Food Diary: Spanish Influence

One of the things that always excite me every time I am holidaying in Spain is the food! The Spanish had a great influence on Filipino cuisine and because of that, it feels like home to be in España. One of my favorite Spanish dish that we also have in the Philippines is called Empanada.

Anyway, below are photos of some of the famous Spanish cuisine that can also be found in the Philippines.

Paella is probably the best-known Spanish dish. Paellas are sometimes present in Philippine fiestas.

I love Spanish Sardines but I think I prefer the Filipino version.:) In Spain, they serve it as ''Tapas'' and in the Philippines, we eat them for breakfast with rice. Weird!

Pollo Asado or as we call it ''Lechon Manok''. In Costa Blanca, you can find Pollo Asado Stalls where you can buy the whole roasted chicken and in the big cities like Madrid or Barcelona, you can find them in Spanish restaurants. Lechon Manok stalls are also usual in the Philippines.

 Oh! I just love the Empanada in Spain, they have a lot of different flavors. Onion and Cheese is just orgasmic!

Churros y Chocolate is probably my fave snack when I was a kid. :)

Fried Rice on a Lazy day!

There are times (especially on a day off) when you just want to stay at home, maybe lying on a couch and do nothing. Sometimes we're just too lazy to do things that even taking a shower is too much.

If you're too tired for take-outs and food delivery is just not for you or you're saving money, here's a cheap and fun easy way to cook on your day off!

A healthy meal you can make from leftovers.

Asian Fried Rice

Ingredients:
2-3 cups Leftover rice
100g Shrimps (chopped)
100g Tofu (diced)
100g Corn
100g Carrots (diced)
100g String Beans (chopped)
1 Tablespoon Soya Sauce
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Pepper
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon Chopped Garlic

*You can put whatever you want or whatever leftovers! This is just my recipe. :)*

Method:
1) Deep pan with olive oil, turn the heat to low, saute chopped garlic.
2) Add tofu and shrimps, fry them. Then add corn, carrots, string beans, Saute.
3) Add the leftover rice and mix them with the other ingredients.

3) Dash some salt and pepper then add soya sauce. Stir and cook for 10 minutes.
4) Serve fried rice while still warm.

Hope you enjoy!!! :)

The Beauty of Pashmina

Kashmir is one of the beautiful places on my travel bucket list. I would love to see the incredible nature of Kashmir one day. Also called as the Paradise on Earth, Kashmir is also known for its Pashmina. For thousands of years, Kashmir is known for manufacturing Cashmere and Pashmina shawls.

The other day I went to a Cashmere shop here in Ho Chi Minh City to look for a Cashmere shawl with handmade embroidery. A Kashmiri welcomed me in his shop and I was really happy to get some ideas on how to take care and to distinguish real Pashminas. He also showed me the most expensive Pashmina in the world, the ''king of fine wools''- Shahtoosh. A single Shahtoosh scarf cost 2000USD depending on the size. But Shahtoosh is considered illegal since sadly, thousands of Tibetan Antelopes were killed for the luxurios textile.

Anyway, so happy to finally own a Cashmere shawl with embroidery. I have been eying for this type of shawl for a long time. Original price of this Cashmere shawl with embroidery is 80USD but because of my haggling tactics, I was able to get it for 60USD. When I checked online shops for similar shawls, they are more expensive.

Cashmere Shawl with embroidery

How to Care for your Pashmina Shawl:
1) Dry Clean or Wash it by hand in luke-warm water and use shampoo instead of detergent.
2) When drying your Pashmina shawl, make sure to spread them evenly across the rack since hanging them wet will stretch the fabric.
3) Store them neatly by laying them on a flat surface. Store in a cool, dry place and away from direct sunlight.


How to Determine if your Pashmina Shawl is Real:
1) Real Pashmina/ Cashmere shawls are normally soft and light-weight.
2) Scarf label should be not be glued onto the fabric, it should be sewn.
3) If it's real Cashmere shawl, after how many uses, look for pilling/fuzz.

100% Cashmere pills after some wearing.

4) You can also check by cutting a small piece on one of the fringes then burn it, if it smells like burnt hair then it's an authentic one but if it smells like chemical then it might be a knockoff. 

