Chowking Halo-Halo

This is less of a blog entry and more of a mindless rave about one of my favorite comfort foods for summer - Halo Halo!

Halo-halo is a cold Filipino dessert made of a wide assortment of sweet beans, saging saba, nata, sago, gulaman, and pieces of jack fruit on a bed of shaved ice, topped with milk, toasted pinipig, eche flan and a scoop (or two) of ice cream). We usually find a lot of that stuff in stores and stalls around the metro during summer, but when you're at home on a stifling summer night and can't bring yourself to go outside, best dial the Chowking delivery hotline (98888) and order their famous Halo-Halo. 

pictured = HEAVEN

They have it in regular sizes, but if you're famished, I suggest going for the Halo-Halo Fiesta at Php94. Add another scoop of ice cream if you will. It's not inexpensive, but totally worth it since the toppings are generous, and it's a cold piece of heaven delivered right at your doorstep.

A shot of Blueberry Cheescake...or rather, Tart

I love cheesecakes. No other dessert could be better for me, especially in my cheesecake-craving moods, which happen an awful lot.

A colleague recently made my day by bringing a box of Rowena's Blueberry Cheese Tarts to the office this morning, and offered one to me. 

sneaking a bite during office hours

Rowena's is a popular cafe-slash-pasalubong shop in Tagaytay, and is often one of the must stop-overs for city folks on their way back to Manila for take-home surprises for family and friends. The shop features mostly miniature sweets like bags of nuts and tarts of all flavors and sizes. 

I never tried most of their products so these Blueberry Cheese Tarts were new to me. It was a delightfully different kind of 'cheesecake' than what I'm used to - the base was a soft pastry instead of the crumbly Graham cracker crust, followed by a dollop of creamy cheese frosting and topped with some blueberry filling (with whole blueberries).

What I liked about this was that it wasn't too tasty like most cheesecakes. Don't get me wrong, I love a full-bodied, in-your-face cheesecake flavor like anyone else, but too much of the taste can be exhausting to the palate from time to time. I appreciated the tart's modestly flavored crust and barely-there cheese frosting, letting me enjoy the blueberry goodness on its own. The miniature portions didn't hurt either, letting me have my dose of much-desired cheesecake without over-indulging. 

Note to self: drop by Rowena's the next time I'm in Tagaytay. I'm dying to to try out their Cherry Cheese Tarts!

Apple Strudel Ice Cream

My dad chanced upon a new ice cream flavor last weekend while doing the groceries for my  late grandfather's birthday celebration. Mom asked him to buy the halo-halo flavor because chocolate was a little overdone; dad couldn't find halo-halo, but he did find a Limited Edition Apple Strudel Ice Cream from Magnolia. 

refreshingly different

This was when I realized I have never tasted apple-flavored ice cream before, and it was surprisingly good.

Taking inspiration from a popular Austrian pastry, Apple Strudel ice cream has red and green apple-flavored swirls, bits of apple cinnamon and crushed chocolate-covered pretzels. The ice cream base has a very mild taste, allowing the apple flavors to shine through. And shine through, they did. 

I found this one a very refreshing respite from the usual rich and creamy ice cream flavors out there,  not too heavy on the palate or the stomach. It's perfect for the summer, which was why we went ahead and bought another tub. Too bad it's a limited edition piece only, so we might as well enjoy it while we can.

Yummy Goat's Milk

I heard from the office grapevine that a colleague was selling fresh goat's milk, but never really bothered to find out more. Everyday I'd see these unmarked, sealed bottles filled with pale pink, brown or milky, peach-colored liquid in the pantry fridge, most of them with the owners' names scrawled on the plastic (it's a shared fridge, you can never be too sure) and can't being curious as to why this particular product did such a roaring trade.

I eventually plucked up the courage to ask my colleague (casually), about his goat's milk business, and he was nice enough to give my boyfriend and I a free taste - a small bottle each of strawberry and chocolate-flavored goat's milk.

