I enjoy the flavors of good restaurant salpicao, but I’m often turned off by the frequently dry and tough texture of overcooked beef. A shame since this heavy-handed overcooking often ruins a great, tasty marinade. Not so here. Ren’s cubes of choice tenderloin are perfectly seared, so they remain succulent, [...]
Fettucine with Parma Ham, Peas and Arugula in a Cream Sauce
Ever read The Secret? Drawing its principles from the Law of Attraction, it tells you to will life-changing events, such as increased wealth, health, and happiness, through the power of positive thinking (and feeling). Well, that’s kinda how this bowl of pasta came to be. Never a big fan of [...]
Seared Rib-Eye with Arugula and Roasted Peppers
My mom is the most tech-UNsavvy person that I know. She never learned how to text, she thinks Hotmail means Richard Gere, and the iPad that we bought her as a birthday gift last November is still in its original packaging. On several occasions, she’s asked me why I keep [...]
Spaghetti Bolognese
Like it were yesterday, I still remember the first time that I ever tried spaghetti bolognese. It was 1985, I was 10 years old, and we had just landed in Los Angeles on my first ever visit to the US. After checking in to our hotel in Anaheim, we sat [...]
Bibimbap
My first encounter with bibimbap was in the mid to late 90s when my Korean friends Kimbo and Sung ordered it at the Woo Lae Oak restaurant in Maryland. Recalling that time fondly, I remember that Bill Clinton was recently inaugurated to his second term, Princess Diana had just died [...]
Reneelicious Chicken Adobo
Experimenting with different ingredients, Ren made this terrific bowl of chicken adobo for dinner tonight. Look into any Filipino cook’s notebook of recipes and you’re guaranteed to find one for this quintessential but often reinvented dish. Everyone has their own unique spin on it. Some are salty, others sweet. Some [...]
Japchae
Ren had been wanting to make Korean Japchae noodles for quite some time now, but she couldn’t find any dangmyun noodles in her triumvirate of go-to groceries – Waltermart, Garcia’s, and Metro. Then one day, while shopping for some specialty food items at Rustan’s, she decides to bite the bullet [...]
Randylicious Paella
Ren can cook. So can Randy. If this Lamb Osso Buco Milanese with Gremolata is Ren’s signature dish, then the classic Valencian specialty that you see below is her brother’s. Barely two days home from the US to celebrate the 20th anniversary of his 30th birthday, Kuya Randy graciously made [...]
Potato and Bamboo Shoot Curry with Longganiza
Potato and Bamboo Shoot Curry with Longganiza MANILA (AP) — Quezon City police are still searching for two suspects involved in a shooting at a residence along E. Rodriguez Sr. Ave. Monday evening. The incident began when the two suspects walked into the victim’s kitchen at around 5 pm and [...]
Thai-Style Curry Fried Rice with Crispy Shallots
In light of Floyd Mayweather’s racially charged Twitter dig at Jeremy Lin, I was reminded of how he used to criticize Manny Pacquiao for only fighting his “leftovers.” Oscar de la Hoya, Ricky Hatton, and Shane Mosley all had suffered defeat at the hands of Mayweather before Manny got to [...]
Shrimp and Pork Meatball Wraps
Little known fact about Ren: She speaks three languages. For those of you who know her, English and Tagalog you already knew about. But were you aware that she’s fluent in a third language as well? It’s true. She speaks this cryptic, nearly indecipherable language that I like to call, [...]
Pyogo Pajeon (Shiitake Mushroom, Beef & Green Onion Pancake)
Welcome to Mercedes Benz Pajeon Week, hosted by the lovely Reneelicious! One day you’re in, the next day you’re out, CLICK HERE if you don’t know what I’m talking about. Pancake Ingredients 4 large dried shiitake mushrooms, reconstituted and chopped 1/8 kilo ground beef 1/2 cup flour 2/3 cup water [...]
