Cronuts!

Yesterday my friend Becky called up Wildflour at the Podium to reserve cronuts. She went a couple of times to buy those cronuts but they were always sold out. When she called to inquire if today, that is, yesterday, they had some left, she was told to just reserve and pick it up the next day. So she did and she told me about it right after she hung up the phone.

I also wanted to try it. It's all the rage in New York. Croissant donuts, hence cronuts! I called Wildflour right away to reserve for myself. I was sure Via would love it because she absolutely loves croissant.

Here it is!

Wildflour: Hello! Good afternoon, Wildflour.

Me: Hello! I want to reserve cronuts para bukas. Pwede daw pala mag pa reserve.

Wildflour: Ay sorry Mam, hindi na kami tumatanggap ng reservation.

Me: Pero kakatawag lang ng friend ko. Now lang! Nakapagpareserve sya!

Wildflour: Sino Mam, si Becky? Last na po yun. Kung gusto nyo punta na lang kayo dito para mag reserve.

Me: Ha?! Bat ganun? Ganito na lang. Idagdag mo na lang sa order ni Becky yun order ko. Pwede?

Wildflour: Sige Mam. Ano po ang order nyo?

Me: Anong flavors meron?

Wildflour: Strawberry, vanilla at chocolate.

Me: Sige, tatlong chocolate. Magkano pala isa?

Wildflour: P120 po. Tatlong chocolate cronuts. Okay na Mam.

Me: Thank you!

Whew! So today we had lunch at Wildflour, Podium to pick up our cronuts. I had the set meal: tomato soup, caesar salad and grilled cheese sandwich for P395. The tomato soup was super. I loved it. Grilled cheese was okay. No photo. I forgot. So hungry.


The cronuts was super by the way. The creme filling made it special. Next time I'll get strawberry. I want to try all the yummy pastries but one at a time. The calories are a killer. I did a search on cronuts and couldn't find one. I guess because it just came out. There was one, Pillsbury cronut mix and it was 1,216 calories for one cronut. I can believe it!

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Awful Yellow Cab Experience

My co-worker T recently got a promotion and as is the tradition in our division, she treated us, her division mates to merienda. When we have birthdays, promotions and other celebrations in our division, treats are usually for merienda instead of lunch or dinner. Don't let "merienda" deceive you though. These are really heavy merienda that we prepare for by eating very light lunches and no more dinner after.

Anyway, T had her merienda blowout last Valentine's Day. Because she had meetings throughout the day, she asked if I could help her with ordering which I gladly did. On the menu were:

Mixed Kebabs from Shawarma Center in UN Ave., Manila (P1350/kilo). This includes mixed beef, fish, lamb and chicken kebabs, Arabic bread, hummous, motabal, yogurt garlic sauce, hot sauce and vegetables. One kilo could easily feed 6 people as the bread was thick and very filling.

Spaghetti for 20 (P850), Pancit Malabon for 20 (P750), Barbecue P20 per stick and Pichi Pichi with Cheese (P220 per 40 pcs.) all from Amber's.

Pizza from Yellow Cab (Garden Special, Manhattan Meatlovers and Dear Darla). This was supposed to be Shakey's (my favorite Pizza restaurant but at the last minute, T said why not make it Yellow Cab this time for a change.

I ordered the Shawarma at around 9am, while I ordered from Amber's at 10 am. I ordered the Pizza from Yellow Cab delivery 789-9999 at 1:30pm because it was very close, just a few blocks away. The Shawarma arrived first, before 3pm, all the way from UN Avenue. Next was Amber's at exactly 3:15 from Edsa in Mandaluyong. As it was only 15 minutes to 3:30 (merienda time), we decided to wait at the lobby for the Yellow Cab pizza since we were tired of going up and down to pick up the food. At 3:40pm we got tired of waiting and decided to go up to follow up, leaving one co-worker at the lobby in case it arrived after we left. 

