you can add curry or italian seasoning, if you so prefer.  In a frying pan, heat vegetable oil--olive oil tends to heat faster, an olive canola or olive butter can be used too. Once the oil is hot enough pour the egg-eggplant combination, push the egg into the eggplant so that it does not spread throughout the pan. Turn the eggplant for an equal doneness, remember the eggplant is already cooked. We want the egg cooked, not runny or crunchy.

I had some shrimps and mushrooms crying for attention, I gave in, shelled and deveined the shimp, sliced the mushroom.  On the same pan, I caramelized some onions, put a little garlic and added the mushroom, then the shrimps last. A little salt and dinner is ready.

Did that gross you out? I assure you those coils are clean after all it is hot. Anyway it is good eating. :)

 

Pinoy recipes from my bro..

Whenever I talk to my family, conversation will always end up with food, who cooked, who discovered new recipes, of course mom will always have the final say as to "what is the best".  Kudos to mom, though, she got married with no clue as to cooking, she discovered the kitchen out of need -- to feed the hungry kids he he..

I remember my brother was telling me how frustrated he was, when he made country soup and the family just took for an entree and put rice over it.  Filipino cooking though relies on fresh ingredients so there is I feel nothing one can do to improve, unless another dish is created a fusion with another cuisine. But the traditionalists will not go with that, if it is shrimp then it is with this or that.

So, I will get this emails from another brother with cool pictures of food, I suspected he was a new blogger with a different name.. ha ha, he was just testing those Filipino recipes online and that was his way of giving a thumbs up. So, I thought I had something to share here.. but nada.. oh well

You love her, she loves you; What's the problem?

Don't really care about the place, my first outing was a disappointment.  The beef stew was not as flavorful as I wanted, there is nothing redeeming about the place and it was expensive too.  A friend wanted to go there to check it out, the girlfriend is into these kind of places.  Though, I must tell you that the neighborhood is in serious want for white linen tables, such that anything new is wowed and salivated on.  So when the text came, "anyone for lunch?" I said yes, imagining Pho.  Ditched a Pinoy lunch, was ditched for Japanese noodles, so I said okay. 

The service was slow, between lectures on friendships, I am not judging but, and I didn't call because..  I managed to ask the wait staff, "What makes the sandwich Cuban?". The response I got was, "It is a traditional food that their family have everytime the chef's family have a get together in Cuba." Okay, that didn't answer my question, I rephrased the question and got an answer about maybe it was the roasting of the pork. Raised eyebrows about my impatience, I decided to enjoy my lunch and listen and react.

The sandwich was alright, a little pricey for a Friday lunch.  Cuban sandwich, it turned out was a grilled ham and cheese sandwich with pickles and roast pork in between. The bottom line of the afternoon, however was that friendship is not just going out to lunch, attending get togethers, we have to look also when we are enabling or when do we get off and remind them that there is always the alternative. I was reminded of the gospel last week, about calling the attention of a brother who has erred. But how do we know when we are reminding and not interloping. When are we not judging, if someone's behavior runs counter with the norm, knowing full well that the norn is not necessarily the right one. Ahhh, that is why we have to be in constant prayer, for guidance, for peace, for light, for trespasses, for compassion.. 

The lunch hour proved to be an hour well spent.  Back to work, where I took the rest of the afternoon off, I need to run errands and do the housework that needs my attention.  Well.. if only I didn't go to Antioch the day before for a "tulingan" lunch, the Tagalogs will understand such a call.. ha ha..

Franklin Square
2212 Broadway
(between Franklin St & Grand Ave)
Oakland, CA 94612
(510) 251-0100
www.fswinebar.com

Pinoy food and pinoy men

Last Sunday, we went to this Filipino restaurant called Tribu, food was good. I would make it the same way. Tribu is pinoy word for tribe, btw. My friends who are not stranger to Filipino food, they dated Filipino men, enjoyed it. Sorry no pix to show for it.

Anyway, on our way there, we were talking about how when my friend returned a call from this Pinoy, he didn't seem that enthused and ended the conversation by saying, well call me if you want to hang out sometime.

She reacted, saying that is what's wrong with men. They don't know what they want, if he would have asked me, I would have gone out with him, as a show of respect.  But not like that, she said,  "she had to be woed", she opined, that men can't throw the ball  at her to make the decision, she will have to have a say in all that. She concluded that they will not get what they want, if they don't go for it.  Which is why men end up with who they end up with.

