spiCes

the other night, we had dinner at Fireflys on a whim. it was a totally unplanned decision right after we picked up M from the train station. and it was go-ood! the kids had burgers and mac n cheese with french fries while M and i shared a platter of BBQ ribs and chicken with sweet potato fries, french fries and corn muffins. add to that a complimentary bowl of pickled cucumber, which is so refreshingly delicious. plus they also had complimentary chocolate chip cookies, huge ones mind you and candies!!! all for $23! beat that! just a simple comparison would be a meal for 4 at any fast food burger place would total to around $18. and if we really wanted burgers, which might be getting more often and going through fat burner reviews is in order… Firefly’s burger is definitely a much better choice for almost the same price with extras!!! that is to conclude that we are going to be regular customers of this nearby Barbecue restaurant. and i can’t wait to try out their other yummy grubs! next week, maybe?

Lasang Pinoy, Sundays theme this week is ROLLED. It worked out perfectly coz I have this stuffed pork roast with spinach and mushroom ready to roll, so to speak . This pork started as a pork loin. I cut it in half without going all the way to the bottom, and then butterflied the sides to get a flattened pork plank, pretty much. Once that’s done, stuffing it with anything you like is a breeze.

READ THE REST @ FEISTY COOK’s page!!! 

thanks again to Dexie for co-hosting with me!

Join us for Lasang Pinoy, Sundays: ROLLED then. Just leave your link in the comments below and we’ll follow you.

what’s that? before you scroll down…can you at least try guessing first? demanding! haha!
this has been part of our weekly ritual…the hubs and myself, that is. more often than not, Saturday mornings are spent in this place while the kids are in their karate class. it’s also the only ‘our-time’…and we make good use of it…

with…

dining…dimsum style!:)
kakainin lang po nitong mga larawan na ito, sa kadahilanang nagpunta kaming mag-asawa sa Doctor kaninang umaga para sa aming flu shots at blood test naman para k M…at syempre pa…wala ang mga bata…nasa school…kaya dito kami dumiretso! pramis! haha!

syempre pa ang paborito naming…chicken feet ay hindi mawawala sa order:) sarap!!!
lahok para sa Litratong Pinoy…na may temang…BALAK!

Let me start with the warmest thank you to all of you who dropped by FISHBALLZinc’s FISHbook page hee! and for adding it on your fan pages!!! MWAH MWAH to y’all! M cannot extend his gratitude enough for your kindness.

this on the other hand is M’s very recent addition to the page…the Anatomy of Pinoy Street Food. As mentioned in our previous meme,  any suggestions and comments are most welcome.  Are we missing out on something? btw, thanks to Ms.K, Karen of Pots and Pans for correcting that ISAW part:) isaw is apparently the small intestines.  so what’s the large intestine called?  do we see it on the streets too?

Just a short reminder:
We are on anything goes mode for the whole month of September…whatever your hearts [and palates] desire! My apologies too for slacking a bit on my rounds…i have been slumped the past couple of months. and i know this month as well won’t be any different mainly due to the start of school again this coming Wednesday. Thank you for your patience.

is a weekly thematic FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY meme. Pinoy style!

“Beans, Beans, the Musical Fruit” is a schoolyard saying and children’s song about the capacity for beans to contribute to flatulence.[1] The song is also variously known as “Beans, Beans, the Miracle Fruit” and “Beans, Beans, the Wonderful Fruit”. One variation of the song is titled “Beans, Beans, They’re Good for Your Heart.”[source: Wiki]

BEANS in my burrito. i like! [not too much though, haha!] i had to specifically give proper instructions to have them in a separate bowl since M doesn’t want his burrito with beans. they were from Chipotle, where i first learned to appreciate rice and tortilla eaten together! lol! we used to have them in New York, street food fashion. i wasn’t much of a fan although they were authentic [read: made by true blood Mexicans lol!] the ones from Chipotle were humongous, good for 2 and deliciously spiCy, the way i want it!:)

is a weekly thematic FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY meme, Pinoy style! eat your beans!:)

…generously sprinkled with freshly grated parmigiano reggiano a.k.a. parmesan cheese, this Spaghetti alla Puttanesca imitation turned out really delicious! made with linguine instead and without the capers but with the luxury of meat and of course tomatoes and olives.

as it was known, this pasta was originally made for a group of friends who came in heavily starved one night in a famous Italian restaurant, but the owners ran out of ingredients and so made something out of what was available then…olives, capers and tomatoes. the 3 main components in making Puttanesca. my version….with a sprinkling of lots and lots of fresh basil and fresh cheese!!!!