My Collection of Pashmina from Kashmir.  :) The blue and red Pashminas were bought in Singapore (Little India) worth 150 Singapore dollars each. Real Pashminas costs!

    

Hội An - Ancient Town

My abrupt visit to the ancient city of Hội An in Vietnam was an amazing one! A small old city but very rich in history, well- preserved architecture and of course, lovely local shopping!

Hội An meaning ''peaceful meeting place'' was once a significant trading center in Southeast Asia. The town was notorious for its spice bartering. In the 16th and 17th century, Hội An has a culturally diverse population with Portuguese, Dutch, Indian, Japanese and Chinese settlers. The town was divided with Japanese settlement athwart the Japanese bridge.

Today, Hội An is a famous tourist destination and  the old town is recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The unspoilt infrastructures dating from the 15th to 19th century offers a dramatic outlook.

Hội An 2011

Villa Carlotta

Known for its gorgeous garden, exquisite art display and breathtaking view, the Villa Carlotta was once home to a noble Milanese family.

In 1801, a famous politician and avid art lover, Gian Battista Sommariva bought and revamped the villa. Up on the roof he added pediment and a clock; transformed the backyard into an astounding botanical garden; and appended a collection of art from Canova, Thorvaldsen and Hayez.

In 1843, Princess Marianne of Nassau purchased the villa and gave it as a wedding present to her daughter Carlotta and George II of Saxe-Meiningen. The villa was then named after her, Villa Carlotta.

At present, the villa is a museum and botanical garden.


Villa Carlotta
Address: Via Regina, 2, Tremezzo, Province of Como, Italy
Coordinates:  45° 59′ 11″ N, 9° 13′ 51.3″ E
Admission: €9

Fort San Pedro

One of the magnificent historical sites in Cebu, Philippines is Fort San Pedro. It is one of the oldest and smallest fort in the Philippines built by the Spaniards as a military defense structure.

The original form was made of wood and was built in 1565 by Miguel Lopez de Legaspi. However, the construction date of the stone fort is uncertain. Fort San Pedro was named after the galleon (San Pedro) of Miguel Lopez de Lagaspi when he and his explorers landed in Cebu.

The fort covers an area of 2,205 square meters with walls 20 feet high, 8 feet thick and towers 30 feet high. The shape of the fort is triangular with 3 bastions namely La Concepcion in Southwest corner, Ignacio de Loyola in the Southeast corner, and San Miguel in the Northeast corner. 

Today, Fort San Pedro is a historical park and a museum that houses Spanish paintings, sculptures and old documents retrieved from the San Diego galleon.


Fort San Pedro
Address: A. Pigafetta St  Cebu City, Philippines
Coordinates: 10° 17′ 32″ N, 123° 54′ 21″ E
Admission: Php 50

 

Blue Mountains, NSW

Fifty kilometers from the bustling metropolitan Sydney is a serene mountainous region called the Blue Mountains. Listed as a World Heritage Area by UNESCO in 2000, The Greater Blue Mountains Area is one of the listed attraction in the New South Wales.

The area is inhabited by over 400 different types of animals from rare mammal species like Spotted-tailed Quoll, Koala, Yellow-bellied Glider, Long-nosed Potorro, etc. Rare reptiles and amphibians can also be found in the area like the endangered Blue Mountain Water Skink and the Green and Golden bell Frog. Dingos are the largest predator and they hunt for Grey Kangaroos.

Blue Mountains offers overwhelming tourist attractions like the Edge Cinema that gives a panoramic view of the Blue Mountains, The Guinness Book of Records World's Steepest Railway-  The Katoomba Scenic Railway, The Three Sisters, The Toy and Railway Museum at Leura, The Norman Linsay Gallery and Museum, Knapsack Viaduct, The Zig Zag railway and a lot more. Blue Mountains is also a popular destination for adventure sports and outdoor activities like Rock Climbing and Mountain Biking.


Coordinates: 33° 43′ 5″ S, 150° 18′ 38″ E

The Greater Blue Mountains Area

At the Edge Cinema.

Guiness Book of Record World's Steepest Railway

A Parrot resting at a Eucalyptus tree.

Closer view of the Three Sisters.

Visit Blue Mountains.