Today required that I eat only banana and milk. Well I hate bananas… everything about them. The taste, the texture, the smell… I can’t do it. I tried but it just wasn’t in me. So I have decided I am going to go through and make this diet a part of my life. I am going to try and finish the week strong sticking to most of the guidelines of my diet.

I liked incorporating more fruit and veggies into my day and think that in the future maybe once a week I will detox by doing only fruit and veggies. I did feel much better after the two days and if I make a habit of it I think it will help a lot. I have also gained a new found fondness for fruit and veggies. I always liked them but now I have found ways to cook them that excite me and make me want to have more.

If you ask me I could still live off cheese, bread, and chocolate… but I won’t. I like the feeling that eating healthy has given me and for that I am grateful to the GM diet.

I still hope to keep active and eating healthy. I want to make sure that I live a long healthy life and I want to start while I am young.

I documented the four days of my diet on my video blog which you can find here! Check out my videos to see what else I am up to outside of Bicoastal Besties!

I hope if any of you did the GM diet you had better luck than me… do you know of any other diets that work to cleanse your body?

–P

I’m not saying I will NEVERRRRRR eat Jimmy again …..but I’m def taking a sabbatical!!!

Here’s the deal. Generally, those of us of the female persuasion love chocolate. Especially on Valentine’s Day. You knew this. I’m sure you already took care of that for your sweetheart, but if you haven’t, consider foregoing the traditional grocery store, heart-shaped box of chocolates this year. Instead drop by a local chocolate store, or pick up one of my favorite chocolate bars: Chocolove.

The first advantage: Chocolove is shaped like a chocolate bar, not a heart-shaped box whose size obviously represents how much you love your special lady. Second, it comes with a love poem printed inside the wrapper. Built in romance, and you don’t even have to do the work!

Even though you can grab it at most grocery stores (look next to the organic chocolate since some of the bars are organic and Fair Trade Certified), it will come off as super thoughtful, and, while it isn’t exactly healthy-eating-approved, it’s richer, which means we’ll eat less, right? Well, maybe. Click here to find a location near you that carries them

In case I lost you in all my woman-talk, here’s my point: if you’re headed to the store to pick up chocolate, consider Chocolove. It’s just as sweet but uniquely different and one-of-a-kind. Just like your Valentine.

Kawaii

An adjective in Japanese meaning “pretty; cute; lovely; charming; dear; darling; pet” It’s (sic) stem is two kanji meaning “can love”. It is commonly used by anime and manga fans.

Pretty.
Cute.
Lovely.
Charming.
Dear.
Darling.
Pet.

Check on all items, and then some. Looks like we hit kawaii gold on day four of our Tokyo gig.

It was drizzling when we left the hotel and got to Ueno Park that Sunday morning and we were, understandably, a bit concerned. We had hoped for a sunny day at the park (it was summer, after all) and what we got was wet and chilly instead. Fortunately, it redeemed itself with heaps of photo op spots (hello Oblation pose!), playful installations and the cuuuuuuuuuuutest buns I’ve eaten. EVER. Still can’t believe I can honestly say this, but I did eat a panda, a pig, and, uhm, Winnie the Pooh, care of a serendipitous stumble with Cafe Hibiki. Haha! Deliverance from that Edo food fail, finally!

The weather gods favored us as the day went along and as we moved to the Ueno Zoo. Prior to this day, I had Singapore Zoo in my number one list but as awesome as it was, it was easily displaced by this one in Japan. The different areas featuring the different animals were well- and amply-spaced, and the map made navigating the wide expanse more manageable and engaging (it had tick boxes you can mark to indicate you’ve been to a place already, much like one for a treasure hunt-slash adventure trail).

Ueno Zoo gave us a lot of firsts too!

Fishy-smelling penguins.
Pandas laying on their natural beds looking like drunkards.
A sunbathing family of seals.
Flamingos as pink as they can get.
A polar bear (gasp!) that looked commanding albeit a bit irritated.
A shy but playful red panda.
And a ginormoooooous tortoise, so massive I thought it wasn’t real.

And as if all those were not enough, a petting zoo!

Oh, the petting zoo… I had such a blast at the petting zoo. I had a difficult time deciding which were more adorable: the babies or the sheep. Haha! Kidding aside, time spent there is pure, unadulterated fun. Needless to say, you have to be an animal lover to be able to appreciate this, but if you are (shame on you if you aren’t!), then never, and I say this with UTMOST CONVICTION, ever miss this one.

