Taken around the time I was conceptualizing my thesis book in photography, I can clearly remember how I made this photo an excuse to buy several bags-full of really fat oysters from Gerry's in Libertad. I told my parents I needed to feature some sort of local produce to be featured in my coffee table book on Negros Occidental, and Hinigaran has pleased my oyster cravings for the last several years. Since I took the photo at night because I came home late that day for reasons I don't know, mom said I may take the shot but not eat them juicy-succulent-fresh-fat-sweet-milky-flavorful oysters since it was late and it would make my stomach upset. Well, surely the news had made my stomach even more upset. Long story short, I ate the whole plate plus another bag of oysters and that did not upset any part of me at all!
I can't find any talaba here in Manila that is as cheap and saliva-inducing as the ones in Negros. If I remember correctly it's Php50.00 for a bucket-full, and the one my tita buys from Hinigaran costs around 600+ a sack? Not sure, but what I do remember is the sight of several sacks of oyster being unloaded from her pick-up truck. Oh, happy days....
Taken last September 19, 2009 in San Antonio Zambales, just off the coast of Anawangin. If you see the pine trees directly at the edge of the horizon, that's Anawangin. The trip was about 30mins-45mins from Pundaquit beach...and the boat belonged to a friend so I don't know how much it's gonna cost to rent one, but there are a lot available if you do decide to go.
This is definitely one of my favorite photos (that I personally took) during photography days. The light is beautiful, the lush misty mountains sloping at the end, that sense of motion because of the still yet blurred water, and the focal lines directing your eyes to the tip of the boat, all those elements coming together makes the viewer feel like they're on the boat going to some adventure...well, that's what I feel whenever I stare at it at least. It's quite nostalgic, really. :/
Anawagin is beautiful! A MUST VISIT place in the country!
Frankly speaking, I ignore bread pudding whenever it is served on the table because I'm not convinced that it's worth the stomach space. It wasn't until I saw Chef Michael Smith whip up the dish that made me say "maybe". His recipe got stuck in my head that I managed to make one when the bread's expiration date came into view. Destiny has called forth my food angel to inspire me that I may get rid of many leftover ingredients hanging in the ref and pantry, all it the name of stale bread.
Unfortunately the only ingredients I remembered from Chef at Home were bread, milk, eggs, vanilla, and heaping spoons of brown sugar. The proportions and procedure I had to search online. Here's what I came up with.
Basic Bread Pudding Recipe:
4 Eggs
2 cups Milk
6 slices of White Bread (or as some call it Pinoy Tasty, or as I call it Pan de Amerikano)
1 cup Brown Sugar (but I think it must've been more since I didn't measure)
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Procedure:
Just mix everything and bake in an oven. The trick is to sprinkle a light layer of brown sugar on top so that it will caramelize into a sweet-crispy-glistening crust! I don't know about temperatures, but it was around medium heat for a couple of minutes...and I'm guessing it took me 30mins that resulted to a golden brown crust and a thin burnt bottom. I like it served hot...but my brother likes it fresh out of the refrigerator, so it doesn't matter. But we both like it with à la mode.
As for the Mixed Whatevers, I placed the following:
Lots of cinnamon
A dust of clove
An apple, cubed with the skin on since my brother refused to peel it
Grated carrot that's as big as four clumps of crayons
Dates, sliced into random chunks (can be bought at Santi's or S&R)
Dried Mangoes, sliced lengthwise
Butter, just random slathers
Maple Syrup, just about a tablespoon since it's expensive
Condensed Milk
Orange Zest (I didn't actually add this since I didn't have an orange available, but I sure would've done so if there was one lying around)
Chopped Walnuts...but I also didn't have walnuts on hand...just suggesting
I simply added the ingredients to the basic recipe and carefully watched as the pudding raise to double its size as it was baking, waited for the crust to turn golden brown, and the kitchen to smell like toasted custard bread before I took it out. Don't be surprised when the dome collapses though, I was disappointed when it did. </3
To serve, I added scoops of vanilla ice cream and drizzled it with three different flavors: cherry flavored cola syrup, chocolate syrup, and maple syrup. The combination was divine! Especially the Dr. Pepper sauce on the ice cream!
Now I'm learning to appreciate bread pudding because it helped me get rid of a lot of ingredients that have been in storage long enough.
Pardon the photos, I was not in the "career mode".
My favorite fish thus far comes from a sea of cream and red bean paste wrapped in a chewy waffle-thing of sort. It's a beautiful blend of mind flavors that does not overpower the palette with sugar. Its price ranges from Php35-50 depending on where you purchase it. Buying it in Korean groceries is always cheaper than other shops. Yummmeh!
The fish may not look appetizing with its bulging lips and huge round eyes--not to mention the fins and scales--but trust me, it tastes nothing like fish!
The photo was taken September 1, 2008 in Victorias City, Negros Occidental.
We were basically invited by Tito Mon Piñalosa, the owner of a local organic brand named Monchito's, to go and visit their farm. The place is around 42km from Bacolod City, but given my dad's driving speed, it took us over an hour to get there.
I was not able to get a whole lot of photos of the farm, but it was pretty neat since they grow all sort of vegetables and they even have livestock in the property. What I like about the place is that it's so well organized and presented that it's very visitor-friendly. Kinda like the Enchanted Farm, only much smaller.
Since I find it hard to type in my thoughts these days--mostly due to irrational excuses--I'll be posting some of my photos instead. I'm making a new category dedicated entirely to single-captured photos that I randomly took on my trips all over the metro, the country, or somewhere across our national boarder. This basically lessens the pressure of pumping out paragraphs to compose an article when all I have to say are a few words. Plus, I really don't want this blog to die out due to sheer laziness.
I really love promoting the Philippines despite her making me cuss on a daily basis. This is a lovely place to call home and I'll do what I can to tell her stories through the silence of a still frame.
This photo was taken in Gumiaras, a small island in the Visayas region during one of my trips last August 28, 2010. The island is tucked between Iloilo and Negros, the small sloping bulge at the end of the horizon that can be seen across the bay of Bago, Negros Occidental.
I was with my older brother here, and we were snorkeling along a not so distant reef from the island. For Php800 we were able to charter a boat that took us around a few nearby diving spots. There were a couple of fishermen hauling their nets when our boat passed by this man who was then paddling his way back to the beach. There's another small canoe in front of him, but that shot came out blurry so I settled on sharing this one. This is where I saw the biggest grouper in my life! It was around 5 feet long!
Some restaurants are better when you look at them from the outside in. Such is the case with Grams Diner at Fort as I've always been attracted with the lights that looked like fireflies behind the glass window, but when I came in not so long ago I was underwhelmed by the interior of the place. It was rather...just okay. I mean, sure it had this black and red color-combo that gave it the diner look, but it just didn't work for me.
