Hooters opens ‘Hoots’ without skimpy outfits

NEW YORK, United States — Hooters is hoping people really do like it for its food.

Hooters Management Corp., a licensee of Hooters of America, says it opened a restaurant Monday that doesn’t feature waitresses in tight tops. It says the “Hoots” restaurant outside Chicago has people ordering at the counter rather than at tables, from male and female employees.

Neil Kiefer, CEO of Hooters Management Corp., says the restaurant in Cicero, Illinois, is a test and it will serve only about a dozen menu items, including chicken wings.

Hooters, which first opened in Clearwater, Florida, in 1983 became known for its scantily-clad waitresses serving beer and chicken wings.

The move comes as the restaurant industry faces flat customer traffic, though fast-food places are expected to steal business from sit-down chains, according to The NPD Group.

The U.S. had 337 Hooters restaurants in 2015, down from 340 in 2014, industry tracker Technomic said. CBB

source: business.inquirer.net

Replace Your Bland Grilled Cheese Sandwich With These Savory Creations

Sandwiches have always been the go-to meal for anyone who just wants a quick bite during the day, and usual favorites include simply putting cheese or peanut butter and jelly in between two slices of bread. While these are tasty to some, we somehow still look for something that’s different and would actually fill our stomachs aside from the mainstream delis we see everywhere.

And then, there’s Alley, a restaurant-café that serves up savory sandwiches and other comfort food items that your hungry soul can indulge in any time of the day.

Inspired by her brother’s trip to Spain, Alley co-owner Bern Tenchavez explains that “of all the restaurants he’s eaten in in Spain, what he liked the most were the ones located in alleys,” which is why the restaurant’s interiors are reminiscent of the country.

Meanwhile, head chef Thirdy Dolatre makes sure that their dishes are made fresh to keep up their home-cooked vibe. Even the potato bread that they use for their sandwiches are freshly baked in their kitchen thanks to Thirdy’s previous stint at Wildflour.

One of their popular creations is the Pattycake, which is a meat lover’s dream. This sandwich boasts of a juicy Angus beef patty, along with crispy onion strings, and melted cheddar cheese, all squeezed between two slices of toasted potato bread. You can bet that this is a fancier version of the classic cheeseburger, and instead of french fries, you get a side dish of baked chicharon with a tangy orange and star anise dip.

Another favorite is Breakfast in Bread, which is pretty self-explanatory as it contains almost all breakfast staples like smoked bacon, fried eggs, cheddar cheese, and strawberry jam. There’s no need to order a big morning platter when you bite into this sandwich.

And while you’re chowing down, you can also order a cup of Breaking Bad, Alley’s signature coffee blend, to wash it down. “[It’s] strong and addictive,” Bern assures. “It’s the first thing you’ll look for in the morning.”

But we beg to disagree because the good food from this homey restaurant will be our first and last thought of the day because of how full we’ll be after each meal.

Alley. The Grove Retail Row, The Grove by Rockwell, 117 E. Rodriguez Jr. Avenue, Ugong, Pasig City. (0917) ­808-3270. Open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. For more information, visit their Facebook page.

Source: Renz Nollase for Northern Living, “Ode to Form,” February 2016.



Photo by Patrick Segovia

source: preen.inquirer.net

Burger King has cologne for hamburger lovers in Japan

TOKYO — For hamburger aficionados who can’t get enough of it, Burger King has an answer: a grilled burger-scented fragrance.

Burger King said Friday that the limited “Whopper” grilled beef burger-scented cologne will be sold only one day on April 1, and only in Japan.

Sounds too good to be true? But it’s not an April Fools’ Day joke. The date marks the “Whopper” burger day for the company.

The limited “Flame Grilled” fragrance can be purchased at 5,000 yen ($40) per purchase of the burger that comes with flame-grilled beef. There will be only 1,000 of them.

Burger King said it hoped the scent would also seduce new grill-beef burger fans.

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

How to eat ramen, according to the Ramen King

“How can people eat ramen more deliciously? How can people enjoy it more? That’s something I’m always thinking of,” said Ippudo founder and Ramen King Shigemi Kawahara, who has devoted 30 years of his life to raising ramen standards.

There is a right way to make ramen and, you might be surprised, there is a right way to eat ramen, too.

“Most people, when they get their first bowl of ramen, they mix the noodles. This is a normal thing for Asians, but the Japanese don’t eat ramen that way,” Kawahara said.




