Pulutan Explained

I just realized that there is no explanation on what "unconventional pulutan" is.

According to Wikipedia: "Pulutan (comes from the Filipino word pulutin which literally means "something that is picked up") is a term roughly analogous to the English term "finger food". It originally was a snack accompanied with liquor or beer but has found its way into Philippine cuisine as appetizers or, in some cases, main dishes, as in the case of sisig."

To this definition, I would say the opposite can also be true. There are those pulutan that were main dishes first, before they were discovered to be good with beer or the like. As for me, one of the unconventional pulutan I have ever tried and actually loved is a combination of crushed crackers and tuna in can.

TGIF's Mojitos

Went to TGIF at Trinoma, a convenient location for peope who think MRT is a gift from heaven (like I do!) I think their Ball Park Nachos is a version of unconventional pulutan because of the sheer volume as seen in the photo (okay, so that's my niece. And no, she did not finish that).

1 Mojito
1 Mojito Apple
1 Ball Park Nachos

Price: Php 736.61 (excluding service charge)

I liked the original mojito more than the apple one. But for Php 174.11 a glass, I just had to find out how to make one.

From Taste of Cuba:

1 teaspoon powdered sugar
Juice from 1 lime (2 ounces)
4 mint leaves
1 sprig of mint
White Rum (2 ounces)
2 ounces club soda


Place the mint leaves into a long mojito glass (often called a "collins" glass) and squeeze the juice from a cut lime over it. You'll want about two ounces of lime juice, so it may not require all of the juice from a single lime. Add the powdered sugar, then gently smash the mint into the lime juice and sugar with a muddler (a long wooden device pictured below, though you can also use the back of a fork or spoon if one isn't available). Add ice (preferably crushed) then add the rum and stir, and top off with the club soda (you can also stir the club soda in as per your taste). Garnish with a mint sprig.

So in the end, I probably don't need a mint sprig.

Beeramisu, Anyone?

Through Married to Chocolate (thank you, Kris), I found this recipe by Working Class Foodies. Awesome!


What you need:

Filling
1 pint heavy Cream
1 pound of Mascarpone
2 eggs
1 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

Crust:
lady fingers
beer (mocha stout and pumpkin beer)
Cocoa powder

Beer Hybrids

Found these recipes from Men's Health, Nov 2009 issue (US edition). Quite excited to try them out soon.

SPICY LADY
Rim glass with raw sugar. In a shaker, muddle the 2 tsp cayenne, lemon slices, 1/2 teaspoon raw sugar, and 1/2 tsp lemon juice. Pour mixture into the rimmed glass and add some ice. Top with light-bodied beer, say Corona. Stir a little.

CERVEZA PREPARADA
Rim a glass with salt. Add a dash of hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce and fill the glass with beer (lager). Top with 1/2 oz lime juice.

How do I love Gin? Let me count the bottles

This photo consists of a few bottles of gin and a vodka. Consumed through several months (from October 2009), shared by two to three people at a time. In any case, one of the simplest thing to do with gin (except drink it with water as your chaser) is to mix it with orange juice and ice. Apparently, this is called Abbey cocktail. How I mix mine is 1 part of orange juice (Del Monte) to half a part of gin. Serve in a glass half-filled with ice.

The bottle of Nutrilite Daily is how I try to keep myself healthy. Try being the operative word.

Chocolate and Brandy

I love the blog of Kris Alcantara! She is one woman who is crazy about chocolates and is kind enough to share no-bake recipes once a week. Here is something she did with brandy, Fudge Brownies.

I have to admit that I don't drink as much brandy if it was for the sake of happiness. I generally prefer gin over brandy. But because I was so inspired of Kris' entry, I decided to give brandy a twist. I mixed in two spoons of chocolate syrup and a spoon of fresh milk into a glass with brandy and ice cubes. I made mint tea and poured it into the mixture. Tadaah! Creamy Chocolate Mint Tea Brandy. Well, it may remind you of Bailey's but this is not as sweet. Try it.

