Wifely Steps

Ginisang ampalaya (sauteed bitter gourd) has become one of our favorite dishes at home, especially with a new ingredient introduced to the saute: fried tofu!
Thanks to Jeanny for suggesting that I try minced tofu. I like my tofu fried, so that’s what I tried.

Fry the tofu in oil till golden brown on all sides. [...]

Frustration is a bottle of curry paste you just can’t get open. Let me explain.
I was all set to make Okra Curry two nights ago. The ingredients were complete. I didn’t have raw ingredients for curry, so store-bought paste it was. On the way home, I was bubbling with excitement! I was craving for vegetables [...]

Kamote (sweet potato) is a staple at my grandparents’ home. My grandmother has kamote with all her meals. It would usually be boiled kamote, which she would mash down with her fork. She considers it a healthier substitute for rice, so she would eat viands with the kamote mash.
While that’s delicious, I prefer my kamote [...]

Ginisang ampalaya (sauteed bitter gourd) is healthy comfort food. Ampalaya is one of the most misjudged vegetables. It does have a very bitter taste after all. But when prepared in a particular way, ampalaya can be delectable and “crave-able.” That strong craving got me out of my cooking drought the other night, and I was [...]

I love the sizzling sounds onion rings make when they hit the hot pan. I love the aroma it gives while sauteing. Best of all, I love its uncomplicated sweetness. The simple, homey flavor of wilted, almost-caramelized onions is one of my favorite gustatory delights.
Caramelizing onions is easy. Get your oiled pan nice and hot, [...]

Queso de Bola is one of the good foodie things about the holidays. But what happens when the holidays are over and there’s still so much cheese left over? You think of other ways to enjoy it aside from its regular sliced version. We didn’t want the cheese to go to waste so we enjoyed [...]

“Wifey, will you cook pasta?,” asked my husband as we were planning our New Year’s eve dinner. My lazy bones wanted to scream “No!”, my clogged nose wanted to say “Uh-uh!”, but my heart won over those two sickly body parts and said, “Of course!” Cooking took a huge backseat for me in ‘08, going [...]

I had my first taste of Hot Toddy a few nights ago. New things are always good to try, so I went for it. This Toddy was hot, fierce and soothing. My senses were offended at first, but after giving this Toddy several chances, I began to fall in love with… it. Lest you think [...]

This is Part 2 of my 3-part interview with Jay David, a.k.a. popular blogger Batjay. In Part 1 of our interview, Batjay wrote his 12-year-old self a letter. He’s incredibly witty and funny. He’s not only a clown though, he’s the healthiest and most kickass 40-year-old I know. In this part of the interview, he [...]

Christmas decorations are up in malls. Christmas songs are playing all over. Christmas crafts books and cookbooks are on display in bookstores. Last week, I felt the Christmas spirit creep up on me and I’ve been super giddy about Christmas since!
And then I went online to watch these awesome Nigella Lawson holiday recipe videos. After [...]