Cooking Tip: Fresh is Always Best

In cooking, it starts with the produce that you buy from the market or grocery store. There are some produce that I buy in the market and there are some that I buy at the grocery store. I'm currently lucky to have a mini-market two blocks away from where we live. Some days, I don't have any planned meal in mind and I just figure it out when I'm in the market. I let my senses lead me to the freshest and most beautiful produce I could find on a certain visit.

I'm grateful for my mom for bringing me to markets when I was a kid. I learned about traveling inside a big market, being friends with sellers and butchers and knowing when a certain produce is fresh or not.

 
{image source}

Here are some of the tips I follow when in I shop for fresh produce:

On Buying Fresh Produce
(1) Do the squeeze test and look for bumps and bruises before buying.
(2) Take your time. Fresh produce is vital to our diet and it is worth shopping around for.
(3) Be friendly with local grocer owner/s or market sellers or butchers. They will be of great assistance should you need help in finding the right produce for you.

On Choosing Fresh Produce
(1) The freshest produce are the ones in season--take advantage! In spring, buy apricots, artichokes, asparagus, avocados, beets, carrots. In summer, buy berries, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, figs and garlic. In fall, buy apples, broccoli, fennel, pears, sweet potatoes.
(2) Buying out-of season produce does not mean it's not fresh. It may only mean that the produce may be smaller or weaker in taste compared to in-season produce.

On Buying Vegetables
(1) Be selective. Examine each vegetable individually. Be on the lookout for rotten pieces mixed in with the good group.
(2) Look for bright color.
(3) Check for firmness and crispiness. If you see wrinkles or wilted looking greens, that is not fresh at all.

On Buying Ripe Produce
(1) Remember that overly ripe produce is squishy and overly juicy.
(2) Check the color. If a produce has pale color, choose another one that has more color.

On Buying Fresh Fish
(1) Look for bright and clear eyes, plus shiny, metallic and clean skin.
(2) Fresh fish smells like clean water or has a scent of the ocean.
(3) The place where you buy seafood should not stink! If you find yourself in a fish market that reeks, leave.

On Buying Fresh Meat
(1) Look at the color. Beef should have reddish color, pork should be pink, poultry should be white or pale yellow.
(2) Smell the produce. Avoid buying if the meat has a rancid or strange smell.

These are some of the tips that I normally follow whenever I do my shopping at the market or grocery stores. Hope these few suggestions will help you in finding the fresh produce you need for cooking.

**This post is also in response to Fave Diets Blog's monthly Healthy Bite. The question for April is "What is your favorite healthy cooking tip or trick?"

Pre-Natal: Tom and Ara

It's always such a joy hearing news of couples having a baby. And it's always extra special when those kind of news come from good friends.

When I learned about Tom and Ara's pregnancy, I screamed with so much delight. Ara and I were walking on the beach a few days after my birthday when she told me the news about her pregnancy. I was totally ecstatic when she told me I will be the godmother of their little bundle of joy, it felt like a belated birthday gift.

 

Two weeks ago, our barkada were at the park to celebrate a friend's birthday. We took the opportunity to take a few shots of the soon-to-be parents Tom and Ara.

Chris and I thought it was the perfect concept for a pre-natal shoot. Trees for the symbol of life. Autumn colors which symbolize the season. Changing of leaves for the symbol of growth.

To make the pre-natal shoot a bit different and more special, I asked our other girlfriends to join in the shoot.

 

We hope that when Tom and Ara's little bub sees this photos of ours in a few years, she will know how much she means to us.

 

This is my Husband and I's first pre-natal shoot and we are grateful that Tom and Ara trusted us in capturing a very special moment of their lives.

