Garden Chef's Needle and Pen

Tuna-Lemon Fusilli Pasta (photo courtesy of Ayana Grace) This photo was taken by Ayana Grace before trying a serving from one of her favorite pasta dishes. As a matter of fact, I learned cooking Tuna-Lemon Pasta from her. This is just my second trial, this time, using Fusilli spirals. A very simple dish which you can make in less than 20 minutes. Here's how. Ingredients: 250 gms Fusilli pasta 2 cloves minced garlic 1 medium onion, sliced thinly 1 can (420 gms) CenturyTuna Flakes in oil juice of 1 piece lemon 1/4 medium green bell pepper, cut into small cubes Steps: 1. Cook Fusilli pasta according to package instructions. Set aside. 2. Using the oil from the canned tuna, sautee garlic and onion.  3. Add tuna flakes. Simmer for 2 minutes.  4. Add lemon juice and bell pepper. Simmer for another minute. 5. Pour tuna mixture over pasta and serve. Tuna-Lemon Fusilli Pasta (photo courtesy of Ayana Grace) I'm sure your family wil...

Tawilis , that's what this fish is called. I was fortunate to get one last scoop from the tray of my favorite fish vendor yesterday. I saw the silvery color from one corner and I didn't pass the chance of buying it.  Googling while writing this post, I just learned that Sardinella tawilis (or freshwater sardinella or sardines) is found only in my country, the Philippines, as they thrive only in Lake Taal in the province of Batangas. Tawilis is also processed into a variety of food products and shipped into different parts of the country as daing (dried and salted), smoked or bottled in oil. It is called tunsoy in the province of Cebu. Well, well, well, guess what, Ayana Grace, my eldest daughter had most of it as she said it's one of her favorite dishes and has missed it for some time. True because it has been months since I last served this. Here's how I did  it. Ingredients:  1/4 kg tawilis 1/3 cup oil 3-5 tablespoons of flour salt an...

Hello there! It's been weeks, I know. Today I'm breaking the silence by showcasing a festival of colors out of the various fruit presentations I've served on our dining table.  Challenged by the result of my annual physical examination last month, my birth month, I couldn't wait for the New Year to make a resolution --- a dietary modification. I'm praying to be faithful on this.  To begin an effective change, tell me which fruits should be removed from and should be added to the fruit collage above? Do write your suggestions on the comment box below.  Till next post! :)

Days before our 25th wedding anniversary, I thought of posting a verse daily for at least three days until the day itself, but I wasn't able to execute my plan, though I managed to post this verse on my Facebook wall two days prior,  "I know that whatever God does, it shall be forever. Nothing can be added to it, and nothing taken from it. God does it, that men should fear before Him." Ecclesiastes 3:14 As usual, I went home tired from work and didn't have time to think about the planned anniversary posts anymore. To my surprise, my husband posted this photo to celebrate the day even while he was away at work. The caption says,  " September 2, 1989: 25 years with the woman who stood with me and by me. Silver! " Would you believe that we got married with me having a lateral fracture on my.... oh no, how could I forget which foot now? Yes, I was actually limping during the wedding march that I had to whisper to my father to walk very, very ...

I had another chance of traveling out-of-town for a night on a weekend, following a hectic schedule and several sleepless nights. That meant cramming to pack my things while cooking at the same time... so that there will be food on our table while I am gone. Opening the cupboard and seeing the penne pasta and can of Century Tuna Flakes, I knew exactly what to do. I just took two pieces of lemon and a stalk of leeks from the veggie bin and all the other ingredients I needed were spices.  This is what I had in mind--- Tuna-Lemon Penne Pasta. Another fast food meal! And this is how it turned out. Here's how I did this. Ingredients: Oil 1 tbsp garlic, minced 1 medium onion, sliced 1 large can Century Tuna in oil 2 pcs lemon, halved and squeezed Pinch of salt, pepper, thyme, basil, rosemary, cayenne powder of any spice of choice Penne pasta, cooked according to package instruction 1 stalk leeks, sliced diagonally Steps: 1. Saute garlic, onions and tun...

Hello, there you are, great! With all the daily activities at work eating up my mind and body, I usually go home tired and sleepy that I almost forgot I still had this to post. Yes, it's been months and I'm so sorry for that... After our walk a few months ago (referring to my previous post, Walking Down the Streets of Zurich: Episode 1 ) , I bet you have recharged a little bit? Oh, come on, don't tell me you would like to rest still? The sun is up but it's still very cold at 2 degrees Celsius! I really think we should keep on walking. This is getting even more exciting as we approach the heart of the city! We're just about to leave Sihlquai and stroll along Museumstrasse heading toward the Swiss National Museum. The museum which is one of the main sights of the city is located on an island between two rivers, River Sihl and River Limmat. River Sihl                                     ...

Oh, no, it's almost 8:00 am!!! No more time for another snooze :((  This is one of those days when I don't feel like getting up from bed but I have no choice. I have just begun to feel the stress of office work for the past weeks. Yesterday was another lazy day. No marketing, no cooking... just blogging in bed! :))  Okay, now I'm off my bed. So what happens next? You gotta be fast!!!!! Any idea brewing? Let the countdown begin! Opening the cupboard, I see a large can of 555 Mackerel Salmon style.  Are there eggs?  Yes, I still have six pieces.  Take out three.  Open the can of Mackerel. One onion coming.  Then the veggie bin, of course!  Let's see... I have tomatoes, green bell pepper, carrot and leeks from among the other vegetables. Let me take one large tomato.  Cut a piece of leek from the stalk, take out the green bell pepper and the remaining carrot.   Now, I'm ready! Did you get the ingredients...

Stir Fried Sambal Belacan Long Beans That's the Malaysian dish ordered by Billy, my husband, for lunch on our last day in Kuala Lumpur.  We both liked it so I tried to guess how it is made by giving the ingredients a good munch. I saw anchovies among the beans! Billy said he misses anchovies. I was certain I still had some in the ref at home. :) Challenged by what I tasted but too tired from the trip back to Manila, I had no time to search about how to make sambal belacan. I ended with this--- Stir Fried String Beans with Dried Anchovies and Shrimp Paste.  Yeah, I had to make do without the sambal belacan sauce. Afterall, I wasn't sure if any of us would have tolerated the real spicy flavor. Here's how I did my own modified version of the dish.  Ingredients: 1 cup dried anchovies oil 1 tbsp garlic 1 medium onion, sliced 2 tbsps shrimp paste 1 bunch string beans, cut 1 large tomato, cut  Steps: 1. Heat anchovies in pan until brown and crispy. Add just a very little oi...

This is not the first time I'm writing about making a Business Card Sleeve. In my previous post about crocheting this project (click here to view post), I shared about my experience from a spiritual standpoint. This sleeve can be used to keep business or loyalty cards. This time, the feature is about how to crochet on the opposite side of the chain. This tutorial  by Rachel Choi of Crochet Spot talks about how to do that. This is very easy and simple because all you have to do is repeat the rows round and round until you reach the desired size.  Enjoy making as many business card sleeves using different colors for your friends.