Here’s the announcement from Adarna:

‘PS. Mahal kita.’ A Valentine Tertulia at Adarna

Date:   Saturday. February 13, 2010

Time:   7:00pm ~ 10:00pm

Location: 119 Kalayaan Ave., Quezon City

A tertulia is a social gathering common during the turn of the century. Friends usually congregate in someone’s home late in the afternoon or early evening to enjoy conversation, art and culture. The mood is informal and the guests themselves provide the entertainment.

In celebration of Valentine’s day, you are cordially invited to participate in this special tertulia by sharing real love letters, poems or songs expressing Pinoy romance .

This is a FREE event but guests are requested to come in Filipiniana attire—regional, period, or even as literary or historical Pinoy lovers!

Come and celebrate the timelessness of Pinoy love at Adarna.

For questions and reservations please send us a message through our FB accounts or through:

adarnafoodandculture@yahoo.com, and adarnafoodandculture@gmail.com

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Guidelines for the Love Letter Contest

1. All entries must be authentic (actually sent/received) and unpublished.

2. Love letters refer to those actually sent/ received in whatever manner (electronic, postal, hand-carried) expressing/professing ROMANTIC love. This means, that letters expressing love for country, children, pets, nature etc. will not be allowed at this time.

3. Love letters may express the whole range of:
• emotions—crush, passion, lust, sadness, rage, madness, rapture;
• states—beginnings, endings, long-term, it’s complicated;
• forms– proposals, odes, affirmations, vows;
• or cover a range of situations—unrequited, lost, long-distance, second chances, wartime, forbidden, secret, marriage, young love, May- December, LGBT, cyber, interracial, virtual etc.
• letters may be old or new but not written for purposes of joining the contest.

4. Love letter readers may or may not necessarily be the writers and vice versa

5. The entire letter, or an excerpt thereof may be read provided that it does not exceed one short bond, double space, 12 font. For letters written in long hand, it must not exceed 350 words.

6. It is not necessary to reveal the identity of the writer or receiver, however a brief (2 mins!) background on the context of the letter is requested to help the audience appreciate the letter.

7. Only two letters written/sent/received by the same person will be considered.

8. A reader can only read a maximum of two letters.

9. Ideally, the letters should be in Filipino or English so more people can understand it. However, love letters in other Filipino languages, or Spanish may be read and briefly translated.

10. The manner of judging and prizes will be revealed during the tertulia.

Performances
1. Guests are encouraged to share their talents during the program. Songs, dances, poems or the playing of musical instruments are welcome provided that it is in keeping with the theme.

2. Please advise Adarna at the latest, February 10 so we could queue you in the program.

3. In case you require any special set up or intend to bring special equipment, please give us at least three days notice, so we can in turn inform you if such can be arranged/accommodated.

COMING SOON!
• February 6 Pinoy Cocktails

Enjoy old and new Pinoy cocktails beginning February 6. Perfect while waiting for your lunch or dinner orders or just to unwind.

HAPPENING NOW!

For the whole month of February, enjoy 20% off when you order a bottle of any of our red, white and local wines.

Try our new appetizers available only this February!
• Higados- Filipinos of old, used to ‘feel’ strong emotions not with their heart, but their liver called ‘atay’ or ‘hati’. With this as inspiration, Adarna offers chicken liver cooked in wine and spices liberally sprinkled with freshly ground pepper. Excellent with red wine.

• Garbanzos y patatas picante – Fiery crunchy chickpeas and crisp chili potatoes are a fun vegetarian hot treat. Goes very well with chilled white or fruit wine.

• Albondigas en salsa – A dish of meatballs in spicy olive tomato sauce served with bread sticks for some serious flavor. Try this with red wine.

I’m sure you all know Fanny Serrano. He’s a well-known celebrity makeup artists in the country. He enhances the beautiful faces of movie celebrities such as Sharon Cuneta, Lorna Tolentino, Amy Austria and many others. But did you know TF (as Fanny Serrano is fondly called) has a secret?

It’s not a new line of beauty product, no. It’s Secret Cafe — a coffee shop that, in the beginning, was intended for the husbands or boyfriends of the clients of Fanny Serrano Beauty Salon. He wanted them to be comfortable while waiting for their beloved have their hair or makeup done. But word travels fast. Soon, the secret nook beside his salon is no longer a secret. According to TF it seems his clients were impressed with the food and service of Secret Cafe.

