Happy 2012!

The Hungry-Trotting Couple wishes all the foodies out there....

A happy, happy 2012!!!

Cheers to more food, food and food!!!



TIME OUT: Wine and Cheese

In this time of the year, when the days are getting shorter and the weather is getting colder, people in this side of the world tend to be less active and less outgoing.  HT wife confesses that she'd rather stay at home, be a couch potato, hide under a blanket and stay warm.  It ain't healthy though.

One night, friends of HT couple changed the gloomy season into something interesting and (healthy...ahem!).   We ended the daylight saving time with a blast...

A wine & cheese party!!!

Brie, goat cheese, blue cheese, etc.

Cheese wouldn't be as healthy as it looks without these..

Bottles of red wine from Australia, Italy, France, South Africa, Chile and of  course, from our very own...the Netherlands!

HT wife is not a wine connoisseur.  But she drinks 1 glass of red wine every night (she has a mindset that a glass of red helps to keep her doctor away. :D).  HT hubbie goes along with this healthy habit. 

As a tip from the connoisseurs, we drank the wines from the lightest to the strongest.  This is a good way to savor each drop from the bottle without overpowering each other.  I learn from a French friend who loves wine next to his wife, that when you take a sip of the wine, let it roll all over your tongue up to the back of it so it goes through all your sense of taste.  I saw a few of them looking at their glasses too, but I skipped that for my next wine and cheese *wink*.

This quiche made of pear with gorgonzola and walnutswas a good complement for the evening's event.  It was simply delicious!

to go with our dessert wine, we had smurf popsicles to go with it.  :)

We planned to do this every 6 months...to keep us warm at the start of our gloomy season and to celebrate the sunny beginning of the year.

'Till the next 6 months!  Cheers! (Proost!)

Thanks again for the wonderful evening guys (you know who you are!) 

TIME OUT: Philippines - Tubbataha Reef - worth diving for

Aside from eating, HT couple loves diving.  Diving had played a significant role to HT couple's road to love.  From our first out-of-town date, the underwater marriage proposal up to our honeymoon, sharks and fishes were our underwater witnesses.

We were lucky to have the opportunity to dive in tropical waters again after almost a year.  And we didn't think twice where to go and immediately booked The Tubbataha dive trip in the Philippines.

Tubbataha reef, for your information, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the Sulu Sea of the Philippines.  This is one of our country's pride.  The only way to get here, is by taking a boat, spending days and nights in the middle of the sea with big waves.

There are several boats that goes to this marine park between the months of March to June.  We took Expedition Fleet's Oceanic Explorer first trip for the year to Tubbataha.

this was our home for 6 days

our dive suite...the best room we ever had in liveaboards

this is what i like about liveaboards, no fuss but comfortable living (from left to right - the dining area, dive baskets for each divers so we don't mix our stuff with others, a library and a bar area where we can get our dose of beer or cola after a long day.)

the marine park is well-protected...no fishing, no anchoring thus, we used these chaser boats to go to the dive spots. 

What I hate in diving? 

Wearing the wetsuit is such a pain.  It already consumes half of my energy.  I'll start sweating to death just gearing up.  Then the remaining energy goes to carrying the tank before going underwater.

But as soon as I see this...

the breathtaking view just makes me feel light and naked

And seeing these sea creatures...i almost forgot that I need to breathe

aside from fish watching, i love dancing underwater too...

And what i love the most in diving?  Every after dive, I am able to do my other hobby...

we were well fed in the boat - which contributed to the 2 kg i gained from my vacation...but it was worth it.

I haven't seen much pelagic fishes and sharks in my dives around Southeast Asia until this trip.  So this is definitely recommended by HT Couple.

Try diving...where else can you have an eye to eye contact with nemo? :)

*Thanks to Mark for lending us his underwater camera case for the whole trip. :)

P.S.  In this trip, HT wife reached her 100th dive and counting 'till her 200th :).  Hurray!

1 year - a facelift of The Hungry-Trotting Couple...

During the vacation, there were days when i'm just sitting under the sun, doing nothing, I realized that our blog is now a year old and decided to give it a simple facelift.  A fresh aura that still signifies how Hungry-Trotting Couple enjoys exploring the world of food.

There were times we thought of letting The Hungry-Trotting Couple goes to sleep...forever.  But everytime we read the posts,  we remember the joy of eating, taking pictures, writing about food and the friends that we connected with through this blog, inspires us to write more and more.  So i guess, you still have to hang on with us for another year. :)

HT wife is almost a year in Holland now, and "The Hungry-Trotting Couple...goes Dutch!" are already "dutch-adjusted".  And for a new feel of this blog...I present to you...the same couple you love...

"The Hungry-Trotting Couple...goes ANYWHERE!"

