The "Artista" Treatment

I had been wondering how all those celebrities can have slimmer faces together with their already slim figures, when all the ordinary folk, try as they might and diet to death na talaga, still have chubby chin chins, sagging jowls, etc. It had only been recently that I found out about their "dirty little secret", which is not so secret anymore for the limited moneyed populace.

It's called face contouring. Yes, Tinseltown's gorgeous faces have been washed, scrubbed, treated, sometimes added (in case of nose jobs), poked, lifted and now, contoured. Generwlly speaking, in order to have a nice thinner/ well-defined face even before slabs of make-up, one has to have it "contoured". We have heard it on TV occasionally, but what is face contouring?

Gone are the days of liposuction, where one has to go under the knife in order to have a slimmer figure and sometimes a slimmer face to go with that said figure. The new trend is all about scalpel-free treatments called lipocavitation.

Lipocavitation is a procedure wherein the blobs of fat underneath our skin are blasted and melted by sonic waves (that's also why we hear a high-pitched but tolerable sound during the treatment). It can also be done with the rest of the body like the abdominal area for the love handles, the inner thighs and other problem areas. The advantage of the scalpel-free lipocavitation is that there is no recovery time. So there is no need to hide from the general public before emerging into a slimmer you. The skin underneath the treated area is also tighter and firmer.

I was lucky enough to have been invited by Dra. Arlene O'Santos of Beauty Runway to do a face contouring session. I was amazed at the instant results. She also mentioned that some of the celebs and models do this every week to achieve maximum results. Well of course, they have to look good on TV and print. If you're one of those people like me who are irritated because they couldn't get a good angle on pictures because of their slightly chubby faces (I'm guilty as charged, haha), then I suggest you go Beauty Runway to avail their promo of Face Contouring, Rejuvenation and Diamond Peel Package for only P1,000. I felt like I hit a jackpot with the promo because of the instant results that I got. The clinic of Beauty Runway is located in Casa Pura, behind St. Paul's Church in Timog Avenue, Quezon City. Here's the link to their Facebook page. www.facebook.com/flauntyourfabfigure

Roast Chicken with Caramelized Shallots

 

I pledged roast chicken in the Christmas party at Ate Lala’s house. I have been trying to find the perfect roast chicken recipe. I think this is one of the easiest recipes so far.

Serves 4 to 6

Adapted from French Farmhouse Cookbook (Workman) by Susan Herrmann Loomis

I use a whole chicken cut into eight pieces; two legs, two thighs, and I cut each breast piece in half, crosswise, keeping the wings attached. You could also just use eight of your favorite chicken pieces.

3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
4 large shallots, peeled and minced
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
One whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces
one generous handful of coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley

1. Preheat the oven to 425ºF (220ºC).

2. In a large baking dish, one which will hold all the chicken pieces in a single layer, mix the olive oil, vinegar, soy sauce, shallots, and some salt and pepper.

3. Toss the chicken in the mixture, so they’re completely coated with the shallots. Turn the chicken pieces so they are all skin side up.

4. Roast the chicken for about twenty minutes, until it starts to brown on top. Turn the pieces of chicken over. Scrape any juices and shallots over the chicken that may be clinging to the pan, and bake for another twenty minutes, or until the pieces of chicken are cooked through and the shallots are well-caramelized.

5. Remove from oven and toss in the chopped parsley, then serve.

Ramen Nights part 2

This is the second installment of Ramen Nights.

We found ourselves shuddering on Tuesday night when it was cold and rainy. So, we searched for a restaurant in Eastwoodthat served soup. That’s why we ended up in Ramen Bar. It’s newly-opened and it’s beside O’sonho (the Portuguese resto).

Enjoy.

 

 

Korea chow

The first time I tasted kimchi, it was in a Korean spa in Sariaya, Quezon. Back then, they still offered Korean dishes there. After that first bite, I knew I was in for it.

Korean food is the embodiment of balance. Every dish has its own purpose. One can notice that Korean food is very colorful --- it is believed (in Oriental medicine) that colorful food is beneficial to the health.

I used to hate spicy food, but kimchi taught me to open my boundaries. From that day on, I became a huge fan of Korean dishes. I even make improvise them at home.

There are some ingredients essential to Korean cooking.