 

 

chocolate, plain, strawberry and melon!

Well now, I'm wondering why I never bothered to ask or buy the stuff before. The milk was simply delicious, rich and smooth, and arguably more tasty than the usual carton-milk we find at groceries. It was easy to understand my officemates' fondness for the drink, it being a healthier alternative to soda and all, and it has  already become the latest food fad at the office.

At Php35 for the small bottle, and Php65 for a 500ml one, it was also quiet a deal, especially since this was honest-to-goodness goat's milk, fresh from the farm and pasteurized and bottled by the family business. 

On a health issue side-note, goat's milk is also considered to be closer in composition to human milk, making it a more compatible source of nutrients for us growing kids. It also contains more potent amounts of protein, calcium, and a lot LESS fat than cow's milk. 

What I like about it the most though, was that drinking  the milk felt less like a chore, and was something I really enjoyed. I like mine cold from the freezer, shaken and enjoyed with some cinnamon toast for breakfast and oatmeal cookies in the afternoon for that daily shot of calcium. They come in 4 'flavors - plain, chocolate, melon and strawberry. The chocolate milk was thick and creamy, and very tasty without being too sweet. The strawberry milk tasted a lot like melted ice cream; very lightly flavored, so it didn't have that in-your-face, synthetic strawberry taste. I haven't tried the Melon and Plain Milk yet, though based on their aroma I'm sure they taste just as good.

My (current) Favorite Desktop Nurse: Campbell's Instant Soups

I'm not a coffee drinker, but I still need that hot something to sip on slow, lethargic days. Chocolate is a little tricky to make (but only because I have VERY specific taste in hot chocolate *cough* casa chocolat *cough*) and I'm too lazy for tea.

On some days I have those cereal drinks for a sweet treat, but most days I go for Campbell's Instant Soups - one of those 'pour contents into a mug and add hot water' varieties. Almost as good as the real thing, and very filling too.

mmmmmmmmm....

 
They taste great on their own but I love mixing them up with some other things:

Hash Brown - eat on the side or crumble it up and toss in the soup for a makeshift creamy chicken/mushroom-potato soup

Crackers or Toasted Bread - classics! Same as the Hash Brown

Sunflower Seeds - just sprinkle on top for an added crunch

They come in two flavors: Cream of Chicken and Cream of Mushroom, with some varieties like Croutons or Twisted Pasta. Though I am hoping they have more flavors, or would branch out eventually - I can only take variations of Chicken and Mushroom for so long XD XD

The Concept of Miniatures + Desserts = ♥ ♥ ♥

I was at my cousin's wedding last Saturday, and at the reception at  the MMDLC Foundation, they have, as with most buffet settings, this wonder, wonderful dessert bar. It's got the usual stuff like fresh fruit cuts and salads and a chocolate fountain, but I love how most of the desserts are presented - placed in mini cups, mugs, ramekins and even shot glasses.

Top Left: some, jelly-like dessert, citrus-flavored, very refreshing; Top Right: cream-something with chocolate shavings; Bottom: some kind of custard :p

It made the whole thing cute, and it works for both the catering business and consumers, since it allowed them to limit the amount of food we take at a time, while it allows us to sample a greater variety of sweets without over-indulging ourselves.

And hey, if you end up liking one particular dessert more, you can also go back for seconds..and thirds..

Quick Fix Stir-Fry Pancit Canton

One thing that's probably better than good old instant pancit canton is stir-fried pancit canton. I had one once at a free taste stand in the supermarket; I can't remember the brand but I do remember liking the way they stir-fried the noodles in hot oil until they became crisp (almost crunchy).

I tried making my own version at home and came up with something pretty good :p

Easy-cook

Pampanga Tacos

Yes, I swear, there is such a thing as Pampanga Tacos, as I found out a few weeks ago.

