Strawberry Jelly Topped With Strawberry Mousse

I ditched the chocolate cream and made this simple strawberry jelly topped with strawberry mousse as an added treat for the resort's guest on Valentine's Day.

Strawberry Cheesecake For Valentine's Day Celebration

This is the classic New York baked cheesecake with strawberry coulis topping  and adorned with fresh strawberry. It's not a regular part of our Sunday brunch dessert menu. I wanted  something new and special for our guests on Valentine's Day and this came to mind.

Xin Nian Kuai Le (Happy New Year)

With the number of Chinese visitors to Samui growing, hotels and resorts on the island have organized their own festivities to commemorate Chinese New Year.  Since the resort I am working for is best known for its brunch, it offered  Chinese- inspired dishes in honor of the occasion.

And of course the whole  event would not be complete without Chinese-themed desserts. The  chef wanted me to create a treat in a shape of a dragon. That's a big challenge but I said I'd try. I've never done such a complicated dessert.  I turned to Google for ideas and found the strawberry shortcake dragon. I clicked the link and directed me to Pinterest. I am not a registered Pinterest user so I had no chance of knowing the recipe and procedure. As I was looking at the picture, I came up with the idea of using choux pastry dough to make the base.  I needed a curve shape. Choux pastry dough wouldn't have any problem  holding its shape. Problem solved.

Trifle With Butterscotch Topping

The resort's kitchen was understaffed the entire holiday season. The craziness has died down yet thinking back,  I still  could not believe how I was able to undertake a seemingly impossible task of creating all the Christmas brunch treats for more than two hundred guests without any help, not to mention the bread and pastries for breakfast and desserts for a la carte dining. A lot of planning and organizing were involved from beginning to end. I wasted no time and effort. I knew I had nobody to rely on but myself.

This trifle was a product of a well thought-out  plan. I normally avoid using ready made mixes when whipping up desserts but this was an exception. Unlike the past two Christmasses, I baked the sponge biscuit and cooked vanilla custard from scratch. This time,  I opted to use store bought biscuit sponge and  a custard powder to make my vanilla custard as  I did not have the extra hour to spare.  The result was surprisingly good.

Raspberry Pavlova

These mini pavlovas were the latest addition to this year's Christmas brunch dessert menu. The simple but delicious confection was the crowd's favorite. The guests loved them so much that I had to replenish the tray frequently. What made them so good was the crisp crust, topped with a rich and creamy whipped cream and the tangy raspberry coulis. Such a perfect combo of color and taste.

Red Velvet Christmas Cupcakes

These festive red velvet cupcakes  were absolutely beautiful. They brought out the holiday mood with their strikingly bright red color and decorative toppings.  Perfect for the holiday celebration.

Gingerbread House

It's Christmas once again. My preparations for the much awaited Christmas brunch are in full swing. I am in-charge of all the sweet treats there is. I spent weeks stocking up on my supplies, making sure I got everything needed before the big event. I planned and organized the tasks assigned to me and focused on their completion on time. I do not want a repeat of the past two Christmasses where my work was behind schedule. (That's what happens when someone works alone).  Besides, with my family and  friend visiting, I want to be ahead of the game so I can at least spend time with them.

Xin Nian Kuai Le

Wishing my Chinese families, friends, readers, former students and colleagues a prosperous Lunar New Year 2015. Gong Xi Fa Cai!!!!

Loy Krathong Celebration 2014

Krathongs

My recent trip to Bangkok to visit my family was so timely. I arrived just in time to see the 'festival of lights' celebration at the school where my sister works.  The festivities include ceremony, games and of course food fair! Faculty, staff, students and their parents wore a Thai traditional costume to mark the occasion. Here are the highlights of this year's Loy Krathong Festival at Niva International School.

My Chinese New Year Celebration, Italian Food and My Favorite Hangout Place

I was glad Chinese New Year fell on my day off. If I were  in Bangkok, people would find me in the kitchen cooking Chinese dishes. I live a long way from my family and friends now so I went to celebrate the holiday on my own. I searched for any restaurant where I could get something Chinese. I found  one  listed on the internet which serves dim sum but the restaurant was out-of-the-way. I wanted to find a place with an easy access to the beach so I could enjoy my meal in a nice surrounding. Although my workplace is just a couple meters away from the beach  I don't really get to enjoy the water. 

Fast forward, I went to the main tourist area where restaurants and shops lined the streets.  I would have more chances of finding a good restaurant. I walked past Japanese restaurant. I could have gyoza. It resembles dumplings. Nah.  I'd better look for more. I hadn't gotten that far when I spotted a sign of Duomo Italian restaurant. I'm a big Italian food fan but the beach was nowhere in sight. It was almost lunch time. I was starving. Not a good time to be choosy.I peeked through the glass door of the restaurant. The ladies were just setting  the table. I asked if they were ready for business and one lady walked me to my table. 

Xi Nian Kuai Le - Happy New Year

Wishing all my former Chinese students, readers and friends a very Happy Lunar New Year!!!  May you enjoy your time with your families as you usher in 2014. Gong Xi Fa Cai!