All that being said, the Ueno Zoological Gardens doesn’t show up that much in lists of places to go to in Japan but I reckon it should be. What follows are my favorite snaps from both the park and the zoo and I’ll let you be the judge why that’s my opinion. Even more photos here if you have time.

***

Malayong lupain, amin mang marating, di rin magbabago ang damdamin…

Bubble machine at the park! Cool eh?

How lovely would this have been if it was sunny?

Noticed just now how worried the panda’s face looked like. Well, I would be too if an eager kid was staring and was excited to down me.

Panda was red bean. Winnie the Pooh was pumpkin. Piggie was pork.

WAHAHAHAHA! Wala lang. I love this photo.

Right at the entrance of Ueno Park, I was thankful we stumble upon Cafe Hibiki.

Just before causing a delay at the self-service ticket booth because I didn’t know how to count Japanese coins…

Seeing these pandas sleeping in these positions was such a laughtrip! Parang lasing lang!

Heto pa isa inside a tree trunk! Haha!

And that is why I decide to hug this panda instead.

I initially thought this species was named as such because of their long legs. Apparently (and this is according to Wikipedia), it is because of the quills on their heads that make it appear like old-school secretaries that have pens behind their ears. O ha.

Sunbathing seals. Your argument is invalid.

Yey! Polar bear!

And the cutest red pandaaaaaaa! Well, the first I’ve seen, actually.

What I really, really, really loved about Ueno Zoo is their petting farm. First of its kind that I’ve seen. The kids had a blast! And how cute was this bundle of joy? VERY!

Siyempre ako din. Haha! Do I look scared? If I do, it’s because I was. A bit lang.

“Whatchalookin’ at?” said one to the other.

Magnificent. Glorious. Exquisite. Everything I expected flamingos will be. Loved seeing these!

Di ba?!? What did I tell you?!? Unbelievably huge right?!? (Me is OA.)

But seriously, take a look at that one more time. Awe struck.

We didn’t get to ride this, but it was cool seeing a monorail to move around the zoo. They really thought of this very well.

On the way out of the park. A Sunday well spent and definitely one for the books. No LQ this time too!

***

Ueno Zoological Gardens
9-83, Ueno Park, Taito-ku, Tokyo, Japan 110-8711
Telephone: 03 3828 5171

Cupcakes, cupcakes, everywhere cupcakes . . . especially in Georgetown where there are those famous cupcakes from TV just down the street from a branch of the LA based cupcake chain and around the corner from Baked & Wired — the place most locals will say are the best. The cupcakes here are pretty, big and sweet. Pictured above: Strawberry x 2, Carrot Cake, and The Unporked Elvis or banana bread with peanut butter frosting and chocolate drizzle. And if you don’t like cupcakes there are cookies, bars, cakes, pies, brownies, muffins or just about any all American baked good your heart desires. It’s a sugar lover’s paradise, that’s for sure!

Baked & Wired
1052 Thomas Jefferson Street, NW
Washington, DC 20007
open 7 days

Without further delay, I’ll jump right in:

On Sunday, a post-Super Bowl snack: Chocolate Peanut Butter Yogurt from GreenLiteBites. I used almond butter and almonds because that’s what I had on hand. It might not look pretty, but it tasted amazing.

Tuesday’s pick: Crock Pot Banana Bread Quinoa. I’ll be honest here. When I made this last week, it was pretty good, but not knock-my-socks-off delicious. That’s why I still have some hanging out in the fridge … But on Tuesday, I added about 1/3 cup of extra coconut almond milk to the bowl. The quinoa soaked in it for several hours, until I heated this up for dessert after dinner.

The extra liquid made all the difference. Now it gets an enthusiastic two-thumbs-up YUM!

The best of Wednesday’s eats: Chicken-Apple Sausage with peppers and onions. So simple, yet so tasty. I need to make this more often. I cooked up a big batch of onions and peppers at lunchtime, then divided it into thirds. One-third was earmarked Wednesday’s dinner while the other two-thirds went into the fridge. I sliced and sauteed a single sausage (5 Points) and combined it with the veggies for a delicious, filling meal.

Actually, a salad would have made it even more filling. I’ll make a note of that for next time.

Friday’s breakfast was inspired by the GoFitGals cocoa-coconut hot chocolate, which I linked to here. Okay, perhaps not so much “inspired by” as “The cocoa powder’s on the counter. Wonder what’d happen if I stirred some into overnight oats.”