Pre-natal Shoot for Tom and Ara
Bicentennial Park (NSW, Australia)
17 April 2010

All photos by Chris and Ivy Sanchez, copyright 2010.
Cameras: Canon 7D, 30D and 400D.
Lenses: Canon 17-85mm, Canon 50mm and Fujinon 55mm
Flash: Canon 430EX and Canon 270EX

Fruit Fixes For The Day

I get my fruit fixes for the day by eating fruits during morning and afternoon tea. Sometimes, I make fruits my appetizers before my main course for lunch and dinner. Or make them my after dinner snack.

For my morning tea at work, I bring fruits in small containers. I slice them in small pieces the night before and keep them in the fridge together with my lunch box.

I have a foldable, re-usable fork (got them from instant cup noodles) that I use so I don't have to pick the fruits with my fingers.

The fruits I bring to work are usually watermelon, green apple, kiwi and grapes.

On days I wasn't able to prepare a fruit box, I buy bananas or strawberries on the way to work. Good thing we have a fruit shop a few doors ways from my office.

In the afternoons, I usually just have a warm lemonade or calamansi juice with honey when I arrive home. Aside from being a soothing drink for the throat, I also get my dose of vitamin C from it.

How do you get your fruit fix for the day?

Cheesecake on the 39th Month

It's always the small things that matter...and today being our special day of the month, My Husband brought home a slice of cheesecake for us to share.

McCafe's Cheesecake

No fancy-schmancy dinner, no flowers, no chocolates...just cheesecake. One slice of a simple chocolate cheesecake. That's how we like it and that's how we roll.

Happy 39th month, dearest sweetest Husband! Thank you for the yummy cheesecake.

Affirmation: Value Quiet Moments

Affirmation:

I value my quiet moments
as much as I value
being with
those I love.

 
{image source}

Personal Reflection:

As a wife that juggles several roles (sometimes, even in just one day), life can be pretty overwhelming. It is of normal occurrence that a friend would tell me, "You are always on-the-go" or "Ang dami mong racket/gimik! (you have a busy social life)". And I agree, I do have an active life. Other than being a wife, I manage a home, have a full-time job, I have relatives and friends that I regularly see and parties that I organize with them, I blog and maintain friendships online too, I read a book and watch TV everyday, my parents and I talk on the phone every weekend (one to two hours) and my husband and I have our projects (photography and graphic design) as well. I have a full life and I'm happy that everyday, I'm productive as I can be.

Do I get tired? Yes, once in a while I do get tired. But almost always, being with family and friends and doing things I love, never really exhaust me. They are actually the source of my joy and adrenalin.

However, I have one big secret that I will share with you---and that is how I'm able to manage my time well and not end up exhausted with all my activities.

On top of all the things I do on a daily and weekly basis, I'm able to allot time for myself (that's why I sometimes blog about my "Me" time). Time for myself is a sacred, sacred, sacred thing. I have my daily quiet times and I have my weekly "Me" times.

A few years back, doing all the things I love made me feel very tired and sometimes I hated going to work. Then I learned about the value of having quiet moments and having "me" times. It did wonders to me physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually when I started allotting time for myself on a daily and weekly basis. Nowadays, I rarely experience PMS or get depressed and I like going to work even on a Monday.

Here are some ways I'm able to have my quiet times in day:

1. I wake up a few minutes before the alarm and just stay in bed for awhile. Eyes still closed, I'd say my morning prayers and count my blessings.

2. In the afternoon, I'd sometimes have an extra 30-40 minutes of walking. I get to de-stress and exercise when I do that.

3. I go home early and have a quiet moment at home while cooking dinner and waiting for my Husband to come home from work. The first 15 minutes that I arrive home, I spend sitting down while I sip a glass of warm honey lemon juice or a glass of wine.

4. On Fridays when I'm off from work, I spend a few hours at a cafe, have a cup of coffee while I write on my journal.
Those are just a few usual things I do to achieve a more balanced and stable spirit. You can be more creative and adjust the activities so that it'll suit you more.
 
The best thing I learned in having quiet moments is that I never run out of energy to fulfill my duties, I'm more at peace and I'm able to give more quality time for others.
Wishing you all a great week!