I called up Yellow Cab's delivery number 789-9999 to follow up. I was put on hold for a long time and then told that they will call the branch designated to deliver and call me back. I was impatient since we had told everyone to come at 3:30pm. The guests were already there. I asked which Yellow Cab branch it was (Yellow Cab, Emerald Ave. in Ortigas) and got the number to call the branch myself. The phone just rang and rang and rang. It was already 3:50. I called the call center again and was put on hold again. By that time I was getting frustrated and threatened to cancel the order. I would have too but the celebrant T said no, let me talk to them. I passed the phone on to her glad to be done with it. She got put on hold, passed around, put on hold, it was verrrry frustrating. 

Finally, the call center supervisor said the rider had left the branch at 3:50pm. What?! I ordered at 1:30 asking delivery at 3:30. They had a lot of time. Clearly they forgot or misplaced our order. What was infuriating were the excuses they made and the fact that they kept passing us around with no one knowing what was happening. It was clearly their fault and was very badly handled. There was no attempt at minimizing damage or making up to the client. They just kept on saying we will update you which will do what to the hungry guests waiting for the pizza?  The pizza finally arrived at 4:40pm but all they would give us was a 20% discount.

I don't know what T is going to do. She was boiling mad. She got the branch manager's name, the call center supervisor's name and the rider. For myself, I'm never ordering from Yellow Cab again, especially Yellow Cab, Emerald Avenue. Loyal Shakey's customer forever.

It could be an isolated incident because previous experience were on time but they were from Yellow Cab, St. Francis Square. It must be the Yellow Cab, Emerald Avenue Branch that had horrible service but I also blame the call center for passing our order to Emerald Avenue when St. Francis Square was meters away from our office.

We ended up taking home most of the pizza because by that time, some guests had left and the others were full.

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See You Around Karen

Today is my friend K's last day at work. After 16 years with our office, she has decided to resign. The decision did not come easily as all of us, her friends, were convincing her to stay.

Wag muna! 

Five years na lang may pension ka na kasama ang medical insurance.  

Pwede ka naman lumipat na lang ng department.

Mami miss mo kami!

None of what we said could change her mind. It took her a year to arrive to this point but arrive she did. Her mind is made up. All we can do now is support her decision and cheer her on whatever course she takes.

It's the holiday season and most staff are on leave.  On her last day with us, we had a two hour lunch at Sumo San in Megamall. No worries about the long lunch since there were no bosses anyway. I was on leave by the way but joined them along with the Twerp.  We got our orders out of the way so we could get on to talking.

Spicy Tuna Salad (P218)

Chicken Teriyaki (P228)

Sukiyaki

Japanese Fried Rice (P228)

K joined our office two years before I did. On my first day at our department, being introduced around to everyone, she stood out as she was very friendly and welcoming. It was very easy to talk to her and to approach her if I needed help with anything. She was the one who said that she recognized me from PNB where we both worked previously. That she also worked there. I was surprised. I'm not good at remembering faces. But I did recall her after a while and I remember even talking to her. We eventually moved to other departments but kept up our friendship. I'm sure that this is not the end of our friendship. I have few close friends but those friends I keep for life. Goodluck K!

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My 10 Favorite Dishes

Do you have all-time favorite dishes that you cannot say no to whatever happens? These are mine.

I have to say goodbye to them because of changes in my life. It started with wanting a simple life some years ago and spread out to other areas of my life. It's a continuing journey with its own challenges but I am happy and at peace. One of those challenges concerns food, specifically pork and shellfish. So here I am. I had each of these dishes one last time to say goodbye.

1.  CRISPY PATA at Barrio Fiesta. This was the ultimate treat for me growing up.

2.  CHICHARON WITH LAMAN that I eat with steamed white rice. Some of my friends cannot imagine eating this with rice. It's a snack or pulutan but I could easily have two cups of rice with a few pieces of this.

3.  TAHONG, grilled and baked with lots of garlic and cheese. Yum!

4.  CRAB MARITESS at Crustacia. I love crabs, boiled, steamed, with coconut sauce, however, it's cooked. My mother said, pinaglihi ako sa alimasag. When I was born, the first thing she asked the nurses was how may fingers and toes did I have because having eaten a lot of crabs during her pregnancy might have given me more than ten fingers and toes. I know. I know. It's not true. It's what old folks say. But it's one of my favorite food that I always eat with my hands and I can eat a 900 gram crab all by myself.

