New cakes from Nothing But Desserts

Another invite made me and Marc (of ExploreIloilo) proceed to Smallville from our lunch in Jaro. This time it’s dessert from an aptly named restaurant Nothing But Desserts. They had some new cakes and sweets offering and we were given the chance to taste test them.

Straciatella

The most visually appealing cake we had that time. With a moist brownie base then layers of mocha cream diligently shaped and chocolate squares stacked and created – it was almost a dismay that we actually had to “destroy” this piece of art. Yes getting a slice starts the destruction since the chocolate sinks into the cream. But it’s for a worthy gastronomic cause especially for mocha and chocolate lovers. It’s also available in a much visually appealing bigger size enough for 4-5 persons.

Pistachio

The most challenging cake to capture visually. But it’s simple and not too overpowering taste made this my favorite among the four. With a brownie base then a layer with pistachio essence and a light cream top half with pistachio on top, this subtle flavoured cake was a welcome change to the sweetness galore of the three.

French meringue

It’s just the usual meringue but mixed with desiccated coconut which gives it a texture that without noticing it, you’ve finished it all. Perfectly baked inside out, it was really a treat to have tasted this dessert that was one of the first that caught my attention when we viewed their dessert line. The name played a part in this interest plus the size unusual for the meringue we see around the city.

Chocolate medley

As the name suggests, it is a play of chocolate, cream and mocha? cake layers topped with the cherries and chocolate creations in time with the season. So it’s a Christmas tree this time. I was told that Halloween before prompted some pumpkins, bats and ghostly creations as toppings. So expect a different topping in tune with the season.

All in all, these four desserts were much better than the ones I had in my previous visits. Now with more new desserts to come – I heard of a sugar free line in the making, surely Nothing but Desserts can fulfill the sugar rush Ilonggos are willing to take from time to time.

Ultimate Ilonggo Favorite: KBL Kadyos, Baboy, Langka

K.B.L. or Kadyos, Baboy, Langka is the ultimate favorite dish of most Ilonggos. It is also one of the most missed native dishes as kadyos and the souring ingredient, batwan , are hard to find when outside of the Ilonggo region. Basically, it is boiled/stewed pork dish owing its "deliciousness" to the combination of the soft and tender pork, the tamed sourness of batwan and the malinamnam na sabaw . One of the "secrets" of the malinamnamn na sabaw , is the fact that the pork, whether just the plain meat or pata (hocks) are first grilled or broiled. This gives the broth a rather smoky taste that makes it more appetizing.. Learn how to make the Ilonggo dish KBL (Kadyos, Baboy, at Langka) with the recipe below. Ingredients 1 kilo Pata (pork hocks) or pork cubes, GRILLED and sliced into bite size pieces 1 unripe Jack fruit, cubed 2 cups pigeon pea (kadyos) 6-8 pieces batwan fruit (or tamarind powder) 1 piece por...

Easy Century Tuna Recipes

If you're looking for simple, easy and delicious Century Tuna recipes online, congratulations, you've found it right here! How about spicy tuna sisig or tuna sinigang ? Maybe stir fried tuna with pickles or just yang chow fried rice . I love Century Tuna from its flakes in oil variety, the spicier the better, but when I discovered the versatility of its solid variant, it became an obsession. At first I was just into the usual tested recipes; pasta and sandwich filling, but then it got simpler – I just eat it straight from the can! Usually with a piece of bread or an apple. I just add a few drops of vinegar to spice it up a bit. Then came the experiments. Yup I got tired of that habit that one day, I decided to test my skills in the kitchen. Serendipity, you might call it yet most of them turned into good recipes that I have shared now and then. Satisfying my Palabok cravings had me experiment on this recipe on the spot. With Century Tuna in lieu of the us...

Lauya nga Pata sang Baboy

It was a typical fiesta scene in a barrio that I got to taste this cholesteroliffic and delicious pork dish. I can still vividly remember that decades old gastronomic memory - very tender and almost fall of the bone pata, vivid orange sour and sticky broth, large chunks of unripe langka; all in one big large kaldero ! And it's been really a while since I've tried to recreate that taste memory and a few days ago, it was worth another try. Here's my simple recipe for Pata Lauya

Kusay

Often mistaken to be, sounding-alike, as kinchay , kusay has a very distinct aroma and flavour. A rather unfamiliar herb mostly anywhere, my Tagalog officemate call this as sibuyas na mura and in Manila groceries labeled as kutchay . It do looks like onion chives but kusay is flat unlike the hollow chives. We have kusay planted in our backyard for occasional uses like soup garnishing. However, it often takes a trip to the Central Market to buy them in large quantities if ever we make Pancit Molo since it is an important ingredient in the filling mixture and as garnishing.

Budyawi

Bujawi (budjawi, budyawi) is what Ilonggos refer to the fruit of the buri or century palm tree . Abundant in many parts of the province of Iloilo, the buri has many many uses from the leaves to its trunk. It produces a fermented drink (tuba), alcohol, vinegar, syrup, and sugar. The trunk yields large quantities of starch. The bud (ubod) is used for salad or as a vegetable. The kernels of the young fruits are edible and are made into a sweetmeats. The mature seeds are used for beads? (rosaries) and buttons. The petiole yields so-called buntal fiber of which, the famous Baliuag and Lucban hats are made, or which, when crudely extracted, is sometimes twisted into rope. Mature leaf is used for covering tobacco bales, rarely as a thatch for houses, while the ribs are used for making brooms. From the unopened leaf is obtained a very fine fiber, corresponding to raffia fiber, which is utilized in making cloth, fancy articles, and as string. Fibers ...

FLAVOURS OF ILOILO

Search This Blog