BITTER HERB

Instead of buying ready-made burger patties, it is more fun making your own burger because you can add different spices and herbs. All you have to do is mix them all up then fry or grill. I'm going to share this quick and easy burger steak recipe that is also easy on the pocket, which is perfect for busy moms like me.  Ingredients: 1/2 kilo of lean ground beef 1 big white onion (minced) 1 egg spring onions (minced) 1/2 cup bread crumbs salt and pepper 1 pack of instant mushroom gravy sauce Procedure:  1. Combine the ground beef, white onion, spring onions, and egg in a bowl. Mix all the ingredients then season with salt and pepper. Add the bread crumbs but make sure to check the consistency of the mixture. It should not be too dry nor too sticky. Shape them into patties by rolling a small amount of the beef mixture on your hands and pressing them on your palm. 2. Fry the burgers over medium heat or you can grill them too (which is healthier). Put the fried...

Do you remember the fairy tale Hansel and Gretel? Seeing this dainty bakery and cafe called Vanilla Cupcake will remind you of that because everything here is eye-candy...from its delightfully appealing facade... ...to its cute interiors that will remind you of an old English tea house. The place may look too girly, but my boy blended perfectly with all the pastel colors surrounding him.    Seeing layers of colorful cupcakes will surely make anyone drool...and choosing one cupcake can be quite difficult too because of its wide selection of mouthwatering goodies.  Aside from these tempting cupcakes, the cafe also offers meals that are affordable and have huge servings too so light eaters can share one dish. My mom and son shared the Fish and Chips, which is worth less than 200. We just ordered 2 extra rice, which wasn't necessary anymore because the fries are quite filling already. It took a long  time before we got our order...more ...

From Korea to the Philippines, the BonChon craze is here to stay as more Filipinos go crazy over this tasty, crunchy, fried chicken. Because of its popularity, other BonChon-inspired restaurants emerged on the dining scene including Philippine pride Manang's Chicken and the newly-opened 4 Fingers . I did a little research about this restaurant and found out that its first branch is in Singapore, but now it has several branches in the Philippines and Indonesia. I thought it was a US-based company because of the interiors of the restaurant. You will feel like you're in New York because of the music, graffiti, and pipes on the ceiling.  We ate at the North Edsa branch, which is located at the ground floor beside National Bookstore so it is easy to find. My sister  gave me a voucher worth P300 of food, isn't it nice eating for free? Aside from the Korean-style chicken, there are other choices in the menu like Chicken Burger, Calamari, and Salad.  We ordered the 2...

Do you miss your mom's home cooked meals? If you are far away from home and miss eating classic Filipino dishes like pinakbet , laing , and sinigang , then you can always visit Kusina Imaz. This restaurant is located at RMR Square, Pasong Tamo, Tandang Sora. This is where the new Robinsons Supermarket is located and beside Caltex. Since I usually buy groceries at Robinsons, I decided to try out the dishes at Kusina Imaz. The restaurant is spacious and there isn't a lot of people going to RMR square because it is not that visible. A small building currently being constructed was blocking the square. It was supposed to be McDonald's but they later on removed the banner and stopped the construction. Don't know what they're going to do with that unfinished building. That's why I like buying groceries there because it was not crowded.  The staff are nice and accommodating. The have a wide selection of Filipino dishes and the price is affordable too compared t...

Looking for a place where you can have a wide selection of breakfast, lunch, and dinner? Well, Pancake House has it all...American, Filipino, and Mexican-inspired dishes are some of the choices. This is one of my favorite family restaurants, but it is a bit pricey. Although they have huge servings and can be shared. Last time we visited the Pancake House branch in Wilcon City Center, Visayas Avenue, I ordered the Hamburger Steak Special Set worth P257.  I shared this set meal with my son and just ordered rice. It consists of a huge juicy hamburger with gravy, mixed veggies and spaghetti...all of it are delicious! Oh yes, it also includes iced tea. My mom who was not that hungry and craving for pancakes ordered the Caramel Banana Walnut Waffle worth P191.  This meal can also be shared by two people if it is for breakfast, but if you are hungry then you can eat this by yourself. The waffle is perfectly cooked and topped with banana slices, crushed walnuts, and syrup. This...

It's been months since I've updated my blog because I got tied up with work. Now I am going to take time to write and share some recipes, restaurant reviews and more mommy stuff. Beef pochero is just like nilagang baka, but with tomato sauce and fried saba banana. Here is my simple recipe on this popular Filipino beef stew dish with Spanish influence. Ingredients: 1/2 kilo beef cubes (boiled with sliced onions, salt and pepper until tender) 3 cloves garlic (minced) 1 medium-sized onion (diced) 1 cabbage (cut into small parts) 1 lb pechay (Chinese cabbage) 1 lb Baguio beans  4 pieces saging na saba (cut slantly into 3 each piece and fried) 1 pack 200 gram tomato sauce 1 tbsp cooking oil Procedure:  Boil the beef cubes with sliced onions, salt and pepper for about one hour or until the meat becomes tender. Remove the meat from the  broth and set aside.  Pour the cooking oil into a large saucepan then saute the garlic and onions over medium heat. ...

I am going to share another recipe today and this is a popular "pulutan" in the Philippines. Usually they use tenga (ear of the pig), but you can also use pork cutlets. The tokwa and pork meat are mixed up before adding the sauce, but I chose to mix everything up so you can eat that anytime or even make it as your "baon" packed lunch for work.  Ingredients:  1/2 kilo pork cutlets 4 pieces of tokwa (tofu)  2 medium-sized onions  5 cloves of garlic 3 pieces of siling haba (finger chilies) Sauce:  1/2 cup soy sauce 1/2 cup vinegar 5 teaspoon of sugar 3 pieces of calamansi  dash of pepper Procedure:  Boil the pork meat for half an hour to make it tender.  Prepare the other ingredients while waiting for the pork meat. Dice the onions and garlic. Cut the tofu into 8 parts per piece. Slice the finger chilies into small pieces. Remove the pork meat from the pot and strain the excess water.  Deep fry the tokwa until golden brown. R...