Favorite snack/dessert places of the year

by Ed Biado
Why snacks and desserts? Because snacking is fun and if you want a 3 p.m. food trip, it’s so much more enjoyable to walk around stuffing your face with this-and-that than to sit in a restaurant. And as Filipinos, we can’t resist food vendors when we see one. Thus, fishball carts even in the most high-end of places. But aside from street food, what else is out there? Take a look (and a bite)...
1. Bizhan Persian Express

If you’re ever in Ayala Alabang for the annual Cuenca bazaar, one of the things you’ll notice is the excruciatingly long line at this shawarma stall. Most of those who have tried actually swear that it’s the best in town. At about P150 for the jumbo size, it better be. And trust me, it is. Bizhan is also located at the village’s Rustan’s mini grocery and the San Mig Pub at Alabang Town Center.

2. Yoh-gurt Froz

This is a really good yogurt place that promotes the health benefits of the dessert. Their Classic Fro-yo is regular yogurt topped with your choice of fruit, nuts or cereal. They also have ice cream-ized yogurt in different flavors, yogurt smoothies and pastries with—yes—yogurt on top. How’s that for a really healthy option?

3. The White Hat

There may be a small yogurt revolution going on in the city as this entry is another emerging health-conscious dessert shop. They serve frozen yogurt with combinations of 21 different toppings. Combos are named after hats: “Beret,” “Sombrero,” etc. Or a diner can also make their own “hat,” meaning, get to choose a combo of their choice.

4. Gelatone

But if you really want to go all out on dessert, Gelatone serves gelato like there’s no tomorrow. If you’re a fan of the fatty Italian ice cream, you probably already have a favorite flavor. For the newbies, the kind lady at the counter will let y’all taste them to help you make your sinful decision. Try Amaretto, Dark Chocolate Toblerone, Nutella and Pistaccio. Or what the heck? Try them all!

5. Chimara

You wanna go healthy but can’t really give up chips, meats and sweets? This neo-vegan place might just be for you. Their chips taste like regular chips, maybe even better. But the good news is that they’re made with tofu, bananas and apples. Their menu consists of options for pesco-vegetarians, ovo-lacto-vegetarians and bodybuilders.

6. New York Fries and Dip

It’s actually more about the dips than the fries. Okay, so the fries really are good. But it’s the different dipping choices that makes it fun. You can choose from Pepper Steak, Curry, Chili Peppers, Ranch and 12 more other flavors. And their chicken nuggets are yummy too.

7. De Original Jamaican Pattie Shop

Before a movie starts at many Ayala Malls cinemas, snack vendors are all over the theater, offering popcorn, beverages and other movie-friendly snacks. That includes Jamaican patties. You haven’t had a real one unless you’ve tried their Pinatubo Pattie, a spicy treat served extra-hot that seems to get hotter with every bite.

8. Sabbrett

A regular Sabbrett cart would proudly display celebrities munching on their famous hotdogs. And that ups the yum factor in more ways than one. Frankfurters are among their bestsellers because they’re skinless, therefore, you won’t have to fight so much with the meat because the tough casing isn’t there. And seriously, they’ve got some amazing mustard!

9. Earle’s Delicatessen

Get a Thuringer Bratwurst with a side of chips and have some deli meats to take home and enjoy the next morning. It ain’t even expensive. Almost everything is priced within P30 per 100 grams. There’s one at South Supermarket in Alabang that’s been there for quite some time now. A few other branches have opened in Makati and Ortigas. Check it.

10. Taters

There are two things that you simply have to get at Taters. One is their butter-drizzled popcorn and their iced tea. No kidding, the iced tea is mixed perfectly and tastes really good, considering they’re using a regular iced tea brand. You can also explore their other movie-companion snacks like nachos, fries and chips. There are actually more munchies like sausages, fish-and-chips and onion rings.

Sweet holiday treats

CELEBRATE THE HOLIDAYS with long-time favorites served in imaginative ways by Maya Kitchen.

Tiramisu gets a new look in tall glasses with each luscious layer visible to whet the appetite. The classic chocolate cupcake plays dress-up with coconut shavings and reindeer topper.

Holiday cooking can be easy, creative and fun. For more recipes and culinary tips, log on to www.themayakitchen.com or e-mail contactus@themayakitch en.com.

Tiramisu Parfait

4 tbsp butter

2 pcs eggs

½ c water

1 pack Maya Oven Toaster Butter Cake Mix 200g

Filling

2/3 c cream cheese

2 tbsp corn syrup

½ tsp brandy

6 tbsp confectioner’s sugar

1 egg yolk

¾ c all-purpose cream

Syrup

¾ c water

2 tbsp coffee liqueur

2 tbsp coffee powder

sifted unsweetened cocoa powder (for drizzling on top of parfait)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Brush bottom of an 8x3-inch loaf pan with oil or shortening then line it with wax paper. Cream butter in a bowl until soft. Blend in the eggs and water. Add the cake mix and beat until smooth. Pour mixture into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until done. Set aside.