5.  SPICY SPARE RIBS or Pork Chops.

6.  HOT PRAWN SALAD at Summer Palace. There are many versions of this in Chinese restaurants but I like the Summer Palace and HK Choi versions best.

7.  CRISPY BACON is another one that makes me eat a lotta rice.

8.  HAKAW or Shrimp Dumpling

9.  PRAWN THERMIDOR

10.  SPICY SQUID dipped in Bagoong with Calamansi at Mann Hann. One Christmas season I was shopping by myself and got hungry. I went to Mann Hann and ordered this dish with 2 cups of rice and iced tea.

There you are. Not the healthiest foods anyway so I'm better off without them. Don't feel sorry for me because I still have lots of favorites that I can eat like Shakey's thin crust pizza, Spinach Tofu at HK Choi, Fish and Chips at Charley's, Parmesan Fish at the Cookbook Kitchen, etc. I'll be just fine.

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Sunday Market at Centris Walk

I like Sunday markets. There are always interesting finds in these markets. I have a friend who frequents these markets. She brings lunch from home tow work and sometimes she would share and say, I got this from the Sunday market. It's really, really good. And it is! Whatever, LONGGANISA, DANGGIT, fruits, etc. So, she was telling us how this Sunday market she went to moved to Eton Centris and it's bigger now and that we should go.

So, off we went my friend K and I with the TWERP in tow. It was late when we got there, around 10AM and it was HOT! T wasn't kidding. There was so much to see! We decided to just walk and stop if we find anything interesting. Right away I saw these long dresses that's looks really comfortable and cool to wear in this summer heat. I bought a YELLOW dress for P100. Too bad there weren't really nice dresses for Via. I did buy her one dress for P50 but well, for fifty pesos it was okay.

Then we moved on to the food section. There were a lot of cooked food that was very hard to resist since we can smell how GOOD they would taste :) Still we restrained ourselves. We came upon the BACKYARD CHEF. I loved what this stall was selling. I bought one container of the Queso Kalabaw with Shiitake Mushrooms. I thought it was expensive but I love cheese so I bought one. It's mixed with olive oil to preserve it. The BACKYARD CHEF had other variations with of the Queso Kalabaw. I am definitely coming back here to try them all. He also had this Tamarind sauce that's good as a dip or as a salad dressing.  We were really interested in his food stuff that we asked him if he was a chef by profession. No, he said he was a retired engineer and this is his passion. I ate the Queso Kalabaw with toasted sourdough bread. It was super. I think it would also go well with crackers or to mix with pasta.

Next we went to the produce section. The vegetables were fresh and healthy looking despite the heat. We bought DUHAT for P65/half kilo. Was disappointed though because it wasn't sweet.

Our last stop was the plant section. K bought two indoor plants for only P100 each. When the plants at home die, which they will because they don't get enough sun and air and whatever plants need, I'll buy plants when we come back. You might be thinking why buy plants when I expect them to die. Well, a Feng Shui person told me I had to have plants in the kitchen and this part of our house that was a "portal" for spirits. I don't super believe in it, well maybe a little bit. She asked if I felt fatigued all the time which I was. Once I put place those plants where she told me to and put up some pictures of the woods and mountains on the wall separating the bedroom and the kitchen, I did feel better. No more fatigue. She said the proximity of the kitchen to my bedroom was draining my energy. Okay, so I need to have plants in the house. The lady who sold K her plants said that those thrived indoors and hardly needed sun and water. So that's what I will buy. Hopefully, we can keep it healthy.

We didn't stay very long because of the heat and because we were very hungry but next time, we will come a little earlier so Via could try the slides that we saw as well as be able to look at  the other areas we didn't get to.

Linking up with Food Trip Friday!

Happy Weekend!

