Mamou - A Home Kitchen

I used to have this dream of opening my own restaurant with one long community table for twenty guests. The menu will consist of my personal favorite home cooked meals served family style. Three or four courses a day. Maybe Filipino dishes one day, Italian the next. Good value wines to match the menu. My favorite music in the background. Simply said, it's a dinner party every night.

But the realities of running a restaurant - the long days, the small margins - quickly brought me back to earth. I'll settle for home dinner parties without the commitment of the daily grind of owning your own business.

However, Malou Fores, the chef-proprietor of Mamou restaurant in Serendra, had other thoughts and took on the dream and converted her passion for entertaining family and friends at home into a working business plan for Mamou. She personally trained her chefs in her home for six months in order for the culinarians to take in the full essence of her cooking philosophy. The dining room reminds me of The Little Italy Caffe, this quaint Italian restaurant my wife and I discovered, in all places, marche Montorgueil in Paris. The diners were packed shoulder to shoulder, but you know what, there was a sense of community and belonging. We ended up just talking to the other guests and even received a round of drinks from this French couple we sat next to. It was comforting.

Friends Leo and Michelline Suarez, along with their beautiful daughter (and my goddaughter), Sam, squeezed a lunch at Mamou on my last day in Manila. To Michelline's credit for highly recommending the place, our lunch was a pleasant surprise for a last minute date. I went straight for the specialty of the house, the USDA prime lamb chops, even though it was lunchtime. Not knowing when I'll be back in Manila, I wasn't going to hold back. Leo cheered me on. The chops were charred on the outside and perfectly pink in the middle, just the way I love it. It was succulent with just the right amount of salt and pepper. The creamed spinach and baked mashed potato side dishes are as good as you will find it at Smith and Wollensky.

I had the pleasure of meeting Malou, who I would later learn is married to a grade school classmate, Oye Fores. I admire her hands-on approach to running her restaurant. A once unique arrangement in labor-cheap Manila, Malou's determination to stay close to the heat in the kitchen, is reason enough to return to this truly "Home Kitchen."

Happy Halloween!

Wishing you a SPOOKY and fun Halloween! Be safe!!

The Show Will Go On! Update on the Alameda Flea

Yesterday I posted about the Alameda Collectible & Antiques Faire aka Alameda Flea Market being canceled. Their website offered no details. They simply posted a banner with the following statement: Proceedings have been commenced for the voluntary dissolution of Antiques By The Bay, Inc. As a result the show scheduled for Nov 1, 2009 will not take place.

Since yesterday, it's been a whirlwind of emails, Tweets and phone calls between myself and vendors, dealers & bloggers. What a great network we have. If we want to get the word out, it spreads like wildfire. It appears as if Sunday's show will go on and hopefully continue into the future. Oh, thank heavens.

This very informative article in The Island confirms that this Sunday's flea market will be happening. Evidently there is a legal dispute among the partners who run the Antiques By the Bay corporation, but the President of the company, Allen Michaan, confirms to The Island that the vendors will indeed be setting up at Alameda Point on Sunday morning.

So, for all of you attending, set your clocks back an hour, sleep in a little longer, bring your warm coat, coffee and flashlight, and I'll see you out at the Point!

Not Your Typical Working Lunch

The JW invited West Michigan's top foodies for a working lunch to brainstorm on a special dinner we are planning on having on November 19 at six.one.six restaurant. Details of the intimate dinner will be launched early next week.

As a surprise to our guests, Executive Chef Andrew Voss prepared a surprise paella and cous cous lunch served in the chef's office inside the JW kitchen. The foodies didn't mind the special touch at all. It sure beats the usual club sandwich.

Thanks Chef Andrew!

Want to Really Scare Your Trick-or-Treaters?

If gory-looking things upset you, look no further...

These spooky finger cookies were made by Jamilyn at Living it at Home. Jamilyn bakes them for her daughter's friends and they hesitate to eat them. But, she says they are quite yummy. Take one if you dare!!

Scary Finger Cookie Recipe

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup confectioner's sugar
1 Egg
1 tsp almond extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 2/3 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup almonds, whole blanched (not sure what blanched means, I just bought "slivered" almonds for the nails)
1 tube red decorator gel
Preheat oven to 325

Cream the butter with powdered sugar. Mix in egg, and extracts until creamy. Sift and add the dry ingredients. Blend to make a soft dough. Wrap and refrigerate dough until it is easy to work with (about 15-20 minutes). Roll into a finger shape about 3" long and 1/2" thick (They will rise when baked so make them smaller than you'd like the finished finger to be). Place finger on lined cookie sheet. Using a butter knife, lightly press a flat nail bed shape at the end of the finger and cut 3 lines in the middle of the finger to form knuckles. Press lightly above and below knuckle to make finger more realistic (give it shape). Bake at 325 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 3-5 minutes. Put a bit of red gel in the nail bed and press the almond fingernails into the end of the finger.

*Arrange fingers on a nice platter, add some spiders to crawl over fingers.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

photo & recipe from Living it at Home

Important Announcement re: Alameda Point Antiques and Collectibles Faire

For all of you that attend or sell at the Alameda Point Antiques and Collectibles Faire in Alameda, California, this news was just released today. "Proceedings have been commenced for the voluntary dissolution of Antiques By The Bay, Inc. As a result the show scheduled for Nov 1, 2009 will not take place."

I am not sure exactly what this means, but I just spoke with a monthly vendor and apparently the partners are in some sort of litigation. Will there be another Alameda Antiques Faire? None of us know. I feel so badly, as hundreds of people make a living from this show; the sellers, food stands, even the City of Alameda. And as a buyer, it is one of my best sources for antiques.

