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Hot CHOCOLATE!

I previously had a post about hot cocoa, which was all I could afford back in the day. 

Now, with the advent of good tablea (100% chocolate) made from fermented cacao beans and molded into thin callets or flat bars even (so sad though that my beloved Wellspring Tablea has closed its doors), it's easy and delicious---even if still somewhat pricey---to make a delicious drink from real chocolate. Real chocolate means only cocoa butter and cocoa mass, no hydrogenated vegetable oils or cocoa powder in the ingredients! 

The best way I find to make it, if a bit more time consuming than just pouring freshly boiled water and stirring vigorously, is to microwave the chocolate and sugar for a few seconds until it starts to melt, mix, add a small bit of hot water and mix again until it forms a thick liquid and add more hot water (or hot milk if you want a richer drink) until you have your cup full. Mix again, making sure the chocolate stuck to the sides and bottom of the cup is mixed in and enjoy! This ensures there's no lumps of undissolved chocolate in the drink.

You can also add a bit of cornstarch for a thicker drink. Sometimes I boil the cornstarch with the water to make sure it's properly thickened and cooked. Decadent hot chocolate beats the pants off a hot cocoa for sure.

"Tiramisu" at Friuli Trattoria

Photo from ph.openrice.com

In one word DON'T, unless you know what you're in for and still want it.

So I was going to buy the cheapest pizza at Friuli Maginhawa. Since I had P180 left in my budget and the cheapest pizza was P230, I looked at the other menu items. Seeing "Tiramisu" in the printout stuck on the table in front of the cashier, I was delighted because I'd been dreaming of tiramisu in the previous weeks. I quickly ordered a slice for takeout. When I saw the tiny 1.5"x1.5" slice in the microwaveable container, I asked if they used real mascarpone cheese for their tiramisu since it seemed quite small for P145. The server just said yes.

When I got home I was horrified to open the box to see a melting square of ice cream instead of tiramisu cake. It turns out what they serve is tiramisu gelato cake. This is the name on the bound menu but they missed out on the word "gelato" in the printout. The cashier didn't even warn me that I might be expecting a melted puddle if I didn't get home quickly and stuck the container in the freezer.

Ugh. Never again.I should have bought a pint of coffee ice cream for P99. Would have been happier and better off.

I wish I knew of a store along Maginhawa that serves real tiramisu. That's already twice that my heart's been broken.

Kundiman ng Langit (translation)

Another attempt at translating!

This is my favorite Tagalog/Filipino song and this is my favorite rendition on Youtube.

Since there's already an English translation by a well-known writer (and actor and director), I'll put his translation side by side with the original lyrics and do the transliteration instead.

KUNDIMAN NG LANGIT
Words and music by Augusto Espino

May isang kundimang naiiba,
Daloy ay kay haba, waring hindi magwawakas;
Nilikha buhat sa langit, ng Amang tapat umibig;
Awitin, kundiman ng langit.

Himig ay sinulat ng Kanyang dugo,
Titik ay hinugot sa pusong ‘di magtatampo,
Ang hatid ay kaligtasan, at ang ating kalayaan;
Dinggin, kundimang ito.

Kay hiwaga ng pag-ibig na dulot Mo,
Kasalanan ko’y nilimot nang totoo;
Sa kabila ng ginawa ko; ako’y mahal na mahal Mo,
May hihigit pa ba sa pag-ibig Mo?

Nilikha buhat sa langit, ng Amang tapat umibig;
Awitin, kundiman ng langit.

Sana’y tugunan ang haranang ito
Na binuhay ng kamatayang pinangtubos,
Sugat ay paghihilumin. Dungis nati’y lilinisin;
Damhin, pagsuyong ito.

Kay hiwaga ng pag-ibig na dulot Mo,
Kasalanan ko’y nilimot nang totoo;
Sa kabila ng ginawa ko; ako’y mahal na mahal Mo,
May hihigit pa ba sa pag-ibig Mo?

May hihigit pa ba sa kundimang ito?

A Lovesong from Heaven
English translation by Floy Quintos

There is a lover’s song that is unique
The melody flows eternally, it will never end.
It is a love song from the Father, the One who loves so purely.
The song can only be a love from heaven.

The melody is written with His blood.
The lyrics plucked from the heart forgiving.
With this song comes our salvation,
As well as our freedom.
Heed this love song from heaven.

How mysterious is the love You offer,
All my sins are forgiven and forgotten.
Despite my many sins, I am loved by You still.
Is there anything greater than Your love?

It is a love song from the Father, the One who loves so purely.
The song can only be a love from heaven.

