OUR AWESOME PLANET: October 2007

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Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Piece of Cake Gourmet Cupcakes by Yumi Castillo

meet the bakers, originally uploaded by yummymag. (click here for bigger size)

Ever since Sonja created the Cupcake Craze in the Philippines, we've seen almost all bakers creating their own cupcake version. Just check out the Baker's Fair in Rockwell, and you'll be overwhelmed with the cupcake varieties to choose from. I would have to agree with Lori's description of Yumi Castillo's Piece of Cake, Gourmet Cupcakes in her article, Cupcakes in the Courtroom.

Most of the cupcakes I tasted during the September Baker's Fair were dependent on the icing to bring about the flavor of the cupcake, but not Yumi's Cupcakes. We liked the cupcake itself because it was moist and because of its inherent flavor.

We just hate it when we put the pastries in the refrigerator, it would harden and then it won't go back to its original form/taste when eaten at room temperature, but not Yumi's cupcakes.

It was great that she got featured in Yummy's November issue in the Meet the Bakers article where she shared the recipe of Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcake. Well deserved feature! Clap Clap!

The mini-Cupcakes were our favorite! You can't resist these small pieces of cupcake heaven. But just a warning, once you've tried one, you won't stop until you finish all of them.

For the mini cupcakes, it's Php360 for 24 pcs (minimum order). You can choose max of 6 assorted frostings either on a set of white vanilla cupcakes or on a set of dark chocolate cupcakes.

Piece of Cake by Yumi Castrillo
Gourmet Cupcakes | Minimum order: 12 pieces (1 dozen) | Piece of Cupcake Flyer | Order at least 3 days in advance | Keeps fresh refrigerated for 5 days | Serve at Room Temperature | Cupcake towers, personalized cupcakes, and single cupcakes available for parties and events.

+63917.8054063 or +63917 788 0996 | inquiries@yummypieceofcake.com | www.yummypieceofcake.com | Yumi Piece of Cake Flickr Photo Blog

October 31, 2007 in 07. Foodie Discoveries | Permalink | Comments (10) | TrackBack

Fish Out of Water, First @ Greenbelt 5

"Fish Out of Water is Red Crab's venture into a more sophisticated seafood dining experience. But more than that, it is our small way of paying tribute to a nation of voyagers and conquerors. It is our way of saluting how great people from a small nation can embrace and champion global colors, flavors, cultures and ways of lives."

The concept of this pioneering restaurant in Greenbelt 5 was quite admirable. It is a tribute to Filipinos who were very successful outside the Philippines and brought pride to our country. All of us have our own fish-out-of-water stories of our balikbayan relatives. Like the story of my brother, Lorenz who is a successful SAP consultant in the U.S. and met his lovely wife, Carmina in Singles for Christ in LA. This is a positive look at Filipinos who chose to migrate in the outside the Philippines in search of a better future.

The restaurant is a high-end version of Red Crab with a simple well lighted ambiance, wavy ceiling and a kitchen with circle windows that resembled those in the submarine. The service crew was friendly and you can easily feel at home despite its modern ambiance.

The food is a fusion of Kapampangan and European/ Mediterranean cuisine. I must admit, it was an interesting mix and the concept works. We ate on the first day of their opening and the appetizers, entrees were quite good. We ordered the Set Menu for lunch (because their ala carte was not yet available) which were reasonably priced for a 5-course meal with a serving size that may be good for two people.

Fish Out of Water Stories. We don't know most of these stories and thanks to Red Crab for immortalizing these stories in the restaurant. Do you have your own Fish-out-of-water story?

Manila Men - First Filipinos in America
Enrique - First Around the Globe
Lilia Clemente - Wonder Woman of Wall Street
Carlos Bulosan - Foremost Novelist of the Fil-Am Experience
Vicky Manalo Draves - Two Time Olympic Gold Winner
Pancho Villa - First Asian World Flyweight Boxing Champion
Jose Aruego - Well -loved Children's Book Illustrator
Pacita Abad - Ivatan Gypsy Artist
Byron Acohido & Alex Tizon - Pulitzer Prize Winning Journalists
Peter Aduja - First High-Ranking US Public Official
Cristeta Comerford - Toque of the Town

Fish Out of Water Kitchen.

We ordered the 5-course Set Menu B (Php 695++) and Set Menu C (Php 595++) for lunch with the family. We were waiting for Baby Joshua to come out and we decided to explore Greenbelt 5.

Appetizer

[Set C] Smoked Fish Samosas. with pureed roasted vegetables. The smoke fish pate used in the samosas was a winner. It was creamy and not malansa.

[Set B] Fried Froglegs with Peach Chipotle Sauce. Only the Capampangans can make this look and taste good. It taste like chicken with a texture of seafood meat. The sauce had a sweet peach taste.

