I really love to cook! By now you may have noticed that I've started to post recipes of the dishes that I myself got to cook. My love for cooking doesn't just end at the kitchen. I also enjoy watching cooking shows on food channels.


So when I got an email of an invitation for a Culinary Open House at The Academy for International Culinary Arts (A.I.C.A.), I really got excited and immediately marked my calendar! :p

I'm just so happy I have to post this haha! I cooked Beef Caldereta for lunch yesterday and it was a hit! Yay!

It was actually my first time to cook this dish and I'm glad my family loved it. Even my baby brother, Jaoey, who's a picky eater, enjoyed it! :D I posted this photo on my Instagram and Facebook accounts and it got a lot of 'likes'.


Quoting my sister Gia's comment: "Hit! Anghang! Sarap!" ("Hit! Spicy! Delicious!"), I can now say that my first time was successful. All their satisfied smiles, compliments, and burps were priceless! :)

I intentionally didn't take photos of the ingredients and cooking procedures, since it's just my first time to cook this, but I will definitely cook this again and will post the recipe soon! :D

Update:
January 27, 2014 - Please click HERE for the Beef Caldereta recipe. :D

kriskamarie   sweetnothings.kriskamarie
kriskamarie   kriskamarie

We had a dinner feast at home last Sunday, May 12. And just like last year, we again had a double celebration -- celebration of Mother's Day and an advanced celebration of Jaoey's 11th birthday. :)


Most of the dishes on our feast were the birthday boy's requests. He specifically pointed out that he wanted to have beef caldereta, lechon kawali, fried chicken, and spaghetti.

Almost a week after our family fun at Altaroca, our family once again enjoyed some summer fun last Wednesday, April 17, but this time without my dad. My dad wasn't able to join us because of work. It was just actually my mom's aerobics group's summer outing, and families were allowed to be tagged along. :)

Mom's aero group's summer outing was cancelled a day before, but since we were all set, with Mark and Jeff already at our house because they were also coming along, and with Jaoey very much excited for it, we still pushed through.


After having breakfast at home, we headed to Cristina Villas. There were already a number of cars parked at the resort, and since we're not fans of crowded places, we were hesitant at first. My mom, together with Jaoey, Chino, and Mark checked the place out and got back with a go signal for us to unload our things.

After having some summer fun with my family, Mark and I went out on a date with his mom and cousin the day after, last Tuesday, April 9. Aside from it being a holiday in the Philippines (Day of Valor), this day is very special for Mark since it's his mom's birthday. :) 

The Birthday Girl and the Mama's Boy :p

We had a lunch feast at Mark's house and then we headed to Robinsons Magnolia in the afternoon as per Tita Juliet's request. We had some snacks and then we watched a movie. After the movie, we roamed around to search for a restaurant for dinner. There were a lot of food choices and after a few minutes of rummaging, Mr. Choi Kitchen was what caught the heart of the birthday girl. :p

Had some family fun over at Altaroca Mountain Resort here in Antipolo last Monday, August 8. Daddy was on leave from work so it was a perfect time for some summer fun. Her sisters were also free that time so we invited them over. My cousin, Aya, and Mark were also tagged along. :)


The resort is just a few minute drive away from our house. We had our breakfast at home and got to the resort around 9am. Since the owner of the resort is my daddy's friend, checking in was a breeze. The resort was big enough, with 3 pools (a kiddie pool, a lap pool, and a pool lounge), a few huts, some tree house, a cafe and bar, and a hotel with function rooms and a grand ballroom.

Just like what I said before, I always make sure that I get to cook Mark's favorites whenever he comes over at my house for a visit. Aside from his all-time-favorite Kare-Kare, I also learned that he has come to love my version of Pork Steak. :D Thanks to my mom for teaching me the recipe. :)

Pork steak is actually a twist on the Filipino dish, Bistek Tagalog (Beef Steak), as it has the same ingredients and just differs with the main ingredient which is the meat. Paired with steamed rice plus Ensaladang Kamote (Camote Tops Salad), I'm sure this dish will be a family hit, just like how it has always been for our family. :)

Pork Steak

Had a little get together with my college friends last December at Tagaytay. After a night of fun and laughter, we parted ways as we head back to Manila. I was with Mark and Ian and we decided to have lunch on our way home, and Leslie's Restaurant topped our list.


There were already a lot of diners when we arrived but we were still lucky to get a seat at the far end of the restaurant, overlooking the Taal Volcano and Taal Lake.

