We featured a French Onion tart by Namee Jorolan (of Pinoy Eats World) in Yummy's November issue. It was sooooo delicious, I was inspired to make tarts from then on!

Tarts can look a bit intimidating, but they're incredibly easy to make. Feel free to play around with whatever ingredients you want. Use ingredients that are already in your kitchen!

The photo on top shows a Chorizo and Malasimbo kesong puti tart with baby rocket :)

To make this, you'll need these basic ingredients.
- sheets of puff pastry from Santi's (about P400 for a pack with 4 or 5 sheets)
- 1 egg
- chorizo
- 3 tablespoons of cheese- Use whatever you have. I used this yummy Malasimbo kesong puti available at the Salcedo Market
- baby rocket- You can use spinach or arugula

I'd rather let you determine how much cheese and chorizo you'd like. If you're in a diet, then put a minimum amount of toppings. If you're feeling hungry, then put the whole chorizo and lots of cheese!

Lay a sheet of puff pastry in a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Dock the pastry (use a fork to prick the puff pastry so it will have holes for steam pass through). 

In a small bowl, whisk eggs with a bit of water. Use a pastry brush to brush the puff pastry with the egg wash. Crumble the chorizo and the cheese, and scatter on top. 

Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes in a 400F oven until the pastry puffs and turns golden brown. Take out of the oven. Add baby rocket. Slice and serve warm!


Some recipes call for the egg wash to be brushed just on the sides. Others also like to put a bit of cream, but this is my short cut, less hassle version.

The second tart on top is a Caramelized Onion and Brie tart drizzled with Truffle Honey. Yup! You read that right. I have a thing for brie and honey! Truffle honey takes it to an entirely different level. Oh and the caramelized onions are divine! YUM!

To make caramelized onions, you'll need:
- about 2 cups on thinly sliced onions
- small stick of butter 
- a lot of patience! haha!

Add butter to the frying pan. Add the onions and stir. Let the onions cook for about 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally and making sure that the onions do not turn burn. The onions will have a lovely dark brown color. 

If you notice, the onions on top aren't that caramelized. You'll still have a yummy tart even if you rush things, but with a little more patience, you'll be rewarded with onion jam that will really add a whole different flavor profile to your dish. :)

Tarts are so easy to make! And it's technically more healthy than ordering some greasy pizza :) Don't you agree?

Some people say they enjoy the Miso Ramen more, but to me it's the Shoyu that will entice me to go back. The sesame oil and pepper really adds more flavor to the broth, and the slice of pork really melts in your mouth.

Saw these huge bean sprouts at my fave Japanese grocery, Choto Stop, and I knew that I had to give them a try. Grabbed some weird looking mushrooms as well. Stir fried it with some pork marinated in Korean mungbean paste and the result is this yummy, light dish. I sprinkled it with chopped perilla leaf for added freshness.

To make this, simply heat sesame oil in a pan. Add chopped garlic and pork, saute until brown. Turn off the heat then add mushrooms and bean sprouts. This can also be enjoyed over rice or buckwheat noodles.

Our friend NickStJames, who is almost Korean (haha!), introduced us to Top Dish, my favorite Korean resto in town.

One of my best friends Steph makes lovely furniture. She recently opened a by-appointment-only shop in Cubao called 9th Liberty. Cheese, cake, and bubbly were served!

That lovely pink Strawberry Shortcake is the famous Yulo cake from Forbes. It's one of my favorite cakes in Manila and it is truly to die for!

9th Liberty is filled nouveau pretty chairs, tables and accessories that will make the ladies smile. Look at more lovely things at www.9thlibertyhome.com and at their Facebook page.

When we were choosing items for our gift registry at Rustan's, a pasta maker was one of the top things I wanted to receive. Luckily, our good friend Lala bought it for us! Woot woot!

My first attempt came out tasting like lomi! Hahahahahaha! I followed a recipe in a culinary book gifted by my sister-in-law and his boyfriend. I even bought semolina flour from Healthy Options. But apparently, I rolled out the pasta too thick!

This second batch came out a bit better. I still need to get the hang of rolling the pasta thinly and separating them immediately once they come out of the cutter. It tasted good but I know it still needs a bit of work :)

To make the pasta pictured above, fry chorizo slices and chopped bacon. Add asparagus, season with pepper, add cooked pasta then toss. It's a delicious combination! To make it even better, sprinkle cheese on top.

This is such an easy pasta dish to make. Making fresh pasta, however, isn't as easy as I'd want it to be! But I have a feeling that third time's the charm :)

We spent a few days in Ho Chi Minh for our honeymoon. Our friend Sam gave us a list of places to go to so we got to try authentic pho, rolls, and other Vietnamese fare. Here are some dishes that I liked:

It's Yummy's annual Pinoy issue!

Had the privilege of making a feature about Pinoy Food with a Twist.

The bagnet burger is awesome! For someone who, for years, thoroughly enjoyed heaps of cheap sisig with egg and mayo at Mang Jimmy's in UP Balara, the sisig pasta created by Chef Jam Melchor of Villa Cafe is more refined and is surprisingly good :)

Check out my product feature on Pinoy sawsawans, too. Yes, it was inspired by my thesis project, and yes, I really can't live without dipping sauces!

Grab the issue at your fave newsstands and bookstores! And if I were you, I'd buy a couple of copies to send to loved ones abroad for Christmas ;) Isn't that a yummy idea?

Lusso is my new favorite "special occasion restaurant".

This is the place to go to when you have time to spare and just want to enjoy life. It's where you can just talk and lounge around while slowly enjoying delicious food and flutes of bubbly.

I love tapa! A plateful of tapsilog brings together a lot of my favorite food items- beef, vinegar, garlic, rice, and eggs. Mr. Jone's U.S. Beef Ribcap "Tapa and Garlic Overload" is a decadent version of this favorite Filipino set meal. At P295, it's one of the cheapest things on the restaurant's menu. The servings are huge (good for 2 people, in my opinion), and the flavors are right on.

I love that the beef is tender, fatty and succulent. I douse it with spoonfuls of vinegar (I always ask for another serving), and enjoy it with Mr. Jones' achara (pickled papaya). Eggs are always ordered cooked sunny side up. I like to mix vinegar with the runny yolks.

Every few months or so, I get an urge to get my tapa fix. It's one of my comfort foods. And even though one big servings leaves me with a headache sometimes (oh, cholesterol!), I always find an excuse to enjoy up to the last morsel.
Mr. Jones is located at the ground level of Greendbelt 5. Tel. No. 501-3111