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Myeolchi Bokkeum (Stir Fried Dried Anchovies)

My cousin who's a very good cook made this Korean dish, Myeolchi Bokkeum, for us one Sunday get together. He has been learning to Korean dishes and have mastered quite a few. This is delicious as a side dish or as a snack.

Ingredients for Myeolchi Bokkeum:

1 cup of dried anchovies

1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds

1 tsp. sesame oil

For Sauce:

1 Tbsp. brown sugar

1 Tbsp minced garlic

2 tsp. soy sauce

1 Tbsp. Kochujang

1 tsp. honey

About 1/4 cup water

Procedure:

1.  Mix the sauce for stir frying in a small bowl. Set aside.

2. Heat sesame oil in a pan. Add the sauce and cook until bubbly. Add the anchovies and continue cooking until the sauce is almost gone.

3. Serve hot. Garnish with Sesame Seeds.

Linking up with Food Trip Friday!

Happy Weekend!

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Beef Rendang

Been trying to learn Indonesian dishes for P so he wouldn't be too homesick for food. He's been subsisting mostly on fried chicken, KFC, Jollibee, McDonald's, Inasal, etc. He's tried them all. Most of my experiments have not been too successful though. Either the recipes were not good or I wasn't following it correctly or I did not have the right ingredients. Still, I keep on trying. My friend Karen got a Singaporean cookbook which had a lot of Indonesian and Malaysian dishes in it. I decided to try out the Beef Rendang although the recipe confused me a bit because it was not specific enough. I had to look up other recipes on the internet. So this is a combination of many recipes.

1/2 kilo beef brisket cut into cubes
1 cup grated coconut, lightly toasted
1 cup thick coconut milk
3 pieces dried tamarind, sliced thinly
Salt and pepper to taste
2 pieces kaffir lime leaves
1 piece turmeric leaf
1 piece salam leaf
1 cup cooking oil


Blend the following into a paste:
1 medium onion
6 pieces large garlic cloves
1 teaspoon minced ginger
a handful candlenuts (I used almonds as candlenuts were not available)
1 piece shallot


Add these to the blended paste:
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon chili paste
2 teaspoon cumin powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric poweder


Season beef cubes with salt and pepper and marinate for at least an hour.


Heat 1 cup cooking oil (in medium heat) in a large wok and fry the blended paste. Add the kaffir lime leaves, turmeric leaf and salam leaf and continue stirring until brown.


Add the sliced tamarind. Once the oil separates from the paste, add the marinated beef and cook in slow fire for 2 hours or until beef is tender. Stir once in a while and add a little water if the paste starts to dry up.


Add the grated coconut when the beef is almost tender and stir until well mixed. When the beef is tender, add the coconut milk. Mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Once oil starts to float on top, it is ready.


Serve with steamed rice.


This time my experiment worked out well. P said it was good and I brought leftovers to work to have my friends taste it and they liked it too.

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Old Friends

We all have friends that we have lost touch with. Once they were so much a part of our lives that we talked to them several times a day and see them all the time. I've had bestfriends at different times in my life. In elementary, high school, college, my first job...There were times when we separated just to go home and sleep, then are together again the next day. But as we move on in our life, we meet new people, make new friends and experience other things. It doesn't mean that they cease to be our bestfriends. I have kept in touch with all my old friends, even from elementary.

Last Friday I had dinner with my friend from college, Whilma and her husband. Our friend Judy couldn't make it. It came about because last week Judy came to my office for a job interview. We caught up with each other and wondered about Whilma. We lost touch with her several years ago when she resigned from her work. No mobile number or email.

I decided to look her up on facebook. No luck but I found her brother. I sent a message to him to which he replied giving me Whilma's mobile number. That was around lunchtime on Friday. After texting back and forth, we made plans to meet. We had dinner at Max's Fried Chicken in Greenbelt and had the Chicken all-you-can-eat promo. That was such a good deal. I haven't even finished my first chicken, here comes the waiter giving me my a second piece. I stopped with the second chicken. More than that feels like gluttony :)

It was funny because she couldn't believe all that has happened in my life since we last saw each other. I was shocked as well to know that my godchild (her eldest) is already working! Before separating that night, we made a vow to see each other regularly. I sure hope we do.