I’m pleased to report the result was delicious. I mixed about a teaspoon of cocoa powder into my almond milk and oats. Then in the morning, I added a tablespoon of almond butter and a banana. Mmm. Even without any added sugar, it was plenty sweet enough.

Saturday’s brunch, eaten before I headed to Harkins for a day of moviegoing, was also delicious. I made an omelet with 1 egg and egg whites, onions, bell peppers and string cheese, then topped it with red salsa and avocado verde salsa. (Mixing the two makes the green salsa less spicy, which is good for my Midwestern taste buds.) I sliced up a honeycrisp apple, too. Just 6 WW PointsPlus for the whole plateful.

I hope that you all stayed safe in this nutty weather that’s been happening in the northeast! It is so crazy how localized snowstorms can be. My new drive to work takes me right along the lake for quite a while. As I sat in my office and stared out of my window at the perfectly calm weather, I was receiving constant text updates from friends at home warning me about how bad the snow was getting. I ultimately decided to leave the office early and continue working from home to ensure that I didn’t get stuck traveling in the thick of it at rush hour, but I felt so silly because all was perfectly still there! I was very happy that I left, however, because as soon as I was about twenty minutes away from home, the snow was coming steadily. There were accidents left and right and it was pretty rough going!

Anyway, I hope that you were all able to stay safe and sound. Here’s to hoping that the power remains too!

Last night, I received an exciting package in the mail from Katherine! Katherine now lives several states away and at one point, we were discussing Wegmans (yes, the grocery store. Our lives are quite exciting.) Katherine mentioned how much she missed having a Wegmans right around the corner and I was saying that I wished Western New York had a Whole Foods. Don’t get me wrong, I love Wegmans, but Whole Foods is just a magical little land.

My very first combination arrived yesterday, here’s what was in it:

You can barely see it, but on the left, there is a bag of the World’s Most Delicious Granola. For Christmas, my sister got me some vanilla-pomegranate granola from Whole Foods that was absolutely delicious. This one was blueberry almond and I can’t get enough of it. It is the best blueberry-flavored ANYTHING that I have ever tasted. I’ve been putting it in oatmeal and yogurt. (I also brought a small bag to work “for my yogurt” that I busted out by 10 am and proceeded to devour in two minutes flat.)

She also included a jar of dark chocolate Peanut Butter & Co. peanut butter. SO delicious. It’s like the best of the Nutella and Peanut Butter lands combined into one lovely little container.

I am very excited about our healthy food swaps. Now the ball is in my court so I better get thinkin’ about some of Wegmans’ Finest.

And now for the retrieved pottery:

When Chloe was home for winter break, we went to a local pottery store where you can pick out your piece and paint it yourself. It’s actually a lot of fun, my only beef is that there is a $10 studio fee which I think is a tad ridiculous, but I don’t go often. Just the other day, I finally picked up my new sign!

I was really looking for something that I could use and enjoy every day. Granted, a sign isn’t particularly “useful,” but I thought that the message was just perfect to stick on my desk. Believe in yourself, believe in others, believe in good… all very important things to keep stuck in my brain when the going gets stressful. I actually spent two sessions at the store painting this because I really wanted to make sure that the final product was something that I was happy with. (Previous outings to this place have resulted in some lack-luster pieces…typically my impatience gets the better of me and I surrender early on.) I am loving this one though!

I think that’s all for tonight, folks! I will leave you with a picture of the ridiculously wintery wonderland that is WNY…

Oh hey there, snow. What up?

It’s that time of the year again where Girl Scouts and their famies sell their ever popular Girl Scout Cookies.  I was Girl Scout during my elementary years and my memory of selling cookies and choclates are vague.

But I do remember snacking on them secretly and my mom gettinv very angry that she has to pay for another box that I stole lolz.

My friend is a big fan of the Samoa cookies, while I like the Do-si-dos.  My co-workers whose little gals are in the troupe sold me 3 boxes of them treats.

If you ever happen to see the girl selling, buy one. The cookies are a type of comfort food for me and they do only sell once a year which goes to a good cause.

I recently went to visit my parents in Florida and they had royally surprised me! My Mom called me a few days before and said make sure you bring a brunch dress. A brunch dress meant I got to break out my pastel color dress! The dress was a bit of a splurge three years ago and I have not had much opportunity. Like Kate Middelton, I recycled my dress.

Sunday morning my parents surprised me with a Royal Tea! It was a three-course tea with champagne at the Ritz-Carlton in Naples. I enjoyed myself, with tea sandwiches, scones, and finger desserts.

