funny side up

A-vo-ca-do Toast Love story with avocado... must say, I foresee it's forever.  🍞💖 🥑 good-looking green,  rich in vitamin E, (and other alphabets ) good fats ( excellent source of monounsaturated fatty acids, good for the 💚) , good taste! So, I saw this on my YouTube feed last time. From the whole list of versions of avocado toast , this one looked the easiest to do.  And, of course, I zeroed in to it! Ding! As per the video, they call this the Kylie Jenner toast; n ot sure she's the 1st one to create this combo, but still  shared that bit with my girls, as anything 'Kardashian'-ish seemed something they hear pretty often as Gen-Z & Gen-Alpha (must stay tuned to their times, yah). This one's really easy to whip. With only a  few staple ingredients it sure packed a whole lot of goodness! A must try - get  ready for some tummy lovin'  the next time this fruit is in season. 🥑 Steps Avocado , mash (roughly or finely, depends on the mood for the d...

It is rare to find a Filipino who does not like Jollibee food. The Philippines' very own homegrown fast food joint, showcasing the Filipino take on  pasta bolognese, burgers and fried chicken, it easily rivals other famous food chains around the globe. Already, this brand and its jolly bee mascot is an icon recognized by Filipinos of all ages around the world. As it has now expanded to multiple geos, I am excited that other cultures are taking a yummy taste for this happy bee. I for one love love love Jollibee. Each one in our family have our personal favorites, Jolly Spaghetti, ChickenJoy, Jolly Hotdog, and Peach Mango Pie to name a few.  The common favorite is <drumroll> Burger Steak! So, despite living elsewhere now, Jollibee remains close to our hearts. How we look forward to another vacation someday to our hometown; top on our to-do list is to feast on jolly meals with our kapamilya. Reminiscing, we make our homemade versions to satisfy our craving. So far,...

How to beat that summer heat ? If there's yogurt in the chiller, instead of ice cream, my bunch enjoys this yogurt bark . This is surely the easiest dessert to whip up. It's also fun to make as the kids can literally get their hands into this. Whatever fruit or spread is in the pantry can be used, as suits the mood of your tastebuds. As with any chilled treat, give it a wee bit of time to set. Maximize that teaching moment ✌ 🖉  of patience vs instant gratification. It will be totally worth the short wait! 🍦 Steps 2 tubs yogurt 1 tbsp honey toppings of choice, diced or mashed - fresh fruit - berries / banana / kiwi, chocolate, peanut butter, nuts, wafers, endless possibilities. (Tip: if  you are not keen to bite into a chilly fruit, you can opt to mash the fruit first, or use fresh fruit syrup, then drizzle it onto ur yogurt slabs). Mix yogurt and honey in a bowl. In a tray lined with baking paper, with a spoon  slather into slabs or tree bark shape . or feeling artsy or...

TZATIKI,  Greek: τζατζίκι).   A simple cooling Grecian dip that elevates the dish it comes with.  Perfect with grilled/fried meat of choice (poultry, fish, pork/beef).  Even works well with any veggie stick - celery, carrots, cucumber.  Hoorah for fellow snack-munch-bunch out there, this is great with chips and crackers too - more so for the hot/spicy/salty kind (snacks, I mean, yah? Well, also for the hot-headed 🌩 💢 😠 snacker . This dip can cool you down   🌨❅❆   , tellin ya'). It's very easy to prepare. One important ingredient is d ill . This is not a usual herb used in my kitchen. But, mainly for the love of tzatiki, I make sure we always have a stock in the kitchen, be it fresh or dried. 🌿 Steps 2 cups plain yogurt, cooled 1/2 tbsp lemon juice 4 pressed/crushed garlic cloves 1/3 cup chopped dill 1/2 tsp salt 1/8 tsp black pepper mix all in the dip bowl. keep in fridge until ready to serve. then, enjoy -- dip dip dip away! Here's one. 🌶 ☼...

Behold, Muchu Peachu pyramid... and behold, too,  the anciently grand Machu Picchu of the Incas.  my pyramid side by side the real thing. ( Machu Picchu  image from  pixabay ) Well, I just had to insert that pun in, muchu peachu. (cringe? 😅) Let me ask this - w hat's not to like when a fruit is part of a dish?  Especially when it ends up into the young ones tummies?  Nourish, nourish, nourish.  A great pair to sandwiches, sausages, white or red meat, or any greens is the peach salsa. Fresh would be best, but the easily available canned version works great too. 🍑 Steps 1 tbsp olive oil 5 peaches, diced  TIP a: if opting to pan-grill, do so 1 minute on each side (no 1 tbsp oil needed). TIP b: pan-grill only the non-mushy ingredients, like fresh just-enough-ripe peaches.  Canned peaches, or even onions, are on the softer side, so better not grill it at all. 1/4 red onion diced 2 limes, squeezed brown sugar cucumber, diced tomato fresh/sauce/pa...

Oh, to have studied  in a time, like my sister Ate J, when Spanish was required in Philippine colleges. Likely, the rigours of school would be compelling. Would I be fluent in this ~3rd language now? 😉   But then again, why not?  It's never too late to learn something new. Off to a good start via this simple Filipino treat - Pastillas, also known as Pastillas de Leche .  You can 'speak' your cake and eat it too!  👅 👅  Puede! In this post, the terms below are sprinkled here and there. Spot it? Sweet history:  " The concept of sweetening and transforming native ingredients like fruits or carabao milk into pill or tablet shapes, i.e. pastillas, was introduced by Spanish colonists 'perhaps, perhaps, perhaps sometime around the late 1800s'... "   Source:  Serious Eats    Pastillas can end any meal on a sweet note. After indulging, may be best to wash down the saccharine pills with cool water, IMO especially for the young uns. E...

Craving for the distinct taste of satay...  Thus far, I have learned - this dish has versions spanning across SouthEast Asia - Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam (did I miss any place?). My 1st taste of this skewered goodness was back in the late 2000's, in my 2nd home Cebu City. Those were the heydays enjoyed by Thai cuisine when Thai establishments sprouted everywhere in town.  Back then, this was my limited meat-in-sticks background: Pinoy BBQ , fanned over old-school charcoal grills, that I sooo love and grew up with,  American sweet-tangy garlic/honey-mustard and hot black-pepper grills ,  Japanese Yakiniku , oishii ne!  A lso 1 memorable foray into Brazilian meat pierced in those huge sword-like skewers , an intro from a Japs-Brazilian fellow in our Nihongo kenshusei bunch. Tender Persian kebabs , oozing the tastiest of juices. But, Korean fare has not yet reached fever-pitch that time in our region, so zero inkling nor craving for Korean grille...