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Sambal Ikan Bilis

Ingredients:

About 2 cups Ikan Bilis (dried achovies)

10 pieces chili

10 pieces shallots

2 pieces tomatoes

Brown Sugar to taste

Olive oil

Mash or grind chillis, shallots, and tomatoes into a paste. Set aside.

Heat about 2 tablespoon olive oil and fry ikan bilis until golden brown and crispy. Drain oil and set aside.

Heat 2 tablespoon olive oil and fry spice paste (chilli, shallots, and tomatoes) for about 2 minutes then add ikan bilis to the mixture. Mix well and add brown sugar to taste.

Serve with steamed rice.

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The New Bureau of Immigration Building

Two years ago when I went with P to renew his visa at the Bureau of Immigration in Intramuros, this building was being renovated. The office where foreigners went to extend their Philippine visa and other matters was in a small cramped office with makeshift counters made of wood. It was crowded and hot and unsystematic. We had to go back and forth between 2 buildings .

It's now a whole lot better. The renovated office is spacious and airconditioned. They had fliers listing procedures for the various services needed by foreigners from student visa, renewal of ACR, visa extension, etc. The fliers even indicated the estimated time each step would take.

We finished everything before lunchtime except for the release of P's passport. We decided to have lunch as it would be another 40 minute wait. I used to work in PNB, Escolta and one of my favorite places to eat was at the Bacolod Chicken House in Intramuros. This is the original chicken bacolod and none of the chicken inasal restaurants that came later can compare to the taste. Because we were so hungry, I forgot to take pictures of the food. All I have are pictures of our empty plates. Each of us had 2 orders of paa (leg part) and garlic rice and adobong kangkong. Soooo happy!

It was overcast when we stepped out of Bacolod Chicken House, so we took a leisurely walk back to the immigration building. This is King Felipe of Spain from whose name Philippines was named.

I don't know what these ruins used to be but it dates back to time the Philippines was a colony of Spain.

When we got P's passport we decided to take the Pasig River Ferry back. So we walked along Jones Bridge towards Escolta Street where there is a Ferry Terminal. This statue was a gift from the Government of Singapore.

Jones Bridge, Manila...

A view of Pasig river from Jones Bridge....

At the bottom of Jones bridge is the entrance to Chinatown (Binondo)....

The Pasig River Ferry Terminal in Escolta....

We were tired when we got home but happy that mission was accomplished.

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Egg Sambal Recipe

I have never thought of having eggs for dinner. However, I decided to try this tasty Malaysian dish because it contains no meat. After going through a few recipes I found online, I decided to try the one I found in My Kitchen Snippets.

5 hard boiled eggs
1 large onions – sliced thinly
1 clove of garlic - chopped
2 tbsp of chili paste or sambal olek (more if you like it spicy)
2 tbsp of tomato ketchup
1 tbsp of lemon juice (optional)
Some water
1 tbsp of sugar
Salt to taste

Heat about 2 tbsp of oil in pan and shallow fry the hard-boiled eggs till eggs are slightly browned. Remove eggs and set aside.

Add in garlic and onion and stir well until aromatic and lightly brown. Add in the chili paste and tomato ketchup. Stir for a few second and gradually add in some water.

Add salt and sugar to taste. Return fried eggs to the sambal mixture coat evenly and allow to boil until sambal is reduced in liquid.

Serve warm with rice.


I made slight changes in the ingredients because we didn't have a couple of them. I used chili bean paste instead of chili paste and banana catsup instead of tomato ketchup. Since banana catsup is already sweet, I didn't add the brown sugar. Also I added more garlic because I just love the taste of garlic. It's sooooo good. I will try some more recipes from that blog since there are so many similar dishes between Malaysia and Indonesia.

I will make this again tomorrow morning as I told my friends at the office I would give them a taste if it's successful.

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A 1922 Recipe: Fish Torta

My cousin in Minneapolis asked me to buy this coffee table book for her which also contains period recipes.

