Hey There, Have You Eaten?
This entry is all about food, food and food. So, I am warning you. If by any circumstances you won’t be able to eat after reading this, spare yourself the agony.
I woke up a while ago, incredibly hungry but not sure of what to eat. I want something good without too much calories. I managed to lose about 10 or 12 lbs, since I started working in Ambergris. The last thing I want to happen is to blow up to 100 again.
I opened the cupboard hoping that we still have Trix. To my dismay, I found out that we’re down to a box of Froot Loops and Captain Crunch. I am very picky with my cereals. In my case, if it’s not Trix, Cookie Crisp or Snow Flakes, then forget it. Well anyways, I just got a packet of Q-Vita (Cereal Drink from Quaker Oats), poured it in a cup with hot water and voila, I had breakfast.
Knowing that it was also time to do the grocery, I made a list of the things we need to buy. We definitely need to buy eggs. Considering that my daughter and I love eggs so much to the extent that we eat it raw, it is one of the staple must-haves in our fridge. Then it all started there. Rather than doing a to-buy-list, I ended up making a list of the foods I really, really love.
More than anything else, I am thankful that Pao and I are both fans of Japanese and Italian foods.
Let’s start with Japanese foods: I remember how we got hooked with the sushis of Omakase in Libis, that we go there after our shift, even if it’s a bit out of the way. My Sykes friends and I were able to have a buffet breakfast in Saisaki a few weeks before I resigned. Well, they were so surprised to see how I feasted on Tako Sushi, Salmon Sashimi, California Temaki and Zaru Soba (Mmmm, Zaru Soba)… love them fresh and cold! They just started with their first plate; I’m done with my third. Well, my servings were conservative in the first place, as opposed to their heaping this-is-my-last-meal plates. Whenever Pao and I eat in Ebizu (Eastwood City ), we just buy the appetizers. We love their Agedashi Tofu, their Gyoza and their Crabsticks with Cream Cheese (I remember making this recipe; when I brought this to the office, the LDRs feasted on it, that nothing was left for Paolo). Sad to say, when I was pregnant with Andy, I realized right there and then that he’s not a big fan of seafoods. I used to love Uni Sushi, but when I was conceiving, I found myself nauseous with the mere sight of it. So for a few months, I put Jap foods at the bottom of my list.
Being pregnant with Andy made me crave for meat, anything dark, and the Hoisin Sauce of SoHo Paseo Center (I swear there is something in that hoisin sauce! Hehe).
I also love Italian foods. I remember how Mel, Jude and I used to have lunch in Piadina (Glorietta) after shift. I would always order for Pesto with a dash of chili-garlic oil. My love for Italian foods made me experiment for sauces. Some of them were not good, because I hated the taste, personally. Some turned out to be a good recipe. My mom is very picky when it comes to food. She’s very OC with taste… too sweet… too salty… too hot… One time, I cooked spaghetti. At first, she told me that the sauce looks so thick, and the pasta looks so greasy. I just told her to try it first… the first taste left her speechless. The same thing happened when I was in the US. My cousin Jerus is also picky with food. I volunteered to cook one dinner. Lo and behold, he loved it as well. He even told my Tita Lynne that that is how he wants his sauce to be.
I also love pizza: all pizzas, no matter what the flavor is, are all good. Shakey’s, CPK, Pizza Hut, Greenwich, Yellow Cab, name it, I love it. Papa John’s is a pizza place in California. I love their pizza, because it’s not oily and they have either ranch or marinara dip that goes with it. How I wish they got a franchise here in the Philippines. Some people find it odd whenever I blot my pizza. After seeing how I need to use about 2 or 3 napkins to get all the excess oil out of a single slice, I think you should know by now the reason why.
My Amber friends already have an idea how addicted I am with McDonald’s. I don’t mind having McDonald’s for breakfast, lunch and dinner; I don’t mind having McDonald’s every single day. For breakfast, it’s either Big Breakfast or Hot Cake Ala Mode (I buy a sundae cone to top my pancakes). For lunch and dinner, it’s either Cheeseburger Meal or Chicken Nuggets. If I can’t afford to be sleepy afterwards, I stick with the cheeseburger. For some odd reasons, chicken always makes me long to hit the sack. Of course, McDonald fries always go well with their McChicken sauce, so that’s a definite extra order. Unlike a lot of people, I really am not a big fan of Hot Fudge. I go for the sweet gooey Caramel Sundae (yum yum yum).
Mmmm, speaking of ice creams: I simply love ice creams! Here are a few of my faves: I don’t know if you’ve tried it, but the ice cream in Ministop tastes so good, it can be considered a gourmet ice cream. If you happen to see a Haagen Dazs Ice Cream Store, try their Macadamia Nut and request for Chocolate chips. Believe me, you’ll love it. Pao also introduced me to Vanilla Swiss Almond; and you know what? It’s a blast: love the crunch; love the flavors… perfect! Another flavor that I love so much is the Mixed Berries of F.I.C. It tastes so refreshing and mind you, it’s sugar free! If you happen to be in Floyds or in that place in Podium where they sell crepes and ice cream, don’t forget to request mini mallows to go with your Mixed Berries. The taste and the texture are just heavenly, simply immaculate! For cheap thrills, however, I still go for dirty ice cream. There’s something about the flavors: the chocolate, doesn’t taste exactly like chocolate; the same goes true with the cheese; they all smell like the patani seed. So what? I loved it as a Kindergarten student, and I still do even now that I have a Kindergarten daughter.
Don’t get me wrong. I ain’t that picky with my foods… ako pa? Bring on those isaw, betamax (coagulated pork blood), balut and one day olds (mwehehehe). Don’t forget the sinamak on the side! I remember when I was in College, I could eat about 20 to 30 sticks of tenga, isaw and chicharon bulaklak medley in one sitting, thanks to the influence of my MC Sanggunian family. Lalo na when we’re in UP (you know that isawan near the post office?) Grabe, we start around 6 or 7, and wouldn’t leave ‘til it’s 9 or 10. Some of us were hesitant to try it, but it only took one bite for them to get hooked. When I was pregnant with Raisha, I can finish about 7 baluts in a day (no wonder she’s so hairy).
Hmmm, what else? For Pinoy ulams, I love Chicken Tinola, Sinigang na Baboy, Nilagang Baka, Bicol Express, Ginataang Alimasag, Ginataang Kuhol and of course, Dinuguan! My dad used to cook this one Ilonggo viand, I forgot what they call it, but it has red beans, saluyot and okra with the dish. For dry viands, I love Pritong talong with toyomansi or grilled eggplant smothered with olive oil and garlic. Tinapang galunggong has more flavors compared to tinapang bangus, so I like it better. If you happen to go to Batanggas, don’t leave without buying tilapia. The meat is not dry and flaky. There’s this one type of mango, in Mindoro, they call it “paho”. It tastes so good most especially with chopped sibuyas Tagalog (believe me, this onion is much sweeter than scallions) and Native tomatoes. This mix, called ensaladang paho, goes well with the tilapia, be it fried or grilled. Kapag ito na ulam, magkakamay talaga ako. Some of my friends would tell me that they don’t eat foods like these; well, poor them… they’re depriving themselves of the thrill.
Crap, this blog is starting to make me hungry (to think that I just ate.). I better stop before I drool on the keyboard. Well anyways, these are just a few (yes, a few) of my favorite foods. How about you, what makes you drool?