Listen and heed this lover’s song,
Brought to life by the death that redeemed us.
All wounds are healed, all strains are cleansed.
Listen to the wooing.
There is nothing greater.
Than this love song from heaven

Here's my transliteration. (I don't understand why this part won't go flush left. Don't know enough HTML.)

KUNDIMAN NG LANGIT

May isang kundimang naiiba,
There's a love song that's different
Daloy ay kay haba, waring hindi magwawakas;
Its flow is so long, it seems it won't end
Nilikha buhat sa langit, ng Amang tapat umibig;
Created from heaven, by a Father faithfully loving
Awitin, kundiman ng langit.
A song, love song of heaven

Himig ay sinulat ng Kaniyang dugo,
(Its) Melody is written by His blood
Titik ay hinugot sa pusong ‘di magtatampo,
(Its) Lyrics are drawn from a heart that doesn't turn its back on you
Ang hatid ay kaligtasan, at ang ating kalayaan;
It brings salvation, and our freedom
Dinggin, kundimang ito.
Listen to this love song

Kay hiwaga ng pag-ibig na dulot Mo,
How mysterious/marvelous this love that You offer
Kasalanan ko’y nilimot nang totoo;
My sin (You've) forgotten for real
Sa kabila ng ginawa ko; ako’y mahal na mahal Mo,
Despite all I've done, I'm very much loved by You
May hihigit pa ba sa pag-ibig Mo?
Can anything exceed your love?

Sana’y tugunan ang haranang ito
May heard this song be
Na binuhay ng kamatayang pinangtubos,
Made alive by the death that redeemed
Sugat ay paghihilumin. Dungis nati’y lilinisin;
Wounds are healed, dirt (sin) is cleansed
Damhin, pagsuyong ito.
Listen to this winning of favor/begging/courtship

May hihigit pa ba sa kundimang ito?
What love song can be better than this?

Banapple's Tiramisu Cheesecake - blech!

This is the worst-value cake I've ever had. It's P215 but small and hardly tastes of amaretto.

Was craving tiramisu for a few days so when I saw this cake, I thought it would do the trick. Unfortunately, it was the opposite. If I wasn't such a cheapskate, I would have thrown it out after a few bites without finishing it.

Maybe if it had cost P150 or even P170 at most but at P215, way overpriced.

The label at the store only said "Tiramisu Cheesecake" but the name on the online store is "Dark Chocolate Tiramisu Cheesecake" which is why it had chocolate shavings on top and above the thick, thick crust.

Let's see, the dark crust was around 1.5 cm thick and so was the faintly coffee-flavored "cream" on top. The actual light caramel-colored cheesecake layer was thinner, around 1-1.25 cm.

There was just too much crust, the cheesecake hardly any amaretto flavor and the cream topping just extremely stable and strange. I should probably give up on Banapple anyway. I don't care much for the Banoffee Pie, the Apple Crumble or the other cheesecake I tried before that's now off the menu.

Boulangerie22 Trial

Because of their buy 1 take 1 deal I got to try some of Boulangerie 22's products.

Some remarks:

WTF Grande - pretty good fudge cake. Looks to be good value even at full price. Not too sweet but very rich so can't eat too much. The cake has a fine crumb and is moist and there's only a thin layer of icing on top.

Korean garlic cream cheese bun - do not buy if you don't have a hot oven to toast it in. Too chewy otherwise. My toaster oven's upper heating element doesn't work and toasting from the bottom didn't help the chewiness. It has to be toasted all over to become crunchy and good.

Definitely not like the videos I've watched where the whole bun was dunked in melted butter/margarine before baking.

9-grain Tanzhong Whole Rye Loaf - lots of whole seeds to chew on. Dry and breaks easily. Good salty flavor. Definitely too expensive to buy at whole price coming at almost P14/slice.

Would have wanted to try other breads (holy cheesus, floss, custard bun, etc.) but the others I ordered were not given the b1t1 price so I took them off the order.

Delivery frights

In terms of delivery, they use Toktok and the information on the website was so inaccurate I was afraid the driver wouldn't find me. I gave very detailed instructions in the order so I was aghast at the map which had the wrong way given and not enough details. I need not have worried after all since the reciept had all the details from the order form.

Also, the product info was given as clothes and the cost lower than in the bill. Don't know if that's all deliberate to keep shipping costs down...if so I'm thankful. Just made me nervous because I thought perhaps there were some items that became unavailable and I was going to receive the cheapest thing I ordered!

I hope to try more of their products during another sale. It's sad that I have to wait for sales in order to buy food I want to try but hey, at least I can still afford delivery once in a while. So many can't even afford a cup of rice.

