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Mango Float Recipe

June 29, 2020 / FOOD STUFF / 0 comments

If you find yourself opening and reopening that refrigerator door constantly, well, you are not alone. This whole pandemic situation is making us crave for snacks and sweets. I, for one, is guilty of that. Lately, my local Costco has stocked up on some good fresh mango fruits, so, I’ve got a new mango recipe to share with you in this post.

As you all know, my favorite fruit is mango, and I’m obsessed about finding different ways of preparing and presenting this amazing and delicious fruit. You can even search this blog for more mango recipe ideas once you’re done trying this recipe that I’m about to show you.

This recipe is perfect for this warm weather and is also perfect for those who like fruity desserts. This will surely delight anyone with a sweet tooth, and even for those who don’t like their desserts to be very sweet. Also, this recipe is very quick and very easy to do and this doesn’t really require special preparation. All you need to do is to learn the art of layering. Excited to know how? Read below.

Preparation Time: 30 – 40 minutes

Ingredients:

1 box Graham crackers

Graham cracker crumbs

1/2 can condensed milk

1 box whipping cream

5-6 pcs thinly-sliced mangoes

Materials:

8×8 Baking Pan (glass/ceramic)

spatula/pie cutter

whisk/electric mixer

clear glass bowl

Procedure:

In a glass bowl, mix a whole box of whipping cream along with 1/2 can of condensed milk, then whisk several times. Ideally, you can and should use an electric mixer to make the mixture thicker. I already packed mine since I’m moving very soon, so, I only have the whisk available.

Arrange the Graham crackers as well as you can in an 8×8 baking pan. This is going to be a challenge because you may have to cut the Grahams carefully in order to fit it to the size of the baking pan.

Pour in the whipping cream and condensed milk mixture on top of the Graham crackers. Spread it using the spatula.

Slowly place each Mango slice on top of the mixture.

Repeat the process by putting in another layer of Graham crackers, whipping+condensed milk mixture, and slices of mangoes.

You can stop after the second layer which is what this recipe is meant for, or you can continue up to the third layer or more.

And you’re done. Cover the pan with a clear wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours or store it in the freezer.

You can sprinkle some Graham Cracker crumbs on top of the mangoes (optional).

This recipe is good for 5-9 people if served in small slices. If you’re feeling like not sharing, then it’s only good for one (lol), because this dessert is so good that it melts in your mouth and it’ll almost taste like a one of a kind ice cream. It’s something you don’t always get to taste often, and it’s unique and unforgettable in that sense. However, always remember what the Spice Girls said, “too much of something is bad enough” so, try to balance your sweet cravings with some brisk walks and some cardio. Alrighty?

Happy hot Summer!

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Simple Homemade Sushi Recipe (Pandemic Style)

April 5, 2020 / FOOD STUFF / 0 comments

As a sushi lover, I had been making my own homemade Sushi even before the lockdown, although that doesn’t mean I don’t miss my favorite Japanese restaurant nowadays. Speaking of things I miss, I certainly miss my life pre-quarantine. I feel like “those were the days”, back when life’s mundane activities involved having to go to the grocery store while lazily choosing for goods, but nowadays, going to the grocery feels like a matter of survival in different aspects. Anyway, I hope this will all end soon and that we will finally be able to pick up the activities and plans where we last left off. All is not lost and all is not broken. In the meantime, let me distract you again with my simple Sushi Recipe.

This Sushi recipe, by all means, and by its title (sorry about that), obviously is not perfect. This Sushi is made of brown rice instead of white rice or Sushi rice. It’s been pretty difficult for me to find some white rice lately, even more so the ideal Sushi rice. Last time I checked, my local grocery stores ran out of rice and Amazon didn’t have much affordable rice to sell as well. Yep, this is the kind of reality we’re in right now. So, I made use of the brown rice in my pantry. I promise you though that this recipe tastes very much like white rice Sushi and I will tell you how and why. Anyway, I’ve also read somewhere before that the early versions of Sushi were made with brown rice. If that’s the case, then my recipe can’t be that bad, right? lol.

Apart from using brown rice, my ingredients aren’t exactly the freshest. As you can see below, my cucumber doesn’t look like a cucumber anymore lol, and that’s because I froze it. Because of this Pandemic, I have been freezing most of my fruits and vegetables, as well as milk. Times are hard, so we have to resourceful and creative. Additionally, a couple of my ingredients here are on the verge of expiration, so I have to use them soon. I wish I could do this recipe with better, fresher, and varied ingredients, but rest assured that the concept of Sushi-making retains in this recipe, even though I’m not really a Sushi expert. Note: The measurements for this recipe are very flexible. You can adjust it however you like. Also, this Sushi recipe can serve 2-3 people.