Unknown to many of us, TF loves to experiment with food. Through the help of his very resourceful chef, Henry Ranas, he is able to fulfill his food ideas for the restaurant. He wants Secret Cafe to be known not just as a place that serves good food but healthy as well. Some of the food in the menu that’s becoming popular are the Unagi Sandwich, Pinoy Shawarma, and the pan de sal creations (Panlonto, with longganisa, tomato and egg; Pansarto, with sardines, tomato and egg; Pancorto, with corned beef, tomato and egg; and Panchito, with chicken, tomato and egg).  Here, take a look at some of Secret Cafe’s offering:

The Squash Okoy (squash-shrimp fritters) is served with vinegar and lots of garlic. It tastes better than the usual okoy and is more healthier because flour has been replaced by squash. And the Pinoy Shawarma… it’s filled with veggies and really tastes Pinoy (filled with adobo or chicken liver)! If you’ve tasted unagi sushi or any Japanese food cooked with unagi (Japanese term for eel), you will also love Unagi Sandwich. It has a creamy taste and goes well with the whoele wheat bread. Try the Sayote Shake, too. You’ll be surprised! You won’t even think it’s sayote.

What is good about Secret Cafe is the creativity exhibited in the food itself. Most of what the restaurant serve are original creations and, in a way, the recipes are unknown to diners. That is why TF chose to name his dining haven “Secret Cafe.” Although prices of the food are a little higher for the pocket of the ordinary Pinoy.

Secret Cafe does not only boost of its menu. TF is a fan of the art deco era. He deemed it as the perfect look and feel for Secret Cafe. The earth-toned walls is teeming with art deco paintings and the Tiffany chairs go very well with them.

Experience Secret Cafe, located along Scout Rallos in Tomas Morato, Quezon City. It’s right beside Fanny Serrano Beauty Salon.

I’ve had the privilege to visit Biksa Coffee a few weeks ago and tried some of their food and beverages. The cafe offers for beverages hot coffee (espresso, cappuccino, Americano, etc.); ice blended coffee (caffee mocha, latte); frappe (brain freeze); smoothies; milkshake; Italian soda; and tea. They also serve food like sandwiches, pizza and pasta.

My friends and I had a long that day and we decided to drop by Biksa Coffee. We had mozzarella pesto sandwich, pasta with tuna carratierre sauce, a margharita pizza, Italian sodas (passion kiwi and passion strawberry), cookies & cream milkshake and cappuccino.

(Photo 1 – mozzarella pesto sandwich, pasta tuna carratierre, and margharita pizza (Photo 2 – cappuccino, Italian sodas (passion strawberry and passion kiwi) and cookies & cream milkshake

Let me describe how they appealed to my taste bud, starting with the Mozzarella Pesto sandwich, which is my personal choice. As the name suggests, the loaf bread is filled mozzarella cheese and pesto. I chose this dish because I’ve never tried a pesto-filled sandwich and it has cheese. How can I resist cheese? The two main ingredients blended nicely. I’m sure, people who love adding herbs in their food will appreciate this sandwich. The tuna carratierre was very good as well. Adding a little bit more Parmesan cheese increases the creaminess of this sauce. It’s good as it is or you can have it spicy (just add finely ground pepper!). The pizza margharita, well, just like other concoction of this famous pizza flavor, I love the tomatoes!

Overall, Biksa Coffee is a fine place to hangout. The ambiance is good, very homey and relaxed. Plus, similar to other coffee shops, it also has Wi-fi service. My friend just have a comment on their menu card: the presentation’s a little plain. And I agree. They should try making it more attractive.

Biksa Coffee is located at #18 Gil Fernando Ave. cor. Dragon St., Marikina City; just a few minutes away from Sta. Lucia East Grand Mall.

A regular intake of dark chocolate is healthy and it has been proven in many studies. When eating chocolate remember that its main ingredient, cocoa, is made from plants, therefore it contains health properties found in many vegetables. Opposed to other varieties, dark chocolate has flavonoid, an antioxidant chemical that protects the body from harmful elements that cause early aging and heart diseases. In addition, flavonoids also balance certain hormones in the body.

Generally, dark chocolate is good for the heart. The right amount of intake (a small bar or around 1.6 ounces) everyday can keep the heart and cardio system functioning properly. Heart health benefits include lowering blood pressure and lowering cholesterol level in the body. A small bar of dark chocolate everyday has been proven to lower the blood pressure in people with hypertension. It can also reduce bad cholesterol (LDL or low density lipoprotein) in the body by almost 10 percent. Sweet news, right?

