A very wonderful dinner at Steps of Rome at Plazuela de Iloilo

With no less than Chef Pauline Gorriceta-Banusing herself welcoming us, bloggers and Skyscrapercity "forumers" to Steps of Rome at Plazuela de Iloilo a few days ago, it was indeed a very wonderful dinner right from the start. "It's a long overdue treat" she says and it was indeed a treat ... make that TREAT!

And the appetizers started pouring as we all enjoyed the Mozarella Cheese Sticks, oozing with deletable creaminess. So good that we asked for a second order that eventually vanished right then and there as everybody loved it.

With a resounding crunch in every bite, I personally loved this Herbed Crusted Calamari. It really came in fresh from the frier and even after some period of clicks and flashes from us bloggers, it still remained deliciously hot - literally and figuratively.

As Steps of Rome is by Gruppo Al Dente, pasta and pizza are integral part of its extensive menu. First to come out the kitchen was Spaghetti Bolognese and even though my photo doesn't give justice to it, it appetizing and with its vibrant flavour we had to order another serving...

... aside from it was finished off in a flash, we didn't have any idea idea what Chef Pauline had in store for us. That's when a serving of Bacon Alfredo Pasta reached our table. And a minute after we had Pasta ala Puttanesca beside us. The contrast between the rich and creamy white pasta against the bold flavour of the "whore-style pasta" was just what our palates needed to fully appreciate this pasta line up we had then.

And when it's pizza from Gruppo Al Dente, my favorite is the Chicken Barbecue Pizza. With its signature thin crust that "breaks" in every bite - that's how crisp and crunchy it was! The topping had moz-cheese with chicken barbecue sauce and slices. Every bite burst with the goodness of both the delectable toppings and delightful crust.

I also loved the Chicken Taco Salad - a mix of things fresh and creamy in every bite that starts with a big crunch.

Mama's Kitchen and Sinamay House in Arevalo

A stones throw away from the plaza of La Villa de Arevalo is an ancestral house where one can find not only good pasalubong items but also a look into the past of the district. Known as the Sinamay House , this well preserved ancestral house is an attraction not only in the outside but also what it houses inside. A collection of what the past like is housed in the two storey edifice which also acts like a museum of sorts. Sinamay is simply known as abaca by most and, here, a variety of products made from this fiber can be found. I remember watching a feature on tv wherein the owner proudly showed a framed letter signed by the late Princess of Wales, Diana, showing her appreciation of the handkerchief she was given as a gift coming from this very shop. But the attraction I am most familiar with are the chewies and crunchies made by Mama's Kitchen. Attractively packed in boxes showing their current flavours and variety, this is among the better...

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

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...

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. ...

FLAVOURS OF ILOILO

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