Ingredients:

2-4 Sushi Nori sheets

1/2 to 1 cup rice wine or sweetened Sake

Ideally: 2-3 cups of steamed White Rice/Sushi Rice/Jasmine Rice, Pandemic: Brown Rice or any kind of rice will do

shrimp/raw fish/smoked salmon (in this recipe, I’m using steamed shrimp)

3 pcs small cucumber

Umami sauce

Unagi sauce

Soy sauce

Wasabi paste

Sesame seeds (for garnish)

Materials:

Sushi roller

sharp knife

cutting board

Instruction:

Cook brown rice using rice cooker or saucepan. Make sure to have enough water in it. Ideally, it should have more water than when you’re normally cooking white rice. The goal is to soften the brown rice.

Mix with your hands 2 cups of cooked brown rice with 1 cup rice wine or sweetened sake. You can also reduce the amount of rice wine if it’s too strong for you, although this type of wine is actually quite sweet and aromatic. Set aside.

Steam the Shrimp and slice it lengthwise.

Slice cucumber lengthwise.

Place one Sushi Nori sheet on top of the wooden Sushi roller.

Using a spoon, carefully pile some rice, a bit of cucumber and shrimp along one side of the Nori sheet (the one closest to you). See photo below.

With the Sushi roller as a guide, start rolling the Nori sheet slowly while running your fingers all over the roller to make sure that you stabilize the ingredients inside and that you create a firm roll.

With a sharp knife, cut the long roll to make sushi slices.

Arrange the sushi and garnish with sesame seeds, together with Umami sauce and Unagi sauce if you have these. If you don’t, it’s ok. The sushi will still taste great.

Serve with Wasabi paste and Soy sauce.

Enjoy!

*An alternative to this recipe would be to place the rice first before you place the Nori sheets. This way, the Sushi will look aesthetically pleasing.

Do you also love Sushi? What’s your favorite type?

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Palo Alto, California

February 18, 2020 / TRAVELS & PLACES / 0 comments

Every year or so, I get a chance to visit Palo Alto. It is absolutely one of the most exciting trips I look forward to out of all the trips I planned because it puts me in a California dreamin’ mood. It’s nice to see palms, pines, and lots of sun again.

On this trip, I stayed at the historic “The Cardinal Hotel”. It is probably the oldest if not one of the oldest hotels in Palo Alto, California. It has a charming old-world vibe with a quaint lobby and a vintage elevator. Entering this hotel will give you a glimpse of what it’s like during the old Palo Alto times. Just outside the hotel, there are lots of restaurants and shops to choose from. It’s what I really love about California, the varieties of things to see, the shops to explore, and the people from all walks of life, busy crossing the streets, just going about their daily lives, not to mention the fresh air in a very sunny yet slightly chilly early Fall. Yes, the Fall in California can still feel like Summer at most times.

Just around The Cardinal Hotel is Bistro Maxine where they have such delicious crepes and hot chocolates. I highly recommend that you try any of their breakfast specials because they’re all so good.

Whenever I’m in Palo Alto, I always make sure to visit the Stanford Shopping Center. This is one of my most favorite places to shop. I just love the whole laid-back vibe of this outdoor mall, and the decor is really beautiful. I could spend the whole day in this mall without getting bored just because some of my favorite shops are here. I love seeing Aesop’s unique store and Madewell has some really interesting styles that I could not find at my local Madewell store. The same is true for Sephora where here they have such a wonderful collection of Pat McGrath products. Also, the Anthropologie store in this mall is very fun to explore. If luxury is your thing, you will find several high-end brands here, and Neiman+Nordy are just around the corner.

A visit to Palo Alto is not complete without a visit to “The Farm” a.k.a Stanford University. As to why it’s called The Farm? just ask google, lol. I love the look of this school. It has a very relaxed unassuming architecture that gives you a sense of prestige nevertheless. Whenever I enter this campus, I think of the great minds that have been here, and also of the minds of the ones who are about to change the world.

Getting to Stanford University is a whole lotta walking especially if you came from shopping at the Stanford Shopping Center. However, the long walk is worth it because you get to stroll along and enjoy the view of the very scenic Palm Drive, which will remind you that life indeed, can be a peach. 🙂

Walking inside and around campus is like walking through a bunch of gardens, vintage corridors, and passing through bicycles after bicycles. Students bike a lot here because the campus is very vast. I would not have been able to survive walking around here if it wasn’t for my comfy APL sneakers that didn’t need breaking in and can withstand hours of walking in different terrains. The nice thing about this campus is that there are plenty of seats to relax upon and chill.

I concluded the end of my trip to Palo Alto with a nice dinner at my favorite spot along University Avenue which serves delicious Mediterranean/Middle Eastern Food. The restaurant is called Gyros Gyros and I highly recommend this place, but you have to come here with an empty stomach. 🙂

Have you been to Palo Alto before? What are the favorite spots you like to visit in California?

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