English translation of "Tupang Ligaw" by Rez Valdez

This is a very short song but I love its simple and true message. I tried out different ways to translate the lines since much of the song repeats. The first translations are more literal than the rest.
Please let me know if you have any suggestion on how to improve this translation.

Tupang Ligaw Malapit na namang lumubog ang araw Dilim ng gabi'y darating na naman Sa paghimlay mo isip mo'y naglalakbay Nakatanaw sa kawalan Lumipas na naman ang isang araw sa buhay Takbo ng buhay mo'y di mo namamalayan Sa bawat sandaling darating at papanaw Buhay mo'y tila parang kulang Kayamanan at lahat ng kalayawan Wala pala itong kabuluhan Kung si Kristo ay wala pa sa iyong buhay Para kang isang tupang ligaw Sa bawat sandaling darating at papanaw Buhay mo'y tila parang kulang Kayamanan at lahat ng kalayawan Wala pala itong kabuluhan Kung si Kristo ay wala pa sa iyong buhay Para kang isang tupang ligaw Kayamanan at lahat ng kalayawan Wala pala itong kabuluhan Kung si Kristo ay wala pa sa iyong buhay Para kang isang tupang ligaw Para kang isang tupang ligaw Para kang isang tupang ligaw

Lost Sheep The sun is about to set The dark of night comes again As you slumber your mind wanders Viewing loss or Looking at nothingness Another day of life has gone And you don’t notice how your life is passing As each moment comes and disappears Life seems to lack something Riches and every indulgence Have no meaning after all If Christ is not yet in your life You’re like a sheep lost As each moment comes and disappears Life seems lacking somehow Riches and every indulgence These mean naught If you don’t have Christ in your life You’re like a lost lamb Riches and every indulgence All these are pointless Without Christ in your life You’re like a lost lamb You’re like a lost lamb You’re like a lost lamb

'Wag Ka Nang Umiyak - English Translation

'Wag Ka Nang Umiyak

Wag ka nang umiyak, sa mundong pabago-bago
Pag-ibig ko ay totoo
Ako ang iyong bangka, kung magalit man
Ang alon ng panahon, sabay tayong aahon

Kung wala ka nang maintindihan
Kung wala ka nang makapitan
Kapit ka sa akin, kapit ka sa akin
Hindi kita bibitawan

Wag ka nang umiyak, mahaba man ang araw
Uuwi ka sa yakap ko
Wag mo nang damdamin kung wala ako sayong tabi

Iiwan ko ang puso ko sa yo
At kung pakiramdam mo’y wala ka nang kakampi
Isipin mo ako dahil puso’t isip ko’y
Nasa yong tabi

Kung wala ka nang maintindihan
Kung wala ka nang makapitan
Kapit ka sa akin, kapit ka sa akin
Hindi kita bibitawan

Hindi kita pababayaan
Hindi kita pababayaan

Kumapit ka, kumapit ka

Kung wala ka nang maintindihan
Kung wala ka nang makapitan
Kapit ka sa akin, kumapit ka sa akin
Hindi kita bibitawan

Hindi kita pababayaan
Hindi kita pababayaan

C’mon Don’t Cry

C’mon don’t cry, in an ever-changing world
My love stays true
I will be your lifeboat, though the waves of the times crash around you, we will rise together

When you don’t understand what’s going on
When you have nothing to hold onto
Hold on to me, hold on to me
I will not let go of you

C’mon don’t cry, the day may be long
But you will come home to my embrace
Don’t feel bad that I’m not by your side

I leave my heart with you
And if you feel there’s no one your side
Think of me because my heard and mind are
Right there beside you

When you don’t understand what’s going on
When you have nothing to hold onto
Hold on to me, hold on to me
I will not let go of you

I will not forsake you
I will not forsake you

Hold on to me, hold on to me

When you don’t understand what’s going on
When you have nothing to hold onto
Hold on to me, hold on to me
I will not let go of you

I will not forsake you
I will not forsake you

LITERAL TRANSLATION

"'Wag Ka Nang Umiyak"
Don’t you now cry

Written by Ebe Dancel. A song off of Sugarfree's 2006 album, Tala-Arawan. Remade by KZ Tandingan and now by Gary Valenciano for the "Ang Probinsyano" soundtrack.

