Chocolate mint coffee
If there is one noche buena tradition in my husband’s family that I never really got the hang of, it’s drinking chocolate. If the noche buena meal consisted of bibingka and puto bumbong only, then an accompanying chocolate drink would be marvelous. But when the dishes in the meal are quite heavy — ham, chicken, fruit salad — drinking chocolate is simply too much for me. Besides, I’m a coffee drinker and I drink coffee for the caffeine. A few days ago, I discovered a great way to combine chocolate with coffee.
Continue reading 'Chocolate mint coffee' »
Mango and melon (cantaloupe) fruit shake
Because mango season has long been over, mangoes these days aren’t all that sweet. They are what we describe as nag-a-agaw tamis — on the verge of sweetness but with a sharp tang of the sourness that it is about to discard. Half a melon and one not-quite sweet mango and the fruit shake was just perfect.
Continue reading 'Mango and melon (cantaloupe) fruit shake' »
Honey-lemon drink
Live interaction with readers is one thing that a column writer does not enjoy. Lucky me, I was a blogger before I was a newspaper columnist so I know the value of real feedbacks–minus, of course, the kind of muck that seems to be the staple of political blogs. I do get my share in The Sassy Lawyer’s Journal.
The interaction in this blog, in particular, has been a wonderful source of insights, information, cooking tips and even health advice. In the comment thread of my honey-lemon-ginger chicken recipe, reader Malou shares her favorite hot drink made, quite simply, with fresh lemon juice, honey and hot water.
After the school bus picked up the kids this morning, instead of going for my second cup of coffee, as is my habit, I tried Malou’s concoction and, I must say, I enjoyed it tremendously. It was very good.
Continue reading 'Honey-lemon drink' »
Green mango juice
Mangoes that are just starting to ripen are best for making green mango juice. The skin is usually still green but the meat–or pulp–is starting to turn yellow. The very green unripe mangoes, usually diced for salads, don’t make very smooth purees. The ones that are still sour but with the meat starting to soften towards ripeness are the ones that make wonderful green mango juice…
Continue reading 'Green mango juice' »
Lasang Pinoy 8: mocha latte and choco latte
I know I’m done posting my entry for Lasang Pinoy 8 but my kids took turns making mocha latte and choco latte earlier tonight and… why waste such a wonderful story? Because it really was quite a story–I ended up drinking one tall glass of mocha latte and two short glasses of choco latte. How could I say no after all their effort, eh? Of course, after that, I swore I won’t eat a thing tomorrow. 
Continue reading 'Lasang Pinoy 8: mocha latte and choco latte' »
Cucumber cooler
I first tried cucumber juice at Alfredo’s Steak House along Tomas Morato in Quezon City. My friend Lisa, whose family owns the place, recommended it. At first, I was a bit hesitant. Cucumber juice? I mean, I’ve tried carrot juice and hated it. Vegetables always seemed better eaten than drank. I’m glad I tried it though. After the first few sips, I was hooked. After that, my brother and I made cucumber drinks at home using the blender.
Continue reading 'Cucumber cooler' »
Sago (tapioca or pearl balls)
The recent craze is to serve the humble sago (tapioca or pearl balls) with milk and powdered artificial flavoring. I am not exactly into artificial flavoring especially the ones with artificial sweeteners. They always leave a nasty aftertaste. What I did earlier today was to make some sago drinks the traditional way. Well, almost the [...]
Continue reading 'Sago (tapioca or pearl balls)' »
Watermelon Smoothie
The good doctor will tell you that if you have to eat between meals, fruits and vegetables are always preferable over cookies, cakes and chips. I had a very early breakfast today and, after doing the laundry, I was a bit hungry by 9.00 a.m. I decided to make some watermelon smoothies from the huge [...]
Continue reading 'Watermelon Smoothie' »
