Ramadan Food Treats

Ramadan does not only bring good conduct among (Muslim) people but it is also the season of sharing and giving (just like Christmas for Christians).

Here in Abu Dhabi, malls, supermarkets, coffee shops and restaurants have been offering sales, discounts and promotions on food and non-food items alike. Of course, the food treats can only be enjoyed during Iftar or when our Muslims brothers are already allowed to eat.

Here are a few that I encountered.

Ramadan Sweets



Ramadan Dates Festival (with free tasting)







Second Cup’s Ramadan Special Blend (the coffee and cake are made of dates)



Pizza Hut’s Ramadan Value Meal (with cash back coupons!)





Krispy Kreme Morning Special

Pork Sinigang Recipe

As much as I’d like to limit our pork intake not only due to swine flu scare but more so because of the amount of calories and fats we would be stuffing ourselves with, I just couldn’t resist the temptation especially when I know that there’s a half kilo of pork sitting in the fridge.

It’s been a while since we had sinigang and since I still have plenty of sinigang mix brought from the Philippines, I decided to make pork sinigang.

Sinigang, or sour soup in English, is another famous Filipino dish and seems to be everyone’s favorite. It is always present on the menu in any carinderia or Pinoy restaurant.

Sinigang is typically cooked in a lot of water, meat, a selection of vegetables, and should be very sour in taste (although some people would prefer to reduce the sourness).

There’s a variety of option for sinigang's main ingredient. One can choose from pork, beef, chicken, shrimp or fish. The sourness of the soup can also come from a range of sour fruits, such as tamarind, kalamansi (citrus), kamias (bilimbi) or santol. I also know some people who use green mango but using it may seem difficult to achieve the exact sourness compared to using other sour fruits.

For my sinigang, I used the ready mix sampaloc sinigang with gabi (taro). It’s convenient for pinoy travelers and OFWs who aren’t able to find the fresh ingredient in their country of work. The sour taste is nearly authentic. The original ready mix sampaloc sinigang was without bits of taro, the mixture with taro was just introduced later on. I like the taro version more than the original sampaloc mix because it tends to slightly thicken the soup.

Here’s my pork sinigang recipe.

Ingredients:
1/2 kilo pork, sliced into 1 inch cubes (use parts with fat layers or boney parts, whichever of these two is just as great)
4 pieces tomatoes, cut each into 4 parts
1 large onion, cut into 4 parts
1 bundle okra
2 pieces radish, sliced thinly
1 bundle Pechay (buk choy) or kangkong
3-4 pieces green chili (long)
3-4 pieces small taro (optional)
1 liter water
Sinigang mix (tamarind with gabi)

Cooking Instructions:
1. Put pork in a pot and cover with water. Bring to boil.
2. Add sliced tomatoes, taro and onion. Let it simmer.
3. When pork is tender, add sinigang mix and season with salt. Then add radish and cook until half done.
4. Add okra and long beans. When half done add pechay and cook until wilted.
5. Serve with steamed rice.

Preparation and cooking time: 60 minutes
Serving: 2-3

Dinner Indulgence at The Noodle House

Today is my special day and I wanted a simple dinner of my favorite cuisine, i.e. Asian.

After hearing mass, Boq and I proceeded to The Noodle House in Al Wahda Mall, as it is the nearest and most convenient place to go from the church. Besides, our initial try of the resto was pleasant so it will be nice to pay them a visit again.

The Restaurant


I like the restaurant’s atmosphere and interior. It is informal and spacious yet stylish. They designed the restaurant into two levels. The area at the entrance is on the same level with the ground level and the other is on a raised floor where the kitchen is also located. Majority of the table and seat arrangement are wooden and upholstered benches but there is a portion in the raised floor level where they arranged square tables for four with two chairs at one side and a long continuous couch at the other side set against the wall.


Prawn Wanton Noodles
I cannot tell if the Al Wahda Mall branch is a typical design for The Noodle House because I’ve never been to any other Noodle House branch. What I can tell is that I’ve seen a couple of branches that doesn’t look as stylish as the Al Wahda Mall branch from the outside. Of course, I may be wrong as I’m only judging them based on their outside appearance.