Wag ka nang umiyak, sa mundong pabago-bago
Don’t you now cry, in a world always changing
Pag-ibig ko ay totoo
Love my is true
Ako ang iyong bangka, kung magalit man
I am your boat, if angry though
Ang alon ng panahon, sabay tayong aahon
The waves of time, together we will come up out of the water
Kung wala ka nang maintindihan
If nothing you can understand
Kung wala ka nang makapitan
If nothing you can cling to
Kapit ka sa akin, kapit ka sa akin
Cling you to me, cling you to me
Hindi kita bibitawan
Not you let go of

Wag ka nang umiyak, mahaba man ang araw
Stop you now crying, long though the day may be
Uuwi ka sa yakap ko
Come home you to embrace my
Wag mo nang damdamin kung wala ako sayong tabi
Don't you now feeling if away me your side
Iiwan ko ang puso ko sa 'yo
Leave my heart mine to you
At kung pakiramdam mo’y wala ka nang kakampi
And if feel you no one on your side
Isipin mo ako dahil puso’t isip ko’y
Think you me because heart mind my
Nasa yong tabi
Are by your side

Kung wala ka nang maintindihan
If nothing you can understand
Kung wala ka nang makapitan
If nothing you can cling to
Kapit ka sa akin, kapit ka sa akin
Cling on you to me, cling on you to me
Hindi kita bibitawan
Not I you let go

Hindi kita pababayaan
Not I you neglect


Translation is quite a challenge. I'd like to hear from you about how to translate these lyrics better.

What is "double dutch" ice cream?

Images from Selecta Facebook page

As a chocolate lover, I've always preferred Rocky Road over Double Dutch even when I was a kid. Double dutch was just vanilla ice cream with chocolate syrup ripple and chocolate bits as far as I was concerned.

Now, I'm more willing to go for non-chocolate flavors and during the rare times I buy ice cream I usually want to try new-to-me flavors.

Recently, a friend bought a tub of Selecta double dutch ice cream and I was surprised to see it had marshmallows and peanuts, those add-ins I associate with rocky road. Has double dutch always had these and I just never noticed?

I tried searching for what makes a flavor "double dutch" and found only one website referring to heavily dutched cocoa/chocolate and a PDF or nutrition info for double dutch ice cream that seemed to be merely a richer chocolate flavor. The rest were Filipino pages or Asian at most (Walls in Vietnam or Singapore). Rocky road, meanwhile, has a documented history.

Does anyone remember if double dutch always had marshmallows and nuts or is my memory failing me?

Flour Tortillas (no leaven)

I had some AP flour I didn't know what to do with and it suddenly occurred to me to try making my own tortillas. I made these without any leavening and more or less followed this recipe:

Ingredients:
1 cup AP flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoons oil
1/4 cup warm water

Procedure:

Mix flour and salt in bowl.
Add oil and stir until well combined.
Add warm water 1 tablespoon at a time until the mixture starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl.
Knead dough on floured board for about 3 minutes.
Allow dough to rest for 15 minutes.
Roll dough into sausage-shape and then cut into 6 equal parts.
With a glass bottle, roll each little ball into a tortilla. I couldn't make it round!
Heat a skillet over medium heat. Toast the tortillas in a dry pan for about 30 seconds on each side for soft tortillas or longer for crisp tortillas.

Here are the ugly finished products.

I don't think they're supposed to look like this but they tasted fine despite looking uncooked in parts.

Next time I'll use baking powder so they're fluffier and maybe more like pitas than flour tortillas.

Yoghurt House, Sagada, Mt. Province

I had a late breakfast and wanted the cheapest item I could get from Yoghurt House so I decided to get the Fruits in Season Yoghurt Favorites which had bananas, strawberries, mangoes, apples(!). As you can see, the strawberries were rather unripe so they were sour. Good thing lacatan bananas are always sweet.

At Php160.00, it's something I can easily put together at home although their yogurt [I prefer this simpler spelling] is strained which is something I only do if I'm making yogurt dip to bring to a party. I prefer my yogurt with short fermentation period so it's sweet and only the slightest bit tangy.

It may not be obvious from the photo but it's a pretty big bowl, maybe a pint in size, so I was satisfied.

Strawberries

This is what happens when you forget to use macro mode. I tried a flash photo but it was washed out as usual. I don't know what to do to get my phone cam's flash to work well.

Whoever picked these strawberries didn't know the right technique and cut the stems way too long. You're supposed to cup the strawberry and put the strawberry cap between your fingers and gently pull. Also they picked some that I would have considered under-ripe. But when you're battling the ants and the birds, you gotta get 'em while you can.

Magnolia Best of the Philippines

I was pleased when Magnolia started making ice cream again. I like to support Philippine brands whenever possible. Unfortunately, and probably because dairy is so expensive here, most ice creams sold are "mellorines", which don't use butterfat but usually coconut oil. I heard that the vanilla flavor of Magnolia is still a true ice cream.

