Amateur baker

• Classic sponge cake with strawberry jam and whipped cream
• No bake chocolate-almonds-cream cheese cookie squares
• A cheesecake and self-frosting cupcakes
• (Something like) tiramisu
• Chicken and cheese on toasted bread cups
• Corn muffins
• Chocolate cheesecake
• Potato raisin scones
• Salmon, cheese and cabbage quiche
• Mango cream pie

Noche Buena

• Blueberries and cream
• Rice pudding with custard topping
• Fried lapu-lapu with pineapple sauce
• Pepperoni and cheese stuffed bread rolls
• Pork ears barbecue
• Fresh tropical fruits salad
• Rellenong manok (stuffed deboned whole chicken)
• Home grilled pork barbecue
• Peach pata hamonado
• Rolled porkloin with bacon, basil and rosemary

School lunchbox

• Butterscotch and chocolate fudge combo brownies
• Adobong kangkong
• Pinatisang bangus (milkfish soup with fish sauce)
• Chicken and asparagus fried rice
• Sauteed chicken and squash with fresh tarragon
• Roast pork and cabbage fried rice
• Pork barbecue fried rice
• Shrimps, ham and asparagus fried rice
• Creamed pork, ham, carrots and celery
• Bangus a la pobre

Frances loaf from Julie’s Bakeshop

When Julie’s Bakeshop opened a branch along Circumferential Road in Antipolo, we became regular customers because of its onion bread. It was basically pan de sal but with chopped onions mixed into the dough. The aroma was indescribably sweet and spicy. One time, we hosted an afternoon get-together with cousins and, when they arrived, I was toasting the split and buttered onion bread in the oven to serve with the callos I had prepared. The aroma had wafted through the house and my cousins went straight into the kitchen to ask what was that that they could smell.

Unfortunately, production of the onion bread was discontinued after a few months. It probably wasn’t a very saleable item because Filipinos prefer their bread sweet but otherwise plain. I found nothing else quite as interesting at Julie’s bakeshop and all we’d buy were loaves of white bread for sandwiches. Until one day when we went there and found all the loaves of white bread sold out. The only alternative was an unsliced bread called Frances loaf. Since we didn’t have any choice, we bought one. My, my, my… were we glad we did! Frances loaf turned out to be pan de sal in a loaf–very, very soft inside but crusty outside. And, like the pan de sal, it was sprinkled with bread crumbs.

The best way to enjoy Frances loaf is to buy it warm and still uncut. Slice it at home and serve with butter and jam for breakfast or with saucy dishes like callos for lunch or dinner.

In the mood for more food?

• Chicken and straw mushrooms in coconut milk
• Cabbage rolls soup
• Tortang sardinas at togue (canned sardines and mongo sprout frittata)
• Roast turkey with rice stuffing
• Rattan fruit
• Clams spaghetti with white wine
• Bulalo
• Beef laing
• Lasang Pinoy 5 : Fruit cakes, a family tradition
• What’s in your macaroni salad?