Stir Fry Vegetables
The Food

I’d be honest, I did not enjoy the food compared to our first visit there. We ordered prawn wanton noodle soup with roasted duck, stir-fried mixed vegetables, spicy lemongrass crab cakes and egg fried rice. The only dish that gave me the satisfaction was the noodle soup. The crab cake was not at all spicy as the menu suggested. It was crunchy outside and soft in the inside, just the perfect texture, but I was not really drawn to it. I’ve tasted better. The fried rice was bland for my taste. And I found the stir-fry veggies with an off-smelling ingredient. I don’t know exactly what contributed the smell but Boq said it was the mushroom, which was sad if it really was because mushroom is my favorite. I just remember now, I encountered the same smell in a stir-fry vegetable dish we ordered in one of our dinners in another Asian restaurant. I’m guessing that it’s a normal thing for authentic Asian cuisine, unfortunately, I couldn’t get used to it. Don’t get me wrong though. If I did not enjoy the food, Boq did have a good time. He is not as picky as I am. Yes that’s maybe it, I’m just too picky and I have a very high standard when it comes to Asian food. I lived in Thailand and Taiwan before where I tasted the most authentic Chinese and Thai dishes.


Spicy Lemongrass Crab Cakes
One thing though that I can recommend in The Noodle House menu, is their pad thai (or stir-fried noodles). We tried it during our first visit and made a couple of take-out orders on separate occasions. It’s not in my number one list but it’s one of the best.


Egg Fried Rice
On the whole, it was fun to dine in at The Noodle House because the service was good and the atmosphere was pleasant. They even have a different style of taking orders. Guests are given individually an order sheet (they call it order pad) where you will tick or check your orders using a pen with a nice curly detail at its end. It was even more fun if we just ordered the right food that’s pleasing for my taste. But I have no regrets. I may have not enjoyed most of what we ordered but I did enjoy the noodles and using the chopsticks. Moreover, Boq enjoyed his food and I had fun taking photos. The whole experience was all that matters to me.


Order Pad
Disclaimer: I am not endorsing The Noodle House. I am simply blogging my eating out experience.

Cheers!

The Mayonnaise Jar and 2 Cups of Coffee

I Just want to share another good story that’s been circulating the internet for a while now.

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls.

He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls.

He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous "yes."

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand.

The students laughed.

"Now," said the professor as the laughter subsided, “I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things--your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions---and if everything else was lost and only they remained; your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter; like your job, your house and your car.
The sand is everything else---the small stuff.

"If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls.

The same goes for life.

If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you.

"Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.
Play with your children.
Take time to get medical checkups.
Take your spouse out to dinner.
Play another 18.

There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal.
Take care of the golf balls first --the things that really matter--

Set your priorities.
"The rest is just sand."

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented.

The professor smiled.
"I'm glad you asked."
"It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.

Yummy Treats: Krispy Kreme Original Glazed Donuts

I still remember how I enjoyed my first taste of Krispy Kreme donut courtesy of an old friend (Rowena) back in the Philippines. The donuts were brought fresh from the US by her elder sis who just came from her business trip. All twelve (if I’m not mistaken) of the original glazed donuts were arranged neatly in what seemed to me then was a flat oversized box (because I’d never seen similar packaging before, and, I did wonder how my friend’s sister managed to carry that box). There was no Krispy Kreme outlet yet in the Philippines at that time, so, everything was really new to me, from the packaging to the heating instruction and the taste of the famous donut. Nowadays, (if their website is updated) there are already 10 Krispy Kreme outlets in the Philippines.

In the UAE, upon also checking the Krispy Kreme store locator, there are 20 outlets that opened across four emirates (13 in Dubai, 5 in Sharjah, 1 in Ajman and 1 in Abu Dhabi). I feel lucky that we are so near the Abu Dhabi outlet. Our flat is just walking distance to Khalidiya Mall where the lone Krispy Kreme outlet in Abu Dhabi is located.

I was really intrigued about Krispy kreme donuts before because I just used to hear how delicious it is more than a couple instances during our post meeting conversations with our bosses. When I had the chance to taste it, I finally understood why they are crazy about it. It’s nothing similar to any donuts I’ve tasted. It’s simply delicious. It was like eating M&M’s that melts in the mouth.

So, today, I’m having another bite of this delicious donut product (I’m a loyalist of original glazed!) that carries the slogan: Loved by the world. This is simply true.


Disclaimer: I am not endorsing Krispy Kreme. I am simply blogging my eating out experience.