I tried the strawberry (Baguio) and coffee (Batangas) flavors and they were both ok. The mango-mangosteen (Davao?) was bleech. The mangosteen swirl tasted chalky and not at all like mangosteen to me. I also didn't like the butterscotch (Iloilo).

My favorite BOP flavor so far is the caramel cashew fudge (not sure where. Based on the cashews it could be Antipolo or Palawan).

I also like this flavor from Selecta but I think all Selecta "ice creams" are mellorines.

Walker's Toffee Duo

I have a sweet tooth and after chocolate, I love toffee, the chewy kind.

I don't see toffee sold often so I grabbed this when I saw it at the supermarket. It only occurred to me to post the photo after I'd eaten the side with Brazil nuts. I'd have preferred other types of nuts but at least they're not peanuts!

I don't know why there's a check for "just good ingredients" when it has emulsifier, and palm oil instead of butter but well...

Custom Magnum Bar

I went to the pop-up store at SM Aura and got myself a customized Magnum:
Vanilla ice cream
Dark chocolate dip
Chopped pistachios
Roasted almonds
Freeze dried raspberries
Milk chocolate drizzle

I'd have wanted to try one of their restaurant offerings but there was nothing I could eat by myself so I had to settle for a Magnum. It was pretty good, but for Php120.00 once is enough. I'd prefer to pig out on a pint for that price.

Red food

Yummy, vine-ripened cherry tomatoes and a few strawberries from my dad's garden.

I only get to taste his produce around once a year, but I try to eat it every day I'm home in the province.

Corn and Rice Coconut Milk Porridge (Ginataang Mais)

Comfort food during the cold months. I just boil rice (ideally malagkit or glutinous rice) with extra water until cooked, add a can of drained whole kernel corn, add powdered coconut milk and sugar to taste, simmer for a bit and then eat!

It's also good cold.

Homemade Chocolate Syrup

Ingredients
1 cup unsweetened cocoa (I used the 70g foil pack of Ricoa)
1.5 cups brown sugar
1 cup water
1 tsp vanilla
dash salt

Procedure
1. Mix cocoa, sugar, and salt in pot. Add water.
2. Bring to a boil with regular whisking. Watch that it doesn't boil over.
3. Simmer until you reach the desired thickness. Don't forget to keep whisking!
4. Let cool and mix in vanilla. Transfer to a jar and keep in ref.

This recipe benefits from using the best cocoa you can afford. Ricoa's barely acceptable but it's all I had in hand. Most recipes recommend dutched cocoa.

The Dining Room at Gourmet Farms

Ate lunch at The Dining Room of Gourmet Farms located along the Gen. E. Aguinaldo Highway of Silang, Cavite.

Food was fine but somewhat pricey. I didn't like the cheesecake because it tasted like refrigerated sort with gelatin, not baked. Salad was forgettable---I'd expected it to be magnificent since the farm was just outside. I liked the pot roast best (luckily, since that was my order).

Starting top left, clockwise: Beef kebabs P380, White chocolate cheesecake P220, Pot roast P380, Fattoush salad, P250, Baked salmon P380, Four cheese pizza P400. Forgot to take a photo of the osso bucco which cost P450.


Considering the distance, I'd only eat there again if I happen to be in the area. Although I'd probably rather go with Manos' Greek Taverna or some other resto with more affordable choices.

Review: Sweet Valley Mango Choco

I've previously tried R&M's Choco Mangga, which is an expensive chocolate dipped dried mango. Here's an image from fortyweeksandthensome.blogspot.com

I liked the contrast between the sweet-sour mango and the chocolate coating that did NOT taste horribly artificial (or as they call it "chocolate flavored") instead of real chocolate.

So when I saw another variety of chocolate with mango, I bit, despite the high price. I can't quite remember but I think this small box of 6 cost more than Php90.

(Another rotated photo--very strange. Why is Blogger rotating my photos when they're already right side up? Anyone know how to can correct this?)

There was a much bigger chocolate to mango ratio in this form factor. The mango inside was not really dried mango but more like thick, chewy mango jam. See the photo below:

(This one isn't rotated. What gives? Is it because the earlier ones are extra large?)

This one had the bad chocolate. But I shouldn't wonder since the first chocolate ingredient is "cocoa substitute". I wonder what that is. Carob? But it's probably a "chocolate substitute" instead. The usual cocoa with vegetable oil and no cocoa butter.

(This one is extra large but it isn't rotated. Sheesh)

So this is very sweet and with no real chocolate taste.

Verdict: not buying this again.

I guess I don't like the mango chocolate taste combination enough otherwise it would be pretty simple to buy dried mangoes, melt some chocolate, and dip them.