Cravings and Ramblings

I have a craving for chocolate and alcohol. Found this Chocolate Shots recipe. (Photo is from that site, too) Looks delish but very difficult to make.

Google. This is the answer to any question. Found several drinks made with chocolate and some liquer like Godiva Chocolate Martini. So is vodka good with chocolate?

I'm gonna try this out.

Boracay's Hobbit House

A cold Red Horse beer at Hobbit House quenches the thirst =) At Don Vito Pizzeria Ristorante of Boracay Mandarin Hotel, order Don Vito Sensation, a vodka-based cocktail.
A slice of Black Rainforest is optional specially if you are calorie-counting.

Indian Walking Tour

Little India in Manila

We got to enter a real Hindu temple where they were celebrating the festival of colors. We also went in an Indian Sikh Temple where we got treated to a nice meal of Indian food. On my way home, got to wondering if wine drinking was legal in India.

I was amazed that India produces its own wine. It is also interesting to know that the nearest "Indian" cocktail would be classic gin and tonic, a result of British colonialism in the area. I have tried it with a dash of cayenne powder and it was great. Try it.

Vodka at The Hague

So I have been having a "The Hague" bug lately. My friend, Dazzle, sent me these videos.

Lekker Tagay

Ariane's Kapiskora

More reasons to go to Holland!

Jay-j's Inasal

August 1 -- Gran Matador with Coke Zero. And a shot of tequila. At Jay-j's Timog. SML is at P36, Strong Ice is P55. But what's great about this place is it's open 24 hours. And bibingka is served 12 months of the year.

And today, while trying to figure out how to go about this post, I was surfing for design-related projects but ended up with this really cool idea for serving vodka.

I wonder if in the future, I will get to make my own stuff. Or at least have the time to try to make some

Vodk Tonic vs Gin Tonic

Sex on the Beach. Found an interesting article on shooters with these "names." Free recipe, too.


Gin Tonic

3 parts gin
5 parts tonic
wedge of lime

For a "part," I would use bottle cap.

Fill glass with enough ice. Put in gin. Rub lime around the rim of the glass (this one I read somewhere) and put in lime into the glass. Top with tonic.

There are people who would squirm at the idea of drinking gin. I like gin. I can finish a bilog on my own. Just water and gin is fine. Gin and pomelo (ginpomelo) was de rigeure when I was in college. Besides, they say it is good antidote for fever.





Vodka on the other hand is something fairly "new" to me.

Dinner with a Baron

Last Saturday, had dinner with a Baron and his Filipina wife in a village near the airport. He was 80+ but was still very strong he actually set the table (he did 12 or 20 laps earlier that day).

It was a nice meal and being born to a wine-making family, it was expected that he was a lover of wines. It was amazing though that before we ate dinner, he was having a bottle of San Miguel Pale Pilsen. During the meal, he had two (or three) glasses of red wine. And after, he made coffee for himself and for everyone. His wife served lemoncillo, lemon liquer. It was the first time I had one and my! it was such a strong drink. She said it aids digestion. I thought, the acid might as well do some good.

I found a lemoncillo recipe which seems very doable.

There were three women and two men in this table. Two couples and myself, a single person. I felt weird that I was there. It was a good thing though that I was leaving for a cruise the next day which kept me from thinking about why am I still single.

House Cocktails

I didn't go out this weekend except that I went to a friend's birthday last Friday and had a bottle of beer. Yes, I just had a bottle. I didn't even finish it.

Anyway, cleaned my bag and found this strip of paper (it's actually part of an envelope) that had the mixes of Hey Jude's house cocktails.

Pearl Harbor - vodka, melon liqueur and pineapple juice

Cape Cod - vodka and cranberry juice

Bay Breeze - vodka, pineapple juice and cranberry juice

Melon Ball - vodka, melon liquer, orange juice