Apart from taking care of the heart, dark chocolate has other advantages. One, it gives one a feeling of happiness because it stimulates the production of endorphin. Two, it lifts ones spirits since it has serotonin, a neurotransmitter that act as anti-depressant. Lastly, chocolate tastes good, who can resist it?

Despite these health benefits chocolate must be taken in moderation. Remember that it still is a high-calorie and high-fat (contains one monosaturated and two saturated) food. As mentioned earlier in this post, only a small bar of dark chocolate is recommended for daily consumption. But if you really, really can’t help it, then you have to cut in your other food intake.

So, happy choco munching, people! Don’t take too many, okay? Go for the dark ones.

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A little side story why I came down to writing a post on dark chocolate:

I’ve had a not so nice week and I’m pissed off with someone at work (still am until now). I know I just have to have a bite of chocolate to calm my nerves. So I went to the grocery store during the weekend and found this new confection from a local producer of chocolate products. I decided to give it a try. I was not in a bit disappointed. Although it didn’t taste as bitter as I would prefer it to be, still it tasted good: smooth, mint, bittersweet, dark!

Try it. Doesn’t even cost much.

a sample of how the picture-based warning will look like in cigarette packs

Picture-based health warning is already being implemented in countries like Singapore, Thailand, Venezuela, Uruguay, UK, Australia, Switzerland, Panama, Hong Kong, Romania, New Zealand, and India. FCAP believes it is high time the same rule should be applied in the Philippines. Right now, the average Filipino does not really have a clear image of the dangers of smoking or being exposed to cigarette smoke. The picture-based warning will achieve that, thus, reducing the number of smokers if not totally eradicating the habit.

FCAP is trying to collect signatures to support HB 3364 and has an online petition in their website. If you believe in this cause, get involved and sign the petition here or here. Also, FCAP has another event coming, “Run 4 Ur Life,” again to promote the Picture-based Health Warning. It will be held at UP Diliman Campus on August 17. Additional information can be viewed here.

I’m sure all of us are excited about the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, which will officially open in less than a month(look at the countdown in the sidebar). Wherever we are in the globe, we’d want to take part in this event, right? You must have listened and watched Jackie Chan sing “We Are Ready,” even if you barely understand the lyrics of the song. I am also very sure that you’d like to have a souvenir of the Olympics, no matter how little it is as long as the Beijing 2008 Olympic logo is carved on it.

We’ll, I’ve got mine already, and you can grab one too. Because at McDonald’s – one of the official partners of the Olympics – for only 20 pesos, you can have a Limited Edition Luminarc glass with the Coca-Cola logo on one side and an Olympic event and the Olympic logo on the other. There are five designs (Olympic event) to choose from. All you need to do is buy any of McDonald’s value meals, add 20 pesos to buy one glass or you can buy all five. Me I bought all the five glasses!

My Olympic glasses from McDonal’s

While Frank (the typhoon last Sunday, June 22) was busy lashing the whole country, I remembered that dad brought back from Bicol a variety of  banana called pinipita — that’s what it’s called in Bikol. It’s firmer than saba. Here’s how this kind of banana looks:

Pinipita

peeled and sliced

Anyway, I thought of cooking these bananas–unripe and just perfect for pinakro–instead of just looking out the window, watching some falling trees and leaves flying in all direction or just listening to the  angry howling of the wind. I went with the taskfast: washed the bananas, peeled and sliced them in quarters so they’d cook fast. I soaked them in water (to pevent discoloration) while I squeezed the niyog. You can use canned coconut but I prefer the ‘real’ niyog. Mas masarap.

On with the cooking. I placed the sliced bananas in a pot, poured the coconut milk, added a dash of salt and brown sugar, covered the pot and placed it on the stove. By the way, I used the coconut milk obtained from the second squeezing and set aside the kakang gata (coconut milk obtained from the first squeezing). After 5 or 10 minutes, when half of the coconut milk has evaporated, I added the kakang gata, then covered the pot again. I only had to wait for a few more minutes and voila! Yum-yum merienda. Look:

Presenting: Pinakrong Batag (banana)

A closer look.

You can sprinkle sugar on top — a lot if you like. Or dip it in honey. I think that would really taste good. Haven’t tried it though.