Last week, Mark asked me out on a "Fridate" at Movie Stars Cafe in SM Mall of Asia. I love receiving invites from Mark but I actually wasn't excited when I knew that we were going to SM MOA. I'm from Antipolo while Mark is from Caloocan, so meeting halfway at Quezon City has always been our practice for our weekend dates. Okay I'll admit, I just hate having to drive around busy streets, stroll around crowded malls, and most especially having to ride a public transportation while braving the traffic and the crowd! :p

Mark has been raving about how cool the place seems when he saw it online. When I checked it, I also got excited and so I just tried to let go of the brat in me and gave in to his invite! :D It is very rare that Mark and I go out on dates outside Quezon City, but whenever we do, Mark makes sure that we go to places that are worth our effort and time. Plus, Mark and I both seemed to have built a penchant for themed restaurants and hotels, like Pan De Amerikana and Segara Villas and Suites, and Movie Stars Cafe is a great addition to the list. :p

We were half an hour early for the cafe's opening so we both agreed to just have our lunch at SM MOA, go watch some movie, and just get back to the cafe afterwards. After watching OZ The Great and Powerful, we headed to the Movie Stars Cafe along Seaside Boulevard, which is a few walks away from the mall.


Mark and I were already delighted, like little kids, right when we saw the logo of the restaurant from afar.

It was actually my baby brother, Jaoey, who first saw this idea on the internet moths back. He was delighted when he showed it to me and made me promise that we'll make some at home. And so one Saturday afternoon, I obliged. :)

I'm not actually sure with the name of this dish, but this is basically just the ordinary spaghetti that most of us grew up with, preparation- and taste-wise, but with an added fun and excitement to it. :D

The spaghetti noodles are stuck into the hotdog chunks, making it look like the noodles are oozing out from the hotdogs. :D

Hotdog Spaghetti

Mark and I spent the day together on his birthday last February 7. We met past lunch time and had a light lunch over at Hap Chan in Alimall, and then watched a movie at Gateway Cineplex after lunch.

We then headed to Lola Cafe+Bar in Scout Lozano in Tomas Morato for our dinner. We got to the restaurant around 8pm.  I've read in reviews how the restaurant is always filled with people, but I wasn't worried that we won't have any tables since I have already reserved a table for two while we were still at Gateway. :)

Parking Area

Lola Cafe+Bar has a nice laid back and homey feel with its cozy vibe and minimalistic design. The restaurant was comfy and spacious and has three dining areas.

Last Wednesday was Ash Wednesday which marked the start of the season of Lent. And since meat is not allowed during the season, the next best alternative would be fish.

Fried fish would always be a common dish during Lent, but this tends to be dry and bland, so I'm sharing with you this easy sweet and sour fish recipe that I'm sure you'll enjoy. It's basically deep fried cream dory chunks and deep fried tofu in sweet and sour sauce with pineapples, onions, and bell peppers.

I cooked this for lunch on Ash Wednesday and my family loved it! :D

Sweet and Sour Cream Dory with Tofu

Mark came over at our house last Friday and spent the whole weekend, up until Sunday, with me at home.

The family's all complete, Gia's boyfriend also came over, last Sunday, and so daddy decided to throw a lunch feast for Mark since he'll be celebrating his birthday this Thursday, February 7.

After our Corregidor trip, Mark and I were up early the next morning and hit the road to Tagaytay. Since our hotel reservation is still in the afternoon, we decided to have our breakfast first at Sonya's Garden.

On our way to Tagaytay, while stuck in traffic along SLEX :p

Their staff welcomed us as we entered the restaurant and ushered us to our seats as she handed us the menu.  Sonya's Garden offers a buffet breakfast which is a choice of Filipino or Continental style.  I ordered the Filipino breakfast while Mark chose the latter. Breakfast is served from 8am-9:30am and rate is Php 427.00 per person.

Being a girlfriend of a bodybuilder for more than 8 years now, I have already known and mastered Mark's needs especially when it comes to food. I enjoy cooking and I love to cook especially for my loved ones, and that of course includes Mark. I know how strict his diet is but that didn't stop me from cooking for him. Thank God for off-seasons from competitions, Mark can get to enjoy my home-cooked specialties. :D

Whenever Mark comes over our house for a visit, if my dad's not around, I make sure to prepare something that will surely satisfy his big appetite. I also see to it that I prepare different dishes for him for his every visit.  I already cooked Kare-kare for him before, so that's definitely out of the list.  I knew how Mark loves to eat chicken so I decided to cook Chinese-style Roasted Chicken for him when he paid me a visit at home a few weeks ago. :D

