Wednesday, April 24, 2013
TAMPO
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Polaroids from Firenze
I welcome myself back to blogging this 2013!
big hug,
joanie xxx
Saturday, May 19, 2012
Food Revolution Day -- PHILIPPINES!

Today is the global Food Revolution Day and I am posting this blog despite my long absence of writing some post because this is a very important day for me as the Philippine Ambassador of this movement. I am very happy to bring the awareness in my country and had some positive help from few people who made these events possible!



Loads of Love everyone! :-)
big hug,
joanie xxx
Sunday, April 08, 2012
Uova di Pasqua Semplici
Truffles or Tartufo is one of the most expensive culinary delights that we have in our food landscape. It was my first time to cook this dish when I was in my scuola cucina in Firenze. This mushroom has a strong flavor that should stand out in a dish. Covering it with other flavors and spices will defeat its purpose as a very flavorful food. We have to capture the exquisite taste and savor the expensive bite in our palette.

For me this is the best yet the simplest craving I had so far...
Happy Easter Amico e Amica!
big hug,
joanie xxx
Thursday, March 08, 2012
Marcella Ansaldo
Ciao Italia, Australia, Vietnam e Filipinas!I also have a huge passion for cooking and that is the main reason why I went to Italy. And because of that good fate, I met my mentor and my good friend. I can now say that my Italian cooking knowledge is quite diverse. My palette is now trained to know what is right and wrong when it comes to Italian cuisine. Most of all, the number one thing that changed my cooking behavior is learning to tame the amount of flavor and spices I put in the food I cook. Now what will always resonate in my memory is whenever Marcella will yell at me the word "BASTA!" (which means stop) every time I put too much pepper in the dish I cook. Italian food is simple and it's always about fresh and good quality ingredients. From those learning I appreciate good food more.
Mi Manchi Marcella :)
big hug,
joanie xxx
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Ti Amo e Ti Voglio Bene

Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Simone Massoni's 2012 Typeface Calendar