I was quiet in my agreement. Why? Because I have been accused of that very thing that she is making a case of.  I have been told that I am irreverent, that I carry this it doesn't matter attitude.  I didn't explain myself then, but the reason for the feigned indifference is.  I don't really care where we go, company is more important, I can dine the way I want where I want on my own. That's my way of discovering, what they like, how they handle things, and make their choices.

But I guess, once it is placed in the context of what one wants and throwing respect in the mix that would indeed come out as disinterest.

Take that as a tip men of erring ways.

My hairdresser

I had a haircut a week or so ago. I have been going to this hairdresser for a while now.  He moved to a place that is not as cozy as the old one and his pricing is still the same.  I like it that he can take care of my hair.  He understands that I don't like to fuss with my hair especially when I am in a hurry to get out in the morning.  No products just blow drying, maybe a little when it is overgrown.

He takes care of me, we talk about restaurants food, places that he and his partner frequents.  He will boycott a place because of poor service or for being snooty.  We both go to this Chinese restaurant on a regular basis and he would complain how they stopped making his favorite dish, just because of the extra oil that it uses. 

Anyway, the trick with Chinese food, we found out, if your order has shrimps, make sure that the use the shrimps from the shrimp with cashew nuts, it should be guaranteed fresh.  We also discovered that if you think that a chain restaurant will having a heavier traffic will have shorter shelf life for its inventory, wrong, some can store food purchased on bulk sale for years.  Whow, that is too much. 

He has something to say about the French restaurant by his place. They don't itemize an order and when they did, he was charged so much for a salad.  I didn't like that place because they open at their whim, one can't arrange for a meeting at 7:00 as they can opt to open at 7:30 or not at all.

There is this restaurant that he said they probably are buying buckets of escargot from Chinatown and passing it off as French.  I said but you can buy the French variety in a can for a measly sum and just enjoy it at home.  But I would like to buy the fresh ones from Chinatown and cook it the way Mom did with coconut mik, not with black beans and garlic that the Chinese restaurant did.

To this my friend squirmed, she can't imagine that I would enjoy such delicacies.  Well I am provincial, we raise them for food. My rationale is if we will not use them for food then there will be an overgrowth, that will cause an imbalance in the ecosystem.  The reason why they are eating kangaroos now in Oz or sadly, why they are shooting the deers originally from Asia in Marin. It is the circle of life isn't it.

Reco-nize!

Ate Monie: On you it seems like you have more realistic emotions now than you can express before...or....maybe ...
Ate Monie: you are braver to express yourself now than before...

My cousin just visited this blog and that's what she said. Maturity does that, I think, things are better defined, as we mature we are able to grasp the reasons for our actions and make sense of ideas and thoughts.  I give credit to Lordy of course for making me see light.

But on to the more mundane, silly, my co-worker, decided that we have to dine at elways restaurant.  He was a ballplayer, not someone who follows sports, I asked if we are dining there because the place is good or just because it is owned by somebody famous.  Dine we did, it was expensive, being from the Bay Area, and who knows my way around the kitchen, I would say it is okay, but the service is good. The wait staff are attentive, but they don't seem to know what to do.  Discreet service is I guess not a part of the "now" culture anymore.

Then we have to have good Italian, found Maggiano's the spinach salad was good but the pasta dish was soupy.  Oh well, enough of this dining out, I should just stick to my adobo't - I make it differently, kanin (rice) or penoy and balut.

The day that was...

Staying in a hotel compels me to adhere to rules of civility changing before going to breakfast. Routine is absent in these trips, hours are determined by the host office.

It is good, though, I get to observe different ways, and appreciate what is one this neck of the woods. We went to the Denver Botanic Gardens and Boulder on Saturday. This place has be geographically confused more than I already am. We had dinner in Littleton, went across the street for sundries in Lone Tree, and went to work in Englewood. All these in a 5 mile radius. The church is in Centennial. A beautiful church of St. Thomas Moore, a very solemn one. I like the service.

Today is going to be a busy one. Yesterday, was a bit frustrating, things didn't work out as scheduled. I think I am getting homesick, boo hooo...

Yesterday, Thursday

Yesterday, Thursday, yes, pre-Friday, post-humpday as such not so busy not uneventful either.