Whether, it's in Philippines, Singapore, The Netherlands, or other countries...near or far...HT wife and HT hubbie will be ready to go anywhere and bring their same appetite with them.  Definitely, the HT Couple will continue to share their love for food to you...wherever they may be.

Come and join us as we explore together the world through

THE ART OF EATING...

'Till the next post...ta ta!

TIME OUT: Where's HT couple?

under the sea...

outerspace?!?

in a barrio...

in a nice resort...

wherever we are....we'll be back SOON...stay tuned!

Manila: What HT couple have been enjoying back home

Our first few meals in PH...

Max's Fried Chicken - look how happy HT wife was, holding her first meal in PH.  Max's Fried Chicken for Filipinos is no-ordinary poultry.  It has taste almost similar to crispy pata (fried pork knuckle) which is very tasty compared to white meat and with its goodness, their slogan is deliciously good up to the bones...and indeed, if you can eat the bones, you would polish your plate like it was newly washed.

Banana ketchup with worcestershire sauce goes well with this chicken.  Banana ketchup, well-known in PH is made of mashed bananas instead of tomatoes.  It give lighter and sweeter taste.  This is also being used for pasta dishes.  If you see a sweet-style spaghetti sauce, that is inspired by this banana ketchup and for sure you'll have a sweet, tangy flavor pasta...a Filipino recipe.

Fried Pork Knuckle aka Crisy Pata -We,  Filipinos love our pork and treats it very well. A dish served on Filipino's table during parties and festivities.  The crunchy skin, dip in the special made soy sauce was worth every crack and even though it's fried, the meat remains tender and tasty.  What I don't like in this dish is the process of scraping out the fats from the skin and from the meat, but otherwise, eating it, is like in heaven. 

A true blue Filipino, HT wife enjoyed her chickenjoy!  All Filipinos know how much this chicken gives joy to Filipinos going home from abroad.  Jollibee, the store that serves this poultry, is our Filipino version of McDonalds.  Its crispy skin, oozing oil and tasty gravy are unhealthy but coming home after 7 months, makes this calories intake worth it.

This might not be exclusive in the Philippines, but Green Tea Frappuccino doesn't exist in the Starbucks' european scene.  My favorite drink if I'm not in the mood for caffeine.  Aside from loving its color, i just love green tea per se.

Biko - is a Filipino delicacy made of sticky rice and coconut.  This sweet rice cake is such a delight.  I took this for granted when we would have it at home when I was young.  I guess, absence really makes the heart grow fonder.   I enjoyed every bite of this chewy and lip smacking good biko.

If HT wife had her cravings, HT hubbie sure has one for himself...

Tempura Tuna Sashimi Tartare - A mixture of tempura skin, tuna sashimi pieces mixed in a special mayo sauce.  Teryaki boy, a Japanese chain in the Philippines has introduced this dish a few years ago and became a hit.  It hit HT hubbie's heart too!  The special sauce was a mixture of zest, spicy and sweet taste which goes well with bland raw tuna pieces and the fried tempura pieces added flavor to it.

HT Hubbie didn't think twice of having his picture taken with his favorite dish...he can't wait to have his first bite!

I noticed, being in Manila, is a very good weight gain program.  It's time to take a break...so off we go to Apo, Tubbataha Reef and Puerto Princesa for our dive expedition and going-around-other-than-in-manila trip...and for sure, food would be a part of this journey.  Ta ta for now! 

Pre-Valentine and Post CNY in Holland

HT couple were invited by friends to celebrate the love month and the year of the rabbit on its 10th day.  We didn't think twice and accepted the invitation.  Aside from these friends are really nice people(HT hubbie agrees with me), we just feel comfortable being with them without too much effort.  And they might not have a food blog yet(who knows they might have one tomorrow), but one thing is for sure, they love food as much as we do.

If being food lovers is something we have in common, we have something uncommon.  They rock in the kitchen and I mess in the kitchen. (still a long way to go honey, but you can do it - the usual phrase HT hubbie would tell me everytime i throw away a not-so-edible dish or when i burned my pinkie).

To prove how these friends of mine rocked the kitchen and our tummies...

These ain't ordinary dumplings!  The skin was even made with personal touch(it's not those skins you can buy in the groceries or asian stores).  She shared her recipe of just combining salt and flour with water to make the wrapper.  And the filling was a well-balanced taste of ground pork and shrimp.  The filling was very tasty and moist.  Just like having xiao long bao without making a mess of sipping the soup inside but still gives you the "oomph" taste.  The dip (not in the picture) was a mixture of shaoxing wine, soy sauce, salt and pepper...voila!  It was perfect.  Check out the presentation...isn't it wonderful how the sesame seeds and spring onions made a difference?

