Mad about FOOD

Baker's Dozen

A Cake and Pastry Fair at the Power Plant Mall

         
I have not visited Power Plant in months, mainly because Fully Booked has opened in Fort Bonifacio and I find it more accessible from where we live. But when I learned about the Baker's Fair, I just knew I had to head all the way to Rockwell for it. It runs on all weekends of September, and I'm so glad my Bea and I went last Saturday. From the plain and simple to the downright sinful, you will find all these cakes and more at the fair. To tell you the truth, I'm still in a dessert high as I write this. Ahhh...a cake lover's paradise indeed it was!

The affair was participated in by famed homebakers, as I call them, and even by some more established outfits. They are, as far as I can remember: The Tiny Blessings, From the Kitchen of Susie Quiros, Pattycake Desserts Bar, The Sweet Life by Ange, Cosmo Bread by Elaine Lo, San Lo's Famous Empanadas & Tortas, Bohemia Cakes and Pastries, Jammie's Ensaymada, Vargas Kitchen, Saltine, Cuptails and Dreams, Karen's Kitchen by Karen Young, and Diamond Hotel.

         
                      Caramel Martie cupcakes from Pattycake Desserts Bar

It was a day of feasting on cakes and every pastry imaginable. There were free samples on every table and I took bites upon bites of those heavenly desserts. I found the turtle pie from Pattycake Desserts Bar (tel. 889-1609 / 0920-9544960) very remarkable. It's not your typical turtle pie because it's made with "chocolate mousse with caramel and chopped walnuts on a chocolate cookie crust."

         
                 The wonderful display table of Bohemia Cakes and Pastries

I was like a child whose eyes lit up at the sight of Bohemia Cakes and Pastries' nook, which had a really impressive-looking three-layer cake covered with fondant, and some freshly baked cupcakes and biscotti. I wondered why I've never heard of them, and I was told that they've only been around for 3 years and that they just rely on word-of-mouth advertisement. Well, here's my share of spreading the word--Bea and I loved the orange poppyseed cupcakes (P46 each), which were deliciously fluffy with a nice citrusy buttercream frosting. Bohemia Cakes and Pastries (tel. 807-1266 / 0917-8430915) is based in Alabang.

         
                              Blue and white motif of Vargas Kitchen

Even simple things give me so much pleasure and satisfaction. The famous butter cake of Vargas Kitchen did just that. Bereft of any embellishment or intricate decoration, the plain-looking cake tasted so light and buttery with a melt-in-your-mouth quality. Each bite is sheer joy. A small, thin slice sold at P20, but I'm not complaining.  Vargas Kitchen (tel. 810-7529 / 817-8483) is a family business run from their home in Forbes Park, Makati.

         
                          Attractive cupcakes from Cuptails & Dreams

I've known about Cuptails & Dreams (mobile: 0927-5653261) even before the fair, and I must admit I was pretty reluctant to try it because of the cupcakes' alcoholic content. But I was mesmerized by the incedible display of cupcakes with matching blow-up photos framed on one side. The "Cuptails" line offers novelty cupcakes like Cosmopolitan (lemon butter cupcake infused with Absolut Vodka Citron topped with Cranberry buttercream frosting) and Tequila Sunrise (orange butter cupcake laced with Jose Cuervo Tequila, topped with pink buttercream icing). The  Dreams line, on the other hand, has non-alcoholic cupcakes like Vanilla Sky, Don Cappuccino and Pink Lemonade, among others. Prices range from P40 to P55 apiece.

         
             The bestselling Chocolate Ganache cake from Karen's Kitchen

Many of the bakers were friendly enough to engage me in chit-chat upon seeing my camera aimed at their products. But if there's someone who deserves the "Miss Congeniality" plum, it has to be Miss Karen Young of Karen's Kitchen (tel. 898-2280). She's the friendliest baker ever (and pretty, too!). Her bestselling chocolate ganache cake, gloriously enrobed in shiny, lush chocolate frosting, really made my mouth water. When a new batch of her chocolate cupcakes with ganache icing arrived, I was having halo-halo at the nearby Milky Way, and I watched how the cupcakes sold like hotcakes--they were completely sold out by the time I finished my halo-halo. Maybe I'll just order from her soon.

