New Shopping Venue and Other Random Things

Over the weekend, after my volunteer, thought I'd check out the new Topshop that opened nearby.

And boy was it huge! If I heard correctly, this is one of the bigger stores outside UK.

And that's just part of the shoe department.

The accessories department has its own corner.

But in the end, I didn't get anything. How about that? Not counting the fact that I'm sorta' in a pseudo shopping ban (sorta'? pseudo? does that make it almost nil?), it was just so busy in the store I was getting sensory overload. Me! Of all people!

So next thing I knew, my feet took me across the street.

Anna dello Russo collection for H&M

And guess what, I didn't buy anything there either! What's going on with the shopping universe?! O wait, I did buy something. (Oh, how quickly we forget). I bought some woolen knee-high socks... And a belt... And a snood... But wait, they're necessary accessories! To keep me warm for winter! Ok, a belt wouldn't keep me warm. Ok, not that I have no scarves at all. But still, in my mind, they don't count! Do they? They're necessary accessories! HAH!

Anyhoot, today, for the first time this season, felt like winter's just around the corner. And I thought the day calls for something hearty and warm and cozy for dinner.

Beef stew with barley

And with Halloween just around the corner, not that we "celebrate" Halloween, I came across something fun that I just couldn't walk away from.

Random things, isn't that what I said?... hehe...

Not Another Food Post

Oh yes it is.

Food, in the last month or so, that I was happy to put effort in, that's made my inner child happy, that's sated the belly...

Cassata Siciliana
(Ok, I didn't make this one, but it was a very special cake indeed... 
our "anniversary" cake)

Crab roe, sauteed in garlic and lemon

The making of a taco (or taco salad, I suppose)

Oven-roasted version of Chicken Adobo

Veal chops with baby potatoes

Chinese long beans (sitaw) Adobo

Thank god we had our dinner already... hehe...

Nom, Nom, Nom

Some of the home-cooked and outside food that has sustained me/us in the last couple of weeks... ie. food that's made my day, for sure, one way or the other...

Bon Appetit!

Fritto Misto (fried seafood, or calamari, in this case),
with garlic aioli (not shown)

My pathetic version of the Vietnamese spring roll:p,
with peanut dipping sauce

Stuffed pork chop and roast potatoes...

...with side of broccoli slaw

Baked Fried Chicken

Toroniku Shio Ramen (Ramen Santouka)
... simmered pork jowl and salt seasoned ramen

Steelhead trout

Grape tomatoes, sweet onion and bocconcini salad

... care to take a guess where we got it, judging from the size of the bag?

Quinoa salad

See, doesn't take much to please me, eh? hehe

Little Things

Things that made me smile this week past (and they're all about food *grin*)...

Pork and chicken schnitzel

Potato salad

I know it's not the most imaginative dish, but sometimes, a simple dish is what the day calls for.

Oven roast turkey breast (from the deli) with lettuce, sweet onion,
tomato, alfalfa sprouts and avocado on a 12-grain bread

And sometimes, a nice hearty full-of-goodness sandwich is what satisfies during one of those late nights.

Roasted rack of lamb, roasted sweet potato and asparagus

Rib steak, baked potato and broccoli casserole

Ribs in souvlaki marinade with pasta sauce and
honey garlic bbq sauce

Leftovers. I'm not embarrassed at all when I say I love leftovers. Sometimes left as is, and sometimes not. Sometimes, combined together to form a totally new dish.


And best of all... especially on a rainy day like today...

clamshell strawberries

*burp*

HAH!

Purist vs. Experimental

For lunch today, a bunch of us decided to get food from this place. It came highly recommended.

We settled on their pizzas.

BBQ duck with hoisin sauce

Now for a "simple" food like pizza, a lot can go wrong funny enough. The crust, the sauce, the cheese. Oh, no, no, not with this one, thank god! The crust has a nice chew to it. Plus I love asian bbq duck, with hoisin sauce on top of that! Of course, I normally don't have it on a pizza, but hey, duck,  good, pizza, good! So what's not to like?!

But it just got me thinking, that's all.

For people like hubs who has pizza sauce running in his vein and I wouldn't be surprised if a genoa salami is lodged somewhere in his organs (and not pepperoni, that's for sure, as that would mean pepper, if you ask him LOL), a pizza, a good pizza that is, is a wedge with not too thin/thick crust, pizza sauce with a nice bite to it and a hint of sweetness, sprinkled with quality mozzarella, and a topping or 2, you know, to really enjoy every ingredient. That's it.

(And not even gonna talk about the other "simple" food that is burger for the the same people who enjoy a nice piece of juicy hamburger without any accoutrement to distract from the real flavor of a nice piece of quality ground beef.:p)

Then places like this joint came along where a chef, creative enough, decided to think outside the box and play with food, so to speak.

For me, I'm all for those kind of "play" on food. Most of the time, anyway.