Sunday, January 01, 2012
2012 Begins at Italia: A diverted path!
My culinary studies just finished last December then I have to move to Milano for a freelance work. It has been a very very beautiful student life I had in Firenze. To study cooking in Italy is the most wise decision I have made in my life so far. It costed me a million in Philippine peso for everything from school, food, lodging & airfare but the experience I gained is ten times worth than a million pesos! I could've bought an SUV car but riding it wouldn't make me tell priceless stories like what I have gained now. And this blog will be my venue to articulate all those life changing experiences I had.
Experience is something money can't buy and something that no one can steal away from you. I can claim that I am a millionaire when it comes to that as compared to my money in my bank account. Experience go hand-in-hand with people. I gained not just experiences but valuable people whom I can forever keep in every corner of my heart. Each of them occupies a space. And to name a few I just have to mention my culinary teacher--Marcella then others like Daniela, Cosimo, Rita, Jurgens and Massimilliano!
Parking my fingers now and should end this blog post now...
Buon Anno a tutti!!!
big hug,
joanie xxx
Monday, December 12, 2011
Natale in Italia by Surprise!
How time flies and before I knew it, it's Christmas already. My blog have slept for two months and I couldn't believe it. I have never been missing in action this long! I miss blogging. Come to think of it, there are so many stories to write and so many food photos to post. I have been away and busy for millions of reasons and it's 99.9% positive. I should've been in London at this point and getting ready for the English holiday but sometimes fate has something else in store for each and everyone of us. I am deeply surprised that I am still here in Italy and would spend my first Christmas with snow.
I have been enjoying my culinary studies and Florentine life for the past 3 months that made me think that I'd love to spend my Christmas here. It came to the point that I will do everything just to extend my stay. So many options involved and one of those is studying their language. Well in my heart I'd really love to study it. I would like to see myself to be well-verse in having an Italian conversation. I went on different mazes but it didn't work out. So I just concluded that maybe fate has really planned my life to be in London for Christmas according to my itinerary. Then again it's amazing how fate played it's game on me. What a pleasant surprise that I will have a freelance work in Milano. Up to when? I don't know yet. The good thing is--there is a reason now for me to stay longer in Italy. Opportunity just paved its way!
I just wanted to say hi to my blog today. I am quite very sick and staying at home dealing with my cough and slight fever. It's the weather that I am not accustomed to. Winter is approaching and I really hope that my body can adapt to it. I promise to post more as I back track what happened since October and November. The biggest highlight was--my second solo painting exhibition in Florence. I will surely post the photos here.
The picture above of Ribes & Wine cake is now my favorite cake to do. My recent fixation after discovering the small red berry fruit called Ribes.
Ciao , ciao alla prossima! :-)
big hug,
joanie xxx
Friday, September 30, 2011
Genovese Pesto - Saigon & Florence
How time flies that every time I will find time to blog, weeks passed by already and September is ending tomorrow. I have been learning a lot from my cooking school with my dearest teacher Chef Marcella and figo Chef Damiano. One of the remarkable learning I had so far is doing the authentic Genovese pesto. This Italian pasta dish hails from Liguria region and from the province of Genova. I learned that you never cook a pesto which I usually do in my own style and sometimes put bacon on top or chicken. I remember how my Italian boss said it's bastardizing pesto when you add meat. Pesto is pesto in its simplest form and he was right because he is from Genova. So from that learning and new techniques I learned from my Italian teachers, pesto is now one of my favorite staple pasta dishes.
If you notice the picture of my pasta on top which I did when I was still in Saigon, it's quite a bit oily and dark. This one with the linguine pasta is refreshingly green and not oily. How lovely this pasta especially putting my new favorite Pecorino Romano from sheep milk. And the word Pecorino derives from the word Pecora which means sheep. What also excites me doing this pesto sauce is because I have now few Basil pots at my veranda where I usually sits for breakfast and doing skype with my friends.
I have been out of town lately and I really promise to post separately the pictures of the town I visited. I visited the not so touristy places like Bologna, Lucca, Siena and Fiesole---they are nearby town in Florence. Quaint, beautiful and quiet. But of course I never fail to gaze nor explore the beautiful city of Firenze and one of my favorite spot is the Piazzale Michaelangelo. You will have there the overlooking of Florence with all its landmarks including the river and the cinematic Ponte Vecchio.
Ciao Bello and Bella! :-)
big hug,
joanie xxx
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Dolce Italia: Gelato & Panacotta
Buongiorno Sabato!