         
                          Chic cupcakes from The Sweet Life by Ange

...and the award for flair and best presentation goes to *drum roll*  The Sweet Life by Ange! Goodies adorned with pretty pink ribbons, cakes that come in pink and silver boxes and with a revolving display panel to boot--teen baking sensation, Ange, definitely takes the cake! Her cakes have stylish and sophisticated names such as Vuitton (moist chocolate cupcakes with caramel Fleur de Sel buttercream) and Moulin Rouge (moist red velvet cake layered with cream cheese frosting and decorated with chocolate hearts). I bought the Marie Antoinette (Madagascar Bourbon vanilla cupcake with Tequila Rose buttercream) and Chanel (moist chocolate cupcake with Valrhona buttercream) at P50 each. I liked the cake bases but the frosting of Marie Antoinette tasted a bit like medicine, to be very candid. However, knowing that the statuesque Ange, who's only in her senior year of high school, is so young and very promising, I'm quite sure her business will go a long way.

         
                                           Cosmo Bread by Elaine Lo

The beautiful Elaine was manning the booth (or table) of  Cosmo Bread at the fair that day. I was able to try the refreshing peppermint torte and her chocolate pound loaf, which was very, very moist and velvety. I bought a chocolate decadence mini-cake (P90)--luscious chocolate and caramel cake that looked utterly familiar because Elaine supplies to coffee shops (Figaro?). She gave me 3 complimentary cookies just for being there. Life is delicious, ain't it?

You still have the chance to visit the fair this coming weekend. It's ideal for those hunting for food gift ideas for the Christmas season, or even for those who simply love cakes (just like me).

Seeing green

Starbucks turns the spotlight on to my all-time favorite drink: green tea.

My penchant for green tea dates back to the middle of 2001, although I had been a habitual tea drinker even way before then. During my first month in Germany, where I was to stay for 14 months on a scholarship, I quickly gained 5 pounds. It must have been due to the availability of so many chocolate brands (I wanted to try them all) and the huge portions of food that were served to us by the French-German chef at our learning center-cum-dormitory. Bottomline was, I couldn't fit into my clothes anymore. And because clothes are very expensive abroad, I had to find an efficient way to lose the excess weight. My research on the net had led me to green tea and how it helps speed up the metabolism. Since then, green tea has become my ally in health and fitness.  Not once did I get sick for the duration of my stay in Germany. And, thankfully, I'm still not obese despite my love affair with food. Now I can honestly say I won't last a day without a hot cup of green tea. And I also love anything green tea--shakes, ice cream, cakes, shower gels and even Elizabeth Arden's green tea perfume (though I'm allergic to scents).

              
This month, Starbucks' featured drinks are the blackberry green tea frappuccino and the green tea latte. I have not given them a try, but the original green tea frappuccino is the main reason why I keep coming back to Starbucks. It is a delightfully addictive concoction of green tea leaves blended with cream, which balances the smoky flavor of green tea to give it a not-so-bitter taste. 

                                                                                            Love that Bearista!

To complete the green tea experience, Starbucks is also offering green tea cheesecake and the green tea loaf to go with the drinks. The cheesecake is out of the equation for me, so I sampled the green tea loaf (P50/slice) instead. The swirl of green color makes it so appetizing for me, and it tastes quite good. With only the faintest hint of green tea, it's perfect with the frappuccino or maybe even the latte. I'm looking forward to having the green tea latte or the blackberry green tea frap one of these days.

Here's a peek at a couple of pages from my 2007 Starbucks planner, which I made into a scrapbook/food diary of sorts:

          
(At left: me and my Bea (then 7 months old) at Starbucks-Araneta Coliseum; at right: me and my Bea again at the Starbucks-Araneta Coliseum exactly 2 years later)

Hershey's forever

         

HERSHEY--a name that's synonymous with chocolate. A name so well-loved and revered that an entire town in Pennsylvania has been re-named after the man who founded The Hershey Company more than a century ago. Milton S. Hershey was the visionary who made chocolate (scientific name: Theobroma cacao) so much more affordable for the average person by adding milk in it. With its signature Milk Chocolate bar and its brand Kisses already considered global icons, Hershey's legacy continues to be enjoyed by generations of chocolate lovers all over the world.

Last month, Krispy Kreme Doughnuts had a successful tie-up with Hershey's and came up with 4 sinfully delicious variants: Reese's & Kreme, Special Dark Chocolate, Hershey's Cookies & Kreme, and Chocolates and Almonds (P38 each). Now let me tell you, I'm not a fan of Krispy Kreme's. I find the doughnuts way too sweet, even for my sweet tooth. But the Hershey's doughnuts, which became available only for the whole month of August, were an exception. The union of the Hershey's chocolate brands and the pillowy softness of Krispy Kreme was a match made in foodie heaven. Obviously, I was enamored and I wish those Hershey's Chocolates & Kreme will make a comeback real soon.