Recipe: Homemade Gambas Al Ajillo

I love the versatility of this famous tapas dish, a favorite of mine whenever I dine at Spanish restaurants.

You can serve this as an appetizer and eat it as it is or you can eat it with a slice of French Bread. Perfect while having a sip of Sangria or white wine.

For us Filipinos, this dish is a good compliment to rice.

Traditionally, this is cooked in a heat resilient bowl and is served sizzling. But since, I'm only doing this at home and I don't have any sizzling plates, I only serve it hot and fresh from the pan.


What you need:

5 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil or Extra Light Olive Oil
4 cloves of garlic, finely minced
1 Lemon, juiced
1/2 kilo Prawns, shelled
1 tbsp Paprika
1 tsp Chili Flakes (you can add more if you it super spicy)
2 tsp Parsley
Salt to taste

What you need to do:

1. Saute garlic in EVOO

2. Add lemon juice, paprika and chili flakes. Stir for one minute.

3. Throw in your prawns and cook til it turns orange.

4. Season with salt.

5. Transfer to a serving plate and sprinkle with Parsley before serving.

Bon appetit!

Girly Gifts from my Mom and Mama-in-Law

Whenever my Mom gets a chance to send me something, she always sends me some girly stuff that she thinks I would like. My Mom is my fashionista godmother. She always buys me girly, fasyon stuff from the Philippines and she never fails to amuse me with her gifts.

The latest package she sent included a pair of evening shoes (didn't take a photo because I will be wearing it to a wedding I'm attending next month) and this shiny hair clip. 

 My Mama-in-law also plays a generous fairy godmother to me. She always sends me accessories. My mom and her usually have shopping dates together, I sometimes wish I was with them. I can imagine how enjoyable that could be. When my mom sent me this latest package, my Mama-in-law sent me a couple of earrings.

How lucky can I get to have a very thoughtful Mom and have an equally generous Mother-in-law?

 

Ensemble: "Follow Your Heart" shirt by Mango, jeans by Esprit, black bolero by Paper Scissors and watch by DKNY.

Hen's Party at The Tea Room, Drinks at The Royal George

I had one of the most fabulous afternoons with my girls on Saturday (10 April 2010).

In celebration of our good friend Hilda's birthday and upcoming wedding, we organized a Hen's party for her at The Tea Room.

It was a High Tea affair so we all dressed up to the nines as we sipped our choice of tea/coffee and enjoyed delicious cakes, pastries, sandwiches and scones.

The pastries and sandwiches were served in three-tiered serving racks on very classy English-inspired plates. Not only did our table looked so alive with all the food but the dining ware and glassware made it more vibrant and abundant. It was so lovely.

The food was a winner. Not only did they looked inviting and cute but they tasted great too. Worth every penny spent. 

My plate: a slice of egg sandwich, a scone (it's big!) and a mini-cupcake.

Since we were in a celebratory mood, we had champagne!!! Happiness is drinking champagne at 12 noon with your girlfriends haha! :).

I was the official photographer of the event but my Husband also came with me to the restaurant so he can take photos of the group for a few minutes. The minute the food were being served he left me to my own devices.

This was my first time to shoot a Hen's party and I'm very challenged by the fact that the star of the day is a friend of mine. I have seen Hilda in so many different light and we have gone thru a lot of good and bad times together. There is a certain level of familiarity between us already because we practically treat each other as sisters. I was afraid that familiarity will make me take some things for granted when I'm taking photographs of her.

Days before this event, I had to think of different scenarios inside my head. I came up with a very concrete idea on what I want to capture that day. Other than the food, the place and the scenes that will take place, I wanted to capture her--her glow, her peace and her happiness.

And this was what I have captured. Here's the lovely and glowing bride-to-be. I'm so so happy for her. 

The group gave her a tiara and sash to wear.

This was not the usual hen's party where you have strippers or naughty games but nevertheless, we played a couple of games and we enjoyed it. Rachelle won on the first game, while I won during the second game. 