I loove the whole Mexican/Tex-Mex affair, from burritos, tacos, salsa, nachos...maybe not guacamole though - I hate avocados, yech. It's all about that tomato and tortilla (and jalapenos! oh boy); tacos from Pampanga are just like that, minus the tortilla.

Pampanga Tacos with the works! And loads of hot sauce

Instead of those pre-made tortilla taco shells, these tacos shells are made from good old lumpia wrapper, two pieces layered on top of one another and deep fried on a stainless steel mesh mold and stuffed with meat, onions, tomatoes and shredded cabbage. The shells are made on-the-spot to ensure that they are fresh and crisp, and these things are sold at a stall for Php40 apiece (Php70 for a BIG one).

I actually like this type of tacos better because the shells aren't as brittle as the usual tortilla ones, making them easier to bite into without large pieces breaking off - you can get to eat more than half of the taco before it completely falls apart. If you're not the type to miss the corn-y tortilla taste and texture too much, I suggest you try this alternative.

My Comfort Food: Instant Yakisoba

Okay so I have this addiction to instant pancit canton - there, I said it.

Not a very healthy choice (again), but, to each her own poison right? I dont smoke, I only drink occasionally, so yeah, I think I'm allowed this one little vice. 

Especially this:

Nissin's Yakisoba in Spicy Chicken

Also today's breakfast. So easy to whip up even in the office, you just leave it for 3 minutes in a bowl of hot water, drain, mix, and voila - yakisoba at it's finest. One of (my) life's simple pleasures.

My Personal Treat: McDonald's French Fries

I know, I know: Fast food is bad for your health. 

It's crammed full with preservatives and other suspicious elements. And so on...

But come on, you gotta admit, you get a serious craving for some good old, death-defying fries every now and then. And nobody does 'em better like McDonald's

 

French Fries in their largest serving, devoured by yours truly. I do this only once ever two months, I swear

I dont even know why I love this stuff so much; a lot of other fast food chains out there have more 'unique' french fries, but I guess I just like the simplicity of this one. Plain cut, fried and dusted with salt - what more could you ask for?

Mint Chocolate Sticks

I'm a BIG fan of the mint-chocolate flavor line. Most people hate it, but I just love the combination of the cool, minty goodness and sweet chocolate, especially dark chocolate.

I found this recently at a grocery store

It's around Php99 for a box of approximately 30 sticks; I'm not sure if this is available in other grocery stores yet, I've only seen it in one so far. 

Delfi Chocolatier's Dark Mint Chocolate Sticks

These thin, cigarette-length sticks of dark chocolate are filled with a peppermint flavored fondant; the texture is more crisp than fudge-y, so it's not messy at all. I love their proportions because one stick gives you that 'serotonin shot' plus the wake-up zing of mint, and you wont be compelled to chow down on the entire box right away.

I keep a bunch of these in my bag, and nibble on one or two sticks to perk me up. Better than a pack of cigarettes, I'd say :p

They also have these in orange and vanilla. I'm not a very big fan of the orange-chocolate combo, but I just might give it a shot in this one...

Blueberry on Vanilla

Seriously, if you have a bottle of Blueberry Preserves and some vanilla ice cream, how can you NOT put them together? XD XD

sweet and simple

Chocolate Truffle Ice Cream in a Mug

Aaaaand, nothing spells heaven like a mug of Selecta's Chocolate Truffle Ice Cream on a late afternoon.

Selecta Chocolate Truffle Ice Cream

...even if it's a dark, rainy, pre-typhoon afternoon. But chocolate is chocolate right? Especially chocolate ice creams that's drizzled with hot fudge and mixed with these delectable chunks of truffles.

Okay so thinking about it, we have stuff like Frozen Hot Chocolate, but is there such a thing as Hot Chocolate Ice Cream? Which would probably just be a really creamy hot chocolate drink...right?

I suddenly have this urge to heat up a bowl of Chocolate Truffle ice cream and drink it up...