This is how you should enjoy your ramen, according to the Ramen King:

1. Look and appreciate your bowl of ramen.

2. Take one sip of the broth. Savor the rich soup—it took 10 to 15 hours to make.

3. Start eating the noodles. At Ippudo, you can choose how soft or hard you want your noodles to be.

4. If you want to mix your ramen, do it when you’re halfway through your bowl, not in the beginning.

5. Ippudo provides you with the following condiments: black pepper, sesame seeds and fresh garlic cloves. But, Kawahara said, you shouldn’t use the condiments in the beginning. Wait until you’ve eaten half your ramen. “After that, you can add crushed garlic, two cloves. Black pepper, four turns of the grinder. For the sesame seeds, five turns. But if you want more, you can add more to your liking.”

He added, “Remember what I said, in the beginning, you have to look, appreciate, sip and eat. I think we owe that to the ramen. That’s how the Japanese find the essence in the ramen.”

source: lifestyle.inquirer.net

Father’s Day Special at The Strand Café

MANILA, Philippines – Give dad the best Fathers’ Day celebration he deserves. Treat him with a special lunch or dinner at The Strand Café. The restaurant offers a warm and cozy ambience perfect for family and a place to have a gastronomic experience. 

Dine and avail a minimum worth of Php 1, 200.00 food purchase and dad will receive a special gift and a FREE Drink from The Strand Café. Promo available June 14-15, 2014.

The Strand Café is located along 161 HV dela Costa St., Salcedo Village Makati City. One Pacific Place Serviced Residences is managed by Quantum Hotels and Resorts. For more information please call (02) 304-7777 or visit our website and Facebook page at www.onepacificplaceresidences.com and http://facebook.com/thestrandcafemakati.

source: lifestyle.inquirer.net

Buddha-Bar Manila launches ‘Win a Maserati Promo’

MANILA, Philippines — Dining in luxury has never been this rewarding. Buddha-Bar Manila, the ultimate restaurant and lounge of style, sophistication, and power, brings you the grandest car giveaway via the “Win a Maserati Promo”.

The country’s top dining and party destination, Buddha-Bar Manila is set to launch the biggest offering of the year by giving away a Maserati Ghibli. After the massive success of the “Drink.Dine.Drive promo” where Buddha-Bar Manila raffled a Jaguar XF, comes a more luxurious surprise to metro diners and party philes, as Buddha-Bar Manila parks the most raved Maserati Ghibli on its grounds, teasing every guest who could be the next superstar hitting the road.

Maserati Ghibli 2014, launched earlier this year with commercial tagline “Now We Strike,” is expected to dominate the auto industry worldwide with its top of the line features and excellent service. An assurance of everyday driving enjoyment, the Maserati Ghibli 2014 attracts everyone’s attention with its emphasis on sporty glamour and sharp personality at the same time.

The Maserati Ghibli 2014 is noted for its silhouette that includes front and near mudguards merging into a single central form for a stronger and sleeker look. The world anticipates Maserati Ghibli 2014 as it hits the road with its key features like the Maserati Touch Control (MTC) screen display, equipped with the Bowers & Wilkins Surround Sound system, and a WLAN technology turning your Maserati into a Wi-Fi hotspot.

Making everybody’s dream car come true, Buddha-Bar Manila gives you the chance of owning a Maserati Ghibli 2014 possible. Buddha-Bar Manila’s “Win a Maserati Promo” entitles you to drive the hottest car in town and experience Buddha-Bar Manila’s sumptuous Pacific Rim menu. For a single receipt of P3,000 on a la carte or P25,000 on banquet events, diners and guests get a chance to win a brand new Maserati Ghibli.

Revolutionizing dining and partying in the country, Buddha-Bar Manila pushes for greater ideas, making every visit an experience of a lifetime, with Buddha-Bar Manila’s “Win a Maserati Promo,” your indulgence is worth it. Dine and drive in elegance and style on at Buddha-Bar Manila.

To know more about the “Win a Maserati Promo,” please contact 856-6859 and 856-6719 or visitwww.buddhabarmanila.com

source: lifestyle.inquirer.net

18-treasures feast for Chinese New Year, French féte for Valentine’s Day

Sofitel Philippine Plaza kicks off the Year of the Horse with two important festivities that many Filipinos look forward to—the Chinese New Year and Valentine’s Day.

A preview of Sofitel’s celebrations and offerings for the Chinese New Year and Valentine’s Day was held last Wednesday at Spiral’s Epicure Private Dining Room. Three huge round tables were beautifully set up in the room, each laden with a sumptuous spread of dishes for each occasion.

The dishes for Chinese New Year included Braised Pork Knuckle with Iceberg Lettuce and Oyster Sauce, Steamed King Prawn with Fresh Garlic, Braised Sea Cucumber with Minced Chicken Szechuan Sauce; and for Valentine’s Day, Caviar Pie, Green Salad with Cheese and Edible Flowers and dark and white chocolates in all sizes, shapes and flavors.