                   
If the Hershey's doughnuts were perfectly sweet for me, the same thing cannot be said of the Hershey's sundae pie (P75) from Burger King. Given its name, I thought it was like an ice cream cake or a mud pie. Instead, it was just chocolate mousse with a thin cookie crust. Both mousse and crust are extremely, incredibly sweet. Proof of this is I never got to finish the small slice. Lush and chocolatey, but not for the faint of hearts (or diabetics).

         

As an avowed chocoholic, I've always loved Hershey's even as a child. I grew up on the original Kisses, while my daughter Bea is now loving the  Kissables. Through the years, chocolate has earned a bad reputation and was blamed as one of the main causes of acne, high cholesterol levels, and even hyperactivity in children. But taken in moderation, chocolate even has health benefits, aside from the pleasure it gives just by melting it in your mouth.

         

You can try my chocolate lover's fondue recipe, so you can share your chocolate with your friends and family and not worry about eating too much. I made this for my sister-in-law's birthday party very recently. It was so good and a cinch to prepare, too.

You will need:

1 cup    Hershey's Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
1 can    Nestle Cream (160 g)
1 tsp     butter

Just put everything together in a microwaveable bowl. Heat in the microwave oven for about one minute. Mix well. Pour in a fondue set (mine is the 100th anniversary of Kisses special edition fondue set courtesy of Appetite Magazine--isn't it a sweetheart?). You can dip marshmallows, pound cake, barquillos, and fresh fruits like kiwi, banana and strawberry. If you like your fondue sweeter, you can substitute with Hershey's Kisses or the Milk Chocolate bar (broken into small blocks) or you can add sugar or use condensed milk. You can also adjust the consistency of your fondue according to the thickness of the chocolate that you prefer. Afterward, sit back and enjoy your chocolate fondue with your loved ones. After all, everybody loves chocolate! It's an indulgence that's almost impossible to resist.

Pasta surprises

Here's another thing about me: I'm not very adventurous when it comes to pasta dishes. My tastebuds are so accustomed to the sweet Pinoy-style spaghetti that is a common treat in kiddie parties. There was a time when I considered Jolly Spaghetti (from Jollibee) as my comfort food. I don't particularly fancy sauces like puttanesca, arrabiatta or pomodoro, and I probably couldn't tell rotini from fusilli. But on rare occasions, I let the foodie in me take over so I try different kinds of pasta specialties.

         

It seems that everybody is raving about Amici di Don Bosco so, one day, off my Bea and I went to Don Bosco in Makati. As expected, there was a long list of pasta dishes to choose from. My head reeling in confusion, I ordered the tagliatelle ai funghi misti (P180) since we both love mushrooms. It has mixed mushrooms in red sauce, and is served with a piece of bread smeared with pesto. We also had a prosciutto pizza (P250) and orange juice (P75/carton) to wash them down. Honestly, I don't think we will be going back to Amici after sampling the pasta, which tasted as flat as the noodles. It's so bland that I wondered if they've ever heard of 'herbs and spices.' I'm sure a lot of Amici fans will disagree about that, but, as I always say--to each his own (taste).

         

For many of us, it's a little-known fact that Yellow Cab Pizza Co. is an original Filipino business venture. Since its inception in 2001, we've always assumed that it's an international franchise, given its name, the modern minimalist interiors, and the images of the Big Apple displayed in all of its stores. So it comes as a surprise to learn that the chain is actually as Pinoy as Jollibee.

Now this one I know many will agree: the Charlie Chan chicken pasta (P185-regular order; P95-half order, available in selected branches) from Yellow Cab is a real delight! Full-packed with flavor, it has chicken strips, shiitake mushrooms (YUM!) and roasted peanuts in a mildly spicy oriental sauce. I have actually elevated it to my list of feel-good foods. It's so delicious that I have an insatiable appetite for it. I crave it day after day. Whoever came up with this recipe deserves my gratitude.

         

Sometimes, one finds something good from an unlikely place. At best, one would expect excellent cakes and sandwiches from a coffee/espresso shop. But aside from great cakes, sandwiches and its signature drinks, the pasta marinara (P200) from Mocha Blends is also a smart choice. It has hefty potions of seafoods like squid rings, mussels and shrimps. The sauce is a nice blend of sun-ripened tomatoes, herbs and parmesan cheese. The pasta goes really well with the garlic bread that comes with it. Actually, the Mocha Blends garlic bread basket (in the background - P70) is one of my Bea's favorites. She's crazy about it!

What they say is true: you'll never know if something is good unless you try it. So who knows, maybe one day I will be harping on the best puttanesca in town?