What I have tried (together with friends) so far in Halo’s menu are:

(a) Spaghetti with Tomatoes and Olives – this one I highly recommend. I like how the tomatoes and olives blended and created a slightly sour sauce which suited my taste bud very well.

(b) Spaghetti with malunggay pesto – this dish is for the brave and adventurous. Although the malunggay sauce may look like your regular pesto, there’s more than slight difference in the taste since it is impossible to totally remove the bitter taste of the malunggay. Hey, but this is really healthy! Remember that malunggay is a better source of vitamin C than citrus fruits.

(c) Veggie Medley Lettuce Wraps – a little salty for my taste but still good. Look forward to discovering the taste of banana and ginger combined.

(d) Chicken Pastel – hmmm… this is different from the usual pastel dish because this one is not baked. It was okay. Still healthy, I guess, because it uses white meat (chicken skin not included).

(e) Wheat Grass Cold Tea – a drink that you MUST try when you eat at Halo. The wheat grass they use is freshly cut from the plant box they keep outside of the café.

(f) Eggplant & Cheese Wholewheat Tortilla – I think the wholewheat tortilla made the difference in this appetizer. And the eggplant? The eggplant always goes well with anything!

(g) Tuna Steak – one of the best-tasting in the menu. Loved the way it was cooked.

(h) Tarragon Tea – a highly recommended after meal beverage. Halo uses a mixture of fresh and dried tarragon leaves. You will enjoy its natural sweet flavor and fragrant aroma. I think it has a calming effect on the drinker because when I had a cup at Halo, I was able to sleep immediately when I got home. Maybe I should start growing tarragon in my backyard.

Here’s a peek at some of the food we tried:

(1) veggie medley lettuce wraps (2) vegetarian burger

(3) eggplant and cheese wholewheat tortilla (4) spaghetti with malunggay pesto

(5) wheatgrass cold tea (6) wheatglass plant box

Food prices range from fifty pesos to a little more than a hundred pesos. Really affordable.

For a list of Halo Cafe’s offering, click here.

A few snapshots of Halo’s interior:

Here in the Philippines, Cavana is located at SM Megamall (near Powerbooks). It’s a neat cozy place, with a color scheme that is relaxing; not too fancy to be intimidating. We’ve tried two of their chicken rice meals (hmm… reminds me of the Singaporean film Chicken Rice War — a truly enjoyable rom-com movie ): the honey grilled chicken rice and hainanese chicken rice.

A plate of Honey Grilled Chicken Rice — boneless chicken, grilled and glazed with honey; served with rice (of course) topped with crispy garlic, coleslaw and two kinds of sauces  or sawsawan (soy sauce and chili sauce).

Sumptuous Hainanese Chicken Rice — tender boneless boiled chicken topped with sautéed carrots and cucumber strips; served wit rice (dapat! ), soup, and three kinds of sauces or sawsawan (soy sauce, chili sauce and pounded ginger). The ginger really makes the difference. Personally, I’m curious to know how this dish is prepared. If you have the recipe, share it with me, please.

Check out Cavana’s other selections here.

Recently, I discovered a restaurant along Kalayaan Avenue in Diliman, Quezon City that serves delicious authentic Filipino dishes. Diners can take their pick of favorite dishes from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

The restaurant’s name is Adarna Food & Culture. It’s a cozy place that gives a homey ambiance while you’re dining. The whole concept is very Filipino, like a home, and the place looks like a restored old stone house. You can also dine alfresco, by the fountain. Interesting memorabilia and other collections adorn the main dining room and the function rooms. Customers also get a treat from the sari-sari store (Choices are chocnut, white rabbit candy, chocolate coin,  cigarette, and many other goodies available in a sari-sari store). It gives an exciting feel, like you’re a child again visiting your suking sari-sari sa may kanto.

One of the dishes served at the resto. Pinoy Pasta — it has chorizo instead of ham or hotdog.

A Muslim dish from Mindanao — Piassok. It is cooked in smoked coconut milk. The meat is so tender you won’t need a knife.

Different angels of the smaller dining area — perfect place to have coffee with friends. The sari-sari store is also located in this area.

Sherma & I, taking turns posing at the main dining hall.

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You may reach Adarna Food & Culture at these numbers:

(+632)926-8712/(+63917)961-8113

E-mail: adarnafoodandculture@yahoo.com

(The have a graduation promo this month.)

Note: See photo of Adarna Food & Culture facade from previous entry.