#BakeDaySunday: Cinnamon Loaf

Posted by Jane Castandiello

Yesterday was #bakedaysunday for me (also #imnotbrokesoicanbakeday and #ihavealltheingredientssoicanbakeday haha), so I decided to whip up something nice for me and my loved ones. 🙂

Actually, the original plan was to make chocolate chip cookies dipped in chocolate ganache (YES, chocolate heaven), but I scrapped that one cos I’m too lazy to buy one missing ingredient. So, I had to make do with what I already have in the house and, fortunately, there are just enough ingredients to make a cinnamon loaf.

So, why cinnamon?

Good question… and the good answer is: I LOVE CINNAMON! ❤ There was a time in my life that I didn’t have a thing for cinnamon, but when a friend from Sweden suggested that I try it with my coffee, that’s when everything changed. Now, I put cinnamon in my coffee, in my oatmeal (all the time), and now, in my baked goods!

Okay, I won’t bore you with the declaration of my love for cinnamon. Here’s the recipe, fully credited to Taste of Home. It’s so easy and convenient and I love it!

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Cinnamon Loaf
(Recipe courtesy of Taste of Home)

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter, softened
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup + 2 tbsp sugar, divided
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk (I used two Yakult)
2 eggs
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Procedure:

Preheat the oven to 350° F.
Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
Combine the sugar and cinnamon. Also set aside.
Beat butter for about one minute, until light and fluffy. Gradually add the one cup of sugar, then add eggs one by one, making sure to beat well with each addition. After that, add the vanilla extract.
Add the flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to the creamed mixture. Beat until just mixed (don’t overdo it!).
Transfer half of the batter to your loaf pan (preferably a 9×5 pan), which should be coated with cooking spray (I don’t have that, so I just spread some butter all over it). After that, sprinkle 3/4 of the sugar-cinnamon mixture over the batter.
Finish off by putting the other half of the batter and sprinkling the remaining sugar-cinnamon mixture.
Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a cake tester/toothpick inserted comes out clean (in my case, it took me a little more than an hour).
Cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then, remove the loaf from the pan and transfer it to a cooling rack.

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Verdict: soooo yummy! *thumbs up*

I’m not carrying my own chair or anything. Haha. It tastes so good— not too sweet nor too bland— and I have people to support my claim! Haha!

In fact, there’s nothing left of it anymore… *wink*

I’ll definitely make this again. No excuses because the instructions are so simple and the ingredients are easy to find. Plus, having a very tasty cinnamon loaf around sure is useful— I can definitely eat it for breakfast or dinner. ❤

Happy blogging (and baking!)

(PS: All photos are mine; please do not use without my consent. Thank you!)

Mad Mark’s Part II: Cos We Just Can Get Enough

Posted by Jane Castandiello

Wow! I’ve been gone for a long time! I’m so sorry; I’ll try to get back on track. 🙂

In line with this, I would like to share my 2nd Mad Mark’s experience— this time, with the resto’s trademark ice cream!

The last time we were there, my food buddy and I had an amazing time (read all about it here). And this 2nd time? Well, let me tell you one thing: Mad Mark’s doesn’t disappoint. Mad Mark’s always impress.

For dinner, we ordered Steak & Frites (USDA steak with mushroom sauce, fresh salad, and herb fries, P265) and Yamazaki Steak (Osakan-flavored steak with fries, P265).

(His, the Yamazaki steak)

(Aaand hers, the Steak and Frites)

We didn’t order Patatas Bravas anymore because, as you can see, we already got that covered. Haha. Anyway, as usual, I looove the food! I asked for my steak to be well done, and they did it right. I didn’t regret my decision to order mushroom sauce— it went well with the steak. The herb fries is good too, but I’d prefer the regular patatas over that.

Now join me as we journey to the “dessert moon…”

We were excited to try the ice cream, but since we’re on a tight budget (as always!), we just agreed to share on one cup of ice cream. We had a slightly hard time choosing the flavor, but fortunately, Mad Mark’s have flavor combinations up on their board, and the waiter suggested Madagascar Vanilla Bean with Javan Hot Chocolate.

The result? Amazing!

Both flavors were neither too sweet nor too plain. They have their own attitudes. 😉 But if I were to choose, I like the Javan Hot Chocolate better. Why? Because it’s dark chocolate! I’m a sucker for dark chocos, and this ice cream hits the spot. The fact that every Mad Mark’s ice cream is homemade, well, made our experience more awesome.

We still have A LOT to try on that resto. Mark loves it, I love it… and we’re definitely going back soon! (Maybe after 3 months again… or less. Lol.)

Happy blogging (and eating!)
Jane

B is for Bibimbap

Posted by Jane Castandiello

Bibimbap – literally means mix mix rice. A dish consisting of rice, topped with meat, seasoned vegetables, raw egg, and chili pepper paste (gochujang).

(For more information, Google it. LOL)

Bibimbap is one of my super favorite dishes on the planet (the top one is fried chicken with gravy). It all started when my college friend (and co-blogger at Meeka & Lexy Project) “dragged” me to Kogi Bulgogi while strolling around Lucky Chinatown Mall in Binondo. She recommended jeuyuk bibimbap and when a spoonful landed in my mouth, I was like in Korean food heaven. I’ve been in love with bibimbap ever since.