And as I continued to partake and had a slice of this other pizza, I kept saying, with every bite I took that for a shrimp and mango salsa pizza, there's not mcuh mango to taste nor enough shrimp to sink my teeth into. Then I learned why, after I polished off a slice. It was because it wasn't the shrimp and mango salsa pizza I thought it was! It was vegetarian!!!

heehee

So once in a while, without a doubt, I can't help but hanker for familiar flavors. No confusion at least...

More comfort food, please

I guess, winter that it is, I can't help but gravitate towards or crave food that's comfortable, that's familiar...

So, I decided to make this last night.

Chicken Adobo

This is probably one of the more popular Filipino dish known outside the Filipino community. It's Spanish in origin. There is even a Mexican dish with the same name but funny enough, nowhere near similar to this dish. And interestingly enough, there is so many versions of this dish, as in many many versions. All depends what part of the Philippines you're family's from.

And another interesting thing about this particular dish. The recipe itself came from a cookbook by a non-Filipino. HAH! How about that!

Regardless, it was delish!!!

Thanks, sis, for the recipe!:)))

How Time Flies

First work week of the year, I made it, yay!

It may have helped that some kind of shopping kinda' sneaked in there somewhere heehee...

Zara top (Front)

(Back)

Seriously, there I was coming home, after having gotten a ride from a colleague, which then meant walking home from a different direction, during which I happened to pass by Zara, at which point I saw these big-ass posters SALE on the window. *sigh*

Mind you, I've been eyeing this top for a while now and I didn't think I'll even see it on sale and on my size at that! First, I really don't like paying for full price. Second, although I don't like paying for full price, I came pretty close to buying this top at regular price but they didn't have my size. So there, I say it was written in the stars! LOL

And mind you, again, with their crazy sale, I seriously have not just one item on hand, but, call it baby steps or whatever, in the end, I put them all away but for one:p

I can keep going with excuses reasons as to my purchase(s)... Sad... hehe


And since coming back from vacay, wasn't really in the mood to brown-bag for lunch all week. Not good, I know...

... part of Thursday lunch at Mucho Burrito

Friday (Filipino) lunch at Kumare

So there, another week bites the dust! Happy Friday, yay!!!!

Photo Diary in Food, Mostly, Last Part, I Promise

Well, in less than 12 hours, will be returning home. Doubt I'll get sleep tonight as I haven't even finished packing. Packing schmacking. Mommy!!!

LOL

Kidding, ok!

Well, what can I say, more eating get-together in the last 2 days.

Friday night was spent with friends.

Paella

Sotanghon (Filipino glass noodles)

... among the many many food that night...

Friends who I've known for like half my life now, practically since we moved to Canada. Friends who've gone thru' graduations, promotions, career changes, weddings, funerals, divorces, births... milestones... and who knows what else from here on.

Maybe I'm deluding myself, but I thought we look the same. Ok, maybe not. Maybe a (few) pounds here and there. Hah! Plus, give or take, 10 kids (that night, at least), spread among the group. *sentimental sigh*

Today was again spent with all sides of the family.

Started with dimsum.

I wish I can tell you this was done deliberately. A picture of empty plates to signify the end of a meal, the end of a trip... Maybe we'll just leave it at that... heehee...

One of the best, if not THE best, mango pudding I've had

Then, one last visit to the in-laws.

Then, one more family dinner at this Vietnamese restaurant.

Pho

... and its accoutrements...

And gotta have the rolls, of course...

And as I really should go finish my packing now, leaving with thoughts of this--

Blueberry ricotta-filled cannoli

... as I'm leaving on a jet plane, don't know when I'll be back again...

Time Warp

Now that vacay is winding down... slowly, fortunately... but still... it feels time is moving at an inverse speed compared to the time before I got here... sigh...

Such is life, no? As the cliche goes, time flies when you're having fun! Wheeee!!!

Met 2 girlfriends for lunch yesterday. Then, earlier, met the in-laws for lunch...

When I think back of trips involving family, including this one (when I head back home), they always seem to be recalled by the meals had. Hakka Chinese takes me back to Christmas 2010. All-you-can-eat Japanese takes me back to Christmas 2009. Italian bistro takes me back to Summer 2009, or something like that. Is it just me?

Like other sis said, what is family gathering but eating-slash-food. Precisely, I replied. Food, for all the sustenance it's supposed to provide, takes a whole new meaning when memories become attached to it. I say there's nothing wrong with that.

Lunch with girlfriends:
California Salad with Bruschetta
Milestones

Lunch with in-laws:
All-you-can-eat Continental
Tuckers Marketplace

Seriously, what's with all these all-you-can-eat?!?! Too. Much. Eating. I tell ya. *burp* LOL

Thank god, no resolutions were made, just yet. Not that I'm the type of person to make New Year resolutions:p

At the rate I'm going the last 2 weeks, I probably do not have to eat til the next month. Yah, right! No seriously though, better hit up the gym when I return. Yah, right!... Kidding!