Rurok ng Ikapitong Gloria (tagalog for Orgasmic)

I just discovered something recently since I started doing this blog, It seems that most major events in my life have revolved around food. Not just your ordinary, run of the mill food, but sinfully decadent & utterly scandalous GOOD FOOD!!! We were 9 very blessed individuals who got to be invited to savor the cooking & enjoy the great company of Bonbon & Loy Jimenez at their home. A few days before, Loy emailed us & we were each assigned to bring something to the dinner party, vinaigrette from the Goldmans, bread from Jigs, dessert from Melanie, chocolates from Sockie and some bubbly from Jackie. I was really looking forward to Sunday all week long, I even skipped the Nights of Fine Wine & Dining at the Mandarin on Friday since I had a feeling I would be over indulging myself on Sunday. D-day finally arrives, I met up with Jackie at her place & we proceeded to Terry's in Makati where Jackie bought this huge bottle of champagne. We also got 2 kinds of pate (pork leg & foie gras) with crackers & some chocolates & this lovely garlic appetizer that was recommended by the manager. We got to the Jimenez home by 5:30pm (invites said sunset), and were the first to arrive, but that did not stop us from starting on the pate's and garlic which we devoured with gusto, Loy also prepared a yummy spread made with tinapa & cream cheese that was also very very good. I did not even notice what time it was before Jigs & the Goldmans arrived, meanwhile Loy & Bonbon were busy preparing the evenings main meal, the heavenly smell of foie gras was already penetrating our senses. So finally we eat. What can I say... the "Almost Millionaire's Salad" (salad greens, fresh pan fried scallops,lobster, grapes & foie gras) was truly fantastic as most of us thought, Bonbon's foie gras skills were truly world class, the best part was we could even have seconds! Next we had the Penne pasta which Loy had tossed with Truffle oil before adding the mushroom & blue cheese sauce- recipe courtesy of Melanie (I proudly admit that I was able to bring the leftovers home hahaha), then for someone who doesn't really like fish I really enjoyed the Baked Tilapia fillet with lemon, olive oil & capers - the fish was cooked perfectly! Loy also surprised us with this Caviar Pie which she had ordered from a lady in Forbes, it was so good!! I did not know how I was going to make room for dessert. Lemon Sponge Cake with Whipped Cream frosting and HOMEMADE Strawberry Ice Cream on the side courtesy of the Dessert Goddess Melanie was our special dessert for the evening! Everyone was in such high spirits especially with the lovely champagne that we had to go with the magnificent meal, it was orgasmic bliss from beginning till end! Click here for more pics!

Here's Judy savoring Caviar Pie, need I say more?!

Vanity Fair

I went out and did all these girlie things today. I was out of the house by 9:30 AM and headed to my dermatologist for "diamond peeling" (talk about vanity huh!)on my face. After that I had lunch with Levs & Mel and since I had time to kill before my 3PM appointment with Eric Pineda, I decided to go & have my hair cut at Piandre. I love going to the hair salon on a weekday, I was the only customer there so I enjoyed full service & attention plus the best thing is NO WAITING! It was truly a vainly productive day. I should do it more often.

Having my eyebrow waxed courtesy of Vina

Having my haircut by Ahbii of Piandre

Having my hair rinsed after the cut

Blow dry & styling by Jolina of Piandre

The New Greek Goddess!

I was finally in the mood to start tackling my bridesmaids dress for atsi's wedding. I took the day off from work & met up with Eric today at his house/shop in Quezon City. Eric was in his usual accomodating & welcoming self, I was actually 30 mins. early for our appointment, I kind of had the feeling that he would be there already, he is a true professional. We immediately tackled the most important issue of the dress, which would be the color. Since I was the one who would basically carry the color scheme of the wedding, I felt that it was important for me to really work just within that colors my sister had chosen. So I was so lucky when eric's assistant brought out swads of this silk chiffon that was exactly the color of atsi's wedding - burgundy & gold, with gold being the dominant color. The material was just perfect for a Hawaiian garden wedding. Next came the design, I don't know why the one shouldered gown kept sticking to my mind, I mentioned this to Eric & he readily agreed that it would suit my body type & would also work beautifully with the material, so on he went designing my gown. Any thoughts?