The middle table was meant for the ceremony of Yusheng to bring good luck to the whole year. Yusheng is a prosperity toss raw-fish salad consisting of strips of raw fish (tuna and salmon) mixed with shredded vegetables (carrots and green radish) and a variety of sauces and condiments, among other ingredients.

The Chinese ceremonial toss was participated in by Sofitel’s Chinese executive chef Mok Chee Wah, food and beverage director Damien Marchenay, sales and marketing director Chanelle Garvey, general manager Adam Laker, resident manager Carl Gagnon and regional executive chef for Asia Pacific Eric Costille.

“Chinese New Year and Valentine’s Day have been two of the most celebrated occasions in the Philippines,” said Laker. “And, Sofitel has lined up fabulous ways to observe these momentous events. We’ve prepared an extensive spread for the Lunar feast and the most romantic dinner for Love Day.”





For Chinese New Year, chef Mok Chee Wah has prepared a special 18 treasures-themed menu, ongoing until Feb. 2 at Spiral, from different regions of China (Cantonese, Szechuan, Shanghainese and Peking-style).

In Chinese numerology and phonetics, the number 18 is associated with prosperity. The 18-treasures menu features 18 types of steamed and fried Hong Kong dim sum, 18 main courses, several live cooking stations, including Mongolian with fresh meat, seafood, and 18 kinds of sauces, lobster laksa with 18 kinds of condiments, and 18 desserts.

Dishes include Braised Sea Cucumber with Szechuan-style minced chicken, Shanghai-style fried spicy chicken, Cantonese-style wok-fried pork chop, and Peking-style wok-fried long bean and minced beef. There are more dishes to feast on, such as Spiral’s signature chili crabs, various Hong Kong roast meats, and foie gras siomai.

On Jan. 29, Spiral will hold a 15-piece fashion show with the Shanghai Nights Collection featuring the look and feel of Shanghai as interpreted by renowned designer Albert Andrada.




On Jan. 30, Chinese New Year’s Eve, there’ll be dragon and lion dance performance at 7:30 p.m. plus fireworks display. A Chinese cultural dance will cap the celebrations at 10 p.m.

French-style Valentine’s

For the love month, Spiral French chef Bettina Arguellas will sprinkle flowers on dishes from main courses to desserts to cocktail drinks on Feb. 13-16.





The floral feast starts with barley salad with basil flowers and broccoli, lavender and couscous salad, and glazed spring vegetables with squash flowers. The romantic rendezvous blossoms with peppered lavender beef tenderloin and honey pork loin with plum and lavender relish, deep-fried courgette flowers with basil dip and seared prawns with chamomile beurre blanc.

The French culinary touch is highlighted in other dishes such as Foie Gras and Duck Prosciutto with Compote of Strawberry and Roses and Glazed Iberian Pork Belly with Swiss Chard, Lavender Poached Apples and Grape Mustard Vinaigrette.

On Feb. 14, guests can have a private dinner for two at Sunset Bar. They can indulge in a six-course set menu prepared by Arguellas while being served by a personal butler. The experience will be made even more special with live entertainment by a romantic duo, a bottle of champagne, a box of heart-shaped chocolates, a bouquet of roses and a special gift from Jewelmer.

Singles are not left out on Valentine’s Day. In fact, it’s Black Valentines at Le Bar with no romantic intonations but rather live entertainment and guaranteed lots of fun to help them forget it’s Valentine’s Day.





For reservations and inquiries on Sofitel’s Chinese New Year and Valentine’s Day treats, call 8326988, 5515555; or e-mail fbreservations@sofitelmanila.com

source:  lifestyle.inquirer.net

Skillet pasta with tomatoes and mushrooms

It was great to finally meet Michelin-star chef Nicolas Isnard during his recent stint at The Tivoli, Mandarin Oriental’s fine dining restaurant. Previously we had only “met” him while he was still in France, via Skype, when we interviewed him before his arrival in Manila.

Aside from preparing degustation and a la carte menus for The Tivoli, which included foie gras façon carbonara, bouillabaisse with saffron, fillet of beef with escargots de Bourgogne and tiramisu au chocolat, the effervescent chef also conducted a cooking demonstration the Saturday before he left Manila.

Chef-owner of the award-winning L’Auberge de la Charme Restaurant near France’s Dijon region, Isnard is known for mixing tradition with innovation. He gives the classic French onion soup, for instance, a contemporary look by deconstructing the main ingredients and serving them in a stark white soup bowl, while his bouillabaisse is prepared with saffron and eggs, which he says is the universal food.

During his cooking demonstration, Isnard showed us how to cook foie gras Carbonara style (with Parmesan foam and mushrooms), Chilean sea bass with lemon-ginger broth and tiramisu au chocolat.