1. Korean chili paste --- available now at some major supermarkets in Manila, and also, the many (and sprouting) Korean groceries around the metro. One can never go wrong with chili paste.
2. dried seaweed --- it can be used as topping (shredded), or a main ingredient (in Korean birthday soup or Korean sushi called kimbap)
3. honey / syrup
4. Korean/Japanese rice --- I know they’re a bit pricey, but they taste much better…
5. Korean pancake mix --- for that pajeon fix….

 

Here are some of my fave Korean dishes and my attempt at making them.

Bibimbap

Bibimbap is classic Korean comfort food. It’s also mine. It’s basically rice topped with leftover meat, vegetable of different colors and egg. Chili paste and a bit of sesame oil is then added to taste. Bibimbap can be served in a regular large bowl and eaten in front of the TV on a rainy day, or served in a sizzling hot stone bowl (which I am having a hard time finding).

Kimchi

Before the Japanese occupation, kimchi was what we now know as “white kimchi”. Just any vegetable preserved in brine and vinegar.

The Japanese introduced chili (and also, ramen, which is called ramyun in Korea), and kimchi was never the same again.

Kimchi is preserved in those large ceramic jars for a long time. It’s often made by Korean women from scratch. An important aspect of Korean cooking is called the hand taste. Everything made by loving hands taste better.

I once saw an episode of Iron Chef America where Bobby Flay put the cabbage into a bag with Korean chili paste, garlic and other spices and then put it on this high tech vaccum thingie…. After a while, it became express kimchi.

My stab at making kimchi (the cabbage kimchi and radish) is to first cure them in salt for 24 hours. It’ll remove the raw taste of the vegetables and help soften them a bit. For the cabbage kimchi, salt them layer per layer. It is important to evenly distribute the salt by hand.

After 24-30 hours, wash the vegetables in running water. This will prevent the kimchi from becoming too salty.

After washing, soak the vegetable in vinegar with a bit of honey (or syrup) and the most important ingredient, Korean chili paste. Also, by hand, the marinade should be evenly distributed. Place the kimchi in an airtight container to age inside the fridge for at least one week.

I often pair kimchi with meat dishes.

Soondooboo Chigae --- Seafood and Soft Tofu Stew

This is my favorite comfort food…. and whenever I’m down with flu.

This is simply clams, squid, other seafood in a broth with soft/silken tofu and a huge amount of chili paste… With egg upon serving… yum yum yum

----------- to be continued --------------------

Coffee Coffee Coffee

As requested, I dedicate this post to the steadfast, loyal companion of night owls, workaholics and connoisseurs alike --- coffee....



Here's a list of my favorite coffee shops, coffee, coffee method/s (not in order):

1. UCC --- pretty pricey, but definitely worth it....
2. which leads me to my most fave coffee method --- siphoning ---- It's this cool method of brewing the coffee by using the basic science principle of boiling water going up a tube towards the upper compartment filled with ground coffee, then swirl for about 5-6 seconds, then take away from the fire to bring down the golden lava of yummy goodness....
3. sumiyaki coffee
4. sumibi coffee
5. caffe latte at starbucks ---- grande with extra shot of espresso
6. kapeng barako --- sold by a mini-cup at the Lipa City market.....
7. singaporean-style coffee
8. vietnamese coffee --- i got this huge huge bag of coffee beans from Hanoi.... they taste like chocolate!!!!

------------- to be continued ---------------

Ramen Nights

Alas, the rainy days have come to the tropical country of Pilipinas. I find it hard to beat the gloom of the grey skies, the sound of the rain on the rooftops that make one reminisce, and, of course, the cold weather.

Obviously, I had been roaming the metropolis for another rainy day fix, when I discovered (out of sheer coincidence, mind you) a secret jewel of a small district in Makati called Little Tokyo.

It’s a ramen house-slash-Japanese grocery. I conveniently forgot the name of the place as I marched quite eagerly and hungrily inside. The ramen house is the Japanese equivalent of our “mamihan”. Cheap prices, cozy atmosphere, friendly staff.

 

Oh my Gelato!!!

We were so intrigued by the gelato shop in Greenbelt 5, aptly named Gelatissimo. There were a wide range of flavors to choose from, and the staff were quite helpful (read: they’re giving free samples).

I, with the infamous sweet tooth, chose the honey toffee malt flavor in a single scoop.

While my parents, mag-jowa style, shared in the three-scoop size. The flavors they chose were chili chocolate (super good!!!! dark chocolate with a surprising bite at the end), guava (reminds them of real native guava), and green apple.