Welcoming the New Year 2014

The cold room

Many people say working on New Year's eve sucks. This was the first time I was ever close to welcoming New Year at work and I must say it felt great. Not the work load but the chance to meet people from all over :) I helped oversee  dessert section  at our gala dinner and I got to talk to every visitor in the room. Managing fondue was fun too. Kids looked cute acting like they're big boys and girls who could dip their fruit and marshmallows into the chocolate mixture on their own. They're just adorable.I really wanted to stay until fireworks display but I was totally drained that night having been at work since 5 in the morning. Anyway, it was a New Year's eve to remember.

Loy Krathong Festival 2013

It is this time of the year when Thai people  flock to a river, canal or pond to float their krathongs (floating boat or floating decoration) which symbolizes  letting go of anger, hatred and defilements. Many Thais, however,  use krathongs to thank the Water Goddess, Phra Mae Khongkha (WIKI). For others, it is a time to pay respect to Buddha and ask the Goddess for forgiveness  for polluting the rivers. As for me, this was a chance to take my mind off the heartbreaking situation in my country. Well, at least for a moment joining in the merrymaking did help.

So I was with two friends. We went to the main beach where locals and tourists alike gathered together to celebrate the festival. We brought our krathongs with us. We walked through a crowded walking street. Stalls selling food, drinks and floating decorations lined both sides of the streets. It was busy.

Songkran (Thai New Year Festival) at NIS

I attended NIS Songkran Celebration a couple weeks back. Songkran is the traditional Thai New Year. It is celebrated with water fights/splashing water over people.  The splashing water symbolizes the washing away of bad things.

My Valentine's Day Creations

The hotel's restaurant was booked for Valentine's Day celebrations. There were meetings and huge gatherings scheduled this week. Each kitchen staff was assigned to a specific task.  I was asked to make desserts for ala carte dining and individual cakes to be sold at the restaurant's bar. Since the colors red and pink represent Valentine's Day, I opted for strawberry mousse cake and black forest cake with cherry filling on top. I was also requested to make fruit tarts for Valentine's day dinner.

Celebrating Chinese New Year

My circle of friends had been asking when the Friday night dinner would resume. I have my hands full at work .  I'm too exhausted by the time I get home. My sister does most of the cooking these days.

Because it's Chinese New Year,  I made an exception. I gathered the girlfriends for New Year celebrations. Everyone was delighted when I announced  I'd be cooking. The long wait was over.

Seasons Greetings and Best Wishes for the New Year

It has been 13 years since my last Filipino Christmas. Today, I will be flying to Philippines to spend  the holidays and will be returning to the blogosphere after New Year. I wish everyone love, peace, joy and good health in 2013. God bless us all!

A Rather Unique Belated Thanksgiving Dinner

Wonder what's all these random food? My friend Kath wanted to have a Thanksgiving dinner  before she returned to the US. Her mom made a special vegetarian menu exclusively for the occasion.  My family were invited. Saturday came, I went to see her and found the whole house full of smoke. The oven  gas pipe leaked when her mom turned the oven on  and spew massive black smoke. Long story short,  Kath's mom was unable to cook anything that day. Despite of what happened we still wanted to stick around. My sister brought food from the cafeteria. Kath went out to get some vegetarian dishes. It was not something we anticipated but we were just thankful that the house did not burn down. Thank God!

Loy Krathong Festival at NIVA International Kindergarten

Thailand celebrates Loy Krathong annually. It is celebrated on  the evening of the full moon of the 12th month in Thai Lunar Calendar. People make their krathongs (lotus-shaped lanterns) and float (loy) them in the river to pay respect to the Buddha and to ask for forgiveness from the water goddess Ganga for polluting the rivers.

On Wednesday, NIVA International Kindergarten celebrated Loy Krathong. I was invited by my sister mainly because she knew there would be a lot of different types of Thai dessert that I could blog about. Here are some of them.

Look choop is Thai sweet candy made from steamed green mung beans, coconut and sugar. When the mixture is cooked, it is then molded into the shape of vegetables and fruits and dyed with food color.

Thanksgiving Dinner at Mark's and AFF Suzuki Cup 2012

My weekend was full of food, fun and laughter. I had never been this busy on a weekend for ages. I attended two events on Saturday. One was the Thanksgiving dinner a friend hosted. The other one was the ASEAN Football Federation Suzuki Cup 2012 held at Rajamangala National Stadium.

On Saturday I went to a Thanksgiving celebration at a friend's house.  Mark's family has the tradition to throw a Thanksgiving potluck for all their friends, former Thai students and colleagues every year.  He invited me a few weeks back. It's been a while since my last Thanksgiving so I did not refuse the invitation.

It was a potluck dinner held at Mark's residence. Every one/group showed up with a dish or dessert. My two friends and I brought pumpkin pie. Mark roasted  turkey. He also prepared bean salsa and a cabbage dish. His former Thai students had never had roast turkey so they were all excited to try it. When the turkey was served , the irresistible aroma filled the air and his former students were the first to gather round the dining table to get their share.