Rujak Pengantin (wedding salad) - Indonesia and Malaysia are known for it's different type of Rojak.  The mixture of veggies, tofu, potatoes with a special type of dressing made of ebi (dried shrimps), peanut butter, lemon juice, salt and pepper.  Emping on the side is a must as it goes well with the dressing too.  My friend even acclaimed it was under-seasoned...but i wouldn't mind eating this everyday especially during those health monster moments as taste is not sacrificed at all.

Quekiam or He Keng (teo chew) - It's been almost a year since I had this, and i ate it like i haven't eaten for days (we even got a roll to take home which of course didn't last for 24 hours).  I love the wrap as I am a beancurd skin addict.  The same filling of the dumpling were used except that this roll was flavored with bouillon and seasoned with a dash of paprika for that mild kick in every bite.  The citrus sauce(not in the picture) went very well with it.

Red Yeast Chicken - It was scary to look at because of its hue, but when i took the first slurp, the goodness of chicken and ginger were prominent but somehow there is this pleasant taste that I cannot describe until a red yeast bag was shown to me by my friend.  All along, i thought it only gives food coloring and now I know that it contributes to the goodness of the taste this dish.  And being so interested where i can use red yeast, aside from the drunken dishes and char siew, I also learned that it helps to lower our bad cholesterol.  Nothing beats the 3-in-1 benefits of red yeast.

Baby Kailan - a plate of veggie is a must on the table of every chinese meal.  This was sauteed with salted fish, dried garlic and ginger.  Yum!

Our dessert Leche Flan!  I volunteered to make dessert as I don't want my friend to be too tired of preparing a full course (as you can see she has prepared a lot).  As you can see, presentation wise, it was not very successful.  The sudden change in the temperature (baking it in the oven at 200 C for 45 mins with a steamed bath of the leche flan container if put in the fridge without letting it cool down) gave the flan the crack.  (I learned it after 2 attempts of making this).  Yes, this was my 2nd try as the 1st one was overcooked giving a rubber consistency.  (I was afraid that it won't be cooked so i thought 15 mins more shouldn't hurt).  It was tad sweet for my tastebuds (I followed the recipe of using 1 can of condensed milk for 10 egg yolks).  Working on the 2nd one, I minimize the egg yolks to 8 and using only half of the condensed milk and 1/4 cup of fresh milk.  And it might still be on the sweet side, (but not as sweet as how we Filipinos eat it), but I'm proud to say that it was smooth(right amount of mixing), creamy and delicious.  And it didn't had that very overwhelming taste which usually can't be avoided in this Filipino version of creme caramel.

And the highlight of the day for HT wife...

I HEART PINEAPPLE TARTS!!!  I mentioned to HT hubbie and to some SG friends on how I won't be able to have my fair share of this tart this CNY.  So i can't help myself but ate it like a monkey (I was exaggerating as i tried to be modest that time) 

Just 2 words: Delicious and Satisfied!  It was one of the best pineapple tarts I had.  I didn't bother asking how it was done though when I heard it was not easy. :D (lazy me)  I guess, for now, I just prefer popping it inside my mouth.

After almost 5 hours of lunch, stories and laughters...we went home with contented tummies and a bottle of this...:) *bliss*  

Thanks again friends (you know who you guys are).  We are very grateful for the wonderful pre-valentine/post CNY lunch and for your wonderful company.

'Till our next hang out session...maybe the making of hokkien mee...:D 

Happy Heart's Day!

This post is non-food related but..

 Hungry Trotting Couple wishes everyone Happy Heart's Day! :)

the story behind these flowers:

HT couple are not into V-day.  But HT hubbie cannot resist HT wife not being surprised on this special day.  HT hubbie planned to go to the flower shop and make croissants early this morning while i'm still sleeping and gives me breakfast in bed with flowers (just like those in cheesy hollywood movies).  It didn't go well, ladies and gentlemen, as his laziness kicked in, and decided to stay in bed with me.  We got up at the same time, and started working, but I noticed he was uncomfortable the whole morning and all along i thought it was work that's bothering him.  Until he found an excuse, sneaked out and came back, all wet, (as it was raining) with this lovely bouquet.  When I took the roses, I hug him and gave him a very matured answer..."Awww, you shouldn't have, thank you" and brought the flowers to the living smelling, each rose one by one.  Then, I slowly went to the bedroom...and secretly, jumped for joy several times on the bed...just like when i received flowers from my crushes when I was still in the category of "teens".  I felt...happy, YOUNG (*no contradictions please) and in love. :D

V-day has never been a thing for HT hubbie, but somehow, he never fails me every year. :D

2010 it is!