The past weeks I also familiarized myself on walking around the city from my house to different point areas like the city center where all the historical places are situated like the Duomo, Stazione Santa Maria Novella, Santa Croce and Punta Vecchio. I attempted to go to Boboli garden but I failed. Before reaching the area I got tired because there are pandemonium of tourist everywhere and it's friggin' hot. But there was this day that I succeeded to reach the Piazzale Michaleangelo which is on the hill overlooking the entire Florence. And I plan to go back again there today with my friend.
Last week I also met up my friend from Milano to have a whole day of fun in Bologna. I had two gelatos that day plus one giant pizza that we shared. We toured the center of the city where all the universities are situated and then we climbed Torre Asinelli and had a view of Bologna as a red city because of its terracotta color. As much as I wanted to avoid shopping, when there is a sale it's hard to resist---and so I did! Bologna was a fun day indeed :)
I've been learning a lot from my school. Food encyclopedia of Italy and the whole world is massive information that one person cannot learn in one day or in an instant. That's why I am here for few months to learn as much as I could. And I am proud to say that I have made my first fresh gelato with figs which I made at our school with the help of our chef teacher. Then as I try to exercise my expertise mastering the panacotta, I made one at home. The cream and milk were so good! I topped it with my preserved peaches (which I made in our school last week) to compliment or balance the good taste. I am looking forward to post more stories, arts & design, food photos, exciting information & trivia about Italy and of course recipes!
Ciao for now Bello & Bella!
big hug,
joanie xxx
Thursday, September 08, 2011
Goodbye Vietnam, Hello Italy!
Hope it's not the last time to say this greeting after leaving Vietnam last week. Yes you heard it right! After the long saga of waiting my Italian student visa, it arrived 6 days before I left Saigon. I had sleepless nights prior to that because of the uneasy feeling that I may not be granted one. Though, I am confident that they will because UK issued me a new visa, so I assumed another Schengen visa wouldn't be a hassle. But we never know 'til we get the stamp on our passport. And I am glad that they gave me one! It was very tiring packing my stuff from my apartment in 10 boxes and bidding goodbye to everyone.
My last cooking buffet in the cafe where I work as weekend chef was a big success. Unexpected number of guests arrived to avail the buffet menu as I bid farewell to my Vietnam culinary and advertising adventures. I can't thank enough all the people who manifested their heart-felt support in every little thing I do. So that's probably one of the things I would miss in Saigon.
MATCHA & CARAMEL SPONGE CAKE
Ingredients:
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
• 4 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons warm water
• 1/2 teaspoon real vanilla
• 2 cups cake flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tbsp Matcha powder (diluted in hot water)
• 1 pack Jello caramel
• Milk
• 1 cup cream
• Butter (of course)
Procedure:
Now beat at medium speed until the cake batter becomes shiny. The mixture should also turn a white color. Do not skip this step or reduce the mixing time. The longer you mix the batter, the more air bubbles you create. This is what makes sponge cake recipes light and fluffy. This step of the sponge cake recipe should take about 15 minutes.
Pour sponge cake batter into two round cake pans that have been greased with shortening well and liberally floured. If they haven't been greased and floured thoroughly, your sponge cake recipe will stick to the cake pans.
Bake Matcha sponge cake in a preheated 350 degrees Fahrenheit oven for approximately 25-30 minutes. The sponge cake should pull gently from the sides. It will be golden in color and spongy to the touch. It should spring back when touched. To be sure the sponge cake is done, test the center with a toothpick and see if it comes out clean. Do not open the oven while the sponge cake is baking. Remove the Matcha sponge cake from the oven and let cool on a wire rack for about 10-15 minutes before removing the cake from the cake pans. Let the sponge cake cool completely before putting the caramel pudding mixture. Just follow the instruction of jello pack when adding milk in the mixture then add some cream and butter and put it in a piping bag then top the sponge cake.
I dedicate this post to the birthday of our beloved Mother Mary...
Buon Contempleanno Vergine Maria! :-)
big hug,
joanie xxx
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Olives & Cherry Tomatoes Fusilli

How is it going with me lately? I am in a bit of afloat and pending mind. Tomorrow or Tuesday perhaps, I'll be finally receiving the result of my visa for Italy. Oh dear GOD, I still hold on to your promise-- positive result, thy will be done! Non-refundable air ticket- check! Tuition fee full payment- check! Housing reservation payment- check! Outbound air ticket from Milan to London on December-check! But the feeling of twirling and kinda twisted at the moment is how I juggle my mind--just like my dear pasta called Fusilli.


OLIVES & CHERRY TOMATOES FUSILLI
Ingredients:
• Aubergine Caviar (see my previous post for the recipe)
• Cherry tomatoes (sliced into halves)
• Green Olives ( sliced)
• Fusilli Pasta (boiled)
• Fresh Basil (chopped)
• Garlic
• Salt & Pepper
• Olive Oil
• Butter (of course)
Procedure:
Buon Appetito Amici! :D
big hug,
joanie xxx
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Fish in Ginger Teriyaki Sauce & Baked Carrots

Good day Mates, Happy Tuesday!!!


I dedicate this lip-smacking dish to a French chef from Paris, Pierre!
big hug,
joanie xxx























