Mad about FOOD

In Japan, mochi is a traditionally important confection. This native Japanese delicacy is basically made from glutinous rice flour formed into cakes, usually in the shape of balls, and is considered a staple in Japanese New Year’s Day celebrations. While the Philippine media give gory accounts of firecracker victims, the Japanese media report on the number of mochi casualties. According to Wikipedia, many elderly Japanese die from choking on mochi (because it is very sticky) after every new year. Uh-oh, so much for traditions for good luck.

Enter my latest discovery: Magnolia Mochi–ice cream balls wrapped in glutinous rice.

Originally, mochi was stuffed with sweet fillings like sweetened red bean paste, white bean paste, azuki and the like–similar to its more familiar Chinese counterpart, the buchi. That was until the early ’80s when an ingenious Japanese company (Lotte) came up with the unthinkable–mochi stuffed with ice cream. Today one of our ice cream giants is testing if the local market is ready for this dessert by introducing its own version of mochi ice cream.

There were only two flavors at the store from where I bought them–ube and sesame. Mochi has been compared with our native palitaw, but the texture and taste of this mochi is more akin to the flavored tikoy rolls from Eng Bee Tin (which i adore) and, to a certain extent, our very own espasol. However, one bite of the Magnolia Mochi and you’ll know there’s nothing quite like it.

I like the ube variety. The other one has the intense flavor of sesame, which is also good but not as good as ube. The ice cream filling coupled with the soft, chewy, not-too-sticky rice cake provide an exciting sensation in the mouth that puts the ooohh in mochi. My only reservation about this is that it retails for P13.50. If you knew me so well, you’d think that I can eat 10 mochi balls in one go (and you’d be right). But because of its price, I have to control myself. I wish there’s a green tea variety, too. What a really toothsome treat that would be!

I love Tuesdays. Tuesdays are my and Bea’s special day for food-tripping. Our last few weeks were spent in Glorietta and Greenbelt, checking out the restaurant scene as well as the annual book sales. During our brief absence from Serendra, a new store has opened that is creating all the buzz these days. Having a sweet tooth, I was drawn to it like a moth unto flame.

I read somewhere that the color orange can boost one’s appetite. Marta’s Cakes obviously didn’t need that–pink and green colors dominate the shop. With its undeniably chic yet welcoming interiors and sophisticated display cases, one cannot help but be magnetized toward the store. Cake lovers–young and old alike–will surely have a fun time hanging out in the shop for some sweets and coffee.

Take note of the small chairs and tables–aren’t they just cute? They have a dream-like quality about them, as though they came straight out of a candy factory or a Disney animated movie. Well, actually, they’re there to encourage kids (and adults) to be creative. You’ll see how later.

Everything about the shop is well-planned and well-executed. The ceiling is decorated with attractive, colorful lamps that will have you craning your neck so you can admire them. Two lavatories have been thoughtfully set up in a corner for hand-washing (the liquid soap even smells so delicious!). The main glass display case features an assortment of cookies and mini-cakes that are a delight to behold. Jars filled with knick-knacks provide more colors to this dreamland. On one side of the wall are display shelves that showcase the cakemaker’s sample works. Here’s just one of her many wonderful and unique cake creations:

My favorite design is the "Noah’s Ark" cake but I couldn’t get a nice shot of it because it’s way up there on the shelf. Anyway, the cakes look so meticulously crafted and, according to her customers, they taste great, too. I know this because I’ve encountered the name Marta Matute before. She used to accept orders for made-to-order cakes  (for birthday, baptism, wedding and other special occasions) from her home in Alabang, or so I’ve read.

As I was saying, kids are encouraged to bring out their creative streak, so Ms. Marta herself approached us and asked if Bea and I wanted to try decorating cookies. Of course we did. So we bought a decorate-your-own-cookies kit (P85), which consists of two shortbread cookies (one heart-shaped and the other one a cow) and a small pack of candies. The staff lent us bottles of liquid frosting in different colors. I sat down with my little girl and I felt like I was an 8-year-old again. Now I’ll let the photos do the talking:

         
              That’s my Bea trying her hand at cookie-decorating. Go, baby!!!

         
Now she’s putting on the finishing touches–small ‘marshies’, candy-coated chocolates and rainbow sprinkles.

         
                    Our masterpieces…love that blue-and-yellow cow!

         
            The verdict: wonderful to look at, even better to eat. Yummy!!!

Now that was one of the best Tuesday afternoons we’ve ever had! Bea even remembered it before we went to bed: "Thank you so much, Mommy, for taking me to that cake shop!" I promised her we will visit it again one of these days.

As for the gorgeous Ms. Marta, I told her how I learned about her new store. I said I belong to this online community and there’s a topic about ‘Marta’s Cakes’ on one of the boards. She said that someone emailed her a link to that topic, in fact, but when she clicked on it, it was all about ‘Wendy’s.’ "That’s what happens when you’re not high-tech," she added. Well, if we can be anywhere near as imaginative and creative in baking as she is, who needs to be high-tech?

There is a number of things that I don’t eat–cucumbers, bell peppers, onion rings, sitaw, yogurt, paksiw na isda, kimchi, and a few others. But the first item on my list is always "cheesecake."  Regardless of what other people say, and no matter how glorious they look, I really don’t appreciate the sweet-sour (read: rancid) taste of cheesecakes. It can never be my dessert of choice.

