What a difference seasoned rice made to rolled sushi

It had been the third week that our  Friday night dinner was cancelled. One friend went back to the Philippines for the summer, the other was busy touring her friends around.  Because of our friends' absence,   Ate ( term for elder/eldest sister in Philippines) and I had loads of time to whip up something nice for the children's potluck at church on Saturday. We decided to make sushi.

Not so long ago I made rolled sushi without any guidelines .I used plain Japanese rice and sliced vegetable for filling. They did not come close to what we had at Japanese Restaurant. This batch we made was based on the recipe we found at the back of the nori sheet package. The instruction said to season rice with salt, sugar and vinegar before use. I followed the instruction. Ate and I were surprised at how tasty the rice had become.

Royce's Macha Green Tea Chocolate

My sister and I found a new favorite - Royce's Macha Green Tea chocolate. We had our first taste when our friend Kru Jang brought a box  from her trip to Japan in April. We were immediately mesmerized.

A couple weeks ago, one of the kindergartner's dad who is a pilot asked the kindergarten teachers what would they want  from Japan, his next stop. They all said the same thing. Macha Green Tea Flavored Chocolate from Royce. He brought home not just one but four boxes. One box for each. We were thrilled!

This melt-in-your-mouth chocolate is Oishi!

Making pancakes takes me back to the time when I've had my first Pancake Day the Irish way

When I was in China, I had met and embraced diverse group of  people, locals and foreign alike. So many that if I were to list their names, it would take ages for me to finish it. No Joke! (I had lived in 6 Chinese provinces and explored 7 other provinces) Those people I had met while living and traveling made my life exciting, helped broaden my perspective, taught me things I had never known and introduced me to new cultures, cuisine and holidays.

Krispy Kream doghnuts were worth the wait (edited)

The downside of living overseas is not being able to keep up to date with the recent happenings back home. In September 2010, Krispy Kream had opened its first branch in Bangkok. I first heard about  the doughnut store from my Pinay partner/classmate Cha at the culinary school here.  It was her who told me that the store was all over Manila ( It has more than 30 stores in Philippines). She raved how good their baked goodies were and suggested I try them when I get the chance. Upon learning their only shop was way too far from where I live I procrastinated.

It wasn't long before I remembered I hadn't gone to check their store at Siam Paragon when I saw  a box of  Krispy Kream doughnut sitting on the dining table at a friend's house. My friend offered it to me.  I did not hesitate. That was my first Krispy Kream experience - definitely not my last.

Salmon Sinigang ( Salmon in Lemon Based Soup)

Despite my love affair with cookbooks,  I seldom consult them when I cook. I like the spontaneity and creativity in constructing dishes from scratch. The amounts and tastes are mostly my estimation.

Friday night dinner was salmon sinigang. I have been using salmon in my sinigang  since I learned that rendered salmon oil adds rich flavor to soups. I was at the grocery Thursday and found salmon head and scraps in the shelf. My sis and I had been craving for sinigang so I bought the fish instantly.

What is sinigang? It is a Filipino dish of meat or seafood which uses sour as the base of the soup. Although the original recipe calls for tamarind, I use lemon juice each time I make sinigang as lemons are readily available in stores and markets year-round.