One year of mouthwatering cakes at Maridel's

It was almost a year ago when I had my first bite of what Maridel's has to offer. I remembered ordering not only one but two "sinful" desserts that I finished in no time while the two ladies a table from me had a hard time finishing theirs. I was in a dilemma of which to order - their best seller Snicker's Pie (above) or the one that first caught my attention - Frozen Lemon Meringue (below). To come out of it, i just ordered them both. And while the latter became one of favorite orders, the Snickers Pie made me appreciate the creation more than the chocolate bar.

Then I also discovered how delicious their Banoffee Pie was with chilled wholes bananas that gives an icy sensation in every bite.

The Vodka Bundt Cake also intrigued me because of the "vodka". It smelled and tasted good but I never had the chance to have been drunk with it as it is a fast selling item.

Now here's one of the most unique and most "bloggable" cakes at Mardiel's - Guava Cake. Its made from native guavas and it smells and tastes like one. Not to mention it's color motif is like the native fruit - green outside and pinkish inside.

The Cinnamon Rolls are one of my favorites - soft and fluffy then with a rich bite of cinnamon. Though I also had the chance of tasting the original recipe of Ms Maridel which are just squares.

Another eye catcher is this Crepe Cake made with alternating layers of crepes and lemon cream then smothered with blueberry sauce.

Their version of Napoleones is also good - crisp and flaky and the filling's just tamed not to overpower the tastebuds.

And there are many more like her signature Potato Praline Cake, the Ube Damier, Heaven and hell, Death by Chocolate, Choco Exquisite, Ice Cream Turtle Pie, Ice Cream Burger and a lot more. My most recent cake was this meringue based cake with kiwi-mango? combination and I forgot the name. Nonetheless, it was another discovery as every time I go to Maridel's there is always almost something new.

Indeed one year has gone by and I still haven't tried everything what Maridel's has to offer, oh well, there's always the next year and the other... Happy 1st year anniversary Maridel's and more cakes and pastries to come.

From Maridel's Facebook Page

MARIDEL'S IS TURNING 1 ON OCT.23, 2012! To celebrate our big day, we're doing an hourly raffle so you get a chance to take home free mini cakes! We're also giving away t-shirts for every whole cake purchase. Come celebrate with us! We hope to see you there! ;)

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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