Saturday, August 20, 2011

Books from boxes


These past few days I've been putting some order in my bedroom here at Algeciras, and I found lots of old books I used to read when I was a teen: Nietzche, Tolkien, Rubén Darío, Gabriel García Márquez, Ende, William Golding... I think I've got over 200 books on my bedroom, and I've read them all (some of them 3 or 4 times! Even more, as I read "The Lord of the Rings" like 13 times!).

But anyway, I just wanted to show you today some pictures of my last day at Barcelona. I had a very lovely dinner with Carol, Vane, Micky, Blanca, her boyfriend Christian, Magda, Xavi and two special guest we had that day: the lovely Izumi Goto and Sofie, a gorgeous girl from Denmark who's making a film about Izumi!


Izumi was playing a couple of concerts here at Barcelona, so I told Vane that we should have dinner with her in a very special place wich I knew she would love it: La Alcoba Azul, a small bohemian restaurant really cute!



We had some foie with oporto and cheese with melted candy, and then we had the special dishes from the house: toast with different things! Vane and Carol had some salads too, really delicious!

 Izumi had a toast with chiken and arugula
 Vane's salad was so yummy!
 Carol
 Blanca
Micky, Sofie and I had a toast with brie, delicious!

After dinner, the owners of the restaurant asked if Izumi could sign an autograph, and of course she did! She and Sofie was very pleased with everything!



Finally, we took some pictures on the streets. It was a great night but we all were a little bit tired, so we said goodbye until the next time Izumi and Sofie visit Spain... I really hope it would be very soon!!



You Can Buy The Book From Here

You can buy the book from here
You can buy the book from here

CREME' CARAMEL/CARAMEL CUSTARD...a fab party dessert!

A really easy fool proof recipe of this perfect dessert!...the secret here is to use full cream Milk of the best quality you can find, I have perfected this recipe over a period of several years, since it is difficult to achieve that perfect melt-in-the-mouth creamy gorgeousness the Creme' Caramel deserves!!!
Ingredients-
for the caramel
  • Sugar-6 tbsp

  • Water-2 tbsp

For the Custard
  • Whole/Full cream Milk-1 and 1/2 cups

  • Skim Milk Powder- 100 gms

  • Eggs-4

  • Pure Vanilla extract- 2 tsp

  • Condensed Milk- 5 tbsp

Method-
  • Combine the sugar and water for the caramel and set on heat, let the sugar  melt and bubble away, keep stirring all the time, till it achieves a deep brown/golden colour.

  • Take a metallic mould, one which can be put in the pressure cooker for steaming later.

  • Pour hot caramel and swirl all around quickly before it hardens, no need to grease, set aside.

  • Combine all the ingredients for the custard in a large bowl and beat well.

  • Pour into prepared tin, and cover with a piece of foil.

  • Steam in pressure cooker without whistle for 20 minutes,switch off flame and let cool

Invert onto serving plate and serve warm or chilled along with Fruits/Vanilla Ice cream/whipped cream.

Birthday with my Family

Yes! It's another Happy Birthday Lia!  Hopefully this is my last celebration before my REAL birthday!  My stomach can not take it anymore!  I can not even go near a pin, I might burst!!!!

I have been celebrating with my friends, I cooked a lot food... not that I liked eating them but I enjoyed the process of cooking and entertaining my friends.

Today was all about my favorite food.



My family called it "stages".  They are all heart stopping, artery clogging, killing me softly menu.  We all ate it in stages.

Stage 1 - Bulalo soup with bone marrow.



As early as Monday, I already ordered from my favorite butcher in Rustan's Rockwell the bone marrow.  I told him I wanted about 6 pieces and he got me from the center of several shanks.

The marrow was buttery!!!



When I was transferring the marrow from the soup pot to the serving dish, hot boiling soup splattered on my arm.  OUCH!!!!  But never mind... all for the love of the "utak".  Ate, Tita Portia and I ate 2 pieces each.  My brother and brother in law are semi health conscious.  Gilly had the soup and the meat.

Stage 2 - Elar's Lechon

I went to Mila's Lechon first but when I got there, they ran out of Lechon.  I decided to go to Elar's in Quezon Avenue.  The line was long and I was praying that I will still be able to get my favorite part, which is the rib part.

When it was my turn already, there was just one whole slab of the center cut, Yes! God is good, God is kind, God is merciful!  It was my favorite part!  I just bought 1.5 kilos for my family.  They liked it because the meat was tasty even without the liver sauce.  But we can not eat Lechon without the sauce.  The exception is the Cebu style, I am the only one in the family who likes eating it with vinegar.

Stage 3 - Talangka - piece de resistance



I woke up early to go to Farmer's Market in Cubao. 8:30 am is like waking up at dawn for me.  Again, I was praying that there was still talangka.  My next choice was alamango or mud crab but I am not much of a fan simply because it is so hard to get the meat.

Yes!!!  There was just one vendor selling talangka but they were selling it for an arm and a leg but I did not care anymore.  As long as I can eat those little creatures, the price is of no consequence.

Stages 1,2 and 3 are my favorite food in the entire world!  I am glad my family shares the same passion.  I went all over Metro Manila this morning ... a round trip ... from Makati to Cubao then to West Avenue then to Quezon Avenue and on the way home passed through the Manila route - Nagtahan, Paco then back to Makati. 

I have been saving my meat and animal fat quota for the whole week.  I was just eating fish and rice, then in the evening, Turkey and Swiss Cheese sandwich ... just so I can eat this weekend!  Just a few more days to go and I am off to celebrate my REAL birthday in my most favorite place in the entire world!  

Counting the days ........ Sun (hopefully ... been praying for it).... white powdery sand ... and FOOD! Glorious food!