I sipped my tea, had a great time with my parents, and pretended I was royal! If you ever need a girl afternoon or celebrating this is the best treat. Enjoy people, god knows I did!

-Al

For the most part, I have learned how to enjoy these kinds of foods in moderation. If this is an area that you struggle with, be careful!! Even low pointsplus treats will add up to a lot of pointsplus if you eat the entire box!!

That being said, here are a few new sweet treats that do not break the bank on pointsplus values.

Serving Size: 1 package or 3 pieces   4 pointsplus+

 These new Skinny Cow Divine Filled Chocolates come in two flavors, peanut butter and caramel. You get three large pieces of chocolate for just 4 pointsplus+. The peanut butter ones are good, but the caramel are even better. I found these at my local Walmart.

Serving Size: 3/4 cup   3 pointsplus+

If you love peanut butter, than you will really enjoy this Peanut Butter Toast Crunch cereal. The peanut butter flavor in this cereal is overwhelming and delicious! This cereal is a great way to enjoy your favorite peanut butter flavor without spending too many pointsplus values to do so. You can find this a Walmart too!

Serving Size: 1 package   3 pointsplus+

These Weight Watchers Bite Size Caramels were hard to find! Weight Watchers sent me coupons for them, but I could not find them in the store. Finally, my friend Amanda found them at Kmart. There are two different flavors, Caramels and Dark Chocolates. The Caramels are hard and chewy, but the Dark Chocolates have a texture similar to that of a truffle. There are six pouches per box and each pouch is only 3 pointsplus! They were so good that mine are already gone!

1. I am not prepared- after further research I have not prepared a menu or found alternatives to the foods in the diet that I cannot eat.

2. My schedule conflicts- This week I have 3 separate lunch meetings. There is nothing more awkward then setting up a lunch meeting and then not eating!

3. I haven’t even gone food shopping!- I don’t have the list prepared or any of the food!

This all sounded like a great idea last night but I am taking back what I said. I will be working this week to put together a grocery list, a menu, and confirm that my schedule will not conflict!

I am still very excited to start this GM diet and will update you all as I go through it! Sorry to change the date on all of you but I also figure starting at the beginning of the week will work better anyways!!

This week I am going to prepare by slowly weaning off of the coffee, the carbs, and eating a lot more fruits and vegetables. I will only eat fruit and veggies for breakfast and dinner and for lunch I will incorporate some sort of lean meat or fish. I will see how this works initially and then jump into the diet!

Wish me luck!

–P

Get the recipe here: Chocolate Cupcakes for Two

Plus, find more ways to satisfy your sweet tooth with these 100-Calorie Chocolate Treats.

I have to admit, I watched the Super Bowl mainly for the commercials. Wonder how many other people do that … or will admit to it.

Sad to say, I’ve never had much interest in football. In high school, I only went to the football games because I was in the marching band. The halftime show was the best part. The Boyfriend took time to explain the rules a couple of years ago, when the Cardinals were Super Bowl-bound, and I like it a little bit more now — but the commercials were still the big draw for me.

After making out a menu plan for the week, I ran to Safeway to pick up a few things. Okay, more than a few. I got a whole cartful, including a few things that weren’t on my list. (Chobani Bites in three flavors, for example. I love that those little cups of flavored Greek yogurt only have 2 WW Points.)

I got home from the store at about 4:15 — just in time for kickoff. Yeah, I timed it that way. I’d have been home even sooner had I not made a pit stop on the way home.

I listened to the game from the kitchen, running to the TV whenever the ads started. I think my favorite commercials of the bunch were the Doritos ads with the goat and the guys playing tea party. The Rock’s ad for milk was great, too, and the Budweiser ad featuring the Clydesdales was fantastic (love those beautiful animals). The Jeep commercial paying tribute to our soldiers choked me up.

And I was super stoked when I realized there’s going to be a new “Star Trek” movie. Am I the only one who didn’t already know it was coming?

The ads that didn’t work for me? Go Daddy’s nerd/pretty girl kiss and the pistachio ad featuring that awful song. Although the dancing nuts were entertaining, I hate that song. Yuck.

Enough about the ads. I’m sure you want to know what was cookin’ in the AWL kitchen.

From left:

Asian Black Bean Burgers from The Lean Green Bean

Roasted butternut squash (1 squash, cubed and tossed with 1 T olive oil and salt)

Cauliflower rice (1 head cauliflower, shredded, sprinkled with salt and pepper and boiled in water. I’d have used broth, but didn’t have any)

GoFitGals Peanut Butter and Honey Cookies

Frozen Yogurt Trail Mix Bars, also from The Lean Green Bean. I’ve had my eye on these for a while now. Can’t wait to see how they taste.