As a token for everyone's presence, I made Girly Loot Bags and gave them to the girls. I called it a Girly Loot Bag because each bag contained body wash, lotion, lip gloss and nail emery boards.

After High Tea, some of the girls went home but some of us decided to have more drinks at a bar. My Husband joined us so he took care of taking photos so I can just focus on having fun with my girls.

Rache, Yons, Hilda and I walking in the streets of Sydney.

(This photo reminded me of the Sex in the City girls walking in the streets of New York. I love it!!!!)

We found ourselves a the Ivy (yes, that's the name of the place). The Ivy is a compound of bars and restaurants. It's one of nicest places to dine here in Sydney.

 

We had drinks at The Royal George. Talked some more...laughed some more.

It was one of those perfect Saturday afternoons with friends. We all had a great time especially the Bride-to-be.

Acknowledgements:

To all the girls, for the great time, the laughter and for joining in all the fun. We shall continue this party on the wedding.

To Michelle, for organizing the whole event and for bringing all of us together.

To Rachelle, for the bubblies.

To Abby, for the games that made the afternoon more exciting.

To my husband Chris, who helped me in preparing the Girly Loot Bags, for helping me take photos and for patiently tagging along with us after the High Tea Party. I know you don't mind helping out but I'm truly grateful that you chose to spend your time with us instead of stay home and rest.

To Hilda, thank you for spending your Hen's Party with us. Your friendship means a lot to all of us, no matter what happens, we are always here for you.


All photos by Chris and Ivy Sanchez, Copyright 2010
Canon 7D with 17-85mm lens and Canon 400D with Fujinon 55mm lens
Flash: Canon 430EX

Recipe: Bicol Express

I never cooked this dish when I was in the Phils because my Mom doesn't like spicy foods. I usually order this whenever I'm at restaurants. 



 
Now that I live here in Sydney, I had to learn how to cook this because it's rarely that I eat at Filipino Restaurants.

I only started cooking this dish early this year. I once brought this to a party and my friends loved it. This is a promised post to my friend Rachelle, who's been waiting for me to share this--so here it is Rache, this recipe post is for you. :)

What you need:

2 Tablespoons Canola Oil

4 cloves of garlic, chopped up and smashed
1 large onion, chopped fine

1 small can of Coconut Cream (about 120-150 grams)

1/2 cup of water
200 grams green chillies (you can add more if you want your dish super spicy)
1/2 kilo Pork Rashers
2 teaspoons of Shrimp Paste or Bagoong

300 grams Baguio Beans

Salt, to taste

In preparing your chillies:

1. Remove the stems from the chillies.
2. Take the first half of the chillies, slice lengthwise and remove seeds and piths, then cut into small bits.
3. For the second half of the chillies, cut into small bits pieces with pith and seeds intact.
4. Wear gloves when slicing the chillies so that your fingers won't burn.
5. If you don't want your Bicol Express too spicy, remove ALL seeds and piths.

What you need to do:
1. Saute onion and garlic in oil.

2. Add coconut cream, water and pork. Let it simmer until pork is tender, about 10-15 minutes.
3. Throw in the green chillies and Baguio beans. Continue cooking for about 5 minutes and wait for sauce to thicken.
4. Add the Shrimp paste (Bagoong) and let it sit for a minute or two.

Some tips:
1. You can also use Coconut Milk. I use Coconut Cream because I want my Bicol Express creamier.
2. Adding Baguio Beans are optional. I just like my dishes with vegetables in it.
3. I only use green chillies for Bicol Express because it is milder compared to the red chillies. I tend to be careful with how much chillies I put into this dish because not everyone has the same tolerance for spicy food.

The "My Pilipinas" Moleskine Notebook

It was only two weeks after the "My Pilipinas" Moleskine Notebook was launched that I got the nerve to ask my mom if she can buy me one. I was kind of hesitant to ask her because she might negatively say "What kind of expensive notebook is that?". But when I learned that my uncle's going to Manila to visit, I can't help but request her to buy me one since she also asked what I want from the Phils.