I received a call from a woman in church, she had a mishap and would need help taking care of things, like grocery shopping. I am away and will not be able to do anything but I just know the person who will be able to. She is from the same neighborhood and she is one who is always willing to help. This is proof that the community is working, God's people are willing help and be helped. The openness is present, just as He wanted. I also heard that a few people who has been absent from the Bible Study came last Wednesday, wow..

Speaking of phone calls, travails of motherhood and singlehood, also had my phone line burning. Colic and aceite de manzanilla, cost of special formula, moving back to San Francisco, there is excitement in her voice despite all the time consuming details that comes with motherhood. On another hand, there is lawyer's fees for a family property, a practice, finding HER man, the father of her child, and other family issues. Details that makes her wonder, when it is going to stop, when is she going to finally have something that she can call her own. I can only say one thing, "Have you tried praying?"

Back in my world, on a lesser scale, we finished early, had time to meander a little bit, rest, and dwell. There was hospitality night at the hotel, I just partook of dip and chips to fill the gap. Then we went to dinner at Basil Thai, the decor was well thought-off, the price was okay, the food was good, well prepared. What was important was we had occassion to break bread with someone from another office (SCO) got to know her, which wouldn't have happened if not for this TDY.

Oh, but I didn't tell you about Sunday, for some reason I wanted to have an emotional cleansing, women do this, we just had to cry. I culled on the sad stories, there was no good-makes-you-cry Lifetime movie. Nothing, I wasn't able to reach the desired renewal. Maybe it was a silly process, that there is really nothing to empty at that point, it is not that I am ecstatic, in 7th heaven, about my life. There is the stable, contented existence with Lordy in it, that I momentarily overlooked. I do the heart emptying everytime I talk to him, therefore, nothing accumulates that would require such a melodramatic preparation to heal.

Libra..

Libra -- the Harmonizer

Nice to everyone they meet. Can't make up their mind. Have own unique appeal. Creative, energetic, and very social. Hates to be alone. Peaceful, generous. Very loving and beautiful. Flirtatious.  Give in too easily. Procrastinators. Very gullible.

Got this from a friend, does that mean that we have the makings of a pushover.  Ha ha.  I sit here, unwinding, keyboarding. I ask myself, why. Certainly, not to keep a record of my life events, heck I don't even balance my checkbook, to give in to streams of consciousness, maybe.  There are times when ideas (not necessarily grand) come to me when I am walking around the lake, waiting for my turn in the supermarket, aboard a bus-when there's too much going on that to even try to read can be frustrating.  This is good practice, though, makes me aware of my commas and when to end the sentence. The familiarity here with web parts (widgets) made me breeze through share point at work not to long on a learning curve. Therefore, dear reader, I don't mind a gentle reminder about my grammatical faults.

I love beautiful words, even obsolete ones, I like to listen to them too, there are just people who have the gift of prose. I, on the other hand, have no just gift, but I like to engage people, pick on the their thoughts, get their opinions, see how their mind works.

What is pitiful is someone who is unable to express themselves for fear of being judged, not being the kewl one, and would therefore just agree on the premise of someone popular.  (Hello self, talking about you?) There are others too who likes to listen to themselves, I tend to shy away from them. 

Yes, so I decided that this blog will be my forum for all things worth pondering on, subject matters that may even be pedantic to you but if it crossed my mind and it stayed there for a bit, you will read about it.  Good, that I have forwarded this link to only two of my friends, they are kind with their words, ha ha. They are the ones who bear my sometimes nonsensical forays into disconnected ideas trying to find a conclusion in them.

So, the foodie that I am, you may see my attempts to discover new cuisines in my kitchen, a passing review of a new restaurant in the neighborhood, an interesting encounter, or just anything  about anything.  No attempt at being profound, ha ha.

Speaking of resto, there is a new Neecha Thai Cuisine on Grand, purty good, a little bit on the expensive side for lunch, but it's good, quiet, the wait staff knows when to bring the dessert or when to check if everything is alright. Not neglectful nor overly solicitous. They have respect for food too, the food is plated nicely. Not overcooked or harriedly prepared that it is not worth savoring the flavors quzzing myself as to what the blend is. The FBI (fried banana with ice cream, silly!), though, was in a small tapas plate, pretty difficult to navigate. The salad has interesting dressing, puree of sticky rice with a hint of lemon and wasabi. I would put more than a hint though, even a dash of their fish sauce. Oh well, that place is going be a favorite.