Birthday Extravaganza

It is not in my sister's nature to celebrate her birthday with lavish gathering but this year, she marked her birthday with a month-long celebrations  starting with a sumptuous feast at Beirut Restaurant on Ploenchit Road.

As usual we had hummus, pita bread, Greek salad, Moussaka, lamb kebab and some dishes I couldn't remember the names. And as expected, they were yummylicious!

Mandarin Oriental at Siam Paragon

On the day  I met my French friend I was scheduled to go to China Town to see if I could find a "princess" figurine to put on KC's cake. I thought of cancelling my trip so I could talk more with my friend but lunch was rather quick. I looked at my watch and saw that I had plenty of time to kill before dusk. When we paid our bills, I told him about my plan to go to the baking ingredients/equipment shop. He wanted to go. So off we went.

We checked  the shops I was familiar with for the "princess" figurine but to no avail. After hours of walking we decided to go to Siam Paragon for a late dessert. We walked around a bit. Many shops were busy. When we passed by Mandarin Oriental Shop and saw that it was quiet, we went in.

Lunch at The Loft

In my circle of friends at Le Cordon Bleu Dusit Culinary School, rendezvous is often done at the restaurant dining table. Meeting is incomplete without a meal.

A couple of weeks back, I received a text message from my French friend and classmate at the culinary school saying he  was in the country. We hadn't seen each other since our graduation  in July 2010. He asked if we could meet. I wouldn't miss it for the world so I said yes right away.. I suggested The Loft as our meeting place. The place is the same one where I had my birthday dinner in October 2011. The food is great and the place is quiet. The other favorite of me and my culinary friends  is Siam Paragon but it is always bustling with people.

When we got to the place, we chose a table close to the glass window overlooking the main road. Then we went around to look for food.

KC's Princess Cake

Nothing is more fun than using your imagination to create something special. Like I said in my previous entry, I was asked to make cakes for KC's 2 birthday celebrations. I made a "crown" cake on Friday. For the big event on Sunday, I created a special princess cake designed by me and my sister.

I used the same recipe for chocolate cake and frosting like the "crown" cake. Only this time the colors were different.

Happy Third Birthday KC!

 I take pleasure in making customized cakes. Although they need a lot of  patience and concentration, they give you a delightful feeling once you see your hard work pays off.

 KC turns 3 on Sunday. She's having two parties. One was held today for all her friends and classmates at the kindergarten where she goes. The second party will be at her house on the day of her birthday for family and friends. I was commissioned to make her 2 cakes. She wanted a Princess-themed party.

Creamy Ditalini Soup

Pasta is my kind of comfort food. Whatever kind there is, whichever way it is cooked , I never tire of eating pasta. It's the type of food that takes uncomplicated preparations. For me, nothing is more comforting than eating pasta after a long day's work.

One of my favorite Filipino dishes is sopas or creamy macaroni soup. The original recipe calls for macaroni. The last time I visited the grocery macaroni was out of stock and Ditalini was the ones available.I still bought them as I was craving for this dish.

Bakery Training in Phuket

Mission Bakeshop sent me to Phuket for a two-day bakery training. I documented my bakery experience through photos I took while learning with professionals. Here are some of them.