I browsed through it to find an interesting recipe that I could try. I found lots! The problem was most of it were in Spanish. My college Spanish was not good enough to translate the recipes. I found this recipe for fish torta (fish omelet) which I decided to try.

1 big fish, about 1 kilo
4 tomatoes, sliced
2 eggs
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cm. fresh ginger
1 small onion, sliced
4 tbsp. lard
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper

Clean the fish. Boil in water to which the ginger has been added. When the fish is done, remove it from the water and take out the bones. Heat the lard in a frying pan. Fry the garlic and the onion. Stir in the tomatoes, the fish, the salt and the peppers. Remove from the fire and cool. Beat the eggs and add them to the mixture. Mix thoroughly. Place a piece of banana leaf in the frying pan in which there is a little fat. Saute the mixture by tablespoonfuls, browning both sides. Serve hot.

The recipe would have been too much for just two of us so I halved it. I used cream dory fillet about 500 grams. I added 5 pcs. chillies, chopped because P has to eat spicy food always. I skipped boiling the fish in water with the ginger. I simply sauteed it along with the onions, tomatoes, garlic using butter instead of lard. It turned out great and I ate too much for dinner.

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Food Inc.

P and I watched this oscar-nominated documentary last night and it's enough to make me not want to eat meat ever again. Eeeeewww! And the chickens, they all looked so pitiful. It's amazing how technology can do so much and how profit can get people to think up of new ways to do things like McDonald's did way back then.

It's perfect for me though because it will help me with healthy eating and hopefully lose the 10 pounds that just won't let go.

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Homestyle Indonesian Chicken Soup with Vegetables

from Periplus Mini Cookbooks by William W. Wongso and Hayatinufus A.L. Tobing

Ingredients:

½ Chicken cut into pieces

6 cups water

1teaspoon peppercorns

4-6 cloves garlic

1 tablespoon oil

1 medium carrot, sliced thinly

2 tablespoons dried woodear mushrooms coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons dried lily buds, hard stems removed

½ cup cabbage

½ cup snow peas

2 spring onions, cut in 1 cm lengths

2 stalks chinese celery cut in lengths

8-10 hard boiled quail eggs

100 g glass noodles

1 tablespoon sweet Indonesian soy sauce

2 tablespoons crispy fried shallots

Place the chicken, water and salt in a pot and bring to a boil. Cover, lower the heat and simmer until the chicken is tender, about 35 minutes.

While the chicken is cooking, grind the peppercorns in a spice grinder until fine. Add the garlic and process to a coarse paste. Heat the oil in a small saucepan, add the spice paste and stir fry over medium heat until golden brown. Add to the soup.

When the chicken is tender, remove and cool slightly, then cut the meat into 1 cm cubes and set aside.

Add the carrot to the soup, return to the boil, cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms, lily buds, cabbage, snow peas, spring onion and chinese celery. Simmer for 5 minutes until the vegetables are cooked. Add the reserved chicken, quail eggs, noodles and sweet soy sauce to the soup. Heat through, then serve garnished with crispy fried shallots.

I tried this recipe over the weekend. I didn't put all the veggies in though. Just carrots and cabbage and I forgot the sweet soy sauce :) Still P said it tasted good.

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Crispy Fragrant Chicken

I've been trying to learn how to cook Indonesian dishes with little success. I find it difficult because I'm not familiar with most of the ingredients and the proportions and how they should taste. I don't usually follow cookbooks to the letter. I try to add spices or change the proportions. So far I've tried Ikan Bilis, Nasi Goreng Ayam, Pecel with Peanut Sauce a few times. Something's always wrong with them. Today I decided to try Crispy Fragrant Chicken.

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken cut into serving portions
2 salam leaves (optional)
1 stalk lemongrass, tender inner part of bottom third only, bruised and cut in 3 pieces
Oil for deep frying

Spice Paste:
5 candlenuts or macadamia nuts
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
5 cm (2in) fresh ginger root, peeled and sliced
1 tablespoon turmeric powder
4 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon salt

To make the spice paste, dry fry the candlenuts or macadamia nuts, coriander and cumin seeds in a skillet or wok over low heat until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Grind them in a blender or food processor until fine, add the galangal, turmeric powder, garlic and salt and grind to form a smooth paste. Add a little water if needed to keep the mixture turning.

