Livin' La Vida Donya

Wouldn't you want to wake up to these?  If you know me, you'd know I looooove breakfast cookery. And someday, I'd love to have a bed and breakfast in the countryside, probably a cottage, overlooking a lake or even near Niagara Falls. I'd spoil my guests with breakfast items that will surely lure them out of their beds (Yes.... this has been my technique with my husband too. Easiest way to get him up early on the weekends - so I can later on convince him of my real plan of going to a farmer's market [insert evil laugh]. Believe me, it's tried and tested and guaranteed .) Eggs Benedict  (or sometimes called Eggs Benny or Bennies ) is a beautiful marriage that is an open-faced sandwich traditionally composed of an English muffin topped with ham, a poached egg, and a dollop of hollandaise sauce. You'd think by the name of this, it would've come from a count or a duke from Europe. But unfortunately this did not originate from the French or the Britis...

This just felt like home. I wanted a comforting dish and this hit the spot.  Perfect for cold weather or for emotional moments.  I love chicken and I love biscuits. What a glorious combination! It's super rich and calorific but let yourself indulge once in a while. It's not like you'll eat this everyday. Remember, I eat what I crave. And it took me about 3 days until I finally satisfied this itch. I didn't have any carrots or celery but that didn't stop me. I'll be honest. I measure with feel, weight, sight, and taste when I cook. I seldom actually use measuring cups and spoons.  In Tagalog, it's termed as " tancha " - to guesstimate. Of course this is different when I bake because baking needs to be exact. But when I cook, I let my senses direct me if I want more or less of something. If the mixture isn't thick enough, the food isn't salty enough, or sweet enough, I'll add or subtract as I go. The smell, visual appeal, feel, c...

We've travelled to Montreal, Quebec a couple of times and its charm continues to draw us back. The first time we had a glimpse of Montreal, this was a literal quick-stop. Our friends at that time wanted to take home some smoked meat and they were raving about it like it was gold. So coming home from our trip, we passed by Montreal and did an extraction (drop off, taking what you need, and dashing out as quickly as possible). We bought a few pounds of smoked meat, Portuguese roasted chicken, and potatoes (the shop beside had roasted chicken). The glorious smell in the car was just too much. We pulled over and ate. That sounded too refined. WE ATE! And that brisket? I'm drooling now just thinking about it. It was like butter. Thank you, Schwartz ( You've literally changed us and our palate. Yes, you are gold. ) So now, every time we make a trip to Montreal or pass it on our way home, no doubt we take home a few pounds of this buttery-should-be-illegal-yummsies. Fir...