So I sheepishly asked her, "Mom, there's this notebook that I want. It's called a Moleskine notebook and it has this Philippine map drawn on the front page with the words "My Pilipinas". It's a collaboration of Moleskine, National Bookstore and Collezione C2--you know the one that makes shirts with the Philippine map? Anyway, the Moleksine is my favorite notebook and I really really like it, plus it would be nice to have one that has a Pilipinas map on it. Can you please buy me one?"

Oh diba? Ang haba ng explanation. Take note, that I didn't initially mention the cost of the notebook hehe.

To which my mom replied, "Okay, where can I buy one?' So I told her, "National Bookstore".

But of course, I had to mention how much it is so she know what she's getting herself into.

To my surprise, she just said, "Oh well, you've always liked expensive notebooks even when you were little." Hehe. So my mom knows me well.

Then came a follow-up request of, "Mom, can you buy me one tomorrow? Because it was launched two weeks ago and they said they only made 4,800 pieces...so baka maubos na."

I know, demanding. I even had to ask my plurkmates on where else my parents can find "My Pilipinas" Moleskines just incase they ran out of stock in NB Megamall (that's where my Mom was headed to when we talked).

So the following day, my parents trooped down to Megamall and thank goodness, according to my Mom, there were still a lot of "My Pilipinas" Moleskines at NB Megamall. The moment she texted me that she got me one, I'm one happy, relieved camper. Yay!

I'm so glad I got my "My Pilipinas" Moleskine last week. Thanks Mom and Dad!!!!! I now have a second Moleskine waiting to be used. 

I was a bit disappointed that it wasn't made in hardcover but seeing the print of the Philippine map was good enough for me--makes me feel proud that Moleskine made a special edition for the Philippines.

The "My Pilipinas" Moleskine comes in two sizes: pocket size @ P995.00 and large size @ P1,480.00, both in plain and ruled versions. Available in selected National Bookstore branches and Collezione C2 branches.

Holy Week and Easter Spent with Family

There are some occasions that I exclusively spend with family and relatives, one of those are Holy Week and Easter, for the simple reason that my clan usually have some activities planned during this time and it is tradition that we celebrate the Easter festivities together.

It is of normal occurrence that my Grandma's birthday falls on the week of Holy Week. On Holy Monday, we celebrated her 81st birthday . 

On the morning of Good Friday, we were at the airport to pick up my uncle who vacationed in the Phils for a few days.

From the airport, we drove back to their place where my Husband and I spent the whole day catching up with our relatives as we enjoyed eating Baked Salmon, Ginataang Hipon with Kalabasa for lunch and dinner and homemade Turon for afternoon snack.

Black Saturday, since our goal is to have a more relaxing weekend with less household and cooking chores, we decided to have breakfast at one of our favorite cafes. We arrived at the cafe early to avoid the morning crowd and to have a more peaceful breakfast. We just shared a slice of toasted banana bread as we sipped our cups of Choffee.

Back at home for lunch, I cooked half a kilo of Green King Prawns in butter and garlic, dipped in Calamansi sauce. It was fresh and delicious, with a taste of sweetness.

For dinner, we had Blue Swimmer Crabs, again dipped in Calamansi sauce. Another winner. It's so fat, we were so full after devouring them.

On Easter Sunday, we all trooped down to church to attend mass, then went straight to Prospect Reservoir for our Easter Lunch party.

Every year, someone wears the Easter bunny costume and we have our photos taken with the "bunny". 

Other than chit chat, laugh and eat, we also played Bingo!

We went home happy and well-spent with lots of chocolate Easter eggs and bunnies in tow.

 

Photos by Chris and Ivy Sanchez, Copyright 2010

Canon 7D with 17-85mm lens and Canon 400D with Fujinon 55mm lens.