Something new and delicious at Bluejay Coffee and Deli

Yesterday, I dropped by Bluejay Coffee and Deli and came at the right time when they were debuting something new in their dessert line up. And in time for Valentine’s too as their Red Velvet cake caught my eye first. It was more of the name actually that got my attention for their Red Velvet mini cake was covered in white icing that turned out to be cream cheese and topped with mini white chocolate kisses.

I am more familiar with Red Velvet cakes and cupcakes with their reddish hue screaming for attention but this one, you won’t know it unless you give it a close look or it is offered to you. Googling, I found out red velvet cakes are smothered with Buttercream icing but it’s the cream cheese that is most popular. The red hue of cakes now is mostly food coloring but it before it was the addition of red beets that made the color more pronounced.

Bluejay’s Red Velvet mini cake is made with a dense red cake layered with cream cheese. It’s not fluffy or airy like those in cakes or cupcakes for bordering almost in the soft and fudge brownie consistency. The cream cheese, which is the more authentic partner, gave it a flavourful complement; with each bite lingering in with it’s delicious after taste. A perfect choice based on curiosity that was made even better with a cup of Bluejay’s cappuccino.

And there was another one in their line up as an order of Lemon Meringue Pie made its way on my table. It’s not the same as the Frozen Lemon Meringue Pie I usually crave and rave from Maridel’s. This one is basically a lemon “custard” pie in a pie shell and topped with meringue.

The lemon filling really stands out, of course, with it sweet and tangy flavour fighting o n your taste buds. Then the meringue offers a different flavour and texture that perfectly complements the filling. Even the crust has its own flavour too that go in harmony with the filling and topping. It’s a tame dessert as a whole and stands out among Bluejay’s line up because it veers away from the mostly chocolatey and rich genre, not to mention on the lighter side of it all.

I hope these items will become regular on the dessert menu and not only for the Valentine; for if not, I’ll have to go back to Bluejay again and again for my fill of these new discoveries to satisfy my craving and raving as well.

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 pork broth cube (

An Ilonggo favorite - Valenciana

Found in almost all occasions like fiesta, birthdays, reunions and others, Ilonggos really love valenciana because most if not all have grown accustomed of having it in special gatherings at home. A complete " go, grow and glow " dish because it has the carbohydrates, protein and vitamins and minerals in just one spoonful, Valenciana is really an " occasional dish ". Here's the recipe for Valenciana

Takway

The gabi (taro) is just one of those plants which is edible from "roots to tops". The most popular of which is the tuber part which is used in a variety of dishes and mostly in combination with coconut milk. Its leaves, of course, is the main ingredient of a Bicol specialty, laing . It is dried then chopped and sauteed with other ingredients including, again, coconut milk. Then there is takway . The local term for its tendrils/runner, that part which is torn between being a stem or a root for it neither grows upwards nor downwards - it grows sideways . Scraped off of its outer skin, takway is often a key ingredient in vegetable dishes like laswa and the gabi tuber with coconut milk and local snails know as bago-ngon . It is also popular when cooked adobo style with guinamos , the local bago-ong . It is very popular in the region that even big supermarkets sell takway in style - cleaned and plastic wrapped in styro with some additions to make it easier to prepare.

Batwan

Ilonggos know batwan or batuan by heart as the fruit is almost endemic to the Western Visayas. Its scientific name is Garcinia binucao, derived from the Tagalog name for the fruit, binukaw. It is a large green fruit with large seeds and its a favorite souring ingredient in most Ilonggo dishes especially KBL or kadyos, baboy, langka and the Ilonggo-style paksiw known as "pinamalhan". It is characterized by a tamed sourness compared to tamarind and kamias . The fruit is sold by pieces or kilo in wet markets and even big grocery stores. Batwan is the preferred souring ingredients for the Ilonggo favorite- KBL. The photo shows boiled batwan with skin and without skin (right) A favorite riddle when we were young - "Among the many fruits in the forest, but one (batuan) is the best. What is it?"

A native (foods) welcome in Guimaras

Even after having breakfast less than an hour that time, we couldn't say no to this lot of native delciacies that welcomed us in Guimaras. First and foremost, Guimaras best known produce is their sweet mango famous almost worldwide. And it comes with it's best partner, ibos. This brown baye-baye variety is made from toasted rice thus giving it a more disctinct flavour compared to it's more "caucasian" cousin. I like the one wrapped in banana leaves compared with the one in plastic for it gives it a more native feel. So when you're in Guimaras, be sure to check out the markets for these native delicacies that can make your trip more gastronomically satisfying.

FLAVOURS OF ILOILO

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