Char-grilled hito (cat fish) dipped in bagoong (fish sauce), calamansi & labuyo (hot chili peppers)

Fried mackerel and mini cod fillets paired with kimchi & curry rice. Interesting to note that the “mini cods” or bacaladilla in Spanish are possibly blue whiting.

Here is another fish recipe for you:

Ingredients:

• “Mini cod” fillets or locally known as Bacaladilla (Blue whiting cod)
• Mackerel fillet (also known as Caballa here in Spain)
• Kimchi (available at Korean or Asian food shops)
• Hierbas provenzales (Albahaca, Orégano, Romero, Tomillo, Ajedrea & Mejorana)
• Olive oil
• Salt & Pepper

Procedure:

1. Season the fish fillets with herbs, salt & pepper.
2. On medium high heat, pan-fry with a little olive oil skin-side first.
3. Using a frying spatula, apply a bit of pressure to the skin-side so it lies flat on the pan. Doing this turns the skin crispy brown.
4. Flip to cook the other side for 2-3 minutes
5. Plate it and drizzle with vinegar or squeeze a slice of lemon

Enjoy this easy recipe with curry rice & kimchi as a side dish. Happy cooking & kain na!

By the ways, this is an entry via Flickr.

Last night while watching No Reservations Techniques episode, I told myself that I should make my own burger patty. Earlier today I’ve made my first attempt:

Not that bad I think. Here is the view from the back:

Though I’ve enjoyed it very much, there are still things that can be done to improve it. I will post the recipe in the next attempt. Stay tuned!

Typically here in Madrid, the eggs are broken, literally when they serve it, in front of you!

Ingredients:

• 2 Eggs
• Chorizo Iberico de Bellota (or any chorizo of your choosing); sliced not so thinly
• Asparagus (or any greens you like)
• Onions
• Garlics
• Olive oil
• Salt & Pepper
• Paprika & Parsley (for garnish)

Procedure:

1. Sauté onion & garlic in olive oil
2. Throw in the chorizo; let it sizzle until it change the color of the oil
3. Add in the asparagus; sweat it and turn off stove
4. Season with salt & pepper
5. Now this is the part we “break” the eggs. While the pan is still on the stove, break and put the whole eggs on top. Using your wooden spoons, break the eggs however you like (this is where your creativity and mood kicks in!). As soon as you are done, plate it right away!

Garnish with paprika (I like the pimentón picante) & parsley. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil. Serve with a crusty bread such as Chapata

Happy cooking & Kain na!

The closest fish I can find here in Madrid for this recipe is the Caballa or the Atlantic Mackerel. Well, at least it is a mackerel.

Ingredients:

• Caballa (Mackerel)
• Garlic
• Mushrooms
• Pimiento de Padrón (green chili pepper)
• Soy sauce (naturally fermented)
• Lime juice or cider vinegar
• Ginger
• Laurel (bay leaf)
• Olive oil
• Hierbas provenzales (Albahaca, Orégano, Romero, Tomillo, Ajedrea & Mejorana)
• Salt & pepper
• Pimientos del piquillo, for garnish

Procedure:

1. Cut the mackerel in halves then rub with hierbas provenzales. Set aside.
2. In a pan, mix the soy sauce, lime juice, garlic, ginger, laurel, olive oli, salt & pepper
3. Put the mackerel in the marinade and cook in medium-low heat
4. Slow cook until the liquid is reduced & add the mushrooms and chilis
5. When the marinade has been reduced, it will start to sizzle. Let it fry until the skin of the mackerel is crispy.

Garnish with pimientos del piquillo & drizzle with extra-virgin olive oli. As always served with steamed rice. Goes well with beer.

Happy cooking & Kain na! (now you know how to say “Eat Well” in Tagalog)

That was my initial plan but end up with this

The reason is that I didn’t have the wrappers so I will just do it some other day when I find where to buy it here in Madrid or perhaps learn how to make it.

Recipe: Stir-fried Mung Bean Sprouts

1. Heat the wok or pan and the oil. Saute 2 gloves of garlic and a pinch of chopped ginger.
2. Throw in all the vegetables and the soy sauce.
3. Season with salt & pepper.

Serve it with fried fish and steamed rice.

P.S. I saved and planted the seeds hoping it will grow. Just hoping…

I brought pancit over that lunch. It was really special because I used fresh shrimps. I brought more for my mates and I am so pleased that they liked it.

They asked me about the recipe and I told them, and suggested that it is great con sardinillas.

Well, I always knew that there is more life after work but I will certainly miss them over breakfast, coffee, lunch and afternoon coffee or tea. And kebabs during Thursdays…


As I write this post, I needed some real comfort and eggs as always won’t fail me. Ever…
So I whipped up an omelette.

Cured bacon, cured cheese, red onions, parsley and toasted wheat bread slices.

I’ve finished the hearty meal and felt good but not better.

Familiar, simple foods that are usually home-cooked or eaten at informal restaurants. They are foods that are often emotionally significant to a person or group of people and are sometimes related to pleasant associations of childhood

A scene from Pixar’s Ratatouille sums this up very well:

Well, I have a couple of comfort food and most of it has egg as the primary component. I LOVE EGGS.

On top of my list is a dish called “Sarsiado” (soft scrambled eggs with onions & tomatoes). Here in Spain, the equivalent will be the huevos revueltos. And yes, it is a comfort food for me because as defined above it has an emotional significance and is nostalgic to my childhood.

After a stressful day or whatever it may be. When you feel everything seems to fail, comfort foods are there to offer a warm embrace and let you forget the anxieties of adult life. It helps us realize and appreciate again that the simple joys of life are really simple.

So what is your comfort food?

Please share it and as Anton Ego said, “Surprise me!”

I realized that there are more texture and flavors from things we are not used to. Here is my proof.

Herbed pan-grilled turkey breast with caramelized red onion in bleu d’auvergne

Onions are profound because they have layers and make me cry all the time!!

Colors I fall in love everyday

Ingredients:

• Turkey breasts
• Red onions
• Bleu d’Auvergne or commonly known as French blue cheese
• Light cream
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt & pepper
• Hierbas provenzales (Albahaca, Orégano, Romero, Tomillo, Ajedrea & Mejorana)
• Green asparagus
• Parsley (for garnish)

Procedure:

1. Rub the turkey breast with the herbs, salt & pepper
2. On medium heat put the skillet pan with a little olive oil
3. Pan-grill the turkey breast. I usually cook the first side down more for a crusty texture and turn the other side just to cook it briefly. This gives you more textures on the meat. When the breast are done, set aside on a plate
4. Pan-grill the green asparagus and then set aside.
5. Add a little more olive oil and caramelize the red onions by slow cooking it on low heat. If you sauté it real fast you will end up with crunchy and stronger flavor. In this recipe we want the red onions to caramelize slowly so it becomes soft and sweet. Set this aside.
6. Pour the light cream and blue cheese in the pan on low heat and mix it until the blue cheese melts
7. Add the caramelized red onion in the blue cheese sauce. Stir in for a minute.
8. Serve the turkey breast, asparagus and the caramelized red onions in blue cheese sauce. Garnish with parsley and extra virgin olive oil

Enjoy cooking & bon appétit!

Endless tapas goodness. Who cares about the names of each anymore! All we care about is how good they look like and taste even better.

Take note: the tapas were just the first course. And now for the main course…

The company who went out for lunch, my team…

Of course there’s dessert

P.S.: The basic essentials