I actually learned this recipe from my dad.  It's basically roasted chicken with soy sauce plus star anise, where the distinct Chinese herb taste comes from. :) I have already perfected this recipe and so whenever there is roasted chicken in the menu in our family feasts, I am always tasked to cook it. Here's one simple yet delectable recipe that I'm sure you'll enjoy just as how my family and Mark did. :)

Chinese-style Roasted Chicken

I celebrated my 27th birthday last January 3 with my loved ones over a simple lunch and dinner at home, since my dad had to go to work and my baby brother had to go to school. I knew that Mark was coming over for lunch and so I asked him what he wanted to have. Without any hesitations, he immediately replied "Kare-kare!". Haha!

Kare-kare is a Philippine stew made from peanut sauce with a variety of vegetables and meat which usually comes from oxtail, beef, and sometimes ox offal or ox tripe. Meat variants may also include goat meat or chicken, but I grew up eating Kare-kare made from beef and pork tenderloins. It is best eaten with shrimp paste (bagoong) over a hot steamed rice.

I first tried to cook Kare-kare back in college (using the recipe that I learned from my dad) when I was the acting chef at home that time since my parents were in the US. And as a first timer, my Kare-kare was a hit!

I already knew that Mark would answer Kare-kare since it's his most favorite dish. It's also my mom's favorite so I decided to cook it for my birthday lunch. :) And on my second time to cook Kare-kare, my family, especially my Mom and Mark, loved it so I decided to share with you guys this simple yet delectable recipe. :D

Kare-kare

Filipino-Style Spaghetti

Okay, my backlogs are still piling up, I know, but here's one which I can finally cross out from the list. :p

A few weeks back, Mark and I decided to have dinner first before going to the wake of our friend. I fetched Mark from work and then we headed to the Ayala Triangle Gardens for dinner.

Mark was already watching his food intake since he's preparing for an upcoming bodybuilding competition, so after rummaging the Ayala Triangle for restaurants and their menus, we both agreed to dine at Wee Nam Kee. Steamed, boiled, or grilled chicken and fish are the usual dishes that Mark eat when he's on a diet so he got one order each of the restaurant's steamed chicken and fish.

Marks first order was the Chicken Rice. You can have it roasted, steamed, cooked with soy sauce, or try a combination. It also comes in personal set, quarter, half, and whole sizes. I am not a fan of steamed food, and it's my first time to try Hainanese chicken, and I must say that this dish is okay. The meat was cooked well and I liked that it didn't have that stench of raw chicken. The chicken chunks were laid in a bed of sauce (which somehow had the taste of soy sauce and a little lemony/citrus taste) with cucumber slices. The sauce had just the right amount of saltiness which is perfect for Mark's diet.

Steamed Chicken Rice (Medium-Half) - Php 488.00

The dish is also served with chicken soup. It's actually a chicken stock seasoned with pepper and spring onions, which I must say was so good. Being the restaurant's signature dish, the Chicken Rice I think was a good choice since Mark enjoyed this dish and finished it all in no time. :p

Happy birthday Daddy!!! May God bless you with more love, happiness, wealth, and good health! We love you!!! ♥♥♥

We had our lunch at Robinsons Magnolia a week after our first time there. But this time, Mark was already on a strict diet which is why he chose to dine at Pancake House. Mark and I have dined at Pancake House a lot of times but it was our first time to try their branch at Robinsons Magnolia.

It was already past lunch time so imagine how hungry Mark and I were when we arrived at the restaurant. We were welcomed with a smile by the waiting staff who also ushered us to our seats. Good thing there weren't a lot of diners that time so we had the liberty to choose our seats. Our orders were also served a little after we placed them.

I got the Warm Bacon Potato Salad, Chicken Fillet with Cheesy Spinach Pesto Linguine, and a glass of grape shake. :D I immediately dug into the salad the moment it was served. The salad was heavenly! I love that the potatoes were cooked just right, not too mushy, yet still melt in your mouth. The crispy bacon and fresh alfalfa sprouts also added texture to the dish. The bacon gave the salad just the right amount of saltiness and that distinct taste from the alfalfa sprouts was a perfect blend. Also a hit from the heavenly bowl was the crunchy leaf lettuce with caesar dressing which gave the dish a sweet and tangy kick.

Warm Bacon Potato Salad

The grape shake was refreshing, though I had a hard time drinking it. I think it was not processed well as some of the grape chunks always gets stuck in my straw.