Famous designer Eric Pineda sketching my bridesmaid dress

Here is the preliminary sketch of my one-shoulder gown

Foie Gras Overload

When Jackie called me to say that Mandarin Oriental's Tivoli was having it's annual Foie Gras Festival, I'm pretty sure she knew I would immediately say yes to trying out this years offering, I really love this very sinful yet delicious delicacy. Bon Bon & Loy Jimenez, close friends of Jackie and fellow Foie Gras fans also joined us last Saturday night. This years event was also joined by the mushroom festival, which is also celebrated annually. For starters we all had Millionaire's salad, with a name like this you knew that you were in for something special, aside from lovely fresh greens, there was also lobster, scallops & a generous piece of pan fried goose liver all tossed in a light vinaigrette dressing (Really really good!). Since Jackie & I were sharing the salad, I opted to order the soup, capuccino of morels with sesame encrusted foie gras, this was the first time I had ever tried morels which are considered to be among the most prized of the wild mushrooms and frankly speaking it tasted just like ordinary button mushrooms to me (hahaha), the soup was very flavorful but I was disappointed with the sesame/foie gras combination that was served on the side, It just did not work for me at all, the sesame was too overpowering for the delicate taste of the liver, you couldn't even tell what you were eating anymore. For our main course, Jackie ordered the Rabbit stuffed with Polenta & Mushrooms (also my first time to have rabbit - tasted like chicken),Loy & Bon Bon both had steak, while I the fanatic opted for the Pan fried Duck Liver. I wanted to see the difference in taste between the goose & duck liver. I am no food expert but after my first taste I found that duck liver isn't as rich & intense & has a milder flavor compared to that of goose liver. People who aren't accustomed to the taste of foie gras will probably like duck liver more. We ended our meal with complimentary chocolate truffles from the super nice & friendly Tivoli staff. The shock of the night though was when the bill came & we saw that they charged us Php 260.00 for my glass of hot calamansi juice. At todays market price of 20 pesos per kilo, I could buy 13 kilos wortrh of calamansi with what we were charged with. I could have supplied a whole battalion with calamansi juice at that rate!!!

The Millionaire's Salad

Close up of my pan fried duck liver

Rabbit stuffed with polenta and mushrooms

Cappuccino of morels with sesame encrusted foie gras

LUSHious soap

I ran out of my favorite soap a few weeks back & for some reason couldn't seem to make it to the mall. So when Jackie said she had to pick up some requests for her niece Tintin (who lives in Cag de Oro) at LUSH before we could head off to our dinner at Mandarin, it was like music to my ears. I generally buy only 2 products at LUSH, the Demon in the Dark soap - it's sharp peppermint scent gives me that boost I need to wake me up during my morning shower & the Trachomania shampoo (comes in bar form & is great for travelling) which is actually meant for people with dry hair but it smells so much like hawaiian tropic suntan lotion that I couldn't resist using it, it's a scent that instantly transforms me to the beach.

Bridget Jones 2 "Edge of Reason"

Finally! The release date of the new Bridget Jones movie "Edge of Reason" has been announced - November 19 (at least for North America). I'm so excited. Although I don't know if the movie will have a world premiere, if not then I may have to wait a little bit longer before it gets here. I just saw the trailer at Yahoo Movies and it's hilarious. Renee actually looked like she gained more weight for this sequel. Yehey! There was even a scene in the movie wherein she talks about not eating carbs! Sounds so familiar! Colin Firth (my favorite Mr. Darcy) still looks as yummy as ever! Hahaha!

Hi I'm Janice and I'm a Chocaholic!