Because there was still some time left, he also showed us how to cook pasta in a tomato-mushroom sauce—without having to pre-boil the pasta. It looked like an amazing dish—and an easy one to recreate at home. With this technique, you save a lot of time since you don’t have to boil the pasta separately.

The pasta also acquires the flavor of the tomatoes (and the chicken stock or broth), since they’re cooked together, Isnard pointed out. Moreover, the pasta becomes creamy, even though no cream has been added to it.

Now that the Christmas season is here, you may want to try cooking this easy pasta dish for your family gatherings.


Skillet Pasta with Tomatoes and Mushrooms

¼ tbsp butter
¼ tbsp olive oil
500 g penne pasta
1 ½   c coarsely chopped tomatoes
½   c chopped black olives
1 ½     c halved cherry tomatoes
½  c halved button mushrooms
3  c chicken stock or chicken broth or water
Salt, to taste
Grated Parmesan cheese

Optional:

Shaved Parmesan cheese
Sun-dried tomatoes
Basil leaves

Heat the butter and olive oil in a large, deep skillet. Add the uncooked pasta and the coarsely chopped tomatoes. Let simmer for one to two minutes then stir in olives, cherry tomatoes and mushrooms.

Pour in chicken stock or chicken broth or water. Season with salt. Continue simmering until pasta becomes al dente, about 8-10 minutes. Grate cheese on top of the pasta then mix gently. Remove from heat.

If desired, add shaved Parmesan cheese and sun-dried tomatoes on top. Garnish with basil leaves. Serve immediately.

For more tips, recipes and stories, visit the author’s blog www.normachikiamco.com and Facebook fan page www.facebook.com/normachikiamco. Follow on Twitter @NormaChikiamco

Cook’s tips

Stir the pasta frequently while it’s simmering so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.

You can also cook the pasta beyond the al dente stage—to a softer texture. Just add more chicken stock or chicken broth or water so it doesn’t dry out.

To shave Parmesan cheese, use a vegetable peeler.

source: lifestyle.inquirer.net

Seared beef sushi that melts gracefully in the mouth

Truly good food and truly bad food are what shock the palate out of torpor—reminding us of how high and wondrous the peaks can be and how deep the troughs.

We should be grateful that in this country our standards are pretty high, and that cheap, flavorful food is never far away. But at the same time, the high-end restaurants should be continually pushing the envelope and maintaining consistent standards.

This week I had the best meal I’ve had in a long time, including those taken on various trips, but I’m not going to review it because it was an invitation from an already well-known chef, Tonyboy Escalante of Antonio’s. It left me spoiled for the rest of the week—I kept looking for that endorphin high; everything else tasted like cardboard and I would compensate for this by adding lots of chili to kick up some flavor.

That weekend, we were hoping to regain our footing in the real world in our usual family haunt, Seryna, but following a recommendation from a friend, we ended up at Mangetsu, on Jupiter Street, Makati City.

The sign said “Fusion Japanese Food,” which put me off. Since Japanese food is not my native cuisine, I’m generally looking for the authentic one.

But as it turned out, the clientele are mostly Japanese, perhaps because they are looking for a twist to their classics, in the similar way we go to restaurants like Sentro and Pia y Damaso because we want a bit of panache in addition to quality.

We’re still insecure enough about our Japanese food knowledge that we need reassurances of authenticity, like dinginess or crowds of salarymen in a cloud of smoke. Or the word “authentic” rather than “fusion” in the sign.

Well-crafted

So, ironically, even if you don’t try sea urchin pasta and various other innovations, and stay with the classics, you’ll find yourself eating well-crafted, well-thought-out contemporary




Japanese food. It’s definitely a cut above a Little Tokyo tavern but with a price tag comfortably below the increasingly exorbitant Sushi Tsumura.

The sashimi platter of the day was not only bountiful, but also didn’t have too much in the way of the filler to pick through, like prawns or crabsticks. Seared beef sushi melted gracefully in the mouth, with the rice clumped just so; you can pick it up and dip it upside down or dunk it in soy sauce with chopsticks as we were, apparently, not supposed to do.

Either way, the rice remained a coherent whole and didn’t fall to bits. It was probably one of the best sushi I’ve had in town.

The shoyu ramen was quietly competent, nothing too showy. The broth was rich, not gloopy, without being thickened with potato flour, as many of the trendy ramen places do to give it sheen and an artificially heightened feeling of unctuousness. (It’s also what makes one feel uncomfortably full afterwards.)

Soft landing

Mangetsu is a place that should have more people than it does, or at least more of us locals eating, at the very least, the non-adventurous bits of the menu.