2010 was the year I have to say goodbye to SG and say hello to the Netherlands.  2010 was the most challenging year but I was happy and contented.  2010 was the birth year of this blog.

And what made 2010 special for HT couple's blog? :) Aside from the magnificent food trips we've made...being acquainted to everyone virtually through our blogs and especially meeting all of you who shared the same passion and for sharing your time even if i was about to leave Singapore then and now still keeping in touch even if i am on the other side of the world...thanks for the friendship!

Happy 2011 foodies!

TIME-OUT: It's Christmas time again...

Time flew fast and it's almost Christmas! :)  I just love this season.  Walking around the shopping area, you can hear a lot of people saying 'LEUK' (meaning "nice" or "pretty" ) in every corner.

Why do i love this season?

I love Christmas lights.  I even enjoyed cycling even if it's freezing cold to check out from the smallest christmas light a family put up in their house up to the almost burning home of a family who didn't care about the electricity bill just to give that Christmas atmosphere.  I love it!

Santa would suddenly show up (ok here in NL after the Sinterklaas).  He still makes me smile even if he had stopped giving me gifts since I was 6. (but i wouldn't mind if i'm getting one this year...did you get that HT hubbie? :D)

I love putting up a Christmas tree and it's more special here in Holland as we bought a real tree! Though I miss dad's talent in decorating one...but it's the spirit that counts. 

I love receiving Christmas cards unexpectedly.  I even got a huge one from my colleagues in India! :)

And of course, the never ending parties, gatherings and get together makes this season even more special.  Everyone gives time to be part of it.

So before everyone goes for holiday and becomes busy to read our blog...

HT COUPLE would like to greet you...

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Prettige Feestdagen and Gelukkig Nieuw Jaar!

There are hundreds of reason to love this holiday season.  What's yours? :)

TIME OUT: Party here, there and in the Netherlands

Hello!  HT couple had been very busy since the 1st of December hit the calendar.  Dec, is my favorite month.  Aside from the holiday break from work, it gives a sense of joy with all the glittering lights put up on the street (not to mention the almost-burning Orchard Road in Singapore) and how each (building in Makati in Philippines) glam up as if there's a big prize for creativity.  Parties, reunions almost everyday...just sharing food, laughters and time.

In Holland, we start the festivity with Sinterklaas.  Also known as St. Nicholas or Santa Claus for me!  He celebrates his birthday every 5th of December and this is when you find Sint (santa) all over the places in the Netherlands.  Nobody has confirmed if Santa Claus of the US really originated from Holland's Sinterklaas.  But do take note, that New York (new Amsterdam) was a Dutch colony.  Wherever it came from, at this age, Sint or Santa still gives a big smile on my face. :)

This is how Sint (santa) looks like in Holland.  He wears a cape and a bishops hat, (ok, he was supposed to have white beard as well but somehow this Sint shaved :D) and along with him are the Zwarte Pieten (black Piets), who we are acquainted to as santa's elves, carry the gifts and serve as Sint's assistants (ok don't ask about the reindeers...they're not part of this festivity, i think)

Pepernoten - these are the small, candy-like biscuits that Zwarte Pieten throw to kids while they try to grab as much pieces as they can.  But taking note of the hygiene of those kids eating their pepernoten from the floor, Piet changed their ways by getting a handful from a sack and hand it off to kids and even to somebody who looks innocent like me (if there hands are cleaner than the floor, is another story).  And if you can't find Piet to get your share of this cookie, go inside in some shops, and look for a plate filled with pepernoten at the counter (be discreet and only grab a few pieces not a handful...it's all about sharing *wink*).

Festivities like this include getting a gift from Sint!  The unique way here is that the exchange gift should be accompanied with a poem. What you're getting really comes from the heart, well at least, making a poem makes it "personal".

opening my gift with the whole Sinterklaas gang!  (my nice poem was inside:D)

what is a party without food!!!

Another fun thing about parties is preparing for it too!  I made a Filipino street food called Turon...

it's simply made of lumpia wrapper, sugar, bananas for cooking (bak banaan in toko).  In Singapore, you might be able to get it in Lucky Plaza or sometimes if you're lucky in Carrefour and Fairprice.

Roll the banana slices in sugar, wrap it in until the bananas are safely secured (use water as paste), heat the pan with oil and put sugar in it, once the sugar goes on top of the heat up oil, throw in those turon  pieces until they're brown and crispy.

Ta-dah...let the oil drip so it won't be soggy.  It's supposed to deep fried, but I made it calorie-friendly.


This reminds me I have to start preparing for our Christmas' and New Year's eve menu :)  Hope everyone is excited with their plans.  Do share your holiday menu for this year or the restaurant/place you would be spending your holiday with your loved ones.

2 weeks to go! :)

*party photos were taken by my co-choir members :)