Kubiertos

Its funny how a lot of people mistake "banoffee" as being made up of banana and coffee. I can only say that it is primarily due to how the word banoffee is pronounced that is causing this confusion.

Banoffee is actually a dessert made of bananas, cream and toffee on a base made of pastry or crumbs of graham or biscuits. That is the foundation of the delicious dessert but can be enhanced to contain nuts, chocolate, or yes, even coffee. So the term Banoffee is really a word combined from "banana" and "toffee". If only people here pronounced it correctly as banofi rather than banowfi. Even the Red Ribbon commercial says it incorrectly.

Red Ribbon’s Banoffee Pie is true to its name. It is made of bananas, cream and toffee filling over a pie base made of crushed graham crackers. That alone is scrumptious enough for anyone’s palate. But they added more to the basics to stamp it with the Red Ribbon taste. The filling was made of bananas, nuts, toffee and chocolate. The whipped cream was drizzled with caramel and chocolate syrup. Yummm.

It is so delicious, my hubby crowed like a rooster after the first bite. Personally, I love the touch of chocolate and nuts as it dampened the sweetness brought about by the toffee filling. The 9-inch pie will set you back about Php520 but it is worth every bite.

Red Ribbon Bakeshop
Metro Manila Delivery: 8-77-77

I would not call potatoes as the Philippines staple but I can say that it is very popular. Almost everyone loves french fries, others prefer the healthier baked potato, or mashed potatoes which come as side dish to most fast food dishes.

My mom has done mashed potato in several different variations. I myself have done a bit of experimentation on this popular dish and would like to share how I do my yummy garlic mashed potatoes.

Ingredients:
4 medium sized potatoes
half a head of garlic, minced
1 cup of butter (about 2 sticks - softened)
1/2 cup of milk or cream

Directions:

Place the potatoes in a pot and cover it with water. Bring it to a boil and continue to simmer until the potatoes are soft. To confirm that the potatoes are done, pierce the potatoes with a fork and if the fork easily goes through or it breaks apart then they are done.

In a separate pan, heat the mixture of milk and garlic.

Mash the potatoes, mixing in the butter and milk mixture. Season with salt and pepper. You can add parsley to give some color to this pale dish. How long you should mash the potatoes depends on what texture you want it to be. If you want creamy and smooth, you need to mash until the bits and lumps disappear. If you want it chunky, you can mash the potatoes until you have just mixed all the ingredients together. Lastly, make sure to taste so you can determine if you need to add more seasoning or if you don’t.

And Viola! You have super duper garlic-y mashed potatoes.

Other serving suggestions: You can replace garlic with grated cheddar or parmesan cheese.

I don’t know if I am the last to know, but there is something new with Fish&Co.

A few months ago, I wrote about how I almost died when I ate the NY Fish and Chips, and the next time I ordered it I wasn’t even able to finish it.

This time, they have introduced several variations to the Fish and Chips dish. The Philadelphia fish and chips is served similarly with cheese filling. In this case though, they used cream cheese. The other choice you have is the one filled with garlic and herb.

Knowing what I know about cheese fillings and lemon butter, I opted to order the one filled with garlic and herb. And I made the right decision. Because of the taste brought on by the lemon butter topping the fried fish fillet, the garlic gave you a contrast that totally made the dish more flavorful (and bearable). If you are challenged to finish the NY Fish and Chips, then this is for you. You will definitely not notice that you have managed to eat your way into the whole thing.

I am not sure if this is just a Holiday offering or a permanent menu item, but just in case, you might want to head on over there now so you can have a taste of this seafood yumminess.

Working at the center of the Makati Business district, it is often difficult to find food that is affordable and good at the same time. I recall being a frequent customer to the nearest McDonalds or KFC to avail of cheap fastfood but I had to walk quite a distance from the place where I work. And we all know how fried and oily food can affect your health and diet, not to mention your body weight.

So when different dining establishments started popping up around Ayala Avenue, it became a relief to be provided much needed alternatives to our daily McChicken meal.

One such place not so far away is Green Tomato. It is in the 9th floor of the Philam Life tower along Paseo de Roxas where the building’s foodcourt is located.

There was a long line in front of Green Tomato when we arrived there to eat the other day even if it was only about 11:15am. It was a confirmation that they served good food.

I ordered the Penne with sausage and tomatoes. The serving was sufficient and quite a deal for the P120 that it cost me. It also came with a slice of foccacia bread that tasted soft and freshly made to me. The pasta was al dente and it absorbed the taste of the sauce so much that every bite was memorable.

And I can’t stop salivating at the thought of the sausage bits that made up the sauce. My friends smirked at me for saving my sausage bits and eating them after finishing up my pasta. But I couldn’t resist. The sausage had just the right saltiness that I loved. I don’t know where they get their sausages but I wish I could get my hands on the same so I could start whipping out deliciousness in my own kitchen. Sigh!

Green Tomato
Philam Life Tower,
Paseo de Roxas, Makati, MM
Tel. No. 885-7176

This post is not about coffee. This is about dessert despite the title. Aside from being famous for its coffee and SparkHope planners, Starbucks is known for its yummy chocolate cake.

Starbucks’ chocolate cake is moist and packed. One bite is enough to confirm its richness and quality. And you will never wonder why you just poked a hole through your wallet for a simple dessert. It is a melt in your mouth cake that does not make you reach out for a glass of water halfway through.

The chocolate icing is perfect. It is sweet but not too much. And although I was aware of how much sugar was put into creating the glaze, I did not feel it unlike in some where the icing is coarse and dotted because of all the sugar. So it is no wonder that I was attracted to the Chocolate Toffee (pronounced T - UH - F - I not T - OW - F - I) Cake that they serve now with their holiday selection.

The Chocolate Toffee Cake is a slice of the famous chocolate cake with large bits of toffee sprinkled on top. These chewy bits of hard candy made of caramelized sugar is the perfect accent to the deep dark chocolate richness.

Some do not like toffee but I do. Maybe because its a tad sweet and its hardness can sometimes crack teeth. Hehe. But trust me, this piece of cake is a must try if you are a chocolate or dessert lover. I am not sure if they will sell this even after the holidays but I really hope they do.

Yum!