It seems that the older I get the more obsessed I am about chocolate. Just recently my dear friend Elena who now lives Down Under sent me a can of these lovely chocolates from Ballantynes. I have been digging into it almost everyday as soon as I come home from work, and I'm about halfway done (Yes, I'm a PIG!). The chocolates come in different flavors, theres dark, milk & white (which I have been setting aside for Christiane)and they all have nuts in them. I never used to like nuts in my chocolate but it seems that I have been learning to like them more and more, although nothing beats just plain dark chocolate. I have this one super favorite chocolate that I can only seem to buy at Singapore's Changi Airport, it's a Nestle Finest Swiss Chocolate - Dark Chocolate Bar. It comes in only one size 400 grams (that's almost half a kilo or a pound of chocolate) and I'm not complaining, the bigger the better. Anyone planning to go to Singapore?

The pen gives you an idea on how huge that bar of chocolate is.

10 peso performance

I finally couldn't stand it anymore, I went out and bought a new phone for my computer table. What really annoys me is that I had just replaced the cordless unit we were using with new batteries assuming that it would solve my problems, but apparently this was not the case. To think that I spent 300 bucks on those new batteries and it was all for nothing. The phone that I bought was made in China and although it's not the cordless kind, I think it was quite a bargain. the mainlander dude at the store was selling it to me for 250 and I was like "don't I get a discount?" and he was like "how many are you buying?" and i said "just 1!" and he was giving me his sales pitch that business was so bad, that he was already selling it really cheap etc. etc. So finally he says "okay I'll give it to you for a special price..." and I was like "yes, finally he caves in to my whining!" then the dude blurts out "I'll give it to you for 240!" AAARRRGGGHHHH!

Ming plus Oprah equals ME?!?!

I couldn't believe the text I recieved from my friend Lesley. She actually said that certain angles of Ming Tsai reminded her of me. Now if I were a guy I would probably be flattered, but unfortunately I'm not a guy. So should I be offended or not? Actually another one of my close friends Levina said that some of my actions remind her of Oprah Winfrey. Why do I keep reminding people of celebrities? Could it be my destiny to be a celebrity? And why do both my accusers have names that start with the letter L? Hmmmmmm . . . I feel a conspiracy in the works . . .

The EVIDENCE!!!

Bon Voyage Devin!!!

Our unofficial "despedida" (send off) for Devin aka Dayvid at "Something Fishy" restaurant located at Eastwood City. This was the 2nd of 3 despedidas which Devin will be attending before we send him back to California on Sept. 11 (of all the days to fly right!). This was the 2nd time I had eaten at this place and I was again impressed. Practically everything we ordered was good, we had palabok, sisig, bulalo steak, sinigang na ulo ng salmon sa miso, country fried chicken, garlic kangkong, bouillabaise soup & beef kare kare (which was the best I've had in a long time). The prices here were really reasonable, I can't believe we spent 1,800 for 7 people and that included our drinks too. Click for more pics...

Total Bullshit!

Here's Dev attacking his drink called "Total Bullshit" aka "Furo Loco", this wild concoction is pretty nasty, it has practically everything you could possibly want in a drink. I think there were more than 10 ingredients in it like rum, gin, vodka etc. It's like a 2 for 1 drink, there's a shot glass inside a martini glass, where you sip the stuff in the shot first then immediately sip the outer drink which is the chaser (according to Dev it was just as strong). Plus they flame up the drink before they serve it to you. To get its full effect you should sip it really really fast!!! I'm pretty sure I would experience BRAIN FREEZE!

The Cherry Bomb. . . not for the faint of heart!

This drink is the bomb! When I saw this on the drinks menu at Cable Car Restaurant in Eastwood City I just knew I had to try it. Maraschino cherries soaked in Bacardi 151 (yes you read it, it's rum thats 151 proof) on a bed of crushed ice. But let me rephrase that, the cherries were not just soaked in rum, they were literally injected with the stuff. One bite of the cherry hits you like POW! To smoothen the effect you take a nice sip of the melted ice/water which by then had already absorbed some of that nice rum and some of the syrup from the cherries and before you know it, it's all gone. Then you order another one....SWEET!