Of course, I also made dinner. I kicked off my kitchen time by popping a healthy pizza into the oven.

A healthier way to eat pizza during the Super Bowl.

In the mix: 1 multigrain tortilla, spread with 1 T tomato paste, 1/4 oz mini pepperoni, bell pepper strips and 1/4 cup 2% milk mozzarella. (Trust me — there really are pepperoni under that cheese.)

Halftime eats

I also whipped up a batch of butternut squash fries, which I ate while watching Beyonce’s halftime show.

Yum! I’ve always loved butternut squash and am so glad Roni came up with that recipe. I make it fairly regularly.

The cookies were the last thing I made. With my cookies in the oven, I plopped down on the couch with dessert: A lemon-filled donut from Dunkin’ Donuts. (That’s where I made my pit stop on the way home from the store.)

Fourth quarter dessert

Heart-shaped donuts for February. How fun!

(Yes, I had to get the game in the photo to prove I was watching.)

I have to admit, I was disappointed that the 49ers lost — mainly because I was rooting for Jim Harbaugh, a former Chicago Bear. Anyone else remember the Super Bowl Shuffle?

And I just googled it and realized I was thinking Jim Harbaugh when it was actually Jim McMahon in the video, wearing incredibly cool black shades. Harbaugh was about 2 years too late to be part of the Chicago Bears Shufflin’ Crew.

My little brother had the song on VHS. I seem to recall we watched it on an endless loop. I only had eyes for the cute QB.

Quick n easy and gluten free! lunch on this cold winter day.

http://www.atasteofthai.com/#

I have never been to Vegas and it honestly blew my mind. I didn’t know what to expect what to do or where to go. We decided that this trip would be a classy “adult” version of Vegas. We didn’t really drink outside of a bottle and a half of wine with dinner but that didn’t matter to me. We explored all of the strip, the hotels, the casinos, the SHOPPING and the FOOD! Everything was breath taking! It was honestly so Amazing!

We ate at amazing restaurants, tested out a buffet (because who doesn’t love all you can eat?), and went to a show!

I had no Idea how big the strip was and how much there was to see! It was HUGE! There were so many different things to do that everyone could find something that they loved.

Flower Display in Ceasars Palace

Shopping and looking at the fake sky!

Pretending to be Yankee Haters in New York New York

Chinese New Year Decorations at the Bellagio!

My Favorite Attraction: The Chocolate waterfall!

There was so much to do and Vegas really does have something for everyone. Whether you like good food, entertainment, golfing, spas, shopping, or even sight seeing… Vegas has got you covered. It was a once in a lifetime weekend and I loved every second of it! I can’t wait to go back and do all of the things that I missed out on! Next time I may even go to a night club! Shocking I know! I am only 23 though!!

–P

So, I finally entered through The Slanted Door. The dimly lit, 175-seater room has a beautiful view of the Bay draped across the all glass walls. Wonderful smells saturated the air, which coaxed me into peaking at the tables around to see the amazing assortment of dishes being ordered. Although the chef and owner, Charles Phan, is originally of Chinese descent, it is safe to say that he is more akin to Vietnamese food and culture having grown up in Vietnam. Called “the inventor of modern Vietnamese cuisine”, his dishes are inspired by Vietnamese street food, yet he creates them in a “Bay Area style”. By that, I mean that he tries to be eco-friendly and innovative. The meat he cooks with is raised humanely, the produce is local and organic, and many of the menu items are seasonal. While I still felt that there are many choices on the menu, his menu is much more selective than a menu you would typically find at a Vietnamese restaurant. There is also a great selection of drinks and desserts. Interestingly, one of the highlights of my meal was the dessert: peanut butter crumble ice cream. House made peanut butter is incorporated into this daily made ice cream, which gave it a sticky yet creamy texture.

Thanks to my co-worker and fellow foodie friend, Nicole, I came to dine with a mission and a very specific list of what to order (i.e. lemongrass tofu, but ask for no pressed tofu!). While I don’t think you can go wrong with the menu, as there are so many good choices, I was happy to have someone narrow down the list for me. We started with lightly fried daikon rice cakes. These reminded me of the amazing daikon cakes I had in Singapore- a wonderful memory. Next we had to try the cellophane noodles with dungeness crab, seeing as 7×7 magazine rates this as one of the top 10 dishes in SF. This dish can be summed up as delicate, delicious and “dungen-y”. The brussel sprouts would have converted any hater of this vegetable into a lover as it was paired with wonderful pioppini mushrooms in a delicate amber-colored sauce. Needless to say I enjoyed my meal very much. My only criticism if that I would have preferred the dishes to be more spicy, like real Vietnamese street food. Generally speaking, it seems hard to find food that has the right amount of spice in Asian restaurants in The States. I guess I’m due for another trip back to Asia.