Yesterday I attempted to develop a sort of liking for cheesecakes by having lunch at Cheesecake, etc. with my little foodie, Bea, and my friend, Aimee. We went to the Greenbelt 3 branch, which is a small, cramped space on the 3rd level. I was surprised by the extensive menu–from sandwiches to pasta dishes, boneless bangus, chicken pork adobo and even sisig. So we started off with a bowl of seafood corn chowder (P115) with a side of wheat toast.

If only I hadn’t seen the food server in the act of re-heating the soup in the microwave oven, I would’ve given it two thumbs-up. And even though the only seafood I could find were the tuna flakes (presumably from a can), the soup was tasty and satisfying, with chunks of potato, bits of bacon and lots of corn kernels. I’m thinking of making my own version of this chowder at home. Wish me luck.

We had the St. Galler schueblig (P225) next. It had a portion of egg salad and wheat toast with butter. I ordered it because I figured it was the safest choice. This traditional Swiss sausage always tastes almost the same anywhere you have it–whether in its place of origin or in a third world country like ours. The serving was humongous that Bea and I weren’t able to finish the entire thing.

My friend Aimee had the baked seafood rice (P210) and four seasons juice (P80). She said the former was a really heavy meal, topped with a creamy sauce similar to Greenwich’s rice melts. Judging from how she nearly polished off her plate (*wink*), I can only surmise that it was a good deal.

Aimee has a thing for cheesecakes, which is why I invited her there. From among the many very attractive ones on display, she picked the simple Belgian double cream (P150; plus P25 for the blueberry topping), which has a thin layer of crushed graham crackers as its base. I dared give it a try–just a teensy weensy bit–and, well, it wasn’t that awful. The cream cheese doesn’t have that overpowering taste of something rotten or spoiled. It was actually quite good. At least, Bea thought so. Still, I am no convert. I maintain my aversion to this dessert.

But if ever I’ll go back to Cheesecake, etc., it will only be because of the Ghirardelli double choco malt (P150). Having visited San Francisco several years back, I know that Ghirardelli is a well-loved homegrown chocolate brand in the City by the Bay. The choco malt drink is a real winner, with its ultra-smooth, thick and sinfully creamy chocolate goodness.

My only real and valid complaint about the branch is that it only had one person handling everything–taking the orders, preparing/cooking the food, blending the drinks, serving them, manning the cash register, and cleaning up. Granted, the place is tiny but with only 2 sets of customers, she already had her hands full. Our orders came one at a time, maybe ten minutes apart. She was friendly and still had a smile on her face, but it’s just not fair for her, wouldn’t you say?

Special thanks to Appetite ~Your lifestyle food magazine~ for the P1000 Cheesecake, etc. gift card.

More and more people are getting health conscious nowadays, even fastfoods recognize this fact. So now they’re trying to include salads on their menu. KFC, Jollibee, and McDonald’s are already offering salads along with their bestselling fried chicken. I actually like the KFC chicken caesar salad, especially when my budget is tight. But when you want to go for a healthy-licious treat, I recommend the following–
      
         

So remarkable in its simplicity is this vegetarian salad (P120+) from Vietnamese restaurant Pho Hoa [SM Mall of Asia]. As the name suggests, there is no meat or any other complicated ingredient–just lettuce, cabbage, shredded carrots and ground peanuts (if I remember correctly). The vinaigrette is a bit on the sweet side, but it really brings out the simple flavors of the veggies. Whether you’re a vegetarian or not, I’m sure you will love this one.

I’ve dined at Duo Steakhouse and Wine Bar [Serendra] often enough to be able to engage the head chef in conversation. So I asked Chef Mau, "Why is this salad so named?" And he said, quite simply and in his natural unassuming manner, "Because it’s her favorite." Thus the Tessie Tomas salad (solo-P370++) was born. It used to be a popular item at Le Souffle even though it was not on the menu. Once I tried it, I was immediately hooked. It has grilled prawns, marinated salmon, shiitake mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, lollo rosso and green ice lettuce and a creamy balsamic dressing that’s absolutely delectable. They named it after the actress-TV host, but I call this salad a masterpiece!

The first time I tried the seafood salad (P329++) of UCC Vienna Cafe at the Podium two years ago, I was instantly smitten. I had it again recently at the SM Mall of Asia branch and it’s still as good as before. How can anyone not fall head over heels in love with the generous portions of ebi furai, crab cakes, kani sticks, whole kernel corn and fish roe on a bed of lettuce? What makes this salad even more special is the Japanese dressing–distinctively piquant and very appetizing. Is this salad a starter or a main course? You decide.

My latest discovery is the Sicilian chicken salad (lunch portion-P350++) from Italianni’s [Glorietta]. It took me this long to try it because I used to sneer at salad recipes that call for fruits like pomelo, mango, apple or kiwi as ingredients mixed with leafy greens. My initial reaction was, yuck. But after reading raves about this one, I wanted to judge for myself. It’s a medley of "diced chicken breast, mangoes, ripe red grapes with pine nuts, tossed in a creamy lemon-dijon dressing served on a bed of crisp romaine lettuce." I never thought I’d say this, but the ingredients really blend well. The grapes and mangoes together with the lettuce, the focaccia croutons, and the dressing provide a burst of flavor in the mouth that’s, in fact, pleasantly unusual. My 3-year-old foodie, Bea, confirmed: "Mommy, I like it. It’s so delicious!"  Coming straight from the mouth of a babe, that’s a very positive sign. My only complaint is that the chicken and the pine nuts are scarce, but after finishing the entire platter, it didn’t matter anymore. The salad was so filling.

Oftentimes, I find myself not fitting into my pants anymore, so desperate times call for…SALADS! And while my favorite salads don’t seem to help trim my waistline, at least they make me feel good. Really good.