Soup

Autumn Pumpkin Soup with Roasted Kasuy and Bacon. Order an extra serving of this soup because the pumpkin soup explodes with the accent taste of the kasuy and crispy texture of bacon.

Salad

[Set C] Warm Saluyot Salad with Wild Berry Vinaigrette. Just a friendly advise from a blogger, include more saluyot leaves into the salad and please improve the vinaigrette.

[Set B] Grilled Chicken Couscous Salad with Herb-Yogurt Dressing. The chicken and couscous mix was devastated by the herb yogurt dressing. I love couscous and this was not the way to enjoy it.

Main Entree

[Set C] Grilled Sarangani Bay Milkfish Belly with Lucban Longganiza Risotto. This looks like your ordinary bangus belly rice topping but the risotto and the sauce makes it a sosy italian version.

[Set B] Wild Boar Tapa with Sauteed Carrots, Raspberry Tea Couscous. I'm not a fan of wild boar tapa but I love almost anything with couscous. This is a perfect combination.

Dessert

Dessert Sampler: Tropical Sorbet, Barako Cheesecake, Dried Mango Rum Pudding. They should hire a new pastry chef if they want to have awesome desserts. Forgettable dessert sampler.

Fish Out of Water, 3rd Floor Greenbelt 5
Jerry Burog +63 915 864 0248 for reservations.

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October 31, 2007 in 04. Restaurants that are worth to try once, 37. The Best of Makati | Permalink | Comments (12) | TrackBack

Thursday, October 25, 2007

Baby 4 is coming to town :)

My wife is about to give birth maybe tonight or tomorrow. I'm signing off for now and you may follow developments via Twitter. We are happy that we will see Baby 4 soon and at the same time, a bit sad because we won't be able to attend my big brother's wedding in Caleruega/ Balai Taal. Also, Aidan is the ring bearer so we will miss seeing him walk in Caleruega. For those wondering what is the name of Baby 4, check out Rache's post on Baby 4.

Thanks for all the prayers and support!!

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October 25, 2007 in 08. Personal Family Posts | Permalink | Comments (30)

Monday, October 22, 2007

SM Science and Discovery Center (Level 2)

If you think level 1 is cool, you should check out the Robotics section in level 2! I liked the focus of Level 2 on our environment and this is where I want to bring Aidan every time. I like him to be environmentally conscious when he grows up.

Thanks to the futuristic staff of SM Science and Discovery Center!! They are very friendly and they helped me take care of Aidan.

Level 2 Map Bigger Size

Virtual Reef
More than just a natural resource, find out why our sea are worth saving and why its beauty is considered one of the best in the world. Experience life underwater and befriend a digitized member of the deep-sea community - Mr. T!

I loved the recreation of this reef virtually and I think the setup works.

The star of virtual reef is the talking Titan fish from Verde Island called Mr. T!

You can ask Mr. T about anything about his life in the sea. So think about the question you have been dying to ask a fish...

Robot Inc
No longer exclusive to the silverscreen or to our imaginations and sci-fi novels, robots are now within our everyday human reach, and the ones who have gone down in history are honored in the gallery's Wall of Fame.

You can play Robot Wars in this interactive battle.

Robot Inc's Gallery Wall of Fame - Can you identify them?

Of course, our generations beloved Astroboy. I missed a photo opportunity here where I should have ask Aidan to mimic Astroboy's pose.

The robotics gallery won't be complete without R2 D2. I'm sure Aidan don't have a clue who these robots are.

City Science
Discover what makes the city you live in tick, with its models of architectural wonders to have broken the barriers of height and technical innovation. Experience also the earthquake simulator platform, which demonstrates how tremors affect buildings.

At this point of Aidan's age, I think this would be considered boring for now.

Why is it that the Philippines doesn't have one of the world's tallest building? Maybe, this is something Mr. Sy can consider putting up to show the world what Filipinos can do.

This is the platform that can simulate an intensity 4 earthquake! Aidan be careful!

Lego Mindstorm Robotic Center
By building and programming robots in a step-by-step learning process, you get to put your knowledge into practice, challenging both skill and imagination. Lego Mindstorm lets you build and program robots to do what you want.

They hold robotics learning session for P395 which includes entrance to the discovery center except for the Planetarium show.

Here is a closer look of the robotics class. Now, this is something the MEM class of DLSU would be proud of.

Life Clock
A two-level futuristic structure, Life Clock features The Time Capsule - a computer console that lets you send e-mail messages to the future, making you receive mail in 2008 that you sent in 2007!

This is awesome if they can send the messages after a year or so. Don't forget to send a love letter in the future!

Spaceship Earth
Literally treating the planet as an advanced organic ship in which we all have parts to play, Spaceship Earth gives us a tour around the current condition of the massive vehicle called Earth that we all operate in our own little way.

Interesting environmental show that you shouldn't miss.

