April 24, 2011

orange cake

as bright as a warm sunny day ~ a perfect cake for spring

Farm stands are not a common sight where we are so I was happy to see one along the way. I knew I had to come back another day to see what they had to offer. Finally got the chance to check it out the other week and I was glad I did. Aside from some great looking citrus, they also sell cantaloupe, some small mango variety and a few vegetables. I decided to buy a bag of oranges and a cantaloupe. The oranges were extra sweet and juicy. The cantaloupe had very good texture and flavor too. After we ate a few of the oranges, I still had some left so when I saw a recipe for this orange cake, I thought it was a perfect idea to try.

orange slices and zest were as garnish on top of the cake
The recipe was from a Williams-Sonoma Savoring Desserts cookbook. Aside from the beautiful pictures of the desserts, it also featured the international locations where the desserts originated.


This orange cake was featured in the Spain and Portugal section of the cookbook. I decided to cut back on the butter replacing half of it with olive oil to make the cake lighter. Orange zest and freshly squeezed juice from the sweet oranges were added to the cake batter. For extra flavor, fresh orange juice and powdered sugar were mixed for the glaze and poured on the warm cake. For the recipe...

April 15, 2011

a relaxing fondue night at home

We don't get the opportunity too often so a visit from my mom-in-law deserves a special and fun treat. Fondue always evokes leisure and relaxation with good company sharing a special meal together. I will always think of it as something fun and enjoyable. We decided to get a fondue set not too long after our anniversary dinner at the Melting Pot, a restaurant specializing in fondue. It turned out to be such a memorable dinner that we thought about making it at home. It may have lost it's appeal through the years, after all, it was back in the 60's when it reached the peak of its popularity.  Fondue sets have long been pushed to the back of most kitchen cabinets or given away to thrift shops. It's good to know that the Melting Pot has been successful in bringing the experience back. We rarely bring our set out but once in awhile, the thought of that awesome melted stringy Swiss cheeses keeps coming back to haunt us :-) My mom-in-law's visit was a perfect time for us to have fondue at home once again. I think we have to make it a tradition now and bring out the fondue set everytime she's here. I don't think I will get any negative votes on that :-)


(1) the set-up for the first course or appetizer (2) vegetable and meat plates with bite-size chicken and beef pieces (3) cubes of whole wheat baguette and chewy artisan bread ready to be dipped in the melted cheese, a combination of two flavorful Swiss cheeses, emmental and gruyere ~ the cheese melted perfectly and we were happily dipping chunks of whole wheat baguette in the hot and stringy cheese (4) my plate with a baguette cube dipped in melted cheese.

April 14, 2011

bento eggs

I have always been curious and at the same time fascinated by the Japanese bento. It is no doubt an art. I found many interesting blogs that are dedicated to it showing creativity and patience in preparing a bento box. I'm a fan of cute bento accessories like these adorable egg molds. I tried to look for them in the popular Japanese store chains (Daiso and Japan Home Center)  in the Philippines while I was there but had no luck finding them. I have to thank my husband for ordering these gadgets for me. I call them my kitchen toys and they really work!

the bunny eggs will be cute to make for Easter
I was surprised by how well all the plastic egg molds work 
teddy bear, car, fish and bunny egg molds

April 13, 2011

springtime reunion

We were thrilled that my mother-in-law decided to come and visit us again this spring. The long cold winter is finally over and we're thankful for the warm, sunny days and fresh green colors of spring. As a welcome back treat for her after her tiring flight, I kept it light and served these simple snacks and appetizers to enjoy with some good sparkling wine. It turned out to be just right for our quiet and relaxing evening at home.

arranging the pan fried potatoes on top of the filling
the quiche with melted cheese topping
I will post more about these adorable bento eggs soon
2 kinds of cheese, olive mix, sliced baguette & fruits

April 11, 2011

pork with portabella mushrooms


I find it easier to marinate and roast whole pork tenderloin then slice it up at serving time but without our big oven, I had to think of another way to cook it. Sliced then sauteed in olive oil, they turned out quite moist and flavorful. I have to admit I did a shortcut with this. Feeling a little uninspired in the kitchen, I was glad to find this Hormel brand peppercorn flavor ready-to-cook pork tenderloin in the freezer. My husband bought it and kept it in the freezer while I was away. Nothing can beat the convenience of marinated pork tenderloin. I had some portabella mushrooms in the fridge that I needed to cook so I sliced & sauteed them in the same skillet I used for the pork. I also made a mushroom gravy to pour over the pork. I guess there's always room for some quick and easy comfort food on a mid-week dinner night :-)

April 4, 2011

apple snack cake


I still keep trying to buy them hoping to find good apples but unfortunately it has always been a hit or miss where we are. With half an apple sitting in the fridge and another one looking lonely in our fruit basket, I thought about making this apple cake the other day. Aside from muffins, snack cakes are one of the treats I like to bake when I'm craving something sweet to go with my laid back afternoon tea time on weekends. It made me feel better that I was able to use the tart apples in this cake for I absolutely dislike wasting food. The apples were peeled then thinly sliced and arranged on top of the cake batter. They were generously brushed with melted butter then sprinkled with more brown sugar and cinnamon before baking.