Prepare filling. Beat together the cream cheese, syrup, brandy, sugar and egg yolk. Whip the all-purpose cream separately then fold into cream cheese mixture. Set aside.

Prepare syrup. Combine the ingredients for the syrup and stir until dissolved.

To assemble, place a slice of cake in bottom of parfait glass or wine goblets, tearing and pressing butter cake to fit. Drizzle syrup. Spread filling over each. Repeat layering with remaining butter cake, syrup and filling. Sift unsweetened cocoa generously over parfait. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Reindeer cupcakes

1 pack Maya Decadence Fudge Brownie Mix 500g

(water, vegetable oil and eggs called for on cake mix box)

Fondant dough

1 ½ tsp unflavored gelatin

2 tbsp water

¼ c glucose

1 ½ tsp vegetable shortening

3 ½ c confectioner’s sugar

food colors (red, black, brown)

glucose extra

Frosting

chocolate frosting (prepared)

flaked coconut

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Prepare one 12-hole (3 ounce) muffin pan. Prepare the cake batter (mix water, oil and eggs) as per package direction. Pour batter into prepared muffin pan. Bake cupcakes approximately 20-30 minutes, until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool.

Prepare fondant dough. Combine gelatin and water. Let stand for at least 30 minutes. Place gelatin mixture on top of double boiler and heat until dissolved (mixture should not boil). Add glucose. Mix well. Stir in the shortening and before completely melted remove from heat. Let cool until lukewarm. Place confectioner’s sugar in a bowl. Make a well and add gelatin mixture. Stir with wooden spoon until semi-dry paste in consistency. Knead until smooth. Divide dough into three portions. Tint, roll out, shape each portion of dough with red color for the nose, brown for the face and antlers, and white for the eyes. Use extra glucose to paste decor on top of molded reindeer face. Brush the center of the reindeer eyes with black color to make the eyeball effect.

Frost cupcake with the prepared chocolate frosting and cover with flaked coconut. Top each with the decorated molded reindeer face.

Fried tempura ice cream

By Vangie Baga-Reyes/Philippine Daily Inquirer
Ever wondered how fried tempura ice cream is made?
Tempura is a Japanese specialty that means batter-dipped. For this recipe, instead of using typical pieces of seafood or vegetables dipped in soy sauce and wasabi, delightful scoops of ice cream are used, drizzled with chocolate syrup, cherries and slivers of almonds—quite a dessert to impress family and friends.
“Batter-dipped ice cream is usually deep-fried,” says Boyet Llamador, head chef of Tempura Japanese Grill (tel. 3747460) on Thompson Square, Tomas Morato St., Quezon City. “This recipe, however, requires timing and a good deep-fryer to fry the tempura ice cream. The warm crunchy tempura perfectly pairs with the cold creaminess of the underlying ice cream.”
If you heed some tips, this fried dessert, one of the bestsellers at Tempura in Quezon City, is not so hard to make at home. All its ingredients are in grocery stores. The batter is basic pancake batter with a pinch of salt.
Make sure to serve the tempura ice cream immediately after frying. It is best that, while the tempura ice cream is frozen, you pour the oil into a deep-fat fryer or a heavy-bottomed stockpot. Heat the oil over medium-high heat.
You can either use slices of loaf bread or taisan to bind the ice cream. And as optional toppings, wafer cookie, whipped cream, strawberry sauce, fresh fruit and powdered sugar are also ideal.
You can also try different flavors of ice cream.

Ingredients:
Slices of bread
Ice cream, any flavor
Cooking oil
Chocolate syrup
Cherry
Cornstarch for dusting

For batter mix:

150 g cake flour
1 egg yolk
Pinch of salt
8 oz cold water

1. IN A MIXING bowl, combine flour, egg and ice-cold water. Whisk well. Set aside.
2. REMOVE the outer layer of the bread. Place bread on a flat surface with aluminum foil. Press bread firmly using your fingers.
3. PLACE three scoops of ice cream in the middle of the bread.
4. ROLL bread tightly. Then place in freezer, and let sit until completely frozen.
5. REMOVE wrap and roll frozen tempura in cornstarch.
6. DIP TEMPURA into the batter mixture. Cover tempura with the batter evenly.
7. MEANWHILE, heat oil in deep-fryer to 375°F. If you do not have a deep-fryer, you can use a hot pot of oil. Carefully drop the battered ice cream into the hot oil by using kitchen tongs or a slotted spoon.
8. QUICKLY fry tempura for approximately 5 to 10 seconds, until the tempura batter has turned golden.
9. LET COOL for a few seconds. Cut into four pieces. Transfer in a platter. Drizzle with chocolate syrup. Add cherry.
Enjoy!