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I know a lot of people who consider breakfast as their favorite meal. I also know a lot of people who don’t wake up early enough, but eat breakfast food all day anyway. For those who fit into either category, this new place in Fort BGC, Taguig may just be your instant foodie Mecca.

The Early Bird Breakfast Club offers interesting gourmet twists to your favorite morning entrees all day, every day. With its picturesque, cozy interiors and inviting facade, it’s impossible to miss. I ended up visiting the place 3 times during this past week – once with my teammates Sheena, Redi and Hazel, twice with the 17th floor’s resident glutton gourmand Raf. So even though their menu is still limited (They’re still on soft opening), my multiple visits gave me a chance to try more items.

On my first trip, I ordered the Frittata (P275), or as I would fondly call it, “Glorified Torta”. Despite its seemingly diminutive serving, it was actually pretty filling. In hindsight, I shouldn’t have had that side order of hash potatoes. Their take on the egg-based dish contains cheddar cheese, bacon, and spinach: potentially a winning combination. Too bad I hardly tasted any of the three. In my reckoning, it could use a bit more flavor.

Redi and Hazel each ordered a variation of the longganisa dish. I wasn’t too crazy about the Viva Longganisa (P345), but only because I prefer longganisas on the salty side (My favorite is Lucban). Fans of the sweeter variants will probably enjoy this more.

Same goes for the Longganisa Crisp (P280) which is breaded and served without rice. It’s best ordered as an appetizer.

My favorite savory dish of theirs, so far, is their Adobo Sunrise (P315), which I tried on my third visit. It’s not as crispy as  you’d typically expect adobo flakes to be, but it’s packed with flavor.

Dessert seems to be Early Bird Breakfast Club’s area of consistency.

The Early Bird Signature Pancakes (P295) is considered of their specialties, and with good reason. Apart from the impeccable presentation, the pancakes have just the right size and texture. And while the combination of flavored butter, whipped cream, chocolate syrup and Vermont maple syrup sounds like a diabetes case waiting to happen, the sweetness is not overpowering at all. Definitely one of their must-tries.

French toast fanatics should also try the Peanut Butter and Caramel French Toast (P260), which also boasts impressive presentation and delicious, non-overpowering flavor.

Overall, a mixed bag. But I’m willing to go back once their menu expands. I’m looking forward to their takes on tapsilog and daing na bangus.

Early Bird Breakfast Club is located at the Ground Floor of the newly-constructed Fort Pointe 2 Building (where Pier One used to stand) in Fort Strip, Fort BGC, Taguig.

Kwek kwek are deep fried hard boiled quail eggs

California is one of the major US states that is densely populated by Filipinos. If you ever visit San Diego, just drop by the Mira Mesa or National City districts and you will find yourself surrounded by various Philippine and other Asian themed supermarkets that makes any Pinoy feel closer to their culinary home land.

For most Filipinos though one thing they miss the most are the Pinoy street foods and beer foods that are often peddled at any street corner back at home. Unfortunately, foods like isaw, fishball, betamax, balut and kwek kwek are hard to find here in SoCal.  Enter a homely eatery in National City called Kalye Hits off of 8th St.  They serve various Pinoy favorites like aboved mentioned and other Pinoy Pulutan Favorites.

Over the weekend I had the weirdest cravings for Kwek Kwek.  Kwek Kwek or Orange Quail Eggs are deep fried hard boiled eggs. Other variations of the recipe use duck or chicken eggs but the small size of quail eggs and its soft creamy yolk texture is the most popular and commonly used. Kwek Kwek can be eaten as is and is popular mid afternoon snack. We would dip then in spicy vinegar mixed with finely chopped onions/garlic or with a sweet gravy sauce. Or dip it in the same sweet and sour sauce for  spring rolls.

I was very lucky that a friend of mine was in Kalye Hits last Friday and I offered to pay him a few bucks for a tray of freshly fried Kwek Kwek.   Since the quail eggs are so small come out slightly larger than tater tots and are easy to snack on.   There are many variations of the recipe you can find online and youtube and I should probably learn how to make some. But the team at Kalye Hits are good at what they make so I’ll gladly give them my few dollars instead everytime I have a Filipino Street food craving.