I don’t know whether it’s the gimmicky part or not enough of it that’s putting people off, but there are mediocre and run-down Japanese joints with terrible food, at the same price point, that do roaring business.


We promised ourselves we would try the uni omelette or the Japanese pizza at some point, but with plenty of fresh fish and a wizened sushi chef to dish it up, with easy parking, and not having to claw through queue-jumpers for a table, I have a feeling this will become a regular spot for us.

You can’t eat perfectly rare pigeon and seared foie gras every night, unfortunately, and the only real remedy to having a transcendental experience is to have a truly abysmal one to cancel it out.

Failing that, a good meal in an above-average restaurant, as we had at Mangetsu, brings one back to earth with a soft landing rather than a thud.

Mangetsu is at 38 Jupiter Street, Makati City; tel.

source: lifestyle.inquirer.net

Iced black tea and cold drip coffee

Until I visited its Makati branch, I thought Wine Depot was just a wine shop. Turns out, it’s a restaurant as well. The menu lists tempting dishes not ordinarily found in other dining places.

There’s pan-seared barramundi (apahap), a large white fish abundant in the waters of Australia, as well as chicken roasted with dukkah, a crunchy mixture of nuts, herbs and spices. Very interesting are the platters of European cheeses, hams and sausages, which one can order with homemade bread.

Coffee connoisseurs also visit Wine Depot for the rich Vittoria coffee, made from 100-percent Arabica beans that are roasted, blended and packed in Australia.   








Health benefits 


Tea is now likewise on the menu, due to growing interest in its health benefits. In keeping with its policy of sticking to premium brands, Wine Depot serves La Maison du Thé. Blended and packed in France, these delicate, handcrafted teas come in both loose leaf form and in tea bags of fine silk mesh.

Not only does the silk mesh allow for maximum infusion of the tea, it also acts as a kind of showcase for the tea leaves that had been patiently hand-torn (rather than being machine-cut).

To highlight this luxurious tea brand, Wine Depot now serves high tea on Wednesday afternoons. But in typical Australian laid-back style, there’s no fuss or formality. “Our high tea is very casual,” says marketing and communications manager Monette Atilano. “It’s more of a fun ritual.”

Classic flavors 


Between 3 to 5 p.m., diners can choose from among La Maison du Thé’s seven classic flavors: green tea, English Breakfast, Darjeeling, Earl Grey, chamomile, peppermint, and lemon and ginger. Each order comes with a generous spread of sweets and savories: meat and seafood rolls, fruit tarts, as well as classic Australian meat pies and lamington cake—a sponge cake with a layer of chocolate coating dusted with desiccated coconut.

Best of all, on sunny afternoons, customers can choose to dine at the outdoor garden.

Though the current rainy weather seems to call for hot brews, tea and coffee don’t always have to be served hot, says Atilano. Iced citrus tea and cold-drip coffee can be just as comforting. Here, Wine Depot shares its recipes for these cold brews.

Iced black citrus tea

    3 tsp La Maison du Thé English Breakfast tea (loose leaf tea) or 3 tea bags of same
    3 c hot water
    ¾ c white sugar (175 g)
    1 c unsweetened orange juice
    2 tbsp grenadine syrup
    Ice cubes
    Slices of fresh orange (optional)

Brew the tea in hot water for 30 minutes. If using tea bags, remove the tea bags after 30 minutes. If using loose leaf tea, strain the tea into a large bowl or pitcher. Let cool. Pour into a glass pitcher, then stir in the sugar, orange juice and grenadine.

Put ice cubes into individual drinking glasses, then pour the tea into the glasses. Serve with drinking straws and, if desired, garnish with slices of fresh orange. Makes 4 servings.

Cold drip coffee



Since it takes 18 hours to brew this coffee, be sure to prepare it the day before you are to serve it. If you intend to serve it for breakfast, for example, make the coffee drip at around 1 p.m. of the previous day. With 18 hours of dripping time, the coffee will be ready by 7 a.m. the next day.

    200 g Vittoria Cappuccino/Latte Ground Coffee (see tips)
    Cheesecloth
    6 c cold water
    Cold milk, as needed
    Simple syrup, as needed (see recipe below)

Pour the ground coffee inside a cheesecloth bag. Tie the top of the bag with a rubber band or a twist tie. Pour the cold water into a tall pitcher. Leave the cheesecloth bag in the cold water for 18 hours. As the hours pass and the water gets infused with the coffee, the liquid will become darker.

Pour the coffee into a clear wine bottle or a pitcher. Serve with a carafe of cold milk and simple syrup. (Each person can just add his/her own desired amount of milk and syrup.)