The Alameda Point Antiques and Collectibles Faire is Northern California's largest antiques and collectibles faire with over 800 booths and a growing attendance that recently topped out at over 10,000 customers. Let's hope this situation can be rectified soon.

PLEASE PASS THIS ON TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW WHO ATTENDS THE FAIRE TO SAVE THEM THE TROUBLE OF SHOWING UP.

UPDATE: Word has it that the show may be back on. Will keep you posted with any updates...sorry for the confusion...

photo from here

Hauntingly Haunted Hotels & Houses

Sacramento's Stanford House

We all love a good ghost story now and then, and what a better time than Halloween Week! CasaSugar posted a tour of some of the most famous haunted hotels and homes in the state of California. Here are a few of my favorites...don't be scared!!!

Hollywood's Hotel Roosevelt

"The Hotel Roosevelt in Hollywood is said to house one very famous ghost — Montgomery Clift, who stayed in room 928 for three months while filming From Here to Eternity. Stories note that his ghost has been seen pacing the ninth floor, and maids have felt a cold presence brush by them or watch them."

Jean Harlow's Westwood Home

"Film legend Jean Harlow rented a Westwood home in the early '30s. After new owners moved in, their dogs would follow them through the house, growling and barking at something in the upstairs bedrooms. The woman who lived in the home also said that she heard someone whisper "Please help me" outside the master bedroom. The owners also reported hearing a woman sobbing, smelling phantom perfume, and experiencing other ghostly manifestations."

San Francisco's Queen Anne Hotel

"Built by Senator James Fair in 1889, the hotel is said to be delightfully and benignly haunted by the general's mistress, Mary Lake. Common occurrences include sightings of Mary Lake, unexplained cold spots, and clothes and belongings tidied and hung without explanation."

Bessie Love's Canyon in Laurel Canyon

"In the early 1900s, silent film star Bessie Love bought a beautiful little cabin in Laurel Canyon. While living there, she experienced a number of ghostly manifestations, including seeing a transparent man in a cowboy hat, hearing low moans, having doors open and shut themselves without explanation, and experiencing odd electrical problems and lights turning on and off by themselves. The house is said to still be haunted today."

I've never had a "ghost" or paranormal experience. Thank heavens...I'd probably freak out! Do you have a haunted house or ghost story you want to share?

photos/stories from casasugar.com

Sunday at the Salcedo Village Farmer's Market

Nestled amidst the skyscrapers, cafes and malls in the business district of Makati City is the Salcedo Village Farmer's Market. My cousins Rhett and Gigi Eala introduced me to this market which was just a block from their condo. After coffee and a light breakfast at the local coffee house, we strolled through this idyllic oasis one Sunday morning only to discover the amazing products and food featured at this market. This is not the market I remembered as a child growing up in Manila. There is an amazing cornucopia of fruits, cooked meats, seafood, vegetables and beautifully packaged products from the provinces. In one corner of the market, a vendor is roasting a suckling pig while another vendor from Laguna is selling buko (coconut) pies, the region's specialty. This market is a must-see on your next trip to Manila. While everything looked delectable, it's going to take me a lifetime to truly appreciate the "exotic" smell of the langka.

Queso de Bola - this is the spread version of the edam cheese

Embutido - stuffed pork

Seafood snacks such as squid and mussels

Itlog na pula or salted duck eggs

The fish lady

Birds of Paradise

Philippine Mango - the best in the world!

Suman - sticky rice treats wrapped in banana leaves

Siniguelas - a type of plum

The world famous "dirty" ice cream or sorbetes

Red Ginger Flower

talong - eggplant

A street food staple - Filipino BBQ

Filipino style fruit juices - very refreshing in the summer heat

Local pate

and of course, the langka or jackfruit

Tricks & Treats

To celebrate spooky Halloween week, I thought I'd post these haunting photos from the October issue of Harper’s Bazaar. They feature characters from filmmaker Tim Burton's past movies; The Night Before Christmas, Edward Scissorhands & Beetlejuice -- the models bedecked in designer clothing and accessories.

The spread is called, "Magical Fashion" and the photos were shot by the talented Tim Walker.

The spread is in anticipation of Tim Burton's career retrospective at New York's Museum of Modern Art from November 22, 2009–April 26, 2010.



To see all of the photos, visit Harper's Bazaar. And, thanks Lisa Golightly for turning me on to this eerie and fabulous spread!

photos from Harper's Bazaar

A Picture Perfect Autumn Day

This past Sunday was the perfect Fall day for pumpkin picking, donuts and spiced cider at the local farm. The Fall colors were in full blossom and the smell of apples and cinnamon filled the crisp autumn air. It's days like these when I appreciate living in the midwest. There's just nothing like in in the States.

A twenty five minute drive north of Grand Rapids takes us to the country fields of Sparta and the Schwallier's Country Basket. There's a petting zoo, "cow" rides, hay rides through the orchard, free cider and fresh picked apples, a country store, and of course, homemade donuts. Though our kids are getting a little too old for the rides, the pumpkin picking and the donuts are still a hit.

We got home and the kids went at it with their carving tools. Margaux, my teenager, carved the Grateful Dead logo. Jules, my middle schooler, carved a University of Iowa "I" to commemorate our favorite football team. Francesca, my fifth grader, created a pumpkin with various geometrical shapes to be "a little unique" from all her friends. My wife assisted the kids while I made our family's version of a perfect Fall dinner - Balti Curry Chicken with Naan. How could you go wrong with Indian food?