Put the spice paste in a wok or frying pan with a lid. Add the chicken pieces and stir fry over medium heat to coat with the spice paste, then add the salam leaves, if using, and lemongrass. Cover the pan and simmer slowly over low heat, turning the chicken peices from time to time, until all the moisture is absorbed and the chicken pieces are tender, 30-35 minutes. Remove and discard the lemongrass and salam leaves.

Heat the oil in a wok until very hot. Add several chicken pieces, with the spices still coating the outside, then deep-fry over high heat until golden brown about 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels and keep warm while frying the remaining chicken peices.

I basically followed everything except for the salam leaves and the lenmograss which I forgot. I used almonds instead of candlenuts and coriander and cumin powder instead of seeds. Also I added juice of 2 calamansi, 5 pieces chilli and a little Knorr original seasoning.

Finally, P said it was good. Finally!

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The Best Kinda Cake

My friend K brought me a slice of birthday cake last week. It's chiffon cake with marshmallow icing. These kinda cakes are specially ordered for occasions like birthdays, debuts, etc. so it's not readily available. That slice of cake triggered a tremendous craving for birthday cake. It's my favorite. For me nothing compares.

Yesterday, I went to goldilocks to order one. I was told that they don't make it anymore. So off I went to Red Ribbon hoping it's available there. The conversation with the order taker went like this:

Me: Miss, mag order ako ng birthday cake.
OT: For boy or girl?
Me: Walang okasyon gusto ko lang kumain ng birthday cake.
OT: Meron kaming cakes dito (gesturing towards the display of cakes like black forest-ugh)
Me: Hindi gusto ko nga birthday cake. Mag oorder ako.
OT: For boy or girl?
Me: Hay...sige girl.
OT: Ito po ang catalogue.
Me: Ano bang pinakamura? Gusto ko lang kumain ng cake.
OT: Mam, tingin na lang kayo sa catalogue.
Me: (Leafing through the catalogue) Ano itong boiled icing? Ito ba yung marshmallow icing?
OT: Ahhh....Mam itanong nyo na lang sa manager..ayun po.
Me: (arrrgggh going to the manager) Miss, ito bang boiled icing e marshmallow icing?
Mgr: Yes Mam.
Me: Salamat (went back to the catalogue looking for the cheapest cake with no design)
After finding the cheapest, round picture cake for P500, I went to the counter.
Me: Miss, oorder na ko. Ito na lang.
OT: Mam, dun po sa manager nyo i-order.
Me: *sigh* went to the manager again....Miss, order ako ng birthday cake...ito.
Mgr: Sige Mam, picture cake, anong picture po ilalagay?
Me: Wag na, wala naman okasyon, gusto ko lang kumain ng birthday cake.
Mgr: Kailangan po may picture kasi picture cake.
Me: (AAAaaaarrrghhh....just a little more patience...) sige meron ba pagpipilian dyan?
Mgr: Ito po.
Me: Ito na lang (pointing at the first one).
Mgr: Paki fill up po itong form at full payment po. Ano pong ilalagay na greeting?
Me: (Filling up the form)...lagyan mo na lang ng pangalan ko
Mgr: Ok Mam, bukas po ang pick up ganitong oras din po.
Me: Hoooray...finally....I get to eat my cake!

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PANDESAL atbp.

Dito sa division namin walang magugutom. Kung wala kang pera o di kaya walang oras mag almusal o basta gutom ka lang...punta ka lang sa center table o kaya sa file room...palaging may pagkain.

Tulad ngayong umaga, ito ang meron sa file room. Yung PANDESAL na malaki pa sa plato, spaghetti at cupcake.

Eto magaaalas dose na di ko pa maubos kaya hindi na ako kakain ng lunch. Busog na busog na ko.

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