Really impressed with these gluten free gingerbread spice cookies. Only problem is,, you can’t eat just one. http://www.enjoylifefoods.com/soft-baked-cookies/gingerbread/

On every street corner, chefs and union workers alike are taking their cigarette breaks, tears of sweat glistening on their foreheads from the temperatures brought on by the recent heatwave. One J-walk across Tremont and a hop, skip and a jump later, I find myself in front of the enormous, heavy doors to the restaurant, glass paneling with a black and navy distressed wood finish for the trim. Inside, the space is longer than it is wide, providing that ‘petit’ French feel of a tiny sidewalk bistro in Europe. Each table is adorned with a white tablecloth and four wine glasses, which dance among the white cloth napkins with a crimson red trim and pristine silverware. In the center of each table sits a tall glass bottle of San Pelligrino, which by the way, was not complimentary as I came to find out.  I requested the small booth at the front of the restaurant, situated in a small corner providing me with both privacy and a significant amount of sunlight.

I ordered one luncheon special. I decided rather quickly upon the Pomme Frite, accompanied by the Soupe a L’Oignon and Turkey Club half sandwich with fresh avocado. The iced tea was unsweetened, resembling an Earl Grey in flavor, with a slice of lemon on the side. One cleaned plate and one Sorbet Du Jour later, which I hesitantly ordered as I tried to read the facial expressions of my parents rather closely, I had eaten all that I could. The Sorbet Du Jour was the finishing touch to a perfect lunchtime meal, with its refreshing scoops of Mango, Guava, and Raspberry, piled neatly into a crystal sundae glass, which lay on a white paper doily on a cream-colored dish.

Entering the sunshine once again, I turned left instead of heading straight back to the car, mainly to explore the beauty of the surrounding area. All along the sidewalks were tiny wicker chairs and tables, the chairs placed neatly on top of the tables, strapped down to ensure they’d still be there the next day, and the day after that, etc. Among the tables and chairs were orange and pink hibiscus plants as tall as I was, the bright rays of the warm summer sun bouncing off their dark, waxy leaves. Oh, the shots I could have gotten with my camera. Making due with what I had, I opted for the tiny, low-quality camera on my iPhone. It was a beautiful day in the South End of Boston…an up and coming neighborhood that once was one of the most distraught in all of the city. Over the last several years, it’s been spruced up by the vibrant characters that walk the streets today; some with their miniature white poodles snugly tucked into one of their three Dooney&Bourke bags hanging heavily off their shoulders, while others have their Black Crackberry in tow, tripping every so often due to the lack of attention given to walking the bustling sidewalks.

Taking one last look at the city before getting into the car again, I take a mental photograph. I think to myself as I look wishfully into the Sotheby’s Real Estate window, how lucky I’d be to own one of their properties. Someday. Someday.

And that’s why I’m so happy to have discovered these crackers! They are my new go-to salty, crunchy snack, absolutely crave-able. They are light and crisp and shatter easily, similar to a (you got it!) potato chip. But they’re even better, really, because they go beyond just salty and crunchy. They’re nutty, too, with the faintest sweetness on the back end to round out the flavor. And they’re whole grain! Oh, and guess what? They’re gluten-free, too, made with whole-grain oats, brown rice, millet, quinoa, and amaranth. Our Nutrition Editor gives them a hearty thumbs-up for the reasonable calories, saturated fat (none), and sodium in a serving. Perhaps the best part? A serving is 30 crackers! Now that’s realistic… That’s a snack to love.

It’s a fun, exhilarating game to me, to scour the market and find amazing deals on things I actually buy. (I don’t coupon because coupons typically are not for things I’d buy. Someone call me if they ever start offering produce coupons, though!)

One thing I’ve been able to find on sale consistently is pita bread. A market that I frequent has had pita on sale the last couple of times I’ve been in the store. Four for a dollar! I bought a couple bags each time.

I had been using the pita for a vegetarian lunch, of pita, hummus, and a salad, but I’ve also made pizza with the pitas as well, like I used to when I started Weight Watchers. But recently I decided to mix things up, with a barbecue chicken pizza. Here’s how:

Your favorite barbecue sauce, 2T

1.5-2 oz. chicken breast, diced or shredded (leftover chicken works perfectly!)