To make simple syrup: Bring 1 c water to a boil in a medium saucepan. When the water starts boiling, stir in 1 c white sugar. Let boil while stirring constantly, until the sugar has completely dissolved and the liquid becomes clear. Remove from the heat and let cool completely. Transfer to a bottle with a pouring lip. (Note: If syrup is to be stored, transfer to a bottle with a tight-fitting lid. Close the lid and keep in refrigerator until ready to use.)

Wine Depot is at: 217 N. Garcia St. (formerly Reposo), Bel Air, Makati; 6 Missouri St., Northeast Greenhills, San Juan; Westgate Corporate Center, Commerce Ave., Alabang, tel. 8894889 or 8973220.

For more tips, recipes and stories, visit the author’s blog www.normachikiamco.com, and Facebook fan page www.facebook.com/normachikiamco. Follow on Twitter @NormaChikiamco.

Cook’s tips: 



When brewing the tea, be sure to use a heat-proof container since you’ll be pouring hot water into it.

Aside from English Breakfast tea, you can use Earl Grey.

So as not to dilute the strength of the tea, put the ice cubes in individual drinking glasses (not in the pitcher), then pour the tea into the glasses, says Wine Warehouse head barista Michelle Perez.

Grenadine is a non-alcoholic cordial made from pomegranate fruits and available in wine shops.

For the cold drip coffee, Wine Depot uses Vittoria Cappuccino/Latte Ground coffee (available in its store), but you can also use ground barako coffee and decaffeinated ground coffee.

source: lifestyle.inquirer.net

What and how to fete a Vuitton

FOREMOST restaurateur Colin Mackay did another exceptional job yet again when he prepared the lunch for visiting scion Benoit Louis Vuitton last Monday at his Sala restaurant on Makati Avenue.

How do you suitably feed a Louis Vuitton heir, whose name has become a brand of luxury and sophistication?

Colin made everything simple, stark yet elegant—a table setting in black, crystal and spare blooms, and a menu that was sumptuous yet fresh and refreshing. Nothing pretentious or trying too hard.

Appetizer was seared scallop with Shimeji mushrooms and Jerusalem artichoke veloute. Then came a medallion of duck foie gras, parsnip puree and spiced sauteed apples, followed by a plate of blue swimmer crab, sweet shrimp, fennel and trout caviar spaghettini.

These were all in small portions so that the diner left room for the main course. It was a choice of ocean trout or Wagyu beef flank tagliata. The ocean trout came with beetroot carpaccio and horseradish potatoes; the beef with confited tomatoes, rocket and pangritata.

Dessert was strawberry, white chocolate and macadamia brittle semifreddo, passionfruit and rhubarb sorbet.

After lunch, the guest of honor stood up from the table with a wide smile on his face. Clearly, he was beginning to feel at home. His work done, it was also Colin’s turn to smile at us from the kitchen.

source: lifestyle.inquirer.net

Alba’s Croquetas de Bacalao

He has lived in the Philippines longer than he has lived in Spain. For 60 years, Anastacio de Alba, originally from the medieval city of Avila, has been cooking Spanish food for Filipinos.

After arriving in the Philippines in 1952 upon the invitation of Don Antonio Roxas, he started out as a chef in the old Casino Español. A work stint at Luneta Hotel followed soon, before he opened his first restaurant in 1954, the aptly named El Español. The opening of Alba Cocina Española in the tourist belt followed soon, and from then on there was no stopping the man who has since been nicknamed Colas by his numerous friends.

In the ensuing years, Alba’s restaurants underwent various reincarnations. La Parilla, Las Cuevas, Patio Flamenco, Alba Supper Club, Patio de Alba in Doña Narcisa Building, and Jardin de Alba in Greenhills all became known for the sumptuous cuisine served by the self-taught chef. Sometimes the food would be authentically Spanish; at other times they would be his adaptations of dishes he grew up with and dishes he adapted to Filipino taste.

Today Alba’s culinary domain covers four restaurants and a catering service. Already getting on in years, he has designated his son Miguel Angel as successor.

No stranger to the kitchen, Miguel Angel has for years observed his father’s skills and passion for cooking. Though he initially considered being a doctor or an accountant, he’s gladly following in his father’s footsteps.

Last Saturday, Miguel demonstrated how to prepare some of his father’s beloved recipes before an enthusiastic crowd at the Maya Kitchen Culinary Center in Makati: jamon con mangga y arugula, fabada asturiana, paella de cordero, lapu-lapu con salsa verde, and tarta de limon con quezo.

A dish that’s just right for this Holy Week is the croquetas de bacalao, salted white cod rolled with mashed potatoes into appetizer-size balls. This dish is not only easy to prepare, it’s also versatile as it can be prepared with either salted or frozen cod, with lapu-lapu and even with canned tuna.