(Jeuyuk bibimbap from Kogi Bulgogi. Read my post about it here.)

(More authentic bibimbap from Bugkyoung resto in Manila. Read my post about it here.)

So for my 2nd A-Z Blogging Challenge entry, I’m gonna share my “feeling-chef” attempt of making this sumptuous dish. Yes, B is for Bibimbap!

Since it’s just easy to prepare, I decided to my make my own version. I used carrots, chayote, bean sprouts, crab sticks, and ground pork. For the flavoring, I tried the Kewpie Roasted Sesame Japanese Dressing that I discovered from a friend of my friend. Why? Its taste reminds me of the bibimbap that I always buy for lunch. And oh, I can do without the chili paste. I don’t eat spicy food.

Well, like what I said, it wasn’t that hard to cook. But slicing the veggies takes a lot of time because they have to be thin. The thinner, the better.

Here’s what my bibimbap looked like after it was done:

I made it super simple; topped with sesame seeds. Drizzle some Kewpie Roasted Sesame Japanese Dressing and mix them all and voila! Your very own bibimbap!

It was delicious, but I know I can do better next time. Yes… till the next bibimbap attempt! 😛

FYI: I had bibimbap for lunch prior to this post! Missed it!

Happy blogging (and eating)!
Jane

Kogi Bulgogi: Simply Mas-issneun

Posted by Jane Castandiello

Kogi Bulgogi, located at 3-12 3rd Floor, Lucky Chinatown Mall, Reina Regente, Binondo, Manila (Contact #: +632 547-7164); with main branch at 2nd Level, New Eastwood Mall, E. Rodriguez Ave. (C-5), Bagumbayan Quezon City (Contact #: +632 470-6884 to 85)

Date: August 24, 2012

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Well, I’m not really fond of Asian cuisine (I only like selected dishes such as Yang Chow rice, noodles, pork tonkatsu, shark’s fin siomai, etc.), but when Meeka introduced me to this newly-opened Korean resto in the depths of Binondo (hahaha), I didn’t think twice.

Okay, maybe I did (hahaha!), because my actual plan that time was to eat authentic Chinese food at a not-so-mainstream Chinese resto in Chinatown. After reading some food blogs, I got so curious at how REAL Chinese food tastes (and not some localized versions of oriental dishes). But then again, Meeks right here dragged me to a whole different resto. But I don’t regret the fact that I didn’t pursue my plan. In fact, I’m grateful. THANK YOU BIG TIME, MEEKS! :*

Okay, for starters: Kogi Bulgogi is the first and only Korean resto in Eastwood City, and they use only Premium US and New Zealand beef in all their beef dishes. “Kogi“ means “meat” in Korean, but in their resto, it actually means “someone who specializes in bulgogi dishes.” (Source: http://www.kogibulgogi.com)

What’s a Bulgogi, anyway?

Seriously, we weren’t able to order any Bulgogi dish (next time, promise!), so we can’t describe it based on what we experienced. But according to our research (nyahaha), a Bulgogi is a dish that usually consists of marinated beef, pork, or chicken. We’ll surely go back there, and we’ll definitely order a Bulgogi!

Since I can’t say anything about Bulgogi anymore, I’ll just share my firsthand experience with the dishes I’ve tasted here. (Yeah, right)

The appetizers were served first. Seriously, I’m impressed. Six yummy appetizers, and they’re all for free! Ahh, awesome.

I actually don’t eat kimchi (top, second from left), so I just snacked on the sweetened fish, bananas and mini corn instead. Boy, I was so engrossed in munching these babies, I barely noticed that we’re just warming up for the main event (dish)! Hahaha!

Next: California Roll. We know that this is a very mainstream type of roll, but we’re a lil’ bit short of funds (hahaha), so we had no choice. We’re planning to have KB’s bestseller rolls soon

Anyway, as always, I’m very pleased with this roll which is, by the way, filled with fresh crabsticks, mango and cucumber strips. I’m not a big fan of Asian dishes, but this surely hits the spot.

(Too bad I didn’t get a bird’s eye shot of this food. Just look at that presentation! Ugh!)

(Jeyuk Bibimbap)

Now, we get to the main point. :9 For lunch, I tried Jeyuk Bibimbap, which is composed of steamed rice, seasoned vegetables, raw egg, and pork. What’s nice is that it’s presented in a “heated stone pot” inside a wooden tray. Very, very cool!

I felt super stuffed with this meal. After some mixing (just like in Pepper Lunch, you have to mix them all before eating, or it’d be just weird to consume it one by one, hahaha), I gladly devoured the bibimbap and all its glory. Trust me, you won’t wish to have a next meal after eating that. The flavors are just right, the feel in your stomach is heavy enough for a long day, and it’s not that bad at all. In fact, it’s a great palate experience for those who are afraid to get out of their “comfort [food] zone,” because this Korean dish is really taste buds-friendly.

(Oh, the gluttons after their super satisfying lunch. Hahaha!)

Every bite was unforgettable and so worth it, indeed. The dishes are not cheap nor too pricey, thus the amount that you pay definitely reflects on the food: high class and especially for you.