Spaghetti alla puttanesca (whore’s spaghetti) is a spicy, tangy and somewhat salty Italian pasta dish that culinary experts regard as modern and reflects the bounty of the market rather than the garden. The ingredients are inexpensive, easy to find and typically Mediterranean. Italians refer to the sauce as sugo alla puttanesca. [source:wiki]

is a weekly thematic FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY meme, Pinoy style! this btw, was still part of my birthday pow-wow and also for my late mama. we happen to have 1 day in between our special days. and a cousin recently enlightened me about how i must have been the best birthday blessing she ever received on her birthday then!:) a gazillion years ago! yikes! haha!

…one ordinary day when i craved for something truly Pinoy tasting like Chicken Afritada and did not exactly have all the required ingredients. the twist? i used a can of Minestrone in lieu of potatoes and olives. i only had to remove the pasta that’s inside the can and voila! Afritada to the bones! hee! even the beans made the stew  better with that unexpected starchy texture and taste.  i can aptly say that this can also be called Chicken Minestrone meets Chicken and Beans Afritada, whateva! haha!

an entry to

Happy nth! birthday again to my dear M. we did not do much on a supposedly very special milestone in one’s lifetime. o alam nyo na ang edad nya? life begins nga! hee!
bakit? overtime! ang lolo ninyo! sabado, which was his exact birthday, at maging noong linggo. pero ayos lang. sa panahon ngayon, wala tayong karapatang magreklamo, ika nga.

kaya dito kami nauwi…nanginain sa isang malapit na restoran na matagal na naming minamataan. A Cantonese-Polynesian Restaurant in the city.

Great food…love the peking duck combo platter! it has everything under it too! prawns, beef, mushrooms, carrots, water chestnuts, french beans. even the kids loved their chicken teriyaki, cheese roll and pork ribs platter! friendly and prompt service, fairly priced and according to my kids…it’s like a hotel inside. must be the glimmering mini chandeliers and the smell. the smell of clean, if i may say so. we are definitely coming back.

The Cathay Pacific Restaurant
111 Hancock St
North Quincy, MA 02171
(617) 328-1115

Lahok para sa na may temang…Lahat ay Payak. Btw, the day ended up with a surprise home-made coffee and walnut birthday cake! Sorry, the cake photos aren’t as good due to poor lighting and let’s-get-this-over-and-done-with-moment photo shoot. sheesh!

Welcome to another week of foodplay, if i may say so. Looking at the photos of this Pan-Roasted Lime Marinated Pork Tenderloin with Mango Salsa and Almond Rice Pilaf, I believe foodplay is perfectly inherent. I had so much fun making this dish a few days ago…the tenderloins served warm and rice pilaf…toasty, the mango salsa , oh so refreshing. delicioso!
What made it more enjoyable was the photo shoot, of course.

…first, it was the star of the show this week…the SLICED PORK TENDERLOIN.

…funny how the salsa and other garnish came in second, you might ask? ..the RICE pilaf was just a hurried decision. i completely erased that part due to lack of exact ingredients until M and I decided, what the heck…make do with what we have. and guess what…still, yummy maybe even better! and without it, the whole enchilada [as they say] will not taste as good!

…i am posting the recipe in a few! and this brings us to the last part of this so-called foodplay! showing it off! hee! now, it’s your turn!

is a weekly thematic FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY meme, PINOY style!

Toppings, rice toppings…to be more precise, is what this theme is all about. I remember this was a very popular way of serving fast food back in the Philippines and I must be feeling a little bit nostalgic and reminiscing on good ‘ol days. It used to be very popular especially to students and office workers as it offers filling combo meals at prices that wont hurt one’s pocket. Please indulge me as to whether this is still the case nowadays.

This PORK BINAGOONGAN on RICE on a bowl was a result of another fervent craving for an all authentic Filipino dish a few weeks ago. I tweaked it a little bit by adding steamed asparagus on the side for some palate cleansing. T’was good!:)

is a weekly thematic FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY meme, Pinoy style!