mom & tina's: an education

Last Sunday, my brother took my mother and me out to dinner at Mom & Tina's Bakery Café in Quezon City. I have to say that it was a learning experience.

I had originally suggested Melo's but they were fully booked that evening, so instead of white tablecloths and bow-tied waiters, we ended up at the homey country-style café next door. My brother was excited and feeing all knowledgeable, having been to their Libis branch before.

Per family procedures when eating out, my sister-in-law quickly perused the menu and ordered something for my nephew/godson. I noticed that she seemed to approve of most of the items and in fact, the little boy wiped out his Beef Stew in no time. I was amazed, as it usually takes him 58,326 years to finish one meal.

That's when it hit me. Mom & Tina's serves kid-friendly and mommy-approved food. Not having any children myself *shudder* I don't really know what they like to eat. But now at last, should a random parent ask me, there's a restaurant that I can recommend.

market musings

Since my tooth crisis began in January, I have visited four different dental clinics a total of eight times, but my real dentist, the one who makes all the life-changing decisions about my orthodontic health, lives and works in Balanga, Bataan.

And when in Balanga, to market we will go.

The primary objective is always smoked fish, or tinapa. Their plump bangus tinapa, flaky and savory, are my favorite things to stash in my freezer. Perfect for culinary emergencies.

food porn @ my kitchen by chef chris

Every wannabe food blogger and his cyberstalking fangirl has already said all there is to say, but I couldn't resist. That good.

The time: 1PM on 17 March 2013. The place: My Kitchen by Chef Chris at Oasis Park Hotel beside the Paco Cemetery, the original burial site of Dr. Jose Rizal. (Note to self: should visit the park one of these days.)

The bread and pesto dip were quite nice, but we were saving our carbs for the PANIZZA-- the stuff of my dreams since I first tasted it three long years ago.

With so many imitations out there, the genius who invented it, Chris Locher, doesn't even call it that anymore. On the menu, it is listed simply as "The Original".

django vs. lincoln

Same theme: Slavery. Different directors: Tarantino and Spielberg. Night and day.

Let's not beat around the bush. The star of the movie Lincoln was Steven Spielberg. The look, mood, the pace, the melodrama, the humor-- every little thing was stamped "Spielberg". Which was not a bad thing, don't get me wrong. Sometimes it's all very effective, like in E.T. But maybe, given the seriousness of the topic, I was expecting more gravity, like in Schindler's List or Amistad.

I enjoyed the movie, nevertheless. After all, it's got Daniel Day-Lewis.

It's always a pleasure to watch DDL immerse himself in his characters, although to be honest, he's done it so many times and won numerous awards each time, I feel that he's become sort of an acting automaton. (Good thing he did Nine: shows he is still human.)

art in the city

I had always wanted to go to the annual Art In The Park at Salcedo Park in Makati City, but last year my timing was off. So glad I got to experience it last Saturday, 16 March 2013, even though we cut it pretty close with only two hours to go before the event ended at midnight.

From the Museum Foundation of the Philippines website: Originally envisioned as a way to introduce wider audiences to Philippine contemporary art by providing them a wide range of affordable art in a relaxed setting, Art In The Park has become much more than that. It is a community-based activity that people come to enjoy, peruse the stalls, and hunt for bargains. They end up lingering because of the convivial atmosphere, the food, drinks, conversations, and the friends that gather. The main attraction of the fair remains the art. Where else can one see more than forty galleries offering art for no more than P30,000? There is something for everyone: illustrations, paintings, drawings, art for children, as well as collectible toys for the young at heart. There are wonderful still lifes and landscapes, sculpture and photography, and some of the most cutting-edge ventures into contemporary art. Artfully repurposed furniture, pottery and jewelry are available to those who like being surrounded by art. The galleries are there for those who wish to buy and browse and art installations in strategic locations for those who simply wish to spend a nice afternoon in a park.

Some of the sculptures and installations were quite arresting, such as the Icarus mobile. The giant masks were beautiful but somewhat disturbing, especially grouped together like that. However the skeletal Charon just lacked subtlety, I thought.

hungry for art

Before we visited Romeo Lee on 12 March 2013, first we had to fortify ourselves with burgers and fries at Charlie's Grind & Grill in Kapitolyo. Three of us ordered meat while Wikireena tried to make us feel guilty with her holier-than-thou veggie burger.

The Wagyu Burger and the Black Angus Burger were definitely worth the trip, but the rich Garlic & Parmesan Fries were a tad too garlicky and cheesy-- thank gad we were sharing. As for the Shrooms Vegetarian Burger, who cares, really? Seriously, a burger = beef.

Black Angus burger with cheddar cheese, butter leaf lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pickles, mustard & mayonnaise on a butter bun, PHP200.

Fresh Igorota Idaho potatoes with rock salt and ground black pepper, tossed in garlic mayonnaise & parmesan cheese, PHP125.

Portobello mushroom, butter leaf lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pickles,  Japanese mayonnaise & mustard on a butter bun, PHP340.

romeo un-void

I met a really interesting guy yesterday.

Wikireena, Mr. DJ, Bunny Rabbit and I visited his home in Cainta which was, uhm... astonishing, to say the least. If a void is defined as "a completely empty space", then Lee's house is surely the opposite of that.

new kid on the block

The newest addition to our family will be a month old in a couple of days. Although I'm not sure if technically, that's true. Since February had only 28 days.

The day I visited, 20 February 2013, she spent most of the time feeding and burping.

not silver linings playbook

I did not blog for the entire month of February. Actually, I could not. Starting the last week of January until just a few days ago, I was undergoing what can only be described as a "dental drama".

Tell me, how many people are already in their 40s and still growing new teeth?

For almost a month, the pain made me want to stab myself in the eyeball. But now I'm better. And the movie that I saw this afternoon totally deserves to be blogged about.