Ravioli Al Funghi @ Cantinetta, Burgos Circle, The Fort

I just can’t help myself from blogging about Cantinetta’s Ravioli Al Funghi!

Last Wednesday, I attended a blog event at Cantinetta, Burgos Circle, The Fort. We were asked to order for dinner and I chose Ravioli Al Funghi. Seeing the word “funghi” in the menu, I was reminded that I have the heart for mushrooms.

Ravioli Al Funghi @ Cantinetta

The first spoonful of Ravioli Al Funghi got me speechless. All I did was to savor it and feel all the creaminess inside—with closed eyes and in full concentration. Afterwards, I found myself telling my Superfriend, “Mmmm… Ang sarap nito! Ang sarap talaga! (Mmmm…This tastes delicious! Really delicious!)”

Ravioli Al Funghi is a dish made up of ravioli, an inch-squared pasta filled with porcini mushrooms in cream sauce. The ravioli is cooked al dente, and it complements the meaty porcini taste—which I suspected to have been generously sautéed in butter and herbs.

My score: 10. Obviously, it really satisfied my taste buds. I would love to go back at Cantinetta to have my second dose of it.

~~~~~
On a different note, Cantinetta also offers the best Parma Ham in the country.

I tried it myself, too, and I can say that it is really fresh, tender, and perfect with ripe mango slices.

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Sharing This Christmas Season: An Entry to Nomnom Club's Starbucks Planner 2011 Contest

Christmas is for sharing. That is why I included donating for a charity project in my 29 Things to Accomplish Until the End of Year 2010 list.

I feel a different kind of happiness whenever I share my blessings with others. My heart pounds when I see in their eyes the overwhelming joy and unspoken thankfulness because of what I shared with them.

As the Cloudrats Mountaineers hike Mt. Ugo this December for their Christmas project, I am more than happy to be able to contribute a little for the benefit of the many Aeta families and children in Benguet. I am glad that this small step of mine, together with the small steps of other volunteers and sponsors, would come a long way to the realization of this noble cause.

School supplies I donated for Aeta schoolchildren 

I wish that every one’s Christmas—including that of the Aetas', volunteers', and sponsors'—be as memorable and joyful as it can be. May they have a night of Noche Buena with delightful pinoy food recipes to share together and a bountiful New Year ahead.

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3 Tips on How to Choose the Best Premium-Cut Ham in Town

Christmas is fast approaching. Have you bought the ham already? It should be ready by now, as it is the most important food of the Noche Buena. If you are still in the process of choosing the best tasting ham in town, here are three things you have to consider before buying.

1. It should be made from one whole boneless meat from the hind leg, which is the best cut of pork for hams. This part is the tastier and meatier compared to the more common shaped ham—shaped ham are already processed and sometimes meat from other parts of the pork are used to make it look like a whole.

2. Check for the netmarks. Only whole-meat hams can be smoked in ham nets because if it is not, pieces would fall off. Don't be deceived.

3. It should have no extenders. The appearance, taste, and texture would attest to that. The ham is meat, juicy, and flavorful, and consumers really get the best value for their money.

Chef Rob Pengson recommends CDO Holiday Ham, and being one of the best (and hottest) chefs in the country today, I trust his choice. We are also given sample dishes for some food tasting; I can say that CDO Holiday Ham is really the best.

CDO Owner even gave bloggers each of the CDO Premium-Cut Holiday! Thanks!

Want to learn more about Holiday Ham? Visit their website on http://holidayham.com.ph/ or "like" it on Facebook http://goo.gl/CAqCv.

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On Drinking Coffee

Drinking coffee is the new trend and staying at coffee shops to bond with friends or talk about business is something that we Filipinos prefer nowadays.

But not me. I still prefer to drink my favorite instant coffee—Kopiko Brown Coffee in particular—alone or with my Mom at home, sitting around our marble-made round coffee table. I sometimes go to Starbucks with friends or to the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf with Yobs, but it seldom happens, maybe because I see it as expensive, impractical, and luxurious.

So now I am thinking: if given the chance—and the budget—to renovate our house, I would love to allocate a little space for a coffee nook, where I can just sit back and relax, or chat with Mommy, or receive guests, while sipping a cup of coffee. I am eyeing for a small glass top dining table, round coffee table, and plug-in chandelier to make the area more conducive to meditation and socialization. I see this as more intimate than in public coffee shops with all the noise and smoke around.

If you like this post and want to check on some coffee tables online, you may visit this website.

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Tuna in Crispy Veggies

Ingredients:

1 onion, sliced thinly

3 cloves of garlic, minced

2 tbsp. of butter

5 pieces of baby corn, sliced diagonally

10 stems of asparagus, sliced (1 inch in length)

1 head of brocolli, sliced

1 can of Century Tuna (Flakes in Oil)

salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:

1. Saute onions and garlic in butter

2. Pour in the Century Tuna flakes, including oil

3. Simmer for 2 minutes

4. Include the chopped asparagus, brocolli, and baby corn

5. Mix with salt and pepper to taste

6. Simmer for another 2 minutes (do not overcook the vegetables)

Serve hot. Good for 4-5 persons.

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There is Nothing Sweeter Than A Sweet Surrender

I cannot remember the times when I told my readers that I am a sweet tooth, and there is nothing more that I could ask for during a meal than desserts! So when I heard about this food blog event, I could not think of an excuse not to join and blog about it. Excited as I am now, I am looking forward to experience the Sweet Surrender Dessert Expo on November 13, 2010 at Sitio Elena, Ortigas Extension.

If you are interested, you can visit THIS SITE for more information.

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