Lumpia Assembly 101

The table is all set with all the components to assemble the perfect Amoy style lumpia. You have the lumpia filling, the ground peanuts with sugar, lettuce, coriander, minced garlic, panocha, ho-tee (dried sea grass) & the wrapper.


Place 1 sheet (or 2) of the lumpia wrapper on a large plate, start at one corner of the wrapper and place a large piece of lettuce (romaine variety works best), and if you have a sweet tooth like me, I place the first of many layers of the ground peanut/sugar mixture onto my lettuce.


Next, take a generous amount of the lumpia filling and place it on your lettuce layer, you can continue to add as much of the filling as you would like. Just remember not to fill it pass a third of the way on your wrapper. It might be difficult to roll up if that happens.


Add a few sprigs of coriander (optional) on top of the filling. In my case I place a lot of it on. I really love the taste of it on my lumpia, it gives it that added kick.


I also added some fresh minced garlic (optional) before adding a drizzle of the melted "panocha" (raw sugar) as shown in my picture.


Then I top it off with a a generous amount of the ground peanut/sugar mixture.


This is how beautiful your lumpia layers should look before you proceed to the final stage of rolling it up. It would be a crime to just glop the stuff all together with out placing any aesthetic value to your creation. The Amoy style lumpia is to be treated with the utmost respect.


Start rolling the lumpia away from you. About midway thru your roll, fold in one end of the wrapper to seal it off, then continue to roll till you reach the other end. You can spread some of the panocha on to the ends to act as a sealant.



Voila a perfect lumpia by yours truly!

Mrs. Fields Chocolate Chip Cookie with Pecans

My super favorite cookie, a Mrs. Fields Chocolate Chip Cookie with Pecans. Business has probably been slow which was why they had a promotion, buy 5 cookies & get 1 free. Yummmm!

Masked Ladies

Couldn't resist taking this shot of Vil & Joy. The bank has been undergoing major renovation which is the reason for their being in masks. I for one love the smell of all that paint. I wonder why??

Movie of the Week

Went to watch the movie Anacondas "The Hunt for the Blood Orchid" yesterday with cousin Devin, and we both actually liked it. With no big name stars to it's credit, this just goes to show that a movie can actually be a hit with all the right elements. Suspense, action, & a little comedy. There were no dull moments all through out.

Aristocrat BBQ

Yummy "Boneless Chicken BBQ" from Aristocrat Shoppesville, I always get the Combo B meal which includes 1 stick Pork BBQ and 1 stick Chicken BBQ with of course Java Rice which I then glop with lots & lots of their special BBQ sauce. Definitely a little taste of heaven!

Belly Dancing at ABS-CBN

Belly Dancer doing her thing!ABS-CBN party-PICC-Aug. 31,2004  

Visiting Mary Ann

Taken when I Visited Mary Ann & family at home after she gave birth to baby Alexis Kate on August 25. The one thing that frustrates me the most is that Meng didn't look as if she even gave birth at all


Alexis Kate Wong Chua born to Jameson & Mary Ann Chua on August 25, 2004 10:12 AM at St. Lukes Medical Center, weighing 8.1 lbs. Congratulations Pare & Mare! 

Finding Nemo Watch!!!

My new find yesterday at the "tiangge" in Greenhills, just couldn't resist buying this "Finding Nemo" watch when I saw it, got it at a bargain for 100 pesos! 

Worst flood ever! - Aug. 25, 2004

It was as if all the faucets in heaven were turned on and someone forgot to shut them off. It just kept raining and raining the entire night. We woke up to Kaingin river in our front yard. Click here for more pics

New Blog

I was kind of tired with the format of my old blog site "ode to joy", and decided on something different for this new blog that I'm doing. It's gonna have lots of pics of things I see or do, or of people that I meet. Basically things that I think are worth talking about. It's gonna be fun!!!