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October 22, 2007 in 09. Best Places to Bring Your Kid | Permalink | Comments (33)

SM Science and Discovery Center (Level 1)

"Have you ever wondered what the future is like and what it holds for everyone? Welcome to the SM Science Discovery Center, where you get to experience tomorrow's technology today!"

One thing is for sure, the SM Science Discovery Center will have a big impact on Aidan's generation. You don't have to go Singapore to experience a similar Science Discovery Center where you can teach your kids how science and technology will affect our lives. I also liked the environmental focus of the Science Discovery Center and it will teach Filipinos to be sensitive about our environment. My sincere thanks to the Sy Family for creating this Discovery Center.

I took a leap of faith as I paid P330/person entrance fee for myself and Aidan on the opening of Science Discovery Center last Saturday. Only one year old kids and below are free. Just think about going to Singapore to enjoy something like this and the P330 will be a bargain. Don't compare it to your playtime in Timezone because this is an educational center and more hi-tech than your usual recreational game center. Remember your field trip to the now dilapidated Planetarium in Manila? The new generation will now enjoy the awesome Planetarium inside the Discovery Center.

I do hope they have an frequent pass (good 1 or 2 years) like they do in Singapore because you can only do as much in one visit. This is a good brainwashing tool for your kids to learn to love science and technology. I know families who still avoid Mall of Asia because of the crowd. But the opening of Science Discovery Center would definitely give them a reason to go to MOA.

As you enter the Discovery Center, you'll admire how futuristic the planetarium is. I love it!

Level 1 Map Big Size

Digitar Planetarium
Complete with star field and astronomical capabilities plus digital surround sound, our dome-screened 158-seat Digistar Planetarium creates environment that completely immerse you in images that educate through fun.

Currently, Digistar Planetarium presents "The Search for Life: Are We Alone?" narrated by Harrison Ford. Too bad, I cannot keep Aidan seated because the surround sound audio was too much for him.

The Search for Life: Are We Alone? Synopsis

For ages, people have looked to the stars with inquisitive and dreaming minds. Sailors and farmers have found guidance in them; poets and lovers, inspiration; scientists and scholars, answers. But everyone who has ever looked heavenward has also found questions in the cosmos. Perhaps the most common question pondered over thousands of years is, "Are we Alone?"

Check out the 180 degrees planetarium screen! Usually the planetarium shows are shown 40 minutes apart. So there is plenty of opportunity to watch the show. I would not recommend it for toddlers.

Media City
Experience the latest in software and trends in digital information and computer graphics, including the Gesture Xtreme Virtual Games.

Transport yourself into a basketball game and play interactively with virtual players.

Virtual Soccer perhaps?

Aidan's favorite --- the drums!

Here is a closer look and drums would make a sound if you touch it virtually.

A closer look of Aidan's soccer game. You can kick the ball. It is amazing to see this kind of technology in the Philippines.

I tried to play the volleyball but I would rather take this picture.

Grossology Exhibit
Besides entertaining features that reveal how burping happens ("Burp Man") and how the kidneys work ("Urine: The Game"), Grossology also offers games involving educational Q-and-A's about grossness and identifying different bodily odors.

This is fun to play with friends. Check out the sample questions below...

answer is 3. Guts!

This is gross and you need to smell and distinguish morning breath, stinky feet or stinky armpit.

"Sniff Sniff. Peeeeee Yuuuuuu! People stink. Our bodies are home to some very stinky creatures called bacteria. They love to eat sweat. Armpits and feet are covered with oozing sweat pores. Once the bacteria munch on ti -- stink city. What causes the stink? It's the waste products from the bacteria. Inside your mouth live millions of bacteria. During sleep, your mouth stays quiet while bacteria feast on food particles, reproduce, and make wastes. The result is slimy "Morning Mouth." Bacteria also make some toots smell bad. Inside your large intestine or colon, bacteria gobble leftover food and make two very stinky chemicals -- indole (IN dohl) and Skatole. "

Mr. Burp Man! What happens if there is too much gas pressure in the stomach? Pump up the gas and see!

Or maybe Urine: The Game is your kind of game? You can't find this in Timezone, definitely.

Transportation Nation
Have a tour inside the engines that will drive tomorrow's vehicles and experience the operation of power and the complex technical processes that occur within the objects that have literally brought us to where we are today.

This is Aidan's favorite place in Science Discovery Center.

He can be in the cockpit of the planes and fly it! Look where you are going, Aidan!

Futuristic modes of transportation. Aidan, I think that is off limits!

Or maybe, you want to design and build your own car virtually?

Imageport by Digi Print
Image Port showcases the latest in green screen technology. This allow guests to be superimposed on various backgrounds with the help of computer editing through available software programs. Photos may be downloaded and printed on specially themed Science Discovery Center merchandise.

You can try out this cool greencast technology from digiprint. The cheapest photo would cost you P70.