1 pita–whole wheat, plain, or garlic

1 oz. part-skim mozzarella

Heat your oven to 350 degrees. Spread the barbecue sauce on the pita. Top with the cheese, and then the chicken. I then spritzed the pizza with a little cooking spray, to keep the chicken from drying out so much, but that’s optional.

Heat the pizza in the oven until the cheese is melted to your liking.

Notes: I first encountered barbecue chicken pizza at an Italian restaurant around my way, and they also put red onion on the pizza. That’s another option for you. In place of the barbecue sauce, you could go with light or fat-free ranch dressing–that’s another tomato sauce alternative I’ve seen for chicken pizza.

Jicama, fermented black beans, banana & masa

For example, as an appetizer we ordered a fried jicama dish paired with a banana sauce. While I found it a bit strange, I appreciated the boldness of the chef to pair these seasonal ingredients which are not traditionally put together.

Rabbit Merguez, sweetbreads, yellow eye & carrot harissa

Last year for my father’s birthday we ordered a dish with rabbit in it at Flour and Water (delicious!) and since I saw this on the menu again I thought it might be fun to make ordering a rabbit dish an unofficial tradition. In French fashion, the portion was small in quantity, but large in flavor. We also tried a vegetarian risotto dish which was the special of the night, but it did not work for me. In fact, I found it so disappointing  that I couldn’t eat more than a few bites, and this hardly ever happens. I guess this just demonstrates that when top chefs try to play with ingredients in the kitchen, the execution sometimes falls short. For dessert the serving staff brought out a cute chocolate cake mouse with a single candle (65 candles certainly would not have fit on that cake) for my dad to make his birthday wish.

Dad’s birthday cake

Trout, dungeness crab, fennel, pistou, couscous, saffron & vanilla

I think the best feature of AQ, however, was not the food, but the ambiance. This interior is beautifully decorated with giving it a rustic, yet elegant theme.

Winter season decor at AQ

An example of the sea salt craze, this small Spanish company (which is looking to be picked up in US stores soon) got my vote for prettiest packaging.

I spent last weekend in sunny, gorgeous San Francisco attending the winter Fancy Food Show. (Bonus travel trip: This is the third year in a row I’ve visited SF on this weekend for this show, and the weather has been spectacular each time). I attend this big showcase—which I liken to cruising the sample section of Costco on their busiest day, x1000—every year in order to observe upcoming trends in flavors, foods, and drinks and to help prep for our annual Taste Test Awards. It’s a lot of sampling and observing and walking (dork alert: my pedometer logged more than 18,000 steps one day, which is double a normal active day for me), and it’s pretty fun. As my taste buds recover, I’ll share 5 trends I feel are on the rise:

Popcorn: individual-sized bags of this crunchy whole grain (a tasty way to fit in one of the at least three whole grain servings you need each day), snack-time treat were everywhere. Flavors ranged from the traditional (white cheddar, sea salt, caramel) to the creative and trendy (truffle, chipotle, lime).

Coconut: The coco-craze looks like it’s here to stay, from water to oil to coconut chips. Talking to producers and tasting samples made me realize what a wide range in quality these products can have. I can’t wait to examine them more closely for our 2013 Taste Test Awards (look for the results this fall!).

Charcuterie: Maybe it’s the evolution of the bacon craze, but it appears that salumi (and, to a lesser extent, pâté and terrines) are on the rise. Though there are dozens of superb small artisan producers across the United States cranking out quality charcuterie, the trend seems to be branching out to larger, mainstream producers. Though these products aren’t inherently light, they’re the perfect example of how a little bit of a highly flavorful, quality ingredient can go a very long way toward adding huge depth of flavor.

Sea salt: Nothing new about this high-end flavor booster, but it’s becoming even more widespread, flavoring everything from chocolates to snacks. Manufacturers are working to distinguish between types and uses and emphasizing unique origins (I tasted a smoky Alaskan sea salt that was great), as well as flake shapes and sizes.

Coffee: On the artisanal scene, small-batch roasters have been on the rise for the past few years (most mid-size cities now have at least one passionate bean-fiend who’s trekking across the globe in search of the perfect blend), but that’s starting to seep into the mainstream scene. I saw a few manufacturers touting the pour-over method for brewing the perfect single cup (possibly inspired by San Francisco’s Blue Bottle Coffee, of which I am a big fan), that might just give coffee pods a run for their money.

Also spotted in abundance: chia and flax seeds, cherry as a popular flavor profile, and small bites (from empanadas to dumplings to mini pies).

What food trends are you seeing in your area? Any you wish would go away?