Alba’s Croquetas de Bacalao (Makes around 30 croquetas)

    200 g dried bacalao or frozen bacalao fillet (cod fish)
    ½  kg (500 g) potatoes, peeled and quartered

Water, for boiling the potatoes

    2  tsp chopped garlic
    2  tbsp chopped parsley
    2  tbsp almond flakes
    ¼  c butter, softened
    Ground white pepper, to taste
    ½-1 c Maya all-purpose flour
    2  eggs, beaten
    ½ -1 c bread crumbs
    2 c cooking oil

For the sauce:



    1 tbsp olive oil
    1 tsp chopped garlic
    ½ c canned red pimientos, chopped
    1 300-g can peeled and puréed tomatoes
    1 tsp chopped basil leaves (optional)
    Salt and pepper, to taste

If using dried bacalao, soak the bacalao in water for 24 hours, changing the water two to three times. This is to remove some of the saltiness from the bacalao. After 24 hours, drain the bacalao and remove the skin and bones.

If using frozen bacalao fillets, keep the bacalao in the refrigerator for several hours until it thaws, then clean well, making sure to remove the skin and bones.

Boil the potatoes in enough water to cover until tender.  Meanwhile, chop the bacalao.

When the potatoes are tender, mash them coarsely and mix them with the chopped bacalao, garlic, parsley, almonds and butter. Season to taste with white pepper and with salt if using frozen bacalao.

Form the mixture into balls then roll them in flour. Dip each ball into the beaten eggs, then dredge with bread crumbs.  Chill for one to two hours.

When ready to cook, heat the cooking oil in a deep-fryer and fry the croquetas in batches until golden brown. Serve with the sauce.

To make the sauce:

Heat the olive oil in a pan and sauté the garlic. Stir in pimientos and tomatoes and let simmer for six to eight minutes. If desired, add the basil leaves. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

For more tips, recipes and stories, visit author’s blog: www.normachikiamco.com and Facebook fan page: www.facebook.com/normachikiamco.  Follow on Twitter @NormaChikiamco.

Cook’s tips



Since the dried bacalao is already salty, there’s no need to add salt to the mixture. (Add salt only if using frozen bacalao.)

For frying the croquetas, chef Miguel says you can use vegetable, canola, palm or corn oil. However, olive oil is not suitable for deep frying as it tends to burn fast.

You can prepare the mixture and shape them into balls ahead of time. Store them in the refrigerator for up to one day. If storing for longer than one day, keep them in a tightly covered container in the freezer. You can then deep-fry the croquetas just before serving.

Likewise, you can prepare the sauce ahead of time. Reheat before serving.

Possible substitutes for bacalao include: chopped chicken, chopped dried lapu-lapu or lapu-lapu fillets, canned tuna and salmon.

source: lifestyle.inquirer.net

Taco Bell, Icelandic pies drawn into meat scandal

LONDON— Taco Bell is the latest restaurant chain to acknowledge that its food has been adulterated with horse meat, yanking a variety of ground beef products from its three British outlets and issuing an apology to its patrons Friday.

Meanwhile, in Iceland, a food official said his team had found a beef product from a local producer that contained no meat at all.

Chief meat inspector Kjartan Hreinsson said a brand of beef pie found at a Reykjavik supermarket had “no mammalian DNA.”

“That was the peculiar thing,” he said. “It was labeled as beef pie, so it should be beef pie.”

It should be, but across Europe meat labeled as beef has been found to be contaminated with horse — from frozen food at supermarkets to fast food in restaurants and even school and hospital meals.

Authorities say the fraudulent labeling poses no health risk, but the scandal has drawn attention to the complex supply chains behind processed meat products.

Thousands of products have been tested, and found that contamination is relatively rare. Britain’s Food Standards Agency said Friday that of more than 5,400 products tested in Britain, more than 99 percent were clear of horse. Still, a steady drumbeat of brands found to contain horse meat has kept the issue in the headlines. Taco Bell joins a long list of food providers — Nestle, Burger King, Tesco, Birds Eye, Findus and even Ikea — that have had to remove products amid horse meat revelations.

British authorities said Friday that horse DNA had also been found in Birds Eye spaghetti Bolognese and beef lasagna and spicy minced beef skewers from catering company Brakes, which supplies pubs and the House of Commons Food Service.

In a statement, Taco Bell owner Yum Brands Inc. said: “We apologize to our customers and take this matter very seriously as food quality is our highest priority.”

The company’s presence in Britain is tiny compared to its profile in the United States, where it has more than 5,600 restaurants. Taco Bell stressed that its U.S. restaurants do not use meat from Europe and are not affected.

Yum Brands’ statement gave no further detail as to the nature of the supplier, and the company said it would not reveal the information as the matter was being investigated by Britain’s Food Standards Agency. A spokesman could not immediately say how long the supplier had been providing food to Taco Bell, or how many customers were thought to have been affected.

As for the Icelandic non-meat pies, Hreinsson said they appeared to have been stuffed with some sort of vegetable matter. He said the municipal authorities are investigating.

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

Lugang Café beyond the 'xiao long bao'

I first heard about Lugang Café from my sister a couple of years ago, when she told me about this restaurant in Greenhills that always has a long queue of diners. Food lovers apparently go there for the xiao long bao (which some spell sialompao), that dumpling with soup inside.










Fast forward to sometime last month, when I found myself with a media group straining our necks to see just how the xiao long bao is made.

Three chefs with dough-covered hands demonstrated how it’s done: first, the dough was cut into small pieces and flattened almost paper-thin, then filled with either chicken or ground pork – somewhat like siomai – and jellified stock. The ends of the dumpling were twisted into 18 perfect pleats and gathered into a cone.

“Yes, there are 18 pleats because 18 is a lucky number. The pleats have to be perfectly aligned after steaming,” said Karen Tiu, who handles the operations at Lugang Café.

After steaming in bamboo baskets, the dumplings are served, with the jellified stock transformed into a tasty broth. How to eat it? “Bite and sip,” advised Reena Arnaldo, human resources manager of the café.

Xiao long bao has become the specialty of the house such that last month alone, 4,300 baskets (mostly pork, although they also have chicken and vegetarian dumplings) were served to the café customers. And with eight pieces per basket, that makes for a whole lot of xiao long bao.










But there is more to the Lugang Café than xiao long bao. During a press briefing early November at their Greenhills outlet, Katrina K. Chua, daughter of owners Peter and Annabelle Chua, and head of dining operations, introduced new dishes in time for the Chinese-Taiwanese restaurant’s second anniversary on Nov. 22.

One of the new dishes is the Black Pepper Premium Beef Ribs, a flavorful dish that should go well with the light Chicken Topped with Scallion and Ginger Oil. I prefer putting a generous serving of ginger oil on top of the cold chicken slices for a more pronounced taste.

The Dong-Bo Pork Belly with Steamed Buns is like pata tim on cuapao, with the meat so tender to the bite. The Steamed Scallops with Garlic Vermicelli (bihon) can be addictive, as you can pop these in your mouth in between bites of the other dishes. The Mayonnaise Prawns are like big-sized popcorn shrimps with a gentle hint of wasabi topped with some mayo, a sure hit among kids and kids at heart. And for veggies, there's the new Fookien dish Pumpkin Seafood Rice Souffle—this has fish fillet mixed in, and is a meal in itself.




These new dishes complement the xiao long bao and other best-selling dishes they have, such as the Steamed Fish Head with Pickled Red Peppers, Three Cup Chicken, Stir-Fried Beef with Chili Peppers, and Soft Tofu and Mushrooms in Abalone Sauce. They also go well with their trademark dessert—the humongous (12 inches) and definitely meant-to-be-shared Bellagio Breeze, a tall halo-halo with red and green mung beans, taro, tapioca balls, and candied pineapple over shaved ice and flavored with condensed milk.

Katrina said about 80 percent of the café's dishes are from Bellagio Café in Shanghai. Lugang Café, after all, is a franchise of Bellagio Café, and is the first store of Bellagio outside China. The Chuas just changed the name to “lugang,” which means small alley or town in Chinese, to give a more Chinese ring to it. They also added more dishes to the new menu to cater to the tastes of the Filipino palate.

Although there are numerous Chinese restaurants in the country, Katrina said their food sets them apart from the rest. “The food is different. The taste is modern with a hint of traditional,” she said. Sweet and spicy are the main flavors of the dishes, with a subtle hint of ginger. The ingredients are imported from China and Taiwan, and Chinese chefs lead the kitchen operations.

The same modern-and-traditional theme is carried over in the Greenhills outlet's interiors which incorporate metal (steel), fire (lighting), and earth (flowers) elements. Their Mall of Asia branch, opened in 2011, is more traditional, said Katrina. Opening this month is their new branch at SM City North EDSA's The Block, and next year, they're going to be in Fort Bonifacio as well, no doubt covering all areas to satisfy xiao long bao fans in the metro.

Whatever it is you order, though, make sure to get the Aloe Jelly in Honey Lemon Juice as your drink. Now that to me is a winner. – YA, GMA News


Lugang Café is at 115 Connecticut Street, Northeast Greenhills, San Juan